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How to Banish Toxicity and Promote Psychological Health in the Workplace

22/12/2022

Post Pandemic requires Radical Organisational Change

The pandemic has created a nightmare for how businesses deliver their services. Some organisations are no longer relevant, and their customer or user base has migrated elsewhere or found an alternative way to meet their needs. To improve competitive advantage and overall effectiveness, many senior management teams (SMTs) are reviewing their direction and methods of operation. The traditional formal approach to this uses diagnostics to examine the efficacy of those things that drive performance and profitability. This usually means exploring market identity, organisational goals, and the strategies, structures and systems applied to achieve those goals. The results do not give a complete picture of what causes, helps and hinders performance.

In this article, Philip Atkinson highlights the real drivers behind performance, which relate to the softer side of the business – often referred to as climate and culture. We maintain that the real drivers that cause business and performance improvement relate to assessing and restoring the psychological health of the organisation.

You can download the entire article below.

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Please can we have some Positive Mindsets and Thinking for the Coming Year?

5/11/2022

Times are tough for lots of people. Each of us in our businesses or organizations will have challenges to face in the coming years. The press tells me things will only improve in 2025 or when a change of Government comes about. Well, I am not one to believe that. I think that coming to terms with the challenge is something we need to do right now and take action. If things really are going to get very difficult with energy costs, the recession and the cost-of-living crisis, I think it's a good idea to put the brain box to work and figure out ways to deal with it. The alternative is to sit still and wait for these 'things' to happen. I am not one for that.

I have been talking with existing and potential clients, and the mindsets they are sharing are not all positive and optimistic. There's a surprise. I decided to put this blog post together, and with my 'optimistic' head on, I'd like you to think differently. So, I have some gentle challenges for you and alternatives to some of the pessimistic mindsets I have tracked in conversations, and the media.

In 2022 here are some of the attitudes I have heard of late that stop organizational leaders and managers from changing. How would you gauge commitment to change from these worldview attitudes below? What do you think?

A Pessimistic Mindset and a state of nervous busyness pervade all activity

" We are so busy there is never a good time to introduce change".

"We want this to work and give it a chance, but the window isn't here right now – we have to pick the perfect time to introduce this."

"The economic circumstances are right against us now, and we want to make sure that when we do change, we have the best chance of it being a success."

"We will never know all we need to know to bring this change – we need to study the market and what other people are doing, research literature and case studies to get a really well-informed picture of what we can do."

"This solution would never work for us – we are so different to everybody else in our marketplace."

"It's all very well talking about what works in the commercial sector, but it can never work for us in the public services/NHS/Local Authority/Third Sector [Choose any industry or organization]."

"It is too expensive and takes too much resource and time."

"We just got caught up with the end-of-year financial cycle. We can always do this later after the end-of-year results are published."

"We don't have the expertise or the staff to bring on those changes just now."
"We need stronger leaders and teams to see this through; we don't have people of that calibre just now".

Optimistic: Some gentle reframes

We are so busy there is never a good time to introduce change.

Alternative: You are always going to be busy. You will always find things to fill your time. Only you know whether they are the right way of investing in your future. How about taking a step back and doing something different? Investing in prevention and building a robust culture may be advantageous.

"We want this to work and give it a chance, but the window isn't here right now – we have to pick the perfect time to introduce this."

Alternative: The right window of opportunity may never be available – you must choose to shape your future while keeping all the balls in the air. Do you have to ask whether there ever is perfect timing?

"The economic circumstances are right against us now, and we want to make sure that when we do change, we have the best chance of it being a success."

Alternative: Whenever will the right economic environment be there for you? When will the circumstances be perfect for you?

"We will never know all we need to know to bring this change – we need to study the market and what other people are doing, research literature and case studies to get a really well-informed picture of what we can do."

TBH, it does not matter how much time you devote to this; there are always new papers, books and research to keep you updated. When will you be brave enough to know when to stop looking and decide to commit and take action?

"This solution would never work for us – we are so different to everybody else in our marketplace".

Alternative: Give it a chance, examine the benefits, and see how solutions can be designed and created to fit your circumstances, culture, and vision for the future.

"It's all very well talking about what works in the commercial sector, but it can never work for us in the public services/NHS/Local Authority/Third Sector [Choose any industry or organization]."

Alternative: Give it a chance. How different are you really from other organizations? You have clients, suppliers, users and customers like everybody else. You achieve your results through your leadership, people and teamwork. There are no fundamental differences here that can be resolved with thoughtful planning and a commitment to implementation rather than endless talking and inaction.

"It is too expensive and takes too much resource and time."

Alternative: It might appear too expensive, but what will it cost you in the longer term if you fail to deal with those challenges currently holding you back and inhibiting your growth and viability in the future?

"We just got caught up with the end-of-year financial cycle. We can always do this later after the end-of-year results are published."

If it is not the end of the year, it's the end of a quarter or the 3-year cycle that consumes your time. How better could you invest your time and resources to move beyond basic maintenance functions towards serious analysis and building a secure future based on preventative action?

"We don't have the expertise or the staff to bring on those changes just now."

Alternative: Do you see magical times when you have the resource to drive the change? What can you do right now and every week to build your capacity to create the capability to change?

"We need stronger leaders and teams to see this through; we don't have people of that calibre just now".

Alternative: The Leaders and team managers will never materialise out of thin air. Assess your bright young things and change champions amongst your people and build on that capacity by creating it by developing a cohort of 25% of your early adaptors and high-potential people every six months.

If you need realistic optimists to speak to support you in creating organizational viability, please email us.

Demographics differences and how you view your Customers and Stakeholders

9/10/2022

Many organizations neglect to consider the importance of demographics in consumer 'buying behaviour' and create emotional bonding with existing customers, clients, stakeholders and donors. Further, many organizations don't understand how to use research to plan and map their relationship management in the future. The application of demographics is a powerful strategic tool that can build growth for businesses. If a company can understand the values, motivations, and attitudes of retained, new and potential prospects, they are in a stronger position to manage their segmented markets.

It is a powerful strategy to understand your users, stakeholders and clients. How useful would you assess the demographic footprint of the key groups who interact with your organization?

Who are the key players?
What is their generational grouping?
How does the demographic grouping affect how you currently communicate with them?
Are you currently identifying all the groupings and their particular values, beliefs and attitudes?
How can you manage the different demographic groupings more effectively?

You may want to read this article below on the importance of understanding your key stakeholders' demographic outline and applying it to your organization?

(Article: Millennials: Researching the Application of Demographics to Build Customer Relationships and an HR Strategy)

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Rethinking your Business Models for the Third Sector

7/9/2022

When we talk about reviewing their business models, most people are referring to the commercial, rather than the NFP sector – however, we argue that as we climb out of the post-COVID pandemic and start dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, we need to start applying and reviewing the business models that reflect your organisation – especially if you operate in the Charity or the Third Sector.

Crisis or breakdown fuels Business Model enquiry

Whenever I have reviewed an organisation's business model, it has usually been in times of crisis, sales decline or client or customer loss. For instance, if a competitor decides to review and revise its product or service and develop a new version, it wisely does so by playing to its existing strengths and creating strategies to weaken others' position in its market.

Lowest cost producer

So, it's no surprise that many organisations decide their business model its founded on being the lowest cost producer in a marketplace. To maintain and capture market share from competitors, it may be wise to review supply chain issues and resource costs and do a special deal with their suppliers.

Increasing Profitability & Sales

Likewise, suppose an organisation decides to develop their profitability. In that case, it may do so by introducing niche or unique products or services that perform better for its clients and its customers.

Likewise, a sales-driven business model will focus on equipping sales staff with superior marketing and sales training and developing a business model which focuses on winning more new customers and retaining the percentage of those migrating to other providers.

Business Models and the Charity Sector

There are many business models out there that can be accommodated, but what about the charity sector?

When discussing the charity sector, we may wish to consider the business models that typical charities employ if they do not get funding from central or local Government, or they may have to rely on winning key sources of finance.

Usually, a charity will have developed a business model which relies on managing through a donor network or employing a subscription or membership model.

