James created a survey for users of Lean and/or Six Sigma. It takes 5-10 minutes to complete and it is completely anonymous. Please participate yourself and also pass on to colleagues, contacts or friends who are active members of the Lean and/or Six Sigma community.   I appreciate your help;  please follow the link below: 

http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/staff/sea/LSS

Lean and Green, the wave of the future.  And that’s the way I see it.  Adam Zak

1. “Customer/client focus for the sake of the customer/client;
2. A habit of collaboration;
3. A focus on the medium-to-long term, on relationships rather than transactions;
4. A default stance to transparency, except where illegal or injurious…”

So what might this look like in terms of the day-to-day interactions you have with your (trusted) executive search advisor?  Ask yourself these questions: 

1. Does my executive search consultant (ESC from now on…) focus on me and my needs – professional and personal – or on himself? How do I know that?
2. Does my ESC seem motivated by his internal drive to do the right thing by me, or instead by his firm’s internal metrics and performance carrots and sticks?
3. Is my ESC competitive and innovative in that he’s constantly looking for better ways to deliver service, as contrasted with simply competing with other search providers for my business? Is he continually bringing new knowledge and fresh insights and experiences to me?
4. Does he demonstrate a belief that continued focus on defining and solving my problems is more important than just filling in boxes on my organization chart?
5. Do the ESC’s systems, processes, procedures and operational models effectively meet my needs or requirements ( a means to a successful recruiting outcome), and if not, are they discarded or reformulated until they do?  Is he continuously learning and improving his own professional skills and expertise in order to be able to do that?
6. Perhaps most importantly, does he listen to me, seek to clearly understand the issues I’m facing, and deliver strategies for creating solutions that will positively impact the growth and profitability of my business?

Well, Fast Company’s blog this morning suggests “7 Ways Amazon Could Make the Next Kindle Awesome.”   Check it out.  My most desired feature would be the addition of a WiFi connection.  But of course, I’m still a pretty conventional thinker in terms of product design.  I bet the wizards of Kindle are already way ahead of me in coming up with some innovations that will deliver an even more amazing experience next time around!

And that’s the way I see it.  Adam Zak

PS.  I’m conducting an executive search for the person who will head up quality for the Kindle team.  Position title is Director, Product Quality.  If you know of a passionate Lean quality leader who might have an interest in exploring this role with me, please ask them to connect with me directly.

The company involved was a new executive search client and they were running into problems with their Lean implementation.  Turns out they had been working for over a year with an outside consulting firm to assist them in the transformation process, but they didn’t seem to be making any real progress.  And they weren’t really sure why that was the case. My client contact, the CEO, called me in to discuss the problem and propose solutions.

Part of the standard work I do when beginning a new search (I created a trademarked search methodology called pdcaSearch(R) in which we use Lean principles to drive the executive search process) is to uncover the root cause of the problem I’m being asked to solve. In this case it became very clear that there were ”multiple internal owners” of the Lean initiative, but there was no clear accountability for its success or failure.  The VP of Manufacturing had a small team of the outside consultants assigned to his “projects” and so did the VP Engineering. As did the VP of Supply Chain; and the VP Finance, and so on. 

The CEO had given each executive broad latitude and they were running with it. But all too often it seemed that an “improvement” in one area of the business soon became undone as another “improvement” elsewhere changed the overall operational dynamics of the organization. What Manufacturing improved became “unfixed” by the latest Kaizen event conducted in Engineering the following week. So naturally, Manufacturing Kaizen teams came back to the same area in subsequent weeks for a do-over.  This had been going on for almost a year and had devolved into an embarassing “Keystone Kops-like ” effort which I initially dubbed “catch-and-release Kaizen.”  The trout fishing devotees among you will immediately know what I mean.

Well, I fixed the company’s problem by recruiting a new VP of Continuous Improvement, an individual skilled in the principles of operational excellence and policy deployment. He quickly helped align objectives, resolved competing priorities and turned the focus of the improvement initiative onto value streams instead of functional silos.  Kaizens became more strategic, value-added events.  The new Lean VP continued to rely on a select group of outside advisors who could complement his own expertise, but he very rapidly sent the majority of the Kaizen Kowboys packing back to the ranch from whence they had come.

