According to Jim Clemmer "Research consistently shows that 70% of efforts to improve customer service, quality, safety, productivity, innovation, employee engagement, restructure, or introduce new technologies fail. Leadership and organization culture are THE critical X factors. "Soft" leadership and culture boosts or BLOCKS strategy, structure, and change initiatives."
So where do you fit in that spectrum? Is the "how we do things here" culture in your business healthy? How do you know?
You can't measure your culture by the results that are achieved.
High performing teams don't necessarily have a culture that produces a happy workplace.
Experience of PCE members has been in boiler room cultures, sales at all costs and unsustainable work practices and environments : work hard play hard the doctrine that may deliver numerical success but at what cost?
Auditing your team culture can be confronting. Resistance to behavioural change or even simply questioning behaviour can be difficult to start but if the focus for longevity and sustaining peak performance and simultaneously delivering quality consistent WOW customers experiences, financial rewards and success and a happy, engaged, motivated workplace : then a culture audit and culture change is a necessity.
The steps involved:
1) analyse how the team communicates : is it effective, is everyone on the same page, included,
2) what expectations are set for team members : written and unspoken : what behaviours are valued and rewarded
3) what political structures have evolved in the team : where is the power base
4) what practices and processes are the most successful in the team for delivering results : if you documented that process would you be proud of it
5) are the behaviours exhibited in the team ones you want to replicate, model, change
6) do team members have balance in all areas of their lives : are they living their lives or paying a price
7) is team think dominated by a few players : do we have a process that delivers parallel thinking after considering all the issues at hand
This can be a confronting and rewarding process. It requires team members to be led by high EQ leaders.
Developing EQ is possible but requires committment and a desire to assess and progress.
Showing posts with label Team Dynamics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Team Dynamics. Show all posts
Friday, 9 August 2013
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Winning Behaviours : where do you sit above or below the line
As we move back into more psychological / behavioural research in 2013, many of the articles around practical client engagement tips will be interspersed with some behavioural topics especially motivation, high performance and personality.
At a function today a discussion with a senior executive in financial services led into above the line and below the line mindsets.
Roger Connors (http://www.ozprinciple.com/self/steps-to-accountability/)highlights that below the line behaviour is seen in individuals and businesses with a blame mentality.
True success comes from above the line greatness : determination, accountability, hard work and collaboration.
Connors espouses the : see it, own it, solve it and do it method as steps to accountability.
We at PCE totally agree.
What is especially interesting to PCE though is working with individuals and companies below the line : who are unaware of their behaviours and subsequently have no momentum to shift above the line.
How do you engage a business or an individual without self awareness?
The intervention that must occur is one of honesty and the hard conversation that what is occurring does not meet the expected standards that will lead to success.
But under who's definition is that success. PCE knows of companies and individuals whose success is defined often by numbers and the corporate creed and values are nothing but a page on a website that has no life within the organisation as it is not demonstrated in its leaders, not embraced by staff and certainly not measured in performance metrics.
Worse still is where there are such defined values but leaders have not the skills or courage to ensure staff are employed because they embody these values, educated on how to develop these values and counselled when they do not adhere to the values.
The underlying sub culture that eventuates is one of tolerance of poor corporate culture and a lack of coherence about what it is that the company stands for.
So what to do?
It's about harnessing the power of a few leaders in the business, rewriting the script and delivering a clear message to the business or the individual and providing the resources to set people up to enable them to see it, own it, solve it and do it.
That's a difficulty corporate culture change piece and surely fails when poor behaviour is ignored or tolerated or worse rewarded: the corporate revenue requirements never justify means that are detrimental to the workplace.
What we need then is passionate positive and transformational change agents to live a set of values that are accessible to those around them.
Finding them : we'll that's a little harder.
At a function today a discussion with a senior executive in financial services led into above the line and below the line mindsets.
Roger Connors (http://www.ozprinciple.com/self/steps-to-accountability/)highlights that below the line behaviour is seen in individuals and businesses with a blame mentality.
True success comes from above the line greatness : determination, accountability, hard work and collaboration.
Connors espouses the : see it, own it, solve it and do it method as steps to accountability.
We at PCE totally agree.
What is especially interesting to PCE though is working with individuals and companies below the line : who are unaware of their behaviours and subsequently have no momentum to shift above the line.
How do you engage a business or an individual without self awareness?
The intervention that must occur is one of honesty and the hard conversation that what is occurring does not meet the expected standards that will lead to success.