The vital issue is that the senior management team (SMT) of the charity has to explore the assumptions being made about the business model they employ

Is the business model still relevant to their critical sources of funding?
Is their role and mission still relevant to those who depend upon them?
How are they doing compared to others who are competing for donors or subscribers or members?
What assumptions are the SMT making about significant changes in the marketplace?
Are there new entrants to the marketplace which are distorting the contributions from donors?
Is another organisation providing better quality service to end users or clients?
How do users and clients view the quality of your existing services?
Have there been any significant changes in tastes and habits, the cost of living and other critical financial data that impact the decisions of funders and donors?

Case Study in Ecology

I recall working with a worldwide ecological charity several years ago. Their donor or subscriber income was around £100m per year – then they found a significant hole in their operating finances. It was down simply to the Tsusmani, which had taken place in Japan in 2011.

People who would typically donate or renew their membership to this organization were shocked by the enormity and the consequences of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and transferred their loyalty temporarily from their existing favoured charity to the international relief effort in Japan and the surrounding countries.

New Issues for Consideration

For instance, how has the Ukraine crisis impacted your funding?
How will the cost of living and the energy crisis affect your income in 2023 and 2024?
How will the reduction in Government spending and those in institutions such as the NHS impact the services you currently provide?
You have to be able to re-appraise your business model and even borrow from innovative businesses in the commercial sectors.
You may want to consider where you are most at risk currently in your existing business model and commission a short analysis of how best you could incorporate new thinking into your model or how you transact business.

Email Philip

Creativity and Innovation as an essential driver and enabler in Corporate Culture

17/8/2022

Shaping and introducing a high level of Creativity and Innovation as a major driving force in organization culture will help many organizations get through the post-Covid pandemic experience. As more and more organizations have reopened their doors, many staff are returning to the traditional form of attendance or adopting a hybrid working model.

No organization can hope to survive using the tired old traditional ways of thinking to deal with the challenges we face today and in 2022/3. We thought we should share some ideas and prompt any readers to review our thoughts.

Learning to Play

First of all, we believe that children have a great deal to teach us about creativity. They can play, which seems to be drilled out of them as they progress through the educational system.

Deferring decisions

Creative people are open to new ideas, and they can handle the sense of discomfort that comes from leaving a vital decision open. We agree it's essential to have an end date in mind, but we think it foolish not to use the time left before the end date arrives.

Critical issues about being creativity – the big problem is being interrupted

Interruptions created by self and others will derail you. You must have the capability to stop others from eating into and eroding your time and energy, along with the self-discipline to keep to a schedule. It is a careful balancing act.

Inspiration

We don't think we are outlandishly creative, but we are innovative. If you need inspiration, borrow ideas from others. Even Shakespeare stole his plots!

Leaping or Skipping

We do not always make great leaps in our thinking, but most of us have dozens of small innovative steps that can be the basis for thinking differently.

Manage Setbacks

Some days you have the energy – some days, you do not. Don't let setbacks change your mood or emotions. Your attitude shapes your thinking – so do everything you can to promote and optimism, be tenacious and enthused, even if you don't feel it.

Be wary of over-confidence

When you become confident of the solution, your creativity can take a sharp decline. It often happens at the unconscious level because you may be telling yourself that you have nothing new to learn. When that happens, you go backwards.

Seeking the opinion of others

Only when you have fleshed out your broad canvas should you include others. Pitch your idea to them and ask them four key questions:

Could they understand it and the benefits that would accrue?
Were there any areas that tested the credibility of the idea?
Did they find the applications and the direction focused or confused?
Did they become bored – which 'bits of' what you had to offer did not create a degree of excitement?

Address those key points and install the process within your culture, no matter the size of your business.

For further information on how you can create a creative and innovative culture, email Philip.

To receive a copy of the published article email Philip

Creating a Climate and Culture of Trust

12/7/2022

Tailoring and Developing a ‘Trust Audit’ for your Organization

Make no mistake. Trust is vital in organizations. Trust with your customers, end users, stakeholders, regulators and staff takes years to build and minutes to lose. Trust is the emotional glue that brings people together to work and interact in a planned and meaningful way.

Distrust, discomfort, stress and conflict

Organizations that do not have a high degree of Trust can be dangerous places to work because personal ambition, who you know and political agenda detract from the core business. They are not nice places to work. Productivity is low and the best people tend to take off to better employers. Customer service tends to be appalling and relationships with stakeholders and suppliers are typified by suspicion and “getting one over” on them occupies too much time.

