A confluence of many trends has led to industry-leading companies improving working conditions across the board. Though it can be difficult to measure the direct return on investment of Wellness and Health Benefits programs, conclusions from the National Institute for Health Care Reform highlight “the effects that wellness [programs] have on employee loyalty and satisfaction and on enhancing the firm’s reputation and brand.” Employees operating under safe conditions and provided adequate access to breaks, healthcare and other essential services, perform at higher productivity and can provide significant long-term savings for employers. As social media has improved access to information and lapses in protocol, the cost of unsafe working environs has the potential to significantly impact profits, public opinion and investor relations.

As such, the San Diego Business Journal’s 2012 Healthiest Companies Awards is a celebration of advances and successes in the realm of employee satisfaction. For the second year, the newspaper has turned to Carlsbad-based Brainard Strategy, a full-service business leadership and strategy consultation firm, to develop, administer and analyze a wide-ranging survey of local businesses to determine benchmarks and achievement in this discipline.

Through coverage in the San Diego Business Journal, businesses were asked to opt-in and answer questions such as “Is employee health part of the company’s written mission, vision and values?” and “Does your company have an annual wellness budget?” The survey also collected open-ended answers that were judged by a panel of experts in the field. This survey is a unique way to consider the many factors that make up the success of a Wellness Program, including the level of services provided, communication frequency, involvement and responsibility taken by upper-level management and budgetary considerations.

One unique trend to note is the way businesses of different sizes monitor employee health, create initiatives and measure success. A smaller firm might seek to implement more organic programs, such as a communal salad bar for lunch or physical activity options during breaks. Larger companies may devote resources to providing a company gym or healthy meals in their cafeterias. By recognizing firms with clear goals and leadership in this field, it is possible to determine industry-leading best practices and for companies without a wellness and benefits initiative to find inspiration and ideas in this fast-emerging field.

A powerful attribute of this model is that it applies to both individual and systemic levels, showing how we can move through the “U” process to connect to our authentic Self and thus a deeper sense of knowing.  Doing so supports the creative processes at the foundation of genuine mastery in any field and allows us to connect to the magic at the heart of fundamental transformation.  Used in combination with well-developed project management and change management tools, organizational leaders can guide their organizations to new levels of performance.  Participants discussed examples from organizational settings, locating where they might be stuck in the U, and actions to move them forward.

Judging by the tremendous positivity expressed in post-session evaluations, this is a topic that resonates across many fields and careers. Brainard Strategy looks forward to many more moments of insight with Dr. Wallis and the challenges related to being an authentic leader in these challenging times.

Click here to download the presentation as a PowerPoint format.

The Big Brothers/Big Sisters (BBBS) is a non-profit organization who, like many others, has been forced to change the way we operate in significant ways recently. Our board had the need to refine and clarify our strategy for the coming years. Michael was able to design and facilitate a process whereby our board could rapidly and pragmatically share ideas and come to a focus that will prove incredibly valuable for the communities we serve. Brainard Strategy has partnered with our organization for a couple of engagements and has donated their expertise to help us in very valuable ways. We have appreciated their professional services support and our staff and board have very much appreciated their expertise, customer service and willingness to support our organization.

On March 15, 2012, NHRA-OC gathered at Hyatt Regency Irvine to commend the achievements of three regional executives. Marcy Bruskin, VP of Human Resources at Freedom Communications, Inc., was awarded for HR Excellence in a Challenging Environment. John Holtrust, Senior VP of Human Resources at Microsemi Corporation, received a trophy for HR Excellence in Transformational Leadership. The big winner of the night was Caroline Kenyon, Global Senior VP of Human Resources at Oakley, Inc., who was recognized for Excellence in HR Innovation.

This inspiring, and sometimes irreverent, banquet has grown to be among the most important gathering points for the industry each year, in part because of a keynote address given each year by regional CEOs on the importance, trends and necessities of leadership in Human Resources. The new, larger location has given room for the National Human Resources Association of Orange County to grow to be one of the largest organizations serving HR professionals in the country. Guests at the Brainard Strategy sponsored table were treated to fantastic wine, tasty food and a wonderful evening of networking with friends and peers.

For the past 3 years, NHRA-OC has collaborated with Brainard Strategy to further survey the award nominees and to provide a valuable leadership development opportunity. Our firm conducted 360-degree assessments with the nominees’ supervisors, peers and direct reports. 360-degree assessments are a confidential feedback process intended to gather information on leaders’ workplace behaviors. Through the debriefing process, Brainard Strategy met with each candidate to discuss ways to continue leveraging their strengths and to explore opportunities for further  growth in their own professional leadership style.

