Monday 30 June 2014

You don’t need social media to build and grow a successful business!

This year I've focused very little on social media. My work is all about personal connection with people by phone, Skype/G+, and in person. I am using technology yet what really matters is humanity. I’ve enhanced relationships. Results have trebled. When everyone else is zigging, there’s great advantage in zagging.

My strategy and execution is well supported by research by Robin Dunbar and others. The research: face to face is superior to everything else.

Check out Mr. Dunbar’s humourous TED Talk about this and other insights.

I have long used Dunbar’s number (150) as a key to my business success and particularly the relationships that lead to the success. I have also helped many of my clients to understand that trying to maintain relationships with more than 150 people is a fools errand.

Dunbar speaks about an inner circle of 5 people in his talk. That’s how it is for me. I have about 15 people in a second circle. I can thank these wonderful folk for having a hand in obtaining 80% of my clients.

Bottom line
You don’t need social media to build and grow a successful business!

The key about social media is that it’s social and media! Is it valuable? Yes. I am not saying it isn’t. The real work though is to use technology to add value to human relationships. A key is having those relationships in the first place. Millions of people are missing this. Don’t be one of them.

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


Sunday 29 June 2014

Stories can fire the imagination and stir the soul

This Sundays sparkenation.

One of the key roles Change Champions play remarkably well is 'Storyteller of Significance'.

Is this you?

Do you share stories that fire the imagination and stir the soul?

Doing so is a skill and an art accessible to every human being.

I will be sharing my insights about this and 4 other key roles of Change Champions in a upcoming webinar series for the International Institute of Directors and Managers. Please email me ian@ianberry.biz if you're interested in participating in these webinars or getting the recordings.

In October I will also be conducting live events in Melbourne (with Steve Simpson), Singapore (with Paul Dunn), and London (with Nigel Risner).
Find out all about them here.

"A story can go where quantitative analysis is denied permission: our hearts...you need to wrap your vision into a story that fires the imagination and stirs the soul."
Harrison Monarth, Harvard Business Review
as quoted in The Art of Connection. See blog post here.

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

More sparkenations here.

Friday 27 June 2014

The Art of Connection


This is a great book from my friends and colleagues Sara Knowles and Andrew Thorp.

The Art of Connection  is about how we can communicate more effectively in business, both on the outside (marketing) and on the inside (with our employees). It advocates a 'story-based' approach and a more humanized form of communication that people can relate to, leading to more clients and a more engaged workforce.

I highly recommend it as another great resource to help you become a Storyteller of Significance, one of the 5 key roles of a Change Champion as mentioned in my previous post.

The book follows the flow of our work at Mojo (Sara and Andrew's business):
Craft a compelling story about you and your business
Learn to tell it really well, both F2F and on line
Use things like speaking platforms, networking and social media to build influence and pulling power.

It's very much a practical guide to both face-to-face and on line communication, told through the prism of Sara and Andrew's experiences of building a business (and a network) over the past few years.

You can get this e-book for less than the price of a cup of coffee!

As a FREE TASTER for the 'main course', click here for some sample sections.

To enjoy a FULL COPY of the book, click here.

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

My favourite story from the book: (even though taken out of context. Read the book to find out why)
British Labour MP Frank Dobson told this story about a chance encounter with Mandela. They’d met briefly before but only in a group situation. On this occasion Dobson was visiting the South African Embassy in London and found himself approaching the President. “Ah, Frank! How are you?” he asked. Dobson was so taken aback that Mandela would remember him that he temporarily froze, unable to utter a word. The President put his hand on his shoulder and asked, “You do remember me, don’t you?”

Wednesday 25 June 2014

The common structure of the greatest communicators

This is a very insightful interview with Nancy Duarte.

I highly recommend taking the time to view her TEDx talk embedded and particularly her analysis of famous talks by Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King Jr.

Every real, wise, and great leader is a storyteller of significance. Is this You?

Nancy's common structure of the greatest communicators is a great model for your stories. I recommend it.

