Mark Deo's Latest News

Building a Client-centric Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Fri, 22 May 2015 18:24:00 +0000

Lots of organizations TALK about their company culture or investigate ways to change the culture. Clearly that is a good thing. But family businesses have a built-in need to ensure constant cultural change. You see when subsequent generations succeed ownership of the business they tend to lead differently.

Sometimes those differences are massive and at other times they are subtle but the team members can be very confused or even incensed over how that change occurs. They may feel unimportant or underappreciated or o the other hand they may see it as an opportunity to manipulate leadership to “get what they want.” This can have a deleterious effect over the client relationship since it is our team members that are dealing with the client on a daily, weekly monthly basis. This happens with the sales team, account management, customer service, technical services and even accounts receivable, accounts payable and even the receptionist.

Often time’s client contact occurs at various points in the organization. For this reason it is critical in a family business that we focus on the selling culture. The more we can ensure behaviors which are consistent with the culture we desire to reflect the better customer experience we can create. As we examine all of the customer touch-points we can identify areas of alignment and misalignment. This correlates perfectly with the “culture hacking” precept which has previously been discussed.

You might have amazing customer service. You could be the leading provider of cutting edge technology. You may have an amazing Web presence. It's possible that you have the world's most compelling value proposition. But if your revenue-generating sales team isn't reaching its potential, here are some key actions which can help your company to create a more effective client-centric culture:

1. Listen and Learn. I am not telling you to interrupt people when you hear them speaking with clients (internal or external) in a way that makes you grind your teeth. Listen, learn and discuss this with the rest of your leadership behind closed doors. People tend to change their behavior when Mommy or Daddy are watching and this does not give us a clear vision of the true culture.

2. Focus on Language. Help people to learn the right language. I’m not talking about proper grammar but rather the language of the client. Speaking in terms of what is most important to them.

3. Drive results. Customer relationships are built on common perceptions and shared values not just numbers and deliverables. So look at all the results. Certainly the numbers are a pre-requisite and all that count at the end of the day but “getting there” requires us to modify our focus to the small wins that happen with every person in every department, every day.

4. Trim the tree. We all know the negative impact that just one team member with a bad attitude or poor behavior can have over the rest of the team. Putting aside HR laws which we of course need to comply with don’t prolong the inevitable. Let people go free to pursue a career where they will be happier and more productive. That might mean higher turnover but that is better than threatening the culture which impacts the lives of ALL the employees and clients.

5. Elevate self worth. Recognition is important to everyone. Yet employees battle fear and rejection every single day. From customers, other team members, vendors and even their leaders. If you want them to produce you need to promote how honorable and noble their work is throughout your organization. In your talk and demeanor, elevate the importance of the client-centric function to all the departments in the organization.

8. Build training and coaching into the culture. Training and coaching should be a consistent process in the organization, not a once or twice per year event. It's your company’s job to give your people the tools and training they need to succeed in customer interactions as well as other function. Sales cultures have well-defined systems to help their people grow, learn and achieve. This is especially important for new hires but you also need to have some way to deliver on-going advanced sales training ideas for your entire sales team.

9. Enmesh self- accountability into the culture. Believe it or not, most people need and welcome regular accountability. Spending regular one-on-one time with your people not only gives you a chance to mentor and train with them; it shows that what they do is important and that you care about their success. Part of the reason why coaching has become so popular in recent years is because companies are stretched thin by tight budgets and managers are not able to spend enough individual time with their people so they seek outside reinforcement.

How to Avoid Recruitments Most Common Mistake (or you can hire John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 01:56:00 +0000

Depending upon who you listen to unemployment is 8% or 12% and some even say 20% when we consider those who've stopped seeking work.

Then why is it so hard to recruit good people?

NO NEED TO READ FURTHER - Listen to My Podcast

We hire people based on their job history but we fire them when we find out who they are.
Over my twenty-plus years of business consulting experience I have observed thousands of employee hires. I have personally interviewed and made recommendations on hundreds of candidates in every industry and company culture imaginable. I have yet to discover that candidates with the best experience and job history make the best employees. I have seen those with NO experience, industry knowledge, formal training or relevant work history beat the pants over those with the experience..

Why?

Because merely having the experience, work history and job knowledge does not mean you possess the attitudes, behaviors and discipline necessary to excel. On the other hand if you have the attitudes, behaviors and discipline you are open to learn all you need to know. In short success is not based upon WHAT we know but rather WHO we are.

I am not saying that work experience. industry knowledge and job history is meaningless. In fact possess these competencies can often mean a shorter training or acclimation period. It could make on-boarding faster. But work history will not make-up for poor attitudes, behaviors and discipline.
Even mass murders Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy had a great resumes. They were pillars in their community. They did all the right things except who they were in secret was evil and sinister.
While it is likely that candidates with good attitudes, habits and behaviors will usually have a good resume that's not always the case. Life intervenes.

I am always amazed at how employers congregate to one of two extremes...
Either they are completely oblivious to candidate behaviors focusing ONLY on their work experience and job duties or they hold candidate's to unrealistic behavioral requirements which even they themselves fail to satisfy!

