The Chief Excellence Officer™️ Academy

I teach and coach frontline managers to how to build an operating system that transforms strategy into excellence through their team.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS
---

1
―
Invented the OKR Quality Matrix, a tool used by managers in hundreds of companies to craft OKRs that measure what really matters.

2
―
Invented the OKR Activation Canvas, a tool used by managers in hundreds of companies to create operational clarity and link it to the strategic clarity brought by OKRs.

3
―
Creator of the following online programs:

• Questexcellence: The OKR Accelerator for Managers.
• Zero⭕️ → 🟢OKR Playbook for Managers

4
―
Author of "How to Activate OKRs - The 3 Step Uplift Protocol That Determines OKRs That Get Accomplished From Those That Languish"

Founder

AFRINIC

Scale and integrate AFRINIC's training offerings into a capacity development and professional services program from strategy development to execution and quality control.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS
---

1
―
Built afrinic.academy, a bilingual e-learning platform used by 4700+ engineers from over 80 countries with a median course Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 47 by developing all the required skills in-house, saving the company $250,000/annum.

2
―
Designed & launched the company's cohort-based course (“Zero to IPv6 Certified in 21 days”), which has received a median NPs of 57 from 2500+ engineers from 61 countries by implementing Agile Instructional Design.

3
―
Invented the Deployathon, which helps 150+ network operators to achieve 400+ IPv6 & RPKI deployment milestones yearly.


4
―
Launched certi6.io, the only bilingual IPv6 Forum Gold Certified certification with a 3-person team by implementing 4DX (the 4 Disciplines of Execution) creating a 500-question bank covering all 6 Bloom levels within 1 year.

5
―
Built my team into the company’s model for operational excellence by implementing 11 ISO 9001:2015-certified processes to a median maturity level of 7 on a 10-point scale.

6
―
Drove adoption of OKRs as the company's strategy execution framework across 80% of teams by facilitating a 5-day leadership retreat.

7
―
Designed the U-Connect partnership program and onboarded 17 universities in 3 countries to train 250 post-graduate students.

8
―
Earned an induction into the global IPv6 Forum Hall of Fame as an evangelist by training and advocacy of 7000+ engineers in 70+ countries.

Head of Capacity Building

Research, design and develop training courses to promote next generation (IPv6) Internet technology development in Africa. Targeting network engineers, governments and business executives.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS


1
―
Created the IPv6 Forum Certified Systems Engineer program by analysing gaps in the current certification offerings with respect to systems engineer’s job requirements. 

2
―
Developed a program which trained at least 600 engineers across 16 countries with a median NPS of 70 each year by designing curricula, building a team and standardising processes.

3
―
Grew demand 550% and participants’ satisfaction 60%(from 2010 levels) through systematic analysis and implementation of workshop feedback in key areas of trainers’ delivery, content and event logistics. 

4
―
Designed a testbed that's been used by over 50,000 engineers through 15 labs on 4 continents by standardising an architecture that integrates virtual machines to physical routers.

5
―
Secured $150K from the European Commission (6Deploy project) by showcasing the excellent ratings (median NPS of 70) we were consistently getting from 600+ engineers each year.

6
―
Cut per workshop costs by 60% ($65k p.a) while increasing duration from 3 to 4 days by creating a course experience for which all partners were willing to sponsor all fixed costs and 25% of travel costs each year.

7
―
Created the world’s first IPv6 Strategy & Planning course, which has been taken by 500 executives with a median NPS of 82 by analysing the implications of IPv4 exhaustion and IPv6 through the lenses of the business and mission model canvas.

8
―
Delivered a keynote presentation to 500 tech leaders, including 7 gov't ministers, at the African Development Bank's first Ministerial Forum on ICT Integration in Education (2013).

9
―
Rated “Excellent” on all KPIs for trainers by at least 90% of all course participants by continuously adapting my delivery based on course feedback.

Training Manager

UNDP

During this brief stint, I developed the agency's IT strategic plan to leverage IT in medical records management, improving interest in and access to education in order to support the MDGs.

ICT Coordinator

Ahmadu Bello University - Zaria

Manage the development evolution of a 7000+ node  IP network.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
---

1
―
Cut network outages by 80%  by redesigning the internal network to replace multiple levels of internal address sharing (NAT) with dynamic routing using OSPF.

2
―
Created the university’s Standards for Networking & Documentation policy which improved IT contract sustainability by ≥ 50% and was adopted by 20 other universities.

3
―
Increased project post-handoff success by 50% by creating standardised templates for documenting the work done by contractors.

