Monday 31 October 2016

The Appreciative Leader handbook and Community

The 1 minute 57 seconds video below introduces my latest publication, The Appreciative Leader handbook, and the one-of-a-kind Appreciative Leader Community.



I'm only printing 150 copies of the handbook. You can get your copy by participating in a special online or in person event in November, or by working with me personally.

If increasing the positive difference your leadership makes, and creating more leaders in your business are among your top priorities, then this is for you.

All the details (and where you can also watch the video) are here.

Be remarkable.
Ian

Friday 28 October 2016

Two essentials for ensuring learning and development leads to better performance

There's a lot of really great insights in this DDI Global Leadership Forecast.

The diagram below is from the forecast. It highlights key barriers to learning and what I think are two essentials for ensuring learning and development leads to better performance, 1) ensure post learning feedback, and 2) make sure learning and development is relevant to people's roles.

Who will you become? What will you do next?

As always if you'd like some help with this please contact me on +61 418 807 898.

Be remarkable.
Ian

Wednesday 26 October 2016

Self-governing organisations outperform those who aren't

I like this article from Dov Seidman. I recommended downloading The HOW Report referenced and from where I've taken the images above and below.

Who will you become? What will you do next?

Be remarkable.
Ian

Monday 24 October 2016

You only need to matter in the hearts and minds of a few people


Invest half an hour of your time today and watch this conversation between Marie Forleo and Seth Godin. You matter. This will remind you.

To succeed in life and business you only need to matter in the hearts and minds of a few people.

Who are they? How are you making a difference to them?

Be remarkable.
Ian

Friday 21 October 2016

3 simple yet profound ways for dealing with silos

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

There are silos in every business. This Switch and Shift article by Kyle Ferguson provides 3 good fundamental ways to deal with them.

When you have these 3 in place, ongoing candid and convivial conversations are paramount. There are 8 critical conversations which I explore in detail in The Appreciative Leader handbook. Find out more here.

A key to your success in all these conversations is having focusing tools like role clarity statements, agreed performance plans, anything that captures agreements about performance.

If you'd like help with such tools get your copy of The Appreciative Leader handbook or contact me on +61 418 807 898.

Who will you become? What will you do next?

Be remarkable.
Ian

Wednesday 19 October 2016

Not something different, something that creates a difference

How can I best help my clients to standout from the rest? is the perpetual question I'm asking.

A key part of the answer is helping my clients to be valued as differencemakers by their employees, customers, and other stakeholders.

In the wonderful book Difference, which you can get here, Bernadette Jiwa explains this in a very powerful way:

They don't want something different, they want something that creates a difference.

Who will you become? What will you do next?

Be remarkable.
Ian

Monday 17 October 2016

No-one needs a change program; Everyone wants a change process

Change management like strategic planning and performance management are in my view the 3 great oxymorons of business. Please read more of my thoughts on these here.

Change leadership, strategy and execution plans, and performance leadership on the other hand, are crucial to achieving your best results.

A framework these 3 can operate successfully within I call a change process. No-one needs a change program; Everyone wants a change process!

The change process below is the one I use initially in work with my clients. My objective is always to help my clients to co-create their own process with employees, thereby guaranteeing innovation and ownership.

I am deeply indebted to the work of many people who use the concept of Appreciative Inquiry, the work of Duarte, and to my Grandfather Sherriff for teaching me the law of the farm.

The fertile ground is Appreciating what is (the remarkable, the great, the good, and the bad and the ugly).

The better you Appreciate what is, the more fully you can Imagine what can be (the ploughing).

Clarity around what can be enables precise planning around the tiny shifts (Quantum leaps - the seeding) that you will take to move from what is to what can be.

Leaping (the nurturing) leads to the harvest of positive momentum, which is the key to achieving better business results, at less personal cost.


Inside The Appreciative Leader handbook are considerations and possible actions you can take to co-create and implement a change process for your business. You'll never need to think about a change program ever again.

The handbook, associated companion resources web page, and private community, are only available to 150 people who participate in special online or in person events in November 2016, or work with me personally.

All the details are here.

Be remarkable.
Ian

Friday 14 October 2016

Your one and only leadership style that really matters

When I begin to design leadership development programs with clients, one question is always part of the conversation - "what leadership style inventory/profile do you use/advocate?"

My answer, "none", takes many people by surprise.

I go on to say "leadership style inventories, profiles etc can have value, yet they are merely possible tactics for winning the main game, that being that the one and only leadership style that really matters is for people to be the best version of themselves, that one-of-a-kind human being that each of us is."

Shakespeare put it best in my view in his Hamlet play, "This above all: to thine own self be true."

Shakespeare's timeless message lies at the heart of The Appreciative Leader handbook that is now at the printers.

Most people whom I've showed the cover (pictured), say it's an unusual cover. I'm glad of this because the handbook is an unusual work!

What's also unusual is that what I say in the handbook is important, yet nowhere near as important as what you hear yourself say to yourself, and then do your own unique work.

To help you in your unique work there's a companion resources web page to the handbook, and a private community to involve yourself in.

All the details are here for you to arrange to get your signed, numbered, limited edition copy of the handbook, of which only 150 will ever be printed.

Be remarkable.
Ian

Wednesday 12 October 2016

The Employee Experience Index

There's a lot of very valuable insights in this research study by IBM’s Smarter Workforce Institute and Globoforce’s Work Human Research Institute.

Their research validates what I'm experiencing and observing in the best workplaces, that what it means to be human is front and centre, and that treating people as they want to be treated, is a key to superior performance.

Get the research study yourself via the link above.

The actions recommended (see below) are common-sense to me

Recognize the unique role that leaders and managers play
in defining employees’ work experience, and enable
managers to design experiences consistent with core
values.

