At an early age, we’re told to be brave. Don’t whine or I’ll give you something to cry about. We are not born with fear, but it rears its ugly head early on, sometimes through innocuous events. A bit here, a smidgen there, and suddenly we are thrust into the world where others are told to be brave and not cry and not show their insecurities.
We climb the ladder, finish the project, attend the meeting, rush to the event, answer that email, respond to that request, get on that conference call, make that flight, make eye contact, smile brightly, and we keep running.
Splash in the face
We get caught in our own race and suddenly run into an old friend and find out what’s going with them. An event, a loss, a choice, and suddenly our challenges don’t seem so unique. Multiple that by the employees of an entire company and suddenly you can see how creating a collaborative culture can be elusive.
Some say we live this life alone – I disagree. We live this life together. It doesn’t mean we can carry each other’s burden but we can certainly lighten each other’s load when we can. A mentor once said we must remember our team members are not cogs in some wheel, they are people with feelings and challenges and dreams and goals.
The human element
Perhaps it's easier to stare at our screens and play with our gadgets, but we are missing an essential piece of life when we do that. I can send you a text and hope the message is clear or we can use the free phone app on our phones to discuss it properly.
We must remember that in order to create a collaborative culture, we can’t forget the element which is far more important than any product or service.
Each other.
__________________________________________________________________
Showing posts with label customers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label customers. Show all posts
September 17, 2023
November 4, 2021
Newsflash: You are in Sales
Yes, we're all in sales, but I'm referring to a career that has defined metrics. You sell, you survive. You don't sell, your commission is affected. You park your laptop on a desk in the “sales department” kind of sales. You have numbers you need to hit this quarter, kind of sales. You eat what you kill, kind of sales.
It's one thing for your performance to be measured by how you do your job. It's much different to be judged by the actual money you actually bring in the actual door.
Sales is the transference of trust, so you must build strong relationships. Sales can be a grind and not for those with delicate digestive tracts. It's common for those not in sales to think the sales department will do anything for a buck. After all, they are rewarded in their pay stubs if they sell more stuff. That couldn't be farther from the truth. If you don't respect and believe in what you're selling, making numbers will be a guess at best.
Numbers and People
I've spent almost twenty years of my career selling myself long before selling any product or service. That isn't an easy process and the self-ringing phone has yet to be invented. Sales is not easy, but if you have the right product or service, and most importantly, support of your team and management, it can be exciting and rewarding.
To those in sales, you have my upmost gratitude and respect. To those who are not in a sales role, I have an idea for you – try it for just one day.
You will gain a entire new perspective.
__________________________________________________________________
May 31, 2019
Human Networking
At an early age, we’re told to be brave. Don’t whine or I’ll give you something to cry about. We are not born with fear, but it rears its ugly head early on, sometimes through innocuous events. A bit here, a smidgen there, and suddenly we are thrust into the world where others are told to be brave and not cry and not show their insecurities.
We climb the ladder, finish the project, attend the meeting, rush to the event, answer that email, respond to that request, get on that conference call, make that flight, make eye contact, smile brightly, and we keep running.
Splash in the face
We get caught in our own race and suddenly run into an old friend and find out what’s going with them. An event, a loss, a choice, and suddenly our challenges don’t seem so unique. Multiple that by the employees of an entire company and suddenly you can see how creating a collaborative culture can be elusive.
Some say we live this life alone – I disagree. We live this life together. It doesn’t mean we can carry each other’s burden but we can certainly lighten each other’s load when we can. A mentor once said we must remember our team members are not cogs in some wheel, they are people with feelings and challenges and dreams and goals.
The human element
Perhaps it's easier to stare at our screens and play with our gadgets, but we are missing an essential piece of life when we do that. I can send you a text and hope the message is clear or we can use the free phone app on our phones to discuss it properly.
We must remember that in order to create a collaborative culture, we can’t forget the element which is far more important than any product or service.
One another.
__________________________________________________________________
We climb the ladder, finish the project, attend the meeting, rush to the event, answer that email, respond to that request, get on that conference call, make that flight, make eye contact, smile brightly, and we keep running.