How about being realistic.

Sometimes when I'm listening to employers Yammer on about the kind of candidates they want to hire I think... even I myself wouldn't qualify!

So is you are in the recruitment process begin to think differently about the human capital you are recruiting. Think attitudes, behaviors and discipline more so than industry experience, job knowledge and work history.

Listen to My Podcast

We Can't Motivate Anyone

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:32:00 +0000

One of the most common questions I get as a business consultant is; “how can I motivate my people?”

I shudder at the thought of how much business I have lost when I answer this question with, “You really can’t.”

Yikes!

Surely as business leaders we need to find a way to help our people to give their best. Let’s face it, that is good for the company, the clients, co-workers and even for their families. But how can we “motivate” to give their best? When I say, “we can’t” what I really mean is that typical motivation methods just don’t work.

Science has proven over and over again that typical motivational tools, like; incentives and rewards, in most cases, don’t produce better results. In fact most of these studies show that the higher the reward, the worse the performance. (For those of you, who might doubt this, please check out my attributions, listed below. This is a well proven fact and correlated in numerous studies.)

Now if we are speaking of a simple repetitive task, yes, a consistent reward will produce predictable results. But for cognitive, higher functioning tasks and responsibilities, typical motivating tactics will fail every time. So if you want anything other than repetitive, manual labor, if you want analytical, creative or decision-oriented work, rewards can actually backfire.

Ultimately rewards just motivate people to, well… get the Reward! When the rewards go away, the motivation ends. Makes sense right?

Engaged, sustained, higher level performance does not occur by manipulating others through incentives, contests or rewards. It is less about “what people GET” and more about “How people FEEL.” Motivation is not a mathematical calculation it is rather an emotional mindset. Now I do need to add that this doesn’t relieve us from paying competitive wages and benefits. If you fail to do that, no motivation methods (emotional or otherwise) will work.

Here are some basic tips on how you can create an environment where people FEEL motivated. When I say “create and environment” I’m not talking about office amenities like; a pool table, snack bar, gourmet coffee cart and dimly-lit conversational pit! I’m speaking of the “emotional environment which we create.”

1. Stop Bribing People – I once had a client who summed-up motivation like this; “Their motivation is their salary!” Hmm, not too successful. Honestly though most motivators, incentives or rewards are nothing more than bribes. Paying people well is important but I have often witnessed that continued pay hikes, bonuses and freebies actually result in lower performance. They amount to nothing more than entitlements. That is getting something for just showing-up. Any compensation increases need to be directly linked to outcomes in terms of both behavior and performance. The goal of the leader in terms of motivation is to incite a behavioral change which has a dramatic impact on performance. We can’t change someone’s behavior but THEY CAN! The idea is to create the kind feels that make them decide to change.

2. Create the Right Feelings – We often think of the workplace as less emotional, more formal and serious. But it doesn’t have to be that way. People are motivated about something they feel strongly about more so than money. Dan Pink, an expert in motivation says that “for complex tasks we are more motivated by the need for purpose, mastery and autonomy.” As leaders we can leverage this by helping our people to “feel good” about their role, responsibilities and accomplishments. This also promotes creativity and teamwork. If you consider this, it is diametrically opposed to the carrot and the stick. Dale Carnegie said to “give people a fine reputation to live-up-to and they might surprise you in the end”

3. Encourage Progress – Sometimes the reaching the destination is over-rated. Help people to reflect on what they have accomplished SO FAR. Persistent people spend twice as long thinking about their accomplishments. In this super-speedy, techno-crazed blur of a society, the thing they crave most is sincere, honest recognition. There’s no time for that soft, mushy stuff right? Now I’m NOT talking about incentives, rewards and gifts, I am speaking of a “good word” when deserved. It is amazing how powerful this can be. Send a written note. Yea like with a pen and paper. You remember those? Life satisfaction is 22% more likely for those with a steady stream of accomplishments (Orlick 1998).
Remember that people are engaged and motivated with “why” we do things more so than “what” we do says Simon Senek, author of Start with Why. Think of Martin Luther King’s, I Have a Dream, or John F. Kennedy’s, “It’s not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

No one performs at optimal performance when they are being nagged. I hope these tips will help you to lead and manage with great creativity, sensitivity and produce better outcomes.

Here’s my story which I hope creates a feeling for you and spurs you to take action. I am part of a fundraising group here in Redondo Beach and our aim is to refurbish our children’s library. They have outdated computers, worn furniture and walls that need paint. We are raising $30,000 to improve the environment to motivate kids to learn. I’d like to ask for your help. If everyone who is reading this donated $10 we would exceed our goal. So how about it? Skip a few Starbucks this week and help some kids learn. Donate at www.parsonsprojectforkids.com

Thank You

Mark Deo
mark@markdeo.com
310-963-1145

Attributions: Time Article (http://time.com/53748/how-to-motivate-people-4-steps-backed-by-science/), TED Talk, The Puzzle of Motivation Dan Pink - http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en, Study by Bashaw and Grant 1994, Orlick 1998 Study of Satisfaction, Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Simon Sinek, Start with Why.

