FSW & Excellence Audit Distance Learning

Background
The Future Shape of the Winner™ (FSW) is Tom Peters Company’s (TPC) distillation of the characteristics of Excellent organisations.

A breakthrough in making this model more user-friendly has been the development of a tool to measure performance against this model – the Excellence Audit™ (ExAud). Being able to identify the gaps between where they are and where they aspire to be gives leaders and their teams a simple way of seeing their priorities for improvement. The process of developing action plans becomes much more straightforward.

FSW and the ExAud are used by TPC in their own practice. In recent years they have opened up the opportunity for non TPC Consultants and Professionals to become accredited to use the model and commission the Excellence Audit for use in their own practices/client companies.

FSW Consultant Profile
FSW is designed as a tool for consultants and professionals of all kinds who are engaged with the productivity of people in organisations.

It is a model that depends on the user having an existing base of knowledge and wisdom about how businesses typically operate. For that reason, applicants for this training are likely to have been employed as business professionals of some kind for a number of years.

It has proved particularly attractive to consultants who have a specific OD practice.

The induction training in the use of FSW and the ExAud is led by TPC specialists. This is offered in a structured distance learning package, which runs over a six week period. They will be introduced to the model and the audit, taken through the practitioners’ support materials, and shown how to position the audit within their wider consultancy practice. They will end the learning process by undertaking a real ExAud survey in a client business with full TPC support.

On successful completion of this training, on line Excellence Audits are commissioned for the consultant’s use with their clients.

Consultant Development Process
Here are the developmental stages.

1. Understanding the background to FSW; where it came from how it has been developed, how it helps, why it makes a contribution to business.
2. Learning what FSW and the Excellence Audit actually are, in more detail; what makes the approach distinct and how it builds on or connects with other organisation development theories.
3. How FSW and Ex Aud fit into an overall consulting approach; each consultant needs to give thought to how it can be incorporated into their own practice.
4. How to interpret the Excellence Audit; using real examples to understand the data and its interpretation.
5. Finally, the consultant will find their own client to undertake an Excellence Audit; setting up and interpreting this initial audit would be fully supported by TPC and is considered the final step in the Induction Training.

Our distance learning package has a detailed Participant's Guide, recommended background reading, pre-work assignments for each session, five live webinar tutorial sessions and a course website for reflections, discussions, questions and answers, and other learning resources provided between sessions.

Following successful completion of the FSW training, graduates will be invited to join the FSW Community through which they can continue to learn about using FSW and can share experience and wisdom with like-minded professionals.

Cost of Training
The 2014 charge for training, including the first 'real' excellence audit, is £3000 + Value Added Tax or other local taxes where applicable. For those who successfully complete the programme, the fee also includes their first year’s license fee.

Consultants may be able to recoup some of the cost of this training by charging their initial client for the Excellence Audit service that will be provided in their inaugural audit. Payment in 2 instalments is available; £1500 in advance and £1500 on completion of the final Distance Learning module.

Why invest in FSW?
Here are some real benefits that will come from integrating FSW/ExAud into your own consulting approach;

o Its holistic nature makes it an extremely cost effective and efficient element of your diagnosis of a client’s current situation and needs. You will therefore be in a position to add more value for less effort on your part than an equivalent data analysis would demand.
o The Audit provides data on cultural dimensions of an organisation that are really tricky to fathom. Finance and technical people love that data!
o Its breadth gives specialist consultants the chance to connect their efforts with other existing client initiatives, and with other specialist consultants.
o The audit enables you to identify likely resistance to change that may affect the improvements on which you are working with your client.
o Its forward-looking orientation provides a boost of energy for those clients that are ambitious to look beyond their present circumstances.

For all of these reasons, we believe FSW and the ExAud will deepen a consultant’s knowledge of their clients, and provides invaluable data that will result in their projects having much greater impact.

Next Steps
More information about FSW and the ExAud are available here.

Our Distance Learning Programmes run once a year! If you are interested in being included in the next session which will begin in the second half of 2014, please contact team@tompeters.com.