Splash in the face
We get caught in our own race and suddenly run into an old friend and find out what’s going with them. An event, a loss, a choice, and suddenly our challenges don’t seem so unique. Multiple that by the employees of an entire company and suddenly you can see how creating a collaborative culture can be elusive.
Some say we live this life alone – I disagree. We live this life together. It doesn’t mean we can carry each other’s burden but we can certainly lighten each other’s load when we can. A mentor once said we must remember our team members are not cogs in some wheel, they are people with feelings and challenges and dreams and goals.
The human element
Perhaps it's easier to stare at our screens and play with our gadgets, but we are missing an essential piece of life when we do that. I can send you a text and hope the message is clear or we can use the free phone app on our phones to discuss it properly.
We must remember that in order to create a collaborative culture, we can’t forget the element which is far more important than any product or service.
One another.
__________________________________________________________________
March 12, 2019
Unlimited Access
One hundred years ago, there weren't all these ways to stay in touch yet business was built, careers thrived, and relationships flourished. Media penetration has created the ability for us to connect with someone on the other side of the planet we may not have previously known. The explosion of social tools and electronic collaborative spaces have shrunk the earth to allow us to find like-minded people with the push of a thumb.
We are all publishes, media makers, opinion sharers, and data miners.
As we create the appearance of a more connected world, we may be slowly losing the connection to ourselves and soon to each other. Snippets of half conversations, misspelled texts between meetings, skimmed over details of an upcoming project, all in the quest to do more and more and more.
More for less, more meetings, more email, more information, more activity. More everything. The week is the same length it was 200 years ago yet we are inundated with data constantly. This doesn’t mean it’s useful or valuable but it’s more to sift through. And while we try and do more, we may be losing our human connections.
Less might be a good strategy.
__________________________________________________________________
We are all publishes, media makers, opinion sharers, and data miners.
As we create the appearance of a more connected world, we may be slowly losing the connection to ourselves and soon to each other. Snippets of half conversations, misspelled texts between meetings, skimmed over details of an upcoming project, all in the quest to do more and more and more.
More for less, more meetings, more email, more information, more activity. More everything. The week is the same length it was 200 years ago yet we are inundated with data constantly. This doesn’t mean it’s useful or valuable but it’s more to sift through. And while we try and do more, we may be losing our human connections.
Less might be a good strategy.
__________________________________________________________________
January 16, 2018
The Revenue Diet Plan
A large cheeseburger with condiments is approximately 600 calories; an hour of high impact aerobics for a 200lb man will burn about 600 calories. A slice of pumpkin pie is about 350 calories; an hour of ice skating for the same man will burn about 340 calories. We know we need to eat better, work out more and take better care of ourselves but (on average) we don’t do that.
Often companies will look at the success of a certain campaign or promotion to get a sense of customer reaction or appetite. This kind of strategy is both flawed and short-lived. Patience is a virtue but rarely a business plan. We love cheeseburgers but don't want to gain weight; we want revenue but know it doesn't happen without effort.
Fries With That?
We want the customers now but can have trouble seeing the long term benefits of a sustained effort throughout the year. We wonder how these available channels can help us without realizing our contribution is critical to the equation. You and I have the collective patience of a three year old.
We are not built for strategy or long-term thinking. If things are bad, we want them to be good, immediately. If money is tight, we want money, right now. If someone promises that this campaign will help us get us out of this slide, we are happy to listen, right now. We want the burger and pie without the growing waistline.
Maybe this year we need more salad?
__________________________________________________________________
Often companies will look at the success of a certain campaign or promotion to get a sense of customer reaction or appetite. This kind of strategy is both flawed and short-lived. Patience is a virtue but rarely a business plan. We love cheeseburgers but don't want to gain weight; we want revenue but know it doesn't happen without effort.
Fries With That?
We want the customers now but can have trouble seeing the long term benefits of a sustained effort throughout the year. We wonder how these available channels can help us without realizing our contribution is critical to the equation. You and I have the collective patience of a three year old.