So, where does your organization fit in the Trust stakes?

You may like to know that we have developed series of modules to provide accurate and precise feedback on how you are doing along the following lines:

Your Customers, end users, consumers – (if you are in the public sector read this as end users, the public, citizens, user groups and patients, residents and passengers)
Relationships with stakeholders, investors, regulators and suppliers
Trust across the organisation – functional reliability and cross functional working
Trust in functional and smaller teams
Trust between staff and managers

High Trust & Positive Working

Organizations that portray a high degree of trust between people, teams and departments are more coherent and cohesive in their actions. Trust is vital for working productively and in unison.

An organization with a high Trust index is typified by the following:

Being focused with clear direction
Shared vision of positive outcomes
Engaged in meaningful and satisfying work
Positive shared values in working together
A positive organisational culture supporting growth and learning
Honesty

Low Trust, Cultural Conflict, Anxiety and Stress

An organization with a low Trust index is typified by the following:

Ambiguous direction and outcomes typified by ‘bully boy’ leadership
Focus on ‘my turf’ and what’s important to me and my career and my personal ambition to get on ‘no matter what’
Working relationships having only win-lose outcomes
Suspicion – major communication is through the grapevine and rumour mill
Fear driven culture - with command and control attitudes
Personal political agendas

It is no surprise that most people would always opt for working in the first type of organisation (illustrated above), but may find, for whatever reason, that their current team or organisation is starting to take on board the characteristics of the second organisation (outlined above).

Desirability to Assess trust in Organizations

It is pretty obvious that Trust is an important component of the organizational culture. A culture where ‘Trust’ is dominant will be committed to engaging with staff at all levels. Trust is vital in working relationships and is demonstrated when you witness functional harmony and teamwork. Organizations that demonstrate high levels of Trust also project that Trust to their stakeholders, end users, customers and clients. Organizations with a high Trust index deliver much better customer service than their low Trust counterparts.

If you would like further information on how to measure Trust in your culture email Philip here Philip@philipatkinson.com

If you’d like to read through our highly reviewed published article and please click below.

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The Business Delivery Model for Learning has Changed

16/6/2022

The pandemic has brought about many changes to how we all work. I don’t know how it will have impacted your business or enterprise, but there have been many new business opportunities in my field.

For instance, the provision of my services has been aided thankfully by the emergence of the medium of ‘Zoom’ and ‘Microsoft Teams’ as a teaching or mentoring medium.

My clients, for example, now understand that the face to face interaction training room is not the only ‘go too’ medium for imparting learning. Of course, we have always provided blended learning, but now there is strong evidence to ensure that the future lies in ‘sharp, short bursts of learning reinforced with online resources, such as Learning Management Systems. A carefully timed session with specific outcomes defined well in advance can often deliver the required behaviour changes that traditionally may have taken place over several training events.

The ROI of Learning

A carefully crafted session of 30-60 minutes delivered through a Zoom call can be just as effective as a several-day training workshop. The 1:1 or small group nature can be compelling with the additional benefit of not having to take people away from their jobs or roles for those days, with savings in accommodation and travelling expenses for delegates and facilitators.

Further, the hybrid model of working from home/office ratio makes this so much more solid as a valued learning experience. You don’t have to be in a training room, hotel or office for learning to be delivered.

This process enables a far firmer handle on investment return for people development. Very specific outcomes can be debated and those attending can do pre-event planning and tasks, and report on their progress. Further, the tutor or facilitator can build on this and record the call for later reinforcement.

The Medium is the Message

A tailored 1:1 session or small group event can be compelling, especially when defining the behaviour outcomes that you want to flow from a Zoom call. Additionally, those attending are the focus of attention. They cannot retreat into the anonymity of the background of the wider group. Further, mentoring can be specifically focused on individuals. The critical issue here is that the learning can be tailored specifically to individuals.

Examples of Learning Input

Here are some examples of the activities that we have created.

