tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91835285519181298772024-03-19T07:25:47.569+01:00Management Centre EuropeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-61735979837870118042017-01-23T16:26:00.000+01:002017-01-23T16:26:47.843+01:00Confronting a Crisis of Leadership<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="color: #073763;">Like the good leaders we (think) we are, we’re hoping that whatever we write will be a timeless masterpiece.</span></b></i> So I’ve always chosen to ignore passing fads and fancies, preferring to ignore, so-called news, that noisy rumble of history being made. These short (hopefully) to-the-point columns are about insights into the leader’s psyche (and those who have the burden of “serving” them), if that’s an allowable word in these days of hyper-political correctness (HPC to you).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What, I would like to think, is that many years from now you’ll pick up these columns on some leadership-linked search engine and it will still seem fresh, vital and relevant to the times in which we live. In a world where b-school professors can make a nice living writing and lecturing about the dubious leadership quirks of 12th century Mongolian warlords, stamping a date on a thought piece about the habits of 21st century CEOs might not be that bad after all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, after much soul searching – while sampling a glass or two of excellent Bordeaux - , I’ve decided to throw caution to the winds and mention the “T” word. To be honest, I swore I’d never do it, but just watching our leaders get it so wrong, so often and with such seemingly self-satisfied smugness, I felt I had no choice, but to take up the keyboard and get it out of my system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the months that have passed since Mr T (why do I still think of that big guy from the awful TV series the A-Team (*) when I write that ?), all I can say is that, ladies and gentlemen I am shocked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am shocked that :</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The pundits didn’t know, but now spend hours talking drivel of what went wrong</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The media didn’t know, never did, never will.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The politicians didn’t know (but like to pretend they do). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The pollsters got it wrong again, and again, and again</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The big bucks-earning,heavy-hitter CEOs were as surprised as you were. Do you know ANYONE who has predicted anything correctly lately?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ok, ok, it’s easy to mock and make fun, but this is serious guys. All my experience over many years says that the very first test of leadership is that you have a plan. And the second test is you have plan B (because every idiot knows plan A never, ever works – right?).</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>When plan B doesn’t work you show your true leadership by having a plan C, at least to the point that you exude enough confidence so people feel safer, more in control, having some direction in their lives (countless studies show what 99% of all employees want is to feel safe, and if they make money too that’s a bonus).</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="color: #073763;">People didn’t vote to leave Europe; and they didn’t vote for Mr T. they voted because there is no leadership.</span></b></i> They are rootless and rudderless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is the worst state of leaderless mania I have ever witnessed. There’s just no one to look up to. And, ultimately if you don’t have faith you create a vacuum in which no decisions get made. Currently our leaders have shown they never had a plan A to begin with, forgot what plan B was supposed to achieve and their in-tray is on fire.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve written extensively that people need direction and they need to believe that someone knows where the boat (be it an organisation or a nation) is going and how we are all going to get there. In 2016 we spent about $10billion on leadership training. For what ? CEOs still pull down huge millions, for leading our organisations on a rocky road to nowhere; Politicians get lauded and rewarded with honours, for making simple, stupid errors. Trouble is we have all forgotten what leadership is about. <b><i><span style="color: #073763;">Let me make it ever so simple. Leadership is about picking a direction, and getting a bunch of (hopefully) like-minded individuals to follow you and reap the rewards, possibly spreading a little inspirational stardust along the way. </span></i></b>Maybe Mr T has that (or maybe we’d just better wish really, really hard that he has). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #073763;">Sorry to say folks, but leadership ain’t what it used to be and that’s the simple truth.</span></i></b><i><b><span style="color: #073763;"> My question to you is, are we going to do anything about it? Sadly there’s not much sign that our leaders are wonderfully equipped to put the esprit de corps back into the corpse, we’ve left lonely, lifeless and abandoned by the corporate highway as a sad legacy of our own failings. Aren’t we better than that ?</span></b><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></i>Come on let’s go and seek out some inspirational leaders. I’ll be back with a route map soon. Promise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(*) For those that need to know The A Team was a cult shoot’em up tv show of the 1980s</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 30px;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of </span><a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Management Centre Europe</span></a><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage directly with </span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" style="color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;">Rudi Plettinx here</a><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-22516997669285592332017-01-12T13:58:00.001+01:002017-01-12T14:02:02.771+01:00Leading from behind<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.6pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">T</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">here’s a guy I know really well. He’s hugely successful at one thing – leading from behind. Once you know him, you’ll all too quickly realise that there’s just no question that you’ll ever find his bloody and battered, all too finely tailored tweed suit, torn and stained after the battle is over and the ink jets have sputtered their last dribbles of magenta ink, he’s too smart for that. Those amongst you who like historical novels will no doubt have read about the ‘Forlorn Hope’ that misguided band of soldierly derring-doers who in less civilized times, in the vague hope of getting a quick promotion hurled themselves bodily into the gaping jaws of death (read missed budget sales targets) dying messily under a hail of bullets shrapnel and associated grapeshot in the final battle for global product domination.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8J8zFnkKK8LDDwHEECm0MoE4Gkz_7mm0BYiF_vTwXtVzj8A7WaGF7cLBWBsCtttQ55MOwwVD4azdJpd4E4WRUvUaLVCFhFK9FdUROKJtjpkO8E8lKR8CBLsPyO60v9sg1BqrJ1HVajnB/s1600/leading+behind.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8J8zFnkKK8LDDwHEECm0MoE4Gkz_7mm0BYiF_vTwXtVzj8A7WaGF7cLBWBsCtttQ55MOwwVD4azdJpd4E4WRUvUaLVCFhFK9FdUROKJtjpkO8E8lKR8CBLsPyO60v9sg1BqrJ1HVajnB/s200/leading+behind.png" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Yet, stride over the ruins days later as senior corporate honchos hold lengthy meetings called post mortems and you’ll never see Jean-Claude anywhere near. No whiff of that expensive after-shave will even be able to eradicate that acrid taste of decaying market share.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b><i>For Jean-Claude has learned the secret. He’s bullet proof, he’s smart – and he ALWAYS leads from behind: you’ll never see his grass stained knees as evidence of brawling over a tense turf war.</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Let me tell you - as you are obviously a seeker of ever higher office in the corporate hierarchy of things – how it works.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">First, meeting Jean-Claude for the first time, he’s everyone’s ideal recruitment poster squeezed into one bright package. Fast thinking, sociable (oh that warm smile and ‘can-do’ nod of the head!) He’s open, makes good unblinking eye contact and wins your confidence 30 seconds after you’ve met him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Second</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">, he is a serial volunteer. Never passes up a chance to offer to do the impossible (looking back it always is just that - IMPOSSIBLE).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Third, due to his ‘can-do’ determination, he’s usually chosen to be the team, task force or project leader. And he always pretends it’s a surprise, but he always says “yes.” The others are also happy too, they are caught up in the aura of Jean-Claude’s world – a place where good things SHOULD happen. They believe in him (because we’ve been told just how good he is), a bit like they used to believe in the Easter Bunny. Nice to look at- dangerous to live with.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">I saw him just the other day, fresh from dodging his way out of the equivalent of yet another corporate car crash. Bouncing along the moving pavement at Frankfurt Airport (FACT! Eventually, everyone earning some sort of executive-level salary HAS to pass through Frankfurt Airport at least once every five years. Don’t even argue about it, it’s the third law of Executive Coincidence, (the same one that specifies that mega-rich hedge fund managers live until they are 95 and never have trouble sleeping at night).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">As I passed by, there were news feeds on monitors in the Executive lounge with earnest-faced anchor-men gleefully listing the meltdown of Big Bucks Business XYZ, while Jean-Claude, oblivious to his latest self-induced disaster movie playing out in front of him, waded thigh high in his old so well polished, boots through yesterday’s doom and gloom headlines. Markets might be tumbling. Masters of the Universe may be biting their finger nails but Jean-Claude was doing just fine.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Why? Well, you see, they’d paid him off again. Jean-Claude’s ace-in-the-hole his secret talent is a work of genius. Albeit a work in constant progress. When Jean-Claude volunteers to lead the faithful to the next Holy Grail, they lap it up. Every last ambition-clouded corporate soldier will follow to the ends of the earth. Only when they get there, he’s gone. You see they never catch Jean-Claude holding the wrong end of anything, he’s too smart for that. And the levels and multi-layers of embarrassment make it easier to pay him off (a couple of millions plus in this case). It’s a small price to pay as one of his victim’s recently said, “for looking really silly.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">I can see you shaking your head. Thinking I’m making this up. I’m not. There’s a lot of money to be made for not looking stupid. It’s the corporate equivalent of pass the parcel. When the music stops, the last man holding the box is subject to a lifetime of public ridicule (still, don’t believe me try going to a soccer match and hear the comments aimed at the jowly men in blazers - they’re the ones still drinking the good Bordeaux). Jean-Claude succeeded because he led from behind, letting all the other eager beavers out front get mown down by opposition machine gunners. And it was so embarrassing. We started the war and we had to pay a high price to cover our retreat and save our reputation – again!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He’s on the loose again now. Confounding all those sensible chaps tasked with corporate oversight. He’s leading a charge from behind backed by the finest PR machinery yet devised. There should be a UN resolution to ban corporate stupidity. <i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Sadly, leading from BEHIND is perfectly legal, but boy isn’t it embarrassing? They used to say money talks. The fact is it keeps quiet, very quiet, which is why it will keep on happening and Jean-Claude will keep right on smiling as he leads from behind!</span></b></i></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of </span><a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Management Centre Europe</span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px;">, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage directly with </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 30px;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" style="line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;">Rudi Plettinx here</a><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">.</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com410tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-82564567294341679892016-11-08T12:00:00.000+01:002016-11-08T12:00:02.554+01:00A Cheer for the Old Dogs<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do you remember the days when anyone over 40 was already on the corporate scrap heap? Used to be a leader who had lost his moxie was doomed to a netherworld of hoped-for and patronisingly-given exec directorships allowing him or her to eke out their days until retirement mercifully kicked in. “It’s a young man’s game,” we were told. There was just no room in the world, where youth was king, for those who fell from grace just too early, still clinging desperately to the success ladder with white, shaking fingers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But lately, I’ve been hearing stories – and most importantly seeing evidence – that being on the ropes doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last month, one of my oldest friends fell foul of their board and the other got shanghaied in a shareholder revolt. Result? no job, no title, just the pay–off for a job that had taken its toll over the years. Not wanting to admit defeat and say sayonara to a life of getting the golf handicap into single figures, they called some pals and the results were amazing. Within a matter of days, they were looking at job offers from all over the place. What was most interesting about the whole process was the variety. Private and public sector, plus offers of lucrative consulting and turnaround assignments. From an expected vacuum and a real struggle to get back onto the radar, the phone’s been ringing off the hook.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I chatted to both of them about their next moves. Mark is 55 and in good shape with a great track record as an inspirational leader. Joshua is 60, he’s led a whole series of big businesses, done start-ups, M&As the whole thing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5oIED2RiM2yXTnyEwnAtt6fGVCauMCJKYsWDVBWSnaT1YSbmyZLkZ6B3FCAYElKzLc0EFwDifIFcGii9sRakMYGwf2g7D4hqedWlzy79h0Aau4eET8-PxlHnMF_-c4ZuWY6mUEW_fqOB/s1600/A+Cheer+for+the+Old+Dogs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5oIED2RiM2yXTnyEwnAtt6fGVCauMCJKYsWDVBWSnaT1YSbmyZLkZ6B3FCAYElKzLc0EFwDifIFcGii9sRakMYGwf2g7D4hqedWlzy79h0Aau4eET8-PxlHnMF_-c4ZuWY6mUEW_fqOB/s320/A+Cheer+for+the+Old+Dogs.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The one question that was on all their minds was the single word - “Why”? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“I don’t understand Rudi,” Mark told me. “I thought we were supposed to be over the hill, dead and buried like yesterday’s news.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“It’s incredible,” said Joshua. “I’ve been contacted by so many people; they all want me to sign on tomorrow.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Talking with these two novices for a time, I’ve come to the conclusion that their career resurrection is down to one thing. <i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Organisations crave experience and battle-hardened warriors.</span></b></i><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;"> They need to feel there is someone in charge who has been through the ups and downs and come through, battered and bruised but with all flags flying.</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It may be good to be a 20 or 30-year-old whizz-kid, hyped up on technology, but most of them are very, very short on street fighting techniques. The oldies offer experience, consistency and wisdom. <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Being calm in the storm is a whole lot easier when you’ve seen a lot of storms and survived them.</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mark and Joshua with their long track records across industry bring the kind of insight that only serving time can bring. And in a world that’s full of daily surprises, that is the new “we want” currency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So what will they do? They have four rock-solid offers each. They also have no illusions that nothing is forever – recent history is there to keep them firmly planted in the real world, where there are few fairy-tale endings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mark will take on a leadership role with a commodity firm (his global contacts and long-time relationships are worth their weight in the very sizeable package they’re giving him). Joshua isn’t quite ready to step back in. He’s signed up to be a top level mentor to a group of start-ups, bringing sane advice and counsel where it’s needed most. He’s the den mother where his leadership skills will carry a lot of weight and bring about the repositioning of the firm and its culture as it grows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wish them well and hope they find satisfaction in the next chapters of their careers. <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">There’s an old saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.</span></i></b> My two friends, Mark and Joshua are out to disprove that statement. As uncertainty becomes the watchword all of us must lead and manage by, my guess is that those young rebels in the corporate suite will be ever more willing to listen to the grey hairs of their elders and until proven otherwise, presumably betters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 30px;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of </span><a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Management Centre Europe</span></a><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage directly with </span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" style="color: #888888; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;">Rudi Plettinx here</a><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">.</span></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com156tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-57147158489291403622016-10-04T09:41:00.001+02:002016-10-04T09:52:15.744+02:00Running Scared Is No Way to Lead<div class="padding-imagecentered-detail" id="ucBlogDetail_dvContent" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 20.8px; padding: 0px 15px;">