We are not built for strategy or long-term thinking. If things are bad, we want them to be good, immediately. If money is tight, we want money, right now. If someone promises that this campaign will help us get us out of this slide, we are happy to listen, right now. We want the burger and pie without the growing waistline.
Maybe this year we need more salad?
__________________________________________________________________
December 5, 2017
Screens and Faces
At an early age, we’re told to be brave. Don’t whine or I’ll give you something to cry about. We are not born with fear, but it rears its ugly head early on, sometimes through innocuous events. A bit here, a smidge there, and suddenly we are thrust into the world where others are told to be brave and not cry and not show their insecurities.
We climb the ladder, finish the project, attend the meeting, rush to the event, answer that email, respond to that request, get on that conference call, make that flight, make eye contact, smile brightly, and we keep running.
Splash in the face
We get caught in our own race and suddenly run into an old friend and find out what’s going with them. An event, a loss, a choice, and suddenly our challenges don’t seem so unique. Multiple that by the employees of an entire company and suddenly you can see how creating a collaborative culture can be elusive.
Some say we live this life alone – I disagree. We live this life together. It doesn’t mean we can carry each other’s burden but we can certainly lighten each other’s load when we can. A mentor once said we must remember our team members are not cogs in some wheel, they are people with feelings and challenges and dreams and goals.
The human element
Perhaps it's easier to stare at our screens and play with our gadgets, but we are missing an essential piece of life when we do that. I can send you a text and hope the message is clear or we can use the free phone app on our phones to discuss it properly.
We must remember that in order to create a collaborative culture, we can’t forget the element which is far more important than any product or service.
Each other.
__________________________________________________________________
We climb the ladder, finish the project, attend the meeting, rush to the event, answer that email, respond to that request, get on that conference call, make that flight, make eye contact, smile brightly, and we keep running.
Splash in the face
We get caught in our own race and suddenly run into an old friend and find out what’s going with them. An event, a loss, a choice, and suddenly our challenges don’t seem so unique. Multiple that by the employees of an entire company and suddenly you can see how creating a collaborative culture can be elusive.
Some say we live this life alone – I disagree. We live this life together. It doesn’t mean we can carry each other’s burden but we can certainly lighten each other’s load when we can. A mentor once said we must remember our team members are not cogs in some wheel, they are people with feelings and challenges and dreams and goals.
The human element
Perhaps it's easier to stare at our screens and play with our gadgets, but we are missing an essential piece of life when we do that. I can send you a text and hope the message is clear or we can use the free phone app on our phones to discuss it properly.
We must remember that in order to create a collaborative culture, we can’t forget the element which is far more important than any product or service.
Each other.
__________________________________________________________________
October 10, 2017
Deal with It
"We are not seats or eyeballs or end users or consumers. We are human beings and our reach exceeds your grasp. Deal with it."
Cluetrain Manifesto (1999)
The moment you think you have the superior product, service, device, solution, might be the same moment your company foundation begins to crack. Sears Canada has filed for bankruptcy and asked the government for approval to close all of their stores and collapse the company. It has been a spectacular implosion of a company that was in business for over 130 years and now it's pennies on the dollars while the vultures pick the bones clean.
Nothing for Service
Long-term Sears' employees are getting nothing for their years of service and the whole story is tragic. But it's also a lesson that your customers, my customers, our customers, decide whether we stay in business. Without sales, we don't have much, and anyone involved in Sears is finding that out in a stark and painful way.
As an executive recruiter, I am often speaking with candidates who are gainfully employed, happy where they are, but willing to keep an open mind about new opportunities. You may wonder why they are open when they're happy but no one is immune, and we all have customers whose reach exceeds our grasp.
__________________________________________________________________
Cluetrain Manifesto (1999)
The moment you think you have the superior product, service, device, solution, might be the same moment your company foundation begins to crack. Sears Canada has filed for bankruptcy and asked the government for approval to close all of their stores and collapse the company. It has been a spectacular implosion of a company that was in business for over 130 years and now it's pennies on the dollars while the vultures pick the bones clean.
