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February 1, 2006 21:46 - Open to Anything - From Anywhere.
A couple of days ago, I mentioned a piece by Sandra Macleod, of Echo Research, in December's Management Today.
I failed to mention one other bit from the article. Sandra speculates as follows:-
"In my opinion, leadership, change and new directions are all about a journey. Throughout, the value of third-party, independent voices - a clear mirror or what is out there...cannot be underestimated"
Listening to all comers on aspects of your business or organisation is huge value. Customers, clients, employees, media, Aunty Joan even are all valuable contribtors to how you are doing.
There is a sounding board in everyone and for the bigger businesses and organisatioins anyone's opinion, even if it isn't directly related to you, is of value. Strong leaders generate the link in seemingly unlinked scenarios.
This is about how one issue, one trend, one symptom can affect you, albeit in a rather tenuous way.
Developing strategy on the back of this is perhaps going a little too far, yet it might be worth having in your mind, in the fast paced environment of business that exists today.
Anything; everything contributes.
February 3, 2006 22:59 - The Best Time to Fix Things
So, you've made a difference. Progress has been made, without doubt.
The natural reaction is to sit on your laurels and wallow in the success.
Great managers behave differently here.
They make a point of accepting and appreciating progress, whilst always looking out for opportunities to move forward again.
Sometimes, after only short periods of rest and reflection.
It's as though they see plateaus as small, significant, but only taking-a-breath stops up the hill.
Yep, sure, it's a good time to enjoy the view, but there is another hill to climb, ever higher.
That's where the buzz comes from - the challenge that inspires.
As John F Kennedy said:-
"The best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining"
February 4, 2006 14:07 - What has Photographing Birds to do with Effective Management?
There is a brilliant piece in September 2005 (well, don't you read things over and over again:-)) Practical Photography, which embodies all that is vital in developing highly engaging people skills.
In developing relationships that work.
In Andy Rouse's piece, he explains that the right way to get brilliant pictures of garden birds is all about equipment.
Having taken the time to build a small hide to help you get closer, then it's down to having the right gear to capture the action.
As we set about getting close to the people in our teams, we need the same tactics. A camouflaged hide, through having non-intimidating, friendship-creating conversations, all the time, is where we build relationships, step-by-step until people get really used to us - enabling us to leverage our knowledge to escalate their performance.
Having the right camera equipment is about using our own skills to get finely tuned to what our people are about. Having the very best listening, questioning and rapport building skills out there.
Once tuned in, the opportunity is perfect for us to take the best snap, aka getting the very best from the occasions we need to with our people. We have generated the conditions to let this happen.
Not taking the time to prepare properly means that before long, your garden is void of birds and your team is empty of promise and potential.
The loser, in both cases being us, who missed the chance to create something truly wonderful.
February 5, 2006 15:50 - 10 Steps When You Need Help in Your Business
You start off alone. Be it as a solo business owner or a manager looking after a part of a larger business.
It gets busier, you get distracted from what you want to do, because there's only one of you and you've only got one pair of hands.
So you need to find help... (Read Article)
February 5, 2006 19:33 - Time to Stop Yourself Doing Everything in Your Business
You've been there and done it. You've got the tee-shirt and your experiences mean that you can cut so many corners.
So you do. It's easier. You respond to all the requests, questions, challenges and mistakes of your people... (Read Article)
February 6, 2006 18:50 - Time Management and Your Big Rocks
In Steven Covey's excellent book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" (which, incidentally, is exactly why I am here today and not stuck in my old corporate job - another day, perhaps), he tells a well-worn story about the use of time... (Read Article)
February 7, 2006 22:56 - She had a problem...
Where she worked was quiet - it was an evening customer service shift, and she was the only one staffing the area.
She'd swapped a shift that evening for a colleague to have time off.
And though quiet, it had it's peaks, where customers were demanding and she just could not give the standard of service she wanted to.
The level of service she was tuned to give - the sort of person she is.
So, despite reservations, she plucked up courage to tell her manager that she didn't feel she was able to give the right service, being left on her own that is - needing someone around to call on for help, yet only when necessary.
She didn't like to speak up.
History taught her that sometimes made things worse - made her feel worse.
Yet she decided to let her manager know how she felt.
