The Beginning and the End

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Seniye Groff

Similar to the joy of seeing the first spring flower or the first snowy, winter day, the beginning and end of a consulting assignment is most exciting for me. I can set the stage for success or failure by specific actions I take at both critical points in any engagement. The bookends of a project are your client’s impression bank, long after you are onto another assignment. Throughout a consulting assignment, ethics and strong communication skills are keys to a successful engagement. Unless you do what you say you are going to do and communicate along the way, the outcome will not be seen as success in your client’s eyes.

So what can you do to ensure a strong beginning and end to any of your projects?

In the beginning, the client wants to confirm to himself (or even the entire organization) that hiring you was money well-spent and that the time SMEs will spend with you (instead of doing their own job) will be a sound investment. Ultimately, will you solve the problem that you were hired to solve? By rolling up your sleeves, asking good, thought-provoking questions and listening, you can confirm to your audience that you “get it”. Don’t jump to conclusions and presume you have all the answers. Listen to the real problem to determine the root cause of the issue you are asked to solve. On the other hand, you must move fast. Unlike an employee, there is no “on-boarding” time for you; you need to put in the hours to understand the environment, culture, players and issue as quickly as possible. You were hired because you are the expert and you must demonstrate that expertise quickly in the relationship.

Assuming you met your deliverables and solved the problem (and perhaps a few additional issues) how do you end the assignment successfully? I firmly believe that you thank your stakeholder personally–either in person or with a hand-written card. I realize that in this day of email, it is easier to hurriedly spew of a few lines, but I believe it is much more meaningful to do it in person. Secondly, write up a transition plan prior to your departure, highlighting what you have accomplished, where documentation is located and any follow-up activities to ensure what you suggested or created remains active in the organization. Finally, make sure you connect on LinkedIn and even ask for a recommendation, while your success is present in the client’s mind.

What have you done to ensure a strong beginning or end to projects you have worked on?

Middle Schoolers

Posted on February 28, 2015February 28, 2015 by Seniye Groff

I never realized that having a young child was such an ego boost; they ask you tons of questions and wait anxiously for your answers. I only realize this now that I have a 13-year-old in the house because every comment of mine gets an eye roll and I have been told I am “so embarrassing” more times than I can count. I wonder way too much, if I will survive the next several years.

It is difficult to not be bitter as I look at her incredulously when she must show off. Treating me poorly in front of her friends is the new past time. I pour over the photo albums of the various family vacations we have taken; she looks at me lovingly and expectantly. And as a parent, I wonder where has the time gone and how can someone I love so ferociously treat me in her self-centered middle school “way”.

I am told this is a phase. “Get through ages 12 and 13 and things will return to normal,” they say. Maybe so, I think, but will I survive and endure is the question. Even more depressing, is that in six years I will be going through this all again, as my now-seven year old reaches 13!

The Gift of Instructional Design

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Seniye Groff

I recently designed and delivered a session on strategic business planning skills. The topic had been trained for the two prior years but with little success; either the training was too “numbers focused” or too high on the “feelings” barometer. Also, like so many training programs, after the sessions, people failed to take action.

The Performance Problem:
From my initial client meeting I gathered that there was a potential lack of skill, a planning form that was 18 (yes 18 pages!) and little change in behavior after the training due to a lack of follow-up and accountability on the part of the managers.

Solution:
Given the above challenges, I designed a three hour session built on interactivity, sharing of knowledge and accountability through peer-to-peer coaching. First, I worked with the stakeholder to streamline the planning document. And I mean STREAMLINE by turning it into essentially five core pages of information. I felt that possibly some of the reason why the employees were not completing the document was because it was frankly, too daunting. I felt the process was similar to doing year-end taxes and we know how much we love to do those!!

Secondly, I created a lively session that focused on group work. I broke each section of the business plan into discrete components. Participants gathered to discuss a component, including sharing ideas of what they had done in the past. Once the group talked, I brought the discussion to the larger group and more ideas were shared. When the section was completed, participants moved around to work with a different set of people. This in essence got participants to interact with many different people with many different ideas, perspectives and experiences. During the session, it was often difficult to get people to stop talking and sharing (exactly what I wanted to happen)!!

Thirdly, at the end of the session, each person chose a peer to hold accountable and hold them accountable. I felt it was much more likely that participants would take action if someone was going to call them on it.

Results:
All six sessions went great and initial feedback has been VERY positive. It will be interesting to see how 2015 business results are affected by this training. My session design was not by accident; it was a thoughtful process intended on changing performance…and that my friends is the beauty and art of instructional design.

Sleep in Peace Tonight

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Seniye Groff

James MacManus has written an immersive, beautiful book, “Sleep in Peace Tonight”, centered on the events leading up to the U.S. entry into WWII. MacManus chronicles the efforts of Harry Hopkins, Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Roosevelt trusts Hopkins implicitly and most of Roosevelt’s staff resents it. Churchill is desperate for the US to enter the war and enlists Hopkins to advise Roosevelt to do so. Detailed accounts of meetings, drinking and wartime bombing of London truly bring this book to life. To complicate matters, Leonora Finch is assigned to drive Hopkins around. But what Leonora really wants in frontline action in the war and enlists to be a spy in France. Hopkins and Finch engage in several trysts and Hopkins finds that he loves her but her passion lies in wartime action. Hopkins travels back and forth between DC and London trying to track down Leonora as the war escalates. Latter chapters in the book chronicle Leonora’s training as a spy and when Leonora cannot be found Hopkins is mired in regret.//It is obvious that MacManus researched this topic thoroughly and the end result is a book difficult to put down. The realistic conversations, historical facts and all-too-human emotions make this book a real winner.

