Lea Associates Organizational Consulting - Strategic Organizational Development in Business #Organizational Development ODLea Associates Organizational Consulting - Strategic Organizational Development in Business #Organizational Development ODhttps://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/tag/odWed, 04 Mar 2026 03:03:56 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[My Fascination with Organizational Behavior]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/interest-organizational-behaviorDiscover the story of how a manager's harsh commands at a dream job sparked an early fascination with organizational behavior and the importance of respect and trust in the workplace.]]>

How I Got Interested in Organizational Development

So, many times people ask me why I got interested in organization development, how it started, and what prompted me? And I have to go back to a very early time in my life when I didn't have any sense of the word organization development. But I knew that I had a tremendous curiosity for it. 

A Missed Opportunity and Desperate Attempts to Get a Job

Concord, California
I was around 20 years old and lived in Concord, California. There was a restaurant that was opening up new. And this restaurant was very popular and a really big place. And it was a place that if you got a job there, you knew you were making good money every, every day. And if you worked there as a server, which I, that was the work that I did at the time. I was a waitress, and I wanted to work there so badly.

It was like guaranteed good income. I desperately wanted to work there, but it just so happened that I missed the weekend the restaurant put an ad in the paper. This was when they put ads in the paper. They put an ad in the paper for a hiring event. And on the weekend I was gone, I was gone for one weekend. That was the weekend that they hired everybody. So I didn't get a job when they first opened. So then I went to great lengths to get a job there.

I went there every other day, literally every other day, and sat at the counter and had a cup of coffee cuz that's all I could afford because I was broke. And then, I finally thought, I'll talk to my professor from the Diablo Valley Community College, who was the head of the restaurant industry program at the local community college. So I went to my professor and said, do you know anybody? So he introduced me to one of the managers of this place. Emil Villa is where I wanted to work, desperately wanted to work. My professor, Jack, introduced me to Bob, the restaurant manager. I met Bob, a friendly guy, and he said, "The next opening we have, I'm gonna hire you, Kris." Which he did. 

I got a job as a waitress. I was so happy and grateful for this job. Keep in mind this was back in the day, younger, and at the time when I was, I was living my life purely on a cash, cash basis.

I would go to work and be like, okay, I got my electric bill, and I got my water bill, and I got this. I need to make $80 today to cover my bills. And I would. That was, that was a place where I was as a young woman. 

A Supervisor's Hardened Behavior and Its Effect on Employees

And so Bob, who was very warm toward me when I first got the job and helped me, suddenly started to interact with me in a very harsh way. And he would say things to me like, Kris, go over and bust that table, and if you don't do it, I'm gonna fire you, Kris.

Go over and take those plates over there. If you don't, if you don't do it, I'm gonna fire you. And he was commanding me around and punctuating this with these threats of termination. And I, I would always be so shocked, like, why is he talking to me like that?

Why would he think that he needs to threaten me?

I obviously wanna work there. And so this went on for a while, and I finally told him, Bob, I'm curious if you don't remember how hard I tried to get a job here and how much I really wanted to work here. I still want to work here. And you don't need to threaten me, um, when you need me to do something that you don't, you don't need to do that.

And at that moment, his whole physicality, his body just relaxed. And he was like, oh, okay. 

And I was like, what? 

The Start of a Fascination with Organizational Behavior

So at that moment, I was very interested in organizational behavior without understanding any words around that. But I wanted to know how people worked together and how they got along and treated each other with respect or not. How that all happened. And what I understand now through my studies is that Brian, a friend on one level, on another level as my supervisor, went into the role of a supervisor in a very, prescribed way. In a very hardened way. 

Which is what happens many times with people inside organizations. They get the role, and they get role hardened. They feel that their behavior has to be consistent with the role. And, um, and then they lose the connection with other people. Therefore they lose other people's trust, which is absolutely necessary inside an organization. So, my fascination with organizational behavior started many, many years ago.

And here I am today!

Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure about how to improve your teams' performance? Don't give up hope just yet. Take charge of your situation and make a positive change today. Let's Talk! Schedule a call with me.

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Dr. Kris Lea - Organizational Development Leader

Post by Dr. Kris Lea

Meet Kris Lea - an experienced consultant, facilitator, and trainer with expertise in OD, OCM, T&D, and Project Management. Kris empowers organizations to overcome challenges and achieve goals. As the founder of Lea Associates LLC, Kris is committed to building long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional value.

]]>Fri, 03 Mar 2023 11:07:47 -0600<![CDATA[Expert Guidance for Business Development]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/guidance-organizational-developmentKris's volunteer work with our start-up nonprofit was invaluable. Her process of interviewing and facilitating exercises at a retreat helped us identify challenges and solutions for improvement. I highly recommend her.]]>

Kris's expertise can benefit your organization at any stage

AL AMADO
Al Amado Chairman and founding member of the Tony’s Place Board

Kris is extremely knowledgeable about the stages of organizations and how to help them. She volunteered her time to help our start-up nonprofit and was a tremendous benefit to our development. She was able to quickly focus on our needs through her interviews with members of the team. She then translated that into exercises at a retreat, which she facilitated to help us land on our next steps. The process was very beneficial in identifying challenges and needs, as well as how to overcome them and fill them. An excellent process that we truly could not have done without her expertise and guidance. Highly recommend it for an organization at any stage, whether to fine-tune or to identify missing processes and procedures and areas for improvement and development.