And that’s the way I see it.  Adam Zak

A recent survey conducted by one very large jobs board indicated that among their respondents, “…almost half don’t use external agencies at all…” and that their results and interviews with experts indicated “…a move away from over-reliance on external recruiters…”  Perhaps a self-selected survey sample, but none-the-less, informative. 

And finally, author and search industry insider Joesph Daniel McCool, in his July 2008 interview with HR Magazine, apparently finds a “real disconnect” between executive recruiters and hiring organizations, claiming that “corporate satisfaction with executive recruiters has fallen under 50 percent for years.” 

Other industry pundits portray a more optimistic future for executive recruiters, and certainly our own small boutique firm has never been busier. But I do believe that a transformation is indeed necessary and already underway within my profession.  Because there is a disconnect between what executive search clients want and what executive search clients are getting. The transformation is being driven, in other words, by the recalibration of clients’ (customers’) executive search expectations. 

During my executive candidate interviews one of the most critical questions I ask is a very simple one: “What do you want?”  From that one question, and during the process of subsequently clarifying its response in the most detailed fashion, I obtain the clearest possible vision of what this talented individual expects to achieve in his or her next executive role, career and lifetime, and also from our immediate relationship. 

As HR professionals in conversations with our external search partners, how often do we ask ourselves this same question, to clarify exactly what we want?  Because, after all, whether it’s a retainer, contingency or some hybrid fee structure, the least important thing we ought to be thinking about is the manner in which we’re going to pay.  What we expect from the relationship is much more critical. So here’s a short list of issues (questions) we should be pondering:

1. As an executive search customer, am I truly seeking a relationship, or do I just want to get this transaction done?  What’s the difference, really, for me personally, and for my organization? Have I considered the implications of my decision?  Have I communicated this with my stakeholders?  Have I been honest and transparent about this with the firm I’ve selected for this task?
2. How will I assess the value I receive from my executive search partner during the course of the search engagement?   Do I just want to recruit absolutely the right person for this role, or do I need something else? Can I clearly define and communicate what that “something else” is? Is my search partner capable of delivering on this expectation?  Will they want to deliver on this expectation?
3. If the search does not conclude with an actual placement, will this have been a total waste of time and money?  Under what circumstances could the search still be considered a success?  Will the other elements of my value expectation (as considered above) have been delivered? What does the future of our relationship look like with our search partner?
4. If the search ultimately proves that our internal candidate is really the best of the best after all (think Bank of America, December, 2009), will I and we (our organization) still have gotten what we wanted? How so? If not, why not – after all, the vacant chair has been filled? Has this been a positive experience with our partner firm, or a negative one?  What does the future of our partnership look like? 

Perhaps I’ll add more questions in future posts. For now let me conclude with some observations related to the accounting and legal professions.

All of the major and mid-market accounting firms in the U.S. today are very capable when it comes to preparing corporate tax returns and performing financial audits for their clients.  And they consider this their bread-and-butter business.  And how about law firms?  Certainly they can handle product liability lawsuits and the patent infringement issue that pops up from time to time.  But is this all that these professional service firms do for their clients?  What else do they offer, can they offer? What else are they doing to deliver value?   Is there some structure within which both they and their clients can derive the long-term, mutually beneficial value that both ultimately desire?  And how does this relate to your strategic executive recruiting game plan? 

Tune in next time for an introduction to the concept of trusted search partner.  So for now, that’s the way I see it. Adam Zak…

(Author note: this blog post was originally published last week on the new Human Capital Institute’s (HCI) Talent Acquisition Community blog.  I’ve been invited to write a guest posting which will appear on the HCI site every couple of weeks or so.  Please be sure to visit the HCI Web site for lots of other great articles related to talent acquisition and many other topics on the cutting-edge of HR thought leadership).

The War for Talent is about to come roaring back any time now.  And the C-suite team will tune in to its effects more rapidly and deeply than before, but this time unsure of any reasonable end in sight. So, HR leaders at all levels who’ve been advocating for their own “seat at the table” are about to get lots of opportunities to demonstrate their strategic thinking skills and their ability to deliver bottom-line business impact. 

