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Phone: (717) 299-9800
North Group Consultants
15 North Spruce Street
Lititz, PA 17543

I distinctly remember entering my daughter’s first grade classroom many years ago. Prominently displayed on posters around the room were “classroom rules.” When I inquired about their origin, the teacher informed me that on the first day of school she conducted a “class meeting.” The class was asked to decide what rules should apply given that they would be together for the next 180 days (since the median age of first grade students is six, I suspect there was some pretty strong guidance from the teacher!). Essentially, the teacher was asking the students a critical question that applies for any group that will be spending time together and working toward shared goals – “How should we behave?”

In The Advantage, author Patrick Lencioni lists the question “How should we behave?” as the second of his six “critical questions.” Like it or not, it is the job of the leaders of any organization to establish boundaries for human behavior. We all know that as human beings and as teams, we operate more effectively when our boundaries and rules of engagement are clear. In fact, when a group of people is able to agree upon mutually held standards of behavior, it draws them together in a way that almost nothing else can.

At North Group, one of our core values/standards of behavior is “modeling an others-centered focus.” One of my colleagues recently remarked that it would be extremely difficult to fully enjoy your employment and find success at our firm if you do not actively cultivate this “others-centered focus.” While we occasionally use this term in conversation, it is not entirely necessary. All of my colleagues are completely aware of this high standard of behavior. Further, we believe it is one of the very basics of our commonly held beliefs and holds a key to our “competitive advantage.”

The question “How should we behave?” is as important for adults as it is for first graders. How will you behave?

Competitive advantage.  It’s an integral component of any business’ success!  In 2019, we look forward to interviewing a variety of business leaders to learn how their organizations are sustaining competitive advantage.

Today, we have the privilege of learning from Gina Breslin and Dan Burkholder, Consultants at North Group.

Private Company Transactions are often thought of primarily as financial transactions, but there is so much more at stake, particularly for the seller!

Join Jerry Murray and Roger North as they examine the key elements of a successful transition and how trust plays an integral role in creating a win for the buyer, seller, and community at large!

As we come into the holiday season, our team has been embracing a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness.

We’d like to take a moment to share our reflections and wish each of you a blessed Thanksgiving!

 

The development of a greater sense of self-awareness is not a selfish endeavor for a leader. It is actually just the opposite.

Join Roger North as he reveals how real time self-awareness can significantly impact your leadership efforts and influence!

We all have a story to tell – and something to learn from one another!

Join Roger North and Josh Keefer as they discuss the importance of building team cohesion and how storytelling can play a significant role in it!

It’s easy to articulate where one wants to be in the future, but can be challenging to accurately perceive one’s current reality.

Join Roger North and Dan Burkholder as they unpack the principles involved in moving from here to there!

When you think about it, there are very few more important priorities in an organization than hiring well. The problem is, it’s really hard! No one “bats 100%.” Nevertheless, we believe there are some very specific elements we can rely on to increase the percentage of successful hires.

First, we need to get as specific as possible about who and what we are looking to hire. Without a specific, disciplined picture of the characteristics, skills and experiences we need for success in the position, we are likely to be swayed by other human elements that are attractive, but not necessarily representative of success.

Second, we need a consistent, repeatable, and predictable process applied to each candidate. Without that disciplined process, where is our comparison?

Third, we need firm agreement about what success looks like in the position. What behaviors do we expect? What level of productivity are we looking for? Who will be responsible for the new employee’s success? What investment are we willing to make in developing that person toward success?

Finally, we need a clear picture of how the decision will be made and what steps will be taken in order to gather together our best observational and aspirational thinking. There are many options, but success comes from consistency.

Yes, it is challenging to hire well. But what could be more important?

Please let us know if we can be helpful to you.

Hiring well is both an art form and a science – and one that can cost an organization tremendously when done poorly.  Join Roger North, President of North Group Consultants, as he further unpacks the importance of hiring well!