Ensure the organization’s actions are conveying the values
intended and nurture an environment that reinforces
mutually supportive coworker relationships.

Help employees understand the deeper meaning of their
work and how it contributes to the wider organizational
purpose and goals.

Treat performance as a continuous conversation, fueled by
social recognition, feedback and growth opportunities.

Offer employees opportunities to participate in decisionmaking
and trust them with the autonomy they need to
find the best paths to achieving success.

Who will you become? What will you do next to ensure common sense is being reflected in your daily actions?

As always should you like some help with this please contact me on +61 418 807 898.

Be remarkable.
Ian

Monday 10 October 2016

Being/becoming a ‘lovemark’

The Western Bulldogs won their first premiership in 62 years (only their second overall) on October 1st in the Australian Football League. As 62 is my age, I know how long a time it is!

During the pre-game build up show on TV I was reading all the sport in the local papers. I was also looking at my notes in preparation for writing my Amazon review of '64 shots - leadership in a crazy world' by Kevin Roberts.

What was jumping off all pages for me was what happens in sport, business, and life in general, when people truly care for one another. Then I noticed a close in camera shot in the change rooms of Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge with his players. I remarked to my wife, he truly loves his players, and they him and each other. This was obvious throughout the game, and even more so when the final siren sounded.

What's love got to do with it?

"To get commitment in any space, give people love. It's a surprisingly obvious thought, rare in business, but the fastest way to grow."
Kevin Roberts in 64 shots

During my study of '64 shots' I went back and reviewed Lovemarks, the 2004 published book that makes my top 21 recommended reading list.

The sub-title of this book, also by Kevin Roberts, is 'the future beyond brands'.

Key points from Kevin about brands and lovemarks:

Brands are owned by companies. Lovemarks are owned by people. Brands are created by respect. Lovemarks are created by respect and love. Brands mean loyalty for a reason. Lovemarks mean loyalty beyond reason. Brands aim to be irreplaceable, lovemarks irresistible. Brands seek return on investment, lovemarks return on involvement.

"Not price, not value, but priceless value. Priceless value responds to the emotional question on lips today. "How will you improve my life?" Brands have no answer to this. Brands used to be irreplaceable. Nothing is irreplaceable now. People can replace anything from anywhere. You have to be irresistible, a lovemark."
Kevin Roberts in 64 shots


Who will you become? What will you do next?
Being/becoming a 'lovemark' is the future of your business.

Co-building a 'lovemark' is our BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) at The Appreciative Leader Community. Our limit is 150 members.

There’s a one page summary of how you can become 1 of the 150 with links to the detail here.

The Appreciative Leader Community is for lovers of leadership learning, unlearning, and relearning, creating more leaders, and leaving a lasting leadership legacy.

"A leader asks this question when the sun rises: what will I leave behind?"
Kevin Roberts in 64 shots

Be remarkable.
Ian

Friday 7 October 2016

When emails are nothing more than confirmation of agreements

Sending and receiving less emails is not a new idea. It can be a standout idea. More to the point less emails is a great way to better invest your time and energy.

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

I'm forever encouraging my clients to only email when they're confirming an agreement with somebody that was made in person or using technology like Zoom, which I personally use for all meetings that aren't in person.

I'm seeing an increasing number of organisation detoxing from email like The Virgin Airlines email switch-off example here.

Determining what emails you receive and reply to is also a choice. For me personally I answer emails in the morning and evening, and only at other times if it suits me. My clients have no issue with this.

In terms of what emails I receive regularly such as newsletters, I am ruthless in unsubscribing when I feel I am not receiving value for the long term. I am equally disciplined in only reading emails when it suits me and usually move emails to files and read them later on.

What will you do next?

Be remarkable.
Ian

Wednesday 5 October 2016

"Family is a metaphor for the future of business"


There are many great insights in this book by Kevin Roberts. One is "Family is a metaphor for the future of business." You can view my Amazon review of this book here.

My ideal clients are either family businesses, or they're leaders seeking to operate their business as families do.

In Q & A sessions that follow a lot of my presentations I often break the ice by asking people what they are passionate about. The most common answer is family. I then go on and ask the following four questions:

1. What makes great families great?
2. What do great parents do?
3. What do great life-partners do?
4. What do you notice about siblings who really get along?

Whatever the answers I then ask: What would happen in your organisation tomorrow if you began to apply the principles behind your answers?

Who will you become? What will you do next?

As always should you like some help with this please contact me on +61 418 807 898.


Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

Be remarkable.
Ian

Monday 3 October 2016

Valued, Values, and Value are essential for your sustainability and prosperity

The long term sustainability and prosperity of your business depends greatly on what your employees do every day that your competitors people aren't doing (very hard to do), or your employees must be doing every day what your competitors people are, just doing so better, differently, or more uniquely. I refer to this trilogy as your key points of difference.

I have learned over 25 years of working with over 1000 business owners and leaders, women and men, in over 40 countries, that the short and long road to achieve your key points of difference has much to do with your employees feeling valued, living values, and delivering value. Your Leadership, Management and Culture are key drivers of valued, values, and value being a reality.

Sustainability and prosperity is achievable when the above are foundational and proven principles are applied in your own best way. My clients have taught me that there are 29 such principles.


Valued, Values, and Value is one of the 11 underpinning principles of The Appreciative Leader handbook. Applying it, along with the other proven principles, in your own best way, leads to your employees feeling fulfilled and loved, delivering value to each other, and ensuring there is everyday innovation. These outcomes of employees feeling valued, living values, and delivering value, are fundamental to guaranteeing that your business is fit for the future.

There are only 150 copies of The Appreciative Leader handbook being printed. You can secure your copy and the associated membership of The Appreciative Leader Community here.

Be remarkable.
Ian