Blog

Honoring Our Past While Being an Agent of Change for the Future

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

Marshall Goldsmith may have said it best when he declared, “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There”! That was a powerful A’ha moment for me as I’ve always known that I am likely the greatest obstacle getting in the way of my future success. Before reading Goldsmith’s book though, I never had the language to articulate what seemed so obvious to me.

 

Whether it’s in the business I founded more than 10 years ago or in my personal relationships and other day-to-day activities, I don’t know what I don’t know and therefore continue to operate in ways that I have in the past until I realize that those behaviors and approaches don’t actually produce my intended results. Well, it’s about time I start looking at that with a more critical eye if I aspire to achieve greater success in my life. Read more ›

Posted in Change management, Continuous Improvement, Evolution, Innovation, Learning, Marshall Goldsmith, Organization Development, organizational culture, transformation, values

5 Must-Dos to Create a World-Class On-Boarding Experience for You and Your Employees

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

So much time and energy goes into finding top talent and then wooing these rockstars into our companies, so why is it that typically so little time and energy is devoted to on-boarding these folks once they do accept our offers? If anything, it would seem that business leaders should actually invest more time and energy into the process at this critical juncture to ensure that their new employees are truly set up for success as they get started.

For those who agree, we offer you the following 5 “must dos” to create a world-class on-boarding experience and enhance the results of your critical on-boarding efforts.

Read more ›

Posted in HR, Human Capital Strategy, Human Resources, Integrated Talent Management, New Hires, Onboarding, Orientation, Recruitment, Recruitment and Selection, Talent Management

Taking a Step Back at Mid-Year to Move Your Big Rocks Forward by Year-End!

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

As we reach mid-year, I invite you to reflect on your goals for the year and assess how you’re doing. Are you on track to achieve your strategic intentions? Did something in your market shift to where you need to course correct or adjust your plans? Perhaps you never took the time to establish “big rock” targets for 2012 such that you don’t even know where you are going. Wherever you may be, the good news is that you don’t have to stay there any longer!

For those of our companies that have calendar-year planning cycles, now is the time to revisit our strategic intentions and recalibrate our intended destinations for year-end. At Plus Delta, we have experienced some significant changes we did not expect when we kicked off 2012. Read more ›

Posted in Action, Big Rocks, Mid-year Reviews, Reflection, Strategic Planning, Year-end Goals

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

This past Friday, my 11-year-old daughter Amanda culminated from elementary school. Now I already think I’m not as smart as a 5th grader because I had no idea “culminate” was even a word until my son did the same 2 years ago. Apparently, graduating from elementary school is different than high school and college, or at least that’s what the word might suggest but I digress.

During the culmination ceremony, I had the most profound thought that maybe all of us – especially those of us working in organizations – need to be more like these young and talented 5th graders. The following are some of the greatest A’has I will take away from my daughter and her class of future leaders: Read more ›

Posted in Culmination, Family, Fifth Grade, Friendship, Graduation, Leadership, Perseverance, Procrastination, School, success, Teachers

Are You a Commodity or a Priceless Gemstone?

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

Sure, I’ll admit it! One of our “survival strategies” during the recession was to reduce rates. I wouldn’t say that we were the Walmart of management consulting firms always striving – let alone promising – to be the guaranteed low-cost provider. We did, however, negotiate steeply reduced rates with our clients. On a couple of occasions, I even agreed to offer all-inclusive rates without passing through our out-of-pocket travel expenses just to win some work.

While that may have been a justifiable – if not downright savvy – business strategy to generate some positive cash flow during the recession, somewhere along the way it felt like we simply became a commodity for our clients. Well, at least some of them! Read more ›

Posted in Customer Relationship Management, gemstone, Marketing, Recession, Sales, success, Value, Walmart commodity

Right Now! What Are You Waiting For?

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

I’ve been a huge Van Halen fan for years! Yes, I prefer Sammy Hagar’s tunes over David Lee Roth’s, but the change in lead singers didn’t impact my love for the group one bit. And with all the music I’ve ever listened to in my life, “Right Now” still ranks up there as one of my favorite songs of all time.

