Executive Pocket Guide Book 2016

EXECUTIVE POCKET EXECUTIVE POCKET EXECUTIVE POCKET EXECUTIVE POCKET

GUIDEBOOKGUIDEBOOKGUIDEBOOKGUIDEBOOK Executive guide to improved business success and

team member work-life fulfilment

Graham Little PhD

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Executive pocket

guidebook

By

Graham Little PhD

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Better science enables better technology that builds better bridges

(or washing machines or computers). Similarly, better social science

enables better social technology, and builds better organizations.

The Executive Pocket Guidebook is an easily read introduction to

the application of improved social science to building higher

performing and more satisfying organizations.

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Published by

Institute of Theoretical and Applied Social Science Limited

Auckland

New Zealand

[email protected]

A reaching for infinity book

Copyright © 2015 Graham Little

Third Edition 2016

ISBN 978-1-877341-33-5

Graham Little asserts the moral right to be identified as the author

of this work.

All rights reserved. Except for purpose of fair reviewing, no part of

this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or

by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, now

known or hereafter invented, without permission in writing from

the publisher.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National

Library of New Zealand

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Contents

Seeking new thinking ...................................................................... 7

How to double profits .................................................................... 10

Goal—action .................................................................................. 14

Linking staff behavior to strategy .................................................. 18

Human performance driving results .............................................. 21

HR as rollout of strategy ................................................................ 24

Behavioral structure of the organization ........................................ 27

Understanding human psychology ................................................ 30

Linking people to the behavioral structure .................................... 33

Perfect human performance ........................................................... 37

Performance management ............................................................. 40

Built in flexibility .......................................................................... 44

A scientifically proven balanced solution ...................................... 47

Redefining engagement ................................................................. 51

Culture ........................................................................................... 55

All proactive HR policy is changed ............................................... 58

Lifting expectations ....................................................................... 62

Redefining leadership .................................................................... 65

Redefining management ................................................................ 70

Why has it not been done before? .................................................. 74

Stop. Reflect. Chose and improve ................................................. 77

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Why can’t we do it ourselves? ....................................................... 80

Mind of the CEO ............................................................................ 84

HR as the ‘right hand’ of the CEO................................................. 88

Building a ‘verbal ready’ executive ............................................... 92

Understanding human motivation .................................................. 96

Building an implementing an integrated motivation policy ........ 100

Human capital .............................................................................. 104

Finding and developing talent ...................................................... 108

Choosing better ideas ................................................................... 112

Last word ..................................................................................... 116

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Seeking new thinking

If you do what you have always done you will get what you

always got

The earliest reference I found to this quote was Henry Ford. There is

the story of Alexandra the Great, when faced with the Gordian Knot,

he decided to make his own rules at untying knots ...applying

original ideas is implied in the quote ...so took his sword and severed

the knot.

The quote is a common, popular thought. Even a cliché. A cliché is

phrase so familiar we yawn. Our mind slips off the idea because of

familiarity, and we lose sight of the fact it is true. We become

complacent at the ideas to which we attend.

The only solution is to be conscious of how we think, and shake

ourselves by the scruff of the neck and PAY ATTENTION to the

ideas we need attend, when we need attend, regardless of how many

times we may have heard them.

People and organizations

People in organizations has been studied for over 100 years. There

is no coherent theory. Independent theories abound, engagement,

culture, training, coaching, leadership, organization development,

management, etc. Performance management for example, is now in

slow decline, with major global companies stopping the practice

because it does not work.

Human nature

In The Origin of Consciousness, I offer a general theory of

psychology with integrated general theories of knowledge and

causality. The general theory of psychology states people acts on the

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ideas they have in mind, the intensity of the action directly related to

the intensity of the emotions associated with the ideas. It is currently

the only general theory of psychology with this sort of intellectual

depth. You will wonder why on earth this intellectual stuff is

important. It is beyond important, it is crucial.

Good ideas are good ideas! Our job is to apply them to enhance

our success

Do people produce knowledge? Yes, of course. Should a general

theory of psychology account for all outputs from people? Yes, since

if not it is not a general theory of psychology. It follows that a general

theory of psychology must account for how people produce

knowledge. In short, any general theory of psychology must account

fully for its own existence. Similar argument applies to the

relationship of social causality and psychology. Further, what is an

organization? We create it. Therefore, a general theory of

psychology must account for how we create it, and indicate the

nature of our relationships with that which we created... etc.

Management and leadership are part of social science

Understanding people in organizations is NOT about management,

it is fully theoretical social science. But that in itself raises questions

of what exactly is theoretical social science...? The practical,

relevant questions crowd: What is the exact nature of the link

between people and organizations? How are organizations

constructed? How can we systematize construction of the

organization and its link to people so we better manage the

relationship and get better results? What does a team leader need to

do, exactly, to apply the improved understanding? What does the

CEO need do? And what is role of HR Department within this

theory?

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Questions for reflection

1. What people do in organizations is part of overall what

people do. Therefore, organizational behavior can

only be understood as an aspect of the overall behavior

of people?

2. Think of the last HR initiative in your business. Was

it really based on new ideas, or was it just trying harder

with a new mix of old ideas?

3. If you had access to a scientifically solid, empirically

proven framework of ideas that would add profits and

develop staff satisfaction, would you and your

Executive team be interested?

4. Could staff performance in your business be improved

10% and what gain in profits would result?

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How to double profits

Imagine a business with sales 100, costs 90, EBIT 10. Multiply the

numbers by any scaling factor the ratios do not change. Imagine sales

improved 5%, costs reduced 5%. Sales 105, costs 89.8 (on increased

sales). EBIT is 15.2, 52% increase.

Now, imagine a business with sales 100, costs 96, EBIT 4. Then

improve sales 5%, reduce costs 5%, so sales 105, costs 95.8, EBIT

9.2, 130% increase.

Chances are your business falls in the range of EBIT between 4%

and 10%. Which means with 5% changes in sales and costs you

could improve your profit by between 52% and 130%.

The large profit gains arising from small changes in sales and costs

is due the multiplier effect that is profit is the small difference

between two much larger numbers. Quite small changes in the large

numbers can dramatically improve profits.

We can do the numbers on more modest targets. Imagine sales

increased 2%, cost reduced 2%. With opening EBIT of 10, then it is

increased to 12.04, 20% increase. With opening EBIT of 4, then it is

increased to 6.04, 50% increase.

People ARE your greatest resource

We all know how hard it is to generate these extra gains, what I call

gains at the edge. By that I mean they are at the edge of what people

usually willingly do. To get beyond sort of ‘normal’ result, typically

requires intense effort by the team leaders to ‘stay on top of it’. But

once that effort released, as it must be, results slide back to the

’normal’ result, or worse, depending on how hard the leaders pushed

and the extent they managed to upset the team.

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We now have the crucial question: Could human performance be

improved to increase sales and reduce costs by 2% without

disturbing the operational balance of your business and without the

need for team leaders to ‘push’?

Better science produces better technology enabling better

results

Unless you are deeply familiar with OPD theory you will not have a

clear and definite theory of how human behavior on the job is

directly linked to the profit and loss.

As a species, we can only act in accordance with what we know and

understand. The general theory of psychology states we choose and

apply ideas to manage circumstances we face. If the ideas are not

deliberately selected, then we are acting from habit based on ideas

we have learned and have used in the past. The intensity of action

depending on the emotions associated with the ideas.

You may well think you are clear on how to link staff daily actions

with the goals. But the clarity can only be based on current global

best practice thinking of how people are linked to the P&L. Global

best practice is just a popular set of ideas. Being popular does not

make ideas correct. At one time it was popular the earth was flat, and

the center of the universe.

We always have two choices. First, we accept our ideas as the tools

we apply to manage circumstances we face and get the result we

seek. This leaves the option of exploring new ideas that deliver a

better result. Second, we adopt ideas the same as everyone adopts.

We embrace the ideas accepted and applied by the group and we are

committed to those ideas. This means we are not likely to change our

ideas unless everyone is changing.

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Investing in OPD-HCD™ is investing in the only scientific link

between people and the organization

Science is the activity of refining the ideas we use, proving they work

in practice, and then guiding distribution so everyone can enjoy the

improved theory and improved results.

The set of ideas people adopt to orientate themselves to the

circumstances of their life I call their ‘personal theory’. The nature

of those ideas sets the direction of any action, and the passion and

enthusiasm with which they are enacted determines the intensity of

the action and momentum. I describe a person’s current ideas as the

‘set of the sail’, and the associated emotions as putting the ‘wind in

the sail’. Change the set, change direction, change the passion,

change the momentum.

OPD theory is a detailed theory of the exact nature of the link

between a staff members mind and the goals in the job linked to

strategy; it is built from a general theory of psychology, itself derived

from a redesigned methodology of social science. It is theory, but

from the above you can see we all act on theory, that is on the ideas

we apply to circumstance. Therefore, the more apt, more accurate

and more appropriate the ideas (the theory), the more effective our

actions.

Investing in your people is the most significant project available

to your business

OPD-HCD™ is the technology derived from OPD theory. It offers

new thinking on linking people to the strategy and to the current

business plan.

Regardless of all other HR global best practice you may apply, OPD-

HCD™ is proven to lift human performance 10-15%. From our

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experience with clients we know that a lift in human performance of

10% will increase sales by 3-5%, reduce direct costs 2-4%, and

reduce overhead costs 1-3%. You can do the numbers to assess the

gain in EBIT by applying it in your business.

In addition, the theory enables these gains with the full support of

people, who find the theory useful and enabling greater work

fulfilment.


1. Could staff performance be improved 10%?

2. What is the gain in EBIT of your business if sales

increased 4% and costs reduced 4%?

3. Is the increase in EBIT sufficient for you to consider

going after it?

4. What would your business ‘feel like’ with 40%

increase in EBIT, more satisfied and fulfilled staff,

and more content and relaxed leadership and

governance?

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Goal—action

For every goal there are ideal actions that must be acted out if

the goal is to be achieved

I have yet to meet a manager who does not think team performance

could be improved 10%. But, and a crucial BUT, ensuring the

improved team effort drives increased team results depends entirely

on the exact link between staff effort and results. A 10% gain in

performance can drive a 4% change in sales and costs which due the

multiplier effect will lift profits 30-50%. With greater staff

satisfaction from the success. Who would not want that?

Doing ideal actions does not guarantee success but not doing

them guarantees failure

Think of a goal, any goal. Can you imagine it being achieved without

doing those actions needed to achieve it? The idea is silly. So we

have a general proposition, for every goal there are actions, called

ideal actions, necessary for the goal to be achieved. Ideal actions

offer the greatest chance of greatest goal success. They belong to the

goal and are of the quality that doing them does not guarantee

success but not doing them guarantees failure.

Organizations are collections of goals

Strategy is the foundation of the organization, its purpose, the reason

it exists. Derived from strategy are divisions, business units, teams

and roles in teams. Each unit has goals derived from the unit above.

The goal structure from strategy to every role in every team is called

the goal cascade. If each goal in each of the lowest units is achieved,

then the overall strategy is achieved.

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Jobs defined by the role specifications

The lowest unit is a role. That is the actions of a person allocated

unique goals, for example, a job may be sales and marketing

manager, with role of sales manager and marketing manager. Or

production supervisor with responsibility for quality, so roles of

production planning, production supervision of shop floor, and role

of quality assurance. So roles can be in conflict, for example, the

conflict to get good out of the door without compromising ever on

quality.

Role specifications define the goals and the ideal actions arising

from those goals in every role. The ideal actions must also integrate

the processes that operate through the role and integrate it into the

rest of the organization.

The behavioral structure

Imagine the sum of all role specifications relative to a strategy. If the

goals that define those role specifications are achieved, then the

strategy is achieved. Further, if the ideal actions relative to every

goal are acted out to standard, then the goal is achieved. It follows

that the roll out of strategy is the apt identification and delivery of

the ideal actions in every role.

The sum of all role specifications is called the behavioral structure.

Therefore, rollout of strategy is the apt identification and delivery to

standard of the behavioral structure.

The role specification is adopted in mind by the person assigned the

role. In mind it is called the game plan of the person relative to the

role. This then leads to the OPD-HCD™ aim of Perfect game plans

perfectly delivered and the cultural aim of people striving for perfect

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game plans perfectly delivered. This will be discussed in detail in

later chapters.

Success for people is delivery of ideal actions to standard while

organization success is achievement of the goals

Selection of ideal actions in a role was only partly the choice of the

person to deliver the role. The ideal actions are signed off by the

team leader, and manager of the team leader and ultimately by the

CEO.

Identification and delivery of ideal actions to standard is the rollout

of strategy. The CEO is responsible for strategy achievement, hence

is responsible for roll out of strategy. They can delegate the effort of

identifying goal and ideal actions in each role, but they cannot

delegate the responsibility for it. If the CEO is not committed to the

process of ensuring clarity of goal-action in every role, and

committed to the delivery of the ideal actions to standard in every

role, then organization results will be less than they could be.

People have the choice to do it or not

People have the choice of doing the ideal actions or not and so

choose success or failure. This choice is exactly the same as that of

any sports person intent on winning the game. Business is not a

game, but our relationship between the ideal actions necessary for

success in sport is exactly the same as our relationship with the ideal

actions for success in business. If people choose not to do the ideal

actions, then the organization has the choice of asking them to leave.

Building in flexibility and innovation

To be flexible in sport means having skills with different types of

play, and having the judgement of when each type of play is

appropriate and when not. The same applies in business. Flexibility

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is crucial, but it must be ‘built in’ to the skills, understanding and

mind set of the person. The structure of ideal actions must take

account of flexibility, and guide creativity on identifying what has

been learned, what has changed, and what needs to be developed.

Each person working ‘on’ the business by creatively adjusting and

adapting their agreed ideal actions, and working ‘in’ the business by

delivering agreed ideal actions to standard.


1. Could the goal cascade be clearer? Could the ideal actions

be clearer? If ideal actions and KPIs 10% clearer, would

that enable an 8% gain in staff performance? If staff

performance improves 8%, could this improve sales and

cost 2%? What is the impact on profits of a 2% increase in

sales and a 2% decrease in costs? (If EBITDA is 10% at

start, it improves to 11.8%).

2. Who is responsible for driving the focus as outlined in 1?

The CEO...? What is role of HR, Executive team, and team

leadership...?

3. If goal-action principle fully applied, what is the effect on

performance management, training and coaching,

engagement, talent identification and management,

promotion, manager and leadership development,

recruitment, culture and cultural development ... etc.?

4. Is innovation and flexibility important? How does a tennis

player or golfer build it into their play? How could it be

built into ideal actions?

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Linking staff behavior to strategy

The current business plan are the goals, derived from strategy,

to be achieved in the coming period. It follows that underlying

every business plan are ideal actions that must be delivered if

the plan is to be achieved.

Have you ever thought ‘I know that’... but when required to do it you

found you did not know as well as you thought? Is it helpful to write

it down first, to take the time to think it out step by step?

First step is to get it clear on paper

If we pause and get it clear on paper first, does this enable us to be

clearer in mind? If we are clearer in mind does this enable us to be

more effective?

