Leadership

May 21 2018

And now for something completely different

As the Monty Python team put it, “And now for something completely different…”

We can get so caught up in the day to day activities of our business we forget to take a step away from what we are doing to consider alternative ways of working.

As a director, I made sure applicants from other trades and experiences for jobs advertised were considered, thus insuring a good mix when it came to opening thought streams for alternative ways of approaching a task, objective or goal.

It is challenging, especially in today’s economic climate, to be brave enough to take these chances but be assured, it is probably the least risky approach of expanding your businesses productivity, knowledge base or marketing awareness.

Frequently we stick with people from within the industry, but consider that some will leave a job because they do not get on with a particular person or, more commonly, they do not like the way they are expected to do a task. So they move to another company where, after the honeymoon period, find it is just the same there too, imagine that!

New blood brings fresh approaches. A thirst for knowledge but also to share new ideas otherwise not considered as we normally fish in the incestuous pool everyone else swims in.

Albert Einstein quoted “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. This is not to say there’s insanity in your organisation but more the fact that if you repeatedly do the same thing, the same results happen.

Much like taking a different approach to employment, have you considered some of these areas:

Giving staff the trust to work from home?
Development Change – Those you make to improve business procedures. Such as improving existing billing and reporting methods. Refocusing marketing strategies and advertising processes.
Transitional change – Those you make to replace existing processes with new processes. Such as experiencing restructures, mergers or acquisitions.
Transformational change – Those you make to reshape your business strategy and processes or shift in work culture. Such as adopting radically different technologies. Operating changes to meet new supply and demand.

Whether you are a successful business or one that is struggling to get the break, there are fundamentally 6 areas that change is needed for it to survive:

Products/Services – Do not react when something goes wrong but proactively experiment with new ranges or demographics.
Branding – Does it still reflect your business? Branding should remain consistent but that doesn’t mean you should never spruce it up?
Marketing – How ‘Alive’ is your web site? Do you use all/any of the Social Media channels? What of post? Do you actually test to the effectiveness of your marketing strategies?
Staffing – How effective are the team members? Have you assessed how effective staff are in their current role or could they improve by shifting them to another function?
Technology – These evolve quickly but it is imperative you keep abreast of communication, marketing, presentation, hardware etc.
Partners – Steven Covey put it as “Interdependency”, combining being independent with dependency. In business we need others to help us succeed. Look to network with others, open your eyes to potential opportunities.

Wherever you or your business are at, always look to do something that little bit different to insure you stand out from the crowd.

Coaching to success specialises in Change Management as well as enabling you to come up with fresh ideas you may not have considered previously so reach out and contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help. You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

Apr 23 2018

Who is to be held accountable these days?

In recent years, I have noticed an increase of living in a blameless society. Everywhere you look you see painted yellow lines indicating where you can or cannot walk! Signs warning of hot liquids in coffee cups! Political correctness left to run riot and when it comes to reprimanding someone, we are on a different subject all together.

Common sense appears to have been pushed to one side and replaced by other people being held accountable for the action or direction of an individual through strict, unbendable ruling. We appear less and less to be able to do what our gut tells us is right. We live by signs telling us there may be issues with taking control ourselves. But this is counterproductive to the way we, as humans, progress.

I have written many a feature about Leadership qualities but accountability should be about individuals owning and being accountable for their own actions without always having to be told or guided.

In coaching, we use the Circle of Concern vs Circle of Influence model. Particularly around confidence building and being held accountable for our own actions.

With the latter being placed inside the former. Showing that if we allow concern to be the dominant factor, then our influence is diminished. However, if we take charge of our situation, our influence will flourish having an effect on lowering levels of concern.

Studies show the most effective organisations are those where individuals/teams feel like they have influence and influence can only be brought about by a sense of being held accountable.

That said, let us now look at how best to hold people accountable for their own actions, or, better yet, give them control over decisions to have accountability which gives them empowerment. We have an acronym for this, D.I.R.E.C.T.

(D)Direction – Set a clear vision and the direction a person should follow. Ambiguity has no place as this leads to ownership falling in someone else’s lap. If people are given too many points to head towards, the likelihood is they will never achieve any, well, not to their full potential.