"Well you decided to swap shifts, what do you expect?"
Was all he had to say.
Frustrated, she feels just a little more deflated.
A little less confident to speak out the next time.
What's the point. Managers don't listen. They don't want to know.
In fact they don't care about 'me' at all. Is what she is thinking.
One more sliver of motivation; of commitment; of confidence ebbs away.
How often does this happen each day? Who knows, but it is millions of times. Sadly.
What might the manager have said differently?
Any ideas slip into the comments box below. Go, on give it a try and share your thoughts.
February 8, 2006 18:43 - Decision Making Processes - Doing the Best You Can
Ever been frustrated by someone who made a decision that seemed to be the wrong decision?
You need to know the consequences of handling this badly... (Read Article)
February 10, 2006 22:19 - Hands Off Management - Frying Pan, Fire or Neither?
How tempting is it to fix things?
You know, you are passing by one of your teams cubicles and they are doing something you know all about.
So you give a hand... (Read Article)
February 11, 2006 21:45 - England Football Manager - An Impossible Job?
A polarised debate took place earlier this week, on the UK's Radio Five Live, on the merits, or otherwise, of being the new England football manager.
On the one side were those who decided that the role was so challenging, with it's media scrutiny, that it would be an almost impossible role to fulfil properly.
Not just was it the media attention, but the scrutiny of the public, the challenge of working between highly paid players, whilst deflecting the ongoing carping of a bunch of Premiership managers who were more focused on their own teams than the national one.
Not to mention the seeming attractiveness, shall I say, to the opposite sex - a constant threat to keeping your eye on the ball, as it were.
On the other side were those from the 'get real' brigade, who focused more on the cushy number of that role, compared with not just many other demanding, yet significantly (in comparison, at least) underpaid jobs out there in the real world. And then, to take a broader perspective about all of those who eke out lives in unspeakable conditions in the poorest parts of the world.
It was interesting just how well both sides of the argument stood up.
Yet in my eyes, there is a balance to the possibilities of this role. True, there are peoples and ppaces of the world where such experiences that we sometimes see are unspeakably terrible.
Yet, in the Western world in which we inhabit, we have to live our lives in that context. We experience our lives in the world in which we live and, whilst we may wring our hands at our inability to change the lives of those much less well off, we close our eyes and ears to that depressing backdrop.
Being the England manager has a lot of benefits, no doubt, yet perhaps it might be nicer to change the world in our own way, for the better, in whatever way we can - and live with being who we are, as throroughly as we possibly can.
'It annoys me when I hear young kids who claim they live in a ghetto. They are all living in brick houses. Then you look at Jamaica or Africa and there are people living in huts. That's a ghetto...'
- Nigel Reo-Coker, young and thinking captain of West Ham (Independent - Saturday, February 11th, 2006, read more here).
February 12, 2006 23:13 - Managing Your Time Effectively - Time to Stop
Time is of the essence. And in business, time is money.
We all agree to these cliches, but what do we seem to have the least of? And what can we do about it.... (Read Article)
February 13, 2006 22:21 - The Subtlties of Provocation
The videos that have hit our screens over the weekend, of soldiers beating up Iraqi teenagers are pretty awful.
Tonight there has been additoional footage of what was going on, just before the outrageous scenes, to put, as a commentator put it, those scenes 'into context'.
Quite right too.
In a world where provocation is surely the weakest and most cowardly activity, soldiers are having to put themselves in the duck-shoot every minute of their day.
I applaud them for the tolerance they are able to muster under the most severe provocation - they are, every single one of them, the most tolerant in their pursuit of a goal which may be difficult to understand, but they do it professionally.
In my time managing in a retail environment, I was lightly treated by such bullies, only needing to be rescued occasionally (thanks Elle!).
The girls in my team weren't so lucky.
On the fingers of just two hands, were the occasions when I had to endure someone trying to bully or exploit me. Yet, as I say, my staff weren't so lucky.
Day in, day out they experienced rude, belittling customers who attempted, with what can only be described as pathetic cowardice the ill-mannered nature of a few select obnoxious characters.
Yet, like magic, they usually became a lot more contrite when I came on the scene.
Perhaps it was because I was a man; perhaps because I was the boss and top-line decision-maker. One thing I would not tolerate, however, was rudeness to me, nor my staff.