I Am Malala

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Seniye Groff

“I am Malala” is inspiration-filled as you learn about this wonderful story of Malala, a young and very brave girl in Pakistan. Typically women do not get educated in Malala’s country but her father was a progressive educator that believes both boys and girls should be educated. When Malala was ten, the Taliban began to attack villages that did not follow a strict Muslin lifestyle. Malala was an excellent student that loved to learn and she was not willing to give up school. When she was ten, she started a campaign to ensure girls were educated. In October 2012, she was shot while returning home from school. Two other girls were injured but the shooters wanted to kill Malala for her outspoken passion and influence. After the shooting, Malala and her family moved to Birmingham, England. ” Am Malala” is a book that reminds readers how for granted we take our freedoms. A simple day at school can be a death-defying event as Malala proved. Prepare to be inspired and ultimately hopeful as you read this interesting and detailed look into a young girl’s Pakistani life.

One-Hour Cheese

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Seniye Groff

Since I am on the subject of food, I have to share “One-Hour Cheese” by Claudia Lucero. Several years ago I bought her DIY Cheese Kit, which has everything you need to make batches of mozzarella and ricotta cheese. And making these two cheeses is a confidence builder; they are quick and easy and once you make them you will definitely want to make more! Lucero recently published “One-Hour Cheese” with 16 cheese recipes ranging from chevre to haloumi to burrata. Recipes come with step-by-step instructions with pictures so that you know what should happen at each step. It really doesn’t get easier than that! And when you tell people that you make your own cheese, the oohs and ahhs make it all worth it.

Incredible Recipe Alert: Brown Butter Tomatoes

Posted on September 4, 2014September 4, 2014 by Seniye Groff

I love brown butter and traditionally have eaten it on ravioli so when I saw this recipe I just had to try it. It turned out to be the most delicious thing I have eaten this summer!

Brown Butter Tomatoes

By Amanda Hesser • August 23, 2012

Photo by Joseph DeLeo

Serves 4 as a first course, 2 as a light lunch

2 large or 3 small ripe beefsteak tomatoes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Flaky sea salt, like Maldon
Coarsely ground black pepper
Baguette or other country bread, for mopping up the butter

Core the tomatoes and slice them 1/3-inch thick. Divide the tomato slices among 4 plates, overlapping the slices just a little.
Place the butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan and set over medium low heat. Let the butter melt completely. It will begin bubbling. Let the butter simmer away, cooking off its water, until it begins to smell nutty and brown. Swirl the pan every 30 seconds or so. When the butter turns the color of a hazelnut, remove it from the heat. Use a soup spoon to ladle it over the tomatoes. They’ll sizzle! You want to dress the tomatoes with the butter as if you were pouring ganache over a cake — be generous!
Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, then rush the plates to the table so everyone can taste the tomatoes while the butter is hot! Mop up the butter and tomato juices with good bread. Toast to summer!

Good Book Alert: I Love You More

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Seniye Groff

I just finished “I Love You More” by Jennifer Murphy and was guessing “who did it” to almost the bitter end. Jennifer’s debut novel introduces the reader to Picasso Lane, a 12 year-old, that finds herself in a complicated situation. Oliver, her dad, has just been murdered and Picasso’s mother (and Oliver’s wife) is the prime suspect. Soon after the murder, the police discover that Oliver actually has two other families with wives: Jewels and Bert. Chapters go back and forth between the wives and Picasso. Picasso is dealing with the trials and tribulations of mean girls at school and with watching her mother (and other wives). This is a attention-grabbing book that will all come together in the end with surprising results.

Americana Road Trip

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Seniye Groff

I love it when I can combine education with vacation. We recently traveled to DC, NY and Cape Cod with our daughters. DC on the fourth of July is about as patriotic as you can get. We watched fireworks on The National Mall. All 27 minutes of the display were splendid!

We visited the White House and completed an informative and exhaustive tour of The Capitol with a wonderful intern that even captured the attention of the 12 year-old. The mosaic floors were stunning.

All of the museums were educational, enlightening and even magical, at times. In particular, the American History Museum was a hit given it had an exhibit displaying the original Star Spangled Banner! The sobering Holocaust Museum did not frighten my kids and although the passbooks with individuals outlined added a personal touch, I thought the museum could have really brought the concept to life, if visitors followed that person’s journey though the exhibits, too, rather than just on paper.

We ended the DC portion of our trip in Arlington Cemetery. My daughter commented that “true heroes lived here.” I could not have come up with a more accurate statement.

In New York City we rented bikes and strolled through Central Park, meandered through a very crowded (and eclectic) Times Square, and visited the 9/11 Memorial. Again, a trip steeped in meaning and lots of questions from the kids.

Cape Cod was also quintessential Americana with American flags draped on just about every building. Cape Cod was the most low key of the places we visited; no heavy museum tours and miles of walking, just good, relaxing family time.

seniyegroff

Eclectic musings from a wanderer, reader, cook and mom