HR is after the strategic decision and determines the rollout of

strategy

Organization design, and all HR is after the strategic decision. All

people activities are implicit in goal achievement, such as closed

sales in any period, and budgeted for in appropriate lines of the

extended profit profile. HR considerations would be bought to

account in the strategic decision if for example there could be a

shortage of skilled staff or skilled community supporting resources

such as contract engineering firms. If severe then this could be a

‘go/no go’ point in a project otherwise the problem is countered by

allowing extra cost in the appropriate expense line.

KPIs measure strategic success in a period

The current business plan is drawn from strategy and describes the

goal to be achieved in the nominated period. Divisions, departments,

team all then receive their KPIs (key performance indicators) they

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are expected to achieve as their contribution. The KIs are what is

needed by the organization to achieve its strategic movement

forward for the period, and are not very negotiable. The Executive

team will normally set the strategic momentum and hence judge the

KPIs to be achieved and if realistic. KPIs also are the means whereby

the efforts of diverse teams, perhaps in different countries even

continents, are coordinated such the organization operates as an

efficient single mind.

KPIs in a role specify the contribution to strategy

The end result is KPIs in each role in the organizations such the effort

of the person assigned the role is coordinated in the team, the team

in the department, the department in the independent business unit,

the business unit in the group. If each person assigned each role

achieves their KPI to standard and in time, then the strategic

momentum set by the Executive for that period will be achieved.

Understanding the function of this goal cascade is crucially

important, as is understanding the need to ensure it is done with apt

judgement and done accurately. Errors and laxity here will

immediately erode results.

People must be able to look at their KPIs and ‘see’ the strategy and

their contribution to it. The goal cascade acts as a mental pipeline

linking the person to the purpose of the organization.

Perfect game plans perfectly delivered

The set of ideal actions is the end of the analysis of the organization,

specifying what the person accepting their assigned role(s) needs to

do to have greatest chance of greatest success. This is called the

behavioral best practice and must include issues of innovation,

flexibility and creativity.

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Role specifications are the written definition of KPIs and ideal

actions needed by the organizations in the specified period

Role specifications are the behavioral best practice written and

worked through to ensure aptness and clarity. Game plans are the

role specification in the mind of the person assigned the role

Think of mind as a set of power point slides just behind the eyes. On

each slide are the ideas we use to ‘see’ and relate to the situations we

face. If a person is asked ‘when you think of work, what do you see?’

that which pops up we call the ‘game plan’. If the game plan is made

clearer and more apt, then the person has the option of acting more

effectively and with greater precision. The game plan is how the

person ‘sees’ their purpose in the organization, their link to strategy.

Role specifications are the coaching tool to build game plans.


1. If you have job descriptions, how effect are they relative to

this model?

2. Would this process clarify and sharpen game plans in mind

of your people?

3. If game plans clearer in mind, and if people striving to

deliver them to perfect standard, would you expect results

to improve?

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Human performance driving results

Greatest result is when people are clear on what to do,

confident they can do it, and having fun doing it.

Ask yourself: If people are not clear on what to do, will they do it

well? And further, if people are required to think it out while doing

it, will they do it well?

Consider the extreme case, if people have no idea of what to do will

they do it? Clearly not, people can only do that which they know,

and they will only do assertively and positively that which they know

they know. If someone is uncertain they can do something, they may

push into it, but such overtly confident people are the exception,

most people are cautious and move into it tentatively. This all adds

up to getting clear first, and agreeing with the person on what to do,

and agreeing with the person they can do it.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

The second case of thinking it out while doing it places quite

enormous demands on people. Imagine playing the piano. Now

imagine having to think about where to place each finger. Would the

person be able to concentrate on the music, the nuance of soft-loud,

fast-slow, etc.? If one need focus on the physical demand of

something one will not be able to concentrate on the subtleties of the

task. For example, in business, it a sales person is preoccupied with

the next step in the sales process they will not be watching the

prospects eyes, nor listening carefully to the nuance of what they are

saying. They will be less ‘in tune’ with the prospect than say a

competitive salesperson, and lose the sale.

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Clarity first

This sort of analysis leads to the idea of ‘finger memory’, that is

fundamental basics of any task need to become part of one’s physical

habits such as one can just do it, and do not need think about it. Then

and only then is the mind freed to focus on the nuance. For any

moderately complex task top results require top management of the

nuance. All of business involves moderately complex tasks. Hence

all business requires awareness and management of the nuance,

which in turn requires fundamental skills be ‘second nature’. People

can do the fundamental skills and crucially they know they can and

know they know they can.

OPD-SHRM role specifications give clarity of what to do and

identify core skills needed to do it

Goal-action builds clarity on paper. Clarity on paper enables clarity

in mind. Clarity in mind enables realistic skills assessment and

development. The deceptively simple idea of goal-action, building

clarity first, means the CEO must understand the concept, and that if

the KPIs are accurately devolved from strategy into ever role, and if

ideal actions are identified in every role, then the leadership task

from Executive down is to have each person in their job deliver

agreed ideal actions to standard. Delivery of ideal actions to standard

enables greatest chance of greatest goal success. Greatest chance of

greatest goal success enables greatest chance of greatest strategic

success.

Clarity-in-mind + motivation = greatest result

Within OPD-SHRM management is getting the concept right. Team

leadership is about having people accept the ideal actions and act

them out at work. The CEO must understand and commit to the

processes of the system as the driver of their intent to achieve

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strategy. The proactive role of HR is to partner with team leaders in

their wrestle to get the ideal actions clear and agreed by every person

in their team, and then have those people deliver the ideal actions

with verve and commitment.

Human nature in The Origin of Consciousness is defined as the

ability to create ideas and apply them in managing the circumstances

we encounter, and the intensity with which we act depends on the

emotions associated with the ideas. We ‘see’ according to the ideas

we hold in mind and we act according to the emotional intensity we

bring to the ideas. The role specification provides clarity of thinking.

Most people are committed to work to a degree... but the term

‘motivation’ is the act of team leaders to get more than what is in

people. Fear is at times used, but it is not strong long term motivation

at work. Under OPD system the key role of the team leader is to

interact with their team each day and ensure they are having fun

while delivering deal actions to standard.


1. Could management be improved in your

organization?

2. Could leadership be improved?

3. Could the Executive be more effective in

developing a culture of high performance?

4. Could HR play a stronger proactive role in

organizational success?

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HR as rollout of strategy

Within OPD theory the role of strategic HR is to partner with

team leaders and support them to identify and achieve delivery

to standard of the ideal action in their team that offer greatest

chance of greatest goal success

Applying goal-action to the organization changes every aspect of

organization design and operation. The logic dictates that underlying

every business plan are a set of ideal actions that must be identified

and acted out if the plan is to be achieved. Research confirms that if

the ideal actions are clarified, and if actual behavior are moved 10%

closer to those ideal actions, then goal achievement in business

improves 3%-5% depending on the industry and company. Hence

current research shows that improving clarity and delivery of the

game plan by 10% can improve sales and reduce costs by say 4%

and deliver 40% profit increase.

OPD Strategic HR as the proactive driver of results

Think of companies that have existed for centuries, Shell Oil for

example was founded about 1907. But much older companies exist.

DuPont 1802, Citigroup 1812, and Remington 1816 (put ‘oldest

companies’ search in Google, then go to the Wikipedia page, some

go back to sixth century). This alone makes the point that

‘something’ exists beyond people.

An organization is an idea which influences human mood and

conduct and ‘exists’ independent of any particular knowing person.

This ontological position is directly derived from the work of Karl

Popper, and again emphasizes how intellectual issues underlie

understanding of people in organizations. It follows that people and

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the organization are ‘linked’. The OPD theory being the analysis of

that link.

HR in the organization is about enabling human effort in regard the

strategy, which in any given period is represented in the business

plan for that period. In short, HR is about guiding human

performance in achieving the business plan.

Now, given goal–action, improving human performance will

enhance goal achievement if and only if the improved human

performance results in increased delivery of those actions (called

ideal actions in OPD theory) that drive results. For example, one

cannot make sales without contacting prospects.

Within OPD theory the focus shifts from people to focus on

identification and delivery of the actions that most drive results, then

linking those to people. Seemingly subtle shift, but it is not, and it

profoundly redefines all aspects of HR.

Get the concept right first

It pays wherever possible to do the thinking before getting stuck in.

In short, effective thinking enables effective action. Get the concept

right first!

The shift in focus of HR in OPD theory is directly derived from the

analysis of organizations and human psychology. The analysis itself

grounded on resolving fundamental intellectual issues. There is no

hesitation in stating OPD theory has got the concept right. OPD

theory is built with better science.

Better science→ better technology→ better results

Current largely accepted global view of strategic HR is as the link

between business strategy and HR items. OPD theory states that is

wrong.

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When formulating strategy, then HR issues are bought to account in

the appropriate line in the business case. For example, recruiting the

skills, or contracting necessary services. If it is likely to be difficult,

then more expense is allowed. If it is judged impossible, then that

may be a no-go to the project.

Once the strategy is settled, then it is fully rolled out by each team

leader identifying the goals (KPIs) then guiding delivery of those

actions to standard. Every team leader is assisted in that process by

the HR department, who are the leading ‘technical experts’ in linking

the mind of people to the ideal actions judged necessary for

organizational strategic success. Strategic HR is the proactive

aspects of HR identifying and delivery of those actions that offer

greatest chance of greatest success. The CEO is responsible for the

rollout of strategy and can delegate the task to team leaders

supported by HR but they cannot delegate final accountability.

Within the OPD theory HR has two aims:

1. Strategic proactive HR, partner with team leaders to:

a. Build apt and clear (perfect) role specifications.

b. Guide people build accurate game plans.

c. Ensure people having fun while striving for perfect

delivery of perfect game plans.

2. Compliance and administration: Ensure all compliance and

administration is completed to standard and on time.

Question for reflection

1. How clear are your Executive on the most effective integration

of HR into the organization such that results improve and

people find greater fulfilment and satisfaction?

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Behavioral structure of the

organization

The aim of OPD-SHRM is to identify and deliver the

behavioral structure enabling greatest business success

Think of a goal you set for yourself. Say that relaxing holiday you

have promised yourself. Did you just jump in and do it, or did you

plan? Decided where to go, booked tickets and accommodation,

packed your clothes, organized your affairs while you were away for

the three weeks, arranged for a neighbor to feed and water the cat,

thought out what you wanted to do, the side trips you wanted...etc.

Goal-action plan, applies to every goal. The action plan we refer to

as the ideal actions relative to the goal. In a complex goal, there may

be several layers of ideal actions, each getting more specific. For

example, you decide to holiday with two other families. Then top

level actions will involve agreeing where to go, and that may involve

some research by each family. Once agreed, then more research on

activities, and not all families may want to do the same things, some

may just want to blob out, so then it begins to get specific and

detailed. Finally, there is a group action plan, and within that detailed

plans for each family.

Goal success depends on the aptness of the ideal actions and the

extent they were acted out

The goal is to have a memorable holiday. Then all the plans are the

ideal actions to achieve that. So, for example we do not want to get

on holiday to find we left important clothes at home, or that the

accommodation we planned but did not book was booked out, or the

car warrant expired while away and it was a full day hassle to have

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it redone, or that we left no contact number and the police turned up

to check we were okay because friends got worried about our silence

when we said we would phone them...etc.

We refer to the plans as the behavioral structure relative to the goal.

Goal success is then determined by, first apt ideal actions are

identified and accounted for, and second we act out those ideal action

to the standard needed.

This DOES NOT preclude spontaneity or innovation when we get

there, it just means that those things for example, that could disturb

goal achievement are identified and accounted for, then we flow with

the circumstance. If we are not concerned with the accommodation

being booked out, since we know other is available, then fine, we

flow with that, etc.

Every organization is a collection of goals beginning with the

strategy

The organization structure maps the strategy on to the currently

defined market. The goal cascade defines the contribution of each

job to the strategy. The ideal actions are then derived from the goals

in each job. Within OPD we refer to roles. A job may consist of

several roles, with a role being a unique set of KPIs and ideal actions.

Each role having a role specification consisting of KPIs and derived

ideal actions.

Engagement: People striving for perfect game plans perfectly

delivered

The mind-set of a person relative to the assigned role, derived from

the role specification is their game plan for the role.

29

If the role specifications are apt, and if people build clear game plans

and act upon them, then there is greatest chance of greatest goal

success.

CEO: Committed to identify and deliver behavioral structure

enabling greatest chance of greatest business success.

HR: Partner with team leaders to identify and deliver ideal actions in

their team.

Executive: Verbal ready to build performance culture.

People: Engaged, striving for perfect game plans perfectly delivered.


1. How apt are the role specifications? Are they suited as the

core coaching tool for team leaders?

2. How clear are the game plans? If game plans in people are

made clearer would you expect performance to improve?

3. On a scale of 1-10, 10 high, rate the striving for perfect

game plans perfectly delivered?

4. If the striving for perfect game plans perfectly delivered

was increased would results improve? Would people have

the opportunity to be more satisfied?

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Understanding human psychology

We see with our mind not our eyes. We act according to what

we see. Our actions given momentum by the emotions

associated with the way we see things

In 1978, two researches Anderson and Prichert published a

deceptively simple psychological experiment. They asked 50 people

to look at a house with the view of buying it, then bought them out

and put them in a room. They then took another 50 people and asked

them to look at the same house with the view of burgling it, bought

them out and sat them in a different room. They then asked each

group to write down all they could about the house. The two groups

produced lists that were so different one would not know they had

looked at the same house.

We are a spirit within a mind within a brain

The other two factors that shape our responses are our spirit, and our

attention mechanisms. Full discussion of both is in The Origin of

Consciousness (www.lulu.com/spotlight/grahamlittle) and I will not

go into that detail here. Suffice, our spirit is the core of our being, it

is that encoded in memory prior to thinking, and speech. It touches

all aspect of how we think and feel. Our spirit begins forming as our

center prior to birth, and is then elaborated after birth to take in our

self-esteem, and give ‘feeling’, ‘attitude’ to that which we think,

glass half full or half empty type of attitude, so our spirit is not the

idea itself, but how our personality slants it, then in addition the

emotions associated give the slant the momentum. For example, we

are positive the glass half empty.

We can understand our attention mechanism as those inputs into our

mind that trigger a strong emotional reaction, so we attend to them.

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We can think of this as sensitized neurons in our brain that when

activated, trigger a cascade of emotions and the energy then brings

forward the ideas we feel so strongly about...our response, and the

background to it in the thinking lying behind it.

It is how we ‘see’ things that sensitizes our brain to the inputs from

our environment. Then on occasions, one part of our brain acts as

input to another part, and so we can trigger strong responses from

within our own mind.

Ideas orientates us to the environment and directs what we do.

The set of our sail.

We can imagine a simple model of our psychology as a set of power

point frames just behind the eyes. Think burgle up pops that frame

and that is how we ‘see’ the world. Think buy, up pops that frame,

and that is how we ‘see’ the world. I put inverted commas about ‘see’

to make the point it is our unique point of view, it is what we see, it

is not merely what is there. It is how we interpret what is there and

orientate ourselves to it via our ideas in mind. In business, getting it

clear on paper is the role specification, then translating that into the

person’s mind is them adopting their game plan derived from the

role specification.

Motivation is emotions associated with ideas. The wind in our

sail.