But under who's definition is that success. PCE knows of companies and individuals whose success is defined often by numbers and the corporate creed and values are nothing but a page on a website that has no life within the organisation as it is not demonstrated in its leaders, not embraced by staff and certainly not measured in performance metrics.
Worse still is where there are such defined values but leaders have not the skills or courage to ensure staff are employed because they embody these values, educated on how to develop these values and counselled when they do not adhere to the values.
The underlying sub culture that eventuates is one of tolerance of poor corporate culture and a lack of coherence about what it is that the company stands for.
So what to do?
It's about harnessing the power of a few leaders in the business, rewriting the script and delivering a clear message to the business or the individual and providing the resources to set people up to enable them to see it, own it, solve it and do it.
That's a difficulty corporate culture change piece and surely fails when poor behaviour is ignored or tolerated or worse rewarded: the corporate revenue requirements never justify means that are detrimental to the workplace.
What we need then is passionate positive and transformational change agents to live a set of values that are accessible to those around them.
Finding them : we'll that's a little harder.
Monday, 16 July 2012
Creating creative sales strategies
Fun Fridays! The day when your prep/grade one children get to run a muck dressing up and acting and having free run of the facilties and using every aspect of energy enthusiasm and spirit possible.
The art of learning in this environment delivers an experience that allows self discovery and importantly the ability to look at things from another persons point of view. Play acting or taking a part requiring one to step out of themselves comes easily to these children but eludes us adults restricted by the conventions of our workplace compared to the uninhibited playground of Fun Friday.
So the solution : create the fun Friday environment in your workplace.
First step in this is to recognise the strengths of the individual's in your team and then importantly recognise and document the valid learning experience required by each team member.
The exercises you need to then employ draw on De Bono and Gardener's multiple intelligences. This is where you need help and a professional to execute the programme.
The first step though starts with you and your willingness to take yourself and your team on a journey of discovery and have fun doing so. What you will find is new skills and a new way of looking at things with your clients your staff you and your business the beneficiaries as you further differentiate your client engagement.
The art of learning in this environment delivers an experience that allows self discovery and importantly the ability to look at things from another persons point of view. Play acting or taking a part requiring one to step out of themselves comes easily to these children but eludes us adults restricted by the conventions of our workplace compared to the uninhibited playground of Fun Friday.
So the solution : create the fun Friday environment in your workplace.
First step in this is to recognise the strengths of the individual's in your team and then importantly recognise and document the valid learning experience required by each team member.
The exercises you need to then employ draw on De Bono and Gardener's multiple intelligences. This is where you need help and a professional to execute the programme.
The first step though starts with you and your willingness to take yourself and your team on a journey of discovery and have fun doing so. What you will find is new skills and a new way of looking at things with your clients your staff you and your business the beneficiaries as you further differentiate your client engagement.
Friday, 11 May 2012
More sales by connecting what you do with why you do it
This is one for the sales leaders. For the state managers, the heads of sales. The financial planning practice manager. The senior adviser. The team leader.
This is one for any one who leads or aspires to lead in a sales environment.....and yes financial planners and strategy solution coaches...that means you too....all sales people....trying to engage a client with an intangible....with a promise.
When we look at our teams we see people on different journeys who have come from different destinations and ended up in our team at our place of work. We induct them, some more in depth than others and we show them what it is that we do here. And some of them even get it. Others don't ...and it's really not their fault. Some do the same job for years and don't really understand at all how the company makes money and stays in business. They don't get how all the things that happen in the work place are interconnected.
They live in their silos ...the silo's mind you ...that leaders have created and maintain.
And then we ask them to share our vision, our goals, to work together to meet our objectives, our sales targets, to put the clients at the centre of their world, to practice stewardship and make customer focussed, commercially sensible decisions at the front line.
Yes, that'll work.
Well actually it won't but yet in our industry businesses operate like this every day and get by. They however are constantly on the look out for new opportunties for the next big idea, the clear water where they can get slightly ahead of the competition if only just for a quarter.
They spend money building new systems, new processes, new campaigns....new yes....innovations no....it's catch up in the donkey race.
Amabile and Kramer, The Progress Principle, HBR Press, 2011, write of their observations, study and findings discovering the essence of progress at work and its' connectedness to meaningful work. And there it is in all its' simplicity.
Progress can be achieved by connecting employees with meaningful work and celebrating the small daily progress that is achieved on the way to a goal.
