The Great Big Book of Process Visuals

or

Give Me A Double Axis Chart and I Can Rule the World

Alan Weiss, Ph.D.

A unique handbook of graphics and other visual aids that will create irresistible and
dynamic presentations, sales calls, meetings, speeches, and other communications.
Las Brisas Research Press
Summit Consulting Group, Inc.
Box 1009
East Greenwich, RI 02818

© Copyright 2000 Alan Weiss

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any
form.

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author and is designed to
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may be claimed or incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use
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The publisher does not attest to the validity, accuracy, or completeness of this
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Okay, that’s the end of the mandatory legal stuff.

For general information on Alan Weiss’s products in the U.S., please call us at
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First edition

2
Other works by Alan Weiss

Books
The Ultimate Consultant (2000)
How to Get Started in Consulting (2000)
The Unofficial Guide to Power Management (2000)
Marketing Professional Services: From Anonymity to Celebrity (2000)
Good Enough Isn’t Enough (1999)
How to Write A Proposal That’s Accepted Every Time (1999)
Money Talks (1998)
Million Dollar Consulting (1992, revised edition 1998)
Our Emperors Have No Clothes (1995)
Best Laid Plans (1991)
Managing for Peak Performance (1990)
The Innovation Formula (with Mike Robert, 1988)

Booklets
How to Maximize Fees
Raising the Bar
Leadership Every Day
Doing Well by Doing Right
Rejoicing in Diversity

Audio Cassettes
Peak Performance
The Consultant’s Treasury
The Odd Couple (with Patricia Fripp)
Making the Value Priced Sale and Writing Effective Proposals

Videos
Stories I Could Never Tell: Alan Weiss Live and Uncensored
Alan Weiss on Marketing
Alan Weiss on Product Development

Newsletters
Balancing Act: Blending Life, Work, and Relationships (electronic)
The Consultant’s Craft
What’s Working in Consulting (editor)

3
Acknowledgments

My thanks to Steven Chen, Ph.D., a loyal supporter who bugged me more than
anyone about seeing more and more process visuals. He and David Harp, speaker
and musician par excellence, were kind enough to critique the manuscript and
suggest valuable improvements. And thanks, belatedly, to all those people who have
sat through my keynotes without throwing me out the door because what I talk about
is just plain common sense. Apparently, there’s a market for that stuff.

4
Dedication

To Trotsky, the world's greatest dog.

5
About the Author

Alan Weiss began his own consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc. out
of his home in 1985 after being fired by a boss with whom he shared a mutual
antipathy. Today, he still works out of his home, having traveled to 51 countries, 49
states, published 12 books and over 400 articles, and consulted with some of the
great organizations in the world, developing a seven-figure practice in the process.
His clients have included Merck, Hewlett-Packard, State Street Corp., Fleet
Bank, Coldwell Banker, Merrill Lynch, American Press Institute, Chase, Mercedes-
Benz, GE, American Institute of Architects, Federal Reserve Bank, Arthur Andersen,
and over 300 similar organizations. He delivers 50 keynote speeches a year and is
one of the stars of the lecture circuit. He has appeared frequently on radio and
television to discuss issues pertaining to productivity and performance, and has been
featured in teleconferences, video conferences, and Internet conferences.
His Ph.D. is in organizational psychology, and he has served as a visiting
faculty member at Case Western Reserve, St. John’s, and a half dozen other major
universities. He currently holds an appointment as adjunct professor at the Graduate
School of Business at the University of Rhode Island, where he teaches a highly
popular course on advanced consulting skills. His books have been translated into
German, Italian, and Chinese.
Dr. Weiss resides with his wife of 32 years, Maria, in East Greenwich, RI.

6
Contents
Introduction 8
Suggestions for attribution 9
Account Penetration and Value 12-13
Aligning Performance Goals in Support of Strategy 14-15
The Ambiguous Zone 16-17
Battery Level 18-19
Behavior Comparison 20-21
Business Success Sequence 22-23
Communications Flow 24-25
Components of A Job 26-27
Creating the Future 28-29
Cultural and Business Dynamics in Strategy 30-31
Day-One Deviation 32-33
The Decision Chain 34-35
Decision Making Funnel 36-37
Education and Business Strategy 38-39
The Empowered Playing Field 40-41
External vs. Internal Focus 42-43
Implementation of Strategy 44-45
Innovation vs. Problem Solving 46-47
Is and Is Not Description 48-49
Keeping Vision Focuses on the Goal 50-51
Managing Perceptions of Change 52-53
Marketing Gravity 54-55
Meeting Effectiveness 56-57
Negotiating Flow 58-59
Power and Powerlessness 60-61
Personal Growth Stages 62-63
Productivity/Stress Relationship 64-65
Resolving Anxiety 66-67
Risk/Reward Ratio 68-69
Problem Definition 70-71
Rational Sequence Exercise 72-73
Self-Esteem and Skills Building 74-75
Self-Esteem As A Constant 76-77
S-Curve Factor 78-79
Separating A Mess 80-81
Situational Success 82-83
Stairstepping 84-85
Strategic Profiling 86-87
Strategy Quadrant 88-89
Three Paths for Success 90-91
Types of Actions 92-93
The Success Trap 94-95
Weakness of Rewards in Changing Behavior 96-97
Visuals by topic 98
Additional resources 99
Contact information 100

7
Introduction

This book was written at the request of hundreds of participants in my

keynotes, workshops, and client meetings who would beseech me with, “Could I have
that easel sheet you just drew?” and “Would it be okay if I used that graphic?”
So, here you are, stop bugging me.
I call the graphs, charts, and (rudimentary) art work which follow, “process
visuals.” That’s a name I coined years ago for visual depictions of processes and
relationships which apply cross-functionally, cross-industrially, cross-hierarchically,
and, well, you get the idea. I’m a process consultant, meaning that my approaches to
areas such as performance improvement, conflict resolution, coaching and
counseling, strategy formulation, and any number of other important business issues
are effective irrespective of the content of the client organization. I’m not about to tell
Mercedes how to design cars better, or Merck how to improve drug research and,
frankly, those types of organizations have that sort of expertise falling from the
rafters.
But I can and have helped those and hundreds of other organizations, engaged
in a myriad of products and services, with those processes that are common to them
all. The “Our business is different” mantra applies to content, not process.
These visuals provide for instantiation, which is the act of translating an
abstract concept (e.g., strategy formulation) into a tangible and pragmatic
understanding (e.g., strategy and tactics are related but different, as you can see on
the quadrant). I’ve traditionally drawn these visuals on an “as needed” basis, and
they always seem spontaneous but, truth be told, after all these years in consulting,
“I’ve got a million of them.” I haven’t provided fancier pictures and drawings, because
such visuals are best provided casually “in the moment,” and I wanted to show how
simply they can be depicted. This is not an art book, it’s a results book.
I’m presenting the most practical, generic, and effective process visuals in my
estimation in this book (thereby leaving myself room for The Son of Process Visuals
sometime in the future, being no fool). Most of them are my creation, although I
acknowledge there are few things new under the sun and you might find similar
usage elsewhere. Moreover, the ubiquitous double axis chart has been around since
the ancient cavemen depicted carnivores on one axis and herbivores on the other,
trying to decide on the best hunting. I’ve indicated other origins of some of these
where I could, but caveat emptor: One cannot copyright a concept.
Finally, the book is structured with the visual on one side and an explanation
and rationale for its use on the other. There is a space for notes, since an application
may immediately strike you and there’s no sense losing it while you hunt for paper.
(The book is bound so that it can lay flat while you make notes.) Take the time to
understand the rationale thoroughly. The key to your influence being extended,
recommendations accepted, sale made, and/or presentation or speech raved about,
is in knowing what the listener and observer need the most.
Less is always more.