4
―
Designed and implemented the university’s first traffic monitoring system, increasing networking traffic visibility by 95% using free open-source software.

5
―
Wrote “The Ntop User’s Guide”, which was used by 4000+ engineers worldwide to get started with free open-source traffic monitoring using the ntop utility. 

6
―
Designed and installed a 75 access-point enterprise WiFi network which served 1,500 nodes on time and on budget as proof of concept of my undergraduate project.

7
―
Initiated and co-taught the Effective IT-management track for ≥ 150 ICT Directors at the annual Nigerian Network Operators’ Group.

8
―
Led the development of the first network services strategic plan by facilitating SWOT & goal-setting brainstorming sessions. 

9
―
Increased adoption of Linux on the desktop by 100% within the team by modelling Ubuntu’s functional & aesthetic elegance. 

10
―
Implemented eGroupware to enhance internal collaboration, resulting in a 60% decrease in email reliance and a 57% increase in productivity.

Systems Analst/Network Engineer

Nigerian Network Operators' Group (ngNOG)

Objective: promote effectiveness use of ICTs in the Nigerian universities through training.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1
―
Co-authored (with Prof. Len Liverpool and Geraldine Daloengg) “Guide to ICT Policy & Strategy for African Higher Educational Institutions” to help ≥ 500 universities in Africa develop effective IT strategies. 

2
―
Initiated and co-taught the Effective IT-management track for ≥ 150 ICT Directors at the annual Nigerian Network Operators’ Group.

3
―
Selected as one of 7 trainers in Nigeria that reviewed the curriculum and strategic plan of Nigerian Network Operators’ Group. I introduced mind mapping to the group and led its use in brainstorming sessions.

Instructor (volunteer)

Kaduna Business School

Led organization´s IT development and general innovation, developed and taught IT-Business Integration, Six Sigma & Project Management executive development courses and consulting jobs.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS
---

1
―
Designed and implemented an engagement campaign across 5 states, which would later become the Nigerian Research & Education Network, by recruiting and leading a 5 team of former bosses & professors.

2
―
Rated “Excellent” on all KPIs  by at least 60% of ≥1000 executives in Project Management & Lean Six Sigma executive education courses by experimenting with different delivery methods.

3
―
Mapped 7 core processes at the military ordnance factory in Kaduna, setting the stage for Six Sigma implementation, which doubled factory output without increasing CAPEX.  

4
―
Delivered the inaugural presentation (“Internet Business Intelligence”) at the school’s launch, attracting an “Excellent” rating from 90% of the 25 participants.

5
―
Raised the median score of presentation quality for executive education content from 40% to 91% by pioneering the use of movie clips within slides & case studies.

6
―
Raised the quality of the school’s presentations by 60% by designing standard presentation templates & modelling engaging presentations to the other instructors.

7
―
Developed the proposal that won the school its first in-house training contract for 75 senior staff of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology.

Management Consultant & IT Coordinator

WWL Ltd

Responsible for developing proposals to client solutions, managed a 25 node CyberCafe network and providing technical support to clients. 


ACCOMPLISHMENTS
---

1
―
Raised equipment uptime by 60% by implementing a rigorous Friday night maintenance schedule.

2
―
Implemented an email system that served 500 staff of the Energy Commission of Nigeria by using Sendmail deployed on RedHat Linux. 

3
―
Boosted cybercafe revenue by $10,000/month by using  Windows Registry hacks to prevent bypass of the billing software to steal Internet services. 

4
―
Performed routine maintenance of 120 PCs in three cities (Jos, Gombe & Yola) over 3 days for First Bank of Nigeria.

Junior IT Consulting & Support Engineer [Internship]

Do you believe the best way to motivate a team is to get them to experience #excellence? then you'd love working with and for me. 

I created certi6.io (with a team of two) - the world's only bilingual IPv6 certification platform. I have trained over 3000 executives, managers and engineers in over 40 countries.

I design and implement systems that:

💎 Inspire people to do work that fills them with pride, producing services that clients adore.

💎 Produce learning experiences that captivate and drive people to flourish.

💎 Take the guesswork out of strategy execution.

Check https://www.perfexcellence.com for my resources and services.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.

1. You suck at them.
2. You dictate it to them.
3. You (mis)use them as laws.

That's sad.

Processes are to a team what habits are to individuals: 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

All work falls into two categories.

1. EXPLORE
---
The edge of possibility where things are unpredictable & chaos reigns. This is where innovation & new product development happens.