Think of something about which you feel strongly. What happens in

your mind? Bring up the idea and try to keep it separate from the

emotions. The ability to do that is called emotional intelligence.

Think of top tennis player, for example, steely still all game, then

after hitting the game winning shot drops to their knees with emotion

and relief. Getting the result depends on delivery of the game plan.

It is no different at work.

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Increased clarity of game plan + positive emotion = improved

performance

Think of power point frames behind the eyes. Think of work. If

someone asked what they did at work, what do you think would ‘pop

up’? The point is to avoid being too clever or too complex about

people at work. What do they see? How clearly do they see? Are

there positive emotions associated with what they see?

Clarity. Clarity. Clarity.

At OPD we have the rule of CLARITY FIRST. When a person gets

clearer on the actions that enable greatest chance of greatest success,

the ideal actions, and then does those actions more often and more

effectively, results improve. As results improve, the person feels

more pleased with themselves, the boss is usually pleased, emotions

lift, which gives greater energy to the ideas, so effort lifts, which gets

further gains in results....


1. Could clarity of KPIs and ideal actions be improved in

your organization?

2. The game plan is the frame in mind carrying KPIs-ideal

actions for the job. Could game plans be improved?

3. Motivation is the emotions associated with the game plan.

Positive emotion gives zest and momentum to the action

arising from the game plan. Could positive emotion be

increased in your tem, and would that lift performance.

33

Linking people to the behavioral

structure

Get it clear on paper. Encourage people to choose work success

and choose to build clear game plans in mind. Then ensure

people enjoy the day doing what they need do to be successful

The key idea is goal→ action. It is general for every goal. The rule

is very simple, doing the ideal actions does not guarantee success but

not doing them guarantees failure.

Imagine a group of several goals. There will be ideal actions

underlying each goal. We can now group the goals into a ‘goal set’

underneath which is the set of all ideal actions called the behavioral

structure. We can now picture this applied across an organization.

The strategy is a complex goal pointing the direction. The business

plan for the period is the extent the strategy is to be achieved in that

period, hence the business plan for the period is the goal set for that

period. The tightly defined set of goals for the period. Underlying

the collection of goals that is the business plan will be a set of ideal

actions which are the behavioral structure relative to the strategy and

the business plan.

We can picture the organization structure as follows.

34

↓

↓

Get the role specifications clear on paper first

Think of your favorite sport. Now think of the key actions that make

for success at that sport... in golf, say sand saves, or closeness to the

pin from the fairway. Now ask: If you do those actions that determine

success more effectively, would you expect your result to improve?

Of course you would. It would not guarantee it, but you would give

yourself a much, much better chance of being successful. It is exactly

the same in business.

Strategy: The organization purpose, raison d’etre, the ‘direction’,

market purpose... etc.

Business plan: That aspect of the strategy to be achieved in the

period.

Organization structure: The manner the organization maps the

strategy onto the target market.

Business plan

Goal cascade (KPIs

in roles)

Behavioral structure: The set

of ideal actions in each role

35

Goal cascade: The KPIs in each role in the organization derived

from strategy that are the framework of achievement planned in the

period.

Role specification: The core performance document describing the

ideal actions for the role.

Behavioral structure: The sum of all role specifications underlying

the business plan.

Getting behavioral structure clear demands KPIs are apt and

accurate, and that the ideal actions derived from the KPIs are apt and

accurate. These are more difficult intellectual skills than they

appear, and are core skills that must be developed in HR Department.

Executive focus: Identify the behavioral structure and have

people act out the agreed ideal actions

For purposes of organization, human psychology consists of three

key elements.

Choice and engagement: People are asked to choose their own

work success to engage with themselves to make their work life

enjoyable, and fulfilling.

Ideas in mind: The set of the sail. Team leaders work with people

and review the deal actions in the roles they accept until they willing

say ‘yes, if someone does those ideal actions they have greatest

chance of greatest success with the KPIs’. People agree to translate

the role specification and build in mind their game plan as how they

will implement the agreed ideal actions and build their personal

success at work.

Motivation: The wind in the sail. Team leaders enable/support

positive emotions associated with the ideal actions so people are

36

enjoying that which they agree needs done for them to be successful

in their job.

There are several sources of positive emotion associated with the

game plan for the role.

1. From their choice to engage with their success at work.

2. By team leader having enabling team to have fun and

enjoy doing the work that needs done.

3. From the increased confidence and self-esteem, since

as game plans delivered, the team is more successful,

each individual is able to feel proud of their

contribution.

4. Team success means the boss is pleased, and if

expressed can further add to motivation.


Is the thinking in your organization as clear and sharp as it could be

such that the concept itself makes people the most valuable resource

in the business?

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Perfect human performance

Perfection is the standard we set for ourselves in our mind

Think of your favorite sport. It does not matter what it is, only that

you can ‘see’ in mind how to play. Now imagine some particular

aspects of the game that is important to being good at the game. I

imagine golf, although I was never very good, I enjoyed the round,

so an important aspect was being able to get close to the pin from

say 100 meters. Now think of someone very, very good playing that

aspect. For golf, ‘seeing’ a top golfer on TV play the shot, for

different lies and fairway situations. Be sure and ‘see’ it in detail. I

continue the golf example so I can be explicit. In mind, ‘see’ how

they approach the ball, the routine they use in the setup, any practice

swings, and depth of back swing to deliver the precise distance, etc.

In this first instance, our insight into perfect play depends on

watching in detail people very good at the play. Now visualize what

we do. It will be less than the expert play. The gap I call the

performance gap. If we now rate the expert at 10 out of 10, then we

can judge how good we are, and then begin the process of improving

our play making it closer to 10. If we make it closer to 10 our results

will improve.

Perfection is the performance level we can imagine in mind

beyond expert play

If we understand the process of using our imagination to ‘see’ what

to do, we can remove the ‘expert’ as our example, and we can now

set the standard as the ‘perfect play’, one even the expert can strive

for. We can then use our mind to ‘see’ ourselves delivering the

perfect play and by so doing we can develop our play so that our

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actual play moves closer to the perfection in mind and our actual

results improve.

The idea of doing it perfectly depends on the standard we set

for ourselves

Ideal actions in business are the agreed actions that offer greatest

chance of greatest success at achieving the KPIs assigned and

accepted in the role. They sit in the exact same psychological

relationship to self as do the detailed play in our favorite sport. In

fact, we understand the relationship between actual and perfect

delivery of the agreed ideal actions in sport better than we do in

business. It is likely you will ‘sense’ the relationship and in particular

the emotional aspects of the relationship between the play in sport

better than you sense it with ideal actions in your job.

Your relationship with perfect play in sport is exactly the same

as your relationship with delivery of ideal actions in your job

Building a focused, non-emotional, performance relationship with

ideal actions in sport or business, where the intent is to deliver the

actions to the best of your ability I call professionalism. Top sports

people only release themselves from the ‘professional’ focus when

the actions delivered as best they can on the day, and they are joyous

or depressed with their performance. Under OPD theory, as in sport

so in business.

Our striving ensures we can say: I did my best

The difference between sport and business is typically the time in

which we need act. In sport, the action is simple, the forehand shot,

or the pitch to the green. The action is done in fractions of a second.

In business, the action is always over a much longer time. There is

39

almost no situation where we cannot pause, take a moment, collect

ourselves.

In business the ideal actions are almost always more complex than

in sport. Closing that big deal, ensuring production on time and to

quality standard, etc. The complexity in business is almost always

balancing the actions, which is where it is very important to have an

agreed set of ideal actions guiding effort.

Perfection in business is first identifying the ideal actions on

paper

The role specification links the job to the business plan, such that it

is agreed that if the ideal actions delivered to standard then the

person in the role will have fully delivered the expected contribution

to the business plan.


The role specification(s) defines current insight and understanding

of the contribution to the current business plan from the job. Ideal

actions negotiated and agreed, the person agrees they seek work life

success and satisfaction, and willingly engage with their own success

which begins by them building their game plan. The team leader then

enables delivery of the game plan by supporting the person with

positive emotions doing each day at work.


If ideal actions clearer on paper, clearer in mind, and people striving

to deliver them to lift their own success/satisfaction at work, would

results improve?

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Performance management

Moving actual toward perfect performance

Within OPD theory performance management is the essential

team leader activity of working with the team member

supporting and encouraging them to realize the level of success

they choose and enjoy the daily task of doing it

I recall several years ago a TV program on a young lady gymnast

training for the Olympics. In one sequence she was practicing the

dismount from the beam. The coach demanded she repeat it and

repeat it. She became very upset, yelled at the coach and stormed off.

She sat and cried alone for a few minutes, then the coach went to her

and spoke quietly to her and she then returned to the beam and

repeated the practice until she got it to standard. It took a further 2

hours of work.

The program then cut to the Olympics, competing on the beam,

doing the exact dismount she had practiced. She won the gold medal.

She hugged her coach and was ecstatic.

The young athlete accepted the vision of her coach as having in mind

the standard needed to win. She accepted he could see perfect

performance, and was guiding her to that standard. She wanted to be

the very best she could, and was willing to work hard, but at times it

got on top of her and she reacted. Did she do it for the coach, for her

country, her team, or for herself? A little of each, with the balance

being toward her own striving to be good as what she had chosen to

do.

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Within OPD theory: As in sport so in business

They say there is no ‘i’ in team ... however there is in win. In business

winning is not about the other person, the competitor, it is about

doing the things that need done to the standard they need done.

Winning is about whether or not we got it right, and that means each

person in the team got it right. Teams are collections of individual’s

assigned aspects of a task such that if each person delivers that

expected of them the team achieves it overall goal. A good team also

‘get on’, support each other, and generally enjoy the effort. The

fundamental is each individual is to their assigned task in the team

is as the athlete to the dismount. If the individual is not committed

to delivering the task to standard, then the team could fail.

Engagement as embracing our own success

A person who does not want to succeed wont. At work we are not

talking gold medals, just doing agreed ideal actions to a reasonable,

transparent standard. If ideal actions done to standard, KPIs

achieved, if KPIs achieved then team KPIs achieved, and if team

KPIs achieved, divisional KPIs achieved...etc. You should by now

be familiar with the organizational structure.

The psychological core is each person committing to strive for

personal satisfaction and success at work in exactly the same way

the young athlete was committed to their personal success. The

ONLY difference is the level and the intensity.

Imagine a team member at work: There is extensive discussion on

ideal actions and KPIs and the person agrees the ideal actions that

offer greatest chance of greatest success. The person agrees they

wish to be successful and work, and therefore agree that in the

assigned job success is delivery of ideal actions to standard. It is open

and transparent, the standard is realistic and achievable, the person

42

asked to do their bit in such a way they first serve their own self-

esteem and satisfaction, and second serve the team.

Clarity + skill + motivation = performance

Clarity: Clear in mind the ideal actions needed to ensure greatest

chance of greatest goal success.

Skill: Having the skills to do the ideal actions.

Motivation: The emotions associated with the ideal actions, with

self-at-work, with the team and company, and above all commitment

not to let oneself down. Positive emotions associated with work arise

from the desire to find satisfaction in life, to get up each morning

and look in the mirror and be proud of the person looking back, to

feel supported by the team leader and team making the work day

enjoyable, and the positive feedback from the team, and company

and senior team leaders congratulating the team’s performance and

success.

The team leader does the task of performance management each day,

part of the routine management by walking around. Guiding the

team have fun, enjoy the day while doing the tasks, refining skills at

delivery of ideal actions, reminding people of the ideal actions,

keeping them top of mind.

Once each month the team leader meets with each person as a formal

performance management review: Did we get the numbers? If yes,

what ideal actions really work for us and how will we build on them?

If no, which ideal actions were not done to standard, and what will

we do about that? It is not recorded formally, it is not for the

‘organization’, it is a working discussion on how the team leader and

the team member can work together on enabling greater work life

success for the team member. The team member ‘feels’ the team

43

leader’s commitment to support them to be successful and to build

work life satisfaction.

Questions for discussion

If each person in your organization was committed to their success

as above, and guided as above by the team leader, would results

improve?

44

Built in flexibility

Practical creativity is an emotional act to build rational ideas

better than one has now and apply them to get a better result

than one has got in past

Human nature, the central capacity that has got us to this point, is the

capacity to conceptualize the situation we face, project our model or

theory or understanding forward so we ‘see’ what is going to happen,

identify the factors we can influence now, so that we change what is

going to happen, all this mental effort backed and supported by the

skills to carry out the idea once created. Today, we take all of this

for granted, we call it planning.

As ideas in mind planning consists of two components. First the

plan, that is what we will do so that the outcome going forward is

more in our favor. The second, and crucially important are the ideas

that are the foundation of our plan. For instance, we need to cross a

river, imagine going to build a bridge but do not know the material

we have available is too weak and we go ahead and use it. The bridge

collapses but we are lucky and no one drowns.

Making it closer to home. We are building an organization, our plan

is set, but what if the foundation ideas we used to build the plan are

inferior to other thinking now available? Exactly with the bridge, if

we build inferior ideas into our plan then the plan will be much less

effective than it could be.

To seek and apply better ideas requires letting go of existing

ideas

How do we determine better ideas? What if we are attached to our

ideas, studied at university and got our degree in them, read about

them and discuss them are conferences and with colleagues...? What

45

if these less than effective ideas are the social and cultural norm...?

How do we decide if the fundamental ideas we apply in our planning

have reached the point of needing changed? How do we know when

to let go, search for better thinking?

We must not commit to ideas but hold them always as tentative,

and be willing to embrace better thinking

Humankind was behavioral as it is today 50,000 years ago. Farming

was developed 12,000 years ago. Illustrates the time scale of creating

and applying really good ideas. I suggest that the number of ideas

developed in the last 200 years is more than the ideas developed in

the previous 49,800 years. Think about it! I also suggest the rate of

idea development will increase.

So what does this mean?

When using ideas to plan our way past situation be aware of the ideas

one uses, do not allow ideas to slip into your plan that are implicitly

assumed. Question, question and question...is there any better

thinking.

Do not assume that what is popular is correct. There is a huge

difference between being popular and being an effective thinker.

Frequently the most effective thinking is dismissed at the time.

Einstein was ridiculed when he published the photoelectric effect for

which he later got the Nobel Prize! Accept all new ideas, give them

the benefit of the doubt, do not dismiss new thinking... ask is this

thinking an advance on what I use now? Do not rush to adopt, but

do not dismiss, interact with the thinker, reflect on the ideas, ask

question, then more questions. Reflect.

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Applying sound reasoning. Even when it does not initially feel

right... reason it out, and wait to see what then emerges in your

instincts.

Systems give structure the philosophy and attitude are the

living flesh of the structure

The real enemy is fixity of mind, rigid thinking. If humanity had

been like that we would still be in small villages of hunter-gathers.

Hence the core of human nature is to get ideas, apply them, but

keeping them tentative and adopting better ideas when they come

along. That is the core of your nature if you allow it!


OPD system offers quite clear and definite processes enabling better

team performance. Systems form the core of the living organizations

that is made flesh through philosophy and attitude.

1. If the system were fully supported by the philosophy and

attitude of seeking and applying ideas to lift performance was

implemented in support of the system, would that assist lift

results?

2. If people understood and performance is applying ideas to a

situation, and we can change those ideas, would this ease the

problem of enabling change?

