Wednesday 29 August 2012

Are you naming the elephants in your room?

On a plane to Indonesia this week I began reading the book ‘Wilful Blindness’ by Margaret Heffernan.

The author quotes Judge Simeon Lake’s instruction to the jury in the famous Enron case “Knowledge can be inferred if the defendant deliberately blinded himself to the existence of a fact.”

And the author’s comment “Their claim not to know was no excuse under the law.  Since they could have known, they were responsible.”

I reflected much on the half of the book I have read so far and the examples of where ‘wilful blindness’ seems to be at play such as climate change, the GFC and the continuing fall out, and all manner of cover ups. 

There are elephants in many board rooms and blocking people’s way in the corridors of many organisations.  It takes courage to name the elephant, and be transparent and authentic in removing them.  Doing so is real leadership!

These thoughts were in my mind as I began the first of a series of leadership seminars with an interpreter.  I needn't have worried for the openness and willingness of participants to be real was inspiring.  (Thank you Lya for your great work interpreting my thoughts and the thoughts of participants back to me)

Would I find such openness and willingness to name the truth at your workplace?

Saying what you should, naming the elephants, can change everything for the better.  It is what real leaders do. Are you a real leader?


Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian
I work with business owners/leaders and leaders of business units in multi-national companies to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.






Monday 27 August 2012

Why are you here?

This weeks sparkenation.


My thanks to my colleague Maree Harris for sending me the above quote.

More sparkenations here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

I work with business owners/leaders and leaders of business units in multi-national companies to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.





 

Friday 24 August 2012

Conceiving and achieving highly successful change initiatives - a manifesto

It has been said that there are only three things that don't change, death, taxes and change.

Here you can download the manifesto you can view below to help you thrive on the last one.


Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

I work with business owners/leaders and leaders of business units in multi-national companies to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.




Wednesday 22 August 2012

Find out how good you are at your number one role as a business owner/leader

I am in the final stages of development of my Enhancing Their Gifts System™ a simple, painless, sustainable, time, energy and money saving track to lift employee performance, driven by them. It will be a godsend for business owners and leaders.

All that remains in the development is the filming of the stories, philosophies and techniques that are integral to the system and then putting it all together.

I am doing the bulk of this filming with a live audience on 5th September 2012 at a great CBD venue in Melbourne.  This is never-to-be-repeated workshop.  If you can make it to Melbourne please go here to find out more and register.  There are just 16 places left.

At the moment the only way you can get the Enhancing Their Gifts System™ is when I personally come to your workplace, teach it to you, and help you implement it. Obviously I can only do this with a small number of people every year.  I have been doing so now for two decades.

This is all about to change. Very soon any business owner/leader anywhere will be able to implement the Enhancing Their Gifts System™ without me in person.

This is the most exciting thing I have ever done in business. It is the culmination of my life's work to make it simple for business owners and leaders to ensure that the majority of your people are performing at their best on a consistent basis.

20+ years of real world application. Authentic employee engagement, optimum performance by the majority of your people everyday, and the guaranteed execution of your strategy are the key results. And you will be free to focus on lifting your own performance and have the time and energy to work on your business more than in it.

I recommend as a first step to see if my system is for you that you take the talent maximisation pulse check here.

Taking the pulse check will help you to see where you’re at in your number 1 role as a business owner/leader, maximising and deploying your people’s talents/gifts.

As a thank you for completing the pulse check, as soon as you press send you will be able to download my appendix ebook to the leaders guide in my Enhancing Their Gifts System™ - 45 really useful tools, tips and techniques for recruiting, engaging and retaining great people, a resource 100's of people worldwide have already used to help them maximise the gifts/talents of their people.

In a great book The Talent Masters - why smart leaders put people before numbers, authors Bill Conaty and Ram Charan state:
“Talent will be the big differentiator between companies that succeed and those that don’t.”

I couldn’t agree more.

They also state:
“Talent masters understand the subtleties that differentiate people.”

Talent is another word for gift. My life’s work is to help business owners and leaders lift employee performance by identifying and enhancing their gifts.