Contact Kris today to benefit from her expert guidance and proven process. Whether you need to fine-tune your current processes or identify missing procedures, Kris can help you overcome challenges and develop strategies for success. 

Contact Kris
]]>Wed, 01 Mar 2023 09:38:18 -0600<![CDATA[Roles and Responsibilities of an OD Consultant]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/OD-consultaningDiscover the critical roles and responsibilities of an OD consultant in helping organizations grow and improve through assessment, change, leadership development, and culture change.]]>

Understanding the Vital Role and Responsibilities

As an OD (Organizational Development) consultant, I often get asked what I do, and my responsibilities are to help organizations grow and improve. So, in this blog post, I will break down the roles and responsibilities of an OD consultant and give you a better understanding of what we do. 

Organizational Puzzle

Assessing Organizational Needs

Assessing organizational needs: The first step in any OD intervention is to evaluate the organization's current state. The assessment involves analyzing the organization's structure, culture, processes, and people to identify areas for improvement. 

Designing and Implementing Change

Designing and implementing change: Once we identify the needs, the next step is to design and implement change programs that address these needs. The program could involve anything from redesigning the organizational structure, improving communication and collaboration, and introducing new processes and systems.

Facilitating Team Building and Collaboration

Facilitating team building and collaboration: OD consultants often work with teams and departments within an organization to help them work more effectively together. Various ways may involve facilitating team-building activities, mediating conflicts, and coaching individuals to develop vital interpersonal skills.

Developing Leadership

Developing leadership: OD consultants play an essential role in developing the leadership skills of individuals within the organization. Developing leadership may involve providing training and coaching on leadership skills and helping leaders identify and address their challenges.

Driving Culture Change

Driving culture change: Culture is a critical aspect of any organization, and OD consultants are often called upon to help organizations shift their culture in a positive direction. Steps involve facilitating discussions and workshops to help employees understand the organization's values and vision and developing programs to reinforce these values. 

Evaluating Outcomes

Finally, OD consultants are responsible for assessing the results of the change programs they have designed and implemented. We measure the impact of the changes on the organization and make recommendations for further improvements. 

The role of an OD consultant is diverse and complex, but at its core, it's about helping organizations to grow and improve. Whether you're working with teams, leaders, or the entire organization, the goal is always to create a more productive, more effective, and happier place to work.

Are you ready to take your organization to the next level? As an OD consultant, I can help. Let's discuss how I can assist you in assessing your organizational needs, designing and implementing change, and developing your leadership. Schedule a call with me today to learn more about how I can help your organization grow and improve.

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Dr. Kris Lea - Organizational Development Leader

Post by Dr. Kris Lea

Meet Kris Lea - an experienced consultant, facilitator, and trainer with expertise in OD, OCM, T&D, and Project Management. Kris empowers organizations to overcome challenges and achieve goals. As the founder of Lea Associates, LLC, Kris is committed to building long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional value.

]]>Tue, 28 Feb 2023 09:35:36 -0600<![CDATA[Organizational Development: Transform Your Business ]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/OD-consultingDiscover the impact of organizational development (OD) on your business. Learn how to respond to changes, build trust, and foster innovation for lasting growth.]]>

How Organizational Development Helps Organizations Respond to Change

Team photo
Organizational development (OD) is a systematic process of improving an organization's structure, culture, and effectiveness, and it has the potential to transform organizations in meaningful ways. As a consultant closely involved with organizations and their growth, I have seen the power of organizational development firsthand. One of the essential aspects of OD is its ability to help organizations respond to changes in their external environment. In today's fast-paced business world, pivoting and adjusting to new challenges and opportunities is vital. OD provides organizations the tools and processes they need to do just that.
As a consultant, I guide organizations through the OD process. The method involves: 
    • Identifying the organization's strengths and weaknesses.
    • Developing a customized plan. 
    • Implementing changes. 
    • Evaluating the results.

Consultants can provide an objective perspective, help navigate complex issues, and bring specialized knowledge and skills to the table.

The Impact of Organizational Development on Internal Processes and Culture

Another reason I believe in the value of OD is its impact on an organization's internal processes and culture. When an organization's employees feel valued and engaged in their work, it creates a positive work environment that benefits everyone. A positive workplace increases productivity, efficiency, and a more fulfilling and enjoyable employee work experience.

Building Trust and Communication in the OD Process

Building trust is crucial in the OD process, and it takes time and effort from all parties involved. Trust allows for meaningful dialogue, feedback, and collaboration, all essential in creating lasting change. Successful OD requires open and honest communication, both within and between the organization and the consultant.

People-Focused: Prioritizing Employee Well-Being and Development

At the heart of OD is a focus on people. Individuals make up an organization, and it's the people within an organization that make it successful. OD recognizes this and prioritizes the well-being and development of employees. It's not just about increasing profits; it's about creating an environment where people can thrive.