3. If the leadership exhibits rigid thinking, sticking tightly to

structure and policy, what would you expect of the staff?

4. Do you think fixed structure and flexibility of thought are both

essential? Why?

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Scientifically proven balanced

solution

...to human performance as a driver of results

People create organizations. The link between the organization and

a person is psychological.

The world’s longest bridge is Kunshan Grand Bridge in China, part

of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway. The bridge, which

opened in June 2011, spans 165 kilometers.

Imagine building that bridge. Imagine the engineering behind the

plans. Imagine the science behind the engineering.

Do you think the bridge could have been built at all without the

science? From the science emerged the engineering, from the

engineering was developed the blueprints. The depth of

understanding gave confidence that the bridge would be safe.

Why are organizations different? The usual response is they deal

with people and people are unpredictable. What exactly makes

people unpredictable? Is human nature unpredictable? Is the

structure of human psychology unpredictable?

In 1927, at the Solvay Physics conference in Copenhagen, the

world’s leading physicists of the day determined that the

fundamental equation of quantum physics was a probability

equation. A disgruntled Einstein disagreed and quipped ‘God does

not play dice’, to which Bohr reputably replied ‘Albert, stop telling

God what to do.’ For the following ten years, Einstein and Bohr, who

were friends, argued in the literature over the nature and

interpretation of quantum equations. Then came the WWII, and the

48

atom bomb. By say, 1950, the debate was all but settled, the view

was that if a science equation gets the right answer then the equation

had to be right and reflect what was happening. Quantum equations

were probabilistic; hence the universe was probabilistic. What has

this to do with management? Well, just about everything.

Considerations of psychology, society and the like extend deep into

Western history. However, it is agreed that the modern term social

science emerges in the first half of the 20th century. Further that the

primary tool of for study of social science was statistics, again settled

upon early-mid 20th century (for extended discussions put history of

social science in Google).

Imagine yourself a social scientist say around 1980. You pondered

if there was any definite structure underlying human mood and

conduct. However, to argue there was in psychology left hanging the

question of the interpretation of quantum physics. How can there be

definite causal structure in social science and not in physics? Today,

We come to today, statistics dominate social science. The

explanation of why organizations are different then follows... people

are unpredictable. Hence the in-depth scientific understanding that

underlies the bridge and gives confidence it is safe, does not apply.

However, the reason is NOT that the inherent intellectual structure

underlying is probabilistic, but that it one is to argue it is not then

one faces the issues of causality in physical science.

A second argument is that even though core physics is probabilistic,

the foundation science of engineering still manages to give answers

and detailed structure ensuring confidence in what the bridge

builders are doing.

There may be different styles of bridge, and different ways to build

it. But the underlying intellectual structures will be definite and

49

clear. Once the style is set, there will be no choice on how to do it,

the style will require definite technology with underlying science.

Then, and only then will the builders be confident the bridge will be

safe. My point is that such an intellectual structure always applies if

one seeks confidence and consistency of operation.

The intellectual questions

What is causality? Is what we know of cause knowledge? Yes, it

must be, therefore what exactly the relationship between cause and

knowledge? People create knowledge. Therefore, what exactly is the

relationship between human psychology and knowledge?

Knowledge and cause and psychology are linked, and to solve one

is to solve them all, therefore what exactly is the structure of a

general theory of psychology and how is it linked to general theories

of cause, and knowledge? Given existing conundrums in the

intellectual structure of social science, what are the intellectual tools

and methodological platform that would enable coherent and

consistent theory creation in social systems? There is only one actor,

people. Therefore, how do we aggregate a general theory of

psychology to groups and larger social systems, such as

organizations and societies?

None of these questions is resolved within current global best

practice social science. All the questions are resolved in posts at

www.linkedin.com/in/grahamrlittle. Also in the book The Origin of

Consciousness, currently sixth edition being prepared, but earlier

edition at www.lulu.com/spotlight/grahamlittle. I will not go further

into the intellectual background, other than to say it is resolved in

full and gives rise to the technology below, OPD-SHRM that has the

potential to make people your greatest resource and improve EBIT

30-50% (refer posts at the LinkedIn profile and the earlier Chapters

in the background section?)

50

The practical technology and how it is managed

On the left is the scientific variable, in the middle are the practical

factors team leaders use to improve staff performance, and on the

right are the cultural audit factors measured quarterly. The audit

report is used to identify which of the factors the team leader needs

to work on to develop the team performance. The intellectual issues

are as to this leadership technology as the science is to the bridge.

Organization.

Business plan for

period.

1. Goal cascade,

KPIs in every

role.

2. Ideal actions

derived from

KPIs.

3. Role

specifications.

Psychology

4. Choice.

5. Engagement

6. Acceptance.

7. Agreement.

8. Clarity.

9. Motivation.

Fundamental is ideas

in mind with action

arising from those

ideas given

momentum by

associated emotions.

Management factor.

1. Improve the goal cascade.

2. Sharpen ideal actions.

3. Clarify role specification, integrate

business processes, operations policy.

4. Review choice of each person to be

successful at work.

5. Review commitment of person to

actively seek work life success.

6. Review with person their acceptance

of the role specification.

7. Review with person they agree that

doing the ideal actions offers greatest

chance of greatest success.

8. Review with person they are clear on

the role specification, and have a

clear game plan in mind.

9. Review with person they have no

negative feelings about doing ideal

actions. And that they feel supported

by their team leader in the striving to

deliver the game plan each day.

Practical actions the team leader can take

that will improve one or more of the factors

that underpin high quality performance.

Cultural audits.

• Focus. Audits

1, 6, 7.

• Accuracy.

Audits 2, 3, 8.

• Commitment.

Audits 4, 5, 7.

• Leadership.

Audits 9, 4, 5,

6, 7, 8.

• Business

processes.

Audits 3, 7, 8.

From the audit

result, the team

leader decides

action on the

factors judged to

improve the audit

result for next time.

All people striving for perfect game plan perfectly delivered

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Redefining engagement

Engagement is attaching positive emotions to those ideas and

actions we choose to include in our life

We choose to include ideas and their actions in our life if and only if

they are important enough to us. What is it that will make ideas and

their actions important enough?

Imagine working for a company. It is well managed; the people are

fun to be around the work is enjoyable. Business ethics are strong,

you, like all the team, feel respected and valued. You would go out

of your way to get the result, since you know the directors and

governance of the company would go out of their way for you.

Is this enough to ‘engage’ with this company? Yes, it is. Could you

be more ‘engaged’?

Now imagine the dark side. Things get difficult, the company asks

for help, and everybody agrees a pay cut so no one gets laid off. The

company gets sold. You disagree with some marketing decisions as

the company fights to build sales. Now, your personal finances are

not as solid, you have some concerns about what is going on and

while it is still a good place of work, you are facing a different

reality.

Engagement with the company remains solid, but with reservations.

Aiming to build own success is something that will always serve

you

The most important thing in your life is your health and welfare. If

that goes, then all those whom one loves and whom supports will

lose the quality of that support.

52

In other writing I show how our daily activities are linked to the

national economy by doing our bit at work (posts at LinkedIn, and

the book Why Work). Your success at work is precisely doing the

ideal actions agreed in your role to the fullest extent and standard

you are able. But, one acts out the actions not for the company, but

for ourselves. Each morning, when one looks in the mirror, the pride

swells knowing the person looking back did a solid day yesterday,

delivered the ideal actions agreed to a good standard, and in so doing

served oneself, served the company, served the team, served the

team leader, whom one likes, and served society.

Engagement is our commitment to our life

We engage with ourselves and in doing so we engage with life. Our

engagement with doing the ideal actions at work to serve our own

success is exactly the same as engagement with our grandchild, or

with the darts team at the club, or the energy in the reading group, or

rebuilding the bathroom. We do things to the level we set and agree

first with ourselves so that we feel good about our involvement.

Work is part of our life, not something separate from it, but

something central to it, and from which one can draw life

satisfaction. We engage with life, part of which is engaging with our

own success at work.

Review again the table below from Chapter 13. Three key variables

define the structure of the organizations, the goal cascade within

includes the organization structure and mapping the strategy onto the

market, the ideal actions agreed to offer the greatest chance of

greatest KPI success, and the clarity of the role specifications.

The organization design is then integrated with the psychology.

People make the choice to be successful in their work life, they

accept the role specifications as defining success in their job, they

53

agree the ideal actions offer greatest chance of greatest success,

engage by actively adopting the role specifications in mind, building

game plans with associated positive emotions that drive behavior at

work and actively visualize themselves acting out the ideal actions,

they build clarity in game plans, making their efforts more effective.

By choosing to be successful, accepting and agreeing the role

specifications as the means of personal success, and actively

engaging in mind with game plans, people build significant

‘intrinsic motivation’, exactly as exhibited by any sports person

seeking to win the game. They are willing to go the extra, to fight,

not for anything outside themselves, but for their own pride, and

personal success... they want to feel good about themselves. The

intrinsic motivation is then actively supported by the team leader

who ensure people are enjoying the day, do what they need do and

have fun while doing it.

54

The immediate practical act of engagement is visualization of

ideal actions with no negative emotions

Organization.

Business plan for

period.

1. Goal cascade,

KPIs in every

role.

2. Ideal actions

derived from

KPIs.

3. Role

specifications.

Psychology

4. Choice.

5. Engagement

6. Acceptance.

7. Agreement.

8. Clarity.

9. Motivation.


in mind with action

arising from those

ideas given

momentum by


Management factor.






successful at work.









the role specification, and have a clear

game plan in mind.









Cultural audits.

• Focus. Audits

1, 6, 7.

• Accuracy.

Audits 2, 3, 8.

• Commitment.

Audits 4, 5, 7.

• Leadership.

Audits 9, 4, 5,

6, 7, 8.

• Business

processes.

Audits 3, 7, 8.

From the audit

result, the team

leader decides

action on the factors

judged to improve

the audit result for

next time.

55

Culture

The primary drivers of human mood and conduct are ideas

with the intensity of emotion giving thrust to the actions

derived from the ideas

Carefully read the table below.

Organization.

Business plan for

period.

1. Goal cascade,

KPIs in every

role.

2. Ideal actions

derived from

KPIs.

3. Role

specifications.

Psychology

4. Choice.

5. Engagement

6. Acceptance.

7. Agreement.

8. Clarity.

9. Motivation.


in mind with action

arising from those

ideas given

momentum by


Management factor.






successful at work.









the role specification, and have a clear

game plan in mind.









Cultural audits.

• Focus. Audits

1, 6, 7.

• Accuracy.

Audits 2, 3, 8.

• Commitment.

Audits 4, 5, 7.

• Leadership.

Audits 9, 4, 5,

6, 7, 8.

• Business

processes.

Audits 3, 7, 8.

From the audit

result, the team

leader decides

action on the factors

judged to improve

the audit result for

next time.

Variables 1, 2, and 3 on left define the behavioral structure, namely

those actions which if delivered enable the greatest chance of

greatest goal success. Variables 4, 5, 6, and 7 build intrinsic

56

motivation, the internal commitment by the person to lift the quality

of their life committing to their own standards of success, pride, and

self-esteem. Variable 8 build clarity of action. Finally, variable 9 is

the team leader, supporting the intrinsic motivation by ensuring each

person enjoying their day while doing that which they agreed needs

to be done to enable the greatest chance of greatest success.

Read the table again. Now, imagine a team living out the principles

as embodied in the able.

People make the choice to be successful in their work life, they

accept the role specifications as defining success in their job, they

agree the ideal actions offer greatest chance of greatest success,

engage by actively adopting the role specifications in mind, building

game plans with associated positive emotions that drive behavior at

work and actively visualize themselves acting out the ideal actions,

they build clarity in game plans, making their efforts more effective.

By choosing to be successful, accepting and agreeing the role

specifications as the means of personal success, and actively

engaging in mind with game plans, people build significant

‘intrinsic motivation’, exactly as exhibited by any sports person

seeking to win the game. They are willing to go the extra, to fight,

not for anything outside themselves, but for their own pride, and

personal success... they want to feel good about themselves. The

intrinsic motivation is then actively supported by the team leader

who ensure people are enjoying the day, do what they need do and

have fun while doing it.

Do not try to manage culture. Support team leaders to manage

people as per the table. The culture will emerge

Innovation and creativity are teams taking time out, working ‘on’ the

business by reviewing the role specification and ideal actions,

57

making changes on paper, then adopting those change in game plans

in mind and then the disciplined, self-satisfying task of acting out the

agreed game plans.

In business ‘culture’ expresses how the people populating the

organization go about doing that which they need do to make

the organization successful

58

All proactive HR policy is changed

An organization is an idea influencing people. The organization

becomes ‘real’ through people and only through people.

Therefore, all aspects of what people do in organizations is

determined in their mind. It follows that if we better understand how

the mind works, we will better understand the link between people

and the organization. But understanding how the mind works

demands a depth of science not appropriate to practical management,

for example, the link between ideas and action (body-mind

problem), and theory creation in social science. It is important a

practical manager can have confidence the intellectual work has

been done, then and only then is the technology derived from the

science reliable, consistent and reproducible.

OPD-HCD™ team leadership technology is derived from a

scientific theory of psychology itself derived from a tightly

defined social science methodological platform.

OPD-HCD™ divides the link between people and the organization

into two.

1. Current compliance, and administration of people in the

organization, largely unchanged.

2. Strategic human capital development, or strategic HR, the

pro-active aspect of HR, is completely changed from

current global approach.

The strategic management of all human performance in the

organization is the identification of the ideal actions derived

from strategy in every role (the behavioral structure) and

59

delivery of those actions to standard (perfect game plans

perfectly delivered).

Identification and delivery of the behavioral structure to standard is

the priority of the CEO determined to roll out strategy so it has the

greatest chance of greatest market success. Responsibility for this

task is delegated to the HR Function who become the ‘right hand’ of

the CEO overseeing skills and application of all team leaders across

the organization. The ‘team leader’ is accountable for team output.

The HR Business Partner supports, coaches and guides the team

leader in the OPD-HCD™ technology enabling the team greatest

chance of greatest success. Therefore, enabling each person greatest

chance of greatest work life success.

The key difference in OPD-HCD™ technology is in the detail.

The following definitions illustrate. These details are overall quite

different from current global best practice and are a well-defined

team performance technology offering clear tools to all team leaders

that will achieve consistent, reliable results.

• OPD-HCD™ the technology each team leader is to apply

in refining and full implementation of the behavioral

structure of the team to standard.

• HR Business partner: The HR person assigned to coach,

support and guide team leaders in applying OPD-HCD™

technology enabling the team greatest chance of greatest

success.

• Organization development: Defining the organization on

paper, down to the ideal actions in each role. Identifying

and refining clarity and definition of the behavioral

structure from the agreed budget for the accounting period.

60

Specifying each job via its role specifications. Each role

being a unique set of KPIs and ideal actions within the job.

• Game plan: The psychological frame within the mind of

each person that is their understanding of ideal actions in

the roles in their job, and is applied by the person in

forming their own daily behavior on the job.

• Engagement: The commitment by the person to their own

work life success.

• Commitment: The agreement with the person they will act

such as to positively build their own work life success.

• Agreement: That delivery of the ideal actions to standard

offers greatest chance of greatest success in the role.