I suggest this first quarter of the new decade as an opportune time to rethink and clarify the nature of HR’s outside executive recruiting partnerships.  In what ways are we receiving value from these relationships? How much net value, compared to our investment, are we getting? Are there ways in which we might improve upon both the nature and quality of that return?  Are we asking ourselves: What, really, are our expectations from those upon whom we rely to identify and procure new generations of talent for our organizations?

The word “relationship” itself is fraught with peril (see Dr. Phil, Elizabeth Gilbert), but in limiting ourselves to the context of executive search only, we should be able to steer clear of at least the big rocks in the river.  Or maybe  - in light of massively shifting global business and economic cycles; relentless demand for continuous performance improvement; constantly increasing pressure for innovation in products and services; accelerating obsolescence of managerial talent, and more  -  there is indeed one big rock we can’t ignore: Is our current executive search model broken (doesn’t work all that well) and unsustainable (can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing if we demand different results)?

Are we shopping for candidates by roaming the aisles at Macy’s, or do we focus on finding that unique and special gem at Harry Winston’s? Do we choose firms who can simply deliver a candidate as the need arises, or do we prefer working someone with whom we can share our long-term growth strategies? Someone who might then more prospectively cultivate the kind of talent we’ll want to entice with our value proposition a year or two down the road? Are we looking at our recruiters through the lens of purchasing or procurement, as just another one of the vendors in the supply chain? Or do we seek out dedicated professional relationships with specialists who invest their time and themselves in understanding our business and our issues?  And, despite my obvious personal bias, who is to say which of the choices we make about these relationships are the most appropriate for your organization, at your current point in your corporate life-cycle, and within the context of your industry and competitive situation?  More soon.

Tune in for part two of this post –  Recalibrate Your Executive Search Expectations

And that’s the way I see it.  Adam Zak

(Author note: this blog post was originally published this morning on the new Human Capital Institute’s (HCI) Talent Acquisition Community blog.  I’ve been invited to write a guest posting which will appear on the HCI site every couple of weeks or so.  Please be sure to visit the HCI Web site for lots of other great articles related to talent acquisition and many other topics on the cutting-edge of HR thought leadership).

Our friends at EMC have put together an excellent collection of tips and suggestions  that you’d be well-advised to review and, perhaps, incorporate into your job search strategies and activities.  Below is the introduction to the eBook (PDF format) written by Jack Mollen, EVP Human Resources, for EMC.

PS.  As you might surmise, all of the recruiters are from EMC Corp., but hey, they’re really solid tips and some of the recruiting war stories are funny, and sadly, true.

The rules and norms of job searching and career mobility have changed.

For job seekers, gone are the days of creating a great résumé and actively following job boards as a way to be sure you’ll find—and ultimately land—a job that meets your needs.

The world is just as different for recruiters.

This book contains 100 real-time tips and stories from FORTUNE 500 recruiters that will inspire and motivate you, provide insights, and identify traps. The recruiters come from diverse backgrounds and geographies, and they have experience recruiting at all levels. Don’t miss the last two pages. They are filled with links to the top career and job search resources and social media sites.

Talent search doesn’t have to be a mystery. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Putting people to work faster is good for you, good for families, good for the global economy, and good for business.

If you are looking for your next job, if you take note of just one piece of advice, this is it: Don’t give up. Don’t take it personally. Be persistent and be a master of the new rules of search.

With sincere wishes for your success,

Jack Mollen, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, EMC Corporation

I’d like to offer a suggestion to help you with this task.  Keep this one guiding word in mind:  “simple.”

I believe that by keeping things simple, as simple as possible, in both your personal and professional life, you will be able achieve “simple excellence“ in everything towards which you strive. “Simple excellence”  is a key theme to which I will return again in 2010 and throughout the coming decade in my speaking, writing and of course, my Lean executive search practice.

As a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder of many years, I’ve been listening to Warren Buffett for a long time. My notebooks are filled with his words of wisdom gleaned from annual meetings I’ve attended. My bookshelves are weighed down considerably with books and magazine articles by and about him.    While I’m certainly not the first to have uncovered some of Warren’s ”secrets” to investing, I’ve also discovered a treasure trove of his thoughts on human nature and the non-Wall Street side of life , which he’s shared with us through quips and comments over the years.  Guess what?  There’s a lot of simple excellence here. 

