Developing a 21st Century Mind - Part 1

It is difficult to imagine a more demanding or more exciting time in human history than the 20th Century. Particularly during the couple of decades, we have been faced with unprecedented rates of change that require massive adaptation. In every field of endeavor – business and industry, government and education, science, human services, athletics and art – the challenge of dramatic and rapid change has confronted us. The 21st Century promises to continue and even step up that trend. 

Some of the challenges we face as we move toward the year 2000 and beyond include an increasingly high rate of technological innovation, the need to balance economic and environmental concerns, the information explosion, quickly shifting employment and career trends, a highly competitive global marketplace, a widening gap between society’s “haves” and “have-nots,” and the ever-present task of inventing a future that will foster the health and well-being of us all.

To my mind, one of the most critical concepts of our time is “interdependence.” Unless we, as a species and as individuals, can develop and demonstrate concern for more than just ourselves and our own families, companies, communities and nations, we will be falling far short of achieving our potential for prosperity, peace and happiness.

We can’t just shrug off the massive problems of our times, thinking that “technology” will take care of them. Technology alone can’t get us to and through the 21st Century in a way that benefits the delicate, interdependent web of life our planet supports. It is people working together who must create a desirable future for ourselves and for future generations.

But what sort of people? What kind of mind will it take to create a peaceful, prosperous and environmentally healthy 21st Century? Well, to begin with, a mind that is receptive to change and able to figure out how to do more with less. The model for this mind already exists, and it can be found, to the surprise of some environmentalists, in the corporate world.

Many of the companies we work with have had to initiate massive cultural and organizational changes in order to stay in business. To do this, they have had to develop new ways of thinking. With our help, they have moved from Newtonian to Whiteheadian leadership. They have moved from being staffed by people who simply do what they’re told to people who actively participate in decisions that affect them and their organization. They have moved from seeing employees as problems to seeing them as problem solvers. And they have moved from closed-door strategic planning to open vision-building sessions and free-flowing information. As a result, their productivity has increased, even when significant downsizing has been necessary.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Developing a 21st Century Mind from The Performance Institute.

Your Corporate Culture's Personality

Culture is to organizations the way personality is to people. Culture and personality are “interior” domains. You often can’t see a culture or personality, but it doesn’t take you long to sense their presence or your willingness to be in and around them.

When we speak of culture, we are referring to the habits, attitudes, beliefs and expectations that are the unwritten code for the behavior in an organization. It is the shared values or behavioral norm. It can be intense, and one of its purposes is to perpetuate itself.

In organizational life, the “wrong” personality can be asked to leave the company, but how do you address a “wrong” culture? What is right or wrong about culture anyway? How does culture become healthy or unhealthy? Why is it a worthy business subject? Harvard researchers John Kotter and James Heskett, who have spent decades researching corporate cultures and their effect on the organizational behavior, write culture is “adaptive” or “un-adaptive.”

As an example, when analyzing defensive or unadaptive cultures, Cooke and Lafferty look beneath the organizational skin to evaluate the way power, conflict, competitiveness, and perfectionism can impact culture in counter-productive ways. Also, their studies assess the non-productive effects of passive-aggressive behavior in the workplace. In other words, they look at how fear-based organizations predictably cause the undesirable behaviors of avoidance, dependency, passivity and extreme risk-avoidance.

In parallel studies, Gallop researchers have shown that 70 percent of organizational change initiatives fail, 70 percent of workforces are unengaged, and 70 percent of the leadership in these organizations are actually causing counter-productive cultures and don’t know it. At its extreme, in an unhealthy culture, work is seen as a curse. As a consequence, the highest goal in these workplaces is actually to stop work – (“I can’t wait till quitting time;” “I can’t wait for the weekend;” “I can’t wait to retire.”)

When the strongest desire is to get away from the pain of work, the unconscious defense mechanism is procrastination, creative avoidance and slovenly work. Estranged from work, what we are left with is a worldwide phenomena now being called “worker fatigue”.

For more information, visit our website.

