All posts by Jodi Evans

04-Managing a project team, creativity methods, feedback, stress-testing recommendations, team dynamics, team roles

4 Ways You Can Drive Seismic Performance

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As I reflected on Professor Noonan’s closing remarks last week, I thought about how can I make a difference to my team. How can I bring value not only to my department, but also to my employer. Professor Noonan emphasized that everyone has the potential to make a contribution, to think of some process or task that can help drive results and improve productivity.

I came across this article on Forbes that drove home this point for me, “4 Ways You can Drive Seismic Performance”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericschiffer/2014/08/13/3-ways-you-can-drive-seismic-performance/

The article suggests the following key takeaways:

1) Face Yourself On the Stand And Fire Away – Step back and reflect on what matters most to the company to elevate it. It can be as simple as automating a report.

2) Act to Kill – This sounds a little violent :), but it is just a sensational way that the article suggests that you should be deliberate and consistent in achieving your daily professional goals. Act!

3) Commit or Go Home – Commit and do not fear failure.

4) Rewire the Jet at 36000 feet – Keep progressing even in the face of hindrances.

In essence, “figure it out” and “get it done!”

99-Spreadsheet modeling, Excel power users, Excel resources, Excel shortcuts

Every Spreadsheet Has An Error

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If your job is anything like mine, you’ve had to work on a massive data dump, sorting and manipulating to find “a story.” The size of the data files can sometimes be intimidating and there sometimes is that concern in the back of your mind that some formula or reference within your Excel workbook went rogue.

As we strive to be more proficient in our Excel skills and more efficient in our tasks, coming across a headline such as “Every Spreadsheet Has an Error” can certainly sound alarming! However, as I read the article in greater depth, I found the points to serve as good guidelines to help check my work.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/billconerly/2013/04/25/every-spreadsheet-has-an-error-7-lessons-motivated-by-reinhart-and-rogoff/
Some of the tips suggested in the link are:

1) Use assumption variables – Similar to what we learned in Decision Analysis class, create a section within your workbook with all your assumption variables. Create links within the workbook to these assumptions. This will ensure that when you have to change your assumptions in the future you will not have to search all your data for every occurrence that may be affected.

2) Link, don’t copy – Create links to raw data so that you can go back and check your manipulated data against the original document.

3) Create double-check formulas – “If, then” and “true, false” statements are great for checking your work!

4) Format to Tell Differences – Conditional formatting helps to highlight differences in the data. They also help to identify trends and patterns in your data. I’m a big fan of using colors when doing conditional formatting.

5) Graph Your Data – When possible, graph your data. A line chart for instance will give you a quick visual to not only spot any irregularities in your data, but also to help find “the story.”

6) Document – Create notes of the steps or sources that you used to create your end product. This habit can save a ton of time when you have to do an update. Notes are also helpful for others who may have to replicate your report. We have a saying at my workplace, “a detailed source line is not for the client, it’s for us!”

7) Be Suspicious – Check your work. See if you can find an error.

Hopefully, by following some of these tips, you found all of your errors!

04-Managing a project team, feedback, team dynamics, team roles

The 7 Things Great Teams Execute Flawlessly

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As business school students, we’ve all had a great deal of team interaction with classmates with a variety of backgrounds and experiences.  Undoubtedly, this has made for a richer experience both inside and outside of the classroom; I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the Goizueta program.

Over the tenure of my career, I’ve had to work on teams of various sizes with various backgrounds and skill-sets.  Recently, our team at work has been growing to meet growing business needs.  As one can imagine, the larger the team, the more complex the relationships and the more difficult it is to coordinate all the moving pieces and players.

I came across this article that speaks to how best to maintain a cohesive unit.  I found the list to be not only insightful for me as part of the larger work team, but also beneficial as I lead my own growing team, especially as we prepare to be MBA professionals.

The article uses the San Antonio Spurs NBA championship to illustrate the importance of teamwork and states that, “Teamwork occurs when every member is in the zone, working in unison with one another.”  As we lead our own teams, here are seven points to keep in mind per the article:

1) Remain Poised; Don’t Panic – When things get tense try to keep calm and proactively diffuse any uneasiness.

2) Stay Focused; Execute the Plan – It is important to stay focused on the task at hand.  This is more assured when leaders assign tasks according to their team members’ interests and passions.

3) Accountability; Deliver Your Role – Be accountable to yourself and to members of your team.

4) Trust One Another; Treat Each Other Like Family –  In essence, value each member’s contribution to the team.

5) Support Diversity of Thought; Embrace Differences – This can help challenge status quo and encourage innovation.

6) Expectations are in Alignment; Adjust to Each Other’s Strengths – Strong teams  adjust to the strengths of each team member, evolving as they go.

7) Great Leadership;  Strong Culture and Identity – The team’s leader is ultimately responsible to set the tone for the team. They never stop leading, coaching and teaching. 

As a part of a fast paced work environment, I find item #7 to be the most challenging.  It’s hard to make the time with so many competing priorities.  I’m particularly curious about other’s experiences as it pertains to being “coached” at work.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/06/20/the-7-things-great-teams-execute-flawlessly/