Fostering Innovation and Creativity Through OD

Finally, I firmly believe in the power of innovation and creativity, and OD can help organizations foster these qualities. By encouraging a culture of continuous improvement and experimentation, organizations can tap into the full potential of their employees and develop new solutions to old problems.

The Importance of Continual OD Efforts and Measuring Success

OD is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Organizations are constantly evolving, and so should their OD efforts. Continuing growth means regularly assessing progress, identifying new areas for improvement, and adjusting strategies as needed. By embracing a culture of continuous improvement, organizations can stay ahead of the curve and adapt to changing circumstances.

Measuring the success of OD efforts is essential. Factors include: Setting clear goals, tracking progress, and evaluating outcomes. By measuring success, organizations can see the impact of their OD efforts and make data-driven decisions. Success metrics include employee satisfaction, productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction.  Organizational development is a critical component of organizational success. Investing in OD can help your organization stay competitive, improve processes and culture, and foster innovation and creativity.  

Whether you're a business leader, an employee, or an entrepreneur, it's essential to understand OD's impact on your organization. As a consultant, I am honored to be a part of this process and to help organizations achieve their full potential. Contact me today to learn how my OD consulting services can help your organization thrive.
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Dr. Kris Lea - Organizational Development Leader

Post by Dr. Kris Lea

Meet Kris Lea - an experienced consultant, facilitator, and trainer with expertise in OD, OCM, T&D, and Project Management. Kris empowers organizations to overcome challenges and achieve goals. As the founder of Lea Associates, LLC., Kris is committed to building long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional value.

]]>Tue, 28 Feb 2023 09:35:36 -0600<![CDATA[5 Vital Signs of a Healthy Organization]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/healthy-organization-balanceWant to create a healthier organization? Check out Dr. Kris Lea's 5 vital signs for success. From balance to purpose, learn how to assess and improve your organization's health. Get the white paper now.]]>

Why Balance is a Vital Sign of a Healthy Organization

Have you ever wondered what makes a healthy organization tick? An organizational development and change management consultant, Dr. Kris Lea, shares her insights. In her white paper "The 5 Vital Signs of a Healthy Organization," she discusses the first vital sign: balance. This means that an organization should strive to meet its own needs and the needs of the people working there. After all, a happy and healthy workforce is vital to success.

If you want to learn more about creating a healthy balance in your organization, be sure to check out Dr. Lea's white paper.

Dr. Kris Lea - 5 Vital Signs to Organizational Health

Post by Dr. Kris Lea

Meet Kris Lea - an experienced consultant, facilitator, and trainer with expertise in OD, OCM, T&D, and Project Management. Kris empowers organizations to overcome challenges and achieve goals. As the founder of Lea Associates LLC, Kris is committed to building long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional value.

]]>Sat, 25 Feb 2023 10:45:07 -0600<![CDATA[Difference between Organization Development & Change Management]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/organization-development-change-managementThe differences between organization development & organizational change management. Improve an organization's efficiency & effectiveness]]>

Dr. Kris Lea, the President and Founder of Lee Associates, discusses the similarities and differences between organization development and organizational change management. Organization development is the practice of working with an organization to understand how they are getting their work done and achieving their mission. It is primarily a diagnostic process that helps leaders inside the organization understand what is happening. Organizational change management, on the other hand, is the practice of helping an organization implement changes once they have decided on their future state. It involves managing the people side of changes along with the technology side. An example is given of a client that needed to improve their reporting capabilities and how the process of diagnosing the problem, purchasing new software and implementing it, exemplifies the difference between the two practices.  This video was posted originally by the BBB serving Sacramento & Northeast California.


Organization Development: Understanding how an organization works 

Hi I'm Dr. Kris Lea and I'm the president and founder of Kris Lea Consulting Group today we're going to talk about organization development and organizational change management; what is similar and what is different about those two practices. So sometimes these terms are a little confusing. I'll define them first organization development is work with an organization to understand how things are working how


00:00:31 They're meeting their mission and getting work done so an organization is simply a group of people that are trying to get something done and organization development work is primarily diagnostic work to help to help the leaders inside that organization understand what is happening and that would happen before change management work or organizational change management work organizational change management work is the practice of helping an organization once they've


00:01:01 Decided exactly what they want to do to reach their future state exactly how to get the entire organization to their future state so it's secondary to organization development so here's a really good example from one of my projects I had a client that they were having a very difficult time extracting the data for reports that were required from them in terms of the costs of projects that they that they were responsible for and this lack of


00:01:30 Reporting capability was really a systemic issue there was technology that was missing in their environment to actually do the work that they needed to do so the process of diagnosing the fact that they didn't have the right workflows or they didn't have the right technology in place that is diagnostic that is OD work now the outcome of all of that in this example was a decision by their leaders to spend the money to put out an RFP to


00:02:00 Actually purchase as an enterprise system project management software that they really needed to be able to plan their projects and then actually account for the time spent the labor account and all of the other expenses in a very very accurate way so this enterprise software implementation that project now becomes an organizational change management project this is leadership deciding on a particular decision yes we're going to


00:02:29 Spend the money yes we're gonna have this particular software and then a change management team will actually wrap around the project management team to make sure that the people side of all of this change happens along with the technology site thanks everybody I really appreciate your attention it was good to have a chance to share the difference between organization development and organizational change management

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Dr. Kris Lea - Organizational Development Training

Post by Dr. Kris Lea

Meet Kris Lea - an experienced consultant, facilitator, and trainer with expertise in OD, OCM, T&D, and Project Management. Kris empowers organizations to overcome challenges and achieve goals. As the founder of Lea Associates LLC, Kris is committed to building long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional value.