Provoking innocent women, all of whom were pretty much 100% trying their best, sometimes with the weight of an ignorant organisation behind them (none of the so-called decison-makers facing into customer issues themselves - it's easy to hide in the executive suites), is the world of the coward and ultimately, these people will achieve their come-uppence.
As they say in the cold and frozen north, where I come from.
There are always two sides to bad behaviour and those who 'misbehave' often have bitten their metaphorical tongue for far longer than most of us would be capable of.
February 15, 2006 21:37 - Inland Revenue Revisited
It seems like a simple thjing to do. You complete the relevant forms and they send you back a simple statement of how much you paid and how much you owe.
But no.
In the misplaced belief that at least one government body can behave logically and under budget for once in my whole lifetime, I have to tell you that once again, where a monopoly is concerned, there is no sweating over making it easy for your captive audience customers.
They sent me a statement of my tax for last year. During that time I had some paid (i.e. employed) work and some private work.
I paid my accountant a lot to make sure I was on top of it (in the end they were right actually).
My statement for the year ending 2005 came today, implying on their summary page that I owed them almost £2,000!
Slight panic.
Then I rang my accountant, who told me that any monies paid in advance towards tax liable aren't included in the summary page, but were tucked away on the first page (of three, though page two is completely blank).
So looking at page one, as well as page three, showed my accountant had done an almost perfect job and my payments were quite right.
But why can't it be simpler - there seems to be a sort of Martian logic to the tax offices - or, to put it more bluntly, they're from a different planet!
Better question? Who is accountable for crazy logic like this?
February 16, 2006 20:25 - Team Building - Inherit or Create?
Is it easier to have a bunch of people that are brand new to a team
Or one that you mould from those you inherit? (Read Article)
February 17, 2006 20:51 - Work Experience Builds Character
In the very first management I had, a young and very quiet 15-year old came to spend some time with us as part of her school work experience, Jennifer I think she was called.
She was the relation of one of my staff I had in a small shop in the Welsh Valleys.
During her two weeks with us, I think I heard her speak no more than half a dozen times, she was that shy.
After a short while, a Saturday job came up and she asked if she might apply. I was a little concerned about her quietness, as in that role she would have to be customer facing, but I decided to give her a chance.
Over time, Jennifer came on in leaps and bounds.
She gradually responded to working with customers, and her colleagues really well and became a valued member of the team.
Taking individuals at face value can be a difficult call. But as I experienced all through my business career, shy people, quiet unassuming people, in both cases especially when they are young, often have unexposed talents.
Working in an environment that does expose these talents is revealing and very developmental, not just for a great member of the team, but for that person in real life.
And that's a wonderful gift, on both sides.
February 18, 2006 23:16 - A Complementary Team
We all have weaknesses. Whatever our roles.
In management positions, one of the bigger challenges is to recognise our own shortcomings and alter our own behaviours.
Sometimes this can be very challenging... (Read Article)
February 19, 2006 19:14 - Questions, Questions, Questions
Relationship building is the most important activity for all management and supervisory roles.
Without having your people with you, in full rapport with you, it is likely to be an uphill struggle for you to lead a team effectively.
And to be at that level of relationship with them, you have to work towards their trust steadily, consistently. (Read Article)
February 20, 2006 16:08 - Moving from a 'Chiefs and Indians' Management Style
In many, if not most, business cultures, we still have pretty much vertical structures of hierarchy.
You start at the top with the best paid and end up with the humble worker at the bottom end.
It need not be this way... (Read Article)
February 22, 2006 20:10 - The Keys to The House
Staying away this week, working with a client delivering a Coaching for Managers programme, I had to stay away in a hotel I hadn't used before.
In my line of work, staying away is part of the work, and hey, I'm not complaining at all.
Some hotels are OK and some are, well, just places to lay my head (the first night is always the worst - and I sleep fitfully. By night two, I am usually so knackered that I sleep through anyway!).
This week, it was two nights near Fleet in Hampshire. Hotel very average - the rest my head and shower sort.
When I came back after my first day training, I was a bit dismayed to find that the housekeepers keys hanging out of the door - on the outside.
So I decided to return them.
Now in the past, I've been a decidedly stroppy customer and would not have thought too much about jumping up and down a lot.
