​Organizational Lifecycle Management Proposal

​For a Medium Sized North American Dealer Group

Operating Outside the Continental United States

 

Engagement Objectives

 

The overall objective of this proposed Organizational Lifecycle Management (OLM) engagement is for Garry House & Associates to assist the client in the development and execution of a strategic workforce plan. This plan involves, but is certainly not limited to:

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• Clarifying organizational strategy and culture,

• Identifying performance gaps,

• Optimizing business processes,

• Management and employee development,

• Productivity and performance management,

• Defining, forecasting, and responding to future demands and workforce requirements, and

• Maintaining a deep pool of talent and building a succession plan from the absolute highest of performers.

 

The plan also involves instilling these principles into the very DNA of the client dealer group itself, assuring that its leaders will continue developing both themselves and the organization’s high potentials in perpetuity. This OLM engagement will be targeted, relevant, and personalized for each focus participant.

 

Engagement Overview

 

In addition to this “Engagement Overview,” this proposal is divided into six (6) additional sections:

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1. Current Performance Gaps

2. Measuring and Reporting,

3. Proposed Timetable,

4. Evaluation of Engagement,

5. Division of Responsibilities, and

6. Questions for Your Consideration.

 

It is proposed that there be between twelve (12) and eighteen (18) focus participants selected by client senior management for this program. The candidate pool from which participants should be selected include the following categories:

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• Current GVPs or General Managers

• Current General Sales Managers

• Current Parts & Service Directors

• Potential GVPs or General Managers

• Potential General Sales Managers

• Potential Parts & Service Directors

 

The period of engagement is planned to begin immediately, and the currently anticipated completion date is September 30, 2016. The overall engagement period has been divided into three (3) “Impact Periods,” during each of which the focus participants will gain knowledge and skills that, when coupled with the recommended OLM tactics, will allow them to positively “impact” the performance results of the respective dealerships to which they are assigned.

 

The tactics utilized in each Impact Period to enhance knowledge and skill levels and to drive performance will include, but are not necessarily limited to:

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• Assessments of Competencies

• Individualized Development Plans

• Expectations for Dealership Improvement

• Departmental Process Evaluation

• Instructor-Led Training

• Assigned Group Study

• Assigned Individual Study

• Assigned OnLine Virtual Training

• Assigned Webinars

• Customized Individual Mentoring and Coaching, Both Onsite and Offsite

• Commitments to Action (CTAs)

• Continual Progress and Performance Measurement

• Progress and Performance Feedback

 

All of the four primary performance gaps (defined below by client senior management) will be addressed in each Impact Period. The intent is to transfer big once-a-year goals into short-term, measurable, and precise objectives. The challenges addressed will be linear in progression (easy to difficult) through the three Impact Periods.

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Current Performance Gaps

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Client senior management has, in general, defined the current performance gaps of its dealership managers as primarily occurring in the following critical areas:

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1. Fixed Operations Management

2. Leadership

3. Used Vehicle Department Management

4. Accountability Management

 

This engagement will therefore focus primarily on specific performance gaps within these important disciplines.

 

However, the “Big Picture” goal is to develop and execute strategies for long-term growth while maximizing executive performance and short-term profitability. So we need to ask ourselves, other than the need for the OLM tactics previously mentioned, are there other root causes of performance gaps at the client dealer group?

 

• Inadequate Facilities?

• Need for More-Advanced Technology?

• Shortage of Working Capital?

• Lack of Senior Management Support?

• Ineffective Organizational Structure(s)?

• Unclear Corporate Mission and Values?

• Disfavored Reputation of Client Dealerships?

• Inadequate Talent Pool?

• Outdated Information Management System?

• Clear Expectations for Employees?

• Ineffective Performance-Based Compensation?

• Other?

 

Garry House’s knowledge and skill in analyzing the “Bigger Picture” will enable him (working with the client senior management team) to accurately identify and solve all performance gaps and more efficiently and effectively achieve performance goals.

 

Measurement and Reporting

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“Goal Setting” is, in truth, the first stage of any OLM engagement. We need to clearly establish both “where we are today” and “where we wish to be (realistically) at the conclusion of the engagement.” And wherever possible, these two distinctly different performance levels must be measurable and quantifiable. The measurement and reporting tactics should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

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• Development of methods to assess both the current competency and the post-engagement competency of the target audience

  • Customized 360° Assessment Tool for Soft Skills

    • Utilization of a 360° Leadership Assessment tool to measure the “Baseline” leadership assets of each focus participant at the beginning of the engagement. The same 360° Leadership Assessment tool will then be used again to measure the leadership “Asset Growth” of each focus participant at the conclusion of the engagement.