]]>Thu, 20 Oct 2022 07:11:00 -0500<![CDATA[Strategies for Effective Collaboration]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/performance-management-2Learn how to monitor productivity and manage performance in the time of Covid with these tips for leaders. Balancing concern for people and concern for results is key to success.]]>

Building Trust with Technology: Tips for Leaders and Organizations

In this podcast, Kris and Leanne discuss the importance of building trust in virtual meetings and share tips to create connections and foster productivity. Learn how to inject fun, ground and focus participants, and encourage video use to revitalize relationships.

Revitalizing Connections in the Online Space

Transcript
Hi Kris, hey Leanne, how are you doing? I'm good to see you too, so welcome everybody to the next installment of courageous conversations for leaders and organizations; good, so we are talking about building trust with technology, so this is module three of our code series. I'm going to tell you exactly what you're going to learn if you stick it out. 

00:00:24 
With us here for a few minutes, and we hope that you do so, we're going to talk about building trust using technology. We're going to talk about how to create connections on video, and we're going to talk a few tips about, well, we're going to share a tip about what to do if you've got people who are not going on video, okay and 

00:00:46 
Really, what the problem is we are experiencing this across in many workplaces that people do not have the same kinds of relationships that they were before when they were seeing each other every day, so the use of technology actually puts us in a position in which we can't build relationships as we did before and we can't maintain relationships as we did 

00:01:09 
Before, unless we put a little effort into it, and Kris, that makes so much sense what you're saying because we no longer have informal interactions. They're all formalized through these online meetings, so we're not running into people in the hallways or getting a cup of coffee or just those. 

00:01:28 
Informal ways that we say hi it's how's it going, and just that all does create connection, and we've lost that  we have we've lost a lot of the many points throughout the day that we connect with people, so we are trying our best to revive that and to revitalize our relationships at work even though we have to use technology much of the time 

00:01:49 
Then that's the title of this actual podcast is to build trust through technology, so that's what this is about today, and I wanted to share just it's a very short story of an experience I had I was working on a project team, and I was hired to come in as doing some instructional design work, and I was on a team we started on a Monday I worked Monday 

00:02:14 
Throughout the weekend until the following Friday, we met daily as a team. No one ever came on video, and I never saw anybody. I could only hear their voices, and I did feel disconnected from that team. what a great example, so let's talk about what we can do to help that because I know. 

00:02:41 
Also, people out there who have teenagers or middle schoolers or even elementary schoolers, they're hearing from their teachers if they're in online school how a lot of kids are not going on video either, so like a lot of kids are not on video and they're you know they can't be forced to go on video, but this is it's a huge problem  every level of our society right now 

00:03:01 
So, let's dive into some tips from our experience to help you create better connections in the online space. Okay, so now we're going to get into our tips. Tip number one is social time, so how do we take that social time we used to get in the hallway and get it in the video space in our meetings

00:03:26 
So this can be done in a variety of ways, and one of them is a fun way, and so injecting some fun, even if for just a couple minutes or into the theme of that meeting, that's going to help everyone feel connected and Kris I'm going to hop over to you to give an example of wacky Wednesday can you talk about that  yes the team I'm working on right now we do wacky Wednesday so every single 

00:03:51 
Wednesday, someone is assigned to do something fun, and it could share a personal story or wear a funny hat, or we did one when one of our colleagues was expecting a baby, so we did uh sort of a gender  reveal party where we all guessed what she was going to have she's got a girl by the way great that's 

00:04:11 
A great example, so just injecting some fun what you know depending on the meeting depending on the context, it's just a great idea to think about it doesn't have to be wacky Wednesday, but it can be something creative, and then the other thing around social time is that if you have people that are not going on video this is important it's not something to 

00:04:32 
Be shrugged off, I think, as with a lot of things Kris and I talk about here, it probably requires a direct one-on-one conversation with that person uh from the perspective of just trying to find out what's going on with them what is the reason not in an accusatory way but find out the reason and express the importance of it because people can't connect that well if 

00:04:55 
We do not see each other in the video in the video space, so you want to add to that, Kris, it would be like, I mean, let's say  there are times that it's absolutely okay for people to not be on video it's not necessary, but there are some times that it is necessary and the way I think about it is it would be like if you were in the office in a 

00:05:18 
Traditional meeting space where you were giving a presentation, and you wanted to look around the room and see what people were thinking and how they were reacting because you're looking for some input, some feedback, and when you looked around the room instead of looking into their faces you were looking into the backs of their heads but if that if that were your experience you would have really 

00:05:42 
You've lost the connection, and it is about the connection, especially so when you need a connection for work products, work projects, whatever it is. If you  need that connection, it's absolutely fine to ask people to be on video because you need it to get the work done so true I loved your example, Kris turning your back 