• Positive acceptance: The person has no negative or adverse

emotions when they think of themselves delivering the

agreed ideal actions to standard.

• Intrinsic motivation: The ‘internal’ motivation of the

person. Engagement plus commitment.

• Team motivation: The ‘external’ motivation being applied

to the person. The team leader ensuring every person is

having fun each day at work striving to deliver the

behavior structure to standard.

• Training: Focused on the person skills at delivery of the

agreed ideal actions in the role. It follows, that training

should immediately lift results.

• Change management: Agree new goals and identify the

ideal actions derived from those goals. In the jobs

involved, refine the role specification→ agree the new role

61

specification with the person assigned the role → coach,

practice/role play the new ideal actions → support person

refine their game plan→ performance review with person

to consolidate ideal actions as habit. Within OPD-HCD™

change management is clear and non-threatening.

• OPD cultural audit: The regular (quarterly at least)

monitoring of the implementation in the team of OPD-

HCD™ technology. The team leader with support of the

HR Business Partner selects the audit factors to be

improved for next audit.

• Performance review: The regular (monthly at least)

meeting between the team leader and team member on the

effectiveness of the team member in acting out the agreed

ideal actions to standard.

• Talent identification and management: Identifying those

people with greatest skill at contributing to the refinement

of the role specifications in their job and with the greatest

willingness to apply themselves in pursuit of their work

life success. Giving opportunity to those judged with most

talent.

When implemented these details carry the organization to a focused,

helpful, organized, friendly, and enjoyable working environment

with which customers pleased to interact.

Building culture where every person striving for perfect game

plans perfectly delivered.

62

Lifting expectations

People are expected to strive for their own work life success

and satisfaction.

Under OPD-HCD™ people are not asked to achieve goals. In the

sense of performance results there are no expectations.

Goals (KPIs) are the tool to link the daily actions of the person with

the strategy. The ideal actions in the role are derived from goals and

agreed by the person, the team leader of the person, the manager of

the team leader and finally signed off by the CEO.

People are asked to commit to their own work life success and

satisfaction. In agreeing the role specifications, they agree the ideal

actions represent the greatest opportunity for greatest success.

Therefore, delivery of ideal actions to standard is the agreed way a

person needs to seek success in the job.

Accepting the job is acceptance of the ideal actions inherent in

the job.

If a person is uncomfortable with acting out the ideal actions, yet

intellectually they agree that is what is needed, then they have no

other ethical choice but to resign. This is exactly equivalent to the

CEO resigning if they are uncomfortable and cannot live with the

strategy directed by the board.

If a person does not think the level of results will be achieved by the

ideal actions adopted, they should table their opinion and then

commit 100% to deliver of ideal actions as specified so that if the

result is not achieved, then it is not due their underperformance.

63

The CEO is responsible for roll out of strategy.

Apt and accurate ideal actions, via the goal cascade is the only

scientific and most effective way of rolling out strategy. Therefore,

a priority of the CEO is ensuring role specifications apt accurate

relative to strategy. The second internal priority of the CEO is

ensuring all team leaders are guiding committed delivery of the role

specifications to standard.

A person is expected to manage their own conduct at work.

The person succeeds if and only if they deliver to standard the agreed

ideal actions in the role. The person is NOT responsible for the

result, that is the responsibility of the leadership team up to and

including the CEO. If a person delivers ideal actions fully to standard

and the goal is NOT achieved, then the person is NOT responsible

for that failure.

The link between ideal actions and goals is determined by the

leadership, by the HR Function and discussed and agreed with the

person accepting the role. Identifying ideal actions relative to a goal

is a crucial intellectual task that must not left to just the team leader

and person, it is too important. In combination with the goal cascade

it is the task defining the behaviors necessary from staff to achieve

the strategy.

Deriving ideal actions from a goal is a task that must be done with

the skill that ensures the ideal actions adopted offer the greatest

chance of greatest success. Doing ideal actions does not guarantee

success, there are always factors beyond the control of the person

doing the job. Not doing ideal actions guarantees failure.

Once settled, the person accepts the ideal actions as offering them

greatest chance of greatest personal work life success, and commits

64

to manage their daily behavior at work to deliver the agreed ideal

actions to standard.

The start point of every person’s work life success is adopting in

mind a game plan for the job derived from the formal role

specification of the job.

Organization and personal learning.

Over time s team will learn which ideal actions work best. This is

‘organizational learning’ and needs to be captured, and the role

specifications amended to reflect the learning.

As people manage their behavior to match the ideal actions, they will

develop more skill, so they personally learn what they need do, their

personal style of delivery of ideal actions, to do it to get best results

for them.

Non-threatening change management.

As the market or strategy changes so the goals may change. If the

goals change the ideal actions change. These changes must be

recorded first in the role specifications, then discussed with the

people. When agreed and signed off by all concerned, then the team

leader works with the person to adopt the role specification to build

a revised game plan in the mind of the person they then use to guide

and manage their behavior at work.

The process of change management is clear, direct and non-

threatening to the person.

People striving for perfect game plans perfectly delivered.

65

Redefining leadership

People act upon the ideas they apply to ‘see’ any situation the

intensity of that action determined by their emotions associated

with those ideas.

Ideas we use to ‘look’ and ‘see’ situations are on a frame that

represents the structure of our psychology. The ideas on the frame

are our unique point of view. The emotions associated with the ideas

are the intensity with which we feel and act out the ideas.

The ideas we apply are called the game plan. The emotions

associated with the ideas are our engagement with the game plan.

The psychological equation is Game plan (focus + clarity) +

Engagement = Result. This says we can lift results by improving the

game plan, that is improving our ideas (focus) and clarity of that

focus, or by increasing our engagement (emotions associated with

our ideas), or both. (For a full discussion on our psychology see Chapter 8.)

Psychological principle 1: The clearer in mind the more

effective our action.

1. Current effort and current game plan delivers the current

result.

2. If we build a better game plan apply current effort, we get

an improved result.

3. If we build a perfect game plan and apply current effort, we

get a much improved result. (For a discussion on perfect human

performance see Chapter 10.)

66

Psychological principle 2: If we increase the effort with a better

game plan we get a much improved result.

4. If we apply improved effort to a better game plan, we get a

much improved result.

5. If we apply improved effort to a perfect game plan, we

greatly improved result.

The diagram illustrates these relationships between clarity and focus

in mind versus effort.

67

There are now two major tasks. Management, thinking our what

has to be done to have greatest chance of success, and leadership,

Strategy

Organization structure, roles defined by KPIs

Current effort Current game plan Current result

Improved

effort

Better game plan Improved result

Much improved

results

Greatly

improved

result

Satisfaction in

success.

Engaged.

Finding flow and

having fun.

Perfect

game plan

68

interacting with people guiding them do what is needed with

commitment and energy.

Management is getting it clear on paper first.

Management is a crucial step done at one’s desk, applying the goal-

action principle to every role, drafting the role specification on

paper, sharpening it, refining the business processes so the role is

tightly and smoothly integrated into the whole organization. It is

thinking out what the team needs to do to enable the greatest chance

of greatest success. (For a full discussion applying the goal-action principle in

organizations see Chapters 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14 and 15.)

Leadership is guiding people to act out that which they agree to

on paper.

There is an important step between ‘definitely’ management and

‘definitely’ leadership, namely having people agree that the role

specification, represents the greatest chance of greatest success in

the role. I prefer to see it as the last step on management, where

people asked to apply the intellect, their experience and answer the

question: If a person acts out with commitment the ideal actions in

the role specification, would they achieve the results stated? There

is no commitment, no emotion, merely judgement. Hence

management.

Leadership task 1: Keeping the game plan top of mind.

The role specification is agreed, the person memorizes it and adapts

it to their personal skills and style. It must be located on a frame

which is how the person ‘see’ their delivery of role, then and only

then will it act as the game plan orientating the person to what they

need to do each day at work. A key leadership task to ensure the

game plan is kept top of mind.

69

Leadership task 2: Build intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation is the energy the person brings to their personal

work success. This is managed by exploring with people their

engagement and commitment to their own work life success. (For a full

discussion on motivation see Chapters 5, 8, 10, 11, 14.)

Leadership task 3: Build external motivation.

External motivation is the influence of the team leader and the team

on the energy the person applies to their work.

The first and crucial way to add positive emotional energy to the

game plan is to ensure the person is having fun while acting out the

game plan.

Having fun then supported by ensuring the person is aware of the

importance of their contribution, that they are doing a good job, and

are an important part of team success.

Every person striving for perfect game plans perfectly

delivered.

70

Redefining management

Game plan (focus + clarity) + Engagement = Result.

People act according to the ideas they apply to ‘see’ and ‘understand’

and ‘relate to’ the situation. These ideas exist on what I describe as

a ‘frame’, like a power point frame. Technically it is a mental set, as

discussed in full in the book The Origin of Consciousness, frame is

a simpler term carrying better visual image of how it works in us.

The intensity of any set of ideas is due the emotions associated with

those ideas. So the more positive energy, the more ‘motivated’ we

are, the more negative energy, the more resistant we are. There are

two further key issues.

First, every frame is linked to our spirit, specifically draws

substantial emotional connection from our spirit. I define our spirit

as the core emotional structures we developed prior to language, in

particular emotions about ourselves, and our link to the external

world. So we could be tentative, or confident, enquiring or

withdrawn.

Finally, any particular frame is linked to associated or related frame,

that is ideas that are not directly the idea in question but bear to the

overall topic. In a job for example, a person may be directly

motivated by the work, but be demotivated by view of making

profits, or views on conservation, or on the ethics of the directors of

the business, etc. No thoughts exist in isolation.

The simplest way is to understand the role specification of the job

on a frame and as the way the person ‘sees’ the job. I describe this

as the person ‘orientating’ themselves to the job via their game plan.

71

Greatest team performance requires management plus

leadership.

There are now two major tasks. Management, thinking our what has

to be done to have greatest chance of success, and leadership,

interacting with people guiding them do what is needed with

commitment and energy.

1. Management: Getting the role specification clear on paper.

2. Leadership: Guiding people adopt the role specification,

hold it on a frame in their mind and adapt it to their skills

so form their unique game plan for the job and live out that

game plan to enable the greatest work life satisfaction.

Management is first getting it clear on paper.

Management is a crucial step done at one’s desk, applying the goal-

action principle to every role, drafting the role specification on

paper, sharpening it, refining the business processes so the role is

tightly and smoothly integrated into the whole organization. It is

thinking out what the team needs to do to enable the greatest chance

of greatest success. (For a full discussion applying the goal-action principle in

organizations see Newsletters 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14 and 15.)

Leadership is guiding people to act out that which they agree to

on paper.

There is an important step between ‘definitely’ management and

‘definitely’ leadership, namely having people agree that the role

specification represents the greatest chance of greatest success in the

role. I prefer to see it as the last step of management, where people

asked to apply the intellect, their experience and answer the

question: If a person acts out with commitment the ideal actions in

the role specification, would they achieve the results stated? There

72

is no commitment, no emotion, merely judgement. Hence

‘management’.

To get it really clear in mind it needs to be first clear on paper.

Have you ever had the experience ‘yes, I know what I am doing’

then when asked to write it down you only knew it 8 out of 10, and

improving your clarity to 9 out of 10 enabled a better result.

Reread the following key principles.

1. Current effort and current game plan delivers the current

result.

2. If we build a better game plan apply current effort, we get

an improved result.

3. If we build a perfect game plan and apply current effort, we

get a much improved result. (For a discussion on perfect human

performance see Chapter 10.)

Management is more important than leadership.

It is easier to get it clear, to think it out than it is to inspire people to

work harder. Second no matter how hard people work if they are

doing the wrong things they will fail.

By being good managers, by getting it clear and gaining agreement

it is clear, we lay the base of success and enable better performance

than would be achieved otherwise.

Motivation follow success.

Imagine guiding the team to get it much clear. Then imagine the team

acting out the clearer ideal actions resulting in greater success. How

will they feel?

73

Exactly. Even when the success is not acknowledged by senior

manager, people know in their heart, they feel better about

themselves as they look in the mirror in the morning.

Knowing it clearly enables doing it to standard. The success from

yesterday plus knowing it clearly enables going in next day and

doing it again. Work life gets more fulfilling.

Keeping leadership simple.

With strong effective management, then leadership can be as simple

as saying ‘thank you’ when things done right, and ‘oops, what are

we doing about that’ when things done not right.

74

Why has it not been done before?

Ideas were not accepted as influencing people, whereas

explaining organizations involve understanding of ideas and

how they were causal in human affairs.

OPD theory (1) defines management as identifying the goals derived

from strategy then identifying the ideal actions derived from the

goals that offer greatest chance of greatest goal success. (2)

Leadership as guiding people act out the agreed ideal actions with

zest and commitment.

It is not possible to create OPD theory without having underlying

scientific precision of (1) a clear and consistent methodology of

social science for building theory; (2) a general theory of cause: (3)

a general theory of knowledge; (4) a general theory of psychology.

Finally, it is not possible to do 2, 3 & 4 without understanding of

how they are linked and interrelated.

Why do we need science?

HR, engagement, culture, motivation, human capital, etc. and the

very nature of organization itself involve people. The science of

people is social science, and subject to the rules, principles, and

understanding that dominates all science. No other aspect of

organizations involves the depth of science in this way.

Would you present a business plan to the Directors that did not

consider costs, or competition, or returns, etc. Of course not. First

things MUST be done first. Same in science. First things must be

done first. Therefore, for example, how can we discuss motivation

without a general theory of psychology? If we do, we need declare

that in the absence of a general theory of psychology, which could

alter everything about to be said on motivation, we speculate that…

75

OPD theory needs no such qualification, since it brings all first

things to account.

The practical manager does NOT need know about this

intellectual stuff, but does need to know what is being offered

works.

Better science, better technology, better results. The practical

manager needs to know they can depend on the technology they are

using. And that technology should be the best available, which

means it is derived from the best science available.

OPD theory goes beyond the historical empirical approach that this

idea seems to work in most situations most of the time. OPD offers

clear, specific guidelines for getting the best results every time.

There is no causality in groups.

All social causality occurs via the individual mind. Read my work at

my SSRN author page if you need to understand why that is so.

(http://ssrn.com/author=2572745)

The fact social causality occurs in the mind of each person means

that what happens in a group is the vector addition of what happens

in each individual mind. Causality of group behaviour cannot be

analysed from the point of view of the group, only from the point of

view of each individual and what they intend given the group

circumstance.

Effective organization action requires coordinated effort.

An effective organization is one with smooth integration of different

business functions. We all know it is not simple to achieve, even

though from a group point of view it sounds simple.

76

When we add understanding of group causality, we see immediately

why it is difficult to achieve. It is not about the group, but how each

mind ‘sees’ what they need to do relative to the group output.

OPD theory is a system whereby every person can clearly ‘see’ and

agree their role in the greater organization, and is intrinsically

motivated to do it and is supported in doing it by the team leader

enabling the team have fun each day at work while doing it.

OPD theory cannot be applied piecemeal.

OPD theory and the technology of organization design arising from

it is a way to THINK about the link between the strategy the market

and the people who make the organization come alive.