— Alan Weiss, Ph.D.

East Greenwich, RI
June 2000

8
Suggestions for Attribution

This brings me to a point that ought to be on your mind as you read through
these techniques: “Can I use them?” Of course you can. I wouldn’t be printing them
here if I felt otherwise. Out of politeness and professionalism, it might be nice if you
mentioned their provenance when you used them, or cited my name as an influence,
or otherwise paid homage. But I leave that up to you. You paid good money for the
book and you deserve excellent value in return. Please do accept the contents with
my endorsement to put them to good use for your own benefit.
Having said that, it’s always best to err on the side of attribution, for your own
safety as well as ethical considerations. Once a colleague, prospect, or client says, “I’ve
seen that example before,” whatever you say next is too little and too late.
Consequently, I suggest the following line in writing on print materials and handouts,
and that the line be delivered orally when using electronic projection or flip charts:

This chart is from a book by Dr. Alan Weiss called Process Visuals.

That line is short and sweet and should take care of things nicely.

Note: If any reader finds that any of the examples given are actually the work of
someone not mentioned, or that additional credit is deserved, please drop me a line
with the evidence, and I’ll make the correction in subsequent editions.

9
10
 Process Visuals
Discovered, created, adapted, and/or designed
by Alan Weiss, Ph.D.

11
Title: Account Penetration and Value

Rationale: I found a great many sales organizations enjoying pseudo-success, in that

they were making sales but no one at their customers thought that highly of them!
Their products and services were being purchased out of habit, but not with any
particular commitment or fervor. A change in key buyers or an attractive offer from
elsewhere could easily endanger what were sometimes large annual sales. I created
this chart in the early 90s to help those sales teams determine whether they had
loyal customers or simply customers stuck in a rut of their own creation.

Description: The chart compares the utility— pragmatic usefulness— of the vendor’s
products and services with the degree on acceptance within their client. If the utility
is high and the acceptance low, there is a huge lost opportunity, which is a key hot
button for sales management. If acceptance is high and utility low, however, that is
the red flag for a potential lost piece of business. I’ve had sales teams chart every
single customer and develop detailed sales strategies to tremendous benefit.

Notes:

12
 UTILITY

LOW HIGH

HIGH
HABIT LOYALTY
PENETRATION

LOST
APATHY OPPORTUNITY
LOW

Another Way of Viewing Penetration and Value

13
Title: Aligning Performance Goals in Support of Strategy

Rationale: Most organizations pay a lot of attention to performance evaluation, but

very little to the relationship of individual performance and organizational results.
That’s why you will see a business full of “star performers” which is, itself, mediocre,
despite all the “stars.” This graphic is intended to demonstrate that both teams and
individuals (who, after all, comprise teams) must be aligned behind the overarching
business goals, whatever they are.

Description: The chart depicts how internal and external support systems should be
designed and focused to engender individual and team performance that is
completely in support of whatever the organization’s goals are. This is another way of
viewing tactics in support of strategy. I’ve always been fascinated by the relationships
among organizational, team, and individual dynamics, and I created this chart for an
article I was writing on the subject. It has since appeared in several of my books,
originally in Best Laid Plans.

Notes:

14
 i n ve s t me n t i n
c on tri bu t ion s th e b u s i n e s s p rofi t a n d
to s o c i et y re tu rn
c u s t ome r
s a ti s fa c ti on & m a rk e t
re te n ti on s h a re

BUS INES S GOALS

Te a m Pe rfo r ma n c e
te a m bu il d i n g i n ce n ti ve s
e mp o w e rm en t ta c ti c al
l ea d e rs h i p

In d i vi d u a l Per form a n c e
s e l ec ti o n a l ig nm e nt
w it h go a l s
tra i n i ng &
d evel o p me n t i n ce n ti ve

In te rn a l S u p p ort S ys t em s

Ext er n a l S u p p ort S ys te ms

15
Title: The Ambiguous Zone

Rationale: People are really more willing to change than we give them credit for. It’s
true that they are happy where they are if they’re comfortable, but they can also be
quite motivated about an attractive future. The problem is that the journey is often
uncertain. It’s not the future that’s problematic, but the ambiguity of how to get there
safely. It is up to leadership to provide flashlights and guideposts along the way, or at
least to admit that some paths are unknown but we’re embarking on the journey
together. Moreover, we can’t stay where we are, so the journey is a necessity.

Description: The graphic depicts the clear present and the clearly described future,
and the ambiguity that is likely along the way. Sometimes the ambiguity can be
avoided by taking the long way around, which may or may not make sense, given
current priorities and urgency.

Source: The other time I’ve seen this was in the work of William Bridges, where he
calls the journey “the neutral zone.” See his book, for example, Managing Transitions:
Making the Most of Change, Addison-Wesley, 1991.

Notes:

16
 Ambiguous Zone

Current Desired
State State

17
Title: Battery Level

Rationale: Our capacity for change and behavior modification is “fueled” by our
energy levels. These levels vary by individual. Some are larger than others, but the
key isn’t so much size as it is how to manage the battery. Leaders such as Ronald
Reagan have had relatively low energy levels and been highly successful, and leaders
such as Jimmy Carter have had very high energy levels and been relatively
unsuccessful.

Description: I developed this while CEO of a behavioral consulting firm in the early
80s. It simply shows the difference in batteries, but makes the point that the
management is the key. I often ask the other parties if they are familiar with people
about whom it is said, “Don’t ask for a decision near the end of the day,” or “Try to
get to them first thing in the morning.” A large battery in a job that’s undemanding
will create boredom and errors of omission, and a small battery in a job requiring
great energy will create burn out and errors of commission.

Notes:

18
 Large Battery Small Battery

Job Battery

Battery Job

Small battery in demanding job=burnout Large battery in undemanding job=boredom

19
Title: Behavior Comparison

Rationale: Since there is a surfeit of personality testing tools and behavior prediction
instruments on the market, I, naturally, have decided to take the position that
behavior really can’t be predicted very well and personality testing often serves to
stereotype rather than enhance understanding. I like to show people that behavior is
a rather complex thing, not readily anticipated even by trained professionals, let
alone harried managers using pop psychology and psychobabble from the latest guru
du jour. The top chart simply takes four of the most common behaviors and
demonstrates that differing jobs, differing conditions, differing performers, and
differing roles will cause the behaviors in question to move higher or lower.

Description: There is no value judgment about “high” or “low” on the chart, but
merely the point that one may be highly assertive in a sales job, but unassertive in an
accounting job, and that low patience (tolerance for repetition) on the job might not
be an equally good idea at home. I ask participants to cite jobs at either end of the
continuum, and point out that we sometimes must change significantly within the
growth provided by any single career (e.g., CPA to vice president of finance). This
chart was created from a psychometric test provided by a firm I was president of in
the mid-80s (my last real job, as my relatives point out). I’ve simply chosen four
simple behaviors that everyone can relate to easily, and which make for good
examples from the group. The graphic on the bottom of the page reflects what a
typical, successful sales profile might be, with the inclusion of an ethical dimension,
as well.

