Busy Times!

Apologies for the lack of blog posts just lately!  So much has been happening:

• a new mediation training package designed to help you decide whether mediation is right for your organisation
• a major piece of in-house management development with the Leeds College of Music
• developing a new programme for Rodney Housing Association in Liverpool
• providing training to managers in Harrogate Borough Council on effective delegation

as well as several other pieces of work around management, enterprise and entrepreneurship.

Inspiring Customer Care Can Transform a Culture

Great Video for Getting to the Heart of Customer Care and its potential to transform a culture.

And not a transformation plan in sight!

Fodder for Feedback Fans

It seems that I can never over-estimate how hard many managers find it to give good feedback either affirming or adjusting. 

If this sounds like you here is another resource that might help to give you the courage…

Motivation Wisdom from Wally

Reporting on a line in a blog post on the best small workplaces Wally Bock puts his finger on a small but critical nuance when thinking about motivation and engagement.

“”Motivating and engaging workers – and giving them opportunities for professional growth – helps a business retain the best people and ultimately boost the bottom line.”

That sounds pretty conventional. But read it again. It treats “motivation” and “engaging” as something you do to “workers” who, presumably, are different from you and need your help.

“Workers” are people. They can motivate themselves just fine, thank you. They’re quite capable of deciding whether or not to be engaged. “

Spot on Wally.  If we have got workers who are not motivated and engaged the problem lies not with them, but with us and our practices of management and leadership.

You can read Wally’s full post here.

Top Tip For Progressive Managers

“One of the things I do is I create an atmosphere where I am so direct and so open and collaborative with people I trust that it brings out the same in them”

Hank Paulson – US Treasury Secretary

The US Treasury may seem like  a strange place to look for advice….but this does work!

It is not about the business, or you…

The key to understanding someones actions, and therefore being in a position to influence them and their behaviour in the future, is understanding their agenda.

• That salesperson who does everything by the book is not interested in the thrill of discovery.
• That wannabe’ high flyer pursuing their own promotion is not interested in the development of other people’s potential.
• That account manager who does the 9-5 but seems to have lost their passion for the work – is passionate about something – just not working for you.

The key to outstanding management is to recognise that it is not about your organisation, or you – it is about them and their agenda. The sooner you invest time an understanding this the sooner you will start to get a significant return on your investment in relationships.

The Credit Crunch – A Catalyst for Progress?

The credit crunch rumbles on and the picture does not get any better.

I think we can bet that the US Govt will eventually do the same as the UK and divert serious wads of the taxpayers cash to prop up failing banks.  Ah the triumph of the markets and the miracle that is capitalism!

And where will the cash come from?  Well I suppose we might go to war a little less – but more likely we will make cuts to basic services – so if you work in housing, education, enterprise, regeneration, health, policing etc I would get used to the idea of their being some very tight years ahead.

So where do we focus out time and energy to make sure that we can weather the storm?  Do we put our savings into krugerands or stuff cash under the mattress in case the bank goes bust?

Or do we focus on our ability to create value in new economic circumstances?

To recognise that the very nature of what people value will shift and that our products and services need to change to reflect this?  Do we take the chance to be innovative and creative or do we just put our heads in the sand and keep doing more of the same?