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

PS Storyteller of Significance is one of the key roles of a Change Champion.

I will be exploring this role and 4 others in my all new Game-changing Change Champions Day in Melbourne on October 21st, Singapore October 23rd, and London on October 29th.

I am thrilled that three wonderful storytellers will be my very special guest presenters, Steve Simpson in Melbourne, Paul Dunn in Singapore, and Nigel Risner in London.  All the details here.

Monday 23 June 2014

12 key reasons why people are doing business with you and why they're not


The 12 cognitive biases that prevent you from being rational is a fascinating and insightful article by George Dvorsky.

Want to know why people are doing business with you and why they're not? Study these 12 and take action.

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

Sunday 22 June 2014

What paths are you making to create your future?

This Sunday’s sparkenation

The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating.
The paths are not to be found, but made.
John H. Schaar

What paths are you making to create your future?

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

Friday 20 June 2014

How transparent and how great is your decision making?

Lack of transparency in decision making and lack of empowerment for people to make decisions cost organisations dearly.

At least 50% of decisions that leaders make are the wrong decisions.

Find out why and what to do about it here.

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

Monday 16 June 2014

Are you a connoisseur of candor?

I'm currently studying the book Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar and President of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. It's a book that will definitely make my recommended reading list and probably my top 21 list.

I was inspired to get the book after watching an interview with Ed as referred to in this post.

The interview and now the book have intrigued me because of Ed's insights into and work with candor, a key to the huge success of Pixar and Disney films created through the leadership of Ed and many other people.

Being a connoisseur of candor (a constant work in progress) is a key to my No BS mentoring work. People are sick of spin and BS. Being able to cut through the crap gives my clients and myself an edge.

Being a connoisseur of candor is a key component of 'Change Champions and the roles they play remarkably well' which is the working title of a book I'm currently writing that is the sequel to my Changing What's Normal book published 3 years ago this month.

Are you a connoisseur ("A person with expert knowledge or training, A person of informed and discriminating taste") of candor?

Here's some of my insights into candor.

If these resonate with you and you have insights of your own you'd like to share, then please contact me on +61 418 807 898 or email ian@ianberry.biz You might end up in my new book, with proper acknowledgement of course.

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

Sunday 15 June 2014

How could make your life and work simpler yet more profound?

This Sunday's sparkenation.

I ordered a coffee for my client and one for myself. The waiter smiled and gave me a buzzer. “When this goes off” he said “Come back and get your coffees from the window ledge.” Then his eyes moved to the next customer. As with me he didn't say anything, just looked at the person.

When I went back to get the coffees I said “Thank You.” Not a word from the waiter.

I won’t be going back here. The staff may have made their lives simpler yet the profoundness that happens with real human connection has disappeared.

Leonardo da Vinci said: ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’.

How could make your life and work simpler yet more profound?

Hint: The answer lies in your humanness.

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
Albert Einstein

Simple is often mistaken for easy. 

Technology can make our lives simpler. Without humanness technology actually makes our lives more complicated.

How could make your life and work simpler yet more profound?

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


PS
Today at midnight wherever you live my very special offers to you to become an inaugural member of Maverick Thinkers Studio expire.

I will never be repeating these offers. After all inaugural is exactly that!

Find out more and join here.

You’ll be joining some wonderful people. There’s a senior executive in a major railway company, a philanthropist and major player in the travel industry, there’s a young father bored with corporate life and planning his escape to entrepreneurial life. There’s some intrapreneurs staying in their roles, committed to making a difference.

There’s a Chairperson of a major charity, the head of a boutique creative agency, and the CEO of a aged care facility.

There’s a leader in local government, a concierge guru, and a partner in an accountancy firm. There’s a number of members whose businesses are just themselves serving a niche and doing stuff that really matters.

All members have three things in common. 

1) They’re sick of the status quo when same no longer serves the world.

2) They’re the 1 in 100 who believe that all change is personal first, relationship change second, and organisational change a distant third. These folk are definitely not the 99 who when they talk about change, what they actually mean is everyone else changing and not them.