Notes:

20
 a s s er tiven es s

p er s u a s iven e s s

toler a n c e for r e p et ition

a tten t ion to d eta il

low h igh

Assertiveness

Persuasiveness

Tolerance for Repetition

Attention to Detail

Ethical Standards

21
Title: Business Success Sequence

Rationale: It’s always helpful to know where you are in a complex sequence. This
graphic attempts to do just that for the sales process. It begins with an initial contact
and exploration of joint values, and proceeds through a project’s implementation or
product delivery. The key is that relationship building is a precursor to a proposal.
Most people submit proposals too early, and they serve as inefficient explorations of a
relationship, rather than an effective summation of an agreement.

Description: This can be portrayed in any way, and I’ve simply used my primitive
artistic ability to represent an increasing (growing) collaboration, with all steps in the
right perspective, underlying what comes later. The results generated serve to
reinforce the relationship. I created this when I wrote Million Dollar Consulting in
1991.

Notes:

22
 Results

Implementation

Proposal
Accepted

Conceputal
Agreement

Relationship

Shared
Values

23
Title: Communications Flow

Rationale: Communications involves both cognitive and mechanical processes. I

have to first hear, then interpret what you say, then orally respond so that you can
hear me and interpret what I say. The entire process is fraught with peril, since our
respective “filters” are different, and we tend to interpret similar words in vastly
differing ways at times. Similarly, environmental interference and “pollution” can also
affect the accuracy of the message. Consequently, we should frequently test our
understanding of the other party’s message.

Description: The cognitive and mechanical areas are both depicted with the potential
for interference, and the composition of some of our “filters” are also shown.

Source: I first created this about 30 years ago. Some people at my largest client at
the time, Merck, absolutely hated it, so I abandoned it for a decade. I’ve been using it
more successfully for the last 15 years or so. It’s timeless, and actually applies quite
well to email!

Notes:

24
 Environmental
Interference

25
Title: The Components of A Job

Rationale: Job descriptions usually are totally inadequate because they focus on
tasks to be performed and not results to be achieved. The intelligent way to view a job
is not only through skills— can the performer do it— but also behaviors— will the
performer want to sustain it. Most organizations only ensure that the potential
performer is physically capable and either has, or can learn, the requisite skills. But
without the correct behaviors (e.g., great patience for a customer service response
center, which is not a learnable skill) the performer will fail.

Description: The chart shows the three components. I often draw a line separating
behavior from the others as the “lost” component in most organizations. I use a
variety of jobs, from airline pilot to bank teller, to illustrate the three distinct
requisites. I created this chart in the mid-80s while CEO of a behavioral consulting
firm, since we needed to show a simple, high impact example of how psychometric
testing for behavioral attributes could be of value to the client.

Notes:

26
 JOB

physical ability
behavior
skills

knowledge experiences

27
Title: Creating the Future

Rationale: Most strategy fails because it is a straight-line extrapolation of the

present, hemmed in by all the parameters and baggage of the present. Strategy,
unlike planning, should begin with a picture of the future which becomes the goal,
irrespective of where we are today (it’s that “vision” thing). This enables people to see
the difference between strategy and planning, and to understand that they have to
begin somewhere other than where they currently find themselves.

Description: The graphic shows the simple difference between extending the present
and aspiring to a future. I created this in the 80s based on strategy work I had
learned at a prior firm. It’s a neat way to immediately stand out in a crowd by
graphically depicting distinctions between planning and strategy formulation, and to
focus on the need to think outside of one’s present box.

Notes:

28
 Incremental future
organization

Today’s
Organization

Maximum “straight line”

growth or change achieveable

Envisioned
Organization

Yesterday’s
Organization

What must be
changed to create
the vision

29
Title: Cultural and Business Dynamics in Strategy Implementation

Rationale: Most strategy fails in implementation, not formulation, because the latter
is always a perfect paper exercise while the former is the real world translation. I
make the point that implementation is difficult because organizations don’t consider
the cultural side equally with the business imperatives. The key is that management
at all levels must have the skills and volition to manage the interactions between
these two dimensions. If managers don’t ensure that values, behaviors, and
performance are commensurate with the strategy, tactics, and execution desired,
then the overwhelmingly probability is that the strategy will fail to be implemented
successfully. Does the management team possess the skills and behaviors to lead
this effort?

Description: The left side of the chart shows the business sequence and the right
shows the cultural sequence in implementing strategy, from the vision to the
operating results. The point is that both dimensions should begin and end in the
same place, but differing variables are at work in between those points. In addition,
there are external factors and external stakeholders which may influence the
performers. (I don’t know the origin of this and would welcome attribution.)

Notes:

30
 I. In t en t /Pu rp os e
(vis i on / m is s i on )

II. S t ra te gy II. Op e rat ing Va lu es

(b u s i n e s s goa l s ) (d es i red b eh a viors )

Inte ra ctions
III. Ta c tic s III. Be h a vi o rs
(h ow to a ch i eve) (m a n i fes t a ti on of va lu es )

IV. Ex e c u ti on IV. Pe rform a n c e

(d a il y a ct iv it ie s ) (a ch i evin g g oa ls )

St a ke h ol de rs : V. Re s u lts Ex te rn a l Fa c tors
• own ers (vi s i on / m is s ion a ch i eved ) • econ om y
• cu s tom er s • gove rn m e n t
• s u p plie rs • com p eti tors

31
Title: Day-One Deviation

Rationale: This is a rarely-used but highly effective chart which shows a problem (be
it with people, equipment, or processes) that hasn’t worked right from the outset
(hence a “day-one” deviation). The purpose is to explain that there was no precedent
for this approach to work, and the standards themselves might be wrong. However, if
the performance fluctuates, and is sometimes better than at other times, there’s at
least hope that it can be stabilized at the higher level. If something or somebody has
never performed properly from day-one, then there is a likelihood that expectation or
standards are wrong.

Description: This is a simple chart once explained, but it cannot stand on its own. It
shows a deviation on the top that has departed from standard, and one on the
bottom— the “day-one” deviation— which has never been on standard, although the
actual performance has fluctuated, sometimes nearer to standard than at other
times. With 30 seconds of oral explanation, the point is driven home. This originated
with a firm called Kepner-Tregoe, where I worked for over a decade, and the classic
work on problem solving by Ben Tregoe and Chuck Kepner, The Rational Manager,
McGraw-Hill, 1965.

Notes:

32
 Normal Deviation

standard

actual

Day 1
Day-One Deviation

standard

actual

33
Title: The Decision Chain

Rationale: Decisions usually are the result of still earlier decisions, and we seldom
question the level at which we enter this chain, which is a major error. We may be
deciding on a car rental company when leasing company cars actually makes more
sense, or deciding on which beach resort to visit when a European vacation or
African safari would be fare more rewarding. This graphic is used to demonstrate that
the higher up the chain we go, the broader our options; the farther down we go, the
narrower our options until we are faced with lonely, often inappropriate alternatives.