Nothing for Service
Long-term Sears' employees are getting nothing for their years of service and the whole story is tragic. But it's also a lesson that your customers, my customers, our customers, decide whether we stay in business. Without sales, we don't have much, and anyone involved in Sears is finding that out in a stark and painful way.
As an executive recruiter, I am often speaking with candidates who are gainfully employed, happy where they are, but willing to keep an open mind about new opportunities. You may wonder why they are open when they're happy but no one is immune, and we all have customers whose reach exceeds our grasp.
__________________________________________________________________
June 16, 2017
Summer Leadership Tune-Up
In the Western part of the planet, summer has arrived and as we embark on this season, vacation plans come to mind. It feels less stressed this time of year and perhaps I may sound like a buzzkill but it's always dangerous as we could let up on our work when we're not off to enjoy adventures with friends and families and sunshine.
But if you are planning a road trip this summer, you will ensure your vehicles get a once over. It's also a chance to put your leadership performance on the hoist once in a while to ensure everything is in working order.
If you want to check your alignment, see below:
1 - Do you know what you believe?
2 - Will you dedicate a minimum of 25% of your time helping others?
3 - Can you keep a truly open mind?
4 - How will you ensure you have ample think time?
5 - Are you fair and do you care about the people on your team?
6 - Could you identify one personal interest of each team member?
7 - Have you clearly outlined and documented your goals?
8 - Do you encourage an open collaborative co-creative environment?
9 - Do you have trouble asking for help?
10 - Are you sure you know what each person on your team believes?
11 - Can you articulate to others what success looks like to you?
12 - Are you bringing and having fun?
Now let's hit the road!
__________________________________________________________________
But if you are planning a road trip this summer, you will ensure your vehicles get a once over. It's also a chance to put your leadership performance on the hoist once in a while to ensure everything is in working order.
If you want to check your alignment, see below:
1 - Do you know what you believe?
2 - Will you dedicate a minimum of 25% of your time helping others?
3 - Can you keep a truly open mind?
4 - How will you ensure you have ample think time?
5 - Are you fair and do you care about the people on your team?
6 - Could you identify one personal interest of each team member?
7 - Have you clearly outlined and documented your goals?
8 - Do you encourage an open collaborative co-creative environment?
9 - Do you have trouble asking for help?
10 - Are you sure you know what each person on your team believes?
11 - Can you articulate to others what success looks like to you?
12 - Are you bringing and having fun?
Now let's hit the road!
__________________________________________________________________
February 11, 2017
Wash Your Hands
There are products, sales, marketing, people, share price, competition and many other factors that keep business people up at night. In the documentary "The Corporation", producers examined the modern-day company. They evaluated its behaviour towards society and the world at large as a psychiatrist might evaluate an ordinary person.
They concluded if the corporation was human, her ultimate goal would be to make money above all else. If that is the sole purpose of your company, be nervous. Fiscal health is imperative but without strong internal customer service, it will be a struggle.
If you don’t treat people well, they won't stick around, or worse they may stay and have a hand in your demise. Treat them right with strong and fair leadership and those profits will actually increase. We all share an inherent human need to belong.
That doesn't stop when entering the work area.
__________________________________________________________________
They concluded if the corporation was human, her ultimate goal would be to make money above all else. If that is the sole purpose of your company, be nervous. Fiscal health is imperative but without strong internal customer service, it will be a struggle.
If you don’t treat people well, they won't stick around, or worse they may stay and have a hand in your demise. Treat them right with strong and fair leadership and those profits will actually increase. We all share an inherent human need to belong.
That doesn't stop when entering the work area.
__________________________________________________________________
December 29, 2016
Hurry Up!
A large cheeseburger with condiments is approximately 600 calories. An hour of high impact aerobics for a 200lb man will burn about 600 calories. A slice of pumpkin pie is about 350 calories. An hour of ice skating for the same man will burn about 340 calories. We know we need to eat better, work out more and take better care of ourselves but (on average) we don’t do that. We eat the cheeseburgers and the pie then get acquainted with the couch.