(I)Integrity – Work to an environment of integrity over ass covering! By this I mean that if a task hasn’t been achieved, do not first look to reprimand but establish the reasons behind how it has been managed. Accountability rises as a result of developing courage to tell the truth rather than simply what the other person may want to hear.

(R)Results – Offer clear definition of what you or the organisation requires. In sales, this may be a given target to achieve. In production it may be the number of Gizwots per week etc. With regards HOW they get there or the means by which they deliver, an element of autonomy needs to be given too.

(E)Expertise – Being given the skills to do a job is paramount to individuals becoming accountable. If there is confusion, lack of understanding or support, then people will not feel accountable as they do not have the expertise to carry out the task. Training, coaching, or teaching people the skills they require gives confidence to handle the responsibility of becoming accountable.

(C)Communicate – “Assumptions are unopened windows that foolish birds fly into, and their broken bodies are evidence gathered too late.” (Bryan Davis). Without clear communication, assumption’s tentacles reach out and take hold. As a leader, insure people know what they are accountable for and establish two way communications to alleviate any queries or doubts as to what is required.

(T)Trust – As a leader, consider how staff look to you. Insure your motives are clear so no questions need be raised. Reward efforts, not just the achievements. Refrain from taking advantage of people, easy done when someone consistently out performs others! And give credit where credit is due, ie don’t take someone else’s but raise them up, it will also reflect well on you. These do not necessarily represent accountability but they do represent trust which enables the other factors to flourish.

This is but the start to developing a sense of accountability. Another great tool to help improve ownership is coaching which helps individuals become accountable as we address the barriers to succeeding. Establish the best way to handle it and formulate an action plan to achieve the objective. All the way along the path is to be clear and focused on the end. Whether you attempt to coach people internally or bring an expert in, coaching helps build the confidence to handle accountability.

If you are looking to go beyond this first level and wish to improve levels of accountability, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help. You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

Feb 26 2018

Pleased to Present a Perfect Presentation

From Pink Floyd’s song, Learning to Fly, a chorus line has “Tongue tied and twisted…” which got me thinking about how we can become when doing presentations. Especially in front of those we are not familiar with. With that in mind, this week’s feature will help you look at the different aspects of managing the ideal presentation.

Often presentations are in front of decision makers. Whether these be executives that take your information on to the rest of their teams or a buyer that you are looking to convince that your product is better than someone else’s. I have made some horrendous mistakes from juggling change in my trouser pockets (I’ll leave that image to form!) to arriving late and having equipment that didn’t work as expected. Learning from those mistakes led me to offering this feature to help or remind you of those pitfalls we need to overcome to ace your next presentation.

Be succinct – In today’s climate, brevity is the ‘key’ and timing the ‘oil’ to make things run smooth. Refrain from turning up late, or on time if there is equipment like projectors to connect with as “Why won’t this connect” will not sit well with your audience (been there! Not a good place as panic can start to set in).

Introductions are a common place part of the presentation but make sure it is relevant to what you are discussing and not a biography of your working career.

Get to the main point of the presentation within 1 minute. Any more and the person or group you are presenting to will start to have questions raising in their heads and quite quickly, the whole presentation is derailed.

Solutions not problems – “The market is down in this area”, “Couriers seem unreliable these days”, “There seems to be too many regulations”, “We need more staff” are problems to overcome but the person(s) you are in front of are not necessarily concerned about those, they are looking forward not back. This can potentially be someone else’s problem to deal with, they are focused on the future.

They are looking to defeat competitors, set long term goals and actions so sell solutions or better still, sell the problems that they will encounter and how YOU or your product, will help them. Promote to their emotional attachment and not the data.

Sell the vision – There are numerous sayings around ‘facts tell, stories sell’ and although best not to use this in a presentation, consider the fact that what people buy is solutions to THEIR problems, not (well, not initially) the product.

If you sell the product, then the first conscious thought is “what are the features” followed quickly by “how much” and then “we’ll get back to you” enabling them to take the ‘data’ and find alternative prices/sources.

The attention should be centred on how you can help them achieve their immediate situation or better still, their three, five or ten year plan.