Description: The graphic shows the chain in an arbitrary situation. I usually ask the
people present to think about their major (or even routine) decisions, and the impact
on the company if they deliberately “raised the level,” or encouraged subordinates to
do so. I’ll then substitute their actual decisions and ranges of alternatives for those in
my graphic. Very powerful. This is a derivative I helped create when working for
Kepner-Tregoe in the 70s.

Notes:

34
35
Title: Decision Making Funnel

Rationale: This demonstrates decision making from the standpoint of broad

alternatives down to specific recommendations, hence, my “funnel.” It also shows
that various filters that should play a “destructive” role, so that pet alternatives are
not protected. It also accommodates risk, which is too often ignored or downplayed in
the overall process.

Description: I created this in the 70s when participants were having trouble with the
various steps in the decision making process, tending to rely on their favorite
alternatives or too heavily on the mathematics of evaluating benefits. This gradually
narrowing approach demonstrates how to drill down to a specific recommendation or
course of action, reasonably assured that it represents maximum achievable benefit
within maximum acceptable risk conditions.

Notes:

36
 Decision Statement

Alternatives

Musts

Wants

Risks

That alternative that meets musts,

satisfies wants, and presents
acceptable and manageable risks.

37
Title: Education and Business Strategy

Rationale: I got very tired of dealing with human resource people who failed to see
any reason for connecting training with business results. I was also infuriated by the
mindless reliance on “four levels of measurement,” starting with how people felt
about the training, when all that really matters is improvement on the job. (Other
than that, I didn’t feel strongly about it.) I cobbled together this chart from several
articles that appeared in the early 80s in Harvard Business Review, Training
Magazine and Training and Development Journal. It shows the relationship of
business goals to what underlies them, working backwards, as it were. In this way, I
can convince both line management and support functions that a tight connection
isn’t merely possible, but is required. Suddenly, cost turns into investment.

Description: I prefer this one prepared in advance, because I want everything to be

clear. It’s also quite useful as a handout, in that it is completely self-explanatory. The
line people focus on the top portions, and the staff people on the lower. I connect the
dots. It’s also simple as pie, and no one can escape their accountabilities. Executives
love the simple questions in the margin.

Notes:

38
ORGANIZATIONAL EDUCATION TIED-TO STRATEGIC BUSINESS GOALS

Business Requirements
were the
organization's
goals met

were work- Performance

place Requirements
expectations
met
Educational
were learning Requirements
objectives
met

Curriculum

Specific
Interventions

MEASUREMENT DELIVERY SYSTEMS

• application • classroom
• feedback • self-study
• service standards • on-the-job
• quality standards • video
• strategic intent • CBT
• business results • mentoring
• short-term • audio tape
• long-term

39
Title: The Empowered Playing Field

Rationale: I define empowerment as the ability to make decisions which influence

the outcome of one’s work. However, empowerment isn’t abdication by management.
This “playing field” concept makes the point that there are boundaries. On the
playing field, I call the plays, but I agree to stay within the bounds. This helps
managers understand the joint accountability that creates true empowerment.

Description: The playing field can be any size with any number of borders. I use four
to keep it simple and I give an example of the nature of the boundary (e.g., “legal”). I
also make a point that any play which may come close to a boundary— to running out
of bounds— probably calls for joint discussions before that play is run. Furthermore,
the boundaries, if known, can be negotiated and changed as circumstances dictate.
But if they’re never established, then everyone is wandering around in the dark. I
created this concept for Hewlett-Packard in Ft. Collins, Colorado in the early 90s.
When I found the teams had taken my easel sheets and hung them in the office, I
knew I was on to something and “formalized” my ad lib work.

Notes:

40
 Ethics Boundary

Playing Field

Legal Boundary

41
Title: External vs. Internal Focus

Rationale: People can only give 100% of their talents and energies. “Give me 110%”
is simply an empty bromide, as is “do more with less.” The real key to productivity is
whether those energies and talents are abraded away internally on concerns about
pay, office space, status, retirement, layoffs, etc., or whether they are focused on the
business outcomes associated with product, service, and customer relationships. The
best organizations probably have about 90% of that focus external, and only 10%
internal, which is unavoidable, since there will always be some office water cooler
gossip. Think of the productivity gains, however, with absolutely no capital
investment, that accrue from changing a 60% external/40% internal focus to
70%/30%. Downsizing doesn’t do that, only a refocus on true business objectives
does.

Description: I use this circle with arrows, although the ratios and direction can
actually be depicted in any number of ways. But this creates the “internal/external”
contrast nicely. I ask the prospect or the client to come up with the percentages for
his or her organization right on the spot. I created this about a decade or so ago
when I realized that downsizing was failing because it actually intensified the
tendency of people to focus internally.

Notes:

42
 Where Are The Resources Going??

100% of the organization's

talent and energies
focused externally

focused internally

43
Title: Implementation of Strategy

Rationale: Strategy is useless unless effectively implemented, and this visual is an

attempt to create a vivid awareness of what’s required of management. “Vision” is a
great term that is rarely connected to management of the daily operation. But the
point is that something must be done pragmatically and perpetually to manage
today’s organization in the direction of that future vision or, as in “Lost in Space,”
there will be no rendezvous. The graphic shows that everyday realities of people,
systems, finances and the like have to be managed toward the future, which should
be a result of values that the organization stands for and not simply “profit” or
“return.”

Description: The values of the organization drive the strategy, which should be used
to manage the current organization toward that future goal. I’ve placed “formulation”
drifting over the top, but “implementation” sort of “trapped” in the dynamic of the
chart, illustrating that managers must effectively implement, or else the current
organization will simply “drift.” (I sometimes draw lines from the current organization
showing it headed for parts unknown.) I created this chart during a strategy session
a long time ago when the group kept insisting that simply disseminating the vision
they created to the employees would be sufficient. This is why I always get paid in
advance.

Notes:

44
 c u rren t
fo rm u l a ti on org a n iz a t ion
va lu e s
p e op l e
va lu e s s tra te g y s ys te ms
fi n a n c e s
va lu e s e tc .

i mp l em e n ta ti on
vi
si
o
n
of
th
e
fu
tu
re

p e op le
s y s t em s
fin a n c es
e tc .

fu tu re
org a n iz a t ion

45
Title: Innovation vs. Problem Solving

Rationale: There is an overemphasis on problem solving, usually at the expense of

innovation. If people are constantly trying to fix things, then they are seldom trying to
improve things. And most organizations reward the former and penalize the latter
(since it’s somewhat risky). I use this graphic to demonstrate the difference between
the two pursuits, and to ask people if they’re even close to a 50/50 ration in their
focus on these two elements (the focus is usually 95/5 in favor of problem solving).

Description: I created this with a partner, Mike Robert, in 1988 for our first book,
The Innovation Formula, Harper & Row/Ballinger, 1988. It was a reaction to the strict
problem solving methodology we had both been indoctrinated in. While the graphic is
quite simple in using plain lines to demonstrate the point, it’s one of the most
powerful I use when accompanied by dialogue with the client about how much time is
spent on each activity, and where the organizational rewards are placed.