3) They’re deeply committed to being change champions.

Should these 3 resonate with you, you’ll love being a member of Maverick Thinkers Studio. Find out more and join here.

I appreciate too that you may be the 1 in 100 however for whatever reason you’ve decided not to join. I deeply respect your decision.

Friday 13 June 2014

Are you the 1 in 100?

At midnight wherever you live on the 15th June my very special offers to you to become an inaugural member of Maverick Thinkers Studio expire.

I will never be repeating these offers. After all inaugural is exactly that!

Find out more and join here.

You’ll be joining some wonderful people. There’s a senior executive in a major railway company, a philanthropist and major player in the travel industry, there’s a young father bored with corporate life and planning his escape to entrepreneurial life. There’s some intrapreneurs staying in their roles, committed to making a difference.

There’s a Chairperson of a major charity, the head of a boutqiue creative agency, and the CEO of a aged care facility.

There’s a leader in local government, a conceierge guru, and a partner in an accountancy firm. There’s a number of members whose businesses are just themselves serving a niche and doing stuff that really matters.

All members have three things in common. 

1) They’re sick of the status quo when same no longer serves the world.

2) They’re the 1 in 100 who believe that all change is personal first, relationship change second, and organisational change a distant third. These folk are definitely not the 99 who when they talk about change, what they actually mean is everyone else changing and not them.

3) They’re deeply committed to being change champions.

Should these 3 resonate with you, you’ll love being a member of Maverick Thinkers Studio. 


Find out more and join here.

I appreciate too that you may be the 1 in 100 however for whatever reason you’ve decided not to join. I deeply respect your decision.

If you are not joining I would greatly appreciate you completing this 1 question survey here. Thank You in advance for your help.

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

Wednesday 11 June 2014

What happens at the end of and after your meetings?

"That was a really great meeting don't you think?" my client asks.

I reply in the affirmative. It was a great meeting with everyone leaving with clarity on who is doing what and when.

I say to my client "Follow-through is where the rubber hits the road though isn't?" She agrees.

We track actions and conversations over the next week involving all the people in the meeting. We discover agreed deadlines being missed and some people failing to be accountable. Crucially we discover that not everyone is having accountability conversations.

Does this sound familiar?

Having a great meeting and everyone leaving clear about their accountabilities is just the beginning. What really matters is people being accountable.


Are you having accountability conversations with people failing to be accountable? 

And are they the kind of conversations that lead people to being accountable?



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

Monday 9 June 2014

Do your meetings really matter?

One thing I notice in successful organisations is that meetings matter.

Do your meetings really matter? The infographic below that I originally discovered here will help you to be sure.

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

The Ugly Truth About Meetings
by dianagosi.
Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Sunday 8 June 2014

A workplace culture of candor and trust is a key to the future prosperity of your business

This Sunday’s sparkenation

Co-creating workplace cultures of candor and trust are a key to the future prosperity of your business. And even if you are your business!

Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar and President of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, in conversation with Stanford Professor Bob Sutton, is a gift full of many great insights for such co-creation.

Be inspired by it on YouTube here or as I preferred watching it in segments here.

You will no doubt value these tips for creativity from Mr Catmull as well.

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

Friday 6 June 2014

What would HR policies look like if they were based on giving?

In this short article Lynda Gratton asks WHAT WOULD HR POLICIES LOOK LIKE IF THEY WERE BASED ON GIVING?

It is a great question. Lynda gives four answers.

What answers would you give?

One of my answers would be that performance management would no longer need to be called that!

Another answer of mine would be that people would be candid and kind in giving and receiving feedforward; and feedback would be given and received far better than is normal today, and with not a hint of self-interest.

What answers would you give?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Are you a great coach and/or mentor?