Imagine a small group facing some circumstance Now imagine two

people see it one way and one person sees it differently. Will they

act in a coordinated manner? Well, hardly. It could be suggested

getting the coordination is what the team leader does…under all

existing approaches that is true. We know of the limits of that

approach, and the ongoing issues that arise. Among which is the

constant need of ‘realigning’ minds with the tasks, especially the one

who does not see it as the other two. Performance will always be a

wrestle. Now imagine where all three team members guided to see it

the same way, and they agree their part of the coordinated effort.

Now, it is merely a matter of keeping top of mind the agreed things

each person needs to do. Each person then ‘seeing’ it clearly. The

team leader supporting each person maintain energy and zest in the

task by enabling them have fun while doing it.

OPD-HCD™ is the only technology for enabling people

willingly align their minds in pursuit of a common goal.

77

Stop. Reflect. Chose and improve

We see with our mind not with our eyes

Think of buying a house. What would you look for? Now, think of

burgling a house. What would you look for? When the lists are

written down they are very different. This work has been done, and

discussed fully in books and papers. (Refer The Origin of Consciousness

http://ssrn.com/abstract=2814742 and Through the Glass Darkly http://ssrn.com/abstract=2811861.)

What we ‘see’ arises from the way we think.

What does this tell us? What are the consequences? How does this

help understand ourselves and why we do what we do?

WE are NOT our ideas

Let’s say someone lived in Christchurch and supported the local

rugby team, the Crusaders. Then they shifted to Hamilton, and they

changed and supported the local team, the Chiefs. Or, let’s someone

was a Church of England and changed to Methodist, or was

Christian, and changed to Islam. When they changed, did ‘they’

change? They could have adopted some different behaviours relative

to their choice. Such as going to the Hamilton rugby stadium rather

than Christchurch.

People need retain a sense of continuity of self… How? In ‘Origin’

I discuss this as the I of I, that is the ‘I’ separate and apart from the I

that acts. Which means ideas are a tool of the I of I, the way we

express our presence in the world.

We can change our ideas

It is important NOT to identify with our ideas. Especially in this fast

paced modern world.

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We need to learn about what I call our spiritual core, that is ‘I of I’

beyond our immediate living activity. A place in mind where we can

go and from which we ‘view’ ourselves and our efforts and feelings.

A permanent place, a place that just ‘IS’…

The I that acts, the I whereby I live is where we apply our ideas. The

I of I within I, is from where I judge the ideas that most serve and

most support I.

We are part of our external world as much as a tree or photon. This

is difficult to grasp and explored fully in the paper Through the glass

darkly. It requires we separate science from actual situations. We

understand via science, which is only ever variables and the

relationship between them (refer ‘Origin’). What we access in our

mind is the value of those variables as active in us.

Part of the understanding is understanding the structure of our spirit.

Which is not something inherent in us, but something that emerges

in us from without the development of our psyche (refer ‘Origin’).

It is a spiritual structure we create for ourselves enabling us to cope

and maintain continuity of our spiritual existence in our modern

world. If there is just I, where there is no I of I, then there is the no

gap between my existence and the ideas I hold. To change ideas is

to threaten a change of I.

How do we get fixated on some ideas and not others?

We manage all circumstances via the image in our minds of those

circumstances, and we assume our image, our reality, is congruent

with the external circumstances, the Reality. Our internal spiritual

structure is an aspect of our Reality, which we understand in reality

by conceptualising it, and we experience the result daily. We can

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change how we think about it, how we understand it, and that will

change our experience of it.

The ideas we hold are given force via the emotions associated with

them. We can become fixated by having very strong emotions

associated with some ideas so when that idea challenged we become

very agitated.

What has this got to do with leadership and management?

• The ideas we adopt will determine the opportunities we ‘see’.

Think back to buy and burgle… how are you viewing your job,

and company, and how things could be improved?

• It is not possible to develop a leader without developing the

person. It is not possible to develop the person without enabling

their spiritual peace and them finding a quiet place that does not

rant and rave, but quietly asserts the ideas appropriate to any

situation.

• With a well-developed spiritual core, we are not threatened by

change, we know we will cope and we can adopt new ideas and

new ways of thinking and not feel threatened.

• Relaxed, confident, we can brainstorm new ways of doing

things, we can separate ourselves from how it has been done

and say… okay, that looks like it will work better, I can adopt

those ideas.

• We can listen to criticism of our ideas without feeling

threatened. It is about better ideas than enable better result and

greater fulfilment in the doing of them… it is not personal.

Learn how to hold ideas as tools, it will improve enjoyment of

your life

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Why can’t we do it ourselves?

The key to improved organization operation is to align all

minds with the actions offering greatest chance of greatest

success

People act according to how they think with the intensity of action

depending on the emotions associated with the ideas. It immediately

follows that to align effort with the strategy requires people have in

mind exactly what they need do and be motivated to do it. The

principles are clear.

First getting the role specification clear and agreed on paper.

Second, once signed off, then having people memorize what they

need do. The role specification and its clarity in mind defines focus

and accuracy of action.

Third, team leaders manage the crucial cultural base namely people

seeking success at work, and willing to invest reasonable effort to

achieve that. This ‘internal drive’ is referred to as intrinsic

motivation.

Finally, team leaders ensure people having fun every day at work

while engaged in delivery of the game plan agreed as defining their

success and contribution at work. Fun. Every day. Doing what they

need do and enjoying it. The team leader effort to develop positive

emotions with the game plan is referred to as team motivation.

Perfect game plans

There are several crucial and difficult steps.

First, setting the KPIs in every role that grasp the essential success

of the role relative to the overall business strategy. Too many, and

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behavioral precision is lost, and the expectation on people too broad

and unfocused. Too few, reduces impact and does not adequately

define the role relative to the strategy from which the KPIs derived.

Second, deriving the ideal actions from the KPIs.

Third, deriving the ideal actions from the business processes

surrounding the role and which integrate the role into the remainder

of the organization.

These activities are difficult creative/intellectual tasks requiring

creative conceptualization skills and drawing on experience. There

is no shortcut, since the role specification is the crucial coaching tool

for guiding success in the role.

Due lack of the conceptual/creative/intellectual skills managers and

team leaders, regardless of level, are not good at these tasks.


Getting motivated delivery from the team requires developing in

team leaders a sophisticated relationship with the team members.

First, when considering the game plan of the person, the team leader

needs to have the confidence of the person that they, the team leader

knows what they are doing. Hence there is projection and use of

authority.

Second, building the emotional base associated with and supporting

the person in their drive to succeed the team leader needs to

understand how to be supportive, to not be ‘authoritative’, but be

emotionally supportive.

The sophistication is to understand when to be ‘above’ the team

member, and when to be ‘below’ team member.

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Team leaders are not strong with this sort of role/emotional shift and

still retain their ‘presence’.

Why can’t we do it ourselves?

You can. But, global HR is not structured like OPD-HCD™ which

is different and must be all inclusive. If not, then it just limps and

sinks to the level of the existing system, seen as another HR head

office push on team performance. There are a number of key items

to manage.

1. Role specification clear on paper first, requiring crucial

conceptualization skills managers will not possess.

2. Align all HR policy ensuring no policy is in conflict with

the new approach.

3. Integrate the new system into contracts.

4. Make it compulsory. If the lunch room chatter is about the

new system, and some team leader is able to say…oh, I am

not doing that… it can undermine implementation.

5. Ensure executive commitment and insightful understanding

of their role in being verbal ready and supportive.

6. Train all team leaders in the team leadership needed, and

develop the skills at shifting from ‘authority’ as team

leader to ‘supportive and motivational’.

7. Ensure clear and responsive administration of the system,

so any team leader can make changes and get responses on

role specification, team structure, cultural audits, etc.

8. Ensure team leaders celebrate all successes.

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9. Ensure team leaders walk about their team each day, and

be heard to congratulate people delivering the ideal actions

to standard.

10. Ensure team leaders have regular, weekly to start, meeting

with team members where the team leader listens rather

than talks. Encouraging people to assume full

responsibility for their actions and how they will develop

their own performance.

11. Ensure team leader is interacting to keep ideal actions ‘top

of mind’ in all team members.

12. Ensure team leaders are supporting team members have

fun each day doing the ideal actions that drive

organizational success.

If any four of these items are not done to standard, then the

implementation will be undermined and not achieve the

improvements in results expected of it.

Given it is new, given it is more complicated than it looks, given it

is different from the existing HR best practice, companies doing it

themselves are likely to spend several years uncovering what OPD

International already knows. That is if the company manages to keep

at it and the implementation survives the initial disappointments and

setbacks.

OPD-HCD™: Aligning minds to achieve mutual success

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Mind of the CEO

After the strategic decision the priority of the CEO is to guide

identification and delivery to standard of the behavioral

structure1 relative to strategy

In each accounting period strategic progress is measured in the goals

achieved in that period. The strategy is the direction, the

‘destination’, the goals in each accounting period the steps toward

the destination.

Achieving CEO clarity of how to rollout strategy

After the strategic decision, then the CEO can think with tight, even

ruthless clarity.

• Strategy is complex long term goal broken down each

accounting period into precise and clear goals in each job

(a job consists of one or more roles).

• Every goal demands specific actions, called ideal actions2,

to enable that goal.

• The sum of all ideal actions across the organization is

defined as the behavioral structure relative to the strategy.

1 See the section in the chapter Goal-Action, and the chapter Linking people to the

behavioural structure. For a full discussion refer the book, Mind of the CEO,

Little, Graham Richard, The Mind of the CEO (September 1, 2016). Available at

SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2833571

2 Refer chapter Goal-action.

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Conclusion: If people act out the behavioral structure to standard

then the organization will achieve its projected strategic

progress in that accounting period.

Organizational design

There are several crucial and difficult steps.

Understanding that this clarity of insight by the CEO applies only in

the OPD system of organization design. Achieving this

understanding of the OPD theory across the organization, in the

mind of every team leader, is very much harder than it appears, since

the OPD theory of organization is different from current

organization best practice point of view. Team leaders are subject to

multiple views on leadership, management, engagement etc. … and

as a result may not fully apply the OPD technology, or apply it in a

confused manner.

Second, it is difficult conceptually to derive an effective goal

cascade, the KPIs in each role, from strategy.

Third, it is very much more difficult conceptually to derive an

effective set of ideal actions from the goals (KPIs) in any role.

Finally, from the general theory of psychology, human motivation

arises via the emotions associated with ideas. It is difficult to have

team leader understand their leadership role of (1) having every

person with an apt game plan of KPIs and ideal actions in mind for

successful delivery in their role. (2) to keep the game plan top of

mind while the person at work. (3) to ensure the person is having fun

and enjoying the tasks agreed within the role.

Role of the HR

It is the team leader who is fully accountable for the output from

their team.

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However, because of the complexity3 of the task of establishing the

OPD system across the organization, HR is delegated by the CEO to

partner with all team leaders and provide for those team leaders the

technical expertise as needed enabling every team leader to fully and

expertly discharge their accountability to guide the team identify and

delivery to standard the team behavioral structure that offers greatest


It does not matter the size of the organization, this HR task is

essential and must be acted upon if the organization is to succeed.

KIS…Keep it simple

Again imagine the strategy in the CEO mind, and imagine it a color.

Now, imagine every person with an agreed game plan in mind

derived from the agreed KPIs (goals), that define the contribution of

the role to strategic success, and with the agreed ideal actions that

when acted out offer greatest chance of greatest KPI success. This

mental structure in each person encouraged and supported by the

team leader, who also ensures the person is having fun delivering the

ideal actions to standard.

This mental structure in each person, clearly specifying their

understanding and contribution to strategy, is precisely the structure

that has the mind of the person in sync with the CEO. The color of

the strategy in the person mind is a perfect match to the color in the

mind of the CEO.

3 See the chapter All proactive HR policy is changed.

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Strategy is NOT what is on paper, but what is in mind of those

who need deliver it

The organization a coordinated whole, acting with precision and

unison in achieving the strategic plan and goals derived from that

plan. And this precision includes creativity, and flexibility and other

such ‘nonlinear’ actions by people4.

The clearer and more apt the game plans in the mind of all the staff,

the more the people are having fun and enjoying personal success,

the more successful the organization.

The aim of the CEO: Perfect game plans perfectly delivered

Every team leader is a CEO in their team. The exact same process

applies.

4 Refer the chapter Built in flexibility.

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HR as the ‘right hand’ of the CEO

OPD-HCD™ enables HR partnering with team leaders as the

proactive driver of team success

A strategy is a complex goal. Progress against any strategy in an

accounting period is measured in the goals and goal achievement in

that period (refer #2, How to double profits, and refer #3, goal -

action).

HR as technical partner of every team leader for identifying the

apt behavioral structure and guiding its delivery

Underlying every strategy is a behavioral structure that must be acted

out if the strategy is to be achieved (refer #7, Behavioral structure of

the organization, #4, Linking staff action to strategy, #9, Linking

people to the behavioral structure).

Identifying the behavioral structure and guiding its delivery is the

role of team leaders, But, this is conceptually difficult and demands

specific team leader relationship skills. It is the task of HR to partner

with team leaders and ensure they have the skills and are given the

support they need to ensure the team has greatest chance of greatest

success (refer #5, Human performance driving results, #6, HR as

rollout of strategy, #10, Perfect human performance).

Essential to build balance at in every team between working

‘in’ business and working ‘on’ the business

In developing clear direction in every job, the HR partner must

ensure it does not become rigid, that here is flexibility, room for

creativity and innovation. That while team members need clear and

definite guidelines for action in their jobs, those guidelines must not

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destroy the opportunity to learn and adapt and create (refer #12, Built

in flexibility).

Delegation by CEO to HR to support and guide every team

leader on identifying apt behavioral structure in their team and

guiding delivery

The CEO needs to be focused and clear. If the organization mapped

effectively onto the market the Executive ‘see’ and ‘understand’.

And if the behavioral structure is aptly identified, and guided by

team leaders to be delivered to standard in every team, then the

organization has greatest chance of greatest success of rolling out the

strategy to the extent specified in the agreed goals for the period

(refer #23, Mind of the CEO).

The CEO delegates to HR responsibility for aptness of the

selected behavioral structure and for its delivery

The team leader is accountable for the team performance. But, this

responsibility is shared partly by HR. the quality of the role

specifications, the integration of business processes, moments of

truth, identification of ideal actions from KPIs, drafting with clarity

and aptness, all depend on the effectiveness of the partnership HR

forges with team leaders. This goes to the very core of strategic

success, thus is the central focus of the CEO (refer #11, Performance

management moving actual toward perfect performance).

HR must ensure common thinking on organizational design

across the organization

Coordinated effective effort across divisions to achieve a common

goal (the strategy) depends on agreed coordinated thinking. Unless

minds in sync, the results will not be in sync or at least less than they

could be if minds were in sync.

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With OPD-HCD™ organizational design, everything changes.

Unless the minds are orientated, and the thinking coordinated, then

philosophies will be in conflict… think of like social ideology, free

market is not compatible with socialism. It is the role of HR to ensure

coherence in mind of at least all team leaders of the chosen

organizational design (refer, #16, All HR policy changes, #14,

Redefining engagement, #15, Culture, #17, Lifting expectations,

#18, Redefining leadership, #19, Redefining management).

