Download - Thinking Ahead of the Possibilities

G R O U P P A R T N E R S A N D

P U R P O S E L I N K E D C O N S U L T I N G

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Passion is energy. Feel the power that

comes from focusing on what excites you.

Oprah Winfrey

A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.

Mohandas Gandhi

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Thriving in today’s economy requires that leaders engage in fresh thinking and develop visions and strategies that resonate with customer priorities. Navigating an ever-changing landscape and establishing a global presence that distinguishes a company in the market requires building and equipping a skilled workforce and igniting the passions of the teams charged with accomplishing results.

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It’s not about Change.It’s about Possibilities.

“

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At Purposelinked Consulting and Group Partners, we view change as a conduit to possibilities – one that

opens our minds to new and better questions, more effective

solutions, and a wealth of opportunity to create a better

tomorrow. We believe that managing change, envisioning

possibilities and creating strategies, should not be something

great leaders and their teams address as an occasional

exercise – it should be a part of their daily diet.

Unfortunately, research indicates that 90% of strategies for

change and growth fail to live up to expectation. In hindsight,

many of these failures could have been avoided had a better

approach for planning been utilized.

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Achieving effective change and developing innovative strategies – ones that place outstanding companies deep within the possibilities – require a robust planning and execution process. But, unlike standard approaches to strategy and change planning, the process must adopt a holistic view of the business – all of its integral parts and people – and be designed to reveal how to best mobilize the organization’s full resources to achieve meaningful results.

Purposelinked Consulting and Group Partners have joined

forces to create a process that accomplishes just that.

We work synergistically to support clients in achieving their

goals by utilizing our proven approach to vision and strategy

development, coupled with robust tools for talent management

– all underpinned with deep knowledge and expertise in

global marketing, leadership and organization development.

Our collective approach addresses the context, content and

cultural requirements for the business success by guiding the

organization through the phases of work shown opposite.

Even Robust Plans Fail

When The “Framework”

And “Energy” Required

To Achieve Aggressive

Goals Is Not Addressed.

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OUR APPROACH

PHASE I: CREATING THE FRAME

In order to add value, a framework must ignite the

organization’s energy and expand thinking. It must allow

teams to examine the horizon, understand the new questions

to be asked, establish an innovative vision, solve the right

problems really well, and create an organizational culture

in which individuals can thrive within today’s constantly

evolving paradigm for success.

There are three critical questions that senior leaders of every

company should be asking:

• Are we positioning our organization to create the best

possibilities for our business, our customers and our

community?

• Do we have a clear and shared sense of the direction our

business is taking?

• Are we igniting and applying the very best thinking that our

workforce can generate so that we can move our business

from success to significance?

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It All Begins withThe Question

“

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If you’re not investing in establishing a visionary focus for your organization, its functions and products, then it is likely that the future needs of your customers will be met by your competitors.

Developing that vision, establishing the future state that will

fuel success, requires the courage and tenacity to ask new

questions about your business and its value proposition.

It requires examining the landscape as it is now in order

to understand the current reality – but moving beyond to

imagine and achieve new possibilities for the future. In short,

it requires being able to envision in multiple dimensions and

from multiple perspectives.

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We begin Phase I with a visioning process utilizing the 4D™ Framework method and the philosophy of Structured Visual Thinking™.

4D™ is Group Partners approach to solving complex problems,

working with the senior teams to explore an agreed upon

“Exam Question” for the business. Through our proprietary

process and technology for building a “Structural Thinking

Framework”, we guide teams through strategy visioning and

design as a real-time, co-creative, visual exercise, which

ensures the business – and each leader within that business

– has the ability to think (in the widest possible context) about

the future aims and ambitions of the business and every major

question, issue or opportunity that may arise within it.

Imagine the impact of working with a Structured Visual

Thinker who facilitates robust discussion with the team and

captures their ideas about the challenges, complexities and

solutions for the business graphically and in real-time on

50-foot wall panels. A Contextual Analyst working in parallel

translates the discussion and ideas into a narrative format,

building the platform for the team’s vision of the future. That

is the power of our process.

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4D™ includes the following phases:

1. Discovering what we could do – By alignment of the key

stakeholders we create the right context for discovering what

is happening now in the business and what is possible – a

vision for the future. We establish a common ground and

define the possibilities of what the organization can do.

2. Developing what we should do – Based on what has

been revealed in Discovery and what we understand is

required for success, we work with the team to begin to

create strategies, change scenarios and develop hard

plans for the future.

