Wednesday 30 November 2011

Why less than 50% of employees are bringing their best to their work on a consistent basis in most organisations

The big challenge facing small, medium and large business leaders is employee engagement and yet despite all the buzz, billions (perhaps trillions) of dollars and untold energy and effort, according to every piece of research and results I have looked at, less than 50% of employees are bringing their best to their work on a consistent basis in most organisations.

This means of course that productivity is less than it could be and therefore achieving possibility in performance is a long way in the distance from reality.

Why is this?
In the slideshare below I explore my three fundamental reason why.


I am seeking to partner with organisations truly embracing change by working with key people for 1 or 2 days a week for a few weeks, perhaps a few months, as long as it takes to achieve the change/s you desire. My role is to pass on, in ways to be agreed on and measured, my crucial to success learnings about leading and managing change.

Let’s have a conversation and find out if I am right for you and you for me. We will know in a few minutes whether we can work together or not. My number is +61 418 807 898. Wherever you are in the world I respond to all messages within 24 hours.

Please check out at least one the following before you call.
My weekly sparkenations.
A few of my key articles.
My programs.
or simply complete my quick employee engagement pulse check. My ebook 52 actions of the wise is my gift to you for taking the pulse check.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 28 November 2011

Choose - Decide - Do it this week

This weeks sparkenation.

I participated in an excellent webinar ‘Why should anyone believe your business is worth knowing’ on 24th November presented by my friend and colleague Kwai Yu, the Founder of Leaders Cafe and Linchpin Academy.

Kwai used a great insight from Sydney Harris to stimulate discussion. I love it and quickly captured the screenshot below.


Here are the key points for me.

Celebrate and be grateful for what you love about your life.

Whatever you don't love about your life, change it.

If you and I don’t change what we can, we end up with more of what we don't love.

Pick one thing about the status quo that is no longer serving you and do something personally to change it. And do it this week!

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Friday 25 November 2011

Are we allowing social media to ruin our real relationships?

I estimate the total number of different people that I am connected to online is more than 3000 people. I am a minnow of course. I can’t imagine life for those with more than a million twitter followers!

The key for me is that I have real relationships with about 150 people. Significantly Robin Dunbar’s number has been the constant for me pre and post social media.

The main value of having a significant social media presence for me is five-fold:

1) We do meet people online we probably wouldn’t have met otherwise who become colleagues, collaborators and friends. An example: Six out of the seven members of the Leadership Roundtable of Differencemakers Community, which I founded, I first met online. Three of them I am still to meet in person.

2) We can enhance our reputation by consistent posting of high-quality content in the endless number of places to post that are available.

3) We can use technology such as skype and gotomeetings to strengthen and grow relationships and accomplish important tasks.

4) We can learn many things of value to our personal and business lives through online discussions, webinars, and other forums. Equally we can contribute much to others in the same ways.

5) Collaboration is much easier, more efficient and effective because of social media and the cloud.

My online to in-person ratio is about 5:1 i.e. 5 hours online:1 hour in-person. It was once 20:1 as I allowed myself to be almost completely consumed. Of course my real relationships suffered. I am working on getting my ratio to 3:1.

As mentioned in my previous post and slideshare:
“Your Network is who you like, know and trust.
Your Reputation depends on who likes, knows, and trusts you.
Your Business growth depends on who likes, knows and trusts you and who is prepared to take you to who likes, knows, and trusts them.”

I can’t speak for you of course, for me I don’t take anyone to meet someone who likes, knows, and trusts me unless I am certain of their value to such a person, and I can’t be certain of someone else’s value until I have a real relationship with them.

In my view real relationships are primarily built in person and only online when we can see people and get a true sense of who they are. Relationships can be enhanced and grown online but not usually built.

I have requests from people I have never met or seen or witnessed their work asking me for recommendations and referrals. How could I have integrity and do that? I couldn’t.

Are we allowing social media to ruin our real relationships?