Sure, it has a great hard rock beat for those of us who are into that sort of thing. Beyond that though, it offers an inspiring message for those who more regularly hem and haw their way through life, unwilling or maybe just unable to take the actions required to produce their intended results. Read more ›

Posted in Action, David Lee Roth, Future, Inspiration, Past, Present, Rock Music, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen

Forget the Problem…What’s the Solution?!?

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

So many people I know and consult with are brilliantly adept at identifying problems. Throughout their days, they are quick to find fault in others, and they regularly blame their environment for what isn’t producing their intended results. While this may be appropriate – dare I say accurate! – at times, I would offer that it is never as productive as taking ownership for one’s actions – and especially ownership for how one can contribute to any number of potential solutions.

 

Not nearly as many folks as those who can identify problems in the world seem to be as skilled at going the next step in determining potential solutions. Is it just me, or is that a problem? Read more ›

Posted in Accountability, Coaching, Executive Coaching, Leadership, Problem-Solving, Problems, Solutions, Taking Ownership

The 30-60-90 Day Implementation Plan for Producing Breakthrough Results & Achieving Peak Performance

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

I often hear business leaders I coach working on their strategic plans. Where do we want to be in 5 years from now? What are our strategic intentions for the year ahead? Well, I would offer that the best of strategic planning typically only delivers some good ideas. And only a small fraction of those good ideas are ever successfully implemented, so I would further offer that strategic plans may be the wrong plans to be focusing on!

If you want to achieve peak performance and produce breakthrough results in your organization, you must look much shorter-term. In addition to having a clear vision for the future, you must also have a clear sense of how you are actually going to implement your “micro goals” and very next steps for achieving that longer-term vision.  Read more ›

Posted in Breakthrough, Breakthrough Performance, Breakthrough Results, Implementation Planning, Innovation, Peak Performance, Priority Management, Strategic Planning

Plus Delta’s CEO to Co-Host HR.com Presentation on Implementing Cost-Saving Benefit Strategies While Increasing Employees Perceived Value

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

 

Many of today’s employees are accustomed to employer-provided rich benefit packages with high employer contributions. They are also more benefit savvy as more vendor benefit communication is being directed at the individual versus the employer. In a time where the average employee has come to expect growing benefits packages and high employer contributions, how do organizations that can no longer afford to maintain this trend make changes without causing discontent among the employee population?

There is no lack of discussion surrounding what more HR executives must do to please both the executive team and the employee population. The Human Resources department realizes that it must get used to the trend of doing more with fewer resources, but how can it continue to do this efficiently and cost effectively? To whom can you turn for proper guidance and to help you accomplish these tasks?

For answers to these questions and more, please join Jeremy Lurey, CEO of Plus Delta Consulting, and Nadine Dwan, Employee Benefits Advisor/Broker at Beneflex Insurance Services, for this virtual presentation on “Implementing Cost Saving Benefit Strategies While Increasing Employees Perceived Value of Benefits” on May 9th from 12-1pm ET. Don’t miss your chance to learn valuable strategies to drastically increase employee satisfaction and commitment in your organization!

Posted in Benefits, Employee Benefits, Employee Morale, Employee Satisfaction, HR, HR.com, Human Resources, Insurance, Job Satisfaction, More with Less, Value

Hiring and Firing: Why Do We Hire So Fast, and Fire So Slow?

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

I often wonder why so many leaders hire so fast and fire so slow. It always seems that we do the due diligence required to select qualified candidates for our most important positions. And then when things don’t seem to work out, many of us bury our heads in the sand in denial as if nothing is wrong.

Being a self-confident person, I regularly try to enroll other people in my ideas by assembling teams around me who are capable of implementing those very ideas. In this job market, it isn’t even that hard to find people who want to implement my ideas. That can be a recipe for disaster though if we simply hire people who seem eager to follow our paths. And then when they aren’t even capable of doing that, I for one have a hard time letting people go because I want to believe in their dedication and commitment to our shared vision (as I see it!) and because I don’t want to face the reality that they likely were bad hires in the first place. Read more ›

Posted in Firing, Hiring, Human Resources, Leadership, Management, Recruitment, Selection

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