• Attitude
• Opportunity & Recognition
• Example
• Willingness

Attitude

Getting the right blend of personalities to function effectively as a team is key. When growing your team, you want to pay attention to the mix of people that you already have working for you, and add someone that will complement the team you’ve already developed. A person’s attitude should be given a high priority on your consideration list, as moods can be infectious and a poisonous temperament can breed discontent within your workforce. If you’re adding someone to your team from another department, have a conversation with that person’s superior and co-workers to determine if their personality will blend with the team you already have assembled.

Opportunity & Recognition

Once you’ve added a new person, an important factor in having a successful team is the team’s ability to get along and to trust and have confidence in each other. Arrange some team building activities that will give your employees an opportunity to have fun with each other. Furthermore, set achievable objectives for your workers, and give them a chance to extend themselves. Often, they will be grateful for the opportunity, and will exceed expectations. Be sure to recognize their hard work when they meet their goals. A simple, “Thank you,” or “Great job,” can go a long way.

Example

One of the greatest ways you can influence your team, to both old and new members, is to lead by example. If your employees see you as unmotivated, uncaring and lazy, then they will also start to take the same approach to their positions. Grow your team into a successful one by setting an example of what is expected of them. Give your employees credit where credit is due, which will help encourage them to work as a team and not just as individuals.

Willingness

Although it’s an unpleasant subject, to grow a productive team it’s crucial to be willing to let go of any member that is not pulling his or her own weight. Don’t create an atmosphere of fear, but if one person is being detrimental to the success of your team, it can sometimes be for the best to remove them before their liability becomes infectious.

Fostering a team atmosphere can be a tricky task, but if done right, can only help benefit your organization and your employees over the long term.

 

 BI #27 - Leadership Values: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Download here: BI #27 - Leadership Values

Duration: 10 minutes 07 seconds

Show Notes:

This week Canadian Management Centre is excited to host a special edition of leadership podcasts from the American Management Association, boasting special guest Bill George. Mr. George is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic and is now a Professor of Management Practice, at Harvard Business School, where he is teaching leadership and leadership development. Bill is also the author of new best-selling leadership book, “True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership.”

During this podcast Bill George will review the meaning of “True North” and Authentic Leadership. Bill George will discuss the importance of being well grounded in your core values in order to be successful in any level of leadership.

Mr. George will also review leadership strategy execution, and the importance of having a long-term view of your industry while surrounding yourself with employees and people who not only are productive and smart but who also challenge you.

Here is the first step in creating success at anything in life.  In fact without this step most can never move forward yet feel like they are working around the clock and going in circles.

Leaders Know What They Stand For: Awareness Precedes Change

I remember being at a client’s office building where I was asked to go and see another employee one floor up from where we were.  Not being aware of the floor I was at, I had two choices when I entered the elevator, try every button and get off at every floor one at a time until I found the right one or simply step outside the elevator and become aware of the floor I was starting from.  Until I became aware of where I was, I was not able to get to where I wanted to be.

You see, awareness always precedes change but often in our professional and personal lives we press every button we can get our hands on.  If you want your business to escalate, become aware of your business, employees and clients’ present situation.  Then and only then can you have control of the desired outcome.

Lack of awareness leaves you no choice but to be reactive to every situation.

Harvard University did a study on great leaders across the world.  What they found was that their number one characteristic was self-awareness.  These leaders we look to for inspiration and direction are not only aware of their present situation in finite detail but they are also aware of who they are and what they stand for.
Our clients always test our values.  Unfortunately most do not know what they truly value and therefore will never know who they are and what they stand for in business, let alone in their lives.  In our highly competitive industry, we have to ask ourselves are our values consistent with our daily actions? Clients want to follow someone who knows what they value or live what they say they value.  Furthermore, anyone who is not passionate about what they do and where they are going will always travel alone.

Ask yourself, what do the people in your professional and personal life believe you are and what do you stand for?

One day Mohandas Gandhi, the Indian political and spiritual leader, decided to walk down the street and 10,000 plus people ended up following him.  They followed him because it was clear who he was and what he stood for.
Would you send someone referrals if you did not know who they were and what their business stood for?

Why should they send you referrals?

The second step will be posted next week.

Fred Sarkari

 

 BI # 26 The Keys to Coaching Leaders for Success : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Download here: BI # 26 The Keys to Coaching Leaders for Success

Duration: 11 minutes 22 seconds

Show Notes:

John Eckmire this week reviews with Dr. Marshall Goldsmith the fact that great coaches make great companies and the keys that every manager needs about in order to develop the skills to coach their company’s future leaders. Along with these invaluable tips John and Marshall also review Dr. Goldsmith’s New York Times best seller book “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”.

Download here: BI #25- Professional coaching with 360° Feedback

Duration: 11 minutes 6 seconds

Show Notes:

Coaching- is it positive or negative?

• Some people accept coaching while others will resist.
• When resistance is encountered it is normally as a result of how the coaching was presented to the receiver. Generally if coaching is seen as remedial it will be rejected.
• If presented as a tool in a positive light, coaching will not only be accepted but it is more likely to be successful.
• CEO’s of multinational corporations tend to see coaching as positive which is good because research shows that in order for people to improve their skills they must first be motivated to change.

How to Involve Potential Leaders in Coaching.

• Ensure that the coaching is presented in a positive affirming way to those involved.
• Research conducted by Goldsmith indicates that simply participating in workplace related training is not enough to reinforce the behaviours learned.
• In order for coaching to have any lasting visible effect you must practice, talk to people about what you learn and follow up with colleagues within 1 year to assure improvement was made. Improvement is more dramatic when reinforcement follows coaching.

Business Leaders are Delusional.

• Hard to hear I’m sure. However, research has shown that senior leaders in business tend to be delusional
• This tends to be true of successful people in general according to Marshall.
• When business leaders were asked to rate themselves in comparison to their professional peers 85% of respondents believed that they were in the top 20% of performers within their organization.
• In the same survey 70% believed they were in the top 10% of performers.
• Marshall notes that successful people also tend to have a very positive self image. A positive self image gives people confidence and while confidence is good- it makes hearing negative feedback about our actions and behaviour more difficult.
• Therefore, instead of telling managers what to do, telling managers what not to do has been more successful. This is the focus of Marshall’s book which discusses 20 behaviours that leaders need to stop.

360° Feedback on Management

• Once coaching has occurred, 360° feedback is the best way to assess the success of any individual at implementing and demonstratingwhat they have learned to others within their organization.
• Goldsmith is always sure to interview everyone around the client he has worked with. He has a policy that he will not get paid unless his client improves and his clients are judged by their peers.
• Confidential 360° feedback should be agreed upon by all people involved and occurs twice using Goldsmith’s method in order to chart progress.
• Goldsmith only selects clients who are willing. Research supports Goldsmith when he says that only those willing to improve will improve.
• The normal length of any coaching experience with Marshall is a period of one year to 18 months. Goldsmith notes that it takes at least 6 months time to alter behaviour and for change to take root. Allowing a substantial period of time also helps others realize the change.
• Behavioural coaching works at all levels weather you are a CEO or a front line manager.

I can’t recall when I first heard the saying ‘Leaders are born, not made’. At first I really didn’t give it much thought. However as we continue through this journey known as life, we start to ponder on some of these things well at least I do.

Does a doctor, after delivering a newborn child, say, “Wow! A new successful leader is born today?” Do we read in the newspaper that “three successful leaders were born today at the local hospital”? Are some people genetically disposed to success? I am happy to report that success in any business first consists of adopting key character traits. However, simply adopting these character traits in of itself does not make you a leader any more than loose ingredients are a cake. Secondly, in order for us to grow our businesses to the next level we need to employ a proven system of success.

Pilots conduct Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prior to every flight in order for them to have the best possible chance of a successful flight. Similarly, those that scuba dive, perform SOPs before and after every dive to insure the greatest chance of success.

Those ‘special’ people who seem to have that magic touch—the true leaders, the ones we admire and look to as a source of inspiration in any business or chosen adventure—also have an SOP in their lives.

The 5 Critical Elements will be posted one a day a week for the next 5 weeks.

Fred Sarkari

Download here: BI #24 - Alex Frankel Goes Undercover at America’s Leading Companies

Duration: 12 minutes 59 seconds

Show Notes:

Alex Frankel author of Punching In embarked on a 2 year undercover adventure as he joined 6 of America’s top companies in order to understand how these companies inspire employee loyalty. What he discovered while working for UPS, Starbucks, GAP and Apple was that each job and company culture had both advantages and disadvantages.