2. EXPLOIT
---
Where today's value comes from orderly, predictable things that we've mastered.

✅ Go all in on processes for EXPLOIT activities. 

It's how you

•  increase efficiency
•  reduce variation
•  increase quality
•  cut waste
•  scale

🚫 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.

Mukom Tamon

The Chief Excellence® Officer | I teach managers how to transform strategy → excellence using OKRs, 4DX & Lean Six Sigma | Trained 5K+ in 45+ countries.

No alternative text description for this image

You've been told that all organisational problems are people problems.

What if that wasn't true?

𝟱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀.

1
–
𝗙𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁

Have you ever had to 

a. download a form
b. print it
c. fill it 

Only to scan and email it to HR?

Jane from HR would mistake your frustration for a people problem of poor attitude.

But is it?

Fix the process.

2
–
𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Marketing
↳ "We're understaffed!"

HR
↳ "We approved all leave requests!"

How much interpersonal conflict would we eliminate if we had  clear & operationalised processes?

3
–
𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀

Daniel forgets leave requests.
We blame him for being disorganised. 

But ... the process:

a. 2-month advanced notice
b. 5-step approval chain
c. psychic abilities

Fix the damn process.

4
–
High 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲

Social media:
"People don't leave jobs, they leave bad managers" 

Reality: 

These 2 processes FAILED:

• Leadership development
• Performance management

Inept leadership & morale are process outcomes.

5
–
𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲.

Change will ALWAYS fail UNLESS it

• adds value to a customer
• adds value to operators

That's exactly what a process solves.

They're not resisting change, they're responding to an inept change management process.

Nature creates more value (for people) from processes that from projects, so can your team.

"𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚"

Until next time ... be BRILLIANT!  💎

"𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀"

91% of the reasons have nothing to do with OKRs.

Instead, it's one or more of these

• inept 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽.
• 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 culture.
• avoidance of 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

None of which is an OKR problem.

𝗔𝗻 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹. 

What do we want to accomplish?
👉 OBJECTIVE
  
 How will we KNOW that we've accomplished it?
👉  2 - 4 KEY RESULTS

Notice what is NOT there?
👉 TASKS

That's actually a good thing.

When you ensure Key Results specify desired outcomes and not tasks, you give your team freedom about HOW to accomplish them.

• great for agility
• excellent for learning
• great for individual freedom

Why would anyone hate that?

Don't use tasks as your OKR Key Results.

It's easier for the team but

• it cripples agility.
• set you up for mediocrity.

OKRs done right give meaning to tasks.

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

① Articulate 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘀
② Mind your 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀
③ Weekly 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗶𝗻𝘀

And the most important thing:

Manage 𝗛𝗥 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 so they don't ruin it
(you know how, right? 🤣)

The 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿.

• Social media loves the tails.
• Inept leaders live in the tails.

But all the action that matters is the grind.

How I developed my strategic thinking capabilities as a frontline manager without an MBA.


Why strategic thinking matters 

1. Drives everything else 

    • how companies thrive 
    • how they create value 

2. Gives you the CEO mindset 
3. Helps you solve problems that matter



1. Start with the theory 

Why?
—

“Without theory, information is meaningless”  - Clayton Christensen 

Theory helps me understand how strategy is supposed to work. 

How?
—-

3 books  

1. Play to Win
2. Strategy Safari 
3. Good Strategy, Bad Strategy

And Porter’s masterclass



2. Nail the big picture

Why?
—-

So I can place my job & my team’s work within the company’s & industry’s value-creation chain. 

How?
—-

I modelled everything 

1) Lean canvas
2) SIPPR canvas
2) Business model canvas 

for ideas, my team, org & competitors.



3. Gain situational awareness 

Why?
—-

To avoid The SWOT Fallacy.  

A strength in one situation can be a weakness in another situation. 

How?
—- 

I'm learning & applying Wardley Mapping, esp. the evolution of 

• Activities 
• Practices
• Knowledge



3. Get Analytical 

Why?
—- 

So I can break down complex problems & identify the root causes & patterns.

How?
—

I learn & applied 

1. Systems Thinking
2. Statistical Data Analysis 
3. Critical Thinking & Reasoning



4. Use intuition & synthesis

Why?
—

B/c not all problems can be solved by analysis. 

How?
--

a. Mashup frameworks
b. Analogies

I discovered the power of analogy when I used "genetic mutation" to explain emergent strategy to an executive and saw his eyes light up.



