Imagine you are leading a team. The last thing you want to hear people saying is: “This place used to be great. But now we are becoming an ordinary team in an ordinary company.” People must be effective - but they must also feel excited. So let’s explore how you can make this happen in a team. The following exercise looks simple but, providing it is done properly, it works.

1) You can invite people to describe what they must do to maintain the 8/10.

Write two flip charts. The first to be headed: ‘The specific things we must to do maintain the 8/10.’ Invite people in the team to write their ideas on this topic on Post-it Notes - one idea per Post-it. They can write as many ideas as they like. One team wrote: “To keep following the key strategies; to provide great service to our customers; to have the right people in the right places; to follow the disciplines for running good meetings; to hit our numbers.” So invite people to compile their ideas under the heading.

The specific things we must do to maintain the 8/10 are:

*

*

*

2) You can invite people to describe what they must do to maintain – or add - the magic to reach 10/10.

The second flip chart is headed: ‘The things we must do to maintain - or add - the magic.’ Invite people to write their ideas on Post-it Notes. One team wrote: “To have lunchtime sessions where we invite inspiring people to talk about their passions; to create a stimulating office environment by, for example, adding colour; to have a ‘creativity budget’ for implementing great ideas: to try different kinds of teamwork during off-sites - such as painting, helping a charity or playing music.” Invite people to compile their ideas under the heading.

The specific things we must do to maintain
– or add – the magic and reach the 10/10 are:

*

*

*

Give people 10 minutes to complete their two sets of Post-it Notes. Then invite each person in turn to come to the front and put these on the relevant flip charts. They are to explain their ideas and, where appropriate, describe practical ways these can be implemented. Then move onto the next step.

3) You can make a specific plan for maintaining the magic in the team.

Complete the session and take away the Post-it Notes. Identify the key themes that have emerged – because these will give clues to what the team members are feeling - and the concrete ideas that can be implemented. Create a plan for ensuring people continue to be effective yet also find the work exciting. Present this to the team. You are the leader, so some plans will be mandatory and apply to everybody. Others parts of the plan may require volunteers. Your plan will cover the following areas.

The specific things we will do
to maintain the 8/10 will be:

*

*

*

The specific things we will do to maintain
the magic and reach the 10/10 will be:

*

*

*

The benefits of doing these things will be:

*

*

*

Invite people to make their individual action plans for achieving these goals. Then comes the crucial part: explain that there will be ongoing follow-up. You will keep the team on track by holding quarterly sessions to clarify how people can continue to maintain the 8/10 and keep adding the magic. Making this happen will ensure you continue to build a super team.

Imagine you have been invited to take over a business. Your brief is to improve the results by changing the company culture. You have several options for making this happen. These include: a) You can urge everybody to ‘change’ and put them through a conventional ‘change programme’; b) You can fire everybody and start again with a blank piece of paper; c) You can create the ‘future culture’ – often by building successful prototypes – and then invite people to choose whether or not they want to join this culture.

Savvy leaders often go for option (c). Why? They understand systems theory. Systems follow the law of homeostasis – they keep returning back to their present state. So don’t try to change the system - create a new system with new rules. Start by building successful prototypes. The new approach can then be implemented across the company. Here are three steps towards adopting this approach.

1) You can build successful prototypes.

Let’s imagine that you want to build a company that delivers exceptional customer service. You want to begin by building prototypes that demonstrate this approach. Here are some steps towards making it happen.

* You can set-up the prototypes to succeed.

Looking around the different departments, rate the chances of success of running such a pilot. Go with the positive energy. Clarify where the chances are at least 8/10 - then choose where you will build the prototypes. Another option is to go for a ‘Green Field’ site: a new site with new people who will adopt a new approach.

* You can appoint the right people, make clear contracts and give them the support they need to succeed.

Get the right people in place – especially good leaders – otherwise you are sunk. Clarify ‘What’ they must deliver by ‘When’. Outline the broad principles of the ‘How’, but they must be given freedom, within parameters, to implement the strategy. Give them the support they need to do the job.

* You can ‘ring fence’ the prototypes in order to help them to succeed.

Why? Sometimes old systems try to stop new ones from succeeding, so provide protection. Companies sometimes give double messages, such as: “We want you to be bright, creative and deliver results in the new world. We also want you to follow the old rules to achieve these results.”

* You can encourage people to get some early wins – but also create an ‘event’ for showcasing the prototypes’ success.

Encourage people to get some early wins to build positive momentum and publicise these across the business. Set a date for a company event in 6 months time where they will present their success stories. Sounds challenging, but people respond to deadlines.

* You can do everything possible to ensure the prototypes are successful.