Frankel started his first test job in December of 2003 at UPS. Ultimately his experience at UPS led him to want to try to work for other great companies in order to understand how company culture affects employee job satisfaction. At each of his test jobs Alex worked from a few weeks to a few months.

Each time Frankel sought a new job he altered his strategy. He researched the company’s core values in order to tailor his approach to what it seemed they were in search of. He made sure not to tell anyone about his covert mission in order to achieve an authentic experience.

The Application Process
• Alex recalls the application process was interesting and varied depending on the hiring strategy adopted by the prospective employer.
• What he recalls as most interesting was that some employers required you to apply online with an extensive online questionnaire (sometimes as many as 200 questions) before you would be considered for an interview.
• These questionnaires were designed to test your personality and assess whether or not you would be a good fit within the organization.
• Frankel believes that companies that use these methods have a very specific menu of traits that they are looking for in employees.
• Alex did a lot of research into the corporate ethos of the organizations he applied to. In particular he describes reading much about the corporate culture of Apple who he discovered sought out people who were passionate about Apple products before being considered.

Corporate Culture
• Of all of his 6 employers Alex felt that the corporate cultures at UPS and Starbucks were the most infectious.
• Frankel notes that the culture at UPS was immediately apparent. The first thing he experienced there was receiving his uniform and getting suited up for work. He remembers putting it on and being dressed all in brown and feeling like he was a part of a culture where he was transformed almost immediately.
• At Starbucks the corporate culture was also very strong. Except at Starbucks the culture has been created by head office and spread throughout their organization through literature etc. People there were more often indoctrinated where as with UPS it was more of a vibe.
• Alex notes that in the case of UPS who started the “What can brown do for you?” campaign to market to customers seemed to have a profound impact on employee moral as well. Frankel experienced people who were proud of what they did and had enjoyed coming to work.

The Hardest Job
• Physically Alex found UPS the most demanding job and proudly notes that he worked at UPS through the December 2003 rush. On average UPS moves 22 million packages each day during the holiday season.
• Contrasting this experience at UPS with GAP Alex notes that working for the GAP was also difficult because it wasn’t very stimulating. Boredom made working there difficult for Alex who was also unable to detect an overriding corporate spirit or culture.

Corporate Training
• During his undercover operation Frankel experience many different training methods. Some organizations sent him off site for in-depth training while others preferred to train people on the spot.
• Alex believes that Apple did the overall best job of training him for his position. To start off he received 40 hours of training done mostly by listening to podcasts and watching video and company commercials while on site in a store. They allowed him time to actually learn his role before putting him in front of customers.
• Alex also noticed in all of his varied experience that each organization seemed to attract a particular type of person.
• There was still a lot of top down articulation within organizations who will try to reach employees through all of the channels they have available to them. This tactic made Frankel more sceptical then if he had simply experienced the culture for himself. The ‘vibe’ Alex felt at UPS and Starbucks was genuine because he felt it for himself, rather than being told about company culture (he may not have felt) over and over again.

Lessons Learned
• Alex notes that some of the companies that he worked for are much older than others. This can affect how well employees know and understand their companies mission.
• In companies where the mission or goal of the organization was not known corporate culture was less defined.
• Many newer organizations have also been built scale out quickly. This may explain why large organizations spend so much time articulating their message, because if they need to reach over 12,000 employees the real way you can do this is through corporate communications.
• The idea of matching the people you hire to your overall global mission as a company is a good one. It can help to assure employee commitment and satisfaction.
• Companies who seem to lack a corporate mission also tend to attract the wrong type of employee. Those companies who have a clearly defined mission end up hiring people who believe in the same mission and fit in with the organization. A great fit between an employee and the organization they work for ultimately makes for a prosperous company.