When I left school I thought I was stupid. Then this happened


My first Mentor was so important in my life that I have engaged Mentors personally ever since. I became a Mentor to do for others what many folk have done for me; help me to do what I know I should yet don’t, and in this doing discover what I don’t know that I must do. I walk with people on this journey from can, will, and love to do, to doing what you love in the service of people who love what you do.


I am often asked “what is the difference between a coach and a mentor?” My answer is that there doesn’t need to be a difference in terms of labels, yet making a distinction can be very useful in terms of roles.

For me Coaching is concerned with competency: the skills needed to perform at optimum levels. Good coaching is about maximizing skills.

Mentoring is concerned with commitment: the will we need to perform at our best. Good mentoring is about maximizing will.

Mentoring is very different to coaching. Here’s how I overview the differences on page 172 in my Changing What’s Normal book.

Good Coaching requires
Ability to articulate how performance should be 
Ability to share knowledge clearly and succinctly 
Ability to create diverse, fun, practice methodologies 
Ability to be tough yet fair 
Ability to challenge people respectfully 
Ability to separate problems from personality 
Ability to be general with praise and specific with criticism

Good Mentoring requires 
Willingness to influence others regarding the steps necessary to lift performance yet allow others to make their own decisions 
Willingness to listen more than speak 
Willingness to give advice but more to encourage people to
find their own way 
Willingness to experience delayed gratification 
Willingness to give away hard earned wisdom 

Are you a good coach and a good mentor? Your people, including your children if you are a parent, need you to be.

I personally play the role of mentor more than that of a coach.

I’m with Seth Godin who says
“Good advice is priceless. Not what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. Not imaginary, but practical. Not based on fear, but on possibility. Not designed to make you feel better, designed to make you better.
Seek it out and embrace the true friends that care enough to risk sharing it.
I’m not sure what takes more guts—giving it or getting it.”

I’m up for it. You?

Please consider becoming an inaugural member of Maverick Thinkers Studio.

The journey to thriving on the challenges of change demands us to dance with our fear of, anxiety about, and resistance to change, and to do what we’ve never done before. It is a road less traveled. Maverick Thinkers Studio is a safe place for a 100 people at any given time who are willing to take this journey of a life time.

I am offering you the opportunity to join my studio at the Enrolled and Engaged levels for 25% less than what the regular fees will be from June 15th.

Is one of the 100 places yours?

There are also 50 places for Associate members where you can try out the studio for 90 days as well as have two online mentoring sessions with me on Skype.


My value promise is this: My resources will inspire you to find the clarity you must have to be ready to do the great work you haven’t yet done.

My No BS mentoring will be a gift to you of streetwise wisdom and candid feedforward and feedback that will enable you to be accountable to yourself, your work, and the people you love and serve.

I also guarantee a minimum 20 times return on investment.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.

Ian

Monday 2 June 2014

Culture is King and Change Leadership is Queen

I originally wrote this article for Switch and Shift. It’s a subject close to my heart and for people aligned with my work and so I am sharing it here.

Firstly though a reminder about the unique opportunity to become an inaugural member of Maverick Thinkers Studio

The journey to thriving on the challenges of change demands us to dance with our fear of, anxiety about, and resistance to change, and to do what we’ve never done before. It is a road less traveled. Maverick Thinkers Studio is a safe place for a 100 people at any given time who are willing to take this journey of a life time.

I am offering you the opportunity to join my studio at the Enrolled and Engaged levels for 25% less than what the regular fees will be from June 15th.

Is one of the 100 places yours?

There are also 50 places for Associate members where you can try out the studio for 90 days as well as have two online mentoring sessions with me on Skype.


Culture is King and Change Leadership is Queen

The great Kings and Queens were and are loved by the people.

Great leaders are loved too.

In business, culture and change leadership are King and Queen.

A client of mine when confronted with stories suggesting not all is well in parts of his business says “That’s not the way we roll.” He is talking about his company’s culture. He often share’s great and authentic stories with employees beginning with “The way we roll is ...” My client, like all great leaders, is a guardian, a keeper, a role model of culture.

