It's not too late: Re-energise and Re-invigorate for 2012

I hear that Christmas parties are out this year because of the dreaded “R” word.  More and more companies are cancelling – venues are looking for new bookings and the festive season is taking on truly a grumpy nature.  It’s the wrong thing to do. 

It is far better to galvanise the troops in something positive and work together to shape a prosperous 2012 than let things slide and trust in faith alone.

Business Improvement Party 2012

Still party - but only after you have worked with your team using our tools and techniques over a half or full day session.  When else can you muster all your people together and when better to start than now?

To me standing still has always implied going backwards.  In these difficult economic times, when it's easy to prevaricate, to stand still and consider options.  Focus on the positive.  It is a 'cop out'to focus entirely on the negative, the problems and the gloom and doom.  Far better to shape your New Year rather than letting it slide into negativity by default.

You can still dress like Santa – but ensure you have a few flip charts some interesting development tools and motivate your team.  Why not celebrate the new season with business recovery, expansion, customer retention, sales projection, new market penetration activities?

Kiazen: Ideas for Continuous Improvement

I believe kaizen is the easiest way out of any crisis.  If we all choose small goals and continually improve on them then we establish momentum.  When everyone engages in the process progress can be rapid – it certainly worked for Toyota.

Research into Kiazen & Personal Change

When we look at change we can all agree that one thing we’d like to change is our own weight and health and fitness levels.  Research tells us that those who engage in radical fitness plans lose weight quickly and regain it fast with an  additional extra few pounds.

In a research study two groups were given radically different tasks over a six week period to see if it would impact their health and weight. 

Group 1: Big Change

Group 1 were asked to walk up a flight of stairs everyday for one week.  The following week they were to add a fresh flight of stairs to their regime. The third week they were to add an additional flight and so on for six weeks.

Group 2: Continuous Improvement

Group 2 were asked to step up one flight of stairs and every day after that add one additional step up a new flight of stairs and then walk down.  Every day this group added a further step - so change was slow and continuous.

Who became fitter and Lost Weight?

Simple - Group 2 found it easier to exercise and lost more weight.  More people in this group continued with the exercise over six weeks with many seeking out proper fitness training in addition to their climbing the stairs at work.

In Group 1 most dropped out of the programe after week three.  The regime was too punishing whereas Group 2 had realistic objectives and more of them kept up with the program.

Continuous Improvement Vs Big Bang

It works in business as well.  Spending a little more time fixing things and preventing problems arising pays off.  While others summon up the super human energy for the 'big bang' they may be surrounded by people doing little things to pick the low hanging fruit and achieving far more rather than expending all that energy on an initiative that would never come off.

Celebrations with Success

If the idea of a special event incorporating some form of celebration is in order you may want to think of designing events around:

• Setting the foundation for a new sales culture that permeartes the whole organisation.  A sales culture should be focused not just on client facing staff - but those who support customer facing staff 
• Reducing time waste and unnecessary rework - we know that in most organisations we waste 20-40% of our time reworking things that could have been done 'right first time' 
• Customer retention and acquisition - do you know why the clients and customers migrate?  Do you have statistics and trackers focused on clients who are most at risk from migrating elsewhere? 
• Process improvement - have you really captured all the ineffieciencies and the
• Generating new income streams - I call this developing a 'revenue rave' - we have special workshops that will leverage areas you never thought of working on 
• Coaching in sort sessions to focus on installing behaviours that generate the results you want and which prevent problems arising
• Suggestion schemes - ours focus on continuous improvement mereged with creatuive thinking techniques.  You'll be amazed how much you can generate in atwo hourc session and it can be fun also 
• Quality Improvement - eher we include quality from all angles to relationship management

If you need support we can work with you to make it a memorable and achieving climate for the coming New Year.

13.10.08

"When I hear the word Culture I reach for my Gun"

This is actually a quote attributed to Field Marshal Herman Goering, but was voiced not that long ago by a senior member of staff within a large financial services business. It dawned on me that culture is still not a very 'trendy' thing to talk about, because it appears to reflect the negative, rather the positive side of what we should be focusing on.