  • Customized Questionnaire and/or Exam related to Hard Skills, both at the beginning and the conclusion of the engagement.

• Review background of focus participants

• Telephone Interview with focus participants

• Determine the level of consultant engagement needed with each individual, based on analysis of focus participants

• Establish KPIs and Measurement Tools (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Annually) to Evaluate “Hard Results,” such as improvements in the following areas:

  • Departmental and Dealership Sales Levels

  • Departmental and Dealership Gross Profit Levels

  • Dealership Net Profit Levels

  • Return on Investment Levels

  • Employee Productivity Levels

  • Employee Retention Levels

 

Proposed Timetable

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• Impact Period 1…7/10/15 – 1/10/16

  • ​Pre-Launch

    • GH&A Submits Proposal to Client…7/10/15

    • Client Reviews GH&A Proposal…7/11/15 – 7/20/15

    • Client/GH&A Discuss Proposal…7/20/15 – 7/24/15

    • Finalize Terms of Engagement…7/25/15

    • Execution of Agreement…Client and GH&A…7/31/15

    • GH&A Development of Assessment Tool…8/25/15

    • Selection of Focus Participants

      • Senior management decisions…8/15/15

      • Notifications to Focus Participants…8/25/15

      • Client Agreements with Focus Participants…8/31/15

  • Launch - Impact Level 1

    • Finalize Agenda for October Onsite Meetings…8/31/15

      • One-on-One Coaching/Mentoring

      • Instructor-Led Training (50% Lecture – 50% Interactive)

      • Performance Group Meetings

    • Assessment of Focus Participant Competencies…9/1/15 – 9/15/15

    • Construct and Submit Individualized Development Plans…9/1/15 – 9/15/15

    • Communications with Target Audience…9/10/15 – 9/30/15

      • Assessment Feedback and Discussion of Individualized Development Plans

      • Assignments for October Meetings

  • October Onsite Meetings – Impact Level 1…10/5/15 – 10/14/15 (8-Day Period)

  • Offsite Performance Management – Impact Level 1…(10/15/15 – 1/10/16)

    • Post-Meeting Follow-Up

    • Off-Site Assignments

    • Performance Measurement

    • Coaching/Mentoring

    • Performance Management Summary, Review, and Critique

    • Coordination with Client Senior Management Staff

 

• Impact Period 2…1/11/16 – 5/10/16

  • Launch - Impact Level 2

    • Finalize Agenda for February Onsite Meetings…12/31/15

      • One-on-One Coaching/Mentoring

      • Instructor-Led Training (50% Lecture – 50% Interactive)

      • Performance Group Meetings

    • Communications with Target Audience…1/11/16 – 1/31/16

      • Discussion of Individualized Development Plans

      • Assignments for February Meetings

  • February Onsite Meetings – Impact Level 2…2/8/16 – 2/17-16 (8-Day Period)

  • Offsite Performance Management – Impact Level 2…(2/18/16 – 5/10/16)

    • Post-Meeting Follow-Up

    • Off-Site Assignments

    • Performance Measurement

    • Coaching/Mentoring

    • Performance Management Summary, Review, and Critique

 

• Impact Period 3…5/11/16 – 9/30/16

  • Launch - Impact Level 3

    • Finalize Agenda for June Onsite Meetings…4/30/16

      • One-on-One Coaching/Mentoring

      • Instructor-Led Training (50% Lecture – 50% Interactive)

      • Performance Group Meetings

    • Communications with Target Audience…5/10/16 – 5/31/16

      • Discussion of Individualized Development Plans

      • Assignments for June Meetings

  • June Onsite Meetings – Impact Level 3…6/6/16 – 6/15 -16 (8-Day Period)

  • Offsite Performance Management – Impact Level 3…(6/16/16 – 9/10/16)

    • Post-Meeting Follow-Up

    • Off-Site Assignments

    • Performance Measurement

    • Coaching/Mentoring

    • Performance Management Summary, Review, and Critique

  • Evaluation of OLM Engagement (9/11/16 – 9/30/16)

 

​Evaluation of Engagement

 

Following the completion of the Impact Level 3 (expected to occur on or about September 10, 2016), GH&A, with input from client senior management, will provide a detailed evaluation of the success of the engagement. There are five evaluation stages, and each stage will be reviewed for each focus participant. The criteria for evaluating each focus participant by stage is as follows:

 

• Stage 1 – Reaction

  • Was the participant satisfied with the OLM engagement experience?