“The difference often comes down to their approach,” writes Jennifer Konkin, a Brainard Strategy Consultant, about her experience facilitating the 360-degree assessments. “Great HR executives have a strong sense of self awareness that enable them to genuinely apply their strengths in leadership to business needs.  A good HR executive designs initiatives where a great one leverages initiatives to drive business strategy.”

With Brainard Strategy and Nancy Wallis

Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 6:00-8:00 p.m.  Registration opens at 5:30 p.m.
Location:  Wyndham Garden Hotel — 3350 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa
Contact: 714.751.5100
Fees:  OC-ISPI Members: $35*/ $40 | Non-Members: $50*/ $57
PARKING: $4.00

To register, visit http://www.ispioc.org
Reserve by Thursday, April 5, to receive discounted early bird rate!

Leaders in organizational settings are increasingly aware of the importance of new ways of thinking as essential for competing in the new informational global economy and networked society.  Business at the dawn of the 21^st century offers managers the opportunity to pay attention differently, both individually and collectively, in order to bring about the profound systemic changes so needed to succeed in the current turbulent, complex and rapidly changing global context.

Nancy will share a framework for the topic of Leadership from Within Change.  She will focus her opening remarks on the framework known as Theory U by Dr. C. Otto Scharmer.  Theory U offers an exciting and timely way of thinking about leading change in the new global reality that is emerging.  Join us as Nancy leads a conversation on using the Theory U process to lead organizational change within the larger context of increasing global change, complexity and uncertainty.

The U image depicts five levels of change that can take a department or organization from a challenge to a solution by a process that moves from shared perception to collective action.  The deepest level of the U curve accesses the future that wants to emerge and is referred to as ‘the U process’ and rests between developing a shared perception and co-creating shared action.

Suggested learning objectives or “take-aways” include :

• Understanding the four ways of responding to change (reacting to issues, redesigning structure and process, reframing the problem, and presencing, or learning from the future as it emerges) and be motivated to try the fourth.

• Understanding the five movements, or aspects of moving through the U process, and consider applying them to a current change initiative.

• Understanding the power of the right-hand side of the U, or integrating head, heart and hands in practical ways.
  

ISPI will raffle off Scharmer’s Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges (2007).

Dr. Wallis interweaves academic pursuits and the practice of leadership in organizational settings.  She has a wealth of experience from her 30 years as senior leader, project manager, consultant, administrator and mentor, always with a larger goal of improving leadership capacity and organizational performance.  She earned her PhD at Fielding Graduate University and her MBA and MSPH at UCLA.

Currently Associate Dean for the School of Human and Organizational Development at Fielding Graduate University, she is committed to the study and practice of leadership that improves the quality of human lives.  She balances her academic roles, research, writing, consulting and speaking engagements with a keen interest for inquiry into how we may enact organizational leadership in which personal and collective transformation are engaged.  She works with Brainard Strategy where she helps organizations realize individual, interpersonal and systemic transformation.

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Ms. Konkin’s discussion utilized industry-leading models and methods that are useful for recruiters and employment seekers alike. For example, one topic of focus was on the Arbinger Institute’s approach to leadership development and how it applies to leveraging existing knowledge and self awareness into applied skills through through on-the job experience.

Such a speaking engagement enriches and renews the longstanding relationship between Alliant International University and Brainard Strategy. Michael Brainard, principal of the firm, completed his Ph.D in Industrial Organizational Psychology at Alliant in 2009. Our most recent hire, Junior Associate Matt McDonald, is also a recent graduate from the school.

You can visit What We Do to learn more about Brainard Strategy’s wide range of consulting capabilities, including Talent Acquisition and Management, Career Planning and Leadership Development.

The San Diego Business Journal spotlights companies that have worked hard to create environments where their employees enjoy going to work. San Diego’s Healthiest Companies winners possess four characteristics: visible leadership support and involvement, significant investment in the wellness program, strategy for measuring the ROI, and a strong desire to create a company culture of well-being. The San Diego Business Journal awards these companies by publishing the annual list of San Diego’s Healthiest Companies and hosting a reception and awards program to honor the winning companies and guests.

You can visit the San Diego Business Journal’s website for more information, tickets and to nominate businesses in the following categories:

• Small Companies
• Medium Companies
• Large Companies
• Large Companies Headquartered Outside of San Diego County

Presented by: Michelle M. Smith, CPIM, CRP, VP, Business Development – O.C. Tanner

Employees represent a significant key to the speed with which businesses fully recover from the downturn, but they are only one of many groups contributing to corporate success.  People, Profit and Corporate Responsibility make up the Triple bottom line.  The role of leadership now is to build and optimize these connections so that the company—and its people—can prosper and thrive.  The FORUM at Northwestern University has defined these stakeholders as the critical “Human Value Connections” that will lead organizations to sustainable growth in the new economic landscape of the “People-Led Economy.”         