00:06:06 
On someone, it kind of that really is a great metaphor, you know, so again, the tip there is to really have a direct curious conversation with that person. There could be a whole bunch of reasons why they're not going on video, and the other thing, of course, is finding ways to get people on video that might work for your contacts, maybe it's just for a few minutes at the 

00:06:29 
Beginning of a meeting, maybe it's, you know, be creative. Still, it is important to keep it from slipping if somebody is consistently not going on video. Yep, exactly  the next tip we have is about grounding and focusing; when you come into a meeting and those there's those are the kind of techniques to help people to get into a meeting and to be as productive as they can 

00:06:58 
it's so true. Kris and I want to offer up the first grounding technique, so one grounding technique is to ask everyone to offer up something they're grateful for from that day and the reason that's a, well, it's a science-backed technique, okay, I know you've all heard about gratitude practices maybe people doing gratitude journals but when you start a meeting if you can 

00:07:24 
Ask everybody to share one thing they're grateful for in the day up till that moment they joined the meeting, and it might be something  small it might be this you know that I had time to get a glass of water that I, you know talk to a friend today that know have a new pencil it doesn't have to be something huge 

00:07:43 
But just that practice, what it does is it interrupts whatever else they were thinking and doing before they arrived in the meeting, and I know a lot of people I work with and Kris, probably you too, they are running from meeting to meeting five six meetings in a day no time in between and even if they have the time they're so 

00:08:03 
Stressed out that they're sitting at their desk, you know, going over notes and getting ready for the next meeting without any mental break, so that's why I love the gratitude momentum; there are other things you could do as well. That's just one example. You could do deep breathing. You could ask everybody to take a couple of big breaths and get centered, and forget about whatever 

00:08:26 
This was happening before they came to this meeting but and there's a whole host of other things, but taking a moment to help people get grounded and to let go of whatever they brought with them that isn't uh related to the meeting at hand and I want to pass it back to Kris to do a focusing example   thank you I love the grounding ideas, and the technique I use it's that's 

00:08:51 
similar, but it's a little different. It is about focusing, and I will do this as the facilitator, so  this is part of my opening comments in a meeting, but I use purpose and importance, and the purpose will be why are we here right so why are we here  if it's a group if it's the same reason for everybody then I will describe that if I'll say 

00:09:22 
The purpose for so-and-so being here is he's an expert, she's an expert, and basically, so everyone knows why they're in the room, and I'm saying physical room or virtual room doesn't matter the same thing and then in terms of the important piece you're saying the importance of this meeting is because x whatever that x is this is you? 

00:09:47 
Saying I'm bringing you here; your time is valuable, and we're going to talk about this because we have to make a decision, or I have to share some information. The purpose is x, and the importance is x; all of that helps to get people  focused on the discussion that's coming up, Kris I love that so much; that's such a 

00:10:07 
Good point. It is not only that, as the leader of the meeting, as a facilitator, you're just keeping things organized, but you're also creating trust among the people that come to your meetings because they know when you they come to your meeting. You know empathy for them, knowing they've come from probably. 

00:10:30 
Several other meetings, but when they come to yours, they know you'll get them started strong; remind them while they're there. Set the importance of the meeting and make a  strong start, so I love that tip; thank you; okay, the third tip is to refuel between meetings, and what does this mean? This means that

00:10:54 
It takes a lot of mental energy to be in back-to-back meetings all day long, but that is more and more what our lives are like for working from home, and we have to meet with many people have many discussions, so refueling between meetings is having quality time some real quality breaks in between meetings and my recommendation is that for 30-minute meetings you end five minutes early. 

00:11:19 
For an hour-long meeting, you end ten minutes early; it's a little bit like going to school when you have to be in the classroom and then classroom b in class c, right, had we had some time to run in between classes, but this is important because we need to be able to transition to the next place and to be able to refocus otherwise 

00:11:42 
We're running behind; we're playing catch-up mentally all day long; it's very exhausting as we allow time to refuel this is saying to everyone, I honor your time, I honor your energy right, and to be able to give them a little bit of control over their day, so it  does make a difference I love that Kris, it's so important to have just a couple of 

00:12:05 
Minutes to get up out of your chair or whatever it is  before you go to the next meeting so as the leader of the meeting as the facilitator to honor everybody in that way, I think  helps create trust in giving people what they need and to bring the stress level down maybe even just a little bit 

00:12:26 
Yes, it  does make a difference, and I think I'd like to think that people love to come to my meetings because I  do try to practice these kinds of things inside of meetings because it's  important, and sometimes I'll put that at the top, of my agenda to say my goal for this meeting is to get everyone done 10 minutes before the top of the hour 

00:12:49 
And I need everyone's help, and so basically part of it is I say this is my intention as a leader of this meeting, but I need your help to be able to do it, which means the person that is extremely verbose at the end of the meeting were like you know time out we're going to try to remember we're going to this is our goal, and it takes a while sometimes 

00:13:10 
Especially if the culture is for meetings to run the full hour and some sometimes meetings run over, but these are cultural dimensions inside of organizations that can be adjusted and tweaked, and it truly does build trust because what we're saying is we honor your time and honoring people's time is a strong message that is so true and so great and as a 