UGRs (unwritten ground rules) tell the true story of your culture. UGRs dictate the way things roll in your business. It could be that your UGRs are very different to what your operating manuals say!

Here are 3 special ways to make culture a King who is loved in your business

1) Invest time, energy and money every day in ensuring shared-view 

Culture is created and sustained by ensuring an ongoing shared-view with the people you work with about:

where you are (reality)
where you're going (possibility)
why you're going there (purpose)
how you will get there (strategy)
who will do what and when (execution)
how you will know you are on track (milestones and lead measures)
how you will behave along the way (values)

2) Live your values

How we live our values underpins culture.

We often articulate our values with single words. The real issue is what do the words you have that describe your values look like behaviourially?

When we know what our values mean behaviourially we can turn our values into virtues and engage in meaningful appreciation and accountability conversations, praising people when values are lived and holding them to account when they’re not.

3) Management By Wandering Around (MBWA)

The concept of MBWA, originally a way of being at Hewlett Packard, was made popular by Tom Peters. Today we might call it leadership and management by wandering around.

The only way you can ensure the legitimacy of your culture as a leader is to be where the action is i.e. with your people, listening, observing, sharing; leading.

For culture to be King, change leadership must be Queen

All great leaders operate in partnerships. The Gates Foundation is working because Bill and Melinda are both leading in harmony with one another. There would have been no Jobs without Wozniak, no Winston without Clementine.

In order to grow and sustain authenticity cultures need change leadership.

Here are 3 special ways to be a change leader

1) Change Yourself

All change is personal first. Here’s three actions to get going.

Make a list of the things you aren’t doing that you know you should be and start doing them.

Ask others for “feedforward” about how you could be better as a leader. Take action.

Take something you are afraid of and embrace it.

2) Change your relationships

Think about a relationship at your workplace that you and the other person want to be better. Answer the following questions and act on your answers. Repeat this action with everyone in your life where you and they want a better relationship.

How can I improve how I make contact with xxxx?
How can I better connect emotionally with xxxx?
What must I do to find better common-ground with xxxx?
How can I better demonstrate my commitment to xxxx?

3) Change your organisation

Explore with your inner circle how the people in your organisation could do what they do, just better, differently or more uniquely than anybody else.

Embrace maverick thinking as you do this exercise.

Mavericks – rebels, radicals, dissenters, disrupters, heretics, non-conformists, contrarians, (the label doesn’t really matter) think differently. Thinking like a maverick is a great way to find your edge, the place to be to differentiate your organisation from everyone else.

After you have done this exercise agree with your colleagues on how you will engage the rest of your employees, most likely one team at a time, in embracing change. Remember if people don’t believe in change and own their piece of the execution puzzle change won’t happen.

Some people believe that change is hard. I believe change is often hard work yet change itself is simple. We complicate it. 

Like people change can’t be managed. We can manage processes, systems, procedures. People must be lead. In a world where disruption is normal change leadership is Queen in your business. When culture is King as well you will have royalty on the throne of your business. Remarkable results will follow.

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

Wise words to consider.

“Change management is dependent on emergencies. But change is no longer an emergency. Change is normal.”
Seth Godin in ‘Survival Is Not Enough’.

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."
Albert Einstein 

Additional relevant reading

The line “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” usually attributed to Peter Drucker is often quoted. In my view both need the other. This article by Ken Favaro, Senior Partner with Strategy& explains this very well I think.



Sunday 1 June 2014

Do you really want what you currently don’t have?

This Sunday's sparkenation.

I had a conversation with a prospective client during the week who was expressing frustration about not getting what they wanted in an aspect of their business. "Do you really want this?" I asked them. "Of course." was the adamant reply. "Then you will find a way." I said. 

"A man who wants to do something will find a way; A man who doesn't will find an excuse."
Stephen Dolley, Jr.

Do you really want what you currently don’t have?

If your answer is yes from the depths of your being, you will find a way. 

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

"The unique combination of desire, planning, effort and perseverance will always work it's magic."
Jim Rohn