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<span style="line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Facing the fear of uncertainty that forces wrong decisions and creates low productivity and underperformance. </b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Those of you who read these columns will know by now that I’m a pretty inveterate world traveller. Give me a comfortable seat, preferably in business class (‘cos I’ve got the air miles to do it) my trusty tablet, a cold drink and a half decent meal and I can put up with hours and hours in the sky, no problem. And often to while away the passing miles I get to meet the most interesting people. But lately, I’ve found in my travelling companions a new, disturbing phenomenon that doesn’t seem to have been there before – they’re scared. Not of flying, or of whacko terrorists, just plain old-fashioned scaredy-ness. There’s something deeply disturbing about this that has me wondering if we as business leaders are really doing all we should to take some of the angst out off the work equation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the past months I’ve been in Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Northern Europe. On every flight, I’ve got into conversation over the plastic pap they serve you that usually begins like this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We exchange a “hello,” swap names, explain what we do, who we work for and then one of us always asks THE question,<i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"> “So, how’s business in the XYZ industry?” Depending how confident we feel (or how many aperos we may have had) we tend to bend the truth a little (bullshitting it’s called), usually giving the impression that all is right with the world and our business is floating along smoothly at 35,0000 feet like those clouds outside the window of seat 3A.</span></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Normally, these chats with total strangers are a pleasant diversion (sometimes you even learn a thing or two from the experiences of some ageing corporate soldier like myself). Then the wheels hit the tarmac and you go on your merry way to the next client meeting and the same soulless hotel room (whoever writes about hotels as a “lifestyle experience” should be locked up in one of their own rooms for a millennium).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But recently these candid, virtually anonymous exchanges, have taken on a new, ever so slightly, sinister feel. <i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">S</span></b></i><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">ure, people still tell you how good their business is, but behind the false bravado there’s a real, tangible frisson of fear</span>.</i></b> <i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">It’s not about under performance either. It’s about doubts. How long they’ve got until the dice rolls the wrong way just too many times?</span></b></i><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;"> In simple terms these big deal, business-class travellers are scared that there is just too much uncertainty in the world. </span></i></b>And it seems no matter how they try to plan for it, how many contingencies they’ve got up their sleeve, something big and bad is going to happen. And there isn’t a darn thing they can do about it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Take Carlos, met him on a flight to Dubai last week. He’s got the jitters like a professional golfer with the yips that’s ruined his putting stroke. And he can’t say why. Or Andrea, a hard-boiled vice president, who frets if she’ll be in a job by year end. And Frank who’s so worried that he’s has a tremble in his voice as he nervously describes his concerns about what happens tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seems to me they are all dealing with the one thing that all their training, experience and get-up-and-go can’t give them – UNCERTAINTY. It’s like a disease. It weakens you. Forces you into wrong decisions and creates low productivity and underperformance big time.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCs2JTEJa_WzwP6APrSm5Cg5Xeb1HKO2vo3pVpoSdWAPbvpOWooDMPavtl1E_zpkp6E5e_nzg4MFLpx0v3AXl4-SV72Ty979dIm30sXHSPzTc6Ce8mrISygwTQ60jZY02GETSRaFatx3q/s1600/HiRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCs2JTEJa_WzwP6APrSm5Cg5Xeb1HKO2vo3pVpoSdWAPbvpOWooDMPavtl1E_zpkp6E5e_nzg4MFLpx0v3AXl4-SV72Ty979dIm30sXHSPzTc6Ce8mrISygwTQ60jZY02GETSRaFatx3q/s200/HiRes.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">What to do? Well,</span></i></b> <i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">we as leaders have to step up and just get good at fighting the big, bad, bogeymen that are pervading our workspace and workplace.</span></b></i> <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">We need to take the time to reassure our people and our top teams </span></i></b>(tuck them up with a warm drink and a teddy bear and make sure they get a dreamless sleep, with no nasty corporate nightmares).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of course, there’s plenty of people who will say we shouldn’t bother, we reward our people to be tough, resilient - they should just get on with it; but is that right? If we can try just that little bit harder to reassure our people that all will be well; if we can coddle them just a bit more, surely it will pay off in better performance and probably less anti-anxiety pill-popping, an epidemic that is now an established, de facto part of today’s corporate culture.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Leaders aren’t just supposed to know stuff. They are there to reassure the troops, be able to think the unthinkable and make their top performers feel better about the uncertainty in a world we have inherited.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Maybe a leader needs to face that uncertainty, admit it to themselves, then go and help the rest who are struggling. From my experiences, and the frightened confessions I’m hearing in seat 3A, I can vouch for that.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vSKHv3LU4M9Z5Pnb_fmkwpDbu91z-5DGVw4o7QIhiLM-TVJJmidng6WFy9NJNJysOzmUCQrGO9spdnZDMue17M5t8mvGGFbp1Iyq1Y0_iNOaC4P3wPyQOP5cFoDrsPFNVc96NCbD6kwU/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vSKHv3LU4M9Z5Pnb_fmkwpDbu91z-5DGVw4o7QIhiLM-TVJJmidng6WFy9NJNJysOzmUCQrGO9spdnZDMue17M5t8mvGGFbp1Iyq1Y0_iNOaC4P3wPyQOP5cFoDrsPFNVc96NCbD6kwU/s200/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of </span><a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Management Centre Europe</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage direct with </span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-decoration: none;">Rudi Plettinx here</a><span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">.</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"></span></span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-51231760843227104742016-09-08T16:27:00.002+02:002016-09-08T16:43:27.741+02:00Stop Asking For Feedback! <div class="MsoNormal">
I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">f I am asked to give any more feedback I will probably shout at someone! And I will probably shout at the managers who think that a good way to manage customer service is to insist that staff collect feedback every time they say hello to a customer. Know what I mean?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here is my story:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During a recent hotel stay I was asked for feedback on the quality of service after my breakfast, then again after my evening meal. I was asked by the cleaner and chambermaid, and the floor manager. I even had a call from the gym within 30 minutes of my session to ask me about my experience!</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #4472c4; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Actions:</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Each staff member asked me “would you please give feedback on how I have helped you and how pleased you are with me’. In three cases, I was specifically asked: “if I get some good feedback then it means my job is going to be secure and helps with my rate of pay”. Each person stood in front of my exit with a full smile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />I felt I was being blackmailed, pressured into saying nice things, having my privacy invaded, and became very, very annoyed. The feedback I gave was ‘stop asking me for feedback’!</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #4472c4; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Evolution:</span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU260MXFag6IApWcJXomf_m1OCvumbZkBuXKFaeeSfq3PmP7I38RJ8XX1KxZZqIiRRip9YDbX-tb04qg_9vc-9rSHqmwvEAK4dvtMnVilnXjsSQwVGV4uVQ82OZqBsv6zDm5NIC9gu9Ot6/s1600/67139551_thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU260MXFag6IApWcJXomf_m1OCvumbZkBuXKFaeeSfq3PmP7I38RJ8XX1KxZZqIiRRip9YDbX-tb04qg_9vc-9rSHqmwvEAK4dvtMnVilnXjsSQwVGV4uVQ82OZqBsv6zDm5NIC9gu9Ot6/s200/67139551_thumbnail.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why do I care? We know that managers do not usually give their direct reports enough feedback. We know that most of the feedback people often hear is negative. We also know that it is good to receive positive feedback. Feedback should not be used out of proportion. It should not be used as a tool to breed fear into junior people who feel they will be rebuked or disadvantaged unless they proactively seek out volumes of the stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The rules for feedback are simple. Make sure you notice when people do things well and give feedback on it. Make sure you notice when people need to be corrected and give feedback on it. In other words, get better at spotting when feedback is appropriate and give it. Don’t ask staff to go and chase guests around the hotel. Feedback should be personal and specific, and given at a time as close as possible to when it was observed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Train the people who need to give feedback to look for the behaviours, actions, words or voice that results in good work, or, a need for improvement. Do not fall into the trap of giving vague and imprecise feedback. I can guarantee that the hotel manager in my example will give feedback something like ‘I expect better from you’ or ‘you’ve done a great job this week’ – very imprecise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These scenarios leave the receiver very unsure what they did wrong, or correctly, and no clearer about what to do next.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally, remember to <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">C.A.R.E. </span></b>about the people to whom you give feedback. I do not believe the managers in my hotel experience really cared about the team; it was simply a technique to collect a quota of feedback for performance records.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feedback with <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>C.A.R.E.</b></span> is effective if you follow a few simple rules:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Give the <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>C</b></span>ONTEXT where the event occurred.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Talk about the <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">A</span></b>CTIONS you observed or heard.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Describe the <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">R</span></b>ESULTS on your feelings or thoughts.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>E</b></span>VALUATE yourself. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Why did you notice the event and why did it matter to you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feedback is an essential management skill, use it skilfully and not as a ritual each week. Give it when it is needed, and as often as you give feedback, ask for it in return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am looking forward to the online version of feedback that I will no doubt be asked to provide next week from my recent hotel stay. I will probably tell the hotel to take a lesson on how to give feedback.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feedback using the <span style="color: #0b5394;">C.A.R.E</span> principle is a central component of several core <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" target="_blank">MCE Leadership Courses.</a></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">About the Author:</span></b></span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px;">Nigel Murphy supports is Director of Portfolio and Capability Development at MCE and he has a background in management in manufacturing, education and training. </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">For the past 10 years he has worked on leadership programmes across the globe. He is interested in the mentoring of new managers and leaders, and leading remote teams of people in today’s globally dispersed businesses.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-64790678420710876232016-08-12T09:46:00.000+02:002016-08-12T09:48:50.140+02:00Working Better is Working Smarter<div style="background: white; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Larissa Hämisseger</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Based in Switzerland, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Larissa Hämisseger</span></b>, has a background in the business working in the fast-paced startup environment, where she is constantly in contact with people that work long hours on a daily basis. She is also a yoga instructor, teaching about, different health practices in the workplace. <i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>She is convinced that we are able to change everything in our lives that doesn't serve our highest best interests.</b></span></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">That's why she, sees a huge value in applying these practices in the business environment. Because both, organizations and individuals, have to play their part in creating stronger organizations with healthier and happier people</span></b>.<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Here she gives her views of being healthy in today’s work environment.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">MCE </span></b>: There is so much being written and talked about stress at work. Do you think that we need a new approach to looking after ourselves better in our workplaces?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Larissa Hämisseger (LH)</b></span> : There are so many approaches out there. Instead of coming up with a new one we just have to become more disciplined in following the existing ones. For example, the very simple one of taking breaks to find a balance between tension and relaxation within the working hours is a very valuable approach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, let's look at one of the still most mentioned approaches: <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>work-life balance.</b></span> Let's be honest, that one just arose because work was perceived as too negative (stress, pressure, too long working hours, etc.). So suddenly we came up with the idea of taking clear breaks from working in the evening, during holidays or weekends. However, this concept does not take into account making the hours at work less painful and even fun.<br /> <br /><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">We gained more knowledge about what creates a healthier work environment though a strong and healthy company culture.</span></b> Policies and exemplified behavior by the leaders such as no internal emails, not having to be reachable at any hour of the day, and especially supporting the employees in taking brakes do help.<br /><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Yet,</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b> we all choose for ourselves how we are living our lives and the organization is limited in supporting the people.</b></span></i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"> If you are unwilling personally to change something about your stress level, it will be much harder for the organization to support you and vice versa.</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /><b>MCE :</b> </span>If you had a choice what would you say are the three most important things to get right about looking after yourself at work?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />LH : </b></span>guess it's the same you do in whatever area in your life.<br /><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">First , being very conscious about your stress level is crucial yet many of us lost this ability.</span></b> <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Get to know your body and don't ignore the signs that make you notice when a short break is necessary, or when a situation needs to be changed.</span></b> Interpersonal relationships, for instance, need to be healthy, everything else makes you sick. So never ignore these signs and unhealthy situations but act on them. They arise for a reason.<br /><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Second, </span></b>very basic but very important: <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">get enough sleep, eat healthy and drink a lot of water.</span></b><br /><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Finally , Remember you always have the choice.</span></b> Having piles of work to do is less stressful if you stop thinking about it and just focus on the task you are working on.<br /> <br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>MCE : </b></span>We all seem to complain about so-called ”digital overload”. Any tips for dealing with that or should we just make a rule to switch off once or twice a day ?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>LH : </b></span>First of all,<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"> don't complain because it's always a choice.</span></b><br />It's a challenge to wake up and not check your phone immediately, or wait for the bus and not reading the newest posts.<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i> But why bother to take a minute of doing nothing? </i></span><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Well if you are a 100% healthy, completely happy, not stressed, have great sleep and are doing what you love, then don't bother.</span></i></b><br />During the day switching from and tuning into different channels in a short time creates sensations of stress. Focus on one device and one channel at a time and keep breathing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>I would say the most important thing though is to set the rule to not check your phone as the last thing you do before bed and the first thing you do after waking up.</i></b></span> If you manage to have a more healthy evening and morning ritual, without rushing and without any brain stimulation, you are doing a pretty good job. If that is hard, choose one day in the week where you apply another ritual than checking your phone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>MCE :</b></span> Give us an example of a “good way” to switch off and the kind of benefits you get : e.g. better ideas, more creativity, happier employees ?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">LH :</span><i><span style="color: #0b5394;"> As mentioned before taking conscious breaks from your task does not only help your stress level but fosters your creativity, thus your ideas and your solutions.</span></i></b> By stubbornly staying at a task for hours you will most likely not deliver the best solution, it's frustrating and you had no time for human interactions. There is two ways of taking breaks: one is moving completely away from your task, having a chat with your colleagues, play some foosball or even go for a run or read a book. It helps you to look at your task from another angle and maybe more inspired.<br /><br />Yet you can also take a break by becoming very conscious about the situation you are in and all that is related to the situation by centering yourself and looking at everything objectively, called mindfulness.<i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"> Taking a few moments every day to just observe your breath (basic mindfulness exercise) can make a huge difference if practiced on a regular basis. It brings you back to the moment and helps you to act consciously instead of out of rage, tension or any other sensation.</span></b></i> Not to mention all the other even scientifically proven benefits, mindfulness meditation has, such as more focus, better creativity, and healthier relationships.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-41029066827654398142016-08-11T09:57:00.000+02:002016-08-11T10:00:07.563+02:00Leading in a Disruptive World<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> tragic trail of events, that seem to permeate our day-to-day lives, has become </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a sad</span>,<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> yet all too real, defining trend to the start of this new millennium – an age that promised so much. Looking back through the blurred and bloodied lens of recent history, it doesn’t seem that we have very much to hang our hopes, dreams and aspirations on. In fact, for many of us the opposite is true, fear becomes replaced by defiance, rhetoric is reduced to often hollow phrases as we find it hard – perhaps impossible – to comprehend what’s going on (or going wrong) with our world.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufqwAuKlIhiaSv46h0baIMlG0QH5HFHlfQttxfcU4jryY_x76p9xLHa3fiYNh6-JIzNW7YsUYe1RGUCc9cdOfUrJTpilsLOvUq3-_5sKMWCUFEzvb2RGY4ZsdH8zgssjWXwu-tMBZt6LA/s1600/Leading+Disruption+world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufqwAuKlIhiaSv46h0baIMlG0QH5HFHlfQttxfcU4jryY_x76p9xLHa3fiYNh6-JIzNW7YsUYe1RGUCc9cdOfUrJTpilsLOvUq3-_5sKMWCUFEzvb2RGY4ZsdH8zgssjWXwu-tMBZt6LA/s200/Leading+Disruption+world.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is then that we need our leaders more than ever: individuals who have the innate ability to make us feel better about ourselves and safer in our skins. <span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Despite the terrible events of recent history, we must not forget that we live in what has been termed a </span><b><a href="https://mce55.eu/" target="_blank">VUCA world</a></b>.</span><br /> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /><b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1958780540">A world that is by turns Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous</a></b></span><b><a href="https://mce55.eu/">.</a></b><br /> <br />It is a most unforgiving place, where seemingly anything and everything can happen and really does. <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="https://mce55.eu/" target="_blank">It is a world where disruption is the order of the day.</a></span></b></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>It is Volatile</b></span>: <i>Because at any moment the box of tricks called ‘life’ can explode in your face. Just when you thought you had all the loose cannons tied down on the deck, a storm appears out of nowhere.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">It is Uncertain: </span></b><i>Whatever you think will happen won’t – and just when you least expect it.</i><br /> <br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>It is Complex:</b></span> <i>There’s no doubt that a techno-driven web of super-complexity and connectivity drives our world and we cannot get away from it – not even for a nano-second.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>It is Ambiguous:</b></span> <i>The rules we grew up with just don’t apply anymore. It is almost as though doing the opposite from what logic tells you is the right response.