Notes:

46
 standard performance
restored standard performance

“alarms”
decline fix

improved performance

innovation
standard performance

manager’s
initiative

47
Title: Is and Is Not Description

Rationale: It’s usually as useful to know where a problem isn’t occurring as where it
is occurring. Consequently, problem solving is speeded when you can “get your arms
around a problem” by delineating where it is and where it isn’t, thus enabling you to
look for distinctions. This graphic is a simple way of helping a team begin that type of
disciplined thinking.

Description: This box comes from Kepner-Tregoe’s problem solving methodology as

described elsewhere in this book. It’s simple, neat, and impossbile to argue with. It’s
also a good tool to use mentally, when a client is telling you more than you need to
know about a situtation, since it allows you to begin to separate the pertinent from
the superfluous.

Notes:

48
 degree

49
Title: Keeping Vision Focused on the Goal

Rationale: “Vision” is a buzzword, but it seldom means much in terms of practical

application. I like to talk about vision in another context: The leader should keep his
or her vision on the business goals, and minimize distractions and interruptions. I
use this simple graphic to emphasize that there is a myriad of potential diversions in
the business environment, and only the leader’s discipline and volition can maintain
a focus on the true priorities.

Description: I drew this crude illustration on a pad in an executive’s office in the

mid-90s when I became exasperated at her incessant whining about the demands on
her time and her inability to get her job done. I explained that most of the diversions
were possible to deflect or totally ignore, but that she was allowing them to assume a
priority equal to her ultimate goals. We then began to discuss how to strengthen that
true vision. It was simple, but it worked.

Notes:

50
 vision fixed on the goal
Today Manager GOAL

51
Title: Managing Perceptions of Change

Rationale: Change is a constant, not a special event. Yet we often create more pain
than otherwise would have occurred by forcing people to focus on an impending
change as if it were so unusual. The mere focus creates a pain or discomfort that
diverts us from the intended path. This is a variant of the “Hawthorne Effect” we hear
so much about in psychology 101, in which the mere attention to the performers
creates performance change. It’s amazing how adaptable people can be on a regular
basis until we create a focus on how much they’re actually changing.

Description: The chart shows the normal path of change that would have transpired
and the alternative diversions that may well occur since we’ve chosen to arbitrarily
highlight what we deem to be a critical change point. Merely by accentuating that
change point we may well increase the probability that people may divert from our
intended direction out of a heightened sense of threat to their self-interest. I created
this on the spot for a client to demonstrate that they were overdoing their focus on a
relatively modest reorganization, and instead of shining a flashlight in the corners
they were melting the walls with a laser.

Notes:

52
 Managing Perceptions of Change

ion
ers
di
v ath
dedp
focus on pain n
inte

div
ted ers
eing accommoda ion
change b

Change is a normal condition. We bring emphasis to

pain and discomfort which is otherwise accommodated.

53
Title: Marketing Gravity

Rationale: Most people in the professional services areas (consulting, speaking,

realty, architecture, law, accounting, etc.) don’t realize that they are really in the
marketing business. They think that marketing is a matter of handing out business
cards, or that the more they perfect their craft, the more they market. I created this
“gravity chart” for a once-a-year workshop I do with my colleague, Patricia Fripp,
entitled The Odd Couple. I first presented it in 1998, and have been using it for a
variety of purposes ever since.

Description: The forces creating the gravity to bring customers to you include a wide
variety of activities. Some are clearly within one’s comfort areas, some are outside. I
believe that any good marketer should engage in a combination of both. The key is to
create a diversity of gravitational “pull” so that you always have elements in place
which are drawing prospects to you and filling your pipeline. This dispels the archaic
“wisdom” that you can’t market while you deliver. You should be marketing all the
time, every day.

Notes:

54
 Articles
Referrals Books

Internet

Pro Bono

Mailings

Ads and Listings

Gravity

Alliances
Serendipity

Newsletters
Networking

Interviews
Speaking
Community Service

The “Gravity” of Marketing Efforts

55
Title: Meeting Effectiveness

Rationale: Another one of my double axis beauties, I created this in the late 90s and
I admit it maybe the farthest thing from rocket science extant. Nevertheless, by
taking Peter Drucker’s classic comparison of effectiveness (doing the right things) and
efficiency (doing things right) and applying them to meetings, I’ve hit a home run at a
lot of clients who have allowed meetings to overwhelm the business. The intent is to
provide the client with a template to determine what should be retained, improved, or
eliminated.

Description: It’s helpful for the client to have some criteria about what fits into
which box, as well as the simple guidelines provided. For example, “worth and
purpose” might be determined by the decisions made and implemented that could
not be made outside of the meeting, due to who attends. I’ve been able to help clients
eliminate as much as 75% of all scheduled meetings using this chart.

Notes:

56
 Meeting’s Worth and Purpose (Effectiveness)

Low High

Wasted time: Most Productive:

High Eliminate when Don’t touch
possible

Low

Useless: Wasted time:

Eliminate Immediately Improve structure

57
Title: Negotiating Flow

Rationale: This is just a simple list that I employ to help people understand that
negotiating is a sequential, methodical process, and not a free-for-all. It enables them
to immediately understand where they are in the process and/or what they’ve
omitted. It can be used as a memory jogger, or incorporated right into their meeting
notes.

Description: You can add or edit this as the situation dictates, though I believe that
this is a nice, generic list. I created it someplace lost in time, and haul it out a few
times a year as needed. I like it because it’s straightforward and unassailable, and
can turn a novice into a decent negotiator fairly quickly.

Notes:

58
 START

Establish non-violable musts

Establish a constructive tone but on your turf, or neutral turf

If posssible, have subordinates begin discussions

When you are involved, listen much more than you talk

Concede “wants” when necessary, but never “musts”

Always focus on the other side’s value, not the price or cost

Do not concede price without a tangible reduction in value

Summarize and reiterate to ensure both parties understand the same thing

Put it in writing.

FINISH

59
Title: Power and Powerlessness

Rationale: This is one of my all-time most useful and popular graphics, created in
the early 90s at Hewlett-Packard when I was doing a great deal of team building and
innovation work. It became so popular in the workshops, that I formalized it and it is
now in several of my books. Essentially, the chart shows the differences between
empowered and disempowered people, and supports my position that power doesn’t
corrupt, but powerlessness corrupts. If people aren’t provided with real power they
create artificial power, which we know as bureaucracy (the triumph of means over
ends).

Description: You can add and amend this chart to your heart’s content, but I like to
keep it simple. I provide a story or anecdote around every one of the comparisons so
that people can relate to them personally. I often have people spontaneously suggest
their own examples, which are inevitably right on target. If you listen to my tape, The
Best of Alan Weiss, you’ll hear many of the stories used in support of these examples.

Notes:

60
Power vs. Powerlessness

Powerless Empowered

• Create bureaucracy • Do the right thing

• Are insecure • Are self-confident

• See “them and us” • See “we”

• Focus on task • Focus on result

• Follow rules • Think

• CYA (cover your assets) • Take risks

• See win/loss issues • See win/win issues

61
Title: Personal Growth Stages

Rationale: I created this for my first “Balancing Act” workshop in 1999. I’ve tried to
synthesize several growth stages identified in various psychological sources so that
people can view how they are operating now, as adults. It’s one thing to talk about
“self-actualization” but it’s another to actually knowingly engage in it. Self-mastery is
essentially about using internally-guided measures for our success, and not
externally-generated feedback, often from those who are not focused on helping us so
much as themselves.