  • Was the participant actively involved in, and contributing to, the OLM engagement experience?

  • Will the participant have the opportunity to use, or apply on the job, what he/she was exposed to during the OLM engagement?

 

• Stage 2 – Learning

  • Knowledge and Skill? Does the participant “Know It,” and “Can He/She Do It Right Now?”

  • Does the participant believe it will be worthwhile to implement what he/she has learned?

  • Does the participant have the confidence to do on the job what he/she learned during the OLM engagement?

  • Is the participant committed to apply the knowledge and skills learned?

 

• Stage 3 – Behavior

  • Does the participant consistently perform those critical actions that will have the biggest impact on desired results?

  • Are processes and systems in place that reinforce, monitor, encourage, and reward the participant’s performance of critical behaviors on the job?

  • Is there a culture and expectation that the participant is responsible for growing and maintaining the knowledge and skills (on-the-job-training) to enhance his/her own performance?

 

• Stage 4 – Results

  • Did the participant’s OLM engagement experience contribute to client more profitably delivering its products and services to the marketplace? If so, how?

  • Do short-term observations and measurements suggest that the participant’s critical behaviors are on track to create a positive impact on the desired results?

 

• Stage 5 – Sustainability

  • Did the OLM engagement connect “knowledge sharing” with “business continuity?”

  • Is Organizational Lifecycle Management sustainable without the future involvement of GH&A? If not, how should GH&A be best utilized in the future?

  • Does client now have executives who can and will carry on OLM in the future?

  • Did the OLM engagement achieve client’s objective to “Train the Trainer?"

  • Did the OLM engagement significantly enhance client’s confidence to successfully execute a “succession plan?”

 

Division of Responsibilities

 

• GH&A, Inc. will be responsible for the following:

  • Developing all instructional content relating to this engagement and submitting said content to client senior management for approval.

  • Developing and/or contracting for the tools to be used to assess the competencies of the focus participants.

  • Developing, for the review and approval of client senior management, the tools and processes to be used to measure participant and/or departmental and/or dealership performance.

  • Arranging with auto industry and general business experts to allow the use of their instructional materials. Any costs involved in gaining access to these materials will be pre-approved by client senior management and will be borne by client.

  • Providing Mr. Garry House as a professional trainer, mentor/coach, and dealership consultant to function as the engagement director.

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• Client will be responsible for the following:

  • Arranging for an appropriate venue to accommodate the Onsite Meeting segments of the engagement.

  • Providing appropriate audio-video and Internet connectivity at the Onsite Meeting venue and ensuring that IT and other technical support is available on call.

  • Providing appropriate food and beverage service to participants at meal time and break periods during Onsite Meetings.

  • Printing and distributing instructional and other engagement materials to participants, as may be directed by Garry House.

  • Assigning a person to provide logistics support to Garry House during the Onsite Meeting segments.

  • Administering the process to be used to assess the competencies of the focus participants.

  • Administering the tools and processes to be used to measure participant and/or departmental and/or dealership performance.

  • As appropriate and requested, arranging with internal experts and/or vendor experts to make presentations to, and/or provide materials to, the focus participants.

 

Questions for Your Consideration

 

Most of these questions relate to how the GH&A consultant will be able to interact with the client focus participants, particularly during the Onsite Meeting segments.

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• Will it be necessary for any (or many) of the focus participants to reside at a hotel during the Onsite Meeting segments, or will they be commuting? If they will be commuting, does this mean that we still have an opportunity to assign evening homework? If so, how much?

• Will the focus participants be computer (PC) literate? If so, will they have access to laptops? GH&A believes they should. If they do not currently have access, GH&A has learned that laptops can be rented by the week for a very nominal fee.

• What type of agreement will the focus participants execute to affirm their commitment to the engagement and their loyalty to Client? Will they “have any skin in the game?”

• Will a member of client senior management be sitting in at all full group meetings? GH&A, believes this is a “must do,” particularly if leadership development is one of your goals!

• GH&A believes in assigning current, relevant articles for participant presentation to the group. Are you OK with that?

• GH&A is a BIG believer in the Commitment To Action (CTA) process, but only when the CTAs are easily, accurately, and realistically quantifiable. How do you feel about two (2) “solid” CTAs per Impact Period?

• GH&A wants the focus participants to evaluate the engagement at the end of each Impact Period? Do you think it needs to be at the end of each Onsite Meeting segment as well?

• GH&A believes that there should be a 60-75 Minute Exam at end of each Offsite meeting segment. How do you feel about that?

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