Culture - the way we do things around here

This negative view is supported when politicians talk about the 'yob culture', the 'gun culture', or the 'drink culture' or the 'culture of the black economy'. It seems that the word 'culture' is indeed a collective noun for a whole series of bad behaviours.

I would much rather look at culture as the 'way we do things around here.' The things we do around here include our positive behaviours, demanding but equitable standards by which we will work, and the norms that will guide us together to share in achieving those goals.

Corporate Culture is easy to Define and Measure

Culture usually refers to the codes of conduct, behaviours and rituals that most accept as the norm for behaving in a particular organisation. It's just a matter of deciphering what these rituals, norms and behaviours are in some detail.

After doing this, it is relatively easy to define the set of actions that will take us away from the undesired current state, to the future conditions which will enable us to achieve our goals.

Corporate Culture & Values

You see, culture is ultimately shaped by the values which are prized and rewarded daily by the organisation, and those who execute policy into practice. This is simple to understand, until we realise that the values, which the organisation holds dear as central to its functioning, are not shared by all.

Confusion in Living the Values

Further, we find that there are pockets of the organisation where values portrayed and rewarded are in sharp contrast to the values that are shared and rewarded in other parts of the organisation! What confuses matters is where there are several silos, departments or functions where having a disparity of values and behaviours, but which are geographically

sited next door to each other.

This creates real confusion in the minds of those who operate in the different functions. After all, it is reasonable to expect that the same organisation, whatever the functions, will broadly reflect the same core values.

So what is the way out? Clarify the core and peripheral values. Focus your direction. Set and develop manager to live the values. Reward only those behaviours that take you forwards to achieve these standards and make the values live and breathe in the behaviour of people.

02.10.08

Brand You, Presenting & Influencing with Integrity

I had a very lively presentation and audience a few weeks ago at the Inverness Marriott. Highlands and Islands Enterprise were kind enough to sponsor the event which was focused on the application of interpersonal influence to persuading a range of people (including difficult or awkward folk) to your way of thinking.

Fifty three attended and not bad for a very cold and windy evening. Sixty attended my Edinburgh event last week and hopefully we will have reasonable numbers in Glasgow on the 15 October.

Milton Keynes: Interpersonal Mastery in Driving Change

I run a similar event for the CIPD in Milton Keynes on the 25 November but this time orientated to maximising relationships between internal and expernal HR staff in driving change.  I can't wait.  Anyway, back to the Masterclass and the debate that continued long after the cheese and wine were exhausted.

So what are the issues in Interpersonal Mastery?

After the session I was talking with a young manager about the event. He asked me what I thought of the audience who were principally from the local area. (Some had travelled from Skye, Aberdeen and Wick - that is what people mean by local in the Highlands!) Anyway, to get back to the point.

The chap I was talking with said that he was never really sure of how to deal with an audience and was always wary when addressing people he had not known before. He said 'how can you judge whether they are in favour of what you are saying or not?'

You are a magnet: Expect the worst and you'll attract it

I recounted a story of a colleague who always seemed to be on 'edge' when presenting. He said that he always ended up with 10% of the audience that not just disagreed with his viewpoint but often were hostile to to the points he was putting across. Was this self fulfilling?

I have been presenting for many years as a lecturer and trainer/consultant and during that time had never really met anyone who was hostile - okay some have been a little disturbed or vocal - but no hecklers - not yet anyway!

Prevent Problems Arising: Plan, Prepare and Deliver

On reflection, most seem to give you the benefit of the doubt and if there are any comments which could be classed as negative, I automatically assume its because they want to learn more or are just naturally curious and want to pursue points to the logical conclusion.

The Presenter should 'Set the Frame'

When I thought about presentations I realised that if you expect people to be negative and deliberately challenging - then they are the people you are probably going to focus upon. And if you are looking for 'negative and challenging' then you'll attract it.

I thank my lucky stars that I expect bright and sharp audiences who will challenge and do so in the interest of all. By setting that frame, I have a better time focusing on all those who are positive and interested rather than negative.

So, to answer the question - yes I had a brilliant audience. Thank you HIE and thank you Inverness.

Look for the Positive and your will Find it

The major point is you can set the frame and attitude of any event or presentation by getting a positive mindset first. If you expect and plan for positive, eager, imaginative and challenging people that's what you will meet.

Your Authentic Self››