OPD-HCD™ redefines divides HR function into two

OPD-HCD™ is the technology for implementing the OPD theory of

organization design throughout the organization. HR is split into two

key functions.

1. Compliance and administration. Essentially what HR

typically does now, (1) ensure all aspects of the

organization’s dealing with people complies with statute,

including disciplining, recruitment, accidents management,

etc. (2) administer all aspects of people within the

organization usually via a human resource information

system (HRIS).

2. Strategic human resource management. Delegated by the

CEO, placing responsibility on HR and team leaders to

forge an effective partnership to identify and achieve

delivery of behavioral structure derived from strategy

whereby the organization has greatest chance of greatest

strategic success. Managed via the OPD strategic human

capital development system (OPDHCDIS).

A business needs both HRIS and OPDHCDIS.

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HR as defined under OPD-HCD™ is a crucial function in any

sized business

Once an organization has more than one staff member, the analysis

applies. And the business will benefit by getting clearer in the staff

member’s mind what exactly need to do to ensure greatest chance of

greatest success. With the team leader role to retain focus and clarity

of the agreed direction top of mind, and build the positive emotions

to support the person in having fun while doing that which they need

do.

OPD-HCD™: Perfect game plans perfectly delivered

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Building a ‘verbal ready’ executive

Performance: Having agreed ideal actions top of mind

associated with positive emotions to give the actions momentum

and zest

Imagine a team where the team leader has worked with team

members and built sharp agreed behavioral structure relative to team

KPIs. The team KPIs are themselves sharp and carefully derived

from the strategy. The team leader ensures the team members are

enjoying the effort, and each day interacts with the team to build

strong positive sense of fun and success though team work.

Head Office is located in another city. The senior Operations

Executive from head office visits the team. At the team meeting, a

team member asks the Executive about the team KPI and the overall

strategy. The senior Executive is unclear on the ‘direction sequence’

strategy→ KPI → behavioral structure, and unclear on motivation

driven by associated positive emotions so having fun, being

successful and being offered respect are essential. To cover their lack

of knowledge and understanding the senior Executive is vague,

authoritative bordering overbearing, disinterested bordering

dismissive, with negative emotional tone. They made their comment

and left the meeting. The whole team were involved in the exchange.

What do you think will happen in that team?

Senior leadership is about maintaining the culture of

performance

First, direction, strategy→ KPI → behavioral structure, defined as

agreed ideal actions derived from KPIs plus ideal actions

implementing the business processes integrating the role into the

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overall team effort and then the team into the wider organizational

effort.

Every person should be clear on the direction in their role. Precisely,

the agreed ideal actions that define success for the organization and

for them personally in the role. This should be already agreed, or in

the process of being agreed on any and all visits. Senior Executive

must understand the process.

The behavioral structure of the team, and of each role in the team,

should have been signed off by the team leader, the manager of the

team leader, the divisional manager, and ultimately the CEO assured

the role specifications are in place, apt and effective, so team leaders

only need now to see them implemented and have people ‘turning

up’ each day to deliver them.

Second, team motivation. Clear direction is the essential base, the

direction. It is the associated positive emotions in the person

assigned to deliver the agreed ideal actions that give momentum to

the effort. Like a top sports team, it is very apparent to a spectator if

they have ‘turned up’ or not. The task of the team leader is to have

their team ‘turn up’ every day.

Third, when in doubt, a senior Executive should trust their team

leader. If there is a HR Department, then trust they have done their

work to standard and the team leader has the skills to establish the

direction in the minds of team members, keep it daily top of mind,

and ensure team members are emotionally positive turning up each

day to deliver the perfect game.

Senior leadership is being prepared

There is no excuse for not being prepared.

• Is the team performing to agreed standard?

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• How is the team leader rated?

• Does the manager of the team leader have any comment?

• Does HR Department have any comment?

• What is the point of the visit?

• How can I leave this team in more heart and more

committed than when I found it? But do so with integrity

and without obvious flattery…

Encouraging creativity and tapping team member skills and

insight

OPD-HCD™: Perfect game plans perfectly delivered.

Working ‘in’ the business is ‘turning up’ and delivering the perfect

game.

Working ‘on’ the business is the team reviewing the role

specifications, refining the perfect game plans in the team.

Often the person who knows most about how to get something done

efficiently and effectively is the person doing it. The mature, quiet

senior operator with the wise eyes, been doing the job for 33 years.

Seen it all. Very likely, they will know… but depending on the team

environment, they may or may not open up and speak of their insight.

All teams can work ‘on’ the business by working on refining their

role specifications. But, it is often difficult to get a team to talk,

especially in the beginning. Then there is the issue of some team

members talk too much, and are not insightful enough or they want

to replace head office and rewrite all policy. The team needs to be

focused on what it can control and alter, namely its own role

specifications. But even then, it needs get agreement by the manager

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of the team leader and perhaps by the divisional manager. The sign

off of the behavioral structure is very important.

It requires quiet sincerity to draw out the long serving wise operator.

This is where the senior Executive can always assist the team leader.

Developing the performance culture is more than just getting it

done, it is also tapping the creativity and innovation of the team

to stay ahead of the market and competitors

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Understanding human motivation

OPD theory is grounded on the only scientific general theory of

psychology

Motivation is the driver of action. Therefore, motivation cannot be

understood or even rationally discussed without understanding our

psyche, what it is, the causal factors in it, and its structure. To argue

otherwise is the same as stating one can make a motor-vehicle go

faster without being able to drive and with no knowledge of how the

vehicle works.

There is only one transparently constructed general theory of

psychology discussed in the book The Origin of Consciousness

(Little, Graham Richard, The Origin of Consciousness (July 26, 2016).

The Origin of Consciousness, Institute of Theoretical and Applied Social Science, New

Zealand, Sixth edition, March 2016. Available free in PDF at SSRN:

http://ssrn.com/abstract=2814742)

The theory states (please read ‘Origin’ for full definition of terms):

1. The fundamental of human nature is the capacity to create

ideas and apply them to manage and relate to the

environment in which the person finds themselves.

2. The human mind consists of thought (ideas), emotion,

attitude, attention, linked to the body via the brain

structures (neural flow patterns) in reacting part in the

brain.

3. People act according to the ideas they have in mind.

4. The intensity with which ideas held is directly proportional

to the emotions associated with those ideas.

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5. The human spirit is the emotional sense of self arising

from first formation of the brain in the womb, to

development of language and the capacity for

conceptualization in the infant.

6. The human psyche consists of specific structures of mind

relative to a specific aspect of the environment, or to

specific issues or ideas. A specific structure is defined as a

‘mental set’.

7. Our spirit is linked all mental sets and thus our spirit

influences the emotions in all mental set and forms the

‘emotional tone’ to our personality. A person who ‘senses’

the glass half full or half empty for example.

Understanding ‘psychological overflow’

Due linkages of mental sets a minor triggering event my draw on

emotions in a major but linked mental set resulting in a response by

the person out of proportion to what would rationally be expected.

That is some circumstance may draw a response based on emotions

not immediately involved in the circumstance. During the response

the person may not be aware of the origination of the response, only

aware of how they feel and what they feel they need do.

For example, a team leader may speak to correct a team member, the

coaching is quite minor. The person is withdrawn and unresponsive.

In their mind they linked to the recent spate of newspaper articles on

how companies rip off people, and are making extraordinary and

unreasonable profits.

Building emotion at work

The OPD-HCD™ technology for team development stresses clear

direction, then enabling each person build that direction in mind in

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the form of a game plan. The game plan is triggered when the person

comes to work and thus forms the core of the mental set structure of

‘me at work’ (see newsletters 2-12, & 14-19, in summary section of the

LinkedIn profile www.linkedin.com/in/grahamrlittle).

Every person will have their internal emotions associated with the

mental set structure of ‘me at work’. Thus each person will have their

‘internal drive’… this will be heavily influenced by their spirit, their

self-esteem (the elaboration of our spirit which develops via

language and conceptualization after the initial emotional core is

formed), and their ideas on goals for themselves, life purpose and

other ideas in their world view that bear to their involvement at work.

The Team leader then seeks to build additional emotion associated

with the game plan. Developing fear works, but fear is not

recommended as a long term team culture.

The key positive emotion is fun, so the team leader aims for all team

members to deliver their agreed game plan, and have fun while doing

so. The external emotions developed by the team leader is supported

by the team making the experience at work being enjoyable.

A further important process is the team leader understanding the

spirit, so ensuring the person gets feedback that they are doing well,

or correct them as needed, so that when the person looks in the mirror

every morning, they like and respect the person looking back at them

Engagement as finding corporate balance

It is important to understand that the issue of ‘self at work’ will exist

in many interlinked mental sets. Thus the internal drive of a person

at work will be influenced by many issues, many of which may not

directly involve the exact work circumstance. For example, if person

was concerned about environmental pollution and felt the company

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was contributing to future pollution problems. This could easily

dampen the drive of the person in a work team.

The definition of engagement (#14 & #15) is the person able to

visualise the game plan, ‘see’ themselves acting it out, with no

negative emotions or no triggering thoughts that erode the internal

drive of the person to strive for the perfect game. If there are

ideas/emotions that erode the drive, then this needs to be used by the

corporate leadership to review policy and corporate ethics to enable

all people to feel at peace as employees.

OPD-HCD™: Enabling perfect game plans perfectly delivered

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Building an implementing an

integrated motivation policy

The foundation of all motivation is for the person to choose

personal life success

Each person is the only person with access to their mind.

We act based on the ideas we choose to adopt and apply. The

intensity of our effort driven by the emotions we attach to those

ideas. People do it for themselves … to build their self-esteem and

self-respect. To do the things they agreed they need do to be

successful in the job, not for the boss, not for the company, but for

themselves, so every morning as they look in the mirror they like and

respect the person looking back at them.

Good team work is just part of the conduct in organizations that

enables personal success. The team and team leader can assist by

offering ideas that most enable personal success and offer daily fun

and enjoyment that give energy to the actions we agree we need

apply at work. But, each spirit, each mind, each person is ultimately

an island, where the person alone chooses that which they will do

and the effort they will invest in doing it.

The foundation of our life choice is whether we will choose our life

experience or allow others to shape and direct it. Each morning,

looking in the mirror, see the person ‘who did their best to make the

most of the circumstance’. Sense of satisfaction with self in a job

well done. If ever it leaves one with a sense of dissatisfaction and a

sense of powerless, mild despair, then seek another job.

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Factors that satisfy and factors that dissatisfy

Frederick Hertzberg (1923-2000) developed the two factor theory of

motivation in the latter half of the 20th century. In physics, the

science is not a function of popular opinion, unfortunately social

science and management writing in particular, is. Unfortunately,

without the in-depth intellectual foundation, there is a serious

tendency to lose sight of the science of people, to the extent I

personally have been publically rebuked at a conference by a very

senior HR person that a science of people is not possible.

If we understand something better do we have the opportunity to

manage it better? Of course we do… But there are serious, extensive

and very complex intellectual issues implicated in building a general

theory of psychology…but once those dealt with, then of course

better understanding enables better results (Refer The Origin of

Consciousness, and other works at SSRN author page

http://ssrn.com/author=2572745, also the posts and materials in the

summary at the LinkedIn profile

www.linkedin.com/in/grahamrlittle).

As a profession management and HR in particular needs review its

attitude to science and to the crucial intellectual underpinnings

essential for the development of a consistent and reliable technology

of organizational design and human capital development. Without

the foundation as in say modern physics, then all of HR is nothing

more than a loose collection of ‘best practices’ without foundation

or authority.

Scientific explanation of the Hertzberg

Within OPD theory, we know that different ideas have different

emotions associated with them. OPD theory is derived from a

general theory of psychology which is a relationship between the

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variables such as to provide causal understanding of the outputs of

the system under study, a person in their environment.

The foundation of Hertzberg is the separation of satisfaction and

dissatisfaction showing in his research the factors that result in each

are quite different factors. Thus the result proved by Hertzberg and

his team is of no surprise. His work confirms the basis of OPD

theory, and is merely the detail of exactly what ideas are linked with

exactly which emotions. Further, it is general to people, not merely

the quirk of some group or culture.

Hygiene factors and motivators

Hygiene factors do NOT motivate, and provide no long term

satisfaction. The emotions associated with these ideas are present

only in the negative, and only if the factor is not delivered/provided

to some degree thought ‘proper’ by the people. I have personal

experience of a rapidly growing company where people ended up 25

cramped into a space for 10. But when much more space made

available, motivation fell. The motivators of involvement,

interaction, team fun, were eroded by more space, and people did not

feel so close. Four people left, and it took several months for the

team to adjust. The motivators are those factors that intrinsically lift

the energy associated with the effort of doing it, resulting in a highly

motivated and high performing team.

For full list of factors see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-

factor_theory.

The explanation of impact of the Herzberg two factors

The human spirit is the very core of our existence (refer #26,

Understanding human motivation, or ‘Origin’). Read the list of

motivators, they are all issues that touch our spiritual existence. Read

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the list of hygiene factors, they are all issues detached from our

spiritual existence, and relate to the environmental circumstance.

Motivators lift our spirit… hygiene factors provide for our creature

comforts.

Does religious devotion depend on the quality of the church? The

parallel is exact.

An integrated motivation policy

Hygiene factors: Provision of adequate creature comforts.

Motivators: Apply OPD-HCD™ to fully engage team and team

leader, Executive, CEO and Governance to make for a fun filled,

exciting work experience that daily lifts and rewards the spiritual

core of everyone involved. Then do it!

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Human capital

Better thinking, better technology, better results

Slavery is abolished. Therefore, no company may own people. This

leads to difficulties with the idea of human capital. We know people

make a huge difference. How, exactly?

This leads to the question what exact aspect of human resources is

fully owned by the organization, and therefore costs associated with

that can be quantified and added to the balance sheet of the

organization as human capital.

Improved understanding enables improved management which

enables improved results. The revision of social science

methodology leads to the general theory of psychology, which leads

to better understanding of organizations and so to better results. All

previous discussions are based on this idea. [Refer earlier newsletters, and

the paper Little, Graham Richard, Organization Design: Linking Mind to Its Agreed

Organization Role as a Foundation of Economics (July 31, 2016). Available at SSRN:

http://ssrn.com/abstract=2816604]

There is nothing more useful than the correct theory

Science represents better thinking. People in organizations and

organization themselves arise from human activity. Therefore, better

science of human activity will shed light on people in organizations

and on the nature of organizations themselves. The science of human

activity is social science. Globally, social science is weak, with no

formal methodological structure such as available in physical

science. These arguments lead to the need to redesign the

methodological foundation of social science, then apply that to build

the solution to the general question … (1) What are the causes of

why someone does what they do? Then apply that to build solutions

105

to two questions: (2) How are organizations created? (3) What

exactly is the link between people and the organization?

The result is the general theory of psychology [Little, Graham Richard, The

Origin of Consciousness (July 26, 2016). Institute of Theoretical and Applied Social

Science, New Zealand, Sixth edition, March 2016. Available at SSRN:

http://ssrn.com/abstract=2814742] which leads to the OPD theory of

organizations [refer ‘Organizational design’] which leads to the technology

of building and operating organization OPD-HCD™.

OPD-HCD™: The science of organizations

Applying OPD-HCD™ results in better results than from applying

any other system. Why? Because it is built on better science, deeper

understanding, greater insight.