After a two decades in corporate life and a bunch of years consulting on my own, earlier this year I was recruited by a recruitment firm to become an executive recruiter. It's fun work. It's frustrating work. It's highs and lows and grinding and disappointments and victories. Oh wait, it's like every job!
We Want it Now!
Often companies will look at the success of a certain campaign or promotion to get a sense of customer reaction or appetite. This kind of strategy is both flawed and short-lived. Patience is a virtue but rarely a business plan.
Unless you won the lottery, mom and dad left you money, or you're independently wealthy, you need new business all the time. It’s admirable to see some who have as many customers as they will ever need but the rest of us need to constantly build our business. Not for a week, not once in a while, every day.
The Downside of Now
We want the customers now but can have trouble seeing the long term benefits of a sustained effort throughout the year. We wonder how these available channels can help us without realizing our contribution is critical to the equation. We want the quick wins to sustain our revenue line forever. You and I have the collective patience of a three year old.
We are not built for strategy or long-term thinking. If things are bad, we want them to be good, immediately. If money is tight, we want money, right now. If someone promises that this campaign will help us get us out of this slide, we are happy to listen, right now. We want the burger and pie without waistline.
Maybe we need to start the new year with a salad.
__________________________________________________________________
After a two decades in corporate life and a bunch of years consulting on my own, earlier this year I was recruited by a recruitment firm to become an executive recruiter. It's fun work. It's frustrating work. It's highs and lows and grinding and disappointments and victories. Oh wait, it's like every job!
We Want it Now!
Often companies will look at the success of a certain campaign or promotion to get a sense of customer reaction or appetite. This kind of strategy is both flawed and short-lived. Patience is a virtue but rarely a business plan.
Unless you won the lottery, mom and dad left you money, or you're independently wealthy, you need new business all the time. It’s admirable to see some who have as many customers as they will ever need but the rest of us need to constantly build our business. Not for a week, not once in a while, every day.
The Downside of Now
We want the customers now but can have trouble seeing the long term benefits of a sustained effort throughout the year. We wonder how these available channels can help us without realizing our contribution is critical to the equation. We want the quick wins to sustain our revenue line forever. You and I have the collective patience of a three year old.
We are not built for strategy or long-term thinking. If things are bad, we want them to be good, immediately. If money is tight, we want money, right now. If someone promises that this campaign will help us get us out of this slide, we are happy to listen, right now. We want the burger and pie without waistline.
Maybe we need to start the new year with a salad.
__________________________________________________________________
November 15, 2016
It's Time to Winterize
As you do every year to ready our vehicles for the impending season change, it’s wise to put your leadership performance up on the hoist once in a while to ensure everything is working well. Work can get busy and increased pressure to the bottom line can become the only focus. If you move your focus away from your people, trouble is ahead.
If you want to check your leadership alignment, see below:
1 - Do you know what you believe?
2 - Will you dedicate a minimum of 25% of your time helping others?
3 - Can you keep a truly open mind?
4 - How will you ensure you have ample think time?
5 - Are you fair and do you care about the people on your team?
6 - Could you identify one personal interest of each team member?
7 - Have you clearly outlined and documented your goals?
8 - Do you encourage an open collaborative co-creative environment?
9 - Do you have trouble asking for help?
10 - Are you sure you know what each person on your team believes?
11 - Can you articulate to others what success looks like to you?
12 - Are you bringing and having fun?
Let's grab some snacks and hit the road!
__________________________________________________________________
If you want to check your leadership alignment, see below:
1 - Do you know what you believe?
2 - Will you dedicate a minimum of 25% of your time helping others?
3 - Can you keep a truly open mind?
4 - How will you ensure you have ample think time?
5 - Are you fair and do you care about the people on your team?
6 - Could you identify one personal interest of each team member?
7 - Have you clearly outlined and documented your goals?
8 - Do you encourage an open collaborative co-creative environment?
9 - Do you have trouble asking for help?
10 - Are you sure you know what each person on your team believes?
11 - Can you articulate to others what success looks like to you?
12 - Are you bringing and having fun?
