Sample Personal Action List

V|E|C|T|O|R LEADERSHIP® ... PERSONAL ACTION LIST for: Fred Brooks
Created by: Fred Brooks Title: New division Created: Jan. 2011 Horizon: 4 months

My Action Commitments
Destination Meet individually with all partners to identify market and internal issues impacting strategy and implementation of new division; also, talk to my international colleagues (particularly AD and JL) to find what worked and not with similar reorganisations in other regions
(Deadline: 27 February)
Hold strategy session to discuss above issues with partners, identify market drivers, competitive issues, key goals and division profile at 12 and 36 month horizons; and, key actions for moving forward, including new organisation structure (see below)
(Deadline: 13 March)
People Meet with all key stakeholders, particularly with those most deeply concerned about integration (eg FC, AJ and QM) to determine specific concerns and explore options; also, make plan for maintaining dialogue through implementation period
(Deadline: 27 February)
Structures Identify possible models for division (including matrix requirements for both functional and geographic reporting); also meet with local area heads and key back office leaders (particularly PT, LM and IC) to test options; so can present draft structure for discussion at strategy workshop (as above) – with finalisation via offline discussions in week following
(Deadline: 20 March)
Communication Post workshop, launch dialogue and communication with rest of front office and back office staff re new concept, structure, implementation plan, etc. Ask for their input and ideas for finetuning
(Deadline: 24 April)
Decisions Once full plan agreed by partners and signed off by firm leadership, hold discussions and, as necessary, take action to address any business-area or individual partner non-commitment, which could inhibit implementation
(Deadline: 29 May)

Notes re: Fred Brook's Personal Action List

Role: The leader here, let’s call him Fred Brooks, had recently been asked to head up a new division that would combine four pre-existing practice areas of the firm’s engineering consultancy. Though separate, the four areas served common clients central to the firm’s competitive positioning and profitability.

Situation: Many people supported the cross-practice consolidation and Fred’s suitability as Managing Partner of the new division. Others, however, questioned the client-facing logic – preferring the old practice-area focus; and, were fearful of Fred’s ambition and self-interest.

The V|E|C|T|O|R planning process: Fred took three key steps in doing his plan and developing his Personal Action List:

  1. First, he identified the most important Follower Question colleagues needed him to answer. This was the “vision question: where are we going and why?�. Answering this would clarify both the journey ahead, and what their future organisation would look like – and thus deliver “Goal Alignment� amongst all the stakeholders. The second most important Follower Question arose from people’s concerns resulting from the consolidation of four different areas. This could be called the “organisation question: where and how do we all fit in?� – and its desired resolution being to build effective “teams and relationships�. Identifying these two questions (of vision and organisation, and their related organisational outcomes) was the first step in understanding how Fred could both create the best operating model and also build necessary buy-in!
  2. Fred’s next step was to select the most appropriate Action Areas to focus his efforts in answering the vision and organisation questions. For the former, for example, defining goals, and doing so within a demonstrated understanding of client and market requirements. For the latter, developing effective reporting structures to improve client service while maintaining practice-area standards.
  3. The third (and most important) step Fred took was deciding his Action Commitments that particularised the Action Areas in terms of what he’d do, with whom and by when – across both “hard� market or technical issues, and “soft� ones of people and culture. In other words, addressing the Follower Questions and Action Areas at the granular level of a detailed plan – able to guide his actions, monitor his progress, and measure his performance.

Implementation: Having completed his plan, Fred invested a lot of effort working with colleagues to quantify 3-year goals and the new division’s operating profile to support those goals (e.g. gross revenue and per capita; target clients and revenue split by practice area; staffing levels and leverage ratios; etc.). He introduced a new divisional structure, clarifying roles and output measures. To encourage acceptance of these goals and structural changes, he invested a lot of effort from day one in consultation and personal bridge-building.

Outcome: After some initial territorial disputes (resolved after lengthy discussion), the new division became well accepted – helped by client enthusiasm for the whole-of-firm approach, and internal efficiency and effectiveness, which aligned with the market and cost pressures that had started to emerge in 2009.