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There’s a lot of utter rubbish talked and written about leadership, that’s what keeps the consulting industry gainfully employed. But what seems most clear to me is that <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">every CEO or so-called world leader has one thing they need to do and take responsibility and accountability for recognize that the world is</span></b>, as I’ve just emphasised, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">unbelievably complex and no single person, no matter how much a genius they may be, can run it effectively.</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Therefore, as we wade ever deeper into the mire and slime of our self-inflicted <b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="https://mce55.eu/" target="_blank">VUCA world</a></span></b>, the ability for our leaders to build effective teams of people around them are going to be what defines our organizations (and governments) of tomorrow. Equally, the ability of these leaders to inspire their teams to go the extra mile to try and navigate the storms of tomorrow is going to be paramount.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">If we are to succeed and prosper in a world defined by ongoing disruption, where our world can be instantly turned topsy-turvy by a single, terrible act, then we must be able to feel that those who run our organizations have access to the best advice and counsel they can get.</span></b> </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">This is no great time to be a CEO; a toxic climate marked by markets in turmoil, geopolitical tremors and zealous stakeholders finding new agendas to prosecute.</span></i> All this takes the attention away from providing fulfilling work experiences, not to mention the small matter of turning a profit. Little wonder then that many of the best and brightest prefer to take a back seat rather than face the cut and thrust of daily life in the spotlight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">My message to leaders is, take it on the chin. Surround yourself with the best and brightest you can get (a few battle-hardened old war horses aren’t a bad idea either)</span></b>. Then when all hell breaks loose (and all the signs indicate it will do just that sooner or later) be as ready and able as you can. There’s not much more we can expect, but being ready to act is giving yourself an even chance, which is not a bad outcome when the odds are stacked against you.<br /><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /><b>We didn’t deal the cards, but we can dictate how we play them.</b></span> <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Real leaders know, intuitively, what’s in their hand all the time.</span></b> Think about it for a moment. A suit of cards is not unlike a team of people; all have their uses. <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">You just hope you don’t get dealt too many Jokers.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of </span><a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Management Centre Europe</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage direct with </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rudi Plettinx here</a><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-52454568738623680012016-07-18T08:51:00.001+02:002016-07-19T10:06:10.626+02:00The Legacy Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve a new client. Great guy, been around forever, one of the all time great survivors. He’s been through a lot, but always seems to keep on the success-side of the street. Kurt, his name, Scandinavian background, big built, big presence and big, big ideas. I saw him last week in his new role as CEO of a packaging firm and, since I’m trying to get his business to develop some of his key people, he kindly laid out his current strategy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All was sounding good until he mentioned the “L” word. “I’ve been in business a long time Rudi,” he said, “achieved just about all I ever wanted, but there’s a few things I’ve left to do. I want to retire in </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">about three years when my contract is over and leave something, behind me, something lasting.” Kurt hesitated or a moment, leaving the word he was about to say unspoken.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I steeled myself, to say it, knowing I’d regret it the instant it popped into my head.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“A legacy, “I ventured, “ almost whispering the word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Exactly!”, cried Kurt, jumping up his seat, his blue eyes flashing with passion and obvious, pent-up emotion. <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">“A legacy, that will last for years to come. Something that they’ll always remember me for.”</span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh dear, oh dear, I thought. What have I gone and gotten myself into this time? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You see, I have a thing about this sort of stuff. <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Attempting to leave a legacy behind you, is not the icing on the cake, but the poison on the pill - it just doesn’t work. It’s tantamount to committing professional suicide.</span></i></b> Time after time I’ve seen business leaders, pour thousands of dollars, dinars and dalasis (*) funding chairs of learning (my goodness where would our B-schools be today if not for misguided -or should I say misgifted- CEOs), that they vainly hope will preserve their name long after the pages of corporate history have curled up and faded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sadly, there was a dilemma for me. <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Should I tell Kurt the horrible truth; that trying to leave a legacy will open him to ridicule and worse, as he joins a long list of misguided, swollen-headed leaders? </span></i></b> Is it really worth losing a good friend, not to mention his business, just because he’s got a little above himself?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As our eyes met, it took just a nano-second to transmit my look of doubt (was there a small smidgen of disdain in there too?), and I knew that I’d scored. Looking back on it some hours later, I realised that I didn’t actually have to say anything, he knew what I thought. And he was smart enough to know - without missing a beat - that what I thought was exactly the reaction that everyone else would have: the board, the team, the employees the clients, customers the whole kit and caboodle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The moment was over. He sat back and looked at me, drained his coffee cup, sighed and said, “You know Rudi, being a leader isn’t much fun really, too much to think about, too many responsibilities.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I nodded eagerly in agreement. <i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">“Yes, but a good leader has to know when NOT to do stuff too.” Again our eyes met. I knew that he knew, that he’d made a fool of himself. But he knew I’d saved him from making a massive mistake, a folly of corporate self-aggrandisement that would be difficult to ever live down – just the legacy you DON’T want. </span></b></i>My one look of horror, well mixed with disbelief, was sufficient.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We never spoke of it again – not ever. The business school that would have been the recipient of his largesse, went unfunded. No matter. Another poor sap is always only too eager to have a tablet cemented above the door lintel as a tribute to their – and their shareholders - largesse. They don’t do a chair in corporate stupidity yet – maybe they should think of one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(*) I didn’t make this up, its the national currency of Gambia, but it rhymes nicely !!!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vSKHv3LU4M9Z5Pnb_fmkwpDbu91z-5DGVw4o7QIhiLM-TVJJmidng6WFy9NJNJysOzmUCQrGO9spdnZDMue17M5t8mvGGFbp1Iyq1Y0_iNOaC4P3wPyQOP5cFoDrsPFNVc96NCbD6kwU/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vSKHv3LU4M9Z5Pnb_fmkwpDbu91z-5DGVw4o7QIhiLM-TVJJmidng6WFy9NJNJysOzmUCQrGO9spdnZDMue17M5t8mvGGFbp1Iyq1Y0_iNOaC4P3wPyQOP5cFoDrsPFNVc96NCbD6kwU/s200/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/">Management Centre Europe</a>, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage direct with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr">Rudi Plettinx here</a>.</span><br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-33545818514452349482016-07-05T09:24:00.002+02:002016-07-05T09:24:48.477+02:00Take-out in a Takeover <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The MD of course!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtbBKm83beZYJscOurYX2EzPUtLGa6CqN1bxe9veqcYyfxwqIMbok_ly9t8KVio4_aodnWLOV8bGE619Ijg2B1HE4SY8Uum3wIn7JgvEucmG_vSvATtThEZGbWV0YHn3Eoq5AZ9R8daxk/s1600/Take-out+in+a+Takeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtbBKm83beZYJscOurYX2EzPUtLGa6CqN1bxe9veqcYyfxwqIMbok_ly9t8KVio4_aodnWLOV8bGE619Ijg2B1HE4SY8Uum3wIn7JgvEucmG_vSvATtThEZGbWV0YHn3Eoq5AZ9R8daxk/s320/Take-out+in+a+Takeover.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />There’s a lot going on in that big bad business world of mine. Most prominently is the present penchant by ambitious leaders to leave a lasting legacy by taking over someone else’s business. It’s sort of like a leader’s right of passage to pay through the nose to gobble up a rival’s business, do the macho media thing, and then sit back and watch the whole thing collapse.<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">It is a known fact that more than 80 percent of mergers and acquisitions fail within three years.</span></i></b> B-schools are packed to the rafters with tragi-comedic case studies. Yet, still otherwise sane, successful CEOs persist in giving it a go.</span></div>
<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">My old friend, Charles, has done more mergers than anyone I know and he seems to make them work.</span></i></b> Has a practically unblemished track record. <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">So what does he do, that others don’t? Why does he get away with it every time against the odds?</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />We were sitting in the departure lounge in Frankfurt airport, (the one place where it is odds on if you pass through enough times you’ll eventually meet everyone you know) waiting for a plane that seemed reluctant to take flight.<br />I settled into my comfy chair hugging a Virgin Mary, (vodka can wait ‘til I get airborne) and asked Charles the secret of his uncanny success.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">He thought for a while, then turned to me and said. “Really it’s very simple; it’s all about who you fire in the first 24 hours.</span></i></b> Stick to that formula, no matter what and you’ll be fine.” Then he smiled, and added, <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">“There are four people who’ve just got to go right away. In fact, the first 60 seconds isn’t a bad idea.”</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Four?” I said, isn’t that a lot of disruption, so quickly?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Yes, F-O-U-R” he countered, with added emphasis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So who are they?” my curiosity peaked.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Charles held up his fingers. <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">“ONE, The President, MD or founder, goes right away. His or her attachment to the business is just that, bad for business. </span></i></b>Remember, you bought this company for its potential, you can’t be all goo-goo about history and people that want to leave a legacy.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“OK, so who’s next?” By this time I was getting into the spirit of the game, brutal as it all sounded.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">“TWO, is the marketing guy.</span></i></b> Why? Well he or she wanted to be the next president, so they will be a major barrier to anything you want to do. Get in there and get them out, day one, then we can all get back to doing business with a clear sense of purpose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">THREE, the CFO, he can just mess you around, if he’s bitter can screw you with the analysts and the rest of the financial community.</span></i></b> You don’t need him, do you?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">“FOUR</span></i></b>, and this may come as a surprise,<b><i> <span style="color: #0b5394;">the head of sales</span></i></b><span style="color: #0b5394;">.</span> Has to be at the top of my list always,”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was surprised by his choice, and told him so. “But don’t you need the top sales guy to be on board? Isn’t that about retaining continuity?”<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“No, you keep the second best sales guy, but always fire the best one otherwise he’ll tell your customers and suppliers the wrong stories.” Charles looked about him and added in a whisper, <b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">“Sales people always know everything because they are out of the office every day talking to everyone.</span></i></b> You want them talking UP the business, not talking it down.” Then he quickly added, “Scratch a great sales guy and under the surface they always want to run the business, think they can do it better than anyone else. Have in-built zero loyalty as a default setting, “he sighed, sounding like he was recalling past encounters.<br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Anything else, I queried?</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Well if you are still into killing off potential troublemakers you can throw in one more. <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>Your legal counsel will always revert to type and be more loyal to their profession than the business.</i></b></span> They love building barriers and explaining why you can’t do things. So do you need them?”<br />Just then my flight was called. I made my excuses and got up to leave. “Sure about those four on the list?” I said as I walked out.<br />“Absolutely,” said Charles, waving me goodbye, “that’s what I’m doing first thing tomorrow morning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vSKHv3LU4M9Z5Pnb_fmkwpDbu91z-5DGVw4o7QIhiLM-TVJJmidng6WFy9NJNJysOzmUCQrGO9spdnZDMue17M5t8mvGGFbp1Iyq1Y0_iNOaC4P3wPyQOP5cFoDrsPFNVc96NCbD6kwU/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vSKHv3LU4M9Z5Pnb_fmkwpDbu91z-5DGVw4o7QIhiLM-TVJJmidng6WFy9NJNJysOzmUCQrGO9spdnZDMue17M5t8mvGGFbp1Iyq1Y0_iNOaC4P3wPyQOP5cFoDrsPFNVc96NCbD6kwU/s200/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/">Management Centre Europe</a>, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage direct with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr">Rudi Plettinx here</a>.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-39071753331457774192016-06-02T09:34:00.001+02:002016-06-16T15:43:41.095+02:00Who needs talented employees anyway?<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp9YhSWtUDvW5noK9vMzSfk1rHKWrckOKgAWc0eA6e8YhJ5Ozq-Y_yC2Pl9pxdWEGy-Xzy2NY7QTAXvLgM_SaaJfL9pozLB1nrMNo4znKEKUyeREZ_j7jQdovEBUeLv4EDHnZr_6uLszF/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp9YhSWtUDvW5noK9vMzSfk1rHKWrckOKgAWc0eA6e8YhJ5Ozq-Y_yC2Pl9pxdWEGy-Xzy2NY7QTAXvLgM_SaaJfL9pozLB1nrMNo4znKEKUyeREZ_j7jQdovEBUeLv4EDHnZr_6uLszF/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Mirror Online</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One current HR trend is to compete to
acquire and retain talented employees. Agreed?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, how come Leicester City Football Club won the 2016 Premier
Title? They have, and I hope they forgive me, an average bunch of guys who were
fighting to avoid relegation from the Premier League last year. People had good
betting odds that they could win the Premiership. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are a few very rich
people in Leicester today! </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Leicester have few players regarded as world talent, so how
did it happen?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Where does this leave the view that we must buy talented <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">employees</span>,</span> if we are to
be competitive? What did Leicester’s Manager, Claudio Ranieri, do to take this
team to the top of the league?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let’s spend a moment putting things into perspective. Look
at the relative cash values spent on each squad. Leicester are worth a fraction
of other great teams; at £72m they are easily the least expensive club by a
long way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 36.75pt;" valign="top" width="61"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Place<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">2015-2016</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.6pt;" valign="top" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Team</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Squad Cost £M</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Games</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Won</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Lost</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Draw</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.95pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Points</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 36.75pt;" valign="top" width="61"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.6pt;" width="151"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding: 0in;"></td><td style="padding: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Leicester City<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">£72</span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 11.7pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 11.7pt;">23</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.95pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">81</span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 36.75pt;" valign="top" width="61"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.6pt;" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Arsenal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">£305<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.95pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">71<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 36.75pt;" valign="top" width="61"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.6pt;" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tottenham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">£231<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.95pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">70<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 36.75pt;" valign="top" width="61"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.6pt;" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Man. City<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">£560<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.95pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">66<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 36.75pt;" valign="top" width="61"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.6pt;" width="151"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Man United<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">£533<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.9pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 53.95pt;" valign="top" width="90"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.7pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">66</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Skysport Review 2016</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagbQOyqG4sweXxnyGyR4KakCrqu1VquTWBn2TT19IQLI9AqDCLrsyV3_fhPCkyZL0UmRiE8cIB0qheqDC6oMvZxdn7tTcsXFW1FfzbTVq2CbiuKL2HN1da9t62Jo9rf-o9PSXNpaWvvlH/s1600/Talented+employee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagbQOyqG4sweXxnyGyR4KakCrqu1VquTWBn2TT19IQLI9AqDCLrsyV3_fhPCkyZL0UmRiE8cIB0qheqDC6oMvZxdn7tTcsXFW1FfzbTVq2CbiuKL2HN1da9t62Jo9rf-o9PSXNpaWvvlH/s320/Talented+employee.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>We cannot always hire the most expensive talent.</b></span> If you do,
then you must be able to justify how this talent has added to the bottom line
of profit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My guess is that you cannot do this (except in a few obvious
sales-driven roles). </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My other guess is that most of the real value-driving work
of meeting client deliveries, getting prototypes to market, solving client
problems and making improvements to products or processes is achieved by the
more ordinary people in the engine-rooms, getting on with their jobs to the
best of their abilities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">So, I am now questioning why we spend so much time and effort
on recruiting talent, when good management and leadership of the ‘ordinary’
people who are already in the business would produce a much better result? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Claudio
Ranieri who took an ‘ordinary’ bunch of guys higher than anyone, thought
possible. Some of you will say: “oh this is a once-in-a-lifetime event”. In
December 2015, you were saying ‘they-will-never-keep-it-up’, well they did, and
in what style!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">The real question is, if you cannot afford to buy talent,
