Presentations and Learning Resources

Presentations

• How Work Really Gets Done: Capitalizing on Hidden Networks  - Why do well-planned change initiatives fail? Why do brilliant strategies fail to be executed? Why do companies discover critical knowledge resources only after they’ve left the company? Because every organization has a hidden system: a web of relationships and informal networks that make or break strategies and plans. This excerpt from a keynote presentation at the 2008 Gartner EXP HR Summit, discusses how knowledge of hidden networks can help HR organizations accelerate change, execute strategy, and retain intellectual capital.
• How Work Really Gets Done: Leveraging Social Networks to Accelerate Change - Have you ever wondered how the grapevine affects improvement efforts? How a leader’s social connections support his or her success leading a change effort? Whether you can make your next talent management initiative more successful by tapping into social networks?Every organization has hidden networks of relationships that employees use in order to get work done, make decisions, and solve problems. These networks have been largely ignored by leaders, but hold the keys to improving performance and accelerating change. This presentation, given at the Midwest Talent Management Forum in September 2009, shows how we can use hidden networks to improve organizational learning and talent management

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• Industry Exploration: What It’s Like To PM - Crossing industries can be daunting. The hope is that the learning curve will be small and new hires will quickly become a valued member of staff. The worst case scenario: the milieu will be so different that the new hire never learns enough to contribute and, after struggling, leaves to find a new job.Maya recently facilitated a seminar that helped project managers (and PM hopefuls) understand how project management operates in different industries. Participants had the opportunity to interact with subject matter experts, ask questions about what it’s really like to work in specific industries, and network with peers. ( Presentation to the Project Management Institute Central Massachusetts Chapter)
• The Missing Link: Leveraging Informal Networks to Improve Project Success Rates - The statistics about project success are daunting: too many fail to finish on time, within budget, and according to scope. Only 5% of change initiatives are completed on time and with minimal disruption to the organization, according to Gartner. Clearly, traditional tools are not enough.Every organization has hidden networks of relationships that employees use in order to get work done, make decisions, and solve problems. These networks have been largely ignored, but hold the keys to improving performance and accelerating change. In this presentation, PMI Mass Bay Chapter members learned how PMs can use hidden networks to improve project performance.

• Network Power!: Tapping Hidden Social Networks to Accelerate Improvement - Every organization has hidden networks of relationships that employees use in order to get work done, make decisions, and solve problems. These networks have been largely ignored by leaders, but hold the keys to improving performance and accelerating change. In this presentation, given at a 2009 American Society for Quality Worcester Chapter meeting, members learned how leaders can improve process and quality improvement efforts by leveraging hidden networks.

• Succession Gone Wrong – Companies are exposed to significant risk when leaders step down unexpectedly. Yet 80% of companies are not well prepared for their CEOs’ departure, according to the Corporate Leadership Council (2004). Others have succession plans, but fail to create a smooth transition because the plan is faulty or not well-executed. This PowerPoint show, adapted from a recent presentation for the Northeast HR Association’s Advanced Practitioner Series, shows how hidden networks influence succession planning.

• Who Trumps How: How Building Your Networks Can Help You – Interested in learning more about social and organizational networks? This short, on-demand online show will give you the basics about networks: what they are, why they matter, and how high performers use networks to help them succeed.

• Welcome! Now Get to Work: Creating On-boarding Programs That Set Employees Up for Success - 64% of executives hired from the outside fail at their jobs. Companies spend time and money to search, interview, hire, and engage these executives. Their efforts, more often than not, are unsuccessful. This short presentation highlights the reasons why executives fail and what companies can to help new hires succeed.

Learning Case Studies

• Your Turn: Who Should be the Next CEO? - It’s your turn to make the decision. In this 1-page case study, Jerry is retiring and needs to decide who he will groom to be his successor. You have his organization chart and data about how people collaborate. Who will you choose to be the next CEO?
• Your Turn: Did the Change Work? - It’s your turn to make the decision. In this 1-page case study, the new Executive Director of a nonprofit organization needs to decide how well his change initiatives have been implemented and what his next steps should be. You have information about the change initiatives and data about how people collaborate. What would you do if you were in his shoes?
• Your Turn: Who’s at Risk? – It’s your turn to make the decision. In this 1-page case study, a nonprofit organization needs to find the rising stars among its volunteer pool and identify who’s at risk for being over-burdened. You have the volunteer structure and the volunteers’ work patterns. Who do you think is at risk?