Bill Conaty and Ram Charan also state:
“The enlightened CEO recognizes that his top priority for the future is building and deploying the talent that will get it there.”

I help people to be such enlightened leaders.

Take The Talent Maximisation Pulse Check here. It is one way for you to find out how well you are deploying the gifts/talents of your people.
You just might be staggered by what completing this pulse check will reveal to you.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.Ian
I work with business owners/leaders and leaders of business units in multi-national companies to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.


PS If you already have a performance leadership and management system in place please read below.

The Enhancing Their Gifts System™ works regardless of what you have or don’t have.  It has been deliberately designed to work with any system.  The 2 pieces of paper that are essential for the Enhancing Their Gifts System™ to work will not conflict in any way with paperwork or electronic forms you may already have.

The key question for you is; Do your employees love what you currently have?
If your answer is no, implementing and embedding the Enhancing Their Gifts System™ will be a godsend.




Monday 20 August 2012

“It may be poo to you, but it is Olympic poo to me!!” guest post by Phil Jesson

This is a second guest post from a colleague of mine in the United Kingdom Phil Jesson that follows on from his post and 13 points - So what can we learn from the Olympics? here.

Thank you again Phil for your great insights.

Thanks for the feedback on my 13 points – much appreciated! A number of you have come up with suggestions to add to the list so here are your points, along with my “week two” observations:-

14.  People will carry out menial tasks for a meaningful goal. One of the Games Maker volunteers found himself shoveling horse poo at the stables used for the range of equestrian events. When asked by a TV reporter “So have you been down here for the whole duration of the Games…….. doing this!?” The Games Maker smiled and said “It may be poo to you, but it is Olympic poo to me!!”

15. If you are going to launch an event, do it in style. A reference to the opening ceremony, of course, and a timely reminder to re-examine the quality of our product launches, external customer and internal team events. Do they start with a bang?

16. Focus on your own game. The successful athletes have not dwelt on, or been haunted by, their main competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. They have got on with their own game and decided to become the best they can possibly be. “I haven’t got time to look at their boat, I’m too busy looking at my own!”

17. Proactively recruiting the right talent. One of the Performance Directors explained that he had gone out of his way to find the right people for his sport and attract people to it. Think of your business …………what are you doing to proactively recruit the right young people to your “sport”?

18. Sharing best practice. Four years ago, the rowing and cycling teams were recognised as being the home of best practice. Since then, 20 + Performance Directors have worked together to understand and replicate best practice across the whole spectrum of events. (……so how is best practice shared in your organization?”)

19. The home advantage. We have known for years that football teams playing at home tend to win more than those playing away. The home-based Olympics has just illustrated this psychological phenomenon too. Think of your sales presentations and major business pitches – how many more would you win if you were playing at home and invited the customer/prospect to your premises?

20. Managing the cultural legacy. Lord Coe, the undoubted real star of the Games, is now installed to manage and maintain the legacy going forward. So who is responsible for managing and maintaining the cultural legacy in your organization? Are your company’s values lived ……….or laminated?

Regards
Phil Jesson

Phil Jesson is a great speaker I highly recommend and a guru in key account management  (KAM).  Please check his website here.



Wednesday 15 August 2012

Are you making the most of both of your lives?

It has been said that Mahatma Gandhi observed that if you live well you get to enjoy two lives - the actual living and then the reliving through your memories.

Are you enjoying both of your lives?

Memories matter. 

I remember often the joy of many experiences with my best friend who passed last year.  Remembering inspires me to live the best life I can live in the now.

Experienced happiness and remembered happiness are two of the great facets of our lives.

Are you making the most of both of your lives?

Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

I work with business owners and leaders employing more than 20 people to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.






Monday 13 August 2012

Which wolf are you feeding?

This weeks sparkenation.

An old Cherokee told his grandson, "My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, & ego. The other wolf is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, & truth." The boy thought about it, and asked, "Grandfather, which wolf wins?" The old man quietly replied, "The one you feed."