what can you do to lead and manage the resources you already have, to achieve
more than anyone thinks they can?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let’s explore some of the features of Claudio Ranieri’s
approach, according to the Leicester supporters I met when on a home visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Talent is
not always where you expect to find it.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">You have to look in unexpected places, trust
your instinct, and have faith in who you find. Take James Vardy, the leading
goal-scorer, he was released by another premier side as a junior, and played in
local town soccer until Leicester signed him in 2012 for £1M! <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(source: Daily Telegraph, December 2015). </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">He played with them for the past four years and is still not a
household name when compared to other leading strikers.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Resilience
is worth more than ability.</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">One thing Leicester sport is good at encouraging
is determination, no compromise, grit and resilience. This does not mean to say
that ability and skill are not important, but what Leicester do well is keep
playing, keep players on the pitch and keep coming back. This quality is also
seen in Leicester Tigers Rugby, known for tough, combative, tenacious play.</span></li>
</ul>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Impending
failure can build strength.</span></b><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Leicester were almost relegated. The lessons of
avoiding defeat can give a sense of relief, but also of confidence that
anything is possible, if you stick at it. Ranieri is known for instilling a
belief that anything can be achieved and to enjoy playing for that.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No individual is bigger than the team.</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ranieri builds a culture of serving each other. A big player has a bigger duty to produce results for the others, and nobody is worth more than the others. Ego is not of use, interest or relevance at Leicester.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Build tactics around current strengths.</b></span></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<li>Ranieri recognised a fear of different tactics. It can be good to introduce changes, but not if players are unconvinced they have the skill to deploy. Build around what people can do well, and the rest will follow in time.</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<br /><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Let people have a break.</span></b></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<li>Leicester have a small squad; they would easily tire out if they played each week. So players were given rest days to help them survive the long season. Often we keep relentless pressure on people, so they never perform at a peak, and get hurt, angry, lonely, tired.</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Train at intensity.</span></b></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<li>High intensity training sessions build the capacity to work and think at speed. Other sports teams use this idea; often it is not the core skill that is a problem – it is the ability to use core skills at speed.</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<br />And nowhere is there any mention of buying in</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">expensive highly talented players to fill gaps or make a difference. There is a lot of talk about using what you have to the best of their ability. And that is leadership.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNWS8pCQwtmFwAmRnOI_Ix7m8KtMXEGjA9d6Xzue1Zu-1rH39jRAWZ1CAzYD-dA6rj6ZVgOYKjYNlG89h0_5INm6HcIr4tVNFVPty0czqi8-NDG-HDkJdzv2YFIvNtgjHL1_nOI_Flr20/s1600/Nigel+Murphy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNWS8pCQwtmFwAmRnOI_Ix7m8KtMXEGjA9d6Xzue1Zu-1rH39jRAWZ1CAzYD-dA6rj6ZVgOYKjYNlG89h0_5INm6HcIr4tVNFVPty0czqi8-NDG-HDkJdzv2YFIvNtgjHL1_nOI_Flr20/s200/Nigel+Murphy.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nigel Murphy supports is Director of Portfolio and Capability Development at MCE and he has a background in management in manufacturing, education and training. <br />For the past 10 years he has worked on leadership programmes across the globe. He is interested in the mentoring of new managers and leaders, and leading remote teams of people in today’s globally dispersed businesses.</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-34660462970973073872016-05-24T10:11:00.000+02:002016-05-24T11:37:52.716+02:00Facing up to a Close Shave<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5WvuxmoWRJEL0i4CH-2bm-oY2Vvv1sCHRWs6iuZSgf0ZqKYMnUJ8TnVi91jUnfI_5-17c5Y-LuYFCpUg4oA0UhajPtBEO-xc-cpcX0ysJznNDsbbWTVPkbyPqjkjq_jwW3h8clg8ZAQ2/s1600/facing+up+to+a+Close+Shave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5WvuxmoWRJEL0i4CH-2bm-oY2Vvv1sCHRWs6iuZSgf0ZqKYMnUJ8TnVi91jUnfI_5-17c5Y-LuYFCpUg4oA0UhajPtBEO-xc-cpcX0ysJznNDsbbWTVPkbyPqjkjq_jwW3h8clg8ZAQ2/s1600/facing+up+to+a+Close+Shave.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">VIEWPOINT: <i>Take time everyday to really know what business you are in, says</i> <i>Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="line-height: 15px; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>Management Centre Europe</i></a></i><i>, in this thirteenth in his series of articles for IEDP: </i></span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>That greatest of management gurus, Peter Drucker, had a fine way with a quotable quote.</i></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> So much so that Druckerisms have gone into the annals of management myth. Did he really say that; or did someone, wished he had coined that apt epithet? We may never know the answer to that question. All we know is that in this fast-paced modern world, Drucker’s musings take on more relevance every day. The most certainly apocryphal story that as a young consultant, Drucker had the temerity to ask that giant of management, GM’s legendary CEO Alfred P. Sloan, “what business do you think you’re in Mr Sloan?”, got me thinking that far too many business leaders take who they are and the business they are entrusted to run for granted.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Me? Well,<i><b> I’m old fashioned and I like to reflect on the business at the one time of day when I am face-to-face with myself? As an old, much respected, friend of mine used to advise, “No matter who you are, you have to shave each morning, so use that uninterrupted three minutes to ask yourself, “what business am I in and what am I going to do with it today?</b></i>” That brief diurnal opportunity, reflecting in your reflection, is a sobering habit that we need to do more of. In case I’m accused of not being all-inclusive in my remarks, those female CEOs can do the same while applying their make-up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>What I’m getting at here is that, it doesn’t matter what gender you are, the very fact that you are supposed to be a leader comes with a responsibility that many of us are all too willing to abrogate. </i></b>Don’t we need a quiet minute to remind ourselves what we are here to do; have we forgotten our mission? In a world where someone somewhere invents a new business every day, don’t we need to assure ourselves of what business we are in? Go on, ask yourself that question tomorrow morning while you’re staring at the mirror. Will you like the answer you give yourself? If you are honest, you may be surprised at the real answer you get.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As it turns out the great Alfred was wrong. There he was, standing in his vest, braces round his waist, shaving all those mornings simply assuming he was an auto engineer, when he was really providing a customer service.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">History doesn’t recall if the young Drucker got thrown out of Mr Sloan’s office, but 70-odd years later it still has a telling effect and provides a real rule for any business leader: don’t be complacent. <b><i>Revisit why your business exists and who it serves every single day. OK I know it’s easy to regard this as a simple gimmick, but good leaders seem to intrinsically know when things aren’t quite right. And if they want to wrong-foot the opposition you can add another question you demand of yourself. Not just, “what business am I in, but what business do I want to be in?”</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That question opens a box-full of possibilities. And with the rapid changes in technology, geopolitical and social upheaval, knowing what comes next has to be on every leader’s agenda. For example, how many business leaders didn’t spot the oil-price plunge and consequent financial mayhem until it was too late to change direction, to name just one incident of many?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><u>That daily habit of staring face-to-face with yourself into your shaving mirror while asking yourself those questions bring me to another Druckerism that fits the shaving scenario just perfectly.</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Drucker is said to have suggested,</b></i><b><i> “Results are gained by exploiting opportunities, NOT by solving problems.”</i></b> But if you don’t know what business you are in, you can’t exploit anything, can you? Who’s next for shaving ?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzcF9uR056dhzaddi363coH0xX27JxYS1rhRqzOKLd71DJo4EESqGWiA1UDOpJVxhKpkthAOqZPOJGQOtAuWEQyLtZpEGv8eb303b3d5vj9hJNL9b4VgSjv_P5yFr3cHthuQnFGJMRBKY/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzcF9uR056dhzaddi363coH0xX27JxYS1rhRqzOKLd71DJo4EESqGWiA1UDOpJVxhKpkthAOqZPOJGQOtAuWEQyLtZpEGv8eb303b3d5vj9hJNL9b4VgSjv_P5yFr3cHthuQnFGJMRBKY/s200/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" target="_blank">Management Centre Europe</a>, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage direct with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" target="_blank">Rudi Plettinx here</a>.</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-34098545674110574062016-04-13T12:00:00.000+02:002016-04-13T12:00:00.178+02:00Leadership: Wily by Nature<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxYRwLtmR9KLsUSz0u9g_Li-dqxgqakzNvqog_KEkyAXpQvSZ83Rz1f6aul6T6yWlUQZ0i_gSXs-GTSugCS89X3ILKzWPT7oGQmc9pN-n5FWHaEYbGlsJzenTO05uHIlFh3oICfubNHmt/s1600/shutterstock_144843304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxYRwLtmR9KLsUSz0u9g_Li-dqxgqakzNvqog_KEkyAXpQvSZ83Rz1f6aul6T6yWlUQZ0i_gSXs-GTSugCS89X3ILKzWPT7oGQmc9pN-n5FWHaEYbGlsJzenTO05uHIlFh3oICfubNHmt/s1600/shutterstock_144843304.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">VIEWPOINT: <b><i>Successful senior leaders need the bounce-back resilience of a cartoon character, says </i></b><i><b>Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/">Management Centre Europe</a></span>, in this twelfth in his series of articles for IEDP</b>:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve just spent the weekend with my old friend Gary. I love Gary. He’s so delightfully old fashioned when it comes to business, and when we talk leadership there’s no one to touch him, he just seems to naturally know how to get everyone behind him - every time. As a leader, I may have had my moments, but for me Gary is the numero uno, the big banana - and he makes it look easy too, getting results and energising people in a way most of us can only dream of. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“How do you do that?” I asked him. “ How do you reach those people, who if they were honest would all like to see you fall, crash and burn, yet, perversely, seem contented to follow you anywhere?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He paused for a second, then his eyes brightened and he leaned over to me. “You know what they call me in the markets, don’t you?” he asks with a grin on his non too handsome face. I shook my head, somewhat mystified by his attitude.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Wile E Coyote!” he answered, triumphantly, “like the kid’s cartoon." slapping his hand down hard on his antique desk. “They know that whatever they throw at me. I’ll always be back for more.” I’m like the creature in the cartoon, they can’t kill me off, I’m always still going in the last reel. That’s why the other fella is always looking over his shoulder, because they know I’m out there somewhere and I’ll get that deal done one way or another.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He adds, “They also know that like the cartoon character I’ll be back next week and the week after that. I can’t be killed off, they need me. I provide continuity, certainty. Sure, a few people may laugh, but I get the star billing. What’s a few bruises, when you always win long-term?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That got me thinking. Is Gary a good definition of a leader - super hero style indestructibility, but one with real-life staying power?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In reality, although I’m sure Gary hasn’t sat down and analysed this (it’s not in his ‘can do’ DNA to do it), Gary is a real leader in every sense of the word. By his very nature of always being there no matter what happens, he is a rock, a permanent fixture people can relate to and rely on. He can shrug off setbacks, ignore bad news and the disapproval of his peers, and get on with the job in hand. Demonstrating single-minded purpose when all around have given up. He’s also inventive, but most of all, he’s THERE. Rain or shine you know that Gary, if he’s on your side, will be there to see things through whatever the odds are against him pulling it off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>In today’s mixed up and complex world, there are far too many so-called leaders who don’t inspire the confidence they should.</i></b> No wonder shareholders and institutional investors run for cover, there’s no Gary out there to come to their aid. What we want is a real-life cartoon character who can be blown up in a market bubble, pushed off a fiscal cliff and stretched to the nth degree of credibility and still bounce back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For my money that’s my pal Gary. Sadly he’s so busy being there and being successful he doesn’t really see it that way and wouldn’t believe me if I told him. But while everyone is still pointing and laughing at Wile E. Coyote, who’s collecting the winnings? </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" target="_blank">Management Centre Europe</a>, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? Engage direct with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" target="_blank">Rudi Plettinx here</a>.</span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-57047205578184140732016-04-13T11:50:00.000+02:002016-06-02T11:24:52.714+02:00We don’t do emotion at work, this is a business!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A common message I hear. I was going to say ‘a common cry I
hear’, but the word ‘cry’ is a verb and also has an emotional meaning. And that
is the whole point. We cannot learn effectively without involving the parts of
our brain that handle how we feel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let’s examine real example. Last week we were all learning
ways of training in a virtual classroom. I felt worried about training in a
virtual class, so I did not say much to start with, and so I thought maybe I was
not keeping up with my colleagues. Notice how my feelings led to actions led to
thoughts:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Feel-Think-Do.</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Research and common sense shows that personal learning experiences
in life are deepest when they include a strong emotion; shock, fear, pleasure
or excitement.</b></i> Why is it that many training sessions leave you feeling flat,
bored, or partially interested at best?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Assume that <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>THINKING</b> </span>comprises of knowledge, logic and
ideas, and that <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">FEELING</span></b> comprises of personal connection with the issue and
engagement with others, and that <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">DO</span> </b>comprises of active practice and
application of ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Many training sessions are heavily loaded with <span style="color: #0b5394;">THINKING</span></b>,
<b>which provides knowledge.</b> As a trainer, this is easy to do, simply load plenty
of concepts, models and ideas into a session. Some trainers assume that a good
session means lots of models. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To be fair, many trainers include a lot of <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>DO</b></span> in
a session, this is the practical element. However, be careful, because <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">DO</span></b> <b>does
not mean a discussion or Q&A or even a role play.</b> These activities involve
a lot more logical thinking than they involve real in-the-moment applications. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">FEEL</span></b> <i><b>is the piece that is often ignored</b></i>. We know that emotional connection with
a topic, and engagement with other learners makes a huge difference in learning,
so why does it make up so little of most courses? ‘No!’ I hear you cry (<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>FEEL</b></span>
response again). ‘I am annoyed that you say this of my training!’ I hear you
respond. Good – we have a feeling, and a strong one at that. Stronger the
better. Simply asking people how they feel about a subject, or practicing a
role play on handling emotions may not be enough. You have to generate the
actual emotion naturally, in the learning experience, as a typical and usual
reaction. This is not easy to either design, nor facilitate. And yet we agreed
at the start that emotions play a vital part in learning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Let me show you two options: These two illustrations show
the emphasis that training sessions give to feel, think, and do, elements.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The
balance may vary between learning needs, and that is ok. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However is the balance
as good as it could be? Here are two approaches to a training session, the size
of the segments represents the emphasis and time given to each element.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>What does this mean for managers? What does this mean for
learning specialists? What does this mean for the facilitators of learning?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>For managers:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->It is not possible to separate emotions from
performance and working life. People improve when they have a real feeling<i> </i>of connection with the importance of
doing something. Remember, discussing feelings is not the same as being
emotional, and it will give you an indication of the importance of an issue to
people. People are not machines, but then you know this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>For learning specialists:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->How are you going to design experiences that
generate real, strong, emotions that connect with learning needs?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->How will you convince your sponsors that
feelings are as important as thinking in learning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Can you reduce the volume of what people need to
know, in order to spend more time connecting with it and doing something with
it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>For facilitators:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Asking people about how they feel about
something during training is a start, but not enough. Can you develop a
technique that carefully and supportively allows people to really feel connected
with their learning and those who are part of it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Can you debrief learning activities that make
sure real, live, feedback is given and felt?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Can you ensure people leave with a full learning
experience that has ‘held up a mirror’, given people a surprise about
themselves, and learnt something?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Does it matter? We all remember how some teachers made us
feel at school? Remember events where we did something exceptional, good or
bad? And we all remember some things for a long time! This is usually when feeling-doing-thinking,
come together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>‘We don’t do emotion at work!’ Yeah right, it’s part of the
human condition! If you want robots, then fine. If you want people who show