So without further delay, some quotes from the Oracle of Omaha to help keep our 2010 New Years’ resolution making simple and excellent.

 “The best way to own common stocks is through an index fund.”

Simple investing leaves you time to do other things in your life.  Allow professionals to do for you what they’re better at doing than you are. Yes, there is truth in the concept of core competency. And no, not all outsourcing is bad. But it takes thought and purpose to achieve simple and excellent results, in operations and supply chain as well as in investing.  Berkshire Hathaway is itself something akin to an index fund. Thanks Warren, for keeping it simple to understand what you (and therefore I) own. But I’ve got to ask, are you really, really sure about the Burlington RR thing?

“I want to be able to explain my mistakes. This means I do only the things I completely understand.”

I’ve never heard about Warren employing the “5 Whys” technique, but he is legendary for drilling down to root cause. In all his investment decisions (and, even more importantly, in his decisions not to invest) Buffett focuses on breaking complex businesses into simple, understandable components. In setting out our objectives and making our resolutions for 2010, how can we more effectively focus to gain true understanding?

“Making money isn’t the backbone of our guiding purpose; making money is the by-product of our guiding purpose. If you’re doing something you love, you’re more likely to put your all into it, and that generally equates to making money.”

As Lean Thinkers we are called to deliver value to our customers, both external and internal. Isn’t that really the simple and excellent underlying purpose of all the principles and practices we espouse and adhere to?  Are we thinking the same way about our careers and also the lives we lead outside those careers? Simple, focused goal setting  – on the right goals, for the right reasons – makes sense and leads to excellence.  A business, or an individual, who sets goals and objectives on delivering value will be rewarded financially when others benefit from their receipt of that value.

And, finally, how often do we consider that the simple pleasures of life might perhaps offer us deeper and more lasting satisfaction than we could ever hope to derive from the many gadgets and gizmos and toys we’ve been accumulating in an attempt to achieve happiness and fulfillment?  Are we truly engaged in something?  Are we respecting those who surround us in our personal and professional lives?  Hey, are we having fun?  Some final thoughts from Warren:  

“I have simple pleasures. I play bridge online for 12 hours a week. Bill [Gates] and I play, he’s “chalengr” and I’m “tbone”.“ 

and…

“I just naturally want to do things that make sense. In my personal life too, I don’t care what other rich people are doing. I don’t want a 405 foot boat just because someone else has a 400 foot boat.“

 And that’s the way I see it.  Happy New Year.  Adam Zak

Competition for Kindle?

What’s interesting about this tiny player (about the size of two match boxes) is just how simple and excellent it is.  Serves only one purpose – play back a prerecorded book, just one – but it does this so easily! 

Single-function tools are often looked down upon, given all the multi-purpose devices at our disposal these days.  The iPhone, of course, which my kids can’t imagine doing without, does do many things…the Kindle, which is an awesome product (one I don’t think I’d want to give up) – are examples of two such gadgets.  But here are some of the great things I find very handy in this easy-to-use device.

• It’s free – assuming you have a library card, and your local library stocks these little gems.
• Listening allows you to enjoy a book in situations where your hands are otherwise engaged – riding the lawn mower, stair-stepping or jogging, and (because it’s winter in Chicago) blowing snow off your driveway.
• Plug n’ Play - just insert your headphone jack and push play.
• It’s very small, light-weight and battery powered.
• There’s a neckstrap for easily carrying it around – or in my case, sitting under a beach umbrella – it won’t fall to the ground if you should happen to doze off.
• You can jog with it hanging around your neck.  If it’s raining, just put the whole thing in a plastic baggie and leave a small opening to pull the strap through.
• Controls take absolutely no effort at all to figure out – see instructions on the inside of case -  in the unlikely event you need a reference.
• The Barrington Area library has dozens and dozens of these available, fiction and non-fiction titles alike. Finished with the book, or just bored with it – stop by your library and pick up another batch.
• Easy to share with friends and family on vacation – and you can pack a dozen of these in the same amount of space that two hard-back novels would take up.

Now, let’s hope the battery doesn’t run out just as I’m nearing the suspenseful conclusion of  Vince Flynn’s Protect and Defend.    The librarian told me that I need to bring it back so they can use their special key to open up the battery compartment.