Publications

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=60 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Katherine Berntzen</B></div> <div> <B>Author</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bio"><U>Bio</U></A>   |   Publications   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="In The Press"><U>In The Press</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2012 Speaking Schedule"><U>2012 Speaking Schedule</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Information"><U>Contact Information</U></A>     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Katherine Berntzen"><U>Home</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Publications</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Personal & Professional Development</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Book</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="in_pursuit_of_my_success_for_teens.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IN PURSUIT OF MY SUCCESS FOR TEENS: Dev"><U><I><B>IN PURSUIT OF MY SUCCESS™ FOR TEENS:  Developing a College, Career, and Money Plan for Life, </B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="in_pursuit_of_my_success_for_teens.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IN PURSUIT OF MY SUCCESS FOR TEENS: Dev"><U><I><B>SECOND EDITION </B></I></U></A></div> <div> ISBN:  978-0-9823452-3-8</div> <div> By Katherine Berntzen</div> <div> Published:  Paperback March 16, 2011</div> <div> On Sale Now</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>A Degree Is Not Enough!:  8 Smart Things You Need To Do In College To Jump Start Your Career And Finances </B></I><I>- More Information Coming Soon!</I></div> <div> ISBN:  978-0-9823452-5-2</div> <div> By Katherine Berntzen</div> <div> New Release Date:  Paperback April 1, 2012</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>IN PURSUIT OF MY SUCCESS</B></I><I><B>™ </B></I><I><B>FOR TEENS:  Developing a College, Career, and Money Plan for Life</B></I></div> <div> FIRST EDITION</div> <div> By Katherine Berntzen</div> <div> ISBN:  978-0-9823452-0-7</div> <div> Published:  Paperback April 10, 2009; EBook March 10, 2009</div> <div> Out of Print</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Training Workbook</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>Business Etiquette:  A Guide to Professionalism</I></div> <div> By Katherine Berntzen</div> <div> Copyright 1996, 2008</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Newsletter - Management Consulting</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Consultant's Letter </B>- <A HREF="#growing_and_developing_organizational" TITLE="Publications"><U>Growing and Developing Organizational Leadership</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Consultant's Letter </B>- <A HREF="#planning_managing_and_reviving_a" TITLE="Publications"><U>Planning, Managing, and Reviving a Project</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Consultant's Letter</B> - <A HREF="#reasons_for_project_failures" TITLE="Publications"><U>Reasons for Project Failures</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="growing_and_developing_organizational"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Growing and Developing Organizational Leadership</B></div> <bR> <div> On a recent trip to a Colorado ski resort, I met a gentleman on the ski lift who was president of a consumer products company. After we exchanged the usual pleasantries, he asked me what I did for a living and then proceeded to ask me a lot of questions. What he wanted to know was how to grow and develop leadership in his organization. He said he wanted to feel like things were being taken care of appropriately in his absence. This is not an easy question to answer, and in particular in a matter of 15 minutes. My response to him was:</div> <bR> <div> 1. Clearly define what is leadership and what are the qualities and characteristics of a leader. Leadership defined in one company will be similar to but will be defined differently in another company. While you are at it, clearly define talent and the qualities and characteristics of a talented employee. Leadership and talent should be defined by a focus group consisting of employees at each level in the company. Leadership and talent defined by one or three people is a costly mistake because you will have absolutely no buy-in to the program you are about to embark. </div> <div> 2. Set-up formal and informal systems to support and reward leadership and talent activities for everyone. </div> <div> 3. Set-up formal recruiting systems to screen for leadership and talent qualities imperative to your organization. </div> <div> 4. Set-up systems to support continued growth (i.e. leadership skills training, management skills training, job skills training) in order to support people and organizations to their next levels of effectiveness.</div> <bR> <div> To make an impact on your organization, leadership and talent strategies should be applied to every person in the company, including those whose actions directly impact customer satisfaction and profits, such as customer service and technical support representatives, quality assurance personnel, sales consultants, line operators, and line mechanics.</div> <bR> <div> In conclusion, every client has different needs; however the above strategies will help organization leaders begin thinking about an approach to improve your company's overall performance.</div> <bR> <div> Best Wishes for the New Year!