passion for their work, that’s an emotion!</i></span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About the Author:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-URvfac1yHLEknxMlLJkW4IQNEmp3hGxZA86I06xAW-_HAl9xL6buI29GOys1WoNvsolIHulcZEpqX_-FXYPsdz0wUH4kPUBIyt3LYjoQsoQkiUZ5WyOHmfJyS-p1HDQUEOeGfWqwgNzG/s1600/Nigel+Murphy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-URvfac1yHLEknxMlLJkW4IQNEmp3hGxZA86I06xAW-_HAl9xL6buI29GOys1WoNvsolIHulcZEpqX_-FXYPsdz0wUH4kPUBIyt3LYjoQsoQkiUZ5WyOHmfJyS-p1HDQUEOeGfWqwgNzG/s200/Nigel+Murphy.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFAbYoPj-ag84KoqSP5uK29PWeOdR5T736KrHyRufaS_w9UrezkyO4THSna2FPr-jcPSVabd0v-BdkLUxKjBS4VywiAqt8bBVcvf9hSrLXyQoQMVAi4FKE90uzZqfkzlkK13mFlmtWKry/s1600/Nigel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></a><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Nigel Murphy is </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Portfolio & Capability Development Director at MCE.</i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><i> He has a background in management in manufacturing, education and training. For the past 10 years he </i></span></span></span><span lang="EN-IE" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 17.12px;">has worked on leadership programmes across the globe. He is interested in the mentoring of new managers and leaders, and leading remote teams of people in today’s globally </span></span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;">dispersed businesses.</i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-33461673122121255382016-03-07T08:51:00.001+01:002016-06-16T15:47:02.502+02:00 Using your talented people for maximum impact<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cIaZmBRx2ANr5aVKCSqjw4Zl1VbOkXaOcX4ADbfsgEs1uu85ofkfTeilAtimtuFT4cMxk3UMeQscZo70UM_0_ynSpaCD5QMvvhkrQ3zdvA3bVZXbpEK8-wpg-Im6n91tNocSUl3bfy2g/s1600/Using+your+talented+people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cIaZmBRx2ANr5aVKCSqjw4Zl1VbOkXaOcX4ADbfsgEs1uu85ofkfTeilAtimtuFT4cMxk3UMeQscZo70UM_0_ynSpaCD5QMvvhkrQ3zdvA3bVZXbpEK8-wpg-Im6n91tNocSUl3bfy2g/s320/Using+your+talented+people.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are my final thoughts on talent, what do you think? I was watching the Six Nations Rugby Tournament recently, and was fascinated with the way the coaches used the full squad of players. This was no random process, nor was it simply to try out another player. There was a clear plan to bring specific players into the game at a specific time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I watched England vs Italy and what I noticed was the strength of the players on the England bench made the difference. There wasn’t much difference in the performance of either side until the England coach started to use his bench strength, then the momentum of the game moved towards England. It got me thinking that most of us in People Development talk about ‘bench-strength’, but we may not be clear what it really means or how to use it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Players on the bench are there for a purpose. They come into the game at specific planned times:</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Players cannot always play at top speed for a full game, so players come on to keep pressure on.</b> Two players often share the same position and train together, one player starts with the aim of tiring the opponent ready for when his team-mate comes on.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A key player with a special skill is sent onto the pitch at a specific time and makes a big difference.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When a new player with high potential needs some experience for a short, managed piece of time.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the modern game, it is difficult for players to keep up the extreme level of intensity required in a full game, so the starting players are not the same as the finishing players, yet they see themselves as one team squad. They are not first team and reserve players.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>In Talent Management we talk about building bench-strength. </b>What often happens is that employees are told they are in the Talent Pool, and then:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nothing happens</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Or, they are thrown in with no chance to find their way of working</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Have no access to significant projects where they can learn</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Get sent to a ‘problem area’ to ‘show what they can do’</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>What we can learn from the Sports Coach is this:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Bench-players are used as a strategy to maintain performance.</b> Do you consider who to bring in, and when to move someone out of a team, as the conditions change? Or do you leave the same team for continuity – but accept that they get tired and run out of options? Moving people in and out it not about the success and failure of the individual. It is about recognizing an individual has done a job, and needs to move out, ready for the next challenge.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>New, high potential members are given specific experiences for short periods</b>. Do you place new talent into a team for a limited, managed exposure, or do you ‘throw them in, sink or swim’?</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Impact players are saved for when they can make a difference. </b>Do you know who your impact players are, what they can do that makes a difference, and use them carefully but at maximum impact? Often a high performer is given the wrong assignment and does not enjoy it. Impact players are not good at everything, they do have allowable weaknesses. However they are sent in when they can do their special talents.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Leaders need to know when to pull a player out of the game and use someone from the talent pool.</b> Are you aware of how your team is feeling? Can you monitor their emotional and even physical state? Are you sure you know what exposure your new talent needs?</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The full squad is part of the planning discussions and strategy.</b> Do you included your talented people in the business decision-making processes? When they are moved into a role, they will understand the plan and discussions that led to it.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Is your bench strong enough to play a strategic role, regularly?</b></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Watch a professional team game, and observe how the coach moves players on and off the pitch, why, when, and with what impact.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About the Author:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-URvfac1yHLEknxMlLJkW4IQNEmp3hGxZA86I06xAW-_HAl9xL6buI29GOys1WoNvsolIHulcZEpqX_-FXYPsdz0wUH4kPUBIyt3LYjoQsoQkiUZ5WyOHmfJyS-p1HDQUEOeGfWqwgNzG/s1600/Nigel+Murphy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-URvfac1yHLEknxMlLJkW4IQNEmp3hGxZA86I06xAW-_HAl9xL6buI29GOys1WoNvsolIHulcZEpqX_-FXYPsdz0wUH4kPUBIyt3LYjoQsoQkiUZ5WyOHmfJyS-p1HDQUEOeGfWqwgNzG/s200/Nigel+Murphy.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFAbYoPj-ag84KoqSP5uK29PWeOdR5T736KrHyRufaS_w9UrezkyO4THSna2FPr-jcPSVabd0v-BdkLUxKjBS4VywiAqt8bBVcvf9hSrLXyQoQMVAi4FKE90uzZqfkzlkK13mFlmtWKry/s1600/Nigel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></a><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Nigel Murphy </span><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">supports the whole learning experience of MCE delegates across MCE’s wide range of solutions. He has a background in management in manufacturing, education and training. For the past 10 years he </span><span lang="EN-IE" style="line-height: 17.12px;">has worked on leadership programmes across the globe. He is interested in the mentoring of new managers and leaders, and leading remote teams of people in today’s globally </span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;"><i>dispersed businesses.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-IE" style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span></i></span>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-56606767843051852582016-02-29T10:34:00.002+01:002016-02-29T10:36:15.877+01:00Think Digital Learning<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgGTkKmzmtsOOHafUpt_nELX10fzpbYcbpSRHWisaNodWAnIW_hJcbGkg_9ozlkkEpFd54sEgZVGtmOYQtPalTCBr_DVlAat3buydplONfdL-zFEtwlbUzDvOg0dmFV3g3Bo2G9w4diGO/s1600/Emmens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgGTkKmzmtsOOHafUpt_nELX10fzpbYcbpSRHWisaNodWAnIW_hJcbGkg_9ozlkkEpFd54sEgZVGtmOYQtPalTCBr_DVlAat3buydplONfdL-zFEtwlbUzDvOg0dmFV3g3Bo2G9w4diGO/s200/Emmens.jpg" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Ben Emmens</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Ben Emmens is a teacher and</i></b><i><b> consultant, specializing in third-world and developing world issues by trying to inject leadership and management skills to create stable, strong institutions. </b></i> A former senior staffer at People in Aid, he brings a broad brush of on-the-ground experience to his work with national government international corporations and aid agencies worldwide. Here, he perfects on the uphill struggle to improve management teaching across the developing world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE:</b> We know the world’s a bit of a mess... any thoughts on education as an opportunity to bring more of the world together for a common purpose?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Ben Emmens (BE): ‘Always be learning’ is my motto, and learning has never been more accessible (think digital learning) or more engaging (gamification, the arts, technology) or more affordable (for those who have an internet connection).</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When people come together they learn, but it requires first class facilitation and brokering skills, and, in the case of face-to face-learning, it requires access. And most of the fragile or war-torn countries I’m working in to try and broker learning and collaboration have all too real access and connectivity issues. Combine that with an uneven distribution of power (extreme inequality) and fear of change / contentment with how things are, then educators have their work cut out. So a new breed of educators are required with a very diverse skill set. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE:</b> And at the same time we’re getting buried in a digital overload of mega proportions. What’s your view, Can we learn to switch off and chill out, or has it gone too far for that?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>BE:</b> I think platforms such as Slack are innovating with their do not disturb or postpone notification functions but ultimately it requires immense courage on the part of each individual (to switch off) plus the (earned or offered) trust of their manager and directors. <b>This takes us into the realm of organisational culture which as we know is a very difficult thing to change. So I think that for as long as we have colleagues and managers working across time zones, sending messages at all hours, and expecting instant responses, then all individuals will struggle to switch off.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE:</b> There’s another trend – the caring corporation, operating with mindfulness for their employees. Is that a workable, doable model, or does economics get in the way, when the going gets tough?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>BE:</b> <b><i>I think many organisations are realising they need to retain their best people, and that talent shortages are a very real issue. So I am encouraged by the fact that many organisations are taking tangible steps towards flexible working, and towards improving staff care and wellbeing.</i></b> Some organisations have been able to demonstrate a business case for being more socially and/or environmentally caring and that helps too! Ultimately, treating staff unfairly, or with contempt, and that includes in the supply chain too, is not sustainable in human or financial terms, and we have seen the market ‘punish’ corporations that have supply chain labour issues or that have failed to pay a minimum wage or offer basic benefits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE: </b>Finally, what’s the other work trend you can see emerging? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>BE:</b> <b>It’s getting harder and harder to be geographically mobile as countries tighten immigration laws and entry requirements so whether we like it or not we are having to localise, engage with mono-cultural teams and strengthen local capacity… We’re also having to do much more work remotely / at a distance.</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Add to that the slow automation of more and more lower level jobs and we are likely to see a continued ‘hollowing out’ of the workforce and that will require a different kind of leadership, arguably with more than one specialism and towards that of a more expert generalist... </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-15077580128197816702016-02-25T09:10:00.001+01:002016-02-25T10:41:23.875+01:00Doing Things Differently<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKhBSt1P4swQ-6wzylseJUU0hsqPlpj8UKImc_DJ2u3k5Zxfwb90WWdZbGkgKu7rZal_vbVNMfbw1L8Fi0dwRZ4rD5ZsHcs94N6XFxQh3eZD5BTENcydNmycypTwktgjL7Cwh9-doMF6M/s1600/Susan-Stucky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKhBSt1P4swQ-6wzylseJUU0hsqPlpj8UKImc_DJ2u3k5Zxfwb90WWdZbGkgKu7rZal_vbVNMfbw1L8Fi0dwRZ4rD5ZsHcs94N6XFxQh3eZD5BTENcydNmycypTwktgjL7Cwh9-doMF6M/s200/Susan-Stucky.jpg" width="142" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Based in the Bay Area of California, Susan Stucky has had a long and varied career as a thinker, consultant and philosopher on how why, where and when people learn - especially at work. As the debate about the future of work rages onwards, we asked for her thoughts on what’s coming next. A “sneaky peek” around tomorrow’s next corner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE:</b> We hear a great deal these days about the need to be creative at work. From your point of view, are we more or less creative in the workplace; are we teaching students how to think creatively?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Susan Stucky (SS): First. Are we talking about doing things differently - or doing different things; or doing the same thing in different ways; or doing it in different places? </b>Why does it have to be new to be considered creative? Something that is creative in first grade in school isn’t necessarily in sixth grade? Some idea or thing seen as creative at an established firm isn’t at a start-up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Isn’t “creativity” just another phrase for "do more with less.” </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Isn’t it just another corporate mandate? “Be Creative! </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Here in the Bay Area we talk about innovation more than creativity, so we come down on the side of “new”. But one important thing to realize is that all so-called new ideas and things are built on existing ideas and things, even if only in opposition to them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>And that innovation and creativity are actually, fundamentally, social.</b> The lone genius isn’t alone really. He, or she aren’t alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Or are we talking about “the creative class” as in the Super Creative Core (innovative, problem-solving) or the Creative Professionals (classic knowledge workers)? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Creative Professionals are mainly the ones who did school work well and had connections.</b> The Super Creative Core are the ones who maybe didn’t do so well in school, aren’t socially adept necessarily and know people who aren’t afraid of marketing, including themselves. Are we teaching that? Not really so much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>But people, including children, are learning it. From the environment around them. </b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE: </b>California still seems to be the land of “start-ups”. Is it something “in the air” by the ocean or is it just easier to try and fail.. Are you not a serious player until you’ve failed a few times?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SS:</b> All those myths are bandied about, and it is worth remembering that just because something is a myth e doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Except for the fact that San Francisco is the happening place now and Silicon Valley is now the Bay Area, Anna Lee Saxenian’s conclusions in her 1994 book Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128 still ring true. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She called Silicon Valley a protean place — a shape- shifter changing”through patterns "of collaboration and competition”. The whole Bay area is stuffed, literally stuffed, with people. Those of us who remember a Palo Alto where you could drive to the city (San Francisco, of course) in under an hour now take public transit. The freeways have those big white busses ferrying commuters from San Francisco to Silicon Valley (still a lot of jobs there). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In 1994, the commute used to be the other way around. More to the point, people still go to work in offices some of the time. Having lunch is still important and there are oodles of Meet-ups that work like pop-up stores for ideas and networking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Most people in your network or someone else’s are really ready and willing to talk with you </b>— I was told they would and they do. Here, if you offer to meet in person, they will often take you up on it. After all, they may need to talk to you sometime in the future that’s how the world goes around</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE:</b> You’ve spent a lot of your career thinking about how people learn. Have we got any better at that. What’s the big barrier?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SS:</b> I’d like to think that corporate training has largely disappeared for one simple reason. That we have finally realized that formal training does not guarantee that people have learned what is being taught is what they need to learn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>I’d like to think that the rise of social media means that we understand that learning is fundamentally social. I’d like to think that “open office” plans mean that collaboration will be enhanced. </i></b> But the first and third are cost-saving plays primarily. Closeness does not necessarily mean collaboration. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And the middle one — <i>I’m afraid that social media and social media analytics means it is easier to find people like “us" and ignore people who aren’t like us . </i>It means we find ideas and things that people like us like. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The good thing is that people like us all over the world now have access to much of what is codified and explicit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If they want to know it they will. But knowing is not the same as doing or putting what you know into practice, especially in a firm or a start-up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And the barrier to all that? The way we think about learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE:</b> The digital agenda is just “business as usual. Any thoughts on coping with the digital overload that seems to be swamping us like a tsunami? Is there a default “off” switch we need to activate at some point?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SS:</b> Are we talking screen-based living and working? Personally, I keep hoping that as screens become more distributed, that they will eventually fade into the background. Kind of like wallpaper. They can serve to remind us without being “in our faces. <b><i>The kind of digital I am worried about is the prevalence of too much information and so little awareness of the context and implications of it. And that means us too. – All of us wherever we live or work anywhere. </i></b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-444521967405096382016-02-22T11:03:00.000+01:002016-06-16T15:48:24.897+02:00The Skill of Presentation<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Susan Huskisson</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Susan Huskisson</b> <b>has personally trained some of the world’s
top CEOs, giving them the confidence, credentials and charisma to present.</b> She
now teaches personal presentation skills to business schools and corporate
executives around the globe. <b>Her book “Easy Eloquence” continues to be a bible for would-be
presenters for both senior managers and school students. <i>Susan was one of MCE’s
key faculty on presentation skills for over three decades.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MCE:</b> Having
good presentation skills certainly can give people an “edge” in the career. Why
don’t we place more emphasis on this in schools and colleges?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Susan Huskisson (SH):</b> The
US educational system places a great deal of emphasis on communication
training. Students have to present from a very early age. Increasingly,
<b>European schools are requiring students to learn to present. </b> I have
taught presentation courses in graduate MBA programs in the US and Europe for
many years now, and see the number of these training is increasing, especially
in Europe. Since people tend to listen to presentations instead of reading
reports, the skill to inform and convince verbally will become even more
important.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <b>MCE:</b> The ability to create
trust when you speak to an audience, especially your employees or team is
hugely important. What’s the key thing to make sure you get right – every time?