You can provide an inspiring vision, but it is up to the prototype-builders to do the work. Keep in touch with them, but in a supportive way. Ask: “What do you want from me to help you to be successful?” Then, wherever possible, provide that support. Explain how you want to be kept updated - because you need a reality check - and how they can keep you off their backs! Encourage them to communicate their achievements along the road and also celebrate success. If things go wrong, however, make the tough decisions early, rather than late.

* You can get people to present the lessons from the successful prototypes.

Success provides its own arguments – so publicise the success stories. People can do this through newsletters, articles, internal television, DVD’s or whatever. Then move onto the next stage.

2) You can invite volunteers who want to implement the successful principles in their part of the business.

People are more likely to adopt new behaviour if they see the benefits. Imagine you have backed several prototypes that have delivered exceptional customer service. Arrange a company event – or other communication vehicles - where the prototype-builders present: a) The principles that have proved successful; b) The things we learned and can do better next time. You can then announce the next phase by saying something like:

“The prototypes have shown how we can deliver exceptional customer service. We are looking for volunteers who want to follow these principles in their part of the business. The goal will be to achieve customer satisfaction ratings of at least 98% - and this can be to either your external or internal customers. Get back to me within one week to let me know: a) Whether you want to deliver this ‘What’; b) ‘How’, in broad terms, you aim to deliver it; c) The support you need to do the job. This obviously means a shift in culture - changing the way we do things around here. We can succeed with this new approach, so let me know if you want to be part of making it happen.”

Great leaders communicate a compelling story. They show the benefits and also explain the Dos and Don’ts for reaching the goal. They then give people the chance to opt-in – because they believe in working with volunteers, not victims. You will pursue this path in your own way. Give people the required support and showcase the new success stories. Then move onto the final step.

3) You can make the principles mandatory and guide the organisation to success.

You have backed successful prototypes that embody the future culture. Now it is the time for people to make a decision. So you may give them the following message.

“The prototypes have shown the principles we must follow to be successful. The pluses are that we will improve our services and stay in business. The minuses are that it will be challenging, especially at first. But it is the way to build a successful future. What I am saying to you is also challenging. I am asking you to decide whether or not you want to follow those principles. If so, get back to your manager within the next week and we will agree on how you want to contribute. If we do not hear from you, we will assume you want to move-on. So we will then try to work-out, as far as possible, a ‘win-win’. This sounds tough, but we must follow these principles to achieve success. Let me or your manager know if you want to contribute to the journey.”

Sounds challenging – but frequently there is no other option. People must decide whether or not they want to be part of the future culture. Expect some rocky times, but eventually things will work out. You will have laid the foundations by building the prototypes. Keep people’s eyes on the picture of perfection. Reward the behaviour you want repeated. Be prepared to make tough decisions. Never walk past a quality problem - otherwise you have said it is okay. Maintain the momentum by continuing to publicise success stories. Do whatever is necessary to guide the organisation to success. If you wish, try tackling this exercise that invites you to translate these principles into action.

Shifting a culture by building successful prototypes

The specific things I can do to
build successful prototypes are:

*

*

*

The specific things I can do to invite volunteers who
want to implement the successful principles are:

*

*

*

The specific things I can do to make the principles
mandatory and guide the organisation to success are:

*

*

*

Great leaders build on their strengths and manage the consequences of their weaknesses. So how can you develop as a leader? Let’s explore the following steps.

1) You can clarify the specific area in which you want to be a leader.

One key point to remember is that there are many kinds of leadership. You may want to focus on people leadership, thought leadership, strategic leadership, problem-solving leadership, project leadership, creative leadership, artistic leadership or whatever. So start by clarifying the niche in which you can want to be a ‘leader’. After focusing on a specific area, go even deeper. If you flourish as a ‘people leader’, for example, identify the type of work that turns you on. It could be leading people when setting-up a pilot project; running a call centre; organising an event; working to meet a deadline or whatever. What is your niche? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific area in which I want to be a leader is:

*

2) You can clarify your strengths as a leader in this area.

Start by clarifying where you consistently deliver ‘As’, ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’ in your chosen area as a leader. You will have talents in other areas - as a professional, as a knowledge worker or whatever - but this focuses on you as a leader. Consider the following points when doing the exercise. First, be brutally honest, because this is the best way forward. Second, try to be super specific, especially when giving examples of your strengths. Third, if you wish, get a reality check. Ask two or three people who you respect to give specific feedback. One person explained:

“My ‘As’ are: communicating a vision; building a core leadership team; and guiding a business to success. My ‘Bs’ are: chasing people to do what they have promised to do – I assume they are going to do them; working with people who want to tell me about history – I like to look to the future. My ‘C’s are: doing detail in those areas where I have no interest – though I have extreme attention to detail in the areas where I am interested.”

Focusing on the area in which you aim to be a leader, try completing the following sections.

The activities in which I deliver ‘As’
as a leader in my chosen area are:

*

*

*

The activities in which I deliver ‘Bs’
as a leader in my chosen area are:

*

*

The activities in which I deliver ‘Cs’
as a leader in my chosen area are:

*

3) You can build on your strengths as a leader.

Great leaders maximise their ‘A’ talents to and minimise the consequences of their weaknesses. “I am an old-style ‘Red Adair’ leader,” said one person. “I love leading a hit-team of IT experts who move into a company, solve their computer problems – and then move onto the next challenge. I am hopeless at the financial aspects of running a business - so I employ great people who take care of the side.” How can you follow these principles in your own way? Try completing the following sentences.

As. The specific things I can do
to build on my ‘As’ as a leader are:

*

*

*

Bs & Cs. The specific things I can do to manage
the consequences of my ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’ are:

*

*

My action plan. Bearing these answers in mind, the
specific things I can do to develop as a leader are:

*

*

*

Super teams have a core leadership team who set the ‘What’, ‘Why’ and the overall ‘How’. They then involve their people and make clear contracts on the agreed ‘Who’ and ‘When’. Such teams implement the right strategy with the right people in the right way. They then do whatever is necessary to deliver success. Let’s explore these themes.

1) You can have the right strategy.

Good leadership teams make sure they are following the right strategy. They then communicate the overall game plan to their people by saying something like:

“The goal we are aiming to achieve is: To __________. This is the ‘What’. The benefits of achieving this goal will be: a) _________. b) _________. c) _________. This is the ‘Why’. The key principles we want you to follow to reach the goal are: a) _________. b) _________. c) _________. This is the ‘How’. The detailed ‘Who’ and the ‘When’ will be up to you and your teams. But one thing is mandatory. We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to deliver the overall goal by the agreed date.”

“There are several points to bear in mind when doing the work. First, you will be given freedom - within the agreed parameters - to deliver the results. Second, you will be encouraged to make sure that whatever you do follows the key principles. Third, you will be asked to make clear contracts with your manager about your specific contribution towards achieving the goal. Finally, whenever there are conflicts in the business, try to find ‘win-win’ solutions. Go for the solution that is best for the whole team. When in doubt, keep following the key principles to reach the overall goal.”

Looking at the actual team you work in at the moment, to what extent do you believe it has the right strategy? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. What are the specific things it can do to improve – or maintain – this score? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I believe the team
has the right strategy is: ____ / 10

The specific things we can do to improve – or maintain –
this score and make sure we have the right strategy are:

*

*

*

2) You can have the right people.

Imagine you are the leader of your actual team. Does it have the right people in the right places? Imagine you were starting the team again with a blank piece of paper. Which people would you re-hire? What would you hire each of these to deliver? People make the difference. So they must all have the right attitude, ability and application to do good work. “But it is so difficult to get the right people,” somebody may say. Maybe, but just try the alternative: it is even more difficult working with the wrong people. Looking at your team, to what extent do you believe it has the right people in the right places? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. What are the specific things that can be done to improve – or maintain – this score? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I believe the team has the
right people in the right places is: ____ / 10

The specific things we can do to improve – or maintain – this score
and make sure we have the right people in the right places are:

*

*

*

3) You can ensure that people implement the strategy in the right way.

Super teams deliver. So how can you make this happen? Imagine you are the team leader. Let’s assume everybody has made clear contracts about their contribution towards achieving the team goals. You can then do several things to ensure people stay on track. First, make sure that every team member has the practical and emotional support they need to do the job. Second, hold monthly update sessions where each person presents: a) The things I have done in the last month towards achieving the goals; b) The things I plan to do in the next month. c) The challenges I face, the strategies I have for tackling these challenges and the support I need to achieve success. Third, make any tough decisions and do whatever is necessary to ensure the team delivers success. Looking at your team, to what extent do you believe that people are implementing the right strategy in the right way? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. How can people improve this score? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I believe people are implementing
the right strategy in the right way is: ____ / 10

The specific things we can do to improve – or maintain – this score
and make sure we implement the right strategy in the right way are:

*

*

*

Great teams develop good habits. This ensures that they continually reach 8/10. People then add that touch of magic to achieve 10/10. Your team can increase its chances of success by implementing the right strategy with the right people in the right way.

“One day I had a breakthrough,” said Benjamin Zander, the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. “I realised that the audience would judge me by the performances of the orchestra. As a conductor, it was therefore up to me to get the best from my team.”

Benjamin’s realisation sounds obvious, but the implications are far-reaching. Many leaders say things like: “I am only as good as my people.” But few understand what it means in practice. One VP explained what happened when he crossed this threshold. “Previously I acted like a super cop, but this realisation changed my approach to leadership. Certainly I must communicate a compelling story and strategy. But it is the team that actually does the work. I will be judged by their - not my - performance.” Imagine you are a leader. Here are three ideas for translating these principles into practice.

1) You can ensure the team is set-up to achieve success.

Start by making sure the team has a good chance of reaching its goal. Great teams get the right people implementing the right strategy in the right way. So make sure you have the mandate to do whatever in necessary to take these steps. Explore the following topics before even taking the leader’s role.

a) Clarify the sponsors’ picture of perfection.

Identify the people who can hire or fire you - such as your manager, their boss, etc. Clarify the specific results they want delivered. Make clear contracts with the sponsors about the agreed the picture of perfection.

b) Clarify the ‘controllables’.

Identify what you can and can’t control. Clarify the resources you will need to ensure the team reaches its goals. You will certainly be accountable – so make sure you also have the autonomy and authority required to deliver the goods. The people element will be crucial – so ensure you have the power to get the right team members.

c) Clarify the team’s chances of success then, if appropriate, do whatever is necessary to increase the probability of success.

Bearing in mind the answers to the previous questions, rate the team’s chances of success. Do this on a scale 0—10. If it is less than 7, forget it. If it is 7+, clarify you must do to increase the chances to get closer to 10/10. Then, if appropriate, take those steps.

Imagine you are taking over a team. Describe how you can create the right conditions for success. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to ensure the
team is set-up to achieve success are:

*

*

*

2) You can encourage, educate and enable the team to achieve success.

Great leaders enable people to achieve the goals. Here are three suggestions for making this happen.

a) Encourage people to achieve success.

Start by creating a encouraging environment and providing an inspiring vision. Communicate ‘What’ the team will be aiming to achieve and ‘Why’. Explain the reasons for pursuing the goal and outline the benefits. You are working with adults, so also describe the possible minuses involved in the journey.

b) Educate people to achieve success.

Describe the principles for achieving the goals – the ‘How’. Explain what is happening in the ‘market’ – or in the world - and the reasons for pursuing the chosen strategies. Show how each person – or each team or department – can help to achieve the goals. This calls for outlining, in broad terms, ‘Who’ will deliver what and by ‘When’.

c) Enable people to achieve success.

You have outlined the story, the strategy and everybody’s part in delivering success. Invite each person to show how they would like to contribute toward achieving the goals. Make clear contracts and give them the support they need to do the job. You are providing ‘empowerment within parameters’, but ensure that people stay on track. Hold monthly team sessions where each person presents three things. First, the concrete things they have done in the past month towards achieving the goals. Second, the concrete things they aim to do in the next month. Third, the challenges they face and the support they would like to do the job. Provide ongoing coaching and help people to deliver peak performance.

Imagine you are leading a team. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to encourage, educate
and enable the team to achieve success are:

*

*

*

3) You can equip the team to achieve ongoing success.

Encourage people to stay hungry, continue learning and manage future challenges. One approach is to embrace the Japanese concept of Kaizen - constant improvement. This was all the rage in the 1980s, but few organisations actually practiced it. Great teams make it a way of life. Educate people to develop this habit by asking them to focus on two areas:

The things we are doing well – and how we can
do more of these things in the future- are:

*

The things we can do better – and how – are:

*

Ask people to include their improvement plans in the monthly presentations regarding their progress towards the goals. Finally, get the team to look ahead to future challenges. Invite them to focus on:

The possible challenges we may face in the next 3 months are:

*

The things we can do to manage these challenges successfully are:

*

Lao Tzu wrote that: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: ‘We did it ourselves.’” That highlights the educational role of a leader, but some great leaders also provide the vision that energises people to achieve the goal. They then face the task of equipping people to achieve ongoing success. How can you do this in your own way? Your skill as a leader will be judged by the performance of your team. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to equip
people to achieve ongoing success are:

*

*

*

Imagine a new manager arrives to lead your team. You are a little uncertain about their style and your own future. Whatever your feelings, you will be super-professional. Your role is to help the manager, team and organisation to reach their goals. So it is important to make them feel welcome, make clear contracts about your contribution and deliver success. Let’s explore how you can work well with the new manager.

1) You can clarify their picture of success.

The first job is to clarify the manager’s picture of success. Before meeting up with them, however, it can be useful: a) To put yourself in their position – identify the key challenges their face and what they must deliver to their sponsors; b) To clarify your part in helping them to reach their goals; c) To craft your potential contribution towards helping the manager to achieve success. Clarify these themes before having a one-to-one ‘contracting session’ with your manager.

