by Peter A. Arthur-Smith, Leadership Solutions, Inc.®

“After your vision, positioning yourselves for growth is vital to bring that vision to reality.”

Their afternoon Periscope Time session started without a hitch, since everyone had cleared their time and minds from their morning visioning session. A lengthy lunch break to “clear their decks and heads” helped, too. Harry, the company’s Visionist, had quickly learned from one of Christine’s earlier suggestions: Don’t try to hold intense day long meetings without a decent, mind-releasing break. Christine had come to understand this reality from Dan Pink’s book ‘When.’

SuperGuard’s trial Vanguard venture was going well and all the signs were encouraging enough that the

company should consider expanding this service as soon as possible. Their morning visioning and strategic clarity session enabled them to figure out the best way forward. There had been a lot of listening and two-way discussion, so now their Strategist team felt comfortable with what was being proposed.

With Christine’s proposed two “pod” approach, Harry and his Strategist team started to envision real intrinsic growth possibilities. SuperGuard Traditional Pod, with Dan’s leadership – see above pictograph – could now commence opening up in less “red ocean” States outside its current Metroplex area. This could occur as soon as internally generated funds would permit. Meanwhile, SuperGuard Vanguard’s elite security service pod would focus on establishing as many client sites as possible. This would also happen throughout the Multiplex region under Roger’s Expansionist leadership.

SuperGuard Traditional had already consolidated its Multiplex region into six naturally convenient geogr-aphic areas. That allowed team leaders currently orchestrating guard teams in each geographic area to draw upon the firm’s centrally located Operation’s Center. Vanguard also now relied upon that facility. Meantime, Rachel, the firm’s Humanist, in conjunction with Maureen, its Provisionist, are already providing a pipeline of new security guard candidates for both pods; with the able assist of Rachel’s team of humanist professionals.

Rachel’s team also ensured that Traditional’s team leaders were regularly pursuing In-Team Discovery sessions to constantly prime their hiring and people development skills. Without these vital team leader skills, guard turnover – due to inadequate hires – would hamper growth momentum. Insufficient guard competence levels at the same time would undermine client satisfaction. Do you put as much consistent effort into your team leaders’ hiring and coaching capabilities?

The Vanguard Pod is now following a similar people or “contributor” model as it grows within the Metroplex region. It’s now focused on sizeable client companies where security-scaling is vital, whereas Traditional can concentrate on smaller scale, intense people security situations. Where there’s potential overlap, Dan and Roger are encouraged to have regular discussions about what’s in their client’s best interests; rather than

what’s in SuperGuard’s interests. Either way, Melissa’s sales professionals intended to aid Roger and Dan’s growth strategy through regular and valuable client feedback.

Their envisioning-strategic clarity and positioning-pathfinding activities were pretty well complete after a further afternoon, early evening of Periscope Time deliberations. Ongoing, healthy debate continued to work well, since it encouraged intense listening to each other all-around. Harry acted as their synergizer and orchestrator rather than a “boss” who had all the answers. That way ultimate solutions became the team’s solutions and not just Harry’s dictates. Now they were more than ever ready for a cocktail hour to celebrate ongoing success and look forward to further strategy discussions regarding future engaging and people involvement.

This latter activity would include “mapping” all of SuperGuard’s external and internal constituents to reaffirm which ones are the most critical to engage and involve. It would also enable both sides to be fully aligned. When that happens client service is at its best.

Author, Peter A. Arthur-Smith, Founding Principal with Leadership Solutions, Inc., is based in New York, and the author of Smart Decisions: Goodbye Problems, Hello Options. He has drafted a potential new publication, Enlightened Leadership Rediscovered: People Count more than Numbers! that offers a slew of fresh leadership concepts and practical models. Feel free to follow the author at: Linkedin.com/in/peter-arthur-smith-2115722/ 

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