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <b> SH:</b> <u><i><b>KNOW YOUR
AUDIENCE!</b></i></u> Why would they trust a speaker who clearly does not know who
they are addressing? <u><i><b>ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL. </b> </i></u></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Show the audience you
took the time to tailor that presentation for them specially.</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <b>Give them
facts, evidence/examples that relate to them. </b>And, of course, be honest. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <b>Up and open body language tends to make people like and trust us as well.</b> So,
make sure the message is targeted for the audience and that the body language
has good eye contact, posture, open gestures and an animated face. <b>And don’t
forget to </b></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>walk the talk.</b></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b> <i><u>Actions can speak louder than words.</u></i></b></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <b>MCE: </b>You must have made
thousands of presentations, what for you was the biggest learning experience,
and why? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <b> SH: How important it is to
be prepared</b> – but how impressive it is to be able to let go of the preparation
and go with the flow instead. Sometimes events are out of our control (no fault
of the speaker) and the audience appreciates someone who can deal with the
situation with humour and grace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <b>MCE:</b> Great orators
seem to be rare these days (their words are instantly forgettable). Who would
you put at the top of your list as a man or woman of today (not yesterday) who
can reach out and touch people?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <b> SH: </b><span lang="EN-US">My favorite has always been Billy Graham.
Whether you share his religious beliefs or not, he has an amazing ability to
move his audience. He is not dramatic, as many evangelists are, but modulates
his voice, uses gestures and animation, and tells great stories that capture
and motive his audiences.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"> </span>MCE:</b> Finally, we are
buried in a tsunami of digital overload. Any thoughts on how to turn off the
world – should we even try, or just surrender? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SH:</b> In
terms of digital overload in our everyday lives, we couldn’t turn it off if we
wanted to. But for presentations, I stress to speakers – <b><i>YOU are the
message – not PowerPoint or any other technology or software you may use.</i></b>
Start with a blank screen and from time to time, blank it again and just <b>TALK
to your audience</b>. Put the projector and screen on the side so that <b>YOU
take center stage.</b> This puts you, the presenter, up front and center
(where you should be). It gives the audience a break from the normal
presentation digital overload – and lets you connect with your audience
directly.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-71330483135120677112016-02-17T16:08:00.000+01:002016-06-16T15:48:52.794+02:00Getting fired is GOOD for Leaders<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s strange the things that trigger your ideas and
attitudes about leaders. I'd just been on a train to Paris, catching up on a
month’s worth of reading (I’m the kind of guy who tears out pages from business
mags and newspapers and squirrels them
away to catch up when I have the time). It’s messy, totally non-digital,
deeply uncool, but it works for me. Often some of my best ideas come from
reading some ink-smudged newspaper clipping months out of date.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the midst of rapidly skimming through 30 or 40 pieces I’d
collected, I was suddenly struck by one thing. <b>Most of what I was reading was about failure, specifically CEOs who’d
crashed and burned - usually taking a large slice of that year’s profits in
severance settlements with them.</b> “My goodness,” I thought, “there’s an
epidemic out here. It’ worse than top-of-the-league soccer managers. CEOs are
getting it from all sides, are we learning nothing about squandering all this
talent? ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was still musing on this accident-prone CEO syndrome when
I arrived to meet a client. Well, not a client actually, but hopefully soon to
be one. I’ve known him for years. He’s just arrived into the hot seat of a
large transportation firm. Lucky to be there, I thought, got fired about six months
ago. Messy corporate divorce, but he looks OK – confidently exuding the air of
man in charge of his personal destiny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We shook hands, and I sat down across from his aircraft
carrier-sized stripped pine desk. As I opened my folder, all my carefully
hoarded clippings I’d been reading on the train, spilled, embarrassingly, to
the floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>“What’s that?” asked my host.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I quickly explained my dinosaur-like way of staying in tune
with the times. As it was a very informal meeting, and I’d met him before, I
also wished him luck in his new role, boldly referring to his last job and how
I hoped it would work out well. He smiled at me. “Well after these last months,
I reckon it’s not going to be too bad, at least I know how to play the game
now.” He added, “You see I’m qualified. Got the t-shirt, been there done that.
“ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDT1BGYOhZWx66tdqrzfmDzBt9OrVG6Rw9FoS0PBftjOxrO1efpSj0BItQ_WYDMVWgetK59xgJfjF5OWzsCKMyEKMT9tzmX2Ttntxqva_kxr1nd8kclCtbC8s9wx8eLVbPHvOPSvRyPlv8/s1600/Getting+fired+is+GOOD+for+Leaders+rudi%2527s+article.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDT1BGYOhZWx66tdqrzfmDzBt9OrVG6Rw9FoS0PBftjOxrO1efpSj0BItQ_WYDMVWgetK59xgJfjF5OWzsCKMyEKMT9tzmX2Ttntxqva_kxr1nd8kclCtbC8s9wx8eLVbPHvOPSvRyPlv8/s320/Getting+fired+is+GOOD+for+Leaders+rudi%2527s+article.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My host, then went onto describe in fascinating detail how
he lost his job, how the forces massed against him had combined to bring him
down. Over the next 30 minutes he itemized in detail what had happened, what he
learned from each twist and turn and how he had got out clean, certainly richer
but a whole lot wiser as well.</b> By the end of it he had come across as a very
professional operator, one I’d be happy to vouch for as a man who’d keep his
head in any crisis that came along.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally, he sat back in his chair and said, <b>“ So you see Rudi, getting fired taught me
all I needed to know, to stay on top- it’s been my finishing school my post
graduate business degree. I’ve an MBA
from the best school money can buy, a stellar track record, but now I know how
to play the game better than anyone else.”</b> He went on, “I Can deal with
boards, investors, analysts, the media, over-ambitious lieutenants. None of
them concerns me now. Quite frankly, you can’t be a real leader unless you know
how to recognize and deal with all those things happening to you every day. Now
I know how to build loyalty in my team
(I was just too busy before); avoid the sniping of the financial
analysts (never bothered to take them seriously – now I do); ignored the media (I
make sure I’m seen, heard and my image is polished like the brass plaque
outside our HQ).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Was taken aback by
his words, and his enthusiasm, “ So what about the caring leader,” I asked, “
is it all just a fiction; are we led to believe that a CEO who takes care of
his people is THE real leadership model we
should aspire too? “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He stared at me for a good 20 seconds, saying nothing. Then
he smiled and finally said, “That’s what the book says that’s what all the
management courses preach, but that isn’t real-life. Quite frankly, the reason
I’m worth this huge salary they’re paying me is for one thing. I’ve been fired
– I survived and I learnt all the lessons better than anyone else. I have been shot at but now I’m bullet-proof
Now when I come to choose my successor I know
where I’ll be looking. “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He got up to leave, shook my hand warmly and opened the door
for me. “Walk you down to reception,” he said, got to do my daily tour, keep
the people pleased by knowing I look pleased too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So is it true, can you really get better as a leader by
experiencing the seamy side of corporate existence? My betting is my new friend
– and he’s a new client now - has got it right. <b>So, go get fired, learn from it and be the leader you should have been
all along!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLfgHaJ3oeMdTH0k_VTgxbw3z77hvHA8Oy5k9AEpBDGG6lTO9BhyllwPxdkx_25E-gNK1WXdPLp9i_hIE6Dxe2lh_xhCpzWy6UCarPnDwMsgcGuzYfkq6FdbxZJCu_RunDH3Fc9lqb3hE/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #888888; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLfgHaJ3oeMdTH0k_VTgxbw3z77hvHA8Oy5k9AEpBDGG6lTO9BhyllwPxdkx_25E-gNK1WXdPLp9i_hIE6Dxe2lh_xhCpzWy6UCarPnDwMsgcGuzYfkq6FdbxZJCu_RunDH3Fc9lqb3hE/s200/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="color: #888888; line-height: 15px; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Management Centre Europe</a>, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? </i><i><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" style="color: #0065ff; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Connect with him via Linkedin.</a></i><span style="color: #505050;"><a href="http://go2.mce-ama.com/RudiPlettinxLinkedin" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> </a></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-20794012627385163652016-02-15T09:42:00.000+01:002016-06-16T15:49:53.139+02:00How to Energize and Stress less<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the start of
my career back in the early 1990’s we had assistants to book our flights,
support staff to take care of documents, and when we went on business trips,
upon return our colleagues would update us on what had happened in our absence.