Delegation Dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 21:30:00 +0000

Julia slumped across her desk, head in hands staring at the pile of work she just received. She was wondering how she was going to distribute all of it to her staff who already felt overworked.

The holidays were rapidly approaching and she could already hear their comments at the upcoming staff meeting. Bob, one of her supervisors and most productive employees would roll his eyes and tell her he would not be working any overtime and he would not be cancelling or changing his vacation. She knew that Bob's wife coordinated her vacation with him as well as the vacations of their children. So getting more hours from Bob would be impossible. In addition she did not feel it was worth threatening their rapport and good working relationship in order to simply get him to put in a few more hours.

Audrey was her most experienced and knowledgeable employee but was rather resistant to change and wasn't exactly the best at getting along with other people or working together with other departments. Audrey worked best when she worked alone. Surely Audrey could take on some of the work but Julia knew that doing so might make her even more temperamental than she currently was. There certainly would be some complaints from other department managers as well as other employees. Again, in Julia's mind, upsetting the "Audrey applecart" was not worth the effort to attempt to delegate this additional work.

She also knew if Bob and Audrey (her best people) were resistant in taking on additional work, certainly the rest of the staff, who followed their lead, would not be willing. She could do as she had done before and distribute the work evenly among all of the members of her staff but it just ended up resulting in more errors and duplicate work than was practical. Often times the employees would go to Audrey and Bob for help anyway. Her last attempt at doing so almost called the departmental mutiny.

Sadly, Julia felt the best way to handle this new pile of work was to get it done herself. But she also knew she would have to cancel her holiday plans which would greatly disappoint her family. Not to mention the fact that this wasn't very good leadership.

How do you think Julia should deal with this situation?

Maybe it sounds familiar. I will be collecting responses and next week I will be delivering another email with the best suggestions and my advice in how to deal with this kind of issue.

Hold on Tight or Let Go?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 18:30:00 +0000

Skylar and Sheena were sisters and they both owned similar businesses which seemed to be valued at nearly identical levels. Each of the sister's had desired to sell their business for an amount of money which would easily finance a comfortable retirement for themselves and their families. The had about the same business model, prospects for growth, intellectual equity, resources, head count and cash reserves. Yet the leadership style of the sisters were quite different.

Skylar was in the office every day. She had control over every variable of the business. Nothing happened without her knowledge and approval.

Like Sheena, she had two Sales Reps, but Skylar was always the person to negotiate the deals with critical clients. She oversaw contact with investors and business partners. She would direct the marketing initiatives. She ensured that customer service was timely and accurate. She kept a watch over production daily. She was involved in leading and managing every aspect of the business right on down to who would assume new responsibilities and how they would do so.

While Skylar appointed three managers for sales, administration and production, all decisions would filter through her before implementation. Whenever there was a question or someone wanted to move forward on something they all knew to discuss it with Skylar FIRST before ANY action was taken. Skylar even led all the meetings with employees. She felt this level of "oversight" was necessary for clear communication, good resource management and smooth operations. Skylar believed it was the key to her success and would someday pay-off big when it was time to sell the company. She had a well-oiled machine!

Sheena on the other hand was quite different. She only spent 3 or 4 days in the office and often worked from home. Whenever someone asked her a question she would typically defer it to someone else to answer. Occasionally she would visit clients with one of her two Sales Reps yet she spoke very little at these meetings. She would attend employee meetings but rarely led them. Sheena also established leaders for sales, administration and production who did most of the decision making and merely kept Sheena informed. Many times employees would just start a new initiative on their own and work with other employees to implement these changes, Sheena coached her managers to allow employees to enjoy this freedom. Even though several times these initiatives failed and consumed some resources. Sheena felt this was still OK. She spent more of her time just encouraging, listening and congratulating her team. She was very cordial but to many observers, it looked like Sheena was somewhat disconnected from her business operations. It seemed that "the tail was wagging the dog" at her company.

One day a private equity firm came along to evaluate both Sheena's business as well Skylar's. This was the moment each of the sister's had been waiting for... PAYDAY!

The private equity offered to buy Sheena's business outright for 12 million dollars (FOUR times her current level of sales).

They decided to PASS on making an offer to Skylar for her business as they did not feel it was worth much to them.

Skylar was furious. How could this arrogant private equity firm value her sister's business at four times the current sales yet feel that Skylar's business was worth nothing?

What do you think the private equity firm told Skylar?

I am dying to hear your answers. Remember other than their style of leadership EVERYTHING about these businesses were the same.

Email me at mark@markdeo.com or better yet leave your comment here.

Mark Deo
310-963-1145
www.markdeo.com

Get Your Way by Shutting-up

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 04:35:00 +0000

A while back I had to do something we all abhor... get a root canal. I say we all abhor getting a root canal because I've never heard anyone say they enjoyed it. It is at the very least uncomfortable, inconvenient and expensive. At worse it's extremely painful.