My answer is yes when the following exist:


*Our ratio of online to in-person is out of harmony for us
*Our focus is on getting rather than giving
*We email or text or post when a call or visit would better enhance the relationship/s
*We say things online we wouldn’t say in person
*Our focus is on what’s happening on our so-called smart phones when we are in-person with other people
*We pay more attention to what people are saying online than we do in person
*Online work and play has become more important than in-person work and play
*We can’t switch-off our phones or leave them at home occasionally
*We post, text or email information about other people we haven’t run past them
*We are paying more attention to what people are saying about us online than they are in-person
*We notice our communication skills and ability to have meaningful conversations in-person have waned
*We have stopped or reduced saying in person Please, Thank You, I love you.
*The amount of quality in-person, without technology time we spend with family, friends and colleagues is reduced

Would you add any?
And what will you do today to ensure to stop allowing social media to ruin your real relationships?


Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 23 November 2011

It’s not who you know or even who knows you

Your Network is who you like, know and trust.
Your Reputation depends on who likes, knows, and trusts you.
Your Business growth depends on who likes, knows and trusts you and who is prepared to take you to who likes, knows, and trusts them.


Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 21 November 2011

A cure for all management ills

This weeks sparkenation.

I was most fortunate that my first management mentor 40 years ago taught me a principle I later discovered was a philosophy of Goethe. My paraphrase "See people as they are and they can only get worse. See people as they can be and they can only get better."

This attitude to people is a cure for all management ills. At least it is the beginning of such!

I have embraced this principle my whole working life.

It is breathtakingly simple. Simple rarely means easy in practice and so
20 years ago I first dedicated my life's work to that of inspiring leaders and managers to live Goethe's principle. I have partnered with 100's of people who now use this philosophy in their own way.

Today I describe my quest as helping people passionate about change to break free from the status quo and turn possibility into reality.

The status quo is sucking the life of of us. Just think politicians and global financial crisis 2.0 for a second. I don't see any wisdom whatsoever being put forward, just the same old crap. The only thing that stops me from joining in the protests is that I see politicians and financial leaders as they could be rather than as they are!

I am on a quest to change the world one leader/manager at a time. I believe business to be the last bastion of hope.

My Changing What's Normal book is my manifesto for replacing the status quo when same no longer serves us. It is the book I always wanted to write and judging by the feedback of people who have read it, and done their work, I am thrilled that I spent the decade I did thinking about it and then two years researching and writing it.

In my book there are 58 sparkenations. A sparkenation is a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal.

The key is not my sparkenations however, what's really important is what you hear yourself say to yourself when you hear them, see them, or read them,
and then what you do that you have never done before.

You can get your copy of my book by enrolling in one, two, or all three of my Changing What's Normal webinars. The next series is on 1st, 8th, and 15th December.

If you are put off by the stench of status quo and you genuinely want to do something to change what's normal, please join me online for one, two or all three of these webinars.

It may be the best $40 (one webinar), $75 (two webinars) or $100 (all three webinars) you have ever invested.
Details are at here.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality

More sparkenations are here.



Friday 18 November 2011

"Screw Business as Usual"

There is an excellent article here by Sir Richard Branson for Business Fights Poverty an online community I have been a member of for sometime.

What will you do today and beyond to "Screw Business as Usual"?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 16 November 2011

Who/what are you waiting for?

This article was the second of my Changing What's Normal newsletter this month.
You can sign-up for my newsletter here.

For the past two weeks I have been working in a somewhat isolated place in remote Australia. In many ways it has been a waiting game.

Part of my project has meant I have had to call many Government departments meaning many long waits. Typical recorded messages have been “we are experiencing greater than normal call volume ... and my favourite “your call is important to us ...

When I suggested in a light tone to one operator that if call volume was greater than normal perhaps it was time to change what’s normal and put more people on to take calls, I received silence on the other end, not a word! Maybe I wasn’t speaking with a human!

My average waiting time has been 15 minutes. I have calculated that in the 140 hours I have worked in the past two weeks, 30 hours have been spent waiting.