3. Deciding what we will do – At this point in the process

we are able to sort all of the choices into a coherent set

– creating the template (guide-rails) for the journey, a

roadmap that leads to the outcomes; and finally

4. Deploying what we have agreed we will do – By

now we have identified what is required to sustain the

transformation and to fully support the strategies that will

achieve the vision over the long-term. This prepares the

organization for effective execution of its strategies so

that the vision becomes realized.

Teams will naturally engage around the conversations during 4DTM because they address the burning questions – Where are we going? Why? And how will we get there?

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Structured Visual Thinking™ supports the conversations by manifesting the teams own ideas and concepts visually and in real time, creating a framework for the future. The effect of getting a group

of people together to have a series of open conversations

about something that unites them (or needs to unite them)

without burdening them with process, opinions, endless

pages of strategy and theory is more than a little liberating.

When their ideas materialize on the walls in front of them, it

fosters ownership, builds commitment and sparks desire to

deliver on those ideas.

Helping senior teams to frame strategies and deal with their

complex environment is Group Partners particular brand of

expertise. Purposelinked Consulting’s sweet spot is creating

high performing cultures by leveraging employee passions

to generate great results. The combination of these two

dimensions is therefore of significant value.

We deliver by applying deep knowledge of talent

management coupled with expertise in global marketing

and the vital context within which it creates the value

required to succeed. Together, our synergistic partnership

helps clients solve the right problems really well, engage

and ignite the organization and build a framework for

ongoing success that everyone embraces.

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“The Planning is Tough. The Execution is Tougher: Finding the DNA of Success.

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PHASE II: ENERGIZE THE WORKFORCE

It has been our experience that most large-scale transformation or strategy setting initiatives are designed to focus on internal processes, products and customers – all of which are important.

But the result can be that the visioning framework

overlooks the significant impact each individual will have

on the success of the transformation. At Group Partners

and Purposelinked Consulting, we understand that most of

these same initiatives are likely to fail if the organization

doesn’t define the qualities of the individuals who will be

charged with executing that vision.

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Positive Performance Triad

UniqueSkills

CoreValues

PrimaryPassions

The Performance Nexus

• Good Job• Satisfaction• Dedication• Apply Skills• Retention Risk

• Grow the Job• Fulfillment• Excitement• Learn New Skills• Commitment

• Self Worth• Relevance

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Following the initial visioning session with the team, Purposelinked Consulting carries the work forward by supporting the team in becoming a cohesive unit capable of leveraging both the skills and the passions of its members.

The focus of the work during this phase will be to discover and

harness the passions of everyone on the team, understand

the unique contributions that can be generated through

individual passion and develop a common language that

improves the quality of the conversations within the team

and across the organization.

We believe that an organization’s success can best be realized

when team members operate at their Performance Nexus,

where skills, passions and values align with work roles. It’s

true that skills, experience, credentials and competencies are

important factors for success, but they are not enough. The

missing ingredient in the formula for deriving peak employee

performance, especially during times of change is Passion.

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Passion Fuels Innovation and Imagination

“

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The Energize Phase consists of the following steps:

1. The journey to energizing the team begins with the

Passion Profiler™ experience – Leaders and their teams

participate in a workshop entitled, Leveraging Purpose

and Passion in the Workplace.

Most leaders know that tapping into each employee’s

internal drivers is important. They even understand that

providing employees with a sense of purpose at work makes

a difference. What has been missing is a framework for taking

very esoteric concepts like purpose and passion and putting

them to work in actionable ways…ways that provide the

organization with a platform for capitalizing on possibilities.

That is, until now.

Purposelinked Consulting has developed a unique proprietary

tool that identifies and measures work related passions. The

Passion Profiler™ is a survey instrument based on the extensive

fieldwork and research of Purposelinked Consulting founders,

Alaina Love and Marc Cugnon, in partnership with a team from

the University of Michigan, which provides deep insight into

the “archetypes of passion” operating in your organization.

The tool identifies and measures ten expressions of individual

purpose, codified as the following passion archetypes:

Altruist, Builder, Conceiver, Connector, Creator, Discoverer,

Healer, Processor, Teacher, and Transformer.*

* A full description of each of these ten dimensions can be reviewed in Love and

Cugnon’s book, The Purpose Linked Organization (McGraw-Hill, 2009).

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The core survey items based on Love and Cugnon’s work were also informed by the empirical literature on sociocognitive identity development, organizational identification and positive psychology. Fundamentally,

the conceptual framework informing the survey construction

is based on the notion that an individual’s purpose functions

as the primary catalyst for igniting one’s passion; and

passion operates as the intrinsic attribute which informs and

influences one’s overall approach to work.