A root canal has become synonymous with doing something you really would prefer NOT to do! As in, "I'd rather get a root canal than speak with Mark Deo." (A little self-depreciating humor there).
Yet I have discovered something good about a root canal. I am FORCED to shut-up! And not just shut-up but to actually listen.

So there I am sitting or lying in this rather humiliating position in the dental chair at the endodontist office, who happens to be a friend. He is droning-on about some specific problems he's having (This is the downside of having a friend as your endodontist.) It is at this point I realize I actually have a perfect solution for his troubles.

Yet it is impossible for me to tell him due to my mouth being stuffed with; a suction device, dental dam, wads of cotton, various bits of metal, plastic and what feels like all twenty of his and his assistants fingers. I can only emit a deep guttural groan which I decide NOT to do because it might sound like a wounded animal or an ungrateful, onerous patient of which I am both.

Suddenly to my utter surprise he begins to articulate the very solution which I had been planning to tell him. Wow! How could this be? Hearing my own thoughts coming out of HIS mouth started me kicking my feet and waving my hands. I look up at him with big pleading eyes like a harp seal about to be beat over the head with a Louisville Slugger. He looks down at me as if I was a 5 year-old, "it's OK, we're almost done."

Could it be that my higher (yet reticent) level of listening allowed him to work this out for himself? Hmmm... isn't this what a coach is supposed to do?

So this listening thing, which I preach about all the time, actually works! Imagine that.
After all the various objects are removed from my distended mouth he proceeds to thank me for helping him work out a solution to his problem. You really are a great coach, he tells me. I swallow my pride because my jaw hurts too much to speak anyway from all the hardware that has been jammed in it.

I high-tailed it out of that office learning something yet again by keeping my mouth shut.
My next stop... the dental supply store to get some hardware of my own.

Not a Good Sign

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 04:31:00 +0000

I guess it's NOT a good sign when your wife of 30 years decides to buy a book with the name... Living Successfully with Screwed-up People" That would be me.

Thank you Dear!

Make Fear Your Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 04:23:00 +0000

Here are some very specific things that you can do to make fear the friend that you consistently court, rather than the foe that you chronically avoid:

1.When things look bleak don't deny reality, accept it and begin to develop some options. Write them down and take action to change things rather than waiting for them to get better.

2.Don't allow yourself to be forced into change. Make the decision to bring about change BEFORE you are swept-up in the maelstrom...

3.Find someone that you can mentor. Taking this leadership role with even just one person will allow you to see the power of fear and change in another person. In the end, this will make it much easier for you to cope with fear and embrace change.

4.Look for situations where others are positively dealing with fear and change. Give them the recognition they deserve for coping with their changing environment. This will reinforce your own values.

5.Change the way you celebrate achievements. Typically, we set goals, we work hard at achieving them, we reach them and we celebrate. We are content and satisfied with a job well done. Hopefully when the party's over we set new goals and the cycle starts all over again. But shouldn't we be setting new goals BEFORE we pop the cork on the Champaign?

6.Be an evangelist for your company, product or service. Ask yourself, how YOU change peoples lives for the better. Focus on this. NOT features and benefits.

7.Be a catalyst for change with everyone that you meet. Look for ways that you can help them to cope with the fear and change in their lives.

8.Don't try to eliminate all stress in your life. Like my old boss, Sue Schneider used to say, "Stress is good, DISTRESS is bad." If we try to completely eliminate stress and fear in our lives we will be sadly disappointed. On the other hand if we find ways of coping with stress and fear, we will amass for ourselves resources of great value.

9.Be the first. Decide from this day forward that YOU will be the first to initiate change in your organization and even at home.

You will lead and inspire.

You will give compliments and provide recognition.

You will thank your clients and vendors.

You will lend a hand to help fellow workers.

You will seek prospects whose businesses and lives can be improved by your company, product or service.

Change is Upon Us

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 19 May 2014 04:09:00 +0000

Are You Waiting...
for someone to lead and inspire you?
for the boss to recognize you?
for clients to thank you?
for coworkers to help you?
for prospects to find you?
for the world to hail you?

Well here's a news flash.... They are all just sitting there waiting for you.
Someone recently asked me, what I felt was the biggest challenge for corporate leaders today? My answer was complacency. Websters dictionary defines complacency as contentment and self satisfaction. You might say, "Hey hold on there Deo! Isn't that what we are striving for as business leaders? Shouldn't it be our ultimate goal to be content and satisfied with our business, finances, family and life?"

I say, NO.

When we become content and satisfied, we no longer have any motivation to get better. We drop our guard. We become OK with achieving the minimum. Unfortunately in today's competitive environment achieving the "minimum" in the short term may just not be good enough to "survive" in the long term. This can be very dangerous in the fast paced, high risk, volatile economy of the 21st century. You may be thinking, "that sounds a little scary, Mark."

It is.

You satisfied with yourself? Hope not! Many people today are saying that fear is bad. I agree that too much fear can be debilitating, just as a complete lack of satisfaction can create disappointment and disillusionment. There are no absolutes. But if we completely eliminate fear from our lives, we lose some of our most base instincts.