5. Mind my stakeholders

Why?
—

B/c a mediocre strategy which people support is 1000X  better than the best strategy without support

How?
—

I never start an initiative without clarifying

a. Beneficiaries 
b. Potential losers

I pop egomycin and go talk/co-create with them.



6. Develop a network

Why?
—

B/c of this African proverb:

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together" 

In strategy, far >>> fast!

How?
--

I teach and share my "secrets" and especially document my failures so they don't define me.



7. Experiment

Why?
--

a. Mitigate Dunning-Kruger
b. Is the surest test of the outcomes of strategic thinking. 

How?
—

I learnt hypothesis testing 
I learnt design of experiments

I found ways to do these in my work projects thanks to my Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training.



8. Seek feedback:

Why?
--

Nothing can grow without feedback. 

How?
--

In addition to always experimenting, I systematize getting feedback from

• users
• customers
• direct reports

Even if it's harsh, if it's actionable, I pop egomycin and say "Thank You"


In summary, here're my 8 steps to become a better strategic thinker:

1. Start with theory 
2. Context first  
3. Analyse 
4. Intuit
5. People 
6. Network 
7. Experiment 
8. Feedback 

Until next time ... be BRILLIANT!  💎

One of the layers in these diagrams is redundant. (it’s a false choice)

What if companies expected everything ascribed to “leaders” to managers instead?

- there’s no reason not to. 
- there’re only upsides to. 

Expect more of your managers and you’ll be surprised at how much better everything becomes.

Multiple 7-Figure Exit in 4 Years | Automated 6-Figure Revenue Stream | Subscribe to GrowthHive to Learn How I Did It

A Guide to Leading Differently

👇

In today's dynamic world, leadership is evolving.

Traditional leadership is about:

---> Authority
---> Control
---> Hierarchy

But there's a more impactful way.

Servant leadership focuses on:
---> Empowerment
---> Collaboration
---> Inclusivity

Why choose servant leadership?

Because servant leaders embody key traits:

---> Empowerment
---> Standing Back
---> Humility
---> Authenticity
---> Courage
---> Accountability
---> Acceptance
---> Stewardship

These traits foster a thriving, innovative, and loyal team.

Ready to lead differently and make a lasting impact?

--

If you enjoyed this post, repost it! ♻️

I've watched champions zombify a few OKR programs. (despite their good intentions)

Here's 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘇𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

First, here are 𝟯 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘇𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺.

1. People hate them (but don't say so)
2. Budgeting mandates OKRs
3. No weekly check-ins.

But how do OKR champions cause this?

𝟯 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘇𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱:

Champions

1. lack skin in the game.
2. trigger unhelpful power plays.
3. shift the burden to the intervenor.

Let's talk about power dynamic.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲?

In theory:
↳ Managers

In reality:
↳  𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘀 

Managers thus see the champion as a shadow “𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘀” and:

• resent & resist him, or
• "play the game" 

So begins the OKR zombification process.

💊 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿:

First, never forget:

The OKR 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
(don't be an asshole about it though)

Therefore ...

Your 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺’𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁. 

• always be earning it
• know how to leverage it.

Finally ...

Proactively seek 𝘄𝗶𝗻-𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 with the OKR champion.
(allies are always better than enemies.)

Your company is what it is, not what you wish it were.

If you're lucky, it's a 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆, you have a great boss, and the OKR champion is a godsend. 

If you're unlucky, your company is a political 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆. Deal with it rather than become a victim.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽:

1. Co-create OKRs with your team
2. Nurture your team's OKR process

Make your team an example for others to follow.
(If you don't know how DM me for a free 30-minute consult)

3 questions define every team:


1. Why do we exist?
2. How do we create value?
3. How do we know we’re winning?


If every member of your team doesn’t have the same answer to this question, you’re failing them as their manager.

I created the SIPPR canvas to help frontline managers clarify operational context for their team. 

#management #teambuilding

𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀 + 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿.
(how the gods intended them)

vs

𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀 + 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿.
(𝗛𝗥 & finance run them)

#HouseOfTheDragon

𝟲 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲.
(and how frontline managers can prevent them)

1
—
𝗕𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀.

"𝘔𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘯."


The 💊
—

As a manager, NEVER change a Key Result

• mid-cycle.
• unilaterally.
• without a solid reason 

𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 & 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁.

2
—
𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝘆 𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀

"𝘐𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴."

The 💊
—

𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺.

“𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘵 10 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘵 & 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺.” - Darth Tamon

3
—
𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

"𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮'𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺'𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩-𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴."

The 💊
—

𝗗𝗲-𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆.

Clarify to your directs how your team fits into the company's

• winning aspiration
• where to play
• how to win

No/bad strategy?