1. Set aside one hour each day to absorb new information. Don’t let yourself be the person who is unaware of a major development or situation that needs attention.
2. Recognize the power of questions. Stop thinking in terms of what you have to say and start thinking in terms of what you have to ask. Managers and employees will respect you for asking their viewpoints and you are likely to learn more in the process.
3. Send powerful nonverbal messages. Consider how you can make better use of body language and how to modulate your voice for greater impact.
4. Learn to laugh at yourself. Stop taking yourself so seriously. Whenever you say or do something foolish (and we all do), be the first to see the humour in it. Laugh at yourself in front of your direct reports, and they won’t laugh at you behind your back.
5. Learn to speak with conviction. If you don’t sound as if you believe in what you’re saying, don’t expect anyone else to believe you. An executive once said, “Your managers and employees will never get any more excited about the organization’s mission than you are.”
6. Light fires inside your employees. Assign employees to jobs and orchestrate the job environment so that your management team receives the greatest number of important intrinsic rewards as they perform the work.
7. Don’t use performance measures that sacrifice the long term. When you can quantify performance, be careful that employees don’t become so consumed with making a short-term measure that long-term value suffers.
8. Offer a sincere simple “thank you.” We all want to feel needed and appreciated. Gratitude endures long after checks are cashed.
9. Solicit an employee’s advice for solving a problem. You’ll make the employee feel important and you may wind up with a solution that never occurred to you.
10. Take a member of the support staff on a sales call. People in support roles might otherwise never meet any of their organization’s customers. They’ll learn more about customer needs and the experience may leave them motivated to see that those needs are met.

 

 BI #23 - Growth Opportunities Hidden in Plain Sight: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Download here: BI #23 - Growth Opportunities Hidden in Plain Sight

Duration: 12 minutes 32 seconds

Show Notes:

Author of Hidden in Plain Sight, Erich Joachimsthaler discusses his demand-first innovation and growth (DIG) model as a means of growing your business. Joachimsthaler maintains that the DIG system teaches you to become an unbiased observer of peoples usage and consumption behaviours. Refining methodology will assist companies in generating organic growth through innovative new products, services, solutions and experiences.

Many opportunities for growth go unnoticed by organizations that do not use a systematic process to identify and these growth opportunities.

• Erich uses the example of Sony who invented the walkman in 1979 and sold millions of them. What Erich point out is that Sony failed to see the major growth opportunity that MP3 technology would present years later.
• MP3 technology was created by Apple, who has successfully marketed the iPod to millions of people. What is more is that Apple is not a consumer electronics company, they are a computer company.
• Therefore Erich concludes that many opportunities large or small tend to be right under our noses and we just fail to see them.
• Joachimsthaler notes that with the right tools and methodologies organizations will be able to identify opportunities. He asserts that by placing an emphasis on customer behaviour instead of customer psychology.
• In marketing you want to learn about behaviours in order to influence the purchase decision. Therefore Erich doesn’t see a reason for the focus on consumers psychological make-up their lifestyles, emotions, feelings etc.
• Erich believes that the “need fulfillment” paradigm so prevalent in Marketing is a bankrupt enterprise.
• Erich suggests that in order to understand how people live and therefore how behaviours occur the DIG demand first innovation and growth model of development should be used.
• The DIG model is a systematic and repeatable process. By using it you can find opportunities hidden in plain sight and begin to build a breakthrough growth strategy.

The DIG Model
• When using the DIG model there is a need to map the demand landscape. The need to map consumer behaviours and develop a strategic blue print for action.
• There is also a need to reframe opportunity. Using the example of Apple again reframing opportunity requires thinking about consumer’s interaction with a particular product in everyday life which will lead to new opportunity. Apple is no longer solely a computer company they are now known as a music technology company.
• Developing a strategic blueprint for action. Erich notes that this is where you put opportunities together and develop a strategy around hoe to execute on them.
• Simply creating and manufacturing a product that is different from anything else on the market is not enough under the DIG model. Understanding how your product intersects with customers on a daily basis will.
• The real question to ask is how can your company or product begin to own more time real estate? How can you own more of the 1,440 minutes in each day in the life of your customers?

Brand Management
• Of both brand image and brand identity Joachimsthaler believes that due to the fundamental change that has occurred in the way that companies build brands, brand identity is weightier.
• Before the idea behind branding was that if you have a product or service you needed to develop a positive brad image around it.
• Now if you consider brands such as Google or Starbucks they did not create their brand image by defining a product or service and communicating that to the world. Instead these two companies have made themselves a part of the “cultural currency” of our lives. Becoming part of the cultural currency within society brands build successfully over time.
• Joachimsthaler believes that we need to flip the entire branding model around. Begin with identity that defines something relevant inside consumers everyday lives and eventually your identity becomes part if your social culture.

Internalizing the DIG Model
• Erich believes that the internalization of the DIG model is essential. Working interactively with clients within workshop scenarios to make sure that these measures are implemented gradually by the organization has worked well.
• Joachimsthaler asserts that growth and innovation need to be associated with a set of tools that companies use and adopt in their work.