Our Services

The Performance Institute’s approach is based on nearly 40 years of scientifically and statistically supported processes that uncover the systemic barriers to change. We probe the root cause – the culture within an organization – and create the direction for sustainable growth. The results help individuals:

• Understand how current beliefs and attitudes shape expectations for the future
• Realize how being in control of thoughts, can have the power to change the way one lives their life
• Obtain heightened self-confidence, self-esteem and a strong ethical center
• Attain the tools and techniques which will enable them to be more goal and end-result oriented
• Have ways of looking toward career growth within the organization

For any change to occur, participants from all levels of the organization must be involved. Actions, such as envisioning, open discussions, measurements, evaluations, executive coaching, and individual mentoring all generate the momentum to move forward. The Performance Institute’s alignment process includes the entire team during a phased approach.

Our Process

Assess Culture: The engagement begins with dialogue and data gathering, identifying goals and objectives with the leadership team.

• Evaluate the shared values, beliefs and expectations that guide the way members interact and approach their work
• Baseline measurement, providing a snapshot of the current and dominant organizational culture along with the organization’s concept of their ideal or visionary culture
• Agreement on the cultural focal points and directions for change, using proven and measurable criteria
  • Business ROI
  • Overall and Individual Results
  • Timing of Process

Align Leadership: The experiential learning step for leadership.

• Investment in Excellence® application and proprietary education on Model, Mentor and Monitor
• Measure the leadership impact on organizational members’ behavior and performance
• Executive Coaching
• Develop a common understanding for leadership to align mission, vision and values with beliefs, behaviors and outcomes

Organizational Engagement: The step to bring everyone in the company in sync, to maximize results.

• Measure the organizational culture with those other than leadership
• Incorporate aligned cultural strategy
  • Investment in Excellence® training
  • Model, Mentor, Monitor application throughout organization
  • Coaching
  • Assimilation
  • Team Building

Sustainment: Reinforcement is the key to sustainable change at the belief level, in order to drive new behaviors and in turn new results.

• Manage educational reinforcement through an internal Train-the-Trainer model, using predefined desired outcomes
• Maintain organizational coaching and support, offering a continuous display of progress
• Cultural re-assessments to demonstrate desired organizational change

Meet Adam Blair - Business Development Director

Adam Blair is an exceptional leader who offers a unique blend of executive acumen, global team building and solution development skills, at The Performance Institute. As the Business Development Director, Adam is responsible for creating a responsive people development organization that consistently delivers results for the company and its clients.

Early in his career, Adam worked for Smith Barney as a Financial Consultant. He rose quickly through the ranks and became a 2nd Vice President and an Investment Portfolio Manager. During his time at Smith Barney, he was responsible for marketing the Guided Portfolio Management and Asset Management services, while successfully growing his clients’ portfolios. He had six months to introduce and grow these two services throughout the Southern Florida branches and the Southeastern United States. Within a few months, he had accomplished this and both remain the services of choice for most clients throughout the region and the company today. For this success, he received Smith Barney’s Blue Chip Award.

In 2002, after seven years with Smith Barney, Ivax Pharmaceutical (now TEVA Pharmaceutical) approached him to help launch a newly approved Asthma drug, ProAir. Blair succeeded in this endeavor as well, allowing him to rise quickly within Ivax Pharmaceutical. In 2006, Novartis’ Biotech division recruited Blair to become a Xolair Product Specialist. During Blair’s career there, he outpaced his colleagues in the marketing, promotion and sales of Xolair, Novartis and Genentech’s highly acclaimed and most popular asthmatic biotech drug on the market today. And in 2010, Blair established a consulting firm that developed strategic messaging for companies. He created marketing platforms and advertising campaigns for clients in the casino and gaming industry, radiation treatment therapy and medical space.

Based on his overall professional achievements, the President of The Performance Institute, Mark Panciera, approached Adam to join the firm. He now works closely with Mark in developing new business, and implementing sales and marketing strategies.

Blair is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing.

Meet Michael Manning - Project Director

A Project Director here at The Performance Institute, Michael Manning has a unique and storied professional history. He delivers real world experience and tactical knowledge to his clients in the form of expert understanding of organizational and people issues, and precise diagnosis of need. From there, Manning manages engagement implementation, facilitates effective change, and delivers on expectations.