Full details on the background thinking is in the books (all free of charge in PDF) and papers

at my SSRN author page www.ssrn.com/author=2572745, and at my LinkedIn profile,

summary section and posts, www.linkedin.com/in/grahamrlittle.

This background is summarized below leading to the definition of

human capital within OPD theory. Full discussion of human capital

within OPD theory is in the book, Human Capital, [http://www.slideshare.net/Graylit/human-capital-wheelers-

pdf?ref=https://www.linkedin.com]

Getting it clear on paper enables it clearer in mind

1. Strategy: A complex goal giving direction to the organization.

2. Business plan: Strategy is broken down in any accounting

period into the KPIs in each role of the organization. If all KPIs

achieved, then the strategy is achieved to that extent with the

period.

3. Goal-action: The principle that for every goal there are actions

(called ideal actions) that must be carried out for the goal to be

achieved.

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4. Role specifications: Summary of the KPIs and ideal actions

needed to deliver the KPIs, also summary of the ideal actions

required to deliver the business processes that integrate the role

into the rest of the organization.

5. Behavioural structure: The set of ideal actions across the

organization that must be acted out if the organization is to

achieve its strategy for that accounting period.

The CEO knows that if the behavioural structure acted out to

standard the KPIs will be achieved and the organization will be

successful within that accounting period.

The behavioral structure is specified in the role specifications across

the organization. The full set of organizations wide role

specifications is called the standing human capital. Management is

defined as striving for perfectly defined role specifications, hence is

the task of building perfect description of the action needed to deliver

strategy.

Linking people to the organization

People act according to the ideas they hold in mind, the intensity of

action determined by the emotions associated with the ideas. Via the

attention mechanism people can choose to release the actions or not,

therefore all mood and conduct is a choice.

The ideas applied in any circumstance is referred to as their game

plan in that circumstance.

People are linked to the organization by them choosing to build the

game plan of them at work from the role specification. Their game

plan is then imbued with their desire to be successful and enjoy their

work life supported by the team leader who keeps the game plan top

of mind and ensures the people having fun at work while doing the

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things they need do to be successful in their work life by delivery of

agreed ideal actions to standard.

Game plans in mind is defined as dynamic human capital.

Leadership is enhancing the dynamic human capital of the team.

Summary of human capital

1. Standing human capital: Owned by the organization. Define

the behavioral structure of the organization relative to the

strategy. Is that behavioral best practice the organization strives

to have acted out by the people. Standing human capital can be

capitalized and as asset in the balance sheet. The more apt and

accurate the standing human capital and more likely the

leadership is able to guide delivery of it. Hence the capital

invested and the quality of the standing human capital a

measure of profit potential of the organization.

2. Dynamic human capital: Resides in the mind of the people. It

is the understanding, commitment and skill of the people in

doing their job. Dynamic human capital is not owned by the

organization, and cannot be capitalized. It is strictly an

economic factor rented from society.

OPD-HCD™: Perfect game plans perfectly delivered

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Finding and developing talent

A talented person is one who achieves good results repeatedly

and consistently across all the performance factors

They may not get the best financial result, or have the most satisfied

team, or have the best record of smooth integration with the rest of

the organization, or have the best record of customer service, or be

the most astute organizational politician. But, if we measure each of

these factors on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 high, then average the scores

to give a single score, they will have the best balance. The talented

person may not be number 1 at anything, but they will be the best

overall. And they will be consistent.

Measuring talent

It is important to understand balance. Of not being swayed by the

person to gets top financials, or top staff satisfaction, or who is the

most astute at building the internal relationships. All the factors are

important, maybe not in this accounting period, but will be in the one

after or the one after. It is balance that delivers solid financials NOW,

in this accounting period, and ensures they are secure in the next

period, and the next, and…Strategic success is not made in one

accounting period but in period after period, after…

Strategic success = Disciplined balance + consistency of direction.

Ensure all people measured objectively against the factors judged as

balance in your organization. For example, the list above of

financials, team satisfaction, customer service, smooth delivery of

business processes, ‘internal’ customer service, and organizational

astuteness.

109

The modern organization needs leadership in depth

The direction is set at the top of the organization, the results achieved

at the bottom. With a bustling, sometimes turbulent environment, it

is not enough to have a brilliant CEO with a few talented senior

Executives. The reach of the few is insufficient and too irregular to

manage in our modern world. The critical leadership is that guiding

the teams who do the work. Leadership in depth, and for leadership,

read talent, achieving disciplined balance + consistency of direction

at the very lowest levels of team leadership.

Today, the organization needs a system to guide the team leader,

enabling the ‘ordinary’ team leader to achieve extraordinary results

and do so with balance.

OPD-HCD™ the technology of balanced team leadership

OPD theory derived from the only causal general theory of

psychology itself derived from a methodological review of social

science, leads to the technology of balanced team leadership in OPD-

HCD™. [To review OPD-HCD™, OPD human capital development, refer

www.opdcoach.com, or the LinkedIn profile www.linkedIn.com/in/grahamrlittle, or the

Social Science Research Network author page www.ssrn.com/author=2572745.]

The OPD-HCD™ technology identifies what each person in the

team needs do to achieve their KPIs, deliver business processes,

integrate with rest of organization, build fun at work leading to high

level of fulfilment and team satisfaction, and provides clear

monitoring to ensure consistent team balance.

Better science better technology better results.

Definition of talent

A talented person is one who understands and accepts the application

of a technological tool to enable team performance balance, and

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applies to achieve high levels of consistent balanced team results.

Currently the only tool available with the scientific pedigree to

deliver the consistent balance is OPD-HCD™.

Broadening the reach of talent

Proven success in guiding a team identifies talent. If a person cannot

guide a team to consistently achieve balanced results it is doubtful

they will succeed in the organization.

Development of flexibility of thinking, insight and experience across

the organization is achieved when the person is made team leader in

another division, but at the same organizational level.

The person has the same organizational demand, namely guide

balanced performance in the team in the new division, which

requires them to deepen their insight into what the organization does

and the issues it faces from the perspective of the new division.

Developing vision

The senior levels of any organization demand greater intellect than

typically acknowledged. It is essential, for example, the CEO and

key senior people ‘see’ the economy, where the organization ‘fits’,

the steps to be taken this accounting period to achieve the strategy,

how those steps are then broken down via the team leader technology

into precise actions (called ideal actions) in every role in the

organization.

The top people ‘see’ exactly how all that is to occur, and they know

that if they then accurately identify the ideal actions and if those ideal

actions delivered to standard the strategy will be achieved. This is

intellectual very demanding, but essential. Development of this in

mind is the development of vision.

111

Having identified talent, broadened it so they understand and have a

proven track record across the organization, what steps need taken

to develop their intellect and to ensure they have the confidence in

their vision?

To a significant degree a person has it or they do not! It will already

be evident in their grasp of team guidance and how they went about

it, balancing short term easily with long term, for example, or the

selection of priorities so their emerged integrated strengths in team

effort and success.

Beware imagining vision can be taught. Just as some are more adept

at tennis, and while all can be taught tennis, there is always the issue

of the standard finally achieved. We are NOT all equal in talent.

To explore vision: Offer project work; have multiple people with

vision interview the person; ask them their opinion in complex

decision; involve them without promoting them; send them on

courses and then review carefully on their return.

Caution

Just to confound all offered previously, so a person does not have

strong vision, but they are adept at drawing our comments,

developing creativity in others, and guiding group judgement and

final decision of what to do, when.

Such people are talented, likely natural leaders, and while not the

highest intellect themselves, they grasp the issues and know the right

strategy/vision when they hear it.

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Choosing better ideas

Better science enables better technology enabling better results

The greater we understand something the greater our opportunity to

manage it more effectively and improve our results. By better

science I mean deepened understanding of that which we need

manage, including its links to the environment and it influence on

other factors we may need also manage. By better technology I mean

applying the ideas arising from our improved understanding. It may

be a separate technology, or it may merely be applying the improved

ideas.

Around 1982, in correspondence with the celebrated philosopher

Karl Popper he said ‘science must lead to ideas that prove useful in

practice’. Since, in my books and papers, I show how we act

according to the ideas we hold, and intensity with which they held

due the associated emotions (refer the Social Science Research

Network author page http://ssrn.com/author=2572745). Further, I

show this the very structure of our psychology. Everyone acts on

their personal theory, the ideas on the frame in mind (see #8,

Understanding human psychology). What is on the frame is us, our

personality/world view, with associated emotions. They are ideas.

Change the ideas and what we ‘see’ changes.

It follows that a scientific theory is exactly the same psychological

status as any personal theory. Both are ideas through which we ‘see’

the events to which the ideas apply. The difference being that

‘science’ ideas are developed and accepted according to certain

social rules, such as aptness of explanation, evidence,

reproducibility, causal explanation, etc. whereas our personal views

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may be no more valid other than they are the views of our peers.

Popularity is no measure of reliability or aptness of ideas.

In fact, it is repeatedly shown how science has initially proved

VERY UNPOPULAR. The reason is science is ideas validated by

independent means, subject to evidence with all other opinion

removed. We could begin with Galielo. Few people today would

dispute the solar system etc. but in mid-17th century, his work was

described by the Church as a "foolish and absurd in philosophy, and

formally heretical since it explicitly contradicts in many places the

sense of Holy Scripture." Galielo was condemned as a heretic and

jailed, but he was right. In more recent years, there are those who

still dispute humanity emerged on this planet. And, when Einstein

proposed the photoelectric effect he was ridiculed. It frequently does

not pay to propose ideas different from the mob, and if one does,

then one need be prepared for the backlash of taunting, derision, and

scorn which historically has very often accompanied new thinking.

Where the shift in thinking is comprehensive, and after Thomas

Kuhn, it is called a paradigm shift (refer google, Kuhn, The Structure

of Scientific Revolutions). The heliocentric view of the solar system,

and the photoelectric effect are both paradigm shifts. The first,

obviously so, the second, due it proposed a photon was a particle,

and not merely a wave, that it was both.

Adopting new ideas is vastly harder than it looks

The only point is that despite the abundance of words in organization

literature, like innovation, creativity, vision, change management, it

is very, very much harder than it looks to undertake even modest

changes in thinking, to get a group to adopt new ideas. It is very

much easier if the group understand and accept they have ideas, and

those ideas are NOT THEM (refer the section in #8, We are a spirit

114

within mind within a brain). Separating ‘self’ from ‘the ideas I have’

was driven home in a client, where a young man reflecting on ideas,

stated he did not think he could change his ideas they were him.

The better science of ‘Origin’

If we leave people just at the level of changing ideas, then self-

esteem issues will arise. Only in The Origin of Conscious (refer

SSRN author page, book free in pdf), is the spirit of the person

clearly separate from ideas which are offered as tools to manage our

environment. Then, and only then do people relax and we can

explore with them how to change ideas, and how to manage the

emotions involved, and that there is no threat to their spiritual

integrity.

OPD-HCD™ the technology derived from ‘Origin’

‘Origin’ theory validates Hertzberg work on motivation. So why

need OPD-HCD™? Hertzberg offers insight that different actions by

leaders within an organization give rise to different emotions within

people. But, Hertzberg offers no in depth explanation as to why. Nor,

does Hertzberg offer the link between people and strategy (refer 9,

Linking people to behavioural structure). Nor, does Hertzberg offer

integrated understanding of organizational design, specifying clearly

the roles relative to strategy, of governance, CEO, Executive, HR

Department, team leaders and team member.

Reflect. Choose better ideas that enable better orientation and

management of circumstance. Base the ideas if possible on

objective science

It is powerful that OPD-HCD™ integrates a strong existing line of

thinking in organization leadership and management. OPD-HCD™

adds strength to Hertzberg thinking integrating as a detail it much

115

broader and deeper scientific understanding of psychology and one

of the most significant outputs of human psychology, namely

organizations, groups and large groups as social structures. OPD

theory is the organization theory derived from ‘Origin’ (refer The

Exciting Promise of Human Resource Management

http://ssrn.com/abstract=2819810 and Organization Design: Linking

Mind to Its Agreed Organization Role as a Foundation of Economics

http://ssrn.com/abstract=2816604).

OPD theory is the only scientific theory of organization design

and OPD-HCD™ the only scientifically based technology of

team leadership: Perfect game plans perfectly delivered

116

Last word

Better understanding enables better management leading to

improved results.

Understanding designing the organization and linking it to people

depends on social science.

To get it clear in mind first get it clear on paper.

People act according to the ideas in mind with the intensity due the

emotions associated with the ideas.

For every goal there are actions (called ideal actions) that must be

acted out to standard if the goal is to be achieved.

Ideal actions are of the quality doing them does not guarantee

success not doing them guarantees failure.

Ideal actions delivered to standard offer the greatest chance of

greatest goal success.

Strategy is a complex goal.

In any accounting period strategy is cascaded through the

organization via the KPIs agreed in each role. For every KPI there

are ideal actions that must be acted out if the KPI is to be achieved.

The set of ideal actions underlying any set of goals (KPIs) is called

the behavioral structure relative to the set of goals.

Delivery of the behavioral structure offers the greatest chance of

greatest goal success.

It is crucial the CEO ‘sees’ it and committed to it.

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HR is delegated the task from the CEO of partnering with every team

leader to identify and guide delivery of the behavioral structure in

the team. This is the crucial proactive strategic role of HR.

The ideal actions in any role are derived from the KPIs agreed in the

role plus, the actions needed to deliver the business process

integrating the role into the rest of the organization.

Key roles as below.

CEO: Clarity that if the behavioural structure relative to strategy is

identified and delivered to standard, the strategy has greatest


Executive team: Support and encourage the culture of perfect game

plans perfectly delivered.

HCD Committee: Accept delegation from CEO for supporting and

partnering with team leaders to identify and deliver the

behavioural structure that enables greatest chance of greatest

success.

HCD Manager: Support team leaders in identifying and delivering

the behavioural structure.

Team leader: Guide development of game plans for each person and

support delivery of those game plans to the highest level.

Ensure team members have game plans top of mind, and that

they are enjoying their day at work, having fun and feeling

appreciated and a useful part of the team.

Team member: Seek work life success and fulfilment. Support

development of game plans, accept support and

encouragement from team leader, work with team leader on

development to role specifications, conducting oneself such

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that each morning when looking in the mirror, they like the

person looking back at them.

Community: No direct role. But succeeds when its economy

succeeds. The organization aiming to serve the community by

its success and hence each person serving the community by

delivering the agreed game plan to standard.

If every person in every organization in the national economy

identifies and delivers their ideal actions to standard, then the

national economy must benefit and that must feedback into

community wealth and health.

The ideas people apply in managing any circumstance is referred to

as their game plan.

The intensity with which any game plan enacted is due the emotions

associated with the game plan.

The person chooses to be successful in their work life.

The team leader assists team members to build game plans base on

the agreed behavioral structure in their role.

The team member agrees the behavioral structure in their assigned

roles.

The team leader then supports the team member to keep agreed work

game plans top of mind.

The team leader then also ensures the team member is enjoying their

day at work, having fun, and feeling fulfilled and successful in

delivery of the agreed ideal actions that offer greatest chance of

greatest success.

Perfect game plans perfectly delivered.

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