Description: I’ve used a “swinging” approach here to depict both a lateral and
growing action, but it can probably be done far better. In some areas of our lives we
might be at different stages than others (e.g., dealing with our parents vs. dealing
with our work colleagues). This is a useful “self-test” for people to consider.

Notes:

62
 Configurations of Growth Stages

5. SELF-MASTERY: Welcoming personal

incompleteness and consequent need for growth.
(post-mature)

4. SELF-REALIZING:
Recognition and exploitation
of talents. (adult/mature)

3. SOCIAL/CONFORMING:
Adherence to norms and 2. RECIPROCATING:
successful interactions. Recognition of good
(young adults) “deals” and reciprocation.
(youth)

1. IMPULSIVITY: Random actions

in response to external stimuli.
(juveniles)

63
Title: Productivity/Stress Relationship

Rationale: The attempt to eliminate stress is not only futile but also foolish. We all
need a certain amount of stress to get the adrenaline running and to perform
optimally. Too little stress is as dysfunctional as too much stress, as the bell curve
indicates. The key is to manage our stress— and/or that of our subordinates— so that
we are at a position of maximum performance. How do we get our employees to
position #4 and keep them there? It’s almost never a function of money or reward.

Description: Next to a double axis chart, the bell curve is probably the most
ubiquitous elemental graphic, and this visual combines the two of them. At position
#1 the performer is arrogant and unproductive, with an entitlement attitude, and at
position #7 the performer is paralyzed and unproductive, with a powerless attitude
(often seen during and after “downsizing” and layoffs).

Source: This is a standard model out of the psychological texts, but the model I’ve
depicted was popularized by Judith Bardwick in her book Danger in the Comfort Zone,
which is well worth reading (Amacom, 1991).

Notes:

64
 "my pride"

"my right" 4 "my fear"

high

3 5
Productivity

2 6

7
1

low high
Stress

65
Title: Resolving Anxiety

Rationale: We can’t deal with or resolve undifferentiated malaise. (Jimmy Carter lost
a Presidential reelection bid by claiming the country was suffering from malaise.
Enough said?) If we can reduce the ambiguous discomfort to discrete fear, we can,
ironically, resolve it much more effectively. (Some pundits have claimed that
psychotherapy is simply the act of taking mild discomfort and turning it into stark,
shattering, unhappiness.) There is a process for this progression, and it’s important
to know where we are in the process at any given time. This analysis is especially
pertinent for coaching, counseling, mentoring, managing difficult employees, etc.

Description: This is another standard psychological model which I encountered in a

classroom long ago and far away. In any case, I like this chart a lot because it shows
clear intervention points and strong relationships. Caution: This is not a chart which
can be drawn on the spur of the moment. It requires advance preparation to make sure
you get it right in my experience.

Notes:

66
 RESOLVING ANXIETY
vague confronting testing self-directed
unresolvable honest risk taking
stressful rational managing
uncontrolled
general

is not s
ion
is ecis
d
anxiety fear resolution
is techniques corrections
Success!
is not
1 2 co 3
de pin
vic g
es

reinforces

comforts

removes

1 = Counseling 2 = Skills Building 3 = Experiencial

67
Title: Risk/Reward Ratio

Rationale: Risk is one of the most overlooked aspects of decision making, yet it can
be as methodically evaluated as can benefit. I developed this scale in the late 80s for
the publication of my book The Innovation Formula (cited earlier). The scale allows
people to make a quick assessment of whether the risk/reward ratio makes sense in
terms of investment, repute, energy, etc.

Description: The scales use a simple comparison to the present (the status quo).
Generally, the benefits would have to outweigh the risks, so that an advance to a +4
in benefits might justify a risk of -2 or -3, but it is difficult to imagine any benefit
commensurate with a –5 risk. This is a very handy tool to focus discussions, remove
ambiguity, and cut-through pet projects.

Notes:

68
 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1
Status +1 +2 +3 +4 +5
Quo: 0

Question: What is the best and worst that might result?

+5= Paradigm-beaking improvement, industry leader.

+4= Dramatic improvement, major publicity.
+3= Strong benefits, organization-wide.
+2= Minor benefits, localized.
+1= Very minor improvement, barely noticed.

-1= Very minor setback, barely noticed.

-2= Minor setback, controlled locally.
-3= Public setback, requires damage control.
-4= Major defeat, financial damages, recovery time needed.
-5= Devastating losses.

69
Title: Problem Definition

Rationale: People use confusing language, which confuses issues. Most of the time
when people say, “We have a problem,” they really don’t. A true problem, for which
you must find a cause to remove the adverse effects, has to fit certain criteria.
Otherwise, what you more likely have, is a decision to make or a plan to implement.

Description: I use this chart, which is from The Rational Manager cited elsewhere, to
clarify quickly with others whether a problem actually exists. A true problem has
some deviation from a standard of performance (see “Day-One Deviations” elsewhere
in this book), an unknown cause, and it’s important enough for us to want to fix it. If
these three conditions don’t obtain, then let’s talk about something else.

Notes:

70
 on standard desired future course

degree of
actual course deviation

caused by some change

Conditions:
1. Deviation of actual from desired course.
2. Cause is unknown.
3. Deviation is serious enough to concern us.

71
Title: Rational Sequence Exercise

Rationale: This isn’t technically a process graphic, but it’s my book and I’m
including it. I ask the group to determine the rational reason for this number
sequence. In other words, it’s not my telephone number or social security number.
There is a rational reason for the order. On average, one person in twenty arrives at
the correct reason within five minutes.

Description: I was given this by an instructor at GTE when I was on the faculty of
their management school in the late 80s and early 90s. Despite the fact that it’s in
widespread use, most groups haven’t seen it, and I ask individuals who have to “sit it
out” on the honor system. The numbers, of course, are in alphabetical order, and my
point is that once you label anything (a “numbers problem” in this case) you delimit
your ability to solve the problem or resolve the issue. Warning: This works only in
English, and international people are at a disadvantage if working in their native
language.

Notes:

72
What is the rational reason for this sequence?

8 5 4 9 1 7 6 3 2 0

73
Title: Self-Esteem and Skills Building

Rationale: One day I had simply had it with the “rah rah” school of motivational
speaking, and the empty bromides such as “They can hit you but they can’t hurt
you,” and “You’re never alone if you’re your own best friend.” As a matter of fact, they
certainly can hurt you, and a lot of people are quite alone. So, I decided to depict how
self-esteem is actually built pragmatically through the acquisition and application of
skills which lead to success. The antithesis of the sugar donut is the highly
nutritional meal, if you get my drift.

Description: The chart simply shows the tight cycle that can be developed when
people acquire useful skills (not mindless phrases and “affirmations”) and apply them
for personal success. That momentum encourages the acquisition and application of
still more skills as the individual becomes more and more confident in the power of
learning and self-improvement. I use this constantly to demonsrate why my
approaches are so much more substantive and long-lived than a brief injection of
“feel good.”

Notes:

74
 skills-building

motivation application
to continue of skills
using skills
and learning
more

success with
the skills

75
Title: Self-Esteem As A Constant

Rationale: As a continuing part of my battle on the field of self-esteem, I like to

demonstrate that one’s feeling of self-worth should never be as high as the last
victory or as low as the last defeat. Otherwise, you create a “roller coaster” effect that
will give you motion sickness. Self-esteem should be constant, enabling you to accept
victory graciously and defeat pragmatically. When self-esteem is solid and constant,
you have a mature, well organized, and stable individual.