Think about when you first started your business or your first day on the job. Weren't you a bit apprehensive? Didn't you have some fear? You probably found yourself asking questions like, what if this doesn't work? What will I do if I fail? What if my coworkers or clients don't like me? Can I really compete? Do I really have the skills necessary to succeed at this?

I think you would agree that this is the GOOD kind of fear. The fear that drives us to greater levels of performance. Fear that motivates us. It's the kind of fear that makes us have more apprehension for things staying the way they are rather than bringing about change.

What does this have to do with business success, you might ask. A successful enterprise must significantly differentiate themselves from the competition. They need to look different, sound different and be different. They must be willing to always be a bit uncomfortable with the way things ARE if they want to change. They can not be content with waiting for change. They can not be satisfied with the most comfortable option.

Team Innovation

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 14:35:00 +0000

Today, businesses large and small like to say they are "team oriented" (whatever that means). I guess it means they work in teams. Big deal. Does that improve their performance? Does that mean that the quality of their product or service is better than the competition? Does that allow them to complete a project more timely, profitably or effectively? Is teamwork really a better way to go about solving problems than say the "hermit" approach? What about Thomas Edison or Leonardo DaVinci or Alexander Graham Bell?

If you've ever worked on a team you know there is one thing that can not be avoided: CONFLICT. At some point someone is going to disagree with somebody else and then, look out! Getting to a simple solution can take hours or days while these two "team-members" fight over minutia. Sound familiar?
Let's face it, often times, teams can hit roadblocks that can sabotage their success. There are a number of things that can be done to ensure good teamwork:

Conflict is Good
As team leaders we must not allow ourselves to think that we solely carry the burden of resolving conflict. I see so may managers, owners and team leaders rush to squish the most subtle sign of conflict within their team. Without conflict we can not reach the best solution. This also places us in a patronizing, parental position that encourages your team members to abdicate personal responsibility for resolving conflict. It keeps them from developing the skills to necessary to grow, mature and hold each other accountable. Allow the team to detect conflict and manage only those that escalate.
Guidelines for Managing Conflict

As leaders we need to model guidelines that set the tone for resolving conflict. In this way we will be educating our team members to take responsibility. These should include:

•No personal attacks
•No heated outbursts
•No backbiting
•No hostile assumptions

Establishing Expectations
Over the years I have noticed that communicating expectations to the team is paramount in achieving exceptional team performance. The following are areas that team leaders should develop clear expectations for members:

1. Work methods - Make sure your team knows the methods and procedures you expect them to follow when completing the job. If they do not they may frustrate themselves by taking the "long route" and end up disillusioned.

2. Deadlines - Make sure that the team fully understands the time frame for completion. This should include non-negotiable dates as opposed to to dates that can slip.

3. Responsibilities - Ensure that every team member understands their role in the team process. This should be communicated one-on-one with each team member prior to establishing the team. Also ensure that the team members responsibilities are consistent with the teams responsibilities.

4. Priorities - It is critical that team members know the proper priorities. What's to be done first, second and so on.

5. Performance - Paint a picture of the outcome for the team. Show them a vision of a "good" job vs. a "bad" job. Make sure they understand the degree of effort that you expect them to each contribute to the successful solution.

6. Measurement - Establish a system to measure performance in small increments.

7. Communication - Establish a format for consistent communication with the team. This forum will give you the ability to ask the right kind of questions to determine whether the team is "on-track." At this pint you can provide feedback to the team and make suggestions on course correction.

8. Resources - Make sure that your team members understand the resources that are available to
them. This could include staff, facilities, technology, equipment, outside consultants and so on. Encourage them to use the resources to their best advantage but in a cost effective way in order to achieve their goals.

As leaders it's our job to foster innovation. Team members look to us for confidence, guidance, direction and innovation. What can you do to set the stage for creative thinking in the teams that you lead? How can you get your team to discover the best solutions in the most cost effective manner. Remember teams are not just resources, they are people. As I have said many times, we line in an age of relationships. How can you create relationships that go beyond just getting the job done. How can you create relationships that can produce the kind of Edison, Bell and DaVinci innovation.

Why We Do What We Do

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 08:49:00 +0000

How many of us brush their teeth every morning?
Ewww! (to those who said NO)

I venture to guess that most or nearly all of us would answer, YES to this question. But why?
- Because our dentist lectured us?
- Our Mommy and Daddy taught us to do it when we were only 3?
- Our cubicle mate sent us paper airplanes with little notes saying, your breath is killing me?

Have you ever thought about... Why it is we do the things we do?
Habit?

In 1920 Claude Hopkins (father of advertising) was asked to help a little upstart company called Pepsodent to sell their toothpaste. Hopkins had already made Shlitz the #1 beer in America as well as Quaker Oats, Goodyear, Palmolive, Van De Kamps and a score of other household names.