Influencing skills for internal auditors
Performance improvement
Top Team development
SMT strategy workshop – from Vision to KPIs
Feedback in the use of Psychometrics for recruitment and development (16PF, Myers Briggs etc)
Team Psychometrics for group cohesion
Individual Coaching and Mentoring
Coaching for Career development
Brand You – Prep for Job Interviews

Business Model for Learning has Changed

Eight years ago, we committed to developing Learning Management Systems (LMS) for Lean-Six-Sigma (Business Transformation). This was our solution to spreading the provision of one aspect of our business.

We can win the support for students worldwide, and many have established themselves with our ISO accredited programme for Yellow, Green and Black Belt status. We are expanding this to cover the main aspect of our work, which is organisational change management and personal development.

I also find that producing Training Videos and distributing them through the Udemy Platform has opened other valuable learning vehicles. We are committed in 2022 and 2023 to consolidate this process through the Kajabi platform.

So, we have found a new enthusiasm from our clients to adapt their views on how Learning and Development can be delivered, and we think that more organisations need to consider this for induction and Employee Orientation, early career counselling, performance management and 360-degree assessment.

If this is of interest to you, please contact Philip direct.

ROI of Executive Coaching & Mentoring

11/5/2022

Executive coaching is the most powerful process to drive measured and sustainable
organizational change and overcome the key barriers to change. To be an
outstanding coach, manager or leader is not easy.

Trust me: it takes more than willpower and discipline to become exceptional in every one of these roles. In this article I have addressed the key issues, and highlight each of these roles and the route taken to become outstanding in each of them.

The common theme in these roles is the ability to demonstrate consistently effective coaching behaviours. It is only when behaviour changes that we see marked and measured corporate improvement. A serious and focused business coaching and mentoring model is the answer to many problems that failing organisations.

To read the whole article download the pdf above

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Lance Armstong talks to Tony Robbins about his new book Life Force

3/3/2022

Over the weekend, I read Tony's new book, Life Force, and was impressed by how he had integrated research into Longevity and positive mindset driving behavioural change.

Tony Robbins

I have to share a recent podcast from two illuminating minds – Tony Robbins and Lance Armstrong. Tony Robbins, now 62, is, of course, the personal development guru, presenter and author who has trained millions of people in large-scale open training events and developed online educational training available to millions. Tony has such charisma, and I attended many of his events many years ago, including his four-day course Date with Destiny held in Birmingham, England. His events are compelling experiences, motivating and emotionally charged. If you want to create personal change, he is the go-to guy.

Many of my interventions, coaching, and mentoring work have re-engineered Tony's transformational development elements and applied the personal change paradigm to organisational and culture change.

I was also lucky enough to meet with him to exchange a few ideas about my business in Birmingham, and he was gracious enough to endorse my book on Culture Change.

Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong ex-racing cyclist who had initially won seven Tours de France amongst many other professional races. After admitting blood doping on Oprah TV after the UCI removed his 7 Tours de France titles from the record books, he has had to reinvent himself.

In the early part of his career, he contracted cancer. Through treatment, he managed to beat this cancer and went on to a successful, if not uneventful, cycling career.

I met with Lance at a cycling meet when he came to Glasgow in the early noughties, and he struck me as one of the most resilient people I have ever met. He set up the Livestrong Foundation in 1997, which raised $470 million to support cancer research. You will remember the yellow rubber wristbands that many people wore in support of the foundation.

I subscribe to Lance's 'Forward Podcast' and was pleased to see his name and Tony linked together in a podcast on Tony's new book on Longevity, which prompted me to devour the 700-page text in a weekend.

Life Force Review

The book is brilliant and explores possibilities in various scientific research themes into Longevity. The last two chapters, however, focus on behaviour change and what you can do about your own negative beliefs, fixed mindset and how you can shape your life.

The podcast or YouTube video is outstanding. I would not suggest watching the 72-minute feature if you were not going to benefit from the experience. Here are the links below. (You might want to fast forward from the beginning for 5 minutes because of adverts)

Listen: iTunes|Spotify|YouTube

Direct YouTube

There is never a second chance to make a great first Impression

11/2/2022

Just recently, I have been running one to one mentoring sessions with a variety of people. Three students are ready to go for their postgrad University interviews, and several technical managers are working for both charities and FS. They all have one thing in common. They are sharp, bright, technically able but tend to veer towards being quiet introverts than chatty extroverts.