Different managers behave differently during their first few weeks. Some ‘set their stall out’. They declare their goals, working style and people’s targets. Some take time, meet individuals and make clear contracts. Some combine both approaches. Let’s assume you have done the pre-work mentioned earlier, then meet with your manager. Focus on credibility, clarity, contracting and concrete results. Establish credibility by showing you understand the world from their point of view and recognise the key challenges. Move onto clarity and understand the manager’s goals. Make clear contracts about your contribution and deliver concrete results. Taking these steps calls for clarifying the manager’s picture of success. Using your own words, you may say something like:

“I have worked on my contribution to achieving the overall goals. But obviously you will have your own vision. So it would be useful to know your top goals for the team. I will then finalise my part in helping to achieve the team to achieve success.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the specific things you can do to make the manager feel welcome, craft your provisional contribution and then clarify their picture of success. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to clarify
the manager’s picture of success are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify their preferred way of operating – the dos and don’ts – and make clear working contracts.

Every manager has their own operating style. They have certain ‘dos & don’ts’ for working well with them on a daily basis. Sometimes they declare these guidelines; sometimes they don’t. Such guidelines are neither good nor bad – but they do have consequences. Some of the ‘dos’ could be, for example:

Dos

* Do make sure that whatever you do is linked to achieving the team’s goals.

* Do provide great service to our customers.

* Do double-check with me if you are uncertain about something I have said. I speak quickly and often assume everybody knows what I mean, which isn’t always the case.

* Do give me headlines about what is happening – but don’t overload me with detail – unless I ask for it!

* Do communicate to me face-to-face or by phone. I am not so good at responding to emails.

* Do take responsibility, be positive and, wherever possible, come with solutions rather than problems.

* Do tell me the truth, however, if there is an issue where you have not yet found a solution but we need to know the information.

* Do prepare properly for your one-to-ones with me.

* Do take time for yourself and your family when you need it. Just let me know if you are going to be out of the loop for a long time.

* Do take care of your career. Do a great job here – but make sure you also have other options.

* Do tell me if you find it hard to get fulfilment in your role. We will try to work something out.

* Do have a sense of perspective and humour.

* Do spend at least 60% of your time focusing on external client work. I will have some formal meetings, but often catch up with you informally.

* Do promote the good work done by people in your team. When appropriate, invite them to share it with me – but check with me first.

* Do build high performing teams. Sometimes this may mean you making tough decisions about people. That is your call – but let me know beforehand if there are any implications.

* Do tell me about the results you are delivering – not the activities or meetings in your diary.

And the ‘don’ts’ would probably be the opposite! Certainly this seems a lot of information. But such points often emerge when I ask leaders to describe their style to people on a super teams workshop. The team members appreciate the guidelines. People like to know the written and unwritten ‘rules’ for working with a leader. They can then take a stand as to whether or not they want to work with such a person. You probably won’t ask the new manager to go into such detail, but it may be worth asking: “Are there any key ‘dos & don’ts’ for working well with you? It would be useful to know.”

Let’s assume you have established clarity. You know the manager’s picture of success and preferred way of working. Contracting comes next. Make clear contracts about your best contribution towards achieving the goals. You can agree on: a) ‘what’ you will deliver; b) ‘how’ – in broad terms – you will deliver it; c) ‘when’ you will deliver the goods. Make sure that, wherever possible, you get the support needed to do the job. ‘Play-back’ the contract to your manager – both verbally and in written form. Make sure you have the same picture. Reassure them – and buy time – by delivering some early successes. You will, of course, do this in your own way. So try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to clarify the manager’s
way of operating and make clear working contracts are:

*

*

*

3) You can deliver the picture of success – and make decisions about your own future.

Now it’s time to do several things: a) To deliver your contribution to achieving the picture of success; b) To work well with your manager and enable them to reach their goals; c) To do whatever is necessary to ensure the whole team delivers success. Get some early wins, keep your manager informed and produce the goods.

“But what if it does not work out?” somebody may ask. Being professional, you will try to fix any issues – but sometimes it is simply not the right fit. Even if things are relatively okay, it is still useful to take time-out to take stock. Looking at the future, consider your options. These may include: Staying in your present role; developing your present role; moving to another role inside the team or organisation; finding a role outside the organisation; or whatever. Consider the pluses and minuses of each option – then commit yourself. If you continue working with the manager, then make this an ‘active decision’. Having considered all the options, you have actively chosen to continue. If you prefer to move on, then fulfil your commitments and manage the transition professionally. You will then maintain your reputation for delivering success.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe how you can deliver the agreed picture of success. Second, describe how you can make decisions about your future. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific things I can do to
deliver the picture of success are:

*

*

*

The specific things I can do to
make decisions about my future are:

*

*

*

Getting a new manager can create uncertainty, but it can also create opportunities. This calls for establishing clarity, making clear contracts and producing concrete results. You are then more likely to enable yourself, your manager and your team to achieve success.