Now in those days less than 7% of the population used toothpaste and even less bothered to brush their teeth so Hopkins had his work cut out for him. He spent many hours researching the product (which was typical for him) and he discovered that a protective film called "muncin plaque" formed on the teeth. He used this in his advertising touting consumers to... "Run your tongue over your teeth and feel that sticky yellow film. Then brush with Pepsodent and feel the tingly freshness."

Hopkins identified a way to get consumers to adopt a new habit by creating a CUE to motivate a change (sticky yellow film on the teeth), a ROUTINE (brushing with Pepsodent) and a REWARD (tingly freshness) as a result of the habit. It worked and in less than three years more than 70% of the population were brushing their teeth!

Habits work the same way today. We are likely unaware of them but every habit contains "cues, routines and rewards." The movie theater produces a cue (the smell of popcorn), we engage in the routine (waiting on line to buy snacks at double the price). Our reward is a more satisfying time at the theater.

When we think about habits we think about smoking, eating, grooming and a variety of undesirable personal practices. Yet habits encompass positive practices and are relevant to how we conduct ourselves in business and leadership settings.

Some business leaders have a habit of shooting from the hip, others may respond to a cue that causes paralysis by analysis. Many are so involved in responding to daily cues that they are stuck in just maintaining the status-quo or "working IN the business" and may never have an opportunity to work ON their business, thereby facilitating growth. Still others are perpetuating a minimal level of innovation, engagement and teamwork through subtle communication or behavioral cues. The sad thing is that they are utterly blind to these. Few of their associates can even see the cues and even less know how to change them.

Think about your work habits now. What "cues" are you responding to? What routines are they triggering? What are the rewards you might unwittingly be creating for yourself?

This is the time of year that many people are making new year's resolutions. Statistics show that by March less than 5% of those resolutions will even be acted upon. Habits are so strongly ingrained that people would rather fail or even die than give them up.

The upside to all this is that we can change our habits by changing the cues, creating new routines and modifying the rewards. What habits might you need to re-evaluate? What new habits can you create to replace them? What might be keeping you from experiencing that breakthrough success that a habit change could bring?

This is the work I do with executives in our coaching sessions. It is so rewarding to see business leaders finally make the changes they have always been wanting to make.

What I often hear is... "I didn't know it was so easy." It is. About as easy as brushing your teeth every morning.

Navigating Competing Values in a Family Business, or... “Can’t We All Just Get Along?”

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 23:29:00 +0000

Tom is the CEO of a prosperous family business. He has always been a conservative fellow and has plodded along over 25 years providing good service, a solid product line and aiming for predictable results. He believes that it is this strategy which is the reason for sustaining a loyal base of customers and employees with an average tenure of 12 years. Conservatism has also allowed him to establish a generous pension plan and the ability to bank some good cash reserves. He will be retiring in five to seven years, relinquishing control to his sons desiring to finally travel the world with his wife. But he wants to be sure the legacy of the business continues.

Rob is Tom’s son. He is more of a risk-taker and believes that being the first to market is a definitive advantage. He believes the company needs to grow in order to survive in what is becoming a competitive industry. He has encouraged his father to invest in process improvement, state-of-the-art production equipment and progressive training. Tom does admit that his son’s innovative ideas have spurned the growth of the firm in recent years but he is concerned about their diminishing margin and when all of this will really pay-off.

Yet both Tom and Rob are a little nervous. Tom wonders if the company will be able to continue to thrive with his kind of “investment-driven” strategy that his son believes in. Rob wonders if his Dad will ever REALLY let go and allow Rob to fully assume the reigns.
What do you think?

Welcome to my world. This is similar to the issues I face when consulting with family-owned businesses. Often times there are competing values. It’s not so much that family members disagree on strategies, tactics or even the mission or vision of the company; it is more that their values are very different. They see the world through different lenses. They make decisions based on a different set of criteria. What might appear to one member as a “dangerous road to be carefully navigated” to another might be a challenge to “see how fast we can take that curve!”

Who is right? Either? Neither? Both?

Being RIGHT is hardly what is important. What IS most critical is how this family will be able to merge their diverging values into a strategy which will ensure that the company continues to prosper. Tom’s values got them where they are today but Rob’s values might very well propel to where they need to be to continue prosperity.

Of course it would take more than a two page article to communicate all of the details which need to be considered when helping a firm like this align their values and goals. But I have outlined a few (albeit oversimplified) issues which must be considered:

1. Start with the vision. No one can decide how they will make a journey until they are clear about “where they want to end-up.”

2. Identify the common ground for all the principles. The thing that gets in the way of good decision-making is emotions. Being clear on the “common-ground” allows the players to take the emotion out of the decisions which need to be made.

3. Create a third person who will be at the center of every decision – THE COMPANY. Remember that a corporation is a legal entity and retains the same rights as a person so weigh every decision with the impact to the company as a whole rather than only the individual shareholders.

4. Be clear on roles and responsibilities. When the principles that are transitioning out of the business understand and agree to what responsibilities they will relinquish and WHEN they will relinquish them, it makes it easier for the next generation to assume the role.

5. Create a clear succession plan with a timeline and accelerating and decelerating involvement from the appropriate parties.