Let's grab some snacks and hit the road!
__________________________________________________________________
June 28, 2016
Before They Are Customers
You want to take your significant other out for a nice dinner. Maybe you'll check out that new steak place? They claim they have best Kobe beef this side of Tokyo. Decision made. Reservation for 7:30.
What they didn’t tell you in the advertising was that there is a mandatory $10 parking fee. A bit annoying and scam-like. Still not fazed, you head inside. You are met at the threshold with a line-up. Not a bad thing, it means this new place is doing well and you’re not worried, you have a reservation.
Service On Hold
At 7:45, you inquire with the snappy dressed guy at the front if your table is ready. He doesn’t take his eyes of the calculus that is the restaurant floor plan and barks that the kitchen is busy, they are new, and all reservations are 30 minutes behind.
It’s a nice night out, why spoil it with complaints so you go back to the bench and wait quietly. Several minutes later a woman approaches you with two white cards. On one side is the restaurant’s logo and on the other is a questionnaire.
Survey Says
They want to know your demographic, how you found out about the place, how many times you go out for a meal each month, how much alcohol you consume in a year, and for your trouble your name is put in a draw for one free dessert on your next trip - if you go to their website and register.
It’s 8:43 and burgers sound good about now.
Before getting caught up in metrics, surveys, and coupons, be careful people don't walk out before you get a chance to help them as customers.
Let them try it before asking their opinion.
__________________________________________________________________
What they didn’t tell you in the advertising was that there is a mandatory $10 parking fee. A bit annoying and scam-like. Still not fazed, you head inside. You are met at the threshold with a line-up. Not a bad thing, it means this new place is doing well and you’re not worried, you have a reservation.
Service On Hold
At 7:45, you inquire with the snappy dressed guy at the front if your table is ready. He doesn’t take his eyes of the calculus that is the restaurant floor plan and barks that the kitchen is busy, they are new, and all reservations are 30 minutes behind.
It’s a nice night out, why spoil it with complaints so you go back to the bench and wait quietly. Several minutes later a woman approaches you with two white cards. On one side is the restaurant’s logo and on the other is a questionnaire.
Survey Says
They want to know your demographic, how you found out about the place, how many times you go out for a meal each month, how much alcohol you consume in a year, and for your trouble your name is put in a draw for one free dessert on your next trip - if you go to their website and register.
It’s 8:43 and burgers sound good about now.
Before getting caught up in metrics, surveys, and coupons, be careful people don't walk out before you get a chance to help them as customers.
Let them try it before asking their opinion.
__________________________________________________________________
March 11, 2016
Counting Beans and Forgetting People
If you dig deep enough, you’ll find most people have some sort of grievance about their work and it’s often something they can’t quantify. Bars are filled with colleagues grumbling about their situation and those chats are often not about products.
Companies spend most of the time refining their offer and trying to increase revenue. Time is spent more on the business and what suffers is time in the business and more importantly on the people. All too often a 'less is more' mantra is adopted. Supplies are thrown from the boat in the hopes the survivors will make it home safely.
Downsize to Success?
Sometimes cuts need to be made but before you make them, have a close look at what’s going on in your organization. Without superior talented and well directed strong people, the amount of money you think you are saving from the bottom line by making knee jerk cuts will evaporate over time. While a competitor who values people and internal customer service over a quick fix may win the day.
The passion and ideas of people are all we have and without them we can chase profit every day and we will never find it. Instead, try five powerful words.
How can I help you?
__________________________________________________________________
Companies spend most of the time refining their offer and trying to increase revenue. Time is spent more on the business and what suffers is time in the business and more importantly on the people. All too often a 'less is more' mantra is adopted. Supplies are thrown from the boat in the hopes the survivors will make it home safely.
Downsize to Success?
Sometimes cuts need to be made but before you make them, have a close look at what’s going on in your organization. Without superior talented and well directed strong people, the amount of money you think you are saving from the bottom line by making knee jerk cuts will evaporate over time. While a competitor who values people and internal customer service over a quick fix may win the day.
The passion and ideas of people are all we have and without them we can chase profit every day and we will never find it. Instead, try five powerful words.
How can I help you?
__________________________________________________________________
September 18, 2014
Perspective
We climb the ladder, finish the project, attend the meeting, rush to the event, answer that email, respond to that request, get on that conference call, make that flight, make eye contact, smile brightly, and we keep running.
Splash in the face
We get caught in our own race and suddenly run into an old friend and find out what’s going with them. An event, a loss, a choice, and suddenly our challenges don’t seem so unique. Multiple that by the employees of an entire company and suddenly you can see how creating a collaborative culture can be elusive.
Some say we live this life alone – I disagree. We live this life together. It doesn’t mean we can carry each other’s burden but we can certainly lighten each other’s load when we can. A mentor once said we must remember our team members are not cogs in some wheel, they are people with feelings and challenges and dreams and goals.
The human element
We must remember that in order to create a collaborative culture, we can’t forget the element which is far more important than any product or service, and that is each other.
I recently reached out to some colleagues for perspective on a project and the response was absolutely astounding. I had no idea how many people wanted to help.
You may want to try it yourself and gain new perspective.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
techvalidate
September 12, 2014
A Connected World Less Connected
Our workspace is expanding physically as technology spreads it into homes and airports and has created an almost 24/7 culture where we are checking messages on smartphones at all hours to ensure we don’t miss anything. Instant responses are commonplace and our ability to always stay connected has become the topic of debate.
Need it Now
One hundred years ago, there weren't all these ways to stay in touch yet business was built, careers thrived, and relationships flourished. Media penetration has created the ability for us to connect with someone on the other side of the planet we may not have previously known. The explosion of social tools and electronic collaborative spaces have shrunk the earth to allow us to find like-minded people with the push of a thumb.
168 hours
As we create the appearance of a more connected world, we may be slowly losing the connection to ourselves and soon to each other. Snippets of half conversations, misspelled texts between meetings, skimmed over details of an upcoming project, all in the quest to do more and more and more.
More for less, more meetings, more email, more information, more activity. More everything. The week is the same length it was 200 years ago yet we are inundated with data constantly. This doesn’t mean it’s useful or valuable but it’s more to sift through. And while we try and do more, we may be losing our human connections.
In our quest to collaborate, we may be losing the plot.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
keystothepage
February 25, 2014
Turn Collusion into Collaboration
If you dig deep enough, you’ll find most people have some sort of grievance about their work and it’s often something they can’t quantify. Bars are filled nightly with colleagues grumbling about their situation and those chats are often not about products. Companies spend most of the time refining their offer and trying to increase revenue. Time is spent more on the business and what suffers is time in the business and more importantly on the people. All too often a 'less is more' mantra is adopted. Supplies are thrown from the boat in the hopes the survivors will make it home safely.
Downsize to Success?
Sometimes cuts need to be made but before you make them, have a close look at what’s going on in your organization. Without superior talented and well directed strong people, the amount of money you think you are saving from the bottom line by making knee jerk cuts will evaporate over time. While a competitor who values people and internal customer service over a quick fix may win the day.
A cynical colleague of mine often says; “Customers are profit. People are overhead”.
I couldn't disagree more. The passion and ideas of people are all we have and without them we can chase profit every day and we will never find it. Instead, we try four simple yet powerful words.
How can I help?
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.
livingcivil
December 30, 2013
Compassionate Leadership
So it's soon back to products, sales, marketing, people, share price, competition and many other factors that keep us up at night. As the 10 year anniversary comes up, a look back at the documentary The Corporation which examined the modern-day company. They evaluated its behaviour as a psychiatrist might evaluate you and me.
The Bottom Line
They concluded if the corporation was human, her ultimate goal would be to make money above all else. If that is the sole purpose of your company, be nervous. Fiscal health is imperative but without strong internal customer service, it will be a struggle.
We all share an inherent human need to belong which doesn't stop when entering the work area. Or again, think back a few days or weeks when people were a bit more relaxed and in better moods. We don't need eggnog and brightly colored ornaments to remember the importance of human connections.
Leading with compassion will serve you well.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.
buyusedoffice
May 6, 2013
Customer Service in Two Steps
If you were to ask everyone you know if they enjoyed receiving great customer service, the suspicion is most (all) would say yes. If you asked them if they received great customer service 100% of the time, the suspicion is most (all) would say no.If you asked them if they would enjoy working in a company which supports value-based collaborative culture, most (all) would say yes. Then ask how many have experienced or experience it in their career, and far too many would say no.
Add it up...
So if all of those facts were true, do the math, some of us are giving less than great customer service or failing to create strong company culture. So how do we fix that and work to toward what we say we want?
Here are two suggestions:
Provide superior customer service to your customers, your partners, and your team through strong leadership, culture, and communication.
Then repeat daily.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture Strategist, Writer, Speaker, Executive Coach engaging leaders to build successful talent and profitable business.
wired
April 14, 2013
Decisions and Impatience
We live in an instant gratification world where quick wins are lauded and our impatience fills the zeitgeist. Get it now, fix it now, win it now, make that call, close that sale, launch that product, etc. I am working on a new venture and we want stuff done yesterday. In my quest to speed up the process, I often get in the way which is something we all need to keep in mind. Managing our patience takes skill and dedication. When do you make a quick decision? When do you wait? When does it require more data? When are you getting lost in data and scope creep?
One of the biggest stories this week is the departure of JC Penny CEO Ron Johnson. Mitch Joel features the Johnson story in his new book Crtl Alt Delete and recently wrote about the swift departure, saying; “I hope 17 months doesn't become the norm.”
Nimble is the norm and impatience is riding shotgun
In some cases, 17 months is too long, in others too short. I worked with a guy who proclaimed his mantra was - ready shoot aim. Make a decision, do it, deal with the consequences. I think some aiming is important but often we get stuck during the indecision stage, so balance is always the challenge. But waiting for the perfect time to move is a deadly pursuit.
Johnson was tasked with turning around an old brand in a very busy sector shrouded in churn and impatience. But Ron was fired and they're bringing back the CEO he replaced a year and a half ago hoping this time it'll work. Cue the Einstein quote.
Culture is king
Zappos is often used as an example where leadership, patience and culture merge into a cool place to work that makes healthy profit. Culture and revenue can live happily together if done right. The Zappos’ family values are; Deliver wow through service. Embrace and drive change. Create fun and a little weirdness. Be adventurous, creative, and open-minded. Pursue growth and learning. Build open and honest relationships with communication. Build a positive team and family spirit. Do more with less. Be passionate and determined. Be humble.
CEO Tony Hsieh admits both fast and slow decisions cost Zappos a lot of money while affecting their culture.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture Strategist, Writer, Speaker, Executive Coach engaging leaders to build successful talent and profitable business.
Flickr | Inc. | Tony Hsieh
April 8, 2013
Revenue and Other Human Stuff
There are products, sales, marketing, people, share price, competition and many other factors that keep business people up at night. In the documentary The Corporation, producers examined the modern-day company. They evaluated its behavior toward society and the world at large as a psychiatrist might evaluate an ordinary person. They concluded if the corporation was human, her ultimate goal would be to make money above all else. If that is the sole purpose of your company, be nervous. Fiscal health is imperative but without strong internal customer service, it will be a struggle.
Infrastructure Investment
I love the old joke about the CFO asking the CEO why they were investing so much in training and people and cautions; "What if we spend all this money and they leave?" and the CEO replied; "What if we don't and they stay?" If you don’t treat people well, they may quit, or worse stick around and have a hand in your demise.
This is not to suggest work is a country club - well, unless you work in an actual country club - but we need to find a new way to engage the culture while keeping a keen eye on the bottom line. I met someone a couple of weeks ago who cannot get his head around virtual teaming and flex time. Yes, they walk among us.
As we embrace four generations in the workforce, it's safe to say the old rule book is due for an overhaul.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture Strategist, Writer, Speaker, Executive Coach engaging leaders to build successful talent and profitable business.
istock