Promote the successes you have experienced. People have seen technology, full of high specs with an armoury of facts and figures fail. They, like you, will also have seen success grow exponentially like the game ‘Candy Crush’ that grew without any high specification. People trust their guts over any data, use stories of how you have helped others (Customers and even competitors!) and how they benefited from your services.

Continually ask “Would this prove beneficial to you” and once the nodding of agreement commences, only then should you start on features and then price. This will be less important as long as you are not way too expensive or, come to that, cheap.

Drop any fear – In coaching, we often ask ”what’s the worst that could happen?” meaning, in this instance, that you may not win the contract etc. Yes, this may cause problems to finances but never fear the people you are addressing.

Executives or people in power often appear to enjoy deflating the motivation of even those who are there to help them out. It is a power thing, great, let them feel all powerful but you have the tool(s) to actually alleviate the fears that THEY currently have.

This may seem ludicrous on initial appearance but people with responsibilities have the power to make wise decisions but equally costly mistakes that may well affect their career objectives. Don’t fear them but assess what their fears may be and promote the solution.

R and RRR – At coaching to success, we believe the R’s are the answer. Firstly, Research. Know what you are promoting and what the BENEFITS are to your audience, not the data. Therefore research into what ails them, what keeps them awake at nights. The three R’s are the key to presentation… rehearse, Rehearse and REHEARSE. Make the presentation fluid and seamless as possible. This conveys confidence and people buy into confidence.

Coaching to success look to positive outcomes and help clients to impart clear, interesting and beneficial presentations. The above will help you start but should you be looking to make that killer delivery then contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help. You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

Feb 12 2018

Change doesn’t need to be so daunting…

Sometimes it is hard to admit we were wrong when something we have worked hard to create later is not working as well as it should.

Maybe that what we had achieved was not appropriate for the audience we were aiming at or, such as computers no longer fit for purpose. Circumstances in house or the market may have headed down a different path. Whatever the reason, this is where change comes into its own.

I have recently looked at my very wordy web site and although a lot of work went into creating the message initially, I realised that today’s market demands quick gratification and immediate response. With this in mind, I am now working to ‘Change’ the existing layout.

Change Management is not an easy subject to broach as we are often emotionally attached to a situation, circumstance or, for example my web site, something we have poured a lot of energy into.

Thoughts of failure may arise. This can be associated with levels of confidence, or the reluctance to let go. But holding onto something, is not always the wisest thing to do.

There are generally 5 stages to work through to insure a more efficient streamlined and timely change-over. Consider the following when implementing change. Remember, these same areas apply to you as well, even if you are the only person dealing with change:

THE INTRODUCTION

Consider the shock this will have on those affected. What will change mean to their otherwise normal behaviour emotionally or to their work pattern?
Deliberate the feeling of coping. Will those involved feel capable of managing the situation?
Help! What information needs to be given and at what stage(s)? How can you include those who will be affected and insure they have a sense of input? Two-way communication is the key

WHO & HOW WILL IT AFFECT PEOPLE

Who will be affected and how do you keep them abreast of the situation insuring they know it will have an impact on them
Make the time-frame very clear with no room for ambiguity
Clarity that this is not a whimsical adventure that will be soon brushed under the carpet. This will happen and business will change

RESISTANCE

Even when the old computer system rarely functions well, we still have familiarity with all the quirky habits. This same sense of attachment applies to whatever needs to be changed. Become aware of how powerful this emotion is.
Avoidance (It won’t affect me!) – Excuses as to why it won’t work and continuation on how the old way of doing things did will occur. Frequently check steps towards the end result are made while promoting the positive actions
Anxiety could step in here. Be conscious of peoples’ concerns and regularly converse (not electronically) to relay/receive vital information to help the transition
Questions of motives and reasons will arise. Reinforce the new positives over the old ways whilst re-stating benefits of the changes

ACCEPTANCE

Treat confusion and elements of chaos during the early stages as small hurdles to obtain the bigger rewards
Encourage exploration to support change in new ways as positive ideas otherwise not considered in the first place. Gives a sense of involvement, participation in the greater scheme
Look for the beginnings of enthusiasm and use these as the fuel to ignite other areas as yet to find the benefits. In larger organisations, use those who embrace change to be the stewards of positive

COMMITMENT

Once the positive ways can be seen, fuel any visible increase in energy towards the new way or system
Fully support and encourage motivated people to share and help one another
Publish or share the positive affirmations
Encourage conversations but re-iterate you are looking for reasons for this to work, not excuses why it isn’

This is but a simplistic overview on what to expect when change is to be made. Change is not easy but it need not be painful or too onerous either. Planning, communicating, positive affirmations and finding support are key to the success

Coaching to Success specialise in Change-management so no matter how big or how small the next change you are looking to undergo, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help. You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco.