</div> <div> Katherine Berntzen</div> <bR> <div> Katherine Berntzen © 2002</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="planning_managing_and_reviving_a"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Planning, Managing, and Reviving a Project</B></div> <bR> <div> What makes a project successful with respect to planning and managing the project? This is a question many organizations would like to have answered. Based on my experience, the old adage “plan your work and work your plan” is key to completing your project on time and on budget. The question is, what does that motto really mean. </div> <bR> <div> PLANNING</div> <div> Know the project goals, strategies and expected outcomes before planning the project schedule. Obtain buy-in for the project from management and participants prior to project implementation. Understand possible obstacles during project implementation and build the needed time into the schedule. Plan an aggressive schedule but be realistic. Have a duration specific schedule and define the critical path. Resources should be qualified, capable, available and committed to do the work as required. Management should understand in advance the amount of time to be dedicated to the project. There must be accountability. Obtain buy-in for the project schedule from management and team members. Make sure the schedule is readable and understandable by everyone on the team.</div> <bR> <div> MANAGING</div> <div> To maintain the credibility of the schedule, manage the schedule to milestones. If required, revise your schedule for the success of your project while maintaining milestones and the completion date. Look for early start opportunities because there may be unknown obstacles. If you are a team member, be honest about your task's status. If you are the project manager, manage by walking around. Be a hub of information. Know the status of your project at all times. Project hiccups should never be addressed for the first time in a project status meeting.</div> <bR> <div> REVIVING THE PROJECT</div> <div> If you have an important project that is spiraling out of control, here are some ways to revive the project:</div> <div> Do the planning and managing tips listed above hold true? If not, determine the impact of the project on the organization and determine if the project should continue. If the project is to continue, obtain buy-in from management and the team to revive the project. Hold a kick-off meeting and ensure the planning and managing aspects listed above are addressed during the meeting. Be sure to state what will be different about planning and managing the project this time around and follow through with your commitments.</div> <bR> <div> Sincerely,</div> <div> Katherine Berntzen</div> <bR> <div> Katherine Berntzen © 2002</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="reasons_for_project_failures"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Reasons for Project Failures</B></div> <bR> <div> Every year companies around the world implement improvement programs without success.  There are many contributing factors, and with my experience, I will share what I have seen at various client sites when asked to assist with an improvement effort.  Any one of the below reasons may have occurred to cause a program or project to fail:</div> <bR> <div> REASONS FOR PROJECT FAILURES</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Direction.  There is a lack of clear direction and goals.  The project plan and goals may not be in writing and in language that everyone understands.    </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Planning.  The plan may have been developed by a few people and not the full scope of the right people.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Time.  The folks assigned to lead and implement the program do not have sufficient time to plan and execute it.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Organization readiness.  The right people are not in place at the right time to lead and implement the improvement program.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Schedule.  The program schedule is not realistic and does not take into account each individual's current work as well as program improvement activities.  The schedule does not include time to “clean-up” the existing operation and therefore it is ignored, creating a domino effect that stifles the client's business.  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Leadership.  Leadership at any key level might be:  missing-in-action, be ineffective due to organizational issues, will not take ownership for the program, will not hold himself/herself or the staff accountable, have people problems that negatively impact the staff, make the wrong decisions due to incompetence or lack of direction, have the inability to make decisions, or does not care about the organization or the company.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Communication to leadership.  The channels of communication from employees to leadership are closed.  The project leader fails to reach out and talk directly with key employees doing the work that needs to be overhauled.  The project leader presses forward based on hearsay.  There is no buy-in to the program because project leadership failed to get input from key employees during the analysis phase of the project.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Communication to front-line employees.  There is not an appropriate communication plan about the program.  The program is not appropriately announced to employees and progress updates are not communicated to employees in a timely manner.  When this occurs, it is very difficult to harmonize the organization.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Buy-in.  I will mention this twice, and later three times, because it is so important.  Your project will be doomed if you do not have buy-in from key employees.  Buy-in is obtained during the analysis phase and is reinforced during implementation.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c866000000.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Training.  The training is inadequate with respect to time allotted and material to be learned.  Training employees who do not have buy-in to the program is very difficult.  </div> <bR> <div> I hope the above information will help you make decisions that will positively impact your organization.</div> <div>  </div> <div> Sincerely,</div> <div> Katherine Berntzen</div> <bR> <div> Katherine Berntzen © <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000066" FACE="Tahoma" >2003</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Copyright © 2011 Katherine Berntzen, Inc.</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width=60 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>