“Great organisations live their values, rather than just ‘laminate’ their values,” we are told. “The values provide a compass for everything they do.” How to make this happen? Let’s start by assuming several things. First, you are clear on your organisation’s values. Second, you know how to build a values-driven organisation. Third, you are really serious about living the values and, for example, use them as a compass for making decisions – especially when times get tough. Starting from this framework, here are three things your organisation can do to live the values.

1) You can live the values at each stage of the colleague’s journey with the organisation.

Everybody is familiar with the idea of ‘the customer’s journey’. This charts the customer’s path when dealing with an organisation. During the journey there are certain key ‘moments of truth’ when they form opinions about a business. Getting these moments right can win customers for life; getting these wrong can turn them away for ever. Nowadays people also talk about ‘the colleague’s journey’. This charts the path they take during their career with an organisation - and it also contains certain moments of truth. For example:

* Seeing the job advert.

* Contacting the organisation.

* Being invited for interview.

* Being interviewed.

* Receiving the message about whether or not they were successful.

* Arriving on the first day.

* Meeting the manager and team.

* Attending the induction.

* Starting the actual work.

* Meeting the first customer.

* Getting their first success.

* Finishing the first week.

* Receiving the first pay cheque.

* Finishing the probationary period.

* Attending the first training workshop.

* Having the first performance review.

* Having the first career development review.

* Getting promoted.

* Etc.

Positive modelling is crucial – because people learn from what you do, not what you say. So the colleague’s journey provides many opportunities to live the organisation’s values. Imagine that one of the values is: “To strive for excellence.” How can you express this, for example, at every stage in the hiring process? How can you demonstrate excellence in the way the job is advertised, letters are written, phone calls are answered, interviewees are briefed, interviews are conducted, offers are made, how unsuccessful candidates are treated, etc. Sounds a lot of work? Yes, but good modelling at this stage creates a lasting impression on the candidate. It is an opportunity to set the tone for the business.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Let’s assume, for example, that your organisation wants to demonstrate ‘excellence’. Not just say it; actually do it. How can you express this value at specific stages of the colleague’s journey? Try completing the following sentences.

The specific ways we can live our values
at each stage of the colleague’s journey are:

*

*

*

2) You can show how people in the organisation are already living the values.

“Reward the behaviour you want repeated,” is a key principle when shaping a culture. There are many approaches to making this happen. One is to produce ‘success stories’ which show how people are already living the values. Nicki Hayes-Singh is a writer who is frequently commissioned to ‘bring such stories to life’. She interviews people in an organisation, then writes their story. This is communicated inside and, when appropriate, outside the business. Here is an extract from one such story written for a computer company.

Sandra is one of our operational ‘rocks’. Having been with us for 20 years, she knows the importance of consistency – but is also the first to initiate change. “She makes things work,” said one of her colleagues, “and is always looking for ways to improve.” Sandra reaches out to help others to succeed. Last month she spent 9 consecutive days with a customer in Madrid, helping them to untangle their logistical problems. “We wanted to hire her,” said the customer, “but she said she loved her job with your company.” She embodies one of our key values - constant improvement. Sandra’s energy can be a bit frightening. (She will soon to asking you to sponsor her next marathon run – so watch out.) But it plays a key part in helping all our stakeholders to succeed.

Contrary to some fears that such an approach might be a little ‘corny’, people in the company really enjoyed the story about Sandra. Managers then nominated team members who had done superb work. One leader said: “Everybody knows about the ‘hero’ who drove a truck through the snow to reach a customer in Edinburgh. But we wanted to encourage the salt-of-the-Earth people who do good work each day. The success stories helped to highlight their contributions.” You will find your own ways to demonstrate how people are living the values. So try completing the following sentence.

The specific things we can do to show how
people are already living the values are:

*

*

*

3) You can use many vehicles for improving the ways you live the values in the organisation.

Some companies make values the basis for: a) Their performance management reviews; b) Their internal morale surveys; c) Their ongoing staff development. They make sure the education is always linked to the values. For example, imagine you are running a session similar to that described in the piece called 3 tips for running a ‘values in action’ workshop. Certainly there may be many points you want to explore about how people can live the values. But such sessions should also be a ‘two-way street’. Invite the participants to give concrete suggestions about how the organisation can improve the way it lives the values. For example, during each stage of the colleague’s journey; in dealings between the centre and the satellites; in the way it interacts with customers. Implement the ideas wherever possible. Yet also, if appropriate, explain why you may not introduce some ideas. It is vital to show, however, that the centre is willing to listen and improve. Looking at your organisation, describe the mechanisms you can use to take similar steps. Try completing the following sentence.

The different vehicles we can use for continuing
to improve the ways we live the values are:

*

*

*

Values are forever – but how you express these may differ from age to age. Great organisations are serious, however, and make values the basis for everything they do.