Manning is a retired Lieutenant and 27-year veteran of the City of Miami Police Department. In 1983, he was shot in the line of duty during a gun battle with an armed home invasion robbery assailant. He attributed his survival to specialized training he received just four months prior, the very same training he now employs for clients of The Performance Institute. After recovering from the shooting, he transferred from patrol to the training division to share his experience and assist in the further development of the specialized program. Michael became a major contributor to the success of the Miami Police Department’s Officer Survival program which is still in operation today.

Manning has conducted research and trained thousands of officers in deadly force decision making and officer survival tactics from a multitude of agencies throughout South Florida as well as internationally. During the latter part of his career, he served in a number of leadership roles including Field Training Supervisor, Crisis Intervention Team Supervisor, and acting Patrol Commander until his service retirement in 2007.

Michael is a law enforcement consultant and a legally recognized expert on the use of deadly force, officer survival tactics and high liability risk assessments. Additionally, wanting to expand his horizons in the area of finance and investing, he obtained his state insurance license and federal securities license and maintains a successful financial services practice in Ft. Lauderdale.

He earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration along with a minor in Psychology from Florida International University. Michael is married to Susan and has two wonderful daughters who are both graduates of the University of South Florida.

Paul Herfurth - Project Director

As the Sports and Youth Leadership initiatives Project Director for The Performance Institute, Paul Herfurth embodies the Model, Mentor, Monitor mantra of the organization. He is a skilled problem solver and solution provider in his role as an engagement manager and facilitator for companies, teams and individuals alike.

Paul’s leadership talents have led to his national recognition as the Miami Herald and Florida Athletic Coaches Association 1997 Coach of the Year. His development skills run deep, allowing him to advance the careers of many including the honor of coaching and mentoring Troy Cameron, the 1997 first-round selection of the Atlanta Braves.

Driven by his passion for youth and athletics, Herfurth is concurrently the Director of Athletics and Head Baseball Coach at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Hollywood, Florida. Prior to returning to his alma mater, Herfurth was a hitting coach in the Texas Rangers organization, and also served as the Director of Professional Scouting and assisted in player development with the Colorado Rockies.

Before joining the Rockies front office, Herfurth taught business and served as the Head Baseball Coach at nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He also worked one season both in the New York Yankees (1988) front office and with the Miami Miracle (1989).

All of these high-level experiences provide Paul the understanding of what he calls “the separator”, and that is, knowing what it takes to build champions. This knowledge is what he delivers to his clients, driving breakthrough and success.

Herfurth serves his community as a board member for the Hollywood YMCA, while giving countless volunteer hours to his school and Church.

Paul has a B.S. in Athletic Administration from St. John’s University. He is married to the former Colleen Appleton and has two children, Caitlin and Ryan.

Meet Michael J. O’Brien, MEd

As the Organizational Development Specialist for The Performance Institute, Michael O’Brien unravels the complexities of organizations into easy to understand interrelationships. Michael’s diverse background in finance, economics and human behavior enable him to take the seemingly unpredictable relationship side of business and make it tangible and manageable. This clear understanding of corporate cultures has allowed Michael to lead some of the world’s top companies to new perspectives of their strengths and of their challenges. Michael has leveraged this gift of discernment by establishing strategic relationships with organizations around the world, as their culture and leadership expert.

After receiving his Honors Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1986, Michael joined Human Synergistics Canada. During his nine years there, he grew the business 900% by listening to clients and developing new products and processes that met their needs. He educated and supported hundreds of internal and external consultants on the use of individual and organizational measurement tools. Clients included Southam Newspapers, Royal Bank of Canada, Ontario Hydro, Agriculture Canada and St. Joseph’s Hospital. In 1994, he received his Master of Education degree from The University of Western Ontario.

In 1995, Michael was promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing at the home office of Human Synergistics in Plymouth, Michigan. While managing a staff of twelve, Michael continued his client-focused approach with organizations like Saturn, American Airlines, Colgate Palmolive, Hewlett Packard, Disney and the University of Michigan. With these and many other clients, he helped them improve their teamwork, management, leadership and culture.