What does this mean for an insurance providers sales team or for example a financial planning practice?
What it means is this:
1) do an audit of your staff - what in their own words does the business do?
2) what is their role in that objective?
3) what does it mean for the customer?
4) what are some of the daily hurdles that get in the way of their role?
5) what do they see as being daily wins that they feel proud of?
Now, you are not getting to get through to number 5 straight away. PCE thinks you might be talking about 1 for a while.
What's the pitch of what you do that all staff can embrace? And next and most importantly are they willing to walk that talk? Do they embody, practice and believe in the core promise of your business?
For insurance businesses it's pretty easy to work this one out. Do all your staff from front desk to admin, from claims staff to the sales team......do all of them have/or have discussed/planned for:
1) a comprehensive insurance package for themselves
2) a comprehensive insurance package for their significant other
3) insurance such as trauma cover for their children
4) for their siblings they know what cover is in place
5) for their parents they know there is adequate estate planning and powers of attorney
6) for their parents they know how aged care accomodation may be funded
7) for their friends they have encouraged and made sure they they speak to an adviser to get a plan in place for all the above
If the answer is yes to all of the above, then you have a leap ahead of your competition far more than any system upgrade will provide.
What you have at your disposal is a team that understands what it is that the business does and WHY the business does it. They have embraced it. They live it. They believe it. All they need to do now is bottle that story and deliver it to every prospect the business has.
And letting them do that ....that's your job...that's right...the leaders in the business....you need to get out of their way...and remove the hurdles in the way of letting these people shine.
This is one for any one who leads or aspires to lead in a sales environment.....and yes financial planners and strategy solution coaches...that means you too....all sales people....trying to engage a client with an intangible....with a promise.
When we look at our teams we see people on different journeys who have come from different destinations and ended up in our team at our place of work. We induct them, some more in depth than others and we show them what it is that we do here. And some of them even get it. Others don't ...and it's really not their fault. Some do the same job for years and don't really understand at all how the company makes money and stays in business. They don't get how all the things that happen in the work place are interconnected.
They live in their silos ...the silo's mind you ...that leaders have created and maintain.
And then we ask them to share our vision, our goals, to work together to meet our objectives, our sales targets, to put the clients at the centre of their world, to practice stewardship and make customer focussed, commercially sensible decisions at the front line.
Yes, that'll work.
Well actually it won't but yet in our industry businesses operate like this every day and get by. They however are constantly on the look out for new opportunties for the next big idea, the clear water where they can get slightly ahead of the competition if only just for a quarter.
They spend money building new systems, new processes, new campaigns....new yes....innovations no....it's catch up in the donkey race.
Amabile and Kramer, The Progress Principle, HBR Press, 2011, write of their observations, study and findings discovering the essence of progress at work and its' connectedness to meaningful work. And there it is in all its' simplicity.
Progress can be achieved by connecting employees with meaningful work and celebrating the small daily progress that is achieved on the way to a goal.
What does this mean for an insurance providers sales team or for example a financial planning practice?
What it means is this:
1) do an audit of your staff - what in their own words does the business do?
2) what is their role in that objective?
3) what does it mean for the customer?
4) what are some of the daily hurdles that get in the way of their role?
5) what do they see as being daily wins that they feel proud of?
Now, you are not getting to get through to number 5 straight away. PCE thinks you might be talking about 1 for a while.
What's the pitch of what you do that all staff can embrace? And next and most importantly are they willing to walk that talk? Do they embody, practice and believe in the core promise of your business?
For insurance businesses it's pretty easy to work this one out. Do all your staff from front desk to admin, from claims staff to the sales team......do all of them have/or have discussed/planned for:
1) a comprehensive insurance package for themselves
2) a comprehensive insurance package for their significant other
3) insurance such as trauma cover for their children
4) for their siblings they know what cover is in place
5) for their parents they know there is adequate estate planning and powers of attorney
6) for their parents they know how aged care accomodation may be funded
7) for their friends they have encouraged and made sure they they speak to an adviser to get a plan in place for all the above
If the answer is yes to all of the above, then you have a leap ahead of your competition far more than any system upgrade will provide.
What you have at your disposal is a team that understands what it is that the business does and WHY the business does it. They have embraced it. They live it. They believe it. All they need to do now is bottle that story and deliver it to every prospect the business has.
And letting them do that ....that's your job...that's right...the leaders in the business....you need to get out of their way...and remove the hurdles in the way of letting these people shine.
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