Nov 20 2017

Several Hats to help ready you for decision making

As a Director, I was frequently asked to make decisions. Some relatively easy, such as weighing up one product’s specification to another but some were quite difficult like moving a multimillion pound logistics warehouse, stock and people from one location to another while continuing customer support and expected service levels in the middle of a recession!

Decisions affect us and those around us, it is no wonder the weight of making these can be really demanding on us as well as exhausting!

Your approach may be quite stoic and attempting to change your usual thought process can be demanding. No matter whether you go at it with all the optimism in the world or with careful consideration of each element you can easily miss the opposites of your natural demeanour, ie if you are normally averse to risks, you may miss opportunities.

Personally, I go at things thinking all will work out well, and on occasions, they have not. This is predominantly brought about because I did not always look objectively at the decision to be made but opted for charging straight at it.

With age comes wisdom, luckily I am not that old that I can still learn and, hopefully, you feel the same way so here is an exercise called ‘6 Thinking hats’ (Edward de Bono, 1985) which help you to view a situation from different approaches one at a time.

Let us move ‘ahead’ (sorry!) and examine the how with what each colour hat represents:

WHITE ‘Information’ – The facts and available information. This hat wearer focuses on the facts, numbers, realities/certainties based on data presented and past trends. Assess learnings from this as well as gaps in knowledge.
RED ‘Emotions’ – Instinctive or intuitive gut reactions? States of emotional sensitivity (with or without justification). Unlike the White hat, this is about working to our emotional strengths or realising how others will react. Others may not understand the reasoning so Red hat wearers consider the emotional dynamics of the organisation and people therein.
YELLOW ‘Optimistic response’ – The logic applied or pursuing harmony. The upbeat side. Either you or members of the team who actually see the positive benefits should wear the Yellow hat. When already in the process, Yellow hats are also the motivators who will seek the positives.
BLACK ‘Logic/Discernment’ – Practical side. Black hat wearers seek reasons to be cautious or conservative. Look at what the potential negative outcomes may be or arise. They look at things defensively and put good arguments forward as to why it may not work or highlight the weak points.
GREEN ‘Creative’ – Provocation and stimulation seeking investigation into the creative or unknown side. Green hats think the big picture and are open to potential new ideas/concepts. They also promote ‘all’ ideas as legitimate and encourage people to think laterally as well as openly to the potential of an idea so it can be explored.
BLUE ‘Managing’ – What is the goal? What are we thinking about? Look at the bigger picture. This should be worn at the start and end. This is the process control/decision hat. In meetings, it is won by the chairperson. When ideas start to stagnate, they may turn to the Green hat way of thinking or should a nonplus demeanour set in, then they turn to the Yellow hat process.

All processes start and conclude with the Blue hat. The process may be run by a singular person or a team, regardless, each hat will be worn by an individual or as a group. For example, in Logistics, transport department may wish to take on the Green hat as they are frequently involved with problem solving of deliveries. The office team leader may consider the Red hat as decisions may affect the working team there etc.

This is a powerful technique when used to its full potential with an open approach. De Bono’s system allows all elements (including scepticism) to enter the arena without fear of immediately being thrown to the lions!

An all-round approach considering all angles will result in a complete understanding of the situation, and not simply our own blind-sided thought process. It allows the process to be fully opened but in a controlled manner with the ultimate outcome being well thought through with a solid conclusion.

Coaching to Success specialise in Red, Yellow, Green and Blue hats on the understanding someone knows what the Black and White areas are. We refer to this as the ‘Grey Area’ (my apologies once again, such a cliché) so if you would like to take the first steps towards making great decisions, start with an easy one and contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk, where you will be assured a warm, friendly welcome and the chance to discuss how we can help set a less turbulent path for the decisions to be made.