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The Passion Profiler™ is a unique and comprehensive self-knowledge and team building tool that:

• Measures respondents’ affinity for each of the ten

passion archetypes

• Focuses on each respondent’s “passion archetype cluster”,

the top three passions driving their behaviors

• Identifies the strengths and vulnerabilities associated

with top passions

• Provides insight into how to best lead and manage

each archetype

• Identifies the “styles of passion” respondents are actually

demonstrating in the work environment

• Provides group comparison data for archetype and work style

affinity (which is especially relevant information for teams)

• Measures affiliation to the organization

• Measures respondents’ propensity to think and reflect

contemplatively about life and work experiences in order

to use those experiences to learn and grow

• Identifies how each respondent’s passion archetype cluster

influences the creation and utilization of organizational

knowledge so that teams may develop a better understanding

of the operational perspective of each individual member and

how each person can best contribute to strategic goals

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Passion ArchetypeOperational Perspective TM

Create Process

Share & Assimilate

D

isse

min

ate

Apply

• Seek Truth• Digest Info• Interpret Info• Support Meaning Making

• Imagine• Innovate• Ignore Boundaries

• Growth/Expansion

• Champion Change

• Set Vision

• Create Blueprint

• Create Harmony• Remove Toxicity• Expand World View• Act as a Moral Compass• Embrace Differences

• Promote Learning• Seek Knowledge• Share Knowledge/Info.

• Network with Others

• Negotiate Across Boundaries

Bu

ilder

TransformerHealer

Altruist

TeacherCon

nec

tor

DiscovererProcessor

Cre

ator

Conceiver

The Passion Profiler™ supports the development and engagement of individuals and teams responsible for executing strategies. It provides a platform for establishing

a common dialogue that enhances the quality of ongoing conversations relating to the

company’s vision, strategies and framework. With this common dialogue, greater clarity about

each individual’s role and operational perspective in delivering results can be achieved.

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During the workshop, teams apply what they have learned about their passion archetypes individually and collectively, learn how to use passion as a platform for

strategy execution and create 6-month individual action plans

that serve as a “personal roadmap” within the organization.

2. Moving from Strategy to Tactics – At this point in our

work with teams, the process of defining tactical steps

to execute strategies begins. We work with teams to drill

down on the specific actions that must be taken to achieve

various strategic milestones. The skills and passions that

will be essential on the team assigned to each task are

identified, as are needed resources, support and funding

for successful execution.

3. Ongoing Team Support – Purposelinked Consulting

and Group Partners work synergistically to provide

ongoing support as teams implement strategies using the

framework developed in Phase I. An online collaborative

workspace will be established to support frequent

communication and idea exchange between teams and

PLC/GP principals. Through this mechanism, we can keep

the framework current and help teams course correct as

needed, when new learning and information is uncovered

during strategy implementation.

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PHASE III: EQUIP THE ORGANIZATION FOR SUCCESS

Once cohesive, well-conceived strategies have been created and teams energized around them, the difference between achieving success or spiraling

to insignificance lies in equipping the workforce that will

carry the plan to fruition. Minimal sustained progress will

be realized without first identifying the data the enterprise

needs to make the best decisions and then aligning systems,

processes and structure with strategic goals.

The Frame phase of each intervention initially identifies

some of the requirements that may be needed to successfully

implement the organization’s vision and strategies.

Teams may also uncover other action items during the

Energize phase such as:

• Needed improvements in marketing capabilities and skills

• Required changes in organizational design to support

work flow

• Enhancements to performance management and

recognition processes required to motivate the workforce

“Great strategies and

energized people

aren’t enough to

overcome entrenched

systems, processes and

talent gaps that work

against them.”

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In Phase III, Group Partners and Purposelinked Consulting reunite to work with the team to identify all of the data, analysis and information that will be required to make the best decisions about the business. We work

collaboratively and correspond with the client to identify the

alternatives available to the team and to define the processes

or programs that should be continued, discontinued or newly

created. All of this information is then re-integrated into an

expanded visual framework that supports the journey from

strategy creation to successful execution.

Purposelinked Consulting then conducts an Organization

Capabilities Assessment to specifically analyze the

organization’s needs, validate needs that may have

been identified in earlier phases and create action plans

to address those needs so they do not impede strategy

implementation.

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While this evaluation is tailored for each client, typical evaluations might include areas of inquiry, recommendations, and action plans related to:

I. Organization, People and Systems

• Review established recruiting, career development and

training plans that support the development of talent

identified as strategically critical

• Examine the current organization design to assure it

supports the new strategic direction

• Examine requirements for key strategic positions vs the

existing talent pool

• Gap analysis and recommendations to address talent issues

• Review people management systems to assure they are

designed to support identified strategic direction

II. Market and Strategy Development

• Examine tools currently utilized for developing marketing

strategies, product positioning and branding

III. Doctrine and Skills

• Review of established marketing processes, principles

(doctrine) and skill set

IV. Requirements for the organization to become a marketing powerhouse

V. Gap analysis and recommendations for achieving marketing excellence

Collectively, our process

neatly reduces the cycle

time required to work a

strategy and positions the

organization for success.