00:13:36 
facilitator of a meeting, when you're trying to keep it within the time, and you've got people who are talking over talking too long, then there is the need to increase your own skill of getting people to bottom line it to cut in, I mean, it's not realistic that we never interrupt someone, but you can find your own way to do that uh you know respectfully like I'm sorry 

00:13:59 
To interrupt you, I'm going to have to, you know, ask you to, and then you can find your own ways to say, you know, what's the one important thing that you  want us all to get out of what you were just saying, or something just real respectfully and then and be able to move people on so you can stay on time, and there's that there is the um age-old line 

00:14:20 
Of, in the interest of time but brushing up on these skills right, that's going to help keep you on time and help give people a little extra time which is what they need. Well, Kris, let's wrap this up. I think we wanted to talk a little bit about how you can start to implement new things as the leader when you might be a little uncomfortable doing so and what it takes to do that so 

00:14:50 
Some of the tips we've covered might require you to do things that might feel a little bit awkward to you or a little bit silly, like introducing a gratitude moment. We all know most of us to know this is science-backed stuff at this point, but you might feel a little bit silly and a little bit awkward doing that, and so this is why it takes a little bit of courage to show up differently. 

00:15:10 
And also, Kris, can you comment on the intention part of that and verbalize that  so  for many years, I taught new supervisors, so learning how to be a new supervisor is a real professional transition, and one of the things that I encouraged my new supervisors to do is to take back the skills that they were learning in this program it was it was a 10-day program they got 80 

00:15:35 
hours' worth of fantastic training and so taking new techniques back to the workplace back to the office trying them out with their teams was important for us in terms of the application. My tip for them to my new supervisors would be to preface something by saying you know I've been to supervisor basics program my intention is to be the best supervisor I can be 

00:16:06 
And I've just learned this. I'd like us to try this now; prefacing with an intention gives people you why what you're trying to do, and if you go about role modeling this new skill and encouraging people to try that new skill, you can change the culture and change the dynamic in your team and talk about building trust when they 

00:16:31 
See that you mean it. You express your intention, then you actually role model it, and you reward and recognize all these behaviors; this is a cycle, a virtuous cycle of building trust inside of organizations, so true Kris, and that goes hand-in-hand with what I've learned in my background of non-violent communication when you really want to be open and build. 

00:16:55 
Trust someone. If you're doing something in a new way, verbalize it; you know in the previous tip that we get got, if you're going to end meeting start to end meetings five minutes early or 10 minutes early, tell everyone you learned about this, you think it'll help it's a new thing you want to try and or even if it's a gratitude practice or a focusing practice. 

00:17:14 
Let everybody know it's a new thing you want to try and why and that'll go a long way to create trust in relationships, too, because it's not like you're trying to; you don't want to be trying to pull something over on people you're trying to help everyone be more connected more focused more able to do the work together and to do so with more wellness. 

00:17:35 
Well said, thank you, so I guess it's time for us to end, but so just to wrap up, what we learned about today was how to create a connection with technology, how to bring more connection into the video space with meetings, and how to help if someone does not want to go on video there's a lot of good tips things to try for leaders inside of 

00:18:06 
Organizations using technology, we just hope that you find some useful tips here today and keep trying with your teams. These things do work; it might take a little bit of time, but we hope that it helps you. Well said, Kris, and yes, if you're trying something for the first time, just realize there might be pushback other people might not like. 

00:18:28 
It doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. Try it a different way. Tweak it takes practice, practice, practice. Thanks for tuning in, everyone good to see you. See you next time. Bye bye

Schedule a free consultation with our team today and learn how to overcome virtual communication challenges to foster productivity and build strong relationships with technology. Don't let distance or technology hinder your organization's success - take action now and see the difference effective collaboration can make!

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Dr. Kris Lea - Organizational Development Leader

Post by Dr. Kris Lea

Meet Kris Lea - an experienced consultant, facilitator, and trainer with expertise in OD, OCM, T&D, and Project Management. Kris empowers organizations to overcome challenges and achieve goals. As the founder of Lea Associates LLC, Kris is committed to building long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional value.

]]>Mon, 25 Jan 2021 09:32:00 -0600<![CDATA[Evidence Management Systems and the Use of Blockchain]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/blockchain-evidence-management-systemsThe power of blockchain technology Law Enforcement evidence management can reduce problems and provide an efficient solution.]]>

The Use of Blockchain inside Evidence Management Systems was co-authored by Kris Lea. The analysis focuses on how blockchain technology can be used efficiently within the Law Enforcement chain of evidence, which is a supply chain for gathering evidence. By implementing a blockchain-based evidence management system, the issues associated with the traditional chain of custody—such as evidence loss, theft, tampering, and, worse, evidence manipulation—are reduced. The paper will outline the difficulties associated with keeping evidence on a blockchain and offer a practical fix. It will also utilize real-world examples from historical incidents to demonstrate how crucial this kind of system is to societies all around the world.