During O’Brien’s career, he has reached a global audience with an array of products and services that have helped clients achieve incredible growth with improved productivity. The list of clients continues to grow including the City of Beverly Hills, Caterpillar, Child Health Corporation of America, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, Houston Rockets, Manchester College of Arts and Technology, National Association of Realtors, SASOL, Shell Oil and the State of Nebraska.

Michael is a firm believer that we all have to give back to the community. As a charter member of the Katy Sunrise Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow, Michael went to Egypt to help with Rotary’s Polio Eradication Campaign. Michael has served as the secretary of the board for his children’s school. Another of Michael’s passions is South Africa, where he has continued to help this emerging nation continue their miracle of change.

Michael and his wife Angela love to travel and experience different cultures and regions as they help their three children Kate, Colleen and Nicolas grow into citizens of the world.

Meet Cathy Crosslin, MEd

As the Organizational Culture Consultant with The Performance Institute, Cathy “Cat” Crosslin specializes in affecting cultural change within organizations through personal transformation, team building, performance enhancement, and leadership coaching. In addition to corporate work, one of her passions is helping those who are incarcerated, in recovery or in significant life transition.

Ms. Crosslin has a reputation as one of the most effective, interesting and entertaining presenters in the country. Her enthusiasm, credibility and personal passion allow her to reach even the most difficult audiences, which have included the toughest men’s and women’s prisons in the country, corporate executives, high level professional athletes, community leaders, youth and union-management relationships.

With her background in coaching, psychology, counseling, performance and a variety of race, gender, cultural and social justice issues, Cathy expertly guides her audiences to transformative growth. Her method incorporates personal accountability and practical daily actions. She is a versatile, humorous, enthusiastic presenter, good on her feet with any audience.

Cathy’s clients have described her as: captivating, awesome, inspiring, graceful, fun and “Catariffic!”

Ms. Crosslin holds a B.A. in Psychology from Whitman College, where she was an All-Conference basketball player, performed in theater productions including “A Chorus Line,” and co-hosted a popular local radio show; she also holds a Master’s degree in Education from Western Washington University. Cathy sings the national anthem at professional sporting events including the NBA and WNBA.

Formerly, Cathy was the head women’s basketball coach and an assistant professor at Whitman College, a nationally recognized AAU basketball coach, an at-risk youth counselor and the Chief Operating Officer at Gordon Graham and Company, Inc.

Meet Wilhelmena Mack, EdD

Dr. Wilhelmena Mack has over 35 years of experience in organizational and management consulting, human resources, training and development, community outreach and collegiate instruction. Dr. Mack currently serves as Executive Consultant for The Performance Institute. As Executive Consultant, she specializes in cultural assessment and education, and provides leadership coaching and training.
 
Dr. Mack has served as Vice President/Chief Human Resource Officer for the North Broward Hospital District, the third largest employer in Broward County and the fourth largest public health care system in the country with over 8,000 employees. As Vice President, Dr. Mack was responsible for providing leadership to over 100 employees working in human resources.

Prior to the North Broward Hospital District, Dr. Mack was Vice President of Consulting Services for Right Management Consultants. In that position, Dr. Mack was responsible for conducting organizational environmental scans, executive coaching, outplacement services, strategic planning, as well as management and organizational consulting and training. Some of Dr. Mack’s clients included Federal Express Latin America, Kennedy Space Center, Citrix, The Miami Herald, Ryder Systems and the City of Miramar.
Additionally, Dr. Mack’s career includes more than 25 years of experience in the health care sector as the Director of Training and Development and Director of Community Benefits for the Memorial Healthcare System and as Education Coordinator and Personnel Officer for the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Healthcare System.