What you will walk away with:

• Groundbreaking research from the FORUM on a successful strategic model for leadership that embraces a broad spectrum of constituencies
• Understanding of why our focus should be on employee “enrichment” rather than engagement
• The advantages of pursuing a shift in strategy in how we lead, how we motivate, and how we define value
• Evaluate viable plan designs and approaches aimed at retaking control at this time — so changes to your benefit program are sustainable, systematic and strategic
• Learn best practices adopted by these employers
• Take home the next steps including development of a five-year strategic plan.

To Register, visit www.humanresources.org  by Friday, April 13th 

Networking and sign in begins at 7:00 a.m.
Program:            7:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Location:           Orange County Airport Hilton 18800 MacArthur Blvd., Irvine
Meeting Fees:  $30 members, $40 guests (add $7 at the door if not pre-registered)

You can process your payment by credit card or send check to: NHRA, P.O. Box 16246, Irvine, CA 92623-6246

If you have any problems registering please contact Wendy at nhraoc@aol.com. Unless cancellation is made by 5 p.m. on preceding Friday, charge will be made for the meeting.  Additional self-parking available at Atrium.

The Community Outreach Mentorship Program at Brainard Strategy is a learning opportunity for bright and motivated individuals interested in entering the workforce in fields related to Business Strategy and Organizational Development. We recognize that it can be difficult at times for people just entering the workforce to gain the professional experience needed to land careers in their chosen fields. This program is designed to offer experience, training, and professional development in the form of on-the-job, hands-on learning in partnership with our consultants.

Successful candidates of the Community Outreach Mentorship Program will be considered Jr. Associates of Brainard Strategy and will partner with a consultant on the design and delivery of client. Jr. Associates will be invited by a consultant to participate in one client-facing project at a time and spend the rest of their time on internal projects designed to strategically develop the firm. Client-facing projects will vary in their focus from assessing executives for succession planning, to developing business strategy and can include any of the content areas from the full line of services provided by Brainard Strategy.  Click here for details about the Jr. Associate role at Brainard Strategy

Business Administrative Liaison

Brainard Strategy is looking for an administrative liaison and office support specialist who can work with limited supervision and has excellent communication skills to take active roles in partnering with our consultants and sales team. The right candidate will be detail oriented and have skill in logistics, monitoring progress of projects according to negotiated contracts, and project management.  Click here for details about the Business Administrative Liaison role at Brainard Strategy

“As President of the National Human Resources Association in Orange County, California I couldn’t be more delighted with the results of our most recent Professional Development Workshop. We partnered with Michael Brainard of Brainard Strategy. The feedback from the almost 30 participants was stellar. The overwhelming consensus was that Michael knew the content cold; presented it an interactive, engaging and thought provoking way, and that people got great value and actionable content that they could immediately take back to their companies.

NHRA-Orange County has worked with Michael and Brainard Strategy before and from those experiences has come to know that this is the high level of performance, delivery and value at which he consistently works. We give a strong recommendation to him and Brainard Strategy.”

The team at Brainard Strategy adheres to core values that include the pursuit of knowledge, flexibility, responsiveness, partnership and  candor.  We actively seek and evaluate feedback to make improvements that really matter.  Our objective is to provide our clients with the  highest quality Business Strategy and Organizational Development services possible.

Thank you to everyone who provided valuable feedback during our 2011 Customer Satisfaction Survey.  Click here to view a copy of the Survey.

The HR Leadership Summit is designed for rich discussions about the challenges and emerging issues we all face in business today. The support and participation of the Southern California region’s Fortune 1000 HR executives, along with the top government and academic HR executives, ensures that each of the conference sessions, speakers and best practice vendor sponsors are relevant, timely and structured to deliver maximum value. Brainard Strategy is a Sponsor of this must attend event. Click here to see the agenda

“As President of the National Human Resources Association in Orange County, California I couldn’t be more delighted  with the results of our most recent Professional Development Workshop. We partnered with Michael Brainard of Brainard Strategy. The feedback from the  almost 30 participants was stellar. The overwhelming consensus was that Michael  knew the content cold; presented it an interactive, engaging and thought  provoking way, and that people got great value and actionable content that they  could immediately take back to their companies.

NHRA-Orange County has worked with Michael and Brainard Strategy before and  from those experiences has come to know that this is the high level of  performance, delivery and value at which he consistently works. We give a  strong recommendation to him and Brainard Strategy.”