By the Numbers

A conservative estimate suggests that 20,000 people in the US are falsely accused, convicted, and incarcerated every year. Exonerations are few and far between, with 28% convicted due to mistaken identification, 12% gave false confessions, 23% due to forensic science problems, 54% attributed to official misconduct, and 58% due to perjury and false accusation. False convictions have led to a breakdown of trust between the members of the current US criminal justice system and the people of America, leading to the severe political turmoil seen today. Blockchain, a mathematically based and proven distributed ledger system, has shown promise in the supply chain arena, particularly in the tracking of goods.  (Source: The Innocence Project. More than 100% due to some cases having multiple contributing factors)


The writers, researchers, and co-authors of this publication have discovered methods for using blockchain to help track evidence, even when that evidence is digital.


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Dr. Kris Lea - Organizational Development Leader

Post by Dr. Kris Lea

Meet Kris Lea - an experienced consultant, facilitator, and trainer with expertise in OD, OCM, T&D, and Project Management. Kris empowers organizations to overcome challenges and achieve goals. As the founder of Lea Associates LLC, Kris is committed to building long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional value.

]]>Tue, 08 Sep 2020 10:12:00 -0500<![CDATA[Performance Management in the Time of Covid: Tips for Leaders]]>https://www.krisleaconsulting.com/blog/post/performance-managementLearn how to monitor productivity and manage performance in the time of Covid with these tips for leaders. Balancing concern for people and concern for results is key to success.]]>

Balancing Concern for People and Concern for Results

In the final episode of their COVID series, Kris and Leanne discuss performance management and how to monitor productivity during a time of COVID-related challenges. They introduce the Blake and Mouton leadership grid, which helps managers balance their concern for people and work, and emphasize the importance of self-awareness and clear communication in managing staff. They also offer tips for finding comfortable language to have conversations around getting work done, and checking in with direct reports to ensure that they have the resources they need.

Hi Kris, hey Leanne, how's it going? It's going good welcome, everybody. This is the last episode of our covid series. We'll be doing a lot more in the future, but this is the last episode for courageous conversations for leaders and organizations around covid today. We're going to talk about performance management and how to monitor productivity 

00:00:23 
In the time of covid yeah so there's a lot of pressure on managers at this point; it's interesting because we have to be flexible with our staff in terms of covert considerations, and that's everything related to technology being at home with family taking care of children all of those things but also the work is still needing to get done there's a lot of work

00:00:47 
there might even be more work during covid, so it's a question of how we do both as managers so hard. Such a dilemma, and I know I'm hearing that from a lot of people I work with. Some of the leaders I'm working with really are understanding. They are flexible, but things indeed need to get turned in 

00:01:08 
You know customers need to be served and so let me throw out a story real quick so we can make this real I've had a client I don't know a way ways back that  asked for a report and assumed that that communication made it through to the person and then it didn't get delivered that day that same day in the evening 

00:01:34 
And so she was wondering, you know what's, what can she do, you know, with this to support this employee and that it had been an ongoing problem that things were getting turned in late as far as she was concerned and then asked her what have you done to specifically communicate the exact day and the exact time that you wanted that report or those reports 

00:01:59 
And a light bulb went off for her. She had not said specifically what day or time she needed it back. She assumed the employee knew it was urgent and due that day because of her style and mindset. Her way of being is that whenever anyone asks her for anything, she turns it around right away. If she can get it out that day, she gets it out 

00:02:24 
That day so it was a big aha for her to think that not everybody operates that way, and she realized I need to go have a conversation with that person, and I need to be more clear with them, you know, so Leanne, I have a  great concept, that I'd like to share with you and everybody it's called the Blake and Mouton leadership grid, and I'm going to share just for a couple 

00:02:52 
Of couple minutes, the okay so everyone can take a look at it, and yep, this is a model that was developed after researching and working with thousands of managers and leaders by two researchers by the name of Blake and Bhutan, and what they came up with was a synthesis of the best kind of leadership but what 0

0:03:15 
They looked at two very important dimensions, which were a concern for people and concern for results which is also concerned for the work and the tasks at hand. If you look at the top left, the country club manager has a high degree of concern for people but a low degree of concern for the work. Right, we might like to work for someone that's a country club manager 

00:03:38 
But if they don't get very much work done and their upline management sometimes gets discouraged with them now the bottom left impoverished management, there's low concern for both for work and for people nothing gets done, but nobody's very happy probably very low morale in an organization with management like this 

00:04:01 
Bottom right is producer parish management which is a very high degree of concern for the work but low related to people, so this type of manager can get a lot of work done, but they tend to have a lot of turnovers now when we go up to the top right which is team management which is this  wonderful formula of the high degree of concern for people and 

00:04:27 
A high degree of concern for the work this is  the best place for leaders and managers to operate from now it's not like you can do it all the time 100 percent, but this is a goal and one of the tips that I wanted to offer everybody today was related to being aware of this model and being aware of yourself 

00:04:48 
As a leader and manager, about where you typically fall, at least when you're at your best. You might examine it for where you fall, maybe when you're stressed, but it can give you some target about what does work best in terms of managing people and getting work done, so this team management philosophy is  the best place, and that's your target 

00:05:11
I love this model, Kris. This is a good model because it's simple and just has so much information in it, and it's so helpful was wondering about the country club manager, and I know there are a lot of leaders who, while they're well-liked, are getting a lot done because they're doing it all maybe not 

00:05:36 
Doing it all, but they're doing a lot of things for their direct reports that maybe they shouldn't, but they like to because they feel like they want to be helpful and supportive. What do you have to say about that? Yeah, that is a major consideration because if you are the manager and you are trying to be yourself, maybe you think you're a team player.