As an active community leader, Dr. Mack has served as President on the boards of directors for The Broward Alliance, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, The March of Dimes, The Children’s Home Society, The American Lung Association and Junior Achievement of Broward County. She served as 1998/2007/2009 Co-Chair of the Community Outreach Committee of the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee and as a member of the 2007 Supreme Court/Florida Bar Committee on Judicial Evaluation.
Dr. Mack has received numerous awards and commendations including but not limited to: Who’s Who in Black South Florida, Who’s Who of American Women, American Cancer Society’s Woman of the Year, March of Dimes Woman of Distinction, American Lung Association’s President’s Award, Junior Achievement’s National Bronze Leadership Award, TJ Reddick Bar Association’s Community Service Award and the Greater Fort Lauderdale’s Chamber of Commerce’s Circle of Excellence Award in Human Resources.

Dr. Mack received her Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Education degrees from the University of Miami. She received her Educational Specialist and Doctorate of Education degrees from Florida Atlantic University.

Meet Joe Pace, PhD

Dr. Joe Pace is a nationally recognized organizational psychologist, educator, speaker and author who conducts seminars and workshops in the areas of corporate cultural alignment, leadership development, and personal and professional achievement. He uses his background in teaching, psychology and business to deliver research-based information to thousands of people, from executives to students, in the area of mental technology of high performance.

He has earned a Doctorate in Education, a Masters Degree in Psychological Counseling, and a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Dr. Joe’s doctoral dissertation and over 30 years of research on success concepts and innovative approaches to organizational achievement and educational persistence have been the sources for his numerous articles and international lecturing. Dr. Pace currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Global Education at The Performance Institute.

He is the creator of the Success Strategies for Effective Colleges and Schools program, which has been implemented worldwide by The Pacific Institute. Additionally, he is the author of four textbooks on professional development published by McGraw-Hill, designed for individuals about to enter the workplace. He serves as an educational and psychological consultant for various companies, colleges and schools throughout the United States and Canada.

Dr. Joe, a former college president was appointed by the Governor of Florida to the Florida State Department of Education’s nine-member licensing commission for private schools, serving on the commission for ten years, and elected chairman twice. In addition, he is the former president of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges.

On a national level, Dr. Pace served as Commissioner of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools in Washington, DC. He served on the Executive Committee of the Council and also on the Board of Directors of the Association of Independent Colleges and Schools, currently known as the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities.

For nearly 40 years, millions of people world-wide have participated in The Pacific Institute’s cognitive psychology programming. Dr. Pace is one of the most popular presenters and consultants on psychology, business and education.

Meet Mark Panciera, MBA

Mark Panciera is a highly successful business owner, community leader, executive and entrepreneur. Applying his personal formula for business success, Mark has distinguished himself as a business advisor to a diversified group of clients in a variety of industries. The results of his approach are reflected not only in his personal success but also in the innovation and success of his clients. Mark focuses his practice on his passion of helping to drive the growth and success of businesses, organizations, teams, and individuals. His unique insights enable him to help clients achieve a successful balance in moving forward to meet changing needs while aligning their established culture and traditions. His concepts and methods are widely recognized for maintaining this balance while achieving successful and sustainable growth.

A well-recognized speaker and author, Panciera is frequently asked to share his professional insights and experience. He has appeared on ABC’s Wall Street Journal Report, CNBC and CBC (the Canadian Broadcast Company).  Additionally, he is a trusted media resource and has been quoted in Forbes, the New York Times, the Miami Herald and the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, with a feature article appearing in Inc. magazine as well.

With a strong commitment to community service, Mark’s involvement and leadership has included Chairmanship of the Archbishop’s Development Council of the Archdiocese of Miami; Trustee of Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale; Director for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of the Hollywood Committee of 100; Board Member of the Hollywood Kiwanis Club and Chairman of their Sponsored Youth Committee; and, Director for the Hollywood Boys and Girls Club and YMCA. Mark has been the recipient of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award; Kiwanis International Foundation Fellows Award; and Price Waterhouse &  South Florida Business Journal “Up and Comer” Award.

Mark earned a BA in Business Administration from the University of South Florida and, while leading his company through its successful evolution and growth, he earned an MBA from Florida Atlantic University.

Mark is married to Tiffany and has three children: Diana, Donna and Mark.

To learn more about the Performance Institute and the other team members, visit our website.