So, your company has a talent management system in place, but you’re not happy with it?  Are you finding it costly, cumbersome, or outdated?  You are not alone.  Click here to read more

At Brainard Strategy we believe it takes innovative and courageous HR leadership to positively impact performance, inspire leadership, create strategy and implement change!

Click here for more information about this cutting edge conference…

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Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Location: Manchester Grand Hyatt – One Market Place – San Diego CA

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“Our business was in massive change as we have been less than one year post an acquisition, many jobs were being consolidated and moved back to the mid-west from California, and our competitive pressures were as severe as they ever had been. We were forced to re-organize while needing to maintain very key talent and teams, we were re-energizing or deciding on resource allocation that was very different than prior years with lower performing brands, and we were trying to maintain our position with well performing brands while our budget was tightening. Our business situation could best be described as chaotic.

We met Michael as a part of our re-structure planning and he was quickly able to assess our business conditions accurately and offer a set of steps that were actionable and impactful. He partnered with me and my executive team on a series of communications plans, he partnered with our HR function on plans for our “impacted” and “surviving” talent and teams, and devised a knowledge transfer plan to enable a smooth business transition for very key functions. Michael met with dozens of executives, delivered dozens of customized change management type of workshops and wrote countless drafts of communications with me and my team for all stakeholders. The change process we focused on was one of “building agility” rather than getting through some set of events… This approach was helpful for our executives and managers far beyond the “chaotic” times we were in. I have since had Michael in for many other types of strategic and operational challenges and his breadth of experience is something I value.”

“Our strategy was unclear and the lack of alignment across departments resulted in negative business outcomes. Brainard Strategy came on board and partnered with us to create and implement an executive strategy that has made us more successful and effective than ever.”

“We have a new CEO and new ownership group, and we were just completing a year focusing the senior management team on external matters. As a management team we thought it prudent to challenge ourselves around these key questions: 1) Is the culture we have the culture we need for the future? 2) Are our values still a fit for who we are and who we would like to become? I knew that Michael Brainard was the only facilitator to help us to wrestle with these questions, and that if we did not leverage Michael, then the conversation could get muddled and there could be no clear implementation that would result from the conversation.

Michael and I had worked on goal setting and goal cascading in the past. While the OGTM process is still a part of Mitchell International five years later, what stands out most is Michael’s ability to facilitate a senior group. Michael, our CEO, and I collaborated on the agenda and Michael interviewed us prior to our session. During our session Michael was able to get us all to a common point of understanding of culture, the interaction of culture and performance, and the importance of values in the development of a new culture. We had many action-able strategies to validate and drive the values through our management practices and talent systems. Michael is unique among Management Consultants in his depth and breadth of expertise on organizational issues. Michael’s facilitation skills and pragmatism have brought about positive culture change for Mitchell International.”

“After interviewing several consulting firms to assist us with developing a strategy for aligning objectives across the corporation, we selected Michael Brainard at Brainard Strategy. Michael worked diligently with our executive team and helped us to develop a process that has been operational now for three years and becomes more ingrained with each passing year. The results that Michael achieved with us exceeded our expectations allowing us to implement an objectives-driven culture within the company. Michael does an outstanding job of bringing the right blend of current business thinking and operational practices to the table which contributes to his success and ultimately the success of his clients”.

“As our business changes the pressure on our leadership team to continuously improve is ever more critical. We sought customized 360 feedback and a development process. We believed that an off the shelf 360 would not meet our needs, as we needed to specifically define the unique competencies required for our leaders. In addition, we did not need a web site or book to offer development, we needed a trusted local resource to interpret the feedback and offer action-able, just in time learning tailored to each individual executive.

Brainard Strategy had partnered with us for strategic planning and they had done our employee engagement survey every 18 months. Michael and Jennifer were able to quickly and practically build an executive competency model for us that was easily validated. We then created the items, scale, open ended questions, and report format that would meet our needs. Their platform and expertise in crafting the assessments are truly unique in this now commoditized industry. In addition to creating the assessment and managing the process, Michael and Jennifer offered an emotional intelligence assessment, a personality assessment, and an assessment of cognitive style to those executives who wanted to go through a broader assessment. They were able to do this because these assessments are a part of Jennifer Konkin’s dissertation. We truly appreciate that Michael, Jennifer and the team at Brainard Strategy are partners in learning and always striving to learn and grow; they practice what they preach. Lastly, Michael and Jennifer delivered the feedback in the spirit of growth and development and our executives reported that this type of process was among the richest of its kind they have ever experienced.”