Sustainable Growth Expert Karen Walker Shows Atlanta CEOs, CXOs How to Tap Unrealized Organizational Potential
ATLANTA, Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Most companies aren't getting the maximum value from the execution of their business strategies, according to Karen D. Walker, president of OneTeam Consulting, the global expert at exploiting unrealized organizational growth potential.
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As an early employee and vice president at Compaq Computer Corporation where she was responsible for creating $1 billion in global infrastructure, Walker has a unique perspective on how to grow companies.
"The core problem is that there is a gap between where people are now and where they need to be. Create awareness, strategy and action to close that gap," said Walker, an executive advisor and consultant, who has enabled sustained growth in a multitude of mid-market companies focused on growth. They range from startups to Fortune 500 firms, such as Aetna and Atlanta-based companies including Lancope, ChoicePoint, Witness Systems (Verint), nCourt and QASymphony.
"As an example, M&A people get rewarded for making the deal, but not many people get rewarded for making the deal work. I help the organization get the maximum value out of the acquisition by making the deal work," said Walker who provides strategic leadership consulting for growth-oriented companies in many industries including technology and services.
"Karen helped us apply an organizational framework to our actions, ensuring alignment and focus at every level so that we were able to more effectively design and execute our strategy," said Dave Gould, a well-known successful venture capitalist in Atlanta and partner at TechOperators Venture Capital.
"Karen's five key strategies that entrepreneurs can use as benchmarks as part of their decision making process offered a fresh approach to evaluating growth that had our attendees nodding their heads in agreement," said Harriet Hollis, executive director of The Atlanta CEO Council who engaged Walker to speak at their "One Big Idea Series."
In her keynote speeches on "Closing the Growth Gap", Walker focuses on these five key points to help companies grow:
1. Create time to think.
Focus on creating awareness of what is possible. Too often we spend our time focused on what to do before we have considered the broad variety of options available to us. This is a time of no new input; instead, synthesize and make meaning from what you already know. Look forward to your goals without being constrained by the obstacles.
"Make time for Eureka! moments," she said. "What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?"
2. Avoid the abundance trap.
Have a clear framework for prioritization. This is also known as the pitfall of bright shiny objects. Abundance can be a distraction and avoiding the trap is about knowing what not to do.
3. Align your stars.
Don't just marshal your resources. Create alignment between your strategic priorities and your resource application. Without it, we often work in silos, which maximize the individual without optimizing the whole.
4. Hold your feet to the fire.
This is the Accountability Gap, the gap between intention and behavior. There are three primary reasons why this gap occurs: no organizational discipline of accountability, no clear success criteria and incorrect measurements and/or rewards. We all have good intentions. This element reinforces our intention with responsibility for follow through.
5. Master the art of leverage. Learn to debrief and to delegate.
At your staff meetings ask these two process (not content) questions: "What made this meeting effective? What would make it more effective?" Then ask your customers the same questions.
"You can have it all, if you don't do it all yourself," she said.
To take a free 60-second quiz on "How large is the gap between your organization's present and its potential?" go to: http://www.oneteamconsulting.com/#!sixty-second-survey/c1o0r
Her most popular keynote speaking topics are:
- "Strategic Positioning: A Dynamic Framework to Determine the Future of Your Organization"
- "The Growth Gap: Closing the Space between the Present and Potential for Organizations"
- "You Can Have it All - If You Don't Do It All Yourself"
She customizes talks for all audiences. She has addressed companies and associations, in the US, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.
For information about engaging Walker to speak or consult go to http://www.oneteamconsulting.com/
About Karen D. Walker:
Karen D. Walker is the global expert at exploiting unrealized organizational potential.
Walker's move from corporate leader to strategic consultant gives her clients the opportunity to realize their powerful capabilities and to create dramatic results.
She has served on executive board of The Alley Theatre, and on advisory committees to Rice University and Texas A&M University.
She can be most often found aloft in seat 2B.
Contact:
Karen D. Walker
802.734.5477
Email
SOURCE OneTeam Consulting
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