Interview: Arlene Johnson

Arlene Johnson

The founder and president of Sinequanon Group, Inc., Johnson is an internationally known speaker, author (of recently published SuccessMapping®: Achieve What You Want . . .Right Now!), and consultant with more than two decades of experience in accelerated executive development, breakthrough change management, and high-impact coaching. Through her efforts, major corporations as well as small and mid-sized companies create a results-oriented competitive advantage, especially in a demanding, radically changing business environment. Johnson has used her extensive business background and affiliate partnerships to help organizations optimize sales and change leadership performance. As a performance consultant, she has worked with a broad range of companies in the oil and gas, aerospace, utilities, telecommunications, financial and health industries. Her wide-ranging expertise and unique approach has led her client companies and their C-level executives achieve extraordinary results. Johnson’s corporate clients include a number of Fortune 500 companies as well as a number of fast-growing, entrepreneurial companies.

Here is a brief excerpt from my interview of Johnson. The complete interview is also available.

Morris: Opinions are divided as to whether or not it is possible to balance what is most important in one’s career with what’s most important in one’s personal life. What do you think?

Johnson: It’s my opinion that we need to get over it. The notion that one person, male or female, has to achieve all things in all areas to be considered a success is a set-up for frustration and failed expectations. The key is to evaluate all of your business and personal objectives and decide what is most important for you achieve at this time. Then declare your intention to achieve that important business or personal objective(s) by focusing your thoughts, behaviors and actions on those specifically. You now have a laser focus on what most matters with less energy scattered with non goal-relevant activities. Then evaluate and leverage your goal-relevant strengths and resources to engage others to help you achieve those other not as critical but still important life priorities. And yes, with this assessment strategy you can seek and experience better balance in your career and personal life.

Morris: Based on your extensive experience, what have you found to be the best process by which to measure performance fairly, accurately, and consistently?

Johnson: I consider that to be a million dollar question. (Unfortunately that statement doesn’t have quite the bang for the buck it used to have!)

A consistent process to fairly, accurately and consistently measure performance may not require a static business environment, but it would definitely benefit from it. That would mean no changes to costs of doing business, no changes in market demands, government regulations, key customer accounts or competition. Alas, needing to quickly align to rapid and complex change issues continues to be the operating mantra of most organizations.

As these changes shift an organization’s go-to-market costs it can alter how sales get measured and compensated. What is fair and should be consistent regarding compensation? Is to motivate and retain top producers and coach others to desired performance levels by clearly defined compensation plans that reward performance rather than activity or just showing up. In today’s environment, you see less “showing up” behaviors. Those behaviors have become more evident and less tolerant by team members and management.

Here’s what helps: Create a learning organization by culturally adopting strategies and processes for success to help individuals (again, at all levels) to move from default thoughts and resulting behaviors to being engaged in what will help individual employability and organization marketability.

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If you wish to read the complete interview, please contact me at interllect@mindspring.com.

As noted previously, Arlene Johnson is founder and president of Sinequanon Group, Inc., a global consultancy specializing in executive leadership, change and sales performance. Johnson is the author of the new book SuccessMapping®: Achieve What You Want . . .Right Now! Learn more about how to create your own Success Map at www.successmapping.com or email Johnson at info@successmapping.com.