I read the above in a great article by Sally Mabelle Creating A World Where All Beings Thrive: The Great Shift from 'Empire' to 'Earth Community' Consciousness'.  You can read Sally's article here.

More sparkenations here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

I work with business owners and leaders employing more than 20 people to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.






Friday 10 August 2012

So what can we learn from the Olympics? - guest post by Phil Jesson

This is a guest post from a colleague of mine in the United Kingdom Phil Jesson.  I loved it on first reading and immediately asked Phil for permission to share his thoughts with you.  I have reflected a great deal on Phil’s thoughts myself and believe he is offering great insights into creating a successful business in the modern world.  Thank you Phil.

What a great week for the Olympics and a great week for the Nation! I have been moved ..........and have moved to my keyboard to note down some observations that have implications for all of our businesses:-

1.       Words create worlds. Think of Seb Coe’s visionary language that helped win the Olympics in the first place and has since galvanised politicians, the public, athletes and coaches. “Inspire a generation!”..............three words that create worlds that we can see, feel and hear. So how clear is the vision that you want your people to buy into?

2.       The power of dreams. In front of the camera, many athletes have commented on their lifelong dream of winning a gold medal. Dreams are powerful. What is the dream for your life? What is the dream for your business? Ask yourself tomorrow........... “What have I done today that has taken me closer to my dreams?”

3.       Olympic coaches do not pursue massive improvements in performance – they strive for “marginal improvements” i.e. 100 things that can be done 1% better.

4.       Dave Brailsford, the Performance Director of the UK cycling world put together a “Talent Team” some years ago to identify and develop potential high-performers. Many of its early recruits had never cycled competitively before, but the Talent Team knew exactly what it was looking for in the way of knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviour. Do you have a talent team? What does it look for? Where does it look – e.g. do you look for future sales people currently working in non-sales departments?

5.       Results on their own are not what matters. Results with the right behaviour matters i.e. behaviour in alignment with clear and meaningful values and beliefs. The Chinese badminton players did nothing wrong, according to the rules, but the Olympic movement’s values were strong enough to act as a clear referee on their behaviour and they were quickly shown the door.

6.       Winners do not feel pain, although they have put themselves through the same (or more) stresses and strains as fellow competitors who fail to win medals. Do you have a winning culture within your organisation? How do you celebrate success?

7.       Motivational job titles work. Thousands of volunteers were re-branded as “Games Makers” so what did they do..............they made the Games! .........and with great skill, awareness, sensitivity and humour.

8.       Generally speaking, women have dealt with failure better than men. As I see it, women have been able to “re-calibrate it”, learn from it, keep things in perspective and look forward to their next opportunity. Men have tended to treat second place as “failure”, they have hung their heads, apologised to the Nation and looked forward to a lot of gloomy and painful soul-searching.

9.       Success breeds success. Getting into the habit of winning breeds a success culture with very high expectations. We “own” rowing and cycling now and that will rub off on the next generation of athletes. The success of the Games will also, I’m sure, run off on the Nation. To quote Seb Coe, “the Games have provided an oasis of sanity and unity for the country to move forward in the future!”

10.   The roar of the crowd has helped our athletes’ performance. In many cases, it has been the difference between fourth and third, second and first. I wonder if the people working in our organisations sense the roar of the crowd or are they unsung heroes, working in an environment that lacks recognition and praise?

11.   Succession planning is key! In many team events, athletes who were successful in Beijing have been joined by the “new kids on the block.” For example, in one of the rowing fours, it was two plus two. The two experienced athletes inducted the newcomers, explained how the team culture worked and helped the new boys become successful medallists in the new team.

12.   The power of the mind is clearly evident. “If you think you can etc etc........” The athletes’ thoughts became ideas which became actions which became the habits that determined their destiny. During the last four years, even in times of adversity it would appear that the best athletes were able to stay focused and positive.

13.   Athletes concentrate on their strengths and develop coping strategies for their “weaknesses”. They don’t spend months trying to change something that they are not good at – they further enhance their strengths. Usain Bolt’s form, in recent months, had been hit and miss but following a good talking-to from his coach he didn’t worry about his slow start. He focused on the second half of the race.........his main strength.