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Throughout the engagement, Group Partners and

Purposelinked Consulting guide leaders and their teams

in creating a transformative vision, building collaborative

relationships, generating quality conversations and

establishing robust processes that position the organization

to conceive and capitalize on the very best of possibilities.

Together we help clients create a culture of thriving.

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MARC CUGNON (Discoverer, Builder, Transformer)

Marc Cugnon, a native of Belgium, is the CEO and co-founder

of Purposelinked Consulting. With over three decades of

business experience, he consults to large, multinational firms

as well as small, independent companies, foreign government

organizations and international universities. His practice at

PLC has focused on executive development, cross-cultural

team building, strategic business planning, domestic and

international marketing, and product development.

Prior to founding PLC, Marc enjoyed a twenty-seven year

career with three major pharmaceutical companies, focusing

on human and animal health products. He has lived and

worked in Belgium, the US, the UK, France, Hong Kong,

Singapore and Thailand. Marc spent twenty-one years with

Merck & Co., Inc., where his career was comprised of a

number of significant positions, including Executive Director

Marketing, Europe, and Vice President, Asia-Pacific Region.

As VP Asia/Pacific, Marc established 8 subsidiaries in the Asian

region, including Taiwan, China, Singapore and Korea. He

also served as Chairman of the Board of Merck-Hangzhou

Pharmaceutical Joint Venture.

THE TEAM

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ALAINA LOVE (Builder, Transformer, Healer)

Alaina Love is the President of Purposelinked Consulting.

Since the inception of PLC in 1994, her work has focused

on developing passionate, effective leaders and teams, and

helping companies navigate large-scale organizational

change. She consults with multi-national Fortune 500

companies, hospitals and government organizations.

Prior to founding PLC, Alaina spent twelve years with

pharmaceutical giant, Merck & Co., Inc., where as Executive

Director of Human Resources she served a client group of over

15,000 employees worldwide, generating US$12.3 billion in

sales. Earlier in her career, Alaina was a research scientist

in the field of immunology, where she worked to develop

products for the treatment of diseases such as rheumatoid

arthritis and lupus. As a clinical research associate, she

also managed international clinical trials for the anti-ulcer

treatment now known as Pepcid®.

In addition to the US, Alaina has lived and worked in Singapore

and Thailand, and has consulted with business leaders

throughout Asia, Europe, Canada and Latin America.

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JOHN CASWELL (Conceiver, Altruist, Builder)

John Caswell is the founder of Group Partners and its “chief

boundary pusher”. His role with clients is to be facilitative

and visual – using his special brand of magic to help clients

examine their problems and opportunities with equal measure,

so that they avoid solving the wrong problems really well. As a

company, Group Partners’ aim is to “Change the way business

thinks and works – enabling the 21st Century Organization.”

John works with a wide variety of multi-national organizations

and governments to craft an environment and stream

of powerful deliverables where people can be creative,

innovative and different. Using Group Partner inventions

– Structured Visual Thinking™, a powerful philosophic

approach to business thinking, and 4D™, an accelerated

approach to answering critical questions – John seeks out

boundaries and stimulates teams to think beyond them so

that smarter business decisions are possible.

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HAZEL TIFFANY (Transformer, discoverer, creator)

Hazel Tiffany joined Group Partners in 2002 after 26 years

in UK Central Government, the latter of which were spent

developing system and service architectures to support cross-

functional operational requirements. She is a Contextual

Analyst whose specialty is the engineering and architecting

of complex information.

Hazel works with client groups to develop a context from

existing information and create a structure that allows new

insights to emerge from client discussions throughout the

4D™/Structured Visual Thinking™ process. From this, she

helps clients develop meaningful and relevant outcomes that

enable the business to deliver against goals.

Using her extensive experience, Hazel has developed a real

competence for making the best use of complex, multi-

dimensional information. “ I am constantly seeking to

find structure, patterns, clues and context that will create

understanding and value that can be used to communicate

to multiple audiences.”

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Purposelinked Consulting1679 North Poes RoadFlint Hill, VA, 22627, USA

Group Partners Europe32 St James’s Street, Mayfair London SW1A 1HD, UK

www.grouppartners.netwww.thepurposelink.com

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