Description: The graphic shows the two extremes, one subject to daily tossing and
turning, and the other serving as a rudder through the storms. I ask people which
route they are on, and which route their employees are on. There is a substantial
market in helping people to build their self-esteem, and it’s not centered around
trodding over hot coals or rappelling down mountains. (Largely because there are
neither hot coals nor mountains in most organizations I’ve visited.)

Notes:

76
 Self-Esteem As A Roller Coaster

high esteem high esteem high esteem

“victory”

“setback”

low esteem low esteem low esteem

Constant Self-Esteem

“victory”

“setback”

77
Title: S-Curve Factor

Rationale: This is a fascinating graphic which demonstrates that the time to move to
the next level of growth is before the current one plateaus. I found it originally
applicable to the high-tech world, but actually applicable to every kind of business.
The point is that growth, left alone, will always plateau, and plateaus will always
erode. In other words, entropy will overtake you unless you innovate and aggressively
promote growth.

Description: I first saw this in a book by Richard Foster called Innovation: The
Attacker’s Advantage. I’m told since that it’s been in use for a long time, but that is
the first place that I noticed it. I make the point that no one in the vacuum tube
business successfully entered the transistor business, and the latter completely
wiped out the former. Consequently, just because the prospect’s operation is doing
well today, there’s no reason to believe the “leaps” will be made at the right place
unless someone is monitoring the innovation process. I often ask where the client’s
products and service are at the moment on the S-curve.

Notes:

78
 Point at which to
leap to next S-curve X

new growth

growth plateaus

X
growth slows

dramatic growth

slow growth

79
Title: Separating A Mess

Rationale: Many people are trying to reconcile the unreconcilable— the amorphous
mess or “unease” that is really the symptom of some very tangible problems. No one
likes to deal with swampy muck, but they are willing to take a pick and shovel to
clear, hard ground.

Description: When a client or prospect says “We have a morale problem,” I always
ask “What’s the evidence?” “How do you know?” and “What do you see that tells you
that?” This easy questioning allows us to compartmentalize and identify the
components of the “mess” and the visual demonstrates how clearly that can be done.
You can often diagnose this right in the room at the time on an easel or a pad, which
is about as effective as you can get for immediacy. If someone can’t provide evidence
for a suspicion (e.g., “the union is out to get us”), I label it a “hunch” (one of the
clunkiest words in the language). I first learned about this at Kepner-Tregoe, cited
earlier.

Notes:

80
 Amorphous “Mess”

Union Threat
(hunch)

Separation: Blood Drive Off, Working Condition Complaints, Turnover High

81
Title: Situational Success

Rationale: I abhor the belief that there is some “perfect” leadership style, and have
embraced the work of Victor Vroom of Yale University, whom I first met in 1972, and
who has remained a friend ever since. His simple formula involves the quality of the
decision (do alternatives have differing impact for the decision maker— high quality—
or do they all generate the same result— low quality), commitment (is enthusiastic
support of implementers, not merely compliance, required for effective execution),
and time (the conscious decision to make or not make certain time investments). I
use this to demonstrate that a range of behaviors is available to decision makers,
guided by these variables.

Description: The modest graphic is quite clear. For the underpinnings and a detailed
description of the specifics involved in these three categories, as well as the research
and validity of the full model, see Leadership and Decision Making by Victor Vroom
and Phil Yetton, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1971.

Notes:

82
 Qu a l i t y + Co m m it m en t S it u a t i on a l
S u c ce s s
Ti m e

83
Title: Stairstepping

Rationale: This is used to show a succession of causes and effects, giving the
individual the option of deciding where to enter the sequence. (One person’s symptom
is another person’s cause.) Absolutely any kind of content can be plugged in, and it’s
highly effective at the time, informally drawn.

Description: This also comes from The Rational Manager mentioned elsewhere. I’ve
used this periodically since the 70s, since it’s one of those timeless things that makes
you look brilliant in its simplicity. Simply take any juncture that the other person
seems to be at, and move it up or down, forward or backward. You’ll soon arrive at a
point where you can conclude it is appropriate to take action. In the example given,
“sales below forecast” gives way to a variety of underlying factors.

Notes:

84
 sales below forecast

region #1
at only 50%

3 key people
resign
competition
offers better
package
our new
package is 6
months overdue

85
Title: Strategic Profiling

Rationale: This is one of my all-time favorite graphics, and I created it specifically for
Best Laid Plans, my book on strategy (originally titled Making It Work when published
by HarperCollins in 1991), although it has appeared in several of my other books
since then. All organizations have a profile, although it’s usually by default, since
they don’t consciously create one. I’ve tried to make it easy: Products, services, and
relationships, in a competitive, distinct, or breakthrough perception in the customer’s
view. The key is that the “gravity” is always right-to-left, meaning that, unless you
constantly innovate, you will slide toward competitive (much less be unable to move
toward breakthrough). I make no value judgments. “Breakthrough” is not necessarily
the best category. But an organization must decide where it wants to be in the future
so that resources and investment can be properly allocated today.

Description: The nine-box chart is the essence of simplicity but provides huge
impact. I usually ask the audience where they are today and where they’d like to be
in the future, then compare the two entries. I then ask, “What will it take to get you
there?” and that becomes the basis for planning, investment, resource allocation, etc.
I don’t care about the categories being “pure”: In other words, I don’t care if an
insurance company defines its policies as a product or a service, so long as everyone
in the room agrees on one definition. Virtually every organization has all three
interactions with its customers.

Notes:

86
 COMPETITIVE DISTINCT BREAKTHROUGH
(maintains (gains (achieves
competitiveness) competitive edge) dominance)

PRODUCT
(tangible
purchase)

SERVICE
(intangible
purchase)

RELATIONSHIP
(intangible
non-purchase)

87
Title: Strategy Quadrant

Rationale: Strategy and tactics are separate but related, yet everyone insists on
confusing the two. I love this chart because it clearly and very simply shows the
relationship. It’s very useful to ask people to choose the quadrant they believe the
organization or division is currently occupying. You’ll often get a variety of responses,
enabling you to make the point that it would be helpful to gather evidence so that
management could agree on where the organization is, and where it needs to go. I’ll
often make a joke by suggesting that “Maybe you’re really in quadrant five,” which a
participant actually suggested once. This is a dynamite visual to use as the basis of
an exercise with management groups.

Description: This is the plain vanilla double axis chart. The organization can be
strong at both variables (e.g., strategy is clear and anticipated the future well, and
tactics allow for goals to be made, talent retained, etc.), weak at both variables, or
strong at one and not the other. As an example, most high-tech start-ups enter at
quadrant #3, with a clear strategy to be, for example, e-commerce leaders or
advanced bio-tech engineers, but without the operating efficiencies or market
acceptance to show a profit. They either succeed and climb into quadrant #1 or, more
often, fail and drop off the board. This concept was first popularized in this form by
Ben Tregoe and John Zimmerman in their book Top Management Strategy: What It Is
& How to Make It Work, Simon and Schuster, 1980. I used to work for Ben Tregoe,
and he’s simply the smartest guy I’ve ever stood next to.

