SCORE!

Treasured Readers,

This morning
I had the pleasure of presenting to the Saint Paul Chapter of SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives.  Members are seasoned business people and professionals who share their time and expertise to help emerging business leaders.  In doing so, these volunteers contribute to the vitality of our communities.  They help some individuals quite literally to realize their dreams.  (SCORE consultants also prevent a great many nightmares by pointing out the inevitable blind spots in many a business plan.)

My aim: give these consultants tools and concepts that they, in turn, could use to encourage their clients to seek commercial gains through improved relationships with key stakeholders: employees, customers, vendors, and partners.  My talk really illustrated a core concept of ELA: that ethical leadership builds trust and engagement, which are key drivers of organizational effectiveness.

I shared examples of outstanding employee engagement, and resulting productivity.  We also discussed the importance of
establishing a baseline of mutual expectations for vendor and customer relationships – and then looking for ways to exceed those minimums in some cases through strategic alliances.  In all instances, trust and the practices that promote it are foundational for the commercial benefits of strong stakeholder relationships.

Not surprisingly, the audience was highly receptive.  We had some lively discussion, and even worked together to consider ways that consultants can encourage clients to look at things they aren’t asking about, and may not be eager to consider.  If a client wants to know about a problem with a customer, for example, are we right to shine the light instead on some potential employee problems?  How can we do so constructively, in the course of a brief engagement?  The group concluded that we can, that we should, and that both tact and candor are called for in such situations.

I hope that I taught as much as I learned this morning.

Please feel free to view or click the link to download the slides from that presentation: