Who's Priorities Are You Working Towards?

If you are a sales leader, do you drive your sales people to solve your organisation's customers' problems, or do you drive them to solve your own problems or revenue or margin?

Many sales leaders I have worked for have been driven by spreadsheets.  Some have been deeply insecure, and craved recognition from their leaders.  This internal focus on their own needs has caused them to hit ceilings in their own performance, and in the performance of their teams.

I have contended for years that sales achievement (in terms of revenue or margin depending on your measurement criteria) are not a measure of success.  Rather they are a product of success.  Not all revenue is good revenue, and the cost of the business may outweigh the benefits.

What if you are in a business where the top line is great.  Customers buy your offering and are pleased with it, but you are not making enough money to pay the bills?  What if you get orders, but no loyalty and as a consequence you begin to lose business as word of mouth travels and it spreads that you talk a good game, but that's about it?

Or, what if you get your sales people to 'perform' and deliver their number but the despise you and can't wait for a better offer?  With a competitor.  Where they can hurt your revenue.

Getting the numbers in the door will happen if you focus on your customers.  I believe you need to establish 3 things to keep you focused on what's important to the person who ultimately pays you, your clients.  Is what you are offering going to help them with:

1. Their organisation's priorities?
2. Their manager's priorities?
3. Their own professional priorities?

If you can't draw a direct line from what you are offering to these 3 things, you could be at risk of coming across as a peddler of snake oil, focused only on what you need from the deal.

Develop customer centricity and you will be better at qualifying, proposing and closing.

And you will more often than not exceed your sales targets.

Cheers!

Digital Business Isn't Just Digitization

As I talk to people about digital business it is clear many are struggling at the first hurdle.  Most often they simply can't define 'digital'.  As a result they default to a position that it is synonymous with 'web' or 'e-commerce'.  While these may (or may not) be elements of your digital future, they are not, on their own, what you're grappling with.

Digital business is about looking at business through a whole new lens. It doesn't accept today's way  of doing things as satisfactory. It doesn't simply automate today's processes, but rather renders many of them obsolete while creating new business models and operating environments.  It challenges all that has gone before by challenging the very core of your organisation's belief's and assumptions.

The computerised automation of otherwise analogue processes is best likened to 'digital industrialisation'. As  with the advent  of production lines, all digital industrialisation does is 'standardise' the process, hopefully with some efficiency gain.

This kind of automation is based on the notion of scientific management, espoused by Frederick Taylor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Taylor was all about time and motion studies, finding the best way to do something, then having all workers do it this 'standardised' way.  He believed that the lower skilled and less educated workforce was incapable of planning work so he created the division of labour, and the separation of the planning (management) and execution (workers) functions.

This is not the world we operate in today. Instead we have a highly educated workforce that is driven by much more than just having 'a job at the mill for the next 40 years'.  Our organisations' customers and employees want innovation and flexibility like no other generation before. 

How digital impacts your business may not be known yet, but there are 2 things you must not do:

1. Don't think for a moment that automation is all you need to do;
2. Don't pretend change isn’t coming. 

Planning for the future based on what you know and see today will only set you up for failure.

After all, it was only 1977 when Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (since acquired by Compaq, who in turn were purchased by HP) famously said,  "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."

Who Do I Most Admire?

I started this post ages ago.  Ages and ages ago.  It is one of those topics that can be heavily influenced by current circumstances - did the fireman just saved my Nana or the teacher look out for my precious when they were having a rough day?

A better question to ask, rather than 'who do I most admire', is probably 'what do I most admire?'  And by 'what' I mean what characteristics? What traits? What are the character attributes that I see in others that most inspire me?

I've blogged before about core values, and it is very much related.  Our behaviour always shows ourselves, and others, what we value.  

What characteristics have you observed in others that you admire?  Commitment?  Dedication? Altruism? Courage? Generosity? Patience? Passion....?

Best Practice Sucks. Here's Why.

A comment a colleague of mine made today inspired me.  He inspired to rethink an article I wrote for Employment Today back in the pre-twitter age..  I was wondering if I still believed what I wrote way back in 2006.

I am pleased to say that I not only still believe, I believe more than ever.

Best practice.  The phrase irritates me.  In fact, it more than irritates me, it infuriates me.

It's not that I don't believe in best practice.  On the contrary I do.  But it's the context in which it seems most often used that gets on my nerve.

When someone wants to adhere to 'best practice' they are seeking to attain to a level of compliance.  But with what?  Something some external party is imposing on you.  Something that will make you uniform.  That's all well and good if you want compliance.  Compliance with a regulation, a process, or the so called optimal way of doing things.

The problem is that apart from complying with a legislative requirement, or some other process imposed by an external force, best practice can only inhibit an organisation's ability to innovate, evolve, grow and stay relevant.

When the phrase "we are doing it because it is best practice" is trotted out in a meeting where people are discussing customer engagement, stakeholder management, organisational development or any other aspect of business, it does one thing, and one thing only.  And it does it instantly.  It shuts down conversation.

If you want to foster an environment of innovation, creative development and competitive advantage, any talk of adopting best practice for anything other than legislative compliance, will be a cancer to that environment.  People will shut down, stop thinking and simply follow process.  I mean, who are they to argue with best practice?  They will nod, smile and agree.  But they won't align or engage.  You will end up with people complying, but not buying in.

Best practice is about uniformity.  Insight, competitive advantage and growth come from the unique, from trying new things, from going beyond the current accepted norm, from stretching beyond the accepted best practice (or from throwing it out altogether).

Ditch your talk of best practice and get on with innovating.

Thanks Alex.  You have certainly fired me up.

Cheers!

Fine the Bar Managers - Less Slaughtered People

The news following Wellington round of Rugby 7's this year was dominated by media reports of alcohol abuse, drunkenness and a myriad of alcohol related problems. 

Photo: www.3news.co.nz

This is not new news in Wellington.  Unfortunately we have too many stories of events ruined for many punters by alcohol abuse. 

Now, let me be clear here - I like beer.  I like it a lot.  I make my own beer and I attend events that celebrate the fast growing craft beer sector here in Wellington.  In fact, one of my most memorable experiences as a tourist was and evening in Denver taking a Brews Cruise.  I meet some wonderful beer geeks - people like Scott Witsoe from Whits End Brewing are so into brewing great beer that their passion is infectious (and their beer is great too).

But even in the craft beer community it is not OK to be slaughtered, munted, hammered, rat faced, or smashed.

There are many ways to attack the problem, from education to law reform. But I think there is one very simple option which, if taken up, could give us some quick wins.  I have always considered that there are 3 levels of protection at play when a person heads 'out on the town'.

1. Self control
2. Friends helping
3. Hospitality professionals

The problem with the first level is, when alcohol is involved, personal judgement can quickly go out the window.  That's where friends come it.  Of course, a problem arises when these friends are also imbibing and their own judgement becomes impaired.  And that's where the third level of protection should kick in.

Hospitality professionals (aka barmen and barwomen) are paid to stay sober, and to say enough is enough when they can see that someone's judgement is impaired.

Think back to the last time you were out and had consumed a few.  Could you still buy a drink even though you were intoxicated?  Did you see drunk people buying another round?  Knocking back shooters? Stumbling to the loos? Slurring and swaying?  No doubt you did.  And you saw it on licensed premises where it is not only illegal to serve a person who is drunk, but it is illegal to even have them on the premises.

The hospitality industry complains of people pre-loading - drinking at home - before they head into town, often already intoxicated.  There is an easy fix for that.  Don't let them onto your licensed premise when they turn up drunk.  They will then either stay at home, or if they want to socialise, make sure they are still sober when they arrive to enter.

It's time the police enforced the law we have.  Shut a few bars down for a period, revoke a few licenses and fine a few bar managers $10,000.  

Bingo, less slaughtered people - in every sense of the word.

Cheers!

Big Doors Swing On Little Hinges

While I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, I am all for ongoing reflection and taking the time to think about life and what can be done to further enjoy the experience.  Clearly the holiday season often affords extra opportunity to walk, talk, think and reflect.

It has been said that, “big doors swing on little hinges.”  A couple of metal hinges, held in by a few screws, will hold and swing a door many, many times their own weight.  And not only that, they will hold and swing the door flush and square.  Often when the door is not swinging freely it is the hinges, not the door, that need lubricating.

I think of the hinges of life as the decisions I make – decisions that lead to actions.

So, if it’s big change you’re looking for in 2014, think about small decisions – small decisions that either now or over time lead to a big difference. 

All too often people set New Year’s resolutions that are really nothing more than wishes.  They are often big goals that they hope will change their current reality or transform their lives – lose xx kgs,  spend less and save more, work smarter not harder, quit smoking, do a 100 day challenge and so on, and on…. and on… and on. 

For me 2014 is not about big goals.  It’s about being present and making better ‘in the moment’ decisions.  I don’t mean big decisions, but simple in the moment decisions.  

Biting my tongue even when I could justify a truthful response.  Speaking out when I might have otherwise been silent. Cooking a meal when a takeaway seems appealing.  Responding now to a customer or colleague’s request when someone else suggests a quick coffee.  Walking to the next bus stop instead of standing and waiting.  Commuting on my bike (either bicycle or motorbike) instead of in my car.  Using what I have rather than buying something new. Noticing someone’s new tie, suit or haircut.  

Nothing big just better, every day, in the moment decisions.

While making optimal in the moment decisions will improve my relationships, my health and my wealth, more importantly they will improve the lives of those around me.  I will make a positive difference not only to each person I encounter, but also to the environment and my customers’ and employer’s businesses.  The communities in which I live, work and play will be better places.

2014 isn’t about making big changes.  For me it is about making better, small, in the moment decisions.  On these little hinges the big doors of opportunity, success and happiness for all around me will either swing open or shut.

Cheers!

Can You Build The Team You Need To Succeed?

I have been lucky enough to play a couple of different sports somewhat competitively; basketball through school and in age group and provincial rep teams, and club rugby.  I have also enjoyed playing different sports socially - indoor netball, indoor cricket, cycling and more. 

While I am by no means the first person to compare sporting endeavours to business I nonetheless thought I'd share a couple of things I have observed about teams.

I really did enjoy my years playing basketball.  The teams I was part of were by and large well coached, drilled and practised.  The whole team worked hard to get one person free for that open shot.  Basketball, like most sports, is a game of numbers, averages and statistics, but put simply it is about someone getting into a position to take a shot while not allowing the opposition to do the same.  Every play, set move and action is geared to these two things.

A weakness in a team member's ability might be evidenced by throwing bad passes, missing too many shots, letting your opposite player get free for a shot or being out of position.  However, the consequence of these weaknesses is probably only losing.

Rugby, on the other hand, has a whole lot more to its team work.  Players need to bind a scrum, lift a line out jumper and return him to the ground carefully and join rucks and mauls correctly.  If they don't, teams don't just lose, players get hurt. 

And then there is a golf team.  It is an altogether different team dynamic.  It seems that, despite some strategy and tactics being discussed before each round, each player goes out and plays their best, the scores are added up, and they win.... or not.

What kind of team do you work in?  A team where people play their own game and add their scores at the end of the quarter or financial year?  Or a team where people are drilled and practised and work together to do the business?  Or a team where peoples' welfare, enjoyment and success depends heavily on their work mates?

Most managers and leaders talk about the need for their employees to work together as effective teams.  Yet many of those same people have no idea either a) what kind of team they need to support their business objectives, or b) how to build the kind of team they have figured they need.

All three team types are valid in their own context.  The question is, which is the most valid in your business, and can you build it?

Cheers!