Notes:

88
 S t ra t e g y (Wh a t )

Op era ti o n s (Ho w ) + -

+ 1 2

- 3 4

89
Title: Three Paths for Success

Rationale: I created this in 2000 expressly for entrepreneurs, as a result of

constantly being asked in my workshops about what to market and when. The point
is that where the three paths converge— market need, competency, and passion—
there is the potential for a brilliant and rewarding career. Any two of the three don’t
do it, and many eager professionals are driven by passion alone (hence, the creation
of the electric fork) without regard to the market.

Description: Draw three simple lines, but ask people what needs they can identify or
develop, what competencies they possess or can acquire, and what passions drive
them (the last can’t be artificially conjured). It’s an eye-opening yet pragmatic
experience, and is highly useful with start-ups, new ventures, individual
contributors, and the like.

Notes:

90
 Market Need

Competency Passion

Where Do These Paths Intersect?

91
Title: Types of Actions

Rationale: We often get confused about whether we’re treating causes or effects. A
bucket under a leak may keep the floor dry, but it doesn’t remove the cause of the
problem— a hole in the roof. Similarly, providing remedial training to new hires might
take care of immediate shortcomings, but the basic problem is poor hiring. I use this
chart to focus managers on what actions they are trying to address.

Description: The chart is the essence of simplicity and one of my favorite double axis
models. It’s taken from the Kepner-Tregoe problem solving approaches, but I created
this particular relationship in the 70s when I found that even my consulting
colleagues were getting it wrong. Essentially, we’re dealing with the future or the
past, and cause and effect. A preventive action removes future cause (e.g., a fire
marshal checking for unsafe conditions) and a contingent action deals with future
effects if preventive actions fail (e.g., sprinkler systems or insurance). An adaptive
action deals with the symptom of a problem already in existence (e.g., pouring more
oil in the car) while a corrective action removes the cause of that existing problem
(e.g., fixing the leak). Note that these actions can all be permanent or temporary as
well, which is related to duration, not past or future (e.g., a bucket on the floor is a
temporary adaptive action, unless you never fix the leak, in which case it’s become
permanent).

Notes:

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 Timing

Past Future

Cause
Corrective Preventive

Factors

Effect
Adaptive Contingent

93
Title: The Success Trap

Rationale: This is a variation I created in the 90s of the S-curve model. The graphic
is intended to demonstrate that success is never final, and we can be lulled into false
optimism is we don’t continually improve. I use this with clients who seem to believe
that they are very successful and, consequently, don’t need any help.

Description: The graphic shows that one reaches a plateau of success unless there
is a constant attempt to climb, to innovate, and to grow. The “trap” is in the plateau
effect, because the plateau will eventually erode. Entropy will overcome inertia. The
success trap can ensnare you at any level of performance.

Notes:

94
 plateau

continuing
growth “success traps”

plateau

95
Title: Weakness of Rewards in Changing Behavior

Rationale: The response to behavior change is often, “Let’s provide an incentive,” and
the incentive is usually cash. But when you give an unhappy employee more money
without affecting the underlying cause of the unhappiness (which is actually seldom
financial), the result is a wealthier, unhappy employee. I’ve been able to galvanize
attention with the point that rewards actually are ineffective and may, in fact, punish
behaviors, because the reward and not the desired outcome becomes the focus of
attention.

Description: I developed this is the late 90s to illustrate a conceptual point I had
been making for years. When you use carrots and sticks to influence behavior, those
carrots and stick have to be constantly supplied, or the effect will lessen. Moreover,
employees become accustomed to instant gratification for behavior change: “Do this
and you’ll get that.” What we really need are employees who change behavior
because it’s in their inherent self-interest to do so, meaning their objectives are
aligned with the organization’s objectives.

Notes:

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 The Weakness of Rewards in Changing Behavior

new desired x
behavior x
x
x
x
x
x
trajectory of behavior x
yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

xxxxx = constant reward must be provided

yyyyy = constant punishment must be provided

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Visuals by Topic

Note that some process visuals are useful for several different occasions, and appear
in multiple categories below.

Topic Page Numbers

Behavior 16, 18, 20, 24, 26, 42, 52, 60, 62, 66, 74,
76, 96

Careers 14, 18, 22, 26, 62, 64, 74, 76, 90, 94

Change 16, 18, 20, 28, 50, 52, 78, 94

Communications 22, 24, 30, 52, 56, 58

Decision Making 34, 36, 66, 80, 84, 92

Empowerment 14, 18, 20, 40, 42, 60, 62, 74, 76, 90

Innovation 28, 40, 46, 50, 52, 68

Marketing 12, 22, 34, 36, 54

Meetings 18, 24, 56, 58, 64, 80, 82, 92

Negotiating 20, 22, 24, 36, 58, 80

Performance and Productivity 14, 16, 18, 20, 26, 38, 40, 42, 52, 60, 62
64, 66, 74, 76, 82, 90, 94, 96

Personal Growth 14, 18, 20, 40, 42, 62, 64, 66, 74, 76, 90,
94,96

Problem Solving 32, 46, 48, 68, 70, 72, 80, 84, 92

Sales 12, 22, 24, 36,

Self-Esteem 40, 60, 62, 64, 74, 76

Strategy 14, 22, 28, 30, 38, 44, 50, 52, 78, 86, 88

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Sources and Resources

Ackoff, Russell, The Art of Problem Solving, John Wiley & Sons, 1978: New York.

Bardwick, Judith, Danger in the Comfort Zone, Amacom, 1991: New York.

Bridges, William, Managing Transitions, Addison Wesley, 1991: Reading, MA.

Foster, Richard, Innovation: The Attacker’s Advantage, Summit Books, 1986: New
York.

Kepner, Chuck and Tregoe, Ben, The Rational Manager, Kepner-Tregoe, Inc., 1965:
Princeton, NJ.

Tregoe, Ben and Zimmerman, John, Top Management Strategy, Simon and Schuster,
1980: New York.

van Delft, Pieter and Botermans, Jack, Creative Puzzles of the World, Harry N.
Abrams, Inc., 1978: New York.

von Oech, Roger, A Kick In The Seat Of The Pants, Harper & Row, 1986: New York.

__________, A Whack On The Side Of The Head, Warner Books, 1983: New York.

Weiss, Alan, Best Laid Plans, Las Brisas Research Press/Summit Consulting Group,
Inc., 1994: East Greenwich, RI.

__________, Leadership Every Day, Las Brisas Research Press/Summit Consulting

Group, Inc., 1997: East Greenwich, RI.

__________, Managing for Peak Performance, Las Brisas Research Press/Summit

Consulting Group, Inc., 1994: East Greenwich, RI.

__________, Million Dollar Consulting, McGraw-Hill, 1992, 1998: New York.

Weiss, Alan and Robert, Michel, The Innovation Formula, Harper & Row 1988: New
York; Las Brisas Research Press/Summit Consulting Group, Inc., 1996: East
Greenwich, RI.

99
To Contact Us:

Alan Weiss, Ph.D.

President
Summit Consulting Group, Inc.
Box 1009
East Greenwich, RI 02818

800/766-7935
401/884-2778

Fax: 401/884-5068

email: info@summitconsulting.com
home page: http://www.summitconsulting.com

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The Final Visual

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