They each have interpersonal challenges ahead of them and asked what they could do to improve their presentation skills and, in particular, their outward enthusiasm.

The law of Requisite Variety!

I wanted to be both balanced and ensure that they retained their authenticity and, at the same time, improved their behavioural flexibility in interpersonal competence. It is not often you can get the opportunity to state the law of requisite variety (What is the law of requisite variety? It suggests that, the most flexible element in the system generally controls the system. Rigidity in behaviour may make us lose control over the outcomes we receive. It means those who have more adaptability will have a better chance of achieving their outcomes than those who don’t have the same combination of interpersonal styles and competence.

You are the Brand

Here are a few ideas – you may agree or not.

It is helpful to think of yourself as a brand. What brand do you want to become? What do you stand for? What are your core values that are reflected in your behaviours? It is helpful to think like this, especially if you are selling yourself in business and academically.

What is Enthusiasm?

Enthusiasm is an emotion rather than a trait – but it can be described. You get to choose what type of enthusiast to become. The enthusiasm you portray has to sync with your personality and the brand you want to build as you. After all, you are shaping your brand just as industry experts do: Gucci, Apple, Marks & Spencer, Virgin, Microsoft, Apple etc. – but you are doing it for yourself. How would you view the brand associated with Branson, Musk, Gates, Beyonce, Adele, etc.? More importantly, how do they differ and what precisely do they portray?

Authenticity is an issue

I know the idea is to be authentic – but sometimes you may have to ham it up. It is all about learning to switch on enthusiasm when required. If you are not naturally enthusiast in a specific setting like work, you will have to turn it on. It can be pretty tiring for an introverted person, but people have already made a judgement once you have created that first impression. Put your energy into the first part of your session. People form impressions quickly.

Lack of Enthusiasm may indicate a lack of interest, energy and ambition. It might not be the case, but people will not know if you are quiet or just plainly not interested. People will only experience how you respond, i.e. actively.

Busy and enthusiastic idiots

A big issue for enthusiasm is competence. You can have all the traits to be enthusiastic. Still, if you are considered less than competent, you would be perceived as a busy fool, an incompetent or idiotic enthusiast – noisy, having little of value to contribute or say. So you have to channel your enthusiasm through your knowledge and experience lens. People can see through the busy or noisy fool, and I am pretty sure that is not you. However, there is a matter of balance. You will understand the behaviours that will be reflected in the characteristics. Here are some traits that we think are relevant.

Active vs Passive

Take the lead – actively lead discussions.
Create the impression that you have something to say. “As far as I see, there are three key issues here, and they are X, Y, and Z. Is it okay if I expand on them?“ (It is nice to ask for permission but just assume it).
Rehearse the topics of discussion – never rely on ‘seat of the pants’ thinking – it will drain you of confidence and signal uncertainty with others.

Express personal energy

Similar to activity – you have to be excited and emphasize your passion for whatever it is you are discussing.
People with personal energy light up a room
Demonstrate your knowledge and eagerness by introducing ideas rather than waiting in the wings to contribute as an afterthought
Do not wing it – ever

Eager to contribute

Not like a caged beast but somewhere along the scale where people know you want to contribute
Starting the discussion with ‘I have a few thoughts on that’
Do not behave like the idiots of the Apprentice BBC TV series

Extraversion

It is unlikely that you get quiet introverts lighting up a room or attracting too much attention. So you would have to fake it and get into the Amy Cuddy Power poses (TedTalk)
Emulate Beyonce avatar even be ‘Sasha Fierce’ (Youtube with Oprah) and Adela’s avatar (interview with Rolling Stone Magazine) ‘Sash Carter’

Social Confidence

This naturally increases when you practice all the moves outlined
Prepare and rehearse so that it becomes second nature
Few people have the natural confidence to wing subject areas. The consequence of winging it to tarnish your image, reputation and brand

Body Language

Prepare a la Amy Cuddy
Take the space in the room – make your space bigger with more expansive gestures without being too ‘Jazz hands.’
Stand upright – be erect or sit with a straight back. Don’t slump!

Final Words

You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. If this and other mentoring interests you, please email me. Philip Atkinson

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