6. Provide the right level of training and coaching for the emerging leaders. There is no worse formula for failure than throwing leaders into positions they are not ready for.

7. Invest time in understanding intergenerational differences. There has been a lot of information published on this topic. It is critical that both or all three generations, if applicable develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the others.

8. Create a family board to include members from each generation as well as an advisory committee. This should include key leaders in the company who are NOT family members as well as advisors who are not retained by the business to ensure impartiality. This allows family members to gain the perspective of experienced professionals outside the family.

9. Get the right training, coaching and mentoring or the emerging leaders and principles. This might mean going outside the family to retain experts in the vertical specialties needed.

Family businesses comprise 80% of all business enterprises in North America. They account for 60% of total U.S. employment, 78% of all new jobs. It’s not surprising that nearly 40% of family businesses in America will be passing the reigns to the next generation over the next five years according to Business Week Magazine.

Yet the most incredible statistic by far was the one postulated by Robert Avery at Cornell University in his paper, “The Ten Trillion Dollar Question: A Philanthropic Game plan.” Avery noted that by 2050, virtually all closely held and family owned businesses will lose their primary owner to death or retirement. Approximately $10.4 trillion of net worth will be transferred by the year 2040, with $4.8 trillion in the next 20 years.

The plain fact is that family businesses are in trouble because succession plans are quite obviously less and less effective.

Chances are if you are reading this, you or someone you know will be transitioning their family business.

What are they doing right now to prepare for that?

Mark Deo
310-963-1145

Culture Hacking

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 03:45:00 +0000

Who would ever think you could change a company's culture by hacking into it like a computer.

Well not only is it possible but it is becoming one of the today’s most powerful ways to bring about corporate culture change.

In the same way computers are made useful by software and our ability to interface with them, organizations are made useful by employees and their ability to provide valuable product/service solutions. So if employees are the “software” that powers corporate productivity, how do we “re-write the code” which influences their behavior?

We HACK INTO it!

Every company has a culture which dictates the “acceptable way” for employees to act and speak. The culture is often NOT fashioned in the image of the owner or principles but is rather a collection of employee beliefs and behaviors which have evolved over time. The organizational culture may also have negative and positive aspects. There are diverse and sometimes conflicting cultures that co-exist due to different characteristics of the management team. When leaders are at odds in their management philosophy, silos may develop. This push and pull is highly unproductive and a great deal of energy can be wasted in attempting to shift organizational decisions toward a specific silo’s desired outcomes rather than in the interest of the organization as a whole. These silos are sometimes the result of unchecked "empire building" by middle management and can stand in the way of creating a positive, productive and functional company culture.

No alternative

A culture cannot be changed by installing policies or procedures. This is a huge error made by well-meaning but deluded leaders. Nor can we discipline employees with the hope that the behaviors will change to ultimately shift the culture. Just as unsuccessful in culture change is the notion that we can “incentivize” employees to modify their beliefs and behaviors. Employees will be resentful and unwilling to change when being manipulated by any means even if it is done with sincerity and a pure heart. So how do we get people to change their erroneous beliefs and modify their behaviors?

How to Hack

We must “hack-into” the social structures and implant “doubt” so employees begin to question their long-held beliefs and act-out ingrained, dysfunctional behaviors. This sounds more daunting than it actually is. What this amounts to is giving our employees a “better choice” when it comes to their response to; dealing with difficult personalities, balancing conflicting agendas, meeting unrealistic expectations, engaging in emotional control, relieving stress and enduring disappointment over inconsistent rewards. In other words, rather than tolerating an environment where employees are engaging in gossip, a better choice might be to speak with a mentor. A better choice to abdicating responsibility is to “take” responsibility because your boss/company will always back-you-up even when you’re WRONG. A better choice to slamming someone in another department because they don’t see your point of view is to help develop mutual understanding through cross-training. Behavioral change is a process; it requires practice. As leaders it is our responsibility to create the right environment where functional behavior can prosper and before we know it the culture is changing of its own power.

Getting Started

Here are some ways that we can begin the process of “hacking-into” the culture in a practical way:

1. Make a “results contract” with the leaders in your organization. The energy for change comes from the tension between current and aspired results, a tension that the organization cannot resolve without change. Have the business leaders take accountability for closing the gap.

2. Lead a business transformation project. Integrate the culture change initiative into the business strategy. Have a logical thread from the new behaviors to the aspired results. Refer to this thread constantly.

3. Set outcome metrics. Ask the leaders to define what concrete and measurable results they would see if the project succeeded. Use these metrics to assess progress.

4. Start with demonstrations from leaders. Ask leaders to explain and display the new behaviors before any cascade activities. They don´t have to do it perfectly, but they must show their commitment in action.

5. Focus on business. Facilitate operational meetings and help people do their real jobs more effectively through the new attitudes and behaviors. Consider workshops and coaching only when there is a pull; that is, when people want to learn how to be even more effective.