Yesterday, something in the training I'd been involved with made me stop and think a little.
It wasn't good the lack of security, yet nothing had been taken, no lives had been lost and, well, I felt that I could point it out to them politely and nicely.
So I did.
I received a very polite reply from the manager - and thanks to me for pointing it out. A guy doing his job, placating me in my concern and doing it very well.
I thank him too, for the way he did it.
And you know what after feeling a bit miserable with myself all day Monday for some reason, I felt so much better for being nice.
So a big thank you to Robert Kahn for reminding me of being able to control myself and thus control how others behave towards me.
February 23, 2006 23:20 - There is Light at the End of Most Tunnels
So we decided to take a short cut.
One used before and saving getting the car out. You see it is beneath the railway and saves quite a drive round. So we left it till just above the amount of time we needed to get there and off we set.
The entrance to the little tunnel was kind of gated off and when we looked there was a good two feet of water preventing us passing through.
Then my colleague spotted that there was a row of rather uneven slabs along one side, just wide enough for us to negotiate without having wet feet all day.
So we made it, with some care.
Coming back was a bit trickier though. After a full day, we were tired and after all, it was dark too, so the challenge of the trip through the dingy tunnel was worse.
It was quite an adventure.
Leading the way, I was heartened as I got halfway.
After all, I could see the end and, as always, there was light at the end of our particular tunnel.
February 24, 2006 21:26 - Helping Others React Differently
I had a tricky call to make. I'd sold a few shares (not enough to retire off, I can tell you!) and I'd rather screwed up at my end.
As I said earlier this week, a profound training exercise had led me to change my behaviours with others - to be gentler and a bit more understanding. So it was time to use my new skills a little (by the way, I'd been one of the trainers, so you learn from that side of the floor too!).
I rang back after an urgent call was chasing me to find out what I was doing to sort things out.
I started off with an apology and explained that the mistake was mine. Rather than pass the buck which I could have done as something they had promised to do still hadn't happened, I used my own shortcoming to appreciate the difficulties their end had, being busy and all that (after all the problem wouldn't have arisen if I'd done my bit properly in the first place).
My counterpart on the other end of the line, got all helpful with me too. My expectation of challenge and difficulty was working for me - my changed behaviours were helping!
He aplogised that I hadn't had what I needed and put a marker on my file to extend my own timescale the end of the month.
We parted thanking each other and on the same side. It rather made my day - and I suspect he felt good after the interchange too.
Hmmm - a win-win eh?
February 26, 2006 22:29 - Ask Me Another - Just One More Thing
Building strong relationships, is all about having two sides appreciate each other and want to build a bond that works both ways.
This can generate the enormous benefits of collaboration. Here's twelve reasons why... (Read Article)
February 28, 2006 21:44 - Is Destiny a Destination?
Call me a bit twee if you like (I can take it - I have broad shoulders!).
I've been catching 'The Terminal' with Tom Hanks a few times recently, for some inexplicable reason (see below).
If you haven't seen the movie, it's a rather fascinating story, based on one man's true experience (at Charles de Gaulle, Paris, I think), about a passenger who gets 'stuck' inbound at a New York airport, after his country descends into civil war, as he is in the air - a real live 'persona non grata'.
They won't let him in as he is not from a recognised country.
For the rest of the story, you need to catch the movie, which, incidentally is set in a 100% recreated set which looks so much like a real airport you'll have to pinch yourself a few times to remember it isn't.
At the end, as Catherine Zeta Jones (formerly of Swansea, South Wales) is leaving him for her lover, she reminds him of what Napoleon gave to Josephine for a wedding gift.
The gold locket contained an inscription which says, 'Destiny'.
A couple of those little co-incidences have come up recently. Friends have called the day after I've thought about them. Pieces of work have come up when a friend of a friend passed my name on months ago. Pieces of music and books have cropped up more than once.
And, spookily (don't you just love spookily!), places, words and lots of little things, have come up more than once - and I've noticed.
Whilst destiny might be an outcome, there is no airport with it on the Destination board. It just is, for as long as we live, the journey.
And there can be huge pleasure in taking what comes, for whatever it is, whenever it is.
It will be enough and if you wait - have a little patience - it will come around.
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