You may recall the old exercise that was sometimes announced by a facilitator on team workshops. They said:

“This afternoon you will all be going on a parachute jump. But there is one condition. You are not allowed to pack your own parachute. You must choose somebody else in the team to do that job. So who will you pick to pack your parachute?”

The announcement was, of course, a joke. But it underlines a key point. It is vital to build a team of ‘parachute packers’ – people who you can rely on to deliver the goods. Let’s look at the actual team you work in at the moment – and imagine you are the leader of that team. Here are three steps towards building a team of reliable people.

1) You can clarify where you are a superb parachute packer.

Everybody is a parachute packer in some activities but not in others. A person may be brilliant at fixing computers, counselling troubled people, cooking a banquet or whatever. They are absolutely reliable when performing certain tasks – but they do not have the interest, eye for detail or finishing ability in others. Consider yourself as a leader. You may be superb at clarifying the strategy, communicating a vision, providing support to your people, making tough decisions or whatever. On the other hand, you may have little feeling or interest in technical detail, public relations or managing day-to-day operations. So what are the specific leadership activities that you can be relied on to deliver? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific activities where I
am a good parachute packer are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify where other people are superb parachute packers.

“Tackling this exercise was an eye-opener,” said one leader. “My first response was to say there were many parachute packers in the team. But then I had second thoughts. Looking at the team: a) Four people were utterly reliable and loved their roles. b) Three people were reliable but bored in their roles. c) Two people enjoyed parts of their roles but were disinterested in crucial activities. d) One person was simply not suited for the role or the team.”

“Bearing this in mind, I made several decisions. These included: a) To encourage the parachute packers to build-on and – if they wished – expand their roles into other areas. b) To encourage the ‘bored’ people to craft their ‘perfect roles’ and hand-over other parts of their roles. c) To invite one person who enjoyed part of their role to expand this aspect into a full-time role; but to encourage the other person who was only partly interested in their role to move on. d) To find somebody who could fill the non-performer’s role.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at the actual team where you work at the moment, imagine you are the leader. Consider everybody in the team and complete the following sentences.

The people who are parachute
packers and enjoy their roles are:

*

*

*

The people who are parachute packers but
are bored with some or all of their roles are:

*

*

The people who are parachute packers in parts of their
roles but do not deliver on other crucial activities are:

*

*

The people who may not be the
right fit for the role or the team are:

*

3) You can build a team of superb parachute packers.

Leaders sleep easier at night when they have the right people implementing the right strategy in the right way. This calls for getting reliable people throughout the whole team. The worst phrase to use with some leaders is ‘trust me’. They do not believe in ‘trust’; they believe in ‘certainty’. They follow the maxim extolled by one of the Red Arrows flying team, who said: “When turning right, we do not ‘trust’ that everybody else has turned right. We know that everybody has turned right.” That is why leaders like ‘parachute packers’. They know the jobs will get done, so therefore sleep easier at night.

Imagine you are the leader of your team. Looking at your answers to the exercise in the previous section, what decisions must you take? How can you make sure that people are doing work they enjoy and can be relied on to deliver the goods? After taking these steps, are there still any team activities that remain uncovered? How can you make sure those tasks are completed successfully? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things we can do to build a team of superb parachute
packers & make sure all the activities are completed successfully are:

*

*

*

“There is one certainty is this job,” said one leader. “There is at least a 50% chance that I will get sacked. This can be because I do not deliver the results, there is a change at the top or for some other reason. But I will be true to myself and do what I believe-in. I will stand or fall by following my principles.”

Imagine you are a leader taking over a team. Let’s explore how you can be true to yourself in that situation.

1) You can clarify your principles.

“I believe-in following three steps towards building a successful team,” said the leader mentioned above. “First, to set the right goal. This sounds simple – but it is the hardest part. Great teams set the right goal at the right time in their ‘market’. Second, to build the right team. This means getting the right people in the right places, otherwise you are sunk. Third, to implement the right strategy in the right way – and keep going until you get the right results. Lots of ‘rights’ there – but translating these into practice takes tough decisions.”

What is your philosophy for building a successful team? What are the key principles you believe-in following to achieve success? Try completing the following sentence.

The key principles I believe-in
following to build a successful team are:

*

*

*

2) You can communicate your principles.

Great leaders do this in two areas. First, they communicate their principles to their sponsors before taking the role. They may say something like: “These are the results I will deliver – the ‘What’. Are there any other results you would like to add?” After getting the sponsors over the emotional line where they want to ‘buy’ what is being offered, great leaders then say: “These are the principles I will follow to deliver the results.” Whilst continually reassuring the sponsors, they outline their approach to delivering the goods. Second, they then communicate the principles to their team members. Great leaders make sure that everybody knows the ‘rules’. It is then up to people to decide whether they want to contribute towards achieving the goals.

