Is everyone on your leadership team clear about “who” makes “which” decisions? Is your team clear about how decisions are made? How are decisions communicated, and does it drive alignment? For more information, please read: Decision Making:  A Process Check for Investment Firms High Performing Investment Teams: How to Achieve Best Practices of Top Firms (Wiley, October ’06)

Purpose of the Diagnostic Survey Who Takes it? Questions Addressed Culture Survey: Assessment of the core values and behaviors driving a firm or department’s culture. All members of the firm or department. 10 minutes online. Completely confidential. Is your culture as good as you think it is?  What are the values and behaviors in your firm currently and what do your people want to see in the future?  Are these cultures aligned?  Are your people rallying around the same set of val...

Does everyone on your senior team know who their successor is (near term, longer term)? Does your succession plan address the needs of your long-term strategy? What are the key roles in your firm critical to your success, and how deep is your talent for them? For more information, please read: Navigating the Life Stages of Investment Firms

How do you apply behavioral finance for better results? Behavior is the result of one’s knowledge and environment.  How does your environment help or hurt? Investment management is about decisions.  How could you help limit the unforced investment decision errors? Highest and best use is not just about land, are you aware of your team’s?   Additional Resources: Applied Behavioral Finance Psychology, Neurology... How Your Biology Impacts Your Investment Decisions (CFA we...

What is the purpose behind your investment approach? How would you describe your investment approach? What is your process…how do you measure execution? Is your team aligned under a common understanding regarding your investment process? For more information, please read: Investment Process Review

Are the incentives in your organization aligned to get the behavior you want? Are your incentives designed to reward both team and individual contribution? Have your organization’s incentives been designed to create long-term wealth for all of your constituents? For more information, please read: Compensation and Ownership Red X

How do you develop leaders in your firm? What are the key competencies top leaders in each of the c-suite roles? Does each candidate for succession have a development plan Why would your employees follow your leader? For more information, please read: The Adaptive Leader Ethical Leadership in the Investment Firm Investment Leadership: Building a Winning Culture for Long-Term Success (Wiley, ’04)

How do you measure team effectiveness? How does your team compare to other teams in the investment industry? What key factors allow for building trust and accountability? What are best practices concerning rewards and motivation? For more information, please read: High Performing Investment Teams: How to Achieve Best Practices of Top Firms (Wiley, October ’06)

Can you communicate what your strategy is…in less than ten seconds? How is your strategy a reflection of your investment philosophy? Why is your strategy of value to your clients, employees and owners? A whitepaper on this topic is forthcoming.

Are your talent processes (hiring, performance management, planning and development) designed to retain and grow your talent? Do your most valuable resources (people) feel highly engaged with your firm? Of the past ten hires you made, how many would you rehire today? For more information, please read: Human Portfolio

Why do 93% of investment professionals believe culture is important to firm success? How do successful firms build strong, effective cultures? How does strong culture reduce “sludge” and improve decision making? How do you measure culture? Are there non-negotiables in culture building? For more information, please read: Sludge Culture as a Strategic Advantage Crisis Lessons Investment Tribes: Understanding the Subcultures of Asset Management Firms