I have made great use of the time, writing this for example. Before making each call I decide what I am going to do that is productive while I am waiting.

I suspect more than 20% of your life is also spent waiting.
What do you do that is productive while you wait?

And what are you doing about people who make you wait?


I made a decision some time ago to not have relationships with people who make me wait.

I am very careful who I have relationships with. I am very careful to respect other people’s time and energy and never waste it. As a general rule other people treat me as I expect to be treated (Government departments are the exception).

When it comes to business relationships my aim is to always be collaborative.

Sparkenation 28 of my Changing What’s Normal book is titled “Only collaborate with people when you have achieved a shared view.” I put forward there 7 steps to collaborating successfully:

1. Establish that there is agreement concerning the goal/s, objective/s, or aim/s. Don’t move on until you are absolutely certain there is agreement.

2. State what you can and will do to achieve the goal/s, objective/s, or aim/s.

3. Ask the other person or people involved to state what they can and will do to achieve the goal/s, objective/s, or aim/s.

4. State what you feel are the milestones or measurements that will indicate that you are on on track to achieve what you say you will in 2.

5. Ask the other person or people involved to state what they feel are the milestones or measurements that will indicate that they are on on track to achieve what they say they will in 3.

6. Agree on the dates and times that you will be in touch with each other to discuss progress and celebrate achievements.

7. Confirm in writing via email or letter your agreements in 2. through 6. and ask for a confirmation response from the other person or people involved.

I make sure that in all my collaborative agreements there is absolute clarity around deadlines and what happens if unforeseen circumstances mean they cannot be met.
I have considerably reduced my waiting time as a result.

What kind of collaborative agreements do you have in place and what do they mean for your waiting time?

The most useless waiting time is when we don’t do what we know we should. Call it procrastination if you will. I call it wasting our lives.

In this weeks short sparkenation I said:
“This blog post "Will We Cry When You Die? An Open Letter" by Author of Start With Why Simon Sinek, stirred my heart and got me thinking. The great legacy we leave is the one others are acting on while we are alive.

What’s your living legacy? And is it making waves?

As Seth Godin says: “In a world of surfers, all you can do is work to make the best wave you can. The real revolution is that you get to make waves, not just ride them.”

I find that when I am focused on making waves and making my mark I spend less time waiting and I don’t have time to procrastinate.

What will you do today that you haven’t, that you know you should?

Do it now. Life’s too short to spend time waiting unproductively.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.

Ian

PS
I am excited to announce a Changing What’s Normal webinar series:
December 1st webinar  - Change Yourself
December 8th webinar - Change Your Relationships
December 15th webinar - Change Your Organisation

Details are here.

And I am very excited to announce that the first ever Changing What’s Normal 1 day workshop is being held in 10 cities and 6 countries in early 2012. There are save great savings to be made when you take up the super early bird offer. Details are here.



Monday 14 November 2011

Are you leaving a legacy while you are alive?

This weeks sparkenation.

This blog post Will We Cry When You Die? An Open Letter by Author of Start With Why Simon Sinek, stirred my heart and got me thinking. The great legacy we leave is the one others are acting on while we are alive.

What’s your living legacy? And is it making waves?

As Seth Godin says: “In a world of surfers, all you can do is work to make the best wave you can. The real revolution is that you get to make waves, not just ride them.”

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Friday 11 November 2011

Leaders go first

I see a lot of people waiting. There are those waiting to see what happens in Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain etc. Will we avoid a second Global Financial Crisis? I don’t know. I won’t be sitting on my hands waiting in hope. I will do what I can in the areas I can influence.

I see people waiting all the time to try and control things they can’t.

Are you waiting or are you leading. Leaders go first.

Decide what you can influence and get going. The world has had enough of people waiting and we need leaders prepared to go first.
If not you, then who?

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 9 November 2011

There is usually trouble when the tail is wagging the dog

At the beginning of the 1997 comedy film ‘Wag the Dog’ a caption reads:
“Why does the dog wag its tail?