00:05:59 
So you're going to jump in and do the work. In fact, you might be doing more work than you need, and you might be doing work that your staff should be doing. That's one way to think about it. Potentially you're exhausted all the time because you're doing your work plus some of their work. It reminds me of a time when I was at imo villas hickory pit. This was 

00:06:20 
Probably in the 1980s, there was a moment when I was standing there I was watching two bus boys were standing there, and they were talking and looking, and what they were doing was they were watching the manager bus the tables, and so the manager was out on the dining floor busting the tables the bus boys were standing back watching the manager do this 

00:06:46 
And I thought, you know, the manager had that sense that they were watching, he would probably turn around and been quite frustrated, so there's it. It isn't kind of a slippery slope when managers try to do a little bit too much. They can get exhausted. Yeah, that's a good point  boundaries balance, you know, overwhelm, overworked, you know 

00:07:14 
You must think about those things when you're the leader, right? How are you supporting your team  exactly in the best way possible well, there's more to talk about that in the future for sure  so helpful, and I love that tip self-awareness is the first step because you may be able to be in the team management mode for a lot of the time but when we're under stress 

00:07:40 
Like in covid and other reasons, sometimes, we aren't always our best, so that self-awareness piece is important to remember. It's something to strive for, so I want to offer a second tip that's around the correct courageous conversation piece of this, and it sort of merges with 

00:08:01 
Self-awareness asks yourself how clear you are with your direct reports about what you expect to know and whether you are hearing back from them that they truly understand. Do you understand the same thing? If you reflect on the story I shared, you know the leader was looking at it in a certain way, and the direct report was looking at it in a 

00:08:27 
Totally different way, and you might think that that never happens or that's ridiculous, or I was clear, or it was in writing, but there are many opportunities for miscommunication, so the courageous conversation piece and the tip is to make sure you actually talk about it do you have shared meaning and understanding about what's expected right that's a great tip 00:08:50 And the third and final tip for today is  for supervisors to find language that feels comfortable for them in starting conversations around getting the work done that is a shared balance between concern for people and concern for the work and I'll just give a simple example which would be uh let's say I'm talking to you Leanne I'm your supervisor 

00:09:14
I might say something like Leanne, I have this task to complete. We must get this XYZ report done, and I want to make sure that you have everything that you need to be able to complete that and be able to answer any questions that you have so I can support you now. This is if you heard the language in there 

00:09:37 
it's I'm concerned about the work; I'm concerned about supporting you. How can I support you now? This is my language, but I encourage everybody to find their own language because this has to come from a  sincere, authentic place for you as a manager; finding language that reflects concern for both work and people will  help, and then it becomes more natural over time 

00:10:00 
That's a  great tip also, Kris, and that's something I work with clients a lot on is coming up with their own language to have these kinds of conversations also, if you're not used to checking in with your direct reports from time to time you know don't let too much time pass if you're expecting or you know you worried that the outcome is not going to be on time or the quality you expect.

00:10:26 
Don't wait too long before you're checking in and having conversations to support them along the way that supports the mindset you know what they need. Yeah, and I like sometimes I call that getting closer to work, which means that you're getting closer to the person as they're doing the work, and it could be a matter of having specific check-ins let's say, hey Leanne, why, don't you put 

00:10:50 
Some time on my calendar tomorrow. Let's check in and see how things are going and if you can outline what you think needs to be in that report. Okay, that's me saying let's take a look at the work, and it gives us another opportunity to talk about it and make sure I want to make sure I'm clear. I want to make sure that you lean have an 

00:11:09 
Opportunity to share your thoughts on the work product. That's so great, Kris and I want to point out that that's not micromanaging, and I think that there's a lot of confusion about what micromanaging is, and there is a difference between micromanaging and a coaching style of leadership, and so we are going to not talk about that today, but we will talk about that 

00:11:31 
In a future episode because I know it's a gray area, and it's a worry that a lot of people have, so stay tuned for that, and I can't wait to thank you so much. It's so good to see you. It was good to see you, and I hope everybody got value out of today. So look for us again in the future on another episode bye-bye.

Ready to take your performance management to the next level? Schedule a call today and learn how to monitor productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance for your team. Don't wait to start having courageous conversations with your direct reports and find the language that works for you to help them succeed. Schedule your free consultation!

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Dr. Kris Lea - Organizational Development Leader

Post by Dr. Kris Lea

Meet Kris Lea - an experienced consultant, facilitator, and trainer with expertise in OD, OCM, T&D, and Project Management. Kris empowers organizations to overcome challenges and achieve goals. As the founder of Lea Associates LLC, Kris is committed to building long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional value.

]]>Mon, 31 Aug 2020 09:32:00 -0500