Fast-forward to today, and the picture is quite different. Everyone is
self-supporting, multi-tasking, and connected 24/7.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In today’s
economic environment individuals and team are under great pressure, expected to
perform and meet ever more ambitious goals with the same (or, more often,
shrinking) resources. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the same
time the advance of technology means that we are now constantly reachable,
checking emails and messaging on multiple platforms, leading to an
“always-wired” nervous system unable to relax and wind down.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This situation
is clearly not sustainable – both managers and staff often feel overwhelmed and
many are at a real risk of burnout.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What, then, would be the solution? <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First we must
realize that we cannot just spend energy, we also need to renew our energy. <b>We need
to stop treating ourselves as machines and start to see ourselves as whole
human beings who need nourishment and care in more areas than just the physical
body.</b> By taking a holistic look at ourselves and our teams we will become more
resilient, more resourceful, and much more productive in the long term.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX_TTFd2GKw0xY31cesYDDBNt9icsiZPobhQY38_iu_cH3nNcJugHeF_HTFte0uWMOLW7nYZcMYu2MJoEnMAqapE6Zw-X9VMPWr1uqKvXM_hvUTxxgOQ3tedhOFts9pd2gNBKs-Ki-Ir4/s1600/How+to+energize+and+stress+less.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX_TTFd2GKw0xY31cesYDDBNt9icsiZPobhQY38_iu_cH3nNcJugHeF_HTFte0uWMOLW7nYZcMYu2MJoEnMAqapE6Zw-X9VMPWr1uqKvXM_hvUTxxgOQ3tedhOFts9pd2gNBKs-Ki-Ir4/s320/How+to+energize+and+stress+less.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As Tony Schwarz
and Catherine McCarthy already suggested in their 2007 HBR article “Manage Your
Energy Not Your Time”, <b><i>there are four key areas of energy that need
to be addressed:<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><span lang="EN-US">Physical</span></u></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">: One’s physical health is
not just a private matter – there are many bad habits in the workplace
adversely affecting our physical energy levels. <b>As a manager, you could
consider standing or walking meetings to keep the energy up (a “sparring walk”
instead of coaching conversation, or an “idea hike” instead of a brainstorming
in the office, for example) – or at least make sure meetings don’t run over
time, and take regular breaks. </b>And why not get healthy fruits and nuts as your
next meeting catering, instead of sugary pastries?</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><span lang="EN-US">Mental</span></u><span lang="EN-US">:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">
Mental energy is all about focus.<b> As a manager, be clear on the priorities of
your team, review the priorities regularly and publicly, and help your people
de-prioritize less important tasks – everything cannot be urgent and important!</b>
Allow your team members to concentrate on one thing at a time, and lead the way
by insisting that in meetings people focus on the meeting (i.e. no devices on
the table, mobiles switched off).</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><span lang="EN-US">Emotional</span></u><span lang="EN-US">:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Positive
energy leads to better ideas and higher productivity than negative or fearful
energy. <b>As a manager, be observant to frame things (for example, organizational
changes) positively and draw people’s attention to the benefits and
opportunities of new situations.</b> Nothing depletes energy like a toxic complaint
circle, especially when it’s focused on things outside your team’s circle of
influence! Concentrate on what you can do, not what you can’t. Giving regular
(public) praise to people or starting weekly meetings with a round of “good
news” are simple ways to bring positive energy to the day.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><span lang="EN-US">Spiritual</span></u><span lang="EN-US">:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Spiritual
energy comes from doing something for a larger purpose, and doing things that
are aligned with your values. <b>As a manager, give people context and remind them
of the big picture and overall purpose of the organization. </b>Get people into the
“flow” by utilizing their talents in a manner that allows them to do things
they excel in, and love to do.</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Just like
airlines announce in their safety demonstrations that we should first put on
our own oxygen masks before helping others, <b>we as managers must first take care of our own balance and well-being,
in order to be able to show the way for our teams. </b>There is a lot a manager
can do to reduce stress and improve energy in a team, and even small changes in
daily habits will have a big impact.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPeVdp6d4S2YU1nr2DWqX_r-Edi9mObnWuXMfoDmYuFrjXNkYwXMq2Ezc4fvuxGHIYcGndNRUY2cjZXPjIoY0HFWm4Skz-cEV18Rgjk2XYu8r_NpuNI0bs02wRHQwlW2OmkZ79S-9G3mQ/s1600/Hanna+Summanen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPeVdp6d4S2YU1nr2DWqX_r-Edi9mObnWuXMfoDmYuFrjXNkYwXMq2Ezc4fvuxGHIYcGndNRUY2cjZXPjIoY0HFWm4Skz-cEV18Rgjk2XYu8r_NpuNI0bs02wRHQwlW2OmkZ79S-9G3mQ/s200/Hanna+Summanen.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>About the author: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hanna Summanen is an MCE Associate delivering programs
in change management and team leadership. She is also a certified yoga teacher
and owner of a popular yoga studio in Brussels.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-IE" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 14.124px;"> </span></span></i><br />
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 18.48px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-33866328857192440582016-02-08T12:00:00.000+01:002016-06-16T15:50:18.649+02:00Talented or simply good?<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why do you have a
talented person?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I bet you are thinking the answer is obvious? But let’s
explore what it really means.<i> </i><b><i>In the sports arena, the aim of using a talented
player is to make a difference</i>.</b> These are the people who can turn a game from a
loss to a victory in the blink of an eye. They make a difference when it really
matters most. What is also interesting is that the super players are not
visible for all the game. They are often only prominent at points when they see
the chance to make an impact. They also take periods of rest during the season,
and it is a poor manager who wears down his talented players.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Self-check: How many of your talented people are known for
making a difference at a critical time, versus, how many are very good, but not
game changers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VCbYt7LEfiEDOuSL6WZeogM3uiNoirnfY5ZlGCv-MD7Z8b1y9gH8dXfhU8T0xsMfM6b4yUw3AQn_L0ptUDGhE7TEsqASaE38nXDB1taAgQyOHb9iPHcpmUPyqnREoAYJE7iafoI1vLbj/s1600/talented+or+simply+good.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VCbYt7LEfiEDOuSL6WZeogM3uiNoirnfY5ZlGCv-MD7Z8b1y9gH8dXfhU8T0xsMfM6b4yUw3AQn_L0ptUDGhE7TEsqASaE38nXDB1taAgQyOHb9iPHcpmUPyqnREoAYJE7iafoI1vLbj/s320/talented+or+simply+good.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Does it matter? Do we define ‘talent’ as ‘very good’, rather
than ‘very exceptional’? If so, then many Talent schemes are simply schemes to
develop very good people. Necessary, admirable, but ultimately may not produce real
game changers. Why? Because the definition of talent becomes diluted. Read on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So who is talented?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>It is also interesting to note that Talent becomes
internally benchmarked.</i></b> I had a chat with an HRD who was proud to say that this
year over 20% of the workforce were in the Talent category and top box on their
talent grid. She told me that next year they would have even more people into
the talent category and HQ is so pleased with them. Having met some of these
people, nice as they are, they would not even get a job working for another
organization I know, and where the label ‘talent’ is reserved for exceptional
people. What this suggests is that ‘average for industry’ becomes internally
benchmarked as ‘talented around here’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This leads to another curious effect. Once you tell people
they are talented, they believe it, and then a number of very average people
are talking about their talents. They become
disillusioned when they are not promoted quickly enough. Yet, often they do not
look for other jobs. Why? Perhaps it is a fear of finding out that they are
really only average.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Self-check: </b>How many people are pushing for the next level
because someone has told them they are talented?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How do you compare
your definition of talent?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You will have developed sophisticated competency
descriptions and measures to give some sense of science behind your definition
of talent. Good. However, in most organizations I can find HRBPs who are
confused at the list of ‘Talent’ that a line manager offers up. <b><i>Many line
managers do not have the time, or interest, to read the lengthy competency descriptions.</i></b>
They have too many doubts about people who make a difference in their business
unit going unrecognized, whilst other business units with ‘inferior’ people do
get recognized. Run a calibration meeting between line managers and ask them to
justify their selections; there will be a lot of disagreement over perceptions
of who is a talented person. <b><i>Collaborate with your HRBP friends in another
business – you could compare your views of talent.</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Self-check</b>: would your Talent Pool be in the talent pool in
another organization?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>We all know that the challenge will be competing for
talented people as much as competing for customers.</b> </i>Be sure that you are clear
on what players you sign up; exceptional goal scorers or solid performers? You
need both, so know what makes the difference.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-URvfac1yHLEknxMlLJkW4IQNEmp3hGxZA86I06xAW-_HAl9xL6buI29GOys1WoNvsolIHulcZEpqX_-FXYPsdz0wUH4kPUBIyt3LYjoQsoQkiUZ5WyOHmfJyS-p1HDQUEOeGfWqwgNzG/s1600/Nigel+Murphy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-URvfac1yHLEknxMlLJkW4IQNEmp3hGxZA86I06xAW-_HAl9xL6buI29GOys1WoNvsolIHulcZEpqX_-FXYPsdz0wUH4kPUBIyt3LYjoQsoQkiUZ5WyOHmfJyS-p1HDQUEOeGfWqwgNzG/s200/Nigel+Murphy.jpg" width="132" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About the Author:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFAbYoPj-ag84KoqSP5uK29PWeOdR5T736KrHyRufaS_w9UrezkyO4THSna2FPr-jcPSVabd0v-BdkLUxKjBS4VywiAqt8bBVcvf9hSrLXyQoQMVAi4FKE90uzZqfkzlkK13mFlmtWKry/s1600/Nigel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #888888; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 14.124px;">Nigel Murphy is director of Portfolio and Capability Development at MCE</span><span style="line-height: 14.124px;">. He has a background in management in manufacturing, education and training. For the past 10 years he </span><span lang="EN-IE" style="line-height: 14.124px;">has worked on leadership programmes across the globe. He is interested in the mentoring of new managers and leaders, and leading remote teams of people in today’s globally </span></i><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><i>dispersed businesses.</i></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-66931481793904312622016-02-02T14:05:00.000+01:002016-06-16T15:50:46.593+02:00Of Mice and Men<div style="background-color: white; color: #194267; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">
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<span style="color: #194267;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-style: initial;"><img alt="" src="http://www.iedp.com/Pages/ImageManager/Blog%20images/shutterstock_242018281.jpg" height="216" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: 123px; margin-right: 9px; width: 102px;" width="149" /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">VIEWPOINT: <i>A leader sometimes has to choose to be a man or a mouse. Occasionally swallowing your pride and being a mouse is the true sign of wise leadership, says</i> <i>Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="line-height: 15px; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Management Centre Europe</a>, in this tenth in his series of articles for IEDP:</i>There is a good friend of mine I see most weeks. He is a pretty big HR honcho (yes HR still does have people like that). In fact he is in a position to make or break careers. As the so-called ‘global head of people development’ if you, as a pushy career-ladder-climber, work at getting this guy on your side, promotions and rewards and responsibilities will surely flow your way. He is, very low-key BUT very influential; been around a while, cultivating his little patch of next generation leaders – the true high potentials. “They’re going places, this is the future of the organization” he tells me. He is building the next generation of leaders like an assembly line… they are clever, keen and ready to lay down their lives for the next step on the rapidly rusting rung of the corporate success ladder. He says it is fun to watch these people develop and he is very into his job. So when I met him recently for our twice monthly drink and a catch-up, quite out of character, he was not the usual positive kind of person I had come to know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“What’s wrong with you?” I asked half-teasing. “Looks like you mislaid your bonus somewhere?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“It’s worse than that, he responded, “I just got word that I have to cut 4.3 percent of the headcount by year end.” This sounded crazy to me and I told him so. Two weeks earlier he had been upbeat saying how well the business was doing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“No choice” he added gloomily, “our main rival announced a four point two cut on headcount this morning. If we don’t match it they’ll hit our share price big time…. The CEO knows what our biggest shareholders think about that.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“But you’ve spent the last few weeks telling me all about the employee as the brand,” I said, “and what about the millions you’ve invested in new people development, what’s going on?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> “Very simple,” he said, sadly, “the boss doesn’t dare rock the boat. He can’t afford to, not now. The markets won’t stand for it, they don’t like uncertainty, they want to see a man with a clear vision and solid leadership credentials.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“But that’s not leadership, that’s copycat knee-jerk reaction,” I countered, with a strong tone of frustration in my voice. “Where are all the fine words, the pledges to lead from the front. I’ve read the annual report, seems he said all that and more!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Simple,” he explained. “The boss wants to look like he’s in total control, that we’re capable of being as lean and mean as our rivals... someone started the musical chairs and we have to play, at least until this self-destruction waltz stops.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And hereby hangs a tale that any of you would-be leaders need to heed most carefully. No matter how big you are, no matter how well your favourite PR guru has built you up and polished your profile in the best-read business pages, at some point you’ve got to just suck it up. Quite simply, you have a choice as a leader be a man or a mouse. And sadly, ever so often you can’t, realistically, be anything but a mouse. Go with the flow, take it on the chin, swallow your pride, keep the good old share price flying high.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After all, isn’t that the sign of true leadership, making a decision and sticking with it through thick and thin? The truth is, every fibre of your body will say, “we’ll do it my way”. But the facts and history speak for themselves. No matter how great a leader you think you are, you are in a box.... and you will cut, cut, cut - because there is no other action you can take. Your reputation will survive it, the institutional shareholders will praise you and life will go on. In six months’ time as the results come in, no-one will remember that you could have played it very differently. But then, at the end of the day, that is leadership, as we possibly poorly define it - and everybody wants to be a winner and everyone likes one too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I said as much to my HR pal. He was not talking much. Reflecting, no doubt, on the people he has to move out in the weeks ahead; mentally playing out the “career transition” conversations he was going to be tasked with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“I saw the CEO in the elevator as I was leaving,” he said, “he didn’t say much. Looked a little shocked, but he’s tough and knows how to deal with this kind of thing.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I felt I needed to say something; there was a silence that needed to be filled. “He’s done the job he was asked to do, kept the ship upright, navigated the storm safely, that’s what he’s there for. Shame the big plans didn’t quite make it – but, I guess that’s life in the fast lane of leadership. Not too many wounded, a pretty low level body count, could have been worse.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My HR pal brightened a little at that. “After all he’s still the leader. Could have been worse, he could have tried to beat the trend, then where would we be? We’d have to break in the next CEO, because he wouldn’t have survived if he’d jumped the other way.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We sat in silence for some minutes, thinking possibly about a scenario of “what might have been.” Then he got to his feet, turned to me. “Got to leave,” he said, “lots to do first thing, we make it official about the cuts first thing tomorrow and I’m sure it’ll keep me busy for weeks.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLfgHaJ3oeMdTH0k_VTgxbw3z77hvHA8Oy5k9AEpBDGG6lTO9BhyllwPxdkx_25E-gNK1WXdPLp9i_hIE6Dxe2lh_xhCpzWy6UCarPnDwMsgcGuzYfkq6FdbxZJCu_RunDH3Fc9lqb3hE/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLfgHaJ3oeMdTH0k_VTgxbw3z77hvHA8Oy5k9AEpBDGG6lTO9BhyllwPxdkx_25E-gNK1WXdPLp9i_hIE6Dxe2lh_xhCpzWy6UCarPnDwMsgcGuzYfkq6FdbxZJCu_RunDH3Fc9lqb3hE/s200/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="line-height: 15px; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Management Centre Europe</a>, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a comment or a question? </i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" style="color: #0065ff;" target="_blank">Connect with him via Linkedin.</a></i><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> </a></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-19455147212448397472016-01-22T10:35:00.001+01:002016-06-16T15:51:41.803+02:00What makes your Hi-Po people, high potential?<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve been talking to several HR friends and clients about
developing High Potential people (Hi-Po’s). The comments they make are similar,
here are a few examples:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'We have differences of opinion on what we mean
by Hi-Po to begin with!’</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">‘I
am not sure we really know what do with a Hi-Po once we have agreed someone is
Hi-Po.’</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">‘I suspect we are not very good at differentiating
needs. Our development plans do look like one-size-fits-all.’ </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to start by asking a question that is not often asked:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">‘What is it like for the Hi-Po person?’</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why is this a useful question? Because the future is going
to be about competing for talented people as much as competing for customers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We need to understand more about the psychology of a Hi-Po