You will, of course, communicate the principles in your own way. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to
communicate these principles are:

*

*

*

3) You can implement your principles.

Great leaders relish this part. They love following their principles –especially when it comes to making tough decisions. Why? They see these as necessary for achieving success. So they make such decisions quickly to create the right foundation and keep the team on track. They then encourage, educate and enable their people to follow the daily disciplines. Sometimes, however, they come to a crunch point with their team members or sponsors.

“That has happened for me on several occasions,” said the leader. “Early in my career I decided to fire a serial complainer – replacing him with a positive person. My sponsor, who I had worked for previously, backed me fully – even though I had failed to consult the HR people properly, something I learned to do in the future. Moving-on to another example, I took an Operations Manager role, with the brief to spread an initiative across Europe. When it came to the crunch, however, my bosses would not back me fully. They insisted that I should try to ‘influence’ people, rather than have any direct authority. I soldiered-on but, at best, it was only 50% successful. Since then I have learned to make clear contracts. I would sooner get sacked by being true to myself. I don’t want to fail on two counts: not delivering the goods and not being true to my principles.”

Let’s return to your leadership role. How can implement your principles? What may be the tough decisions? How can you enable your people to deliver the goods? What may be the crunch moments in relation to your sponsors? How can you be professional and polite at such moments – yet also follow your principles? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to

implement the principles are:

*

*

*

Everybody encounters moments when they must make a crucial decision: do I be true to myself or do I put my principles aside for a while? Sometimes it is not ‘black or white’; but ultimately it is vital to be true to yourself. Then we can laugh at Groucho Marx’s joke: “Those are my principles. If you don’t like them I have others.”

Imagine you have been given the mandate to improve customer service in your organisation. You know it is important to give the staff a sense of ownership. So how can you involve them in such a project? One approach is to invite them to improve the ‘service package’ - a term coined by Barrie Hopson & Mike Scally in their book 12 Steps To Success Through Service. Here are three ideas for making this happen.

1) You can introduce people to the service package.

During the past 20 years I have used this approach with many organisations. The example described here comes from working with a famous hospital. The Chief Executive asked for volunteers to improve its customer service. Twenty people volunteered and we began by looking at the 4 P’s in the organisation’s service package.

* The ‘Product’.

This was the basic product and service they provided for their customers—the patients and their families. For example, superb medical care given in a clean and attractive hospital.

* The People-skills.

These were the people skills the staff practiced when carrying out their work. These ‘softer skills’ are often crucial - because we all know that many bad experiences stem from being patronised or treated rudely.

* The Procedures.

This was how the hospital organised its systems to put the patient first, rather than last. For example, the process of them arriving, being admitted to the ward, eating meals, receiving treatment and so on. Unfortunately some organisations design their systems to suit the staff, rather than the patients.

* The Packaging.

This was the way the hospital presented its ‘product’ and services to the customers. For example, the appearance of the building, the brochures, web site and so on.

Every organisation is different - so each will have its own content within the 4 P’s. After introducing and discussing the concept, move onto the next stage.

2) You can involve people in improving the product, people-skills, procedures and packaging.

The hospital staff from the hospital split into four groups. Each took one of the topics and did preliminary work on the following exercises.

Product

The specific things we can do to improve
the product and services that we offer are:

*

*

*

People-skills

The specific things we can do to improve the people-skills
involved in delivering the product and services we offer are:

*

*

*

Procedures

The specific things we can do to improve the procedures and
make it easy for the customer to do business with us are:

*

*

*

Packaging

The specific things we can do to improve the packaging –
the ways the product and services are presented – are:

*

*

*

They presented back their ideas and discussed the suggestions. Then came the real work.

3) You can implement the ideas and keep improving the total service package.

People formed project groups that focused on doing in-depth work around each of the 4 P’s. This meant taking the following steps:

a) Involving other people in the hospital - especially those who would be affected by any of the improvements. This produced scores of suggestions.

b) Implementing the ideas, getting some early wins and building positive momentum.

c) Inviting each department to use the 4 P approach in their own area. They were encouraged to implement the ideas and share success stories.

Virtually all the hospital staff became involved in the project which produced many improvements in customer service. Strangely, however, one of the biggest sticking points proved to be dress code. The staff enjoyed wearing ‘mufti’ - casual dress - and were incensed when it was suggested they should return to wearing ‘uniforms’. The problem was that, while they felt comfortable in mufti, it was hard for patients to identify who was a staff member. The issue was resolved when an intruder in another hospital carried out medical duties, even though they were not medically qualified. That led to the staff opting for some form of identification - and a comfortable but professional dress code.

You will obviously adapt this approach to fit your organisation - but the 4 P’s have proved an excellent way of involving people in improving customer service.