6. Don’t play favorites. Treat all team members the same in terms of their value and contributions.

Changing a company culture requires time, focus and determination but it is possible. Next time you hear about those hackers and the damage they are doing to network servers. Think about doing some positive hacking of your own to create a more harmonious, productive and satisfying workplace for all your team members.

Mark Deo
mark@markdeo.com

My Brain's Going to Bust if I Learn One More Thing!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 14:18:00 +0000

Don't you feel that way sometimes? Like your brain will explode if someone sticks one more bit of data inside it?

Yea everyone is always talking about, learning organizations, process improvement, continuous education, blah, blah, blah!

With technology always nipping at our heels there seems to be a constant effort placed on technical learning or the latest and greatest new systems. I understand. That stuff is necessary.

But I am speaking about a different kind of learning. The kind that won't mess up your cubicle-mate with your bloody grey matter!

That is learning about other people and how deal with them better. Imagine that! Can such a thing be learned? YES and it won't make your skull burst!

I am speaking, for example, of learning how to motivate, inspire and incite enthusiasm in others in a GENUINE way.

Leaders and their employees who develop the capacity for self-analysis and adaptive learning will have a remarkable competitive advantage in the future. The future will not be based on technology, cool products, faster solutions or sexy ergonomics. It will be based on the strongest relationships.

I have seen what can happen when there is a greater commitment to work ON improving business relationships rather than just the business deliverables. People in the firm become highly engaged, client loyalty improves, revenue and profits grow, employee turnover drops, new initiatives can be launched quickly and effectively, market differentiation occurs, employees give not out of obedience but out of discretionary effort and there is cooperative, harmonious teamwork. People go BEYOND what is expected of them.

This is not a dream. It can be a reality. I have seen it with my own eyes. It is important to understand that this is NOT exclusive to my consulting practice. I know several consultants, like myself, who employ similar tactics with similar positive results. You see, in business, as in medicine there is a new standard of care. It is a standard that focuses on preventative maintenance and improving health rather than merely treating symptoms and constantly fixing aches and pains.

But as in medicine, the patient must believe they need to become healthier in order to accept treatment. You may be making money, but this is not the only measure of health. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is there a high employee turnover rate?

• Is there political infighting, blame shifting or a lack of accountability among your employees?

• Is there an absence of discipline or self-centered attitudes?

• Do the people in your workplace really enjoy coming to work or is it drudgery?

• Are the excited to give their best?

• Do they feel appreciated and significant?

• Have dysfunctional behaviors like dishonesty, insubordination or emotional outbursts occurred in the workplace during the last six months?

If any of these symptoms are present in your business, its time to think about making some core changes to your business culture. These changes begin with the ability to cope with the unrelenting daily change in our society and economy. They are an outgrowth of our ability to change ourselves first BEFORE expecting others to change. They are interwoven with our commitment to a pre-defined, consistent value set. And they are an example of our ability to hold others accountable for peak performance rather than just mediocrity.

At the SBA Network we like to say that we influence decisions, improve performance and inspire change. Let us know how we might be able to assist you to inspire change in your organization.

Mark Deo

310-963-1145

mark@markdeo.com

When Coaching Doesn’t Work

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 00:22:00 +0000

Whether you are a manager who needs to coach your team, or a professional coach working with a client, it is critical to understand the conditions which must exist for performance coaching to be effective.

Oftentimes we misdiagnose a performance gap as requiring “coaching.” Coaching isn’t always the right solution. When people need to be told what to do we can advise them, when people need to know how to do something they can be trained, but when people need someone to help them to do it themselves this is when coaching is most effective.

In pure coaching engagements the coach never tells the client (or team member) what they should do but rather allows them to make the decisions and select their own path. The coach merely guides the subject by asking the right questions and attempting to uncover the reasons for the attitudes, habits and behaviors and gently assists them in discovering the best solution through facilitating a dialog.
When coaching is ineffective it is often resisted and this might block the individual’s growth or performance improvement. Here are some of the key reason’s which cause others to resist coaching:

Consumes Too Much Time
Surely coaching requires a commitment of time (possibly even dollars) from the subject. Some coaching happens monthly or weekly or even daily. There is no prescribed frequency or duration of time earmarked for coaching sessions. That said the time/dollars invested by the subject must at least be equal to the benefit received. In fact the subject is expecting to gain significantly more value from the coaching arrangement as compared to the time or dollars invested. For this reason the coach and subject must together develop a plan of “desired outcomes.” The success of the coaching engagement should be measured based on the degree to which these outcomes are realized. Since the benefits of behavioral change are massive the return on the coaching should represent a high multiple of the time/dollars invested.

Respect or Trust is Absent
In order to influence others we must be respected by them. If the coaching being provided is not “perceived to be” in the best interest of the subject; the coaching arrangement will fail. This is why forcing someone to engage in coaching is hardly ever productive. The relationship between the coach and the subject is an intimate one. Rather sensitive issues will be addressed and the subject must be able to trust the coach in order to communicate in a transparent manner. On the other hand when trust and mutual respect are achieved the result of the coaching arrangement can be rather significant.

It’s Intimidating
If coaching is not carefully facilitated the result might be the