Reference Materials
Managing the Enterprise
Rediscovering the Corporate Soul
Transformational Leadership in a Transactional World by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
This article addresses one of the most difficult and complex issues that impede OD practitioners’ success, the dominance of transactional thinking in organizations, and the negative impact it has on organizational performance. It is meant to both encourage OD practitioners to advocate for transformational leadership and give them a means of making transformational leadership a reality in organizations.
A Shortcut to Customer Centricity
A Scientific Model of Grassroots O.D.O.D. by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
The biggest challenge for most Organizational Development cultural change initiatives is to get large numbers of people to quickly and completely embrace a desired change. Grassroots O.D. engages many people quickly while still supporting executive initiatives. By integrating research on positive deviance, fair process, neuroscience and mass customization into a practical methodology, a grassroots approach to O.D. can change organizational cultures faster, more predictably and more completely than was previously thought possible.
A Scientific Model of Grassroots O.D.
A Shortcut to Customer Centricity by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
It’s possible to create a customer-centric organization without using an employee assessment and competencies methodology. “Affirmative” models of change are emerging that are far more effective at driving customer-centricity. Affirmative models rely on the development and proliferation of positive images of being customer-focused and have been used successfully by thousands of people in hundreds of companies.
Performance Improvement in the Far Flung Enterprise
Performance Improvement in the Far Flung Enterprise by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Grow revenues! Grow profits! Execute better! Is there anything more important for most organizations? This article presents a unique approach to improving performance in far-flung enterprises – i.e., geographically dispersed chain and chain-like organizations. This approach has already produced spectacular gains in both sales and profits.
Positive Deviants Rule!
Positive Deviants Rule! by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Is continuous innovation important to your organization? This article presents a methodology for identifying and leveraging your Positive Deviants as a simple, readily available means of continuous, effective innovation which can be used by virtually any organization.
Strategy to Action in 6 Days
Strategy to Action in 6 Days by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
The key to sustained performance improvement in large, geographically dispersed organizations is quick, effective implementation of critical strategic initiatives. This article presents an approach to implementing strategic initiatives that enables an organization to go from strategy articulation to field action in only a few days – while drastically reducing implementation time!
Cerebyte Methodology
Part 1: Discovering the Secret Sauce
Part 1: Discovering the Secret Sauce by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Do some of your people consistently and systematically outperform others? Is there financial or strategic value in raising the performance of the many to the level of the few? If you answered “yes” to these questions, then gathering and using the ‘secret sauce’ of these top performers, these “Positive Deviants,” will be of considerable value to you.
Part 2: 8 Minutes to Performance Improvement
Part 2: 8 Minutes to Performance Improvement by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Once you have the experts’ secret sauce, what are you going to do with it? How about using it to get an immediate performance improvement? Effectively using the secret sauce can produce a significant behavior change and related performance improvement in as little as 8 minutes.
Part 3: The Performance Improvement Multiplier
Part 3: The Performance Improvement Multiplier by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Are you satisfied with your organization’s performance? Would you like to outperform your competition everyday, indefinitely? If you’re like most of us, you want to continuously improve your performance and outperform your competition everyday, indefinitely. This article presents a system for long-term, sustainable improvements that constantly multiply your performance and financial gains.
Operational Excellence
Developing Devoted Customers
Developing Devoted Customers by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Businesses need devoted customers. This article examines why some managers in chains are consistently successful at developing environments that create devoted customers, how you can learn their ‘secret sauce’ and how you get all your personnel to act like the top performers.
Optimizing Alliance Management
Optimizing Alliance Management by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Are some of your alliance managers consistently and systematically more effective than others? This article examines the attitudes and behaviors of top performing alliance managers. More specifically, it examines the actual behaviors that promote highly positive, mutually beneficial win-win relationships.
Optimizing Franchise Performance
Optimizing Franchise Performance by Dr. William Seidman, Kathleen Farland and Michael McCauley
Are you, the franchisor, satisfied with the performance of all your franchisees? If you’re like most franchisors, your response to this question is a resounding “No!” This article presents an approach for optimizing franchise performance by increasing the franchisee’s ability to operate successfully. More specifically, it discusses the crucial role of the franchisor’s ‘system’ in both promoting franchise sales and franchisee success.
Human Resouces/Training
Rediscovering the Corporate Soul
Rediscovering the Corporate Soul by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Soulful organizations consistently outperform soulless organizations. This article examines the nature of the corporate ‘soul,’ how you can identify it in your company, and how you can leverage it throughout your organization to significantly enhance bottom line results.
Optimizing Knowledge Transfer
Optimizing Knowledge Transfer and Use by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Is the success of your organization dependent on the efficient transfer and use of knowledge? If your people need specific skills and knowledge to effectively perform their functions, you are dependent on effective knowledge transfer. In most organizations, effective utilization of knowledge increases productivity, creates competitive advantage and, ultimately, improves profits. This article examines the knowledge transfer challenge and presents a new, more effective method for transferring critical knowledge.
Saving Retiring Knowledge Workers' Secret Sauce
Saving Retiring Knowledge Workers’ Secret Sauce by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
As the baby boom generation approaches retirement, many organizations are recognizing an impending knowledge crisis. Much of the critical expertise of their most experienced workers will soon be leaving and replacing it will be difficult if not impossible! This article presents a method for protecting an organization against the potential loss of retiring knowledge worker (RKW) knowledge.
Information Technology
Organizational Transformation: A New Application of Persuasive Technology
Organizational Transformation: A New Application of Persuasive Technology by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Changing an organization can be incredibly difficult because many people must change their beliefs, values, and actions quickly and completely for an organizational transformation to occur and sustain. These types of changes are, of course, exactly what persuasive technologies are designed to drive. This article provides a proven method for applying persuasive technology to drive organizational transformation.
A Behavioral Approach to Knowledge Management
A Behavioral Approach to Knowledge Management by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Why have so few knowledge management (KM) systems met or exceeded expectations? Simply put, customers of KM systems are not getting what they want, need or were promised. This article examines the role of KM systems in behavioral change. It presents an analysis of the ‘warehouse’ model underlying most KM systems today, and contrasts that model with a more ‘customer-focused’ design that focuses on driving more productive behaviors.
A Humanistic Knowledge Technology
A Humanistic Knowledge Technology by Dr. William Seidman
Why haven’t portals, search engines, personnel profilers and document management systems been more successful? Primarily because knowledge management is first and foremost a human activity, and these technologies are not about people. This article presents an alternative approach; one that places people at the center by emulating the human coaching experience.
Developing Devoted IT Customers
Developing Devoted IT Customers by Dr. William Seidman and Michael McCauley
Most non-IT people dislike the IT department. At best, IT is seen as a necessary evil. Why is IT perceived this way? Primarily because IT is a customer service organization that doesn’t like its customers. In fact, most IT people see themselves as technical experts, not as service providers. This article explores the relationship between IT and its customers, and provides an alternative approach that places customer service at the core of that relationship.