person if we are to attract, retain and maximize the value in our talent pool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are numerous ways of defining a ‘Hi-Po Person’ and I
realize I will be making some assumptions: I will focus on younger people
selected for a career path, who are usually from a University route, and make a
few generalizations, although there is supporting research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What do Hi-Po people possess and what is their experience of
life so far? And this starts with a big USUALLY they:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Are above average intelligence, quick to solve
problems, quick to learn new concepts.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Have excellent verbal and numerical reasoning,
they see solutions easily.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Will be ambitious and have high expectations of
themselves and you as an employer.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Have expectation that promotions and assume career
success will follow.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They have found academic study relatively easy.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Have learnt how to relate to other senior,
intellectually clever, ambitious people.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Work hard, but success has been more guaranteed
with this hard work than for others.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You usually select Hi-Po people for their intellect, ability
and cognitive capabilities. However, let us look at what Hi-Po people USUALLY
do not possess. These are the blind spots you will need to develop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They often do not understand why other people
find problems difficult to solve, and take so much time to arrive at the
answer.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">They often find it hard to explain ideas and
solutions to others, because others cannot easily follow the reasoning.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Others expect a lot from Hi-Po people so there
is a pressure to perform; this includes family members as well as senior people
at work.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Knowing that everyone expects great things from
them, there can be a hidden lack of confidence.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Hi-Po people have not spent time learning to
build relationships with people who (they think) are not as quick or
intelligent; there has been no need to, or value in it.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The language used by Hi-Po people is often more
elaborate, which makes them harder from others to understand, or know how to talk
to.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Career promotions that do not move at the pace
expected lead to frustration.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Conclusions? Hi-Po people are very quick at assimilating
task and functional skills, and are well equipped to do this. However, they can
find it more challenging to develop relationships and effective interpersonal
skills. They may have a lower starting point than others who have learnt to use
interpersonal skills as a substitute for not being as quick or clever. As a
graph, (artistic rather than scientific) the Hi-Po would look something like
this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0KiktaEkU06LL_mOZ8Lpe1L9FAhKQ4vj6NQVYfW9DZ5VRkHJYhOlO6HMWEWZnO2GDMzieeQfn_NwXVSlP6kHammBZbvpriT2Maxvel-s2HPpm3kk8kG5utXbzWZ6UJwPX2ZlbJOJtdnZ/s1600/graphic+HIPO%2527s.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0KiktaEkU06LL_mOZ8Lpe1L9FAhKQ4vj6NQVYfW9DZ5VRkHJYhOlO6HMWEWZnO2GDMzieeQfn_NwXVSlP6kHammBZbvpriT2Maxvel-s2HPpm3kk8kG5utXbzWZ6UJwPX2ZlbJOJtdnZ/s400/graphic+HIPO%2527s.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The task for Talent Development Managers is to close ‘The Hi-Po
Gap’ by lifting the lower line quickly. Here are some ideas to maximize the
value of Hi-Po people to the business. These activities offer a way of
assimilating personal skills quickly. Give your Hi-Po people a chance:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Teaching and instructing others, which will
develop communication skills.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Coaching others can develop patience and learn
not to always give the answers</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Team leadership duties means learning to handle
a range of interpersonal, domestic and performance issues sensitively</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Realign expectations on what they will and will
not be doing in the day-to-day job</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Do not over-promise promotions or career steps</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Give a buddy at a subordinate level to provide
advice on what life and work is like for others in the organization.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Give a mentor at a senior level to help with
relationship building skills</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Make sure your Hi-Po people reach their high potential and
you get the benefit, not a competitor!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next article: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Talented or
simply good?</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</w:wrap></span></v:imagedata></v:shape><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About the Author:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFAbYoPj-ag84KoqSP5uK29PWeOdR5T736KrHyRufaS_w9UrezkyO4THSna2FPr-jcPSVabd0v-BdkLUxKjBS4VywiAqt8bBVcvf9hSrLXyQoQMVAi4FKE90uzZqfkzlkK13mFlmtWKry/s1600/Nigel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></a><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Nigel Murphy </span><span style="line-height: 107%;">supports
the whole learning experience of MCE delegates across MCE’s wide range of
solutions. He has a background in management in manufacturing, education and
training. For the past 10 years he </span><span lang="EN-IE" style="line-height: 107%;">has
worked on leadership programmes across the globe. He is interested in the
mentoring of new managers and leaders, and leading remote teams of people in
today’s globally </span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;"><i>dispersed businesses.</i></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-IE" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span></span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-40130579880557496882016-01-19T09:29:00.000+01:002016-01-19T11:44:38.485+01:00Is LEAD - a four-letter word?<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUn_5qCGlX6YS_rk5CHAWRr2fKmdwF1g_0U2yGZdQhxctcgKnKgV2dPe8TxYYFvpsHgUWdKfCWRoS_P23M0axyRQ-eYosRv0hg7zd1DDletcHA8r8f7jGEB6bUoTrTDzTaeN2g8A0aQ_5/s1600/is+LEAD+-+A+four-+Letter+word.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUn_5qCGlX6YS_rk5CHAWRr2fKmdwF1g_0U2yGZdQhxctcgKnKgV2dPe8TxYYFvpsHgUWdKfCWRoS_P23M0axyRQ-eYosRv0hg7zd1DDletcHA8r8f7jGEB6bUoTrTDzTaeN2g8A0aQ_5/s1600/is+LEAD+-+A+four-+Letter+word.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">VIEWPOINT: <i>‘Leadership’ is an overused term, too often used as
a lazy catchall. Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" target="_blank">Management
Centre Europe</a>, calls for a focus on what it means to be a real
leader, in this ninth in his series of articles for IEDP: </i></span></span><span style="line-height: 13.5pt;">Four-letter words are no-no’s and often none seems to come much bigger
than the simple, single syllable statement LEAD. For instance, attach the “L”
word to practically anything and you instil in it some kind of supernatural
power. “He’s a business leader” is expressed in hushed tones as though we
should all be impressed. “Sign up for our seminar on business Leadership and
you’ll never look back” is a frequent favourite, hinting at practically
guaranteed success. It seems to me that in today’s world the word LEAD is
being used in a LAZY way. Users, it would seem, reckon that that the simple
evocation of the “L” word conveys mystical powers (allowing those that use it
to charge a good 50 percent premium on the services they are offering).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /><br />
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consequently every consultant manages to work the L-word into their product
and services. Therefore, it is not surprising that practically every
conference, seminar book and research project is based on the thoughts of
business leaders which will give you the magical insight to being a real
Leader yourself. But isn’t it time we stopped over-using leadership as an
all-purpose, over-contrived superlative - an unnecessary and distracting
adjectival device? Come on think about it please.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sure we know that most of us would rather be seen as leaders, but
surely we have to earn it and be recognised for our abilities before it can
be applied to us mere mortals. Calling ourselves a leader does not really
work if no-one believes, or has day-to-day confidence, in our talents and
abilities. Certainly, we can all read the right books attend the best
programs and employ the best coaches, but none of that will make us a leader
not for one nano-second.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a very old saying that you can fool most of the people most
of the time. But you just can’t fool your people by proclaiming you are a
leader when you are not. All the certificates in the world won’t be of any
use when you are in charge and another “L” word appears in you working
vocabulary – a- LONE; because that is where you will be -on your own. And
that is when we all get to find out how good we really are.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also there is another old adage that suggests that you can get away
with not being a very good leader as a Number 2 but never as a Number 1. You
can fake it , practically forever, as number 2 but take it from me -
and the many examples I’ve seen time and time again - if
you have faked it, if you are not really what it says on the box, you
will LOSE – big time. Because, I can guarantee that circumstances will
always conspire to make sure you meet that other “word and LOSE. I have
been around the business a long time and I have never seen a fake Number 2
ever succeed as a successful Number 1 – it just does not happen, and I don’t
think it ever will.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, yes, I do think the word LEAD and its bigger brother Leadership is
overused and badly misunderstood. I think we spray the “L” word around
without much thought. But tell you what. When it all happens one day,
you will personally know (deep inside) if you are really a leader or not.
And, more important, your people will know that too right from day one– oh
yes, indeed they will!! I have been scanning the world’s media and it is amazing
how many just do not make it. And all too often they may get to Lead for a
while but they don’t last LONG either. In our dumbing- down on LEAD as a word
we have managed to reduce the average CEO tenure to less than five
years- so much for another Word victim –LONG evity !<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But there is even more of a twist to this when you bother to stop and
think about it. What worries me most of all is that we could end-up mistaking
that simple, yet highly evocative word Lead for the similarly spelt LEAD.
Otherwise known as a very heavy metal……. Chances are you get it all terribly
wrong and the people you have come to lead will - if you don’t have it… sink
out of sight like a lead balloon……. In the Periodic Table of corporate
life LEAD is most certainly a downer, not what naturally springs to mind when
we think of ourselves as all conquering heroes saving the organizational
universe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written
exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" target="_blank">Management
Centre Europe</a>, the Brussels-based development organization. Have a
comment or a question? Engage direct with <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/contact/" target="_blank">Rudi Plettinx here</a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-2788606520984256332016-01-14T14:39:00.000+01:002016-01-14T14:39:25.947+01:00The 2015 Global Leadership Development Study<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Key findings:</span></strong><br />
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<ol style="margin-right: 1cm; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGc6uiDLHK0Fcqk8PnPQjWnkdDy4Rl-ReaVx71bvz7vblTl_xdkXB3xlqPBT8QeWmLBNVKsGEynETjygL8dV0-MXNyoLoqkEhrwaVa2JIzVwL9EDpxDBlMWei8UC6l0HRjKVE8dAGoZMl/s1600/Developing-Global-Minded-Leaders-to-Drive-High-Performance800-800+%2528002%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGc6uiDLHK0Fcqk8PnPQjWnkdDy4Rl-ReaVx71bvz7vblTl_xdkXB3xlqPBT8QeWmLBNVKsGEynETjygL8dV0-MXNyoLoqkEhrwaVa2JIzVwL9EDpxDBlMWei8UC6l0HRjKVE8dAGoZMl/s200/Developing-Global-Minded-Leaders-to-Drive-High-Performance800-800+%2528002%2529.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Global development that begins with first-level leaders or individual contributors fuels success. Delaying such efforts until candidates reach higher leadership levels has a negative effect on development effectiveness.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Business and financial acumen are fundamental capabilities for leaders, but insufficient; social skills are the real differentiators, enabling leaders to apply influence and inclusiveness to drive greater productivity.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Experiential learning is an essential element of blended development programs. Live classes, simulations, games, and specific work assignments deliver active learning effectively.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Global mindset is a distinctive characteristic of effective global leaders. Embracing cross-cultural diversity and driving collaborative relationships within and beyond organizations are hallmarks of this evolved perspective.<br /></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To read more, please click <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/The-2015-Global-Leadership-Development-Study" target="_blank">here</a>.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183528551918129877.post-31503308846572266532016-01-04T11:00:00.000+01:002016-03-08T09:56:12.279+01:00The Leadership Grand Gesture<table style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #1b2e6d; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><tbody>
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<a href="http://www.iedp.com/Pages/ImageManager/Blog%20images/shutterstock_191422451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.iedp.com/Pages/ImageManager/Blog%20images/shutterstock_191422451.jpg" style="border: 0px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLfgHaJ3oeMdTH0k_VTgxbw3z77hvHA8Oy5k9AEpBDGG6lTO9BhyllwPxdkx_25E-gNK1WXdPLp9i_hIE6Dxe2lh_xhCpzWy6UCarPnDwMsgcGuzYfkq6FdbxZJCu_RunDH3Fc9lqb3hE/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy67uoJ8Y_HyUof33YvbbwQxR6ulxN-RGDk678ieTmwYM-GJuddjwupItfuYhY4YD0hFvQeDn-6gnvFVqQkBpeOZ7DIWqNVzTuM4lxSm2UthMDTcoqJFVAvVvFI9ggUmigCv_DR00Jc-F8/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy67uoJ8Y_HyUof33YvbbwQxR6ulxN-RGDk678ieTmwYM-GJuddjwupItfuYhY4YD0hFvQeDn-6gnvFVqQkBpeOZ7DIWqNVzTuM4lxSm2UthMDTcoqJFVAvVvFI9ggUmigCv_DR00Jc-F8/s1600/DSC_3349+%252800000003%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="color: #194267;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-style: initial;"></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">V</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">IEWPOINT: <i>Just occasionally leaders need to make a grand gesture to get their message across, Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="line-height: 15px; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Management Centre Europe</a>, offers valuable insight on when and how to do it, in this eighth in his series of articles for IEDP:</i>Newly appointed leaders often have a shrinking window of opportunity to get the team they’ve been given to manage on their side. My view is that you need to get their attention from day one, the first hour if at all possible. I think it is vitally important to send a message that will make the organization know you are serious about getting things done.<br /><br />This is particularly true if you are being parachuted into a situation where there is low morale, high turnover or some similar corporate malaise.<br /><br />But getting people to sit up and pay attention sometimes calls for a grand gesture. Something truly memorable. The stuff of leadership legend that will be talked about whenever the business ‘war stories’ are recalled and retold.<br /><b><br />Just in case you need to make a grand leadership gesture one of these days, here are three real-life examples that might just get you thinking the next time you feel you need to make some instant impact:</b><br /></span></span><br />
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<li>A newly appointed general manager was sent into an organization where communications had broken down and employees were all suffering from low morale. Day one the manager arrived with a tool box in his hand. As headquarters staff watched open-mouthed, he took out a wrench and a screwdriver and removed the door to his office and had it taken away. The message was crystal clear.<b> “My door is always open, don’t hesitate to come and talk to me.</b>” This dramatic gesture achieved its goal. Within seconds (thanks to the power of email) the whole company knew what had happened at headquarters. This no nonsense, hands-on approach was the beginning of a spectacular turn-around in the organization’s fortunes.</li>
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<li>Not quite so dramatic, but equally successful, was the manager sent as the new leader of an ailing division of a software provider just before the Christmas period. The day she arrived top management sent a memo to the whole company saying that – due to budget restrictions – there would be no Christmas parties that year. <b>The newly appointed manager tacked up a memo on the notice board inviting everyone in her new division to her Christmas party </b>– <b>which she paid for!</b> <b>Again, it sent an instant message to everyone and was the starting point of a turnaround: which, of course, resulted in a nice, fat bonus for the ‘generous’ manager.</b></li>
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<li>Or how’s this for total leadership chutzpah? Sent in to shake things up by his U.S. electronics firm, the new head of Europe sent a very definite message just hours after his plane landed in Brussels. Taken to a Michelin starred restaurant in the city as a ‘welcome to Europe’ gesture by his top 50 managers he came up with a bigger, bolder gesture of his own! He only stayed for the soup, saying, “well guys you may have time for lunch, but I haven’t.” There was more to come. A keen skier, <b>the new boss started each day running up the 20 plus floors to his office as part of his keep-fit regime. His personal team was ‘encouraged’ to do the same. The message, “we are here to do a job and we can’t do that wasting time eating lunch or even waiting for elevators.”</b></li>
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</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /><b>For leaders, grand gestures have their place.</b> <b>Only you can’t do them too often.</b> So my advice is save them for when you really need to strike a chord, sending a message that won’t, ever, be forgotten. You’ll also have fun doing it too. Whoever said that leadership shouldn’t be fun? Not me. </span></span><br />
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<b style="color: black; font-size: medium;">Do you have a story about a CEO, or senior manager who made the grand gesture to get a point across ? If so we’d like to hear it.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">This column on leadership and organizational development is written exclusively for the IEDP by Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.mce-ama.com/" style="line-height: 15px; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Management Centre Europe</a>, the Brussels-based development organization. </span></em><i style="color: #194267; font-size: medium;">Have a comment or a question? <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" target="_blank">C</a></i><span style="color: #505050;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rudi-plettinx/6/220/8b0/fr" target="_blank">onnect with him via Linkedin. </a></span></span></div>
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