Because the dog is smarter than the tail.

If the tail were smarter, it would wag the dog.”

How many situations in your business is a small part controlling the whole, or something minor unduly influencing something major?

A classic case of the tail wagging the dog is happening in Australian politics at present where Independents hold the balance of power and often hold the government to ransom if they don’t get their way. A great example is one Independent trying to introduce gambling legislation in an endeavour to fix problem gamblers who from what I can see are a very small minority of the people who gamble for leisure. If the legislation is introduced the potential damaging effects in the pubs and clubs industry are huge, potentially even putting some out of business. The Independent pushing the change is threatening to bring down the government if his legislation doesn’t pass. In this situation like so many in politics all over the world, common sense is the uncommon thing.

I suggest reviewing your business as soon as possible to make sure that you have a great understanding of the little things making a big difference both negatively and positively. Then take action immediately to ensure you change what’s normal in all the negative areas.

“If you don’t believe little things make a big difference, then you have never been to bed with a mosquito.”
Anita Roddick

PS You’re smarter than any of the little things exercising undue influence over your business right now!

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Monday 7 November 2011

“Your time is limited. Don't waste it living someone else's life."

This weeks sparkenation.

“Your time is limited. Don't waste it living someone else's life."

As Steve Jobs put it so eloquently:

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to....love what you do. Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Your time is limited. Don't waste it living someone else's life."

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.



Wednesday 2 November 2011

Nobody wins the blame and shame game

This is the first of my newsletters this month.

One of my heroes is Alan Weiss. Alan says “I’ve always believed that language controls discussion, discussion controls relationships, and relationships control business. You might want to substitute “influence” for control, but you get my drift.”

Last weekend the CEO of Qantas, a once iconic Australian company, grounded his entire fleet of planes in order to bring to a head an unresolved dispute his company has with three unions. His decision affected the travel of about 100,000 people and who knows the long term adverse affects.

The language of this CEO, his opponents, and the hapless politicians on both sides of the divide, clearly do not understand collaboration. They are now blaming and shaming one another in public, something that is happening in many situations all over the world right now.

In my changing what’s normal book (Sparkenation 5. One solution to the world’s pre-eminent problem) I wrote the following:

Normal

Fundamentalists are killing us, literally. In my view fundamentalists are people who believe their way is the only way. Today these folk of religious, political, business, and other persuasions are ruining our world. None of us has a mortgage on truth. And none of us has a right to use violence against anybody for any reason, let alone because we believe something different or are following a different path.

Changing What’s Normal

In the new world being co-created we will honour everyone's path to meaning, whatever it is, and we will be tolerant of another person's way and co-exist regardless of our differences, indeed we will celebrate our differences.

We live in three worlds: the world in here, the world out there, and the world we share. In here, our views are just that, out there are other people’s views. In the world we share are the views we agree on. In any successful relationship the world we share is the critical one.

Human conflict is fundamentally the result of failure to agree on the goal or failure to agree on the strategies to achieve the goal. I guarantee that today all of our troubles, personal, local, organisational, national, and international, are fundamentally based in our perceived need to hang onto the world in here, our issues with the world out there, and, our failure to focus more on the world we share.

What makes life really worthwhile is when we can share our views (without ridiculing one another or being violent with one another) and come together with a shared view, which may mean we have to let go of things we previously held dear.

I trust that today and every day you will resolve to build more of the world we share and be less precious about the world in here or the world out there.


What could you do today, this week, this month to be a more of a builder of a world that is based on shared view?

What modifications or changes would you need to make in your life to make this happen?

Please get started today on making the changes you have decided to make. We must move on from a world of shame and blame because nobody wins such a game.

"What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."
Martin Luther Ling Jr.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Author of Changing What's Normal
I partner with people passionate about change who want to break free from the status quo and accelerate turning possibility into reality


Sparkenation: a spark that ignites passion that leads to action that changes what's normal

More sparkenations are here.