Anyway, enough of all this pontificating! The Olympic Games are having a great effect on my own outlook – I have been thrilled, inspired and entertained. I have even been inspired to find my old trainers and head for the gym in an hour’s time. I’m off to find some of that aerobic stuff and to see where my dorphins end. Whilst I’m there I will pass the time thinking about the great week we have had and the great week still to come.......................a bit like my life, really!

Regards
Phil Jesson

Phil Jesson is a great speaker I highly recommend and a guru in key account management  (KAM).  Please check his website here.



Monday 6 August 2012

Beware of unsolicited feedback

This weeks sparkenation.

If every single poor review, piece of negative feedback, or passive-aggressive swipe is going to influence you, you're in for a long, slow crawl through enemy territory. The anodyne: Ignore anyone and everyone you haven't asked for feedback. It's really that simple.
Alan Weiss

More sparkentations here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.

Ian

I work with business owners and leaders employing more than 20 people to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.



Friday 3 August 2012

A key to thriving on the challenges of change is unlearning

In conceiving and achieving highly successfully change initiatives with my clients for more than 20 years one action stands out as a contributor to success - the willingness of people to unlearn.

Have you had a change of heart lately?

Have you changed your mind about something you previously held dear lately?

Have you changed your intention recently?

I worked with one client for a few years.  The culture completely changed over that time.  A few people left because they didn’t fit the new ethos.  Most people stayed, over a period of time changing their beliefs about the organisation, what it stood for and what it stood against.  A lot of unlearning took place.  All change is personal first.

I am currently working with a client who has taken over another organisation whose culture is at odds with their new owner.  A lot of personal change is taking place.  Relationships are changing too.  Relationship change follows personal change.  Many people are having to unlearn what they previously held dear.

There is a lot of talk about industries that are dying.  There is very little talk about the fact that many people previously employed in these industries are now working in another industry or creating new industries.  There is an entrepreneurial revolution happening.

If your business is producing widgets it is only a matter of time before someone will produce it faster and cheaper.

Strategic positioning happens in two ways.  You either do what no one else is doing (very hard to do) or you do what others are doing, you just do it better, differently or more uniquely and you are clear on who you do it for, your niche or micro-niche.  The key to this second way to gain strategic positioning is obviously people.

I worked with a client once who was involved in a merger.  The numbers looked great.  When I suggested due diligence on the people needed to be as detailed as it was on the numbers, I initially got blank looks. 

I could clearly see a culture clash and unless careful consideration and planning went into enabling personal and relationship change then the merger would fail like more than 70% do, the same failure rate of change initiatives.

Personal change precedes relationship change which precedes organisational change.

The biggest unlearning that needs to happen as a general rule is by business owners and leaders.  The old plan, do, measure and control management is dead.

As I discussed in a previous article people and change can’t be managed so we need to stop trying.

What do you need to unlearn?

What isn’t working and how could you change it?

Have you had a change of heart lately?

Have you changed your mind about something you previously held dear lately?

Have you changed your intention recently?


Change yourself, change your relationship.  Change in your organisation follows.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.

Ian

I work with business owners and leaders employing more than 20 people to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.



I am conducting a never-to-be-repeated workshop on Enhancing Their Gifts in Melbourne on September 5th.  Details are here.

If you can’t make it to Melbourne on September 5th please subscribe to the complimentary Enhancing Their Gifts™ short online course here.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Same organisation - different place - different experience - problem

Last week I worked with the same organisation in two different places 100's of miles apart. I had a great experience with one part of the organisation and not so great with the other. Even in the same location my experience was significantly different in dealing with different departments.

If I came to your place what would my experience be like?

Also in the past week I have experienced great service in person from one organisation and lousy service from the same organisation online.

Would I find your levels of service online and in person to be different?

The service experience we provide our customers/clients with and indeed co-create with them, matters more than ever.

How would your customers/clients rate their service experience with you?

Be the difference you want to see in the world.

Ian
I work with business owners and leaders employing more than 20 people to lift employee performance by enhancing their gifts.