No problem, 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗥 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀 to co-create your team's value model.

4
—
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 

"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘒𝘙𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦."

The 💊
—

𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀 by explicitly stating 

• necessary conditions 
• leading indicators 
• resource needs
• budget 

Use the 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀

5
—
𝗘𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 

"𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘖𝘒𝘙𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺-𝘵𝘰-𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬."

The 💊
—

1. Agree with 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲-𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 with your directs e.g.

• 40% : “day-to-day”
• 60% : OKRs

Switch/change if necessary.

2.  Use 𝗔𝗹𝗹-𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 for extreme productivity.

6
—
𝗡𝗼 𝗪𝗛𝗬

"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘒𝘙𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴."


The 💊
—

1. Weekly OKR check-ins
2. Discuss OKRs in 1:1s
3. A good retrospective

𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗞𝗥. Only 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗞𝗥 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺

• AND 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 from the last cycle,
• AND explicit 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘀

Until next time ... be BRILLIANT!  💎

"All problems are people problems"

True, but elite leaders know better:

• People problem = symptoms
⃕⃕• Root causes? processes

In next week's 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, I reveal how any manager can escape this trap.

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The Excellence Chronicles

Social media 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.

Supposedly, process rigour 

• stifles 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲,
• inhibits 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆,
• cripples 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 

Here's 6 tips to make process your team's superpower.

As a manager,

⛔ 𝗗𝗢𝗡’𝗧

1. Own any process.
2. Create processes for your team.
3. Create a customer-less process.

✅ 𝗗𝗢

1. Leave process 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀.
2. Track 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 & 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 metrics.
3. 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 the process.

At work & in life:

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀.  

If you doubt it, consider why Respiration & Photosynthesis (without there'd be no life ) are not projects.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺'𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝟳 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.

- will you excel or be mediocre?
- will you attract or repel talent?
- will you innovate or stagnate?

Common wisdom says these are people problems.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁?

As a manager, 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗹’𝘀 𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 (have you met human nature?) 

Yes, you can solve 99% your people problems through process obsession.

Why? How?
--
https://lnkd.in/ddHN9hkX

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗲.

If this is happening, the problem is NOT with the employees. 

The problem lies with 

1. Their manager
2. Leadership
3. HR

If a company really meant this, it would communicate it clearly 

- during onboarding
- in the employee handbooks
- explicitly by the managers

Let's stop blaming employees for our own failure to lead.

The CEO Coach | CEO of the Year '19 | McKinsey, Skype | Author | Follow for posts about business, leadership & self-mastery.

5 things I'm sick of hearing from my employees:

(as Rob Dance lays out in this powerful post)

- Is it ok to leave early today?
- I'm running late this morning. Is that ok?
- My child is not well, can I head home?
- Is it ok if I go to a doctor's appointment tomorrow?
- I have to sort out a few things after lunch today. Is that alright?

I honestly don’t care.

I hire people for a job. And then I TRUST them to do it.

You don't need to account for every hour with me.

Today's workplace is different. Times have changed.

And...

Everyone is sick of being treated like a child.

So what really matters?

1. That everyone is happy.
2. And the work gets done.

→ So, my simple advice to employers:

Treat your people like adults.

That’s it.

That’s the BIG secret.

- Give them some space
- Appreciate that they have a life outside of work
- And don’t gaslight them into feeling grateful for not being fired

Results always matter more than hours.

Agree? Disagree?

♻ Please repost if you think more employers need to think this way.

And follow Eric Partaker for more content like this!

One thing every new manager underestimates:

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

Your choices:

🔴 Design the culture.
🔵 Be a victim of emergent culture.

In 2017, I took the 🔴pill and created this OKR:

"𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 🚫-𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 🚫-𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲"

The output?

Our 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆.

Winning 𝗔𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

  1. Trust
  2. Excellence


𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝗻

-  behaviour over attitude
-  writing over talking
-  process mastery

For each outcome, desired behaviour and driver, we defined 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀.

How it's going:

✅ self-managed team
✅ genuine camaraderie
✅ company's model of excellence

Every day as a trainer, consultant or manager I work to improve one element of this strategy.

And so should you.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝟳 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗞𝗥𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿.

𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹:

1. Clarify the big picture.
2. Only ONE OKR per period.
3. Create luck by activating the OKR.

𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹:

4. Prioritize & test assumptions 
5. Be intolerant of bullshittery
6. Be intolerant of assholery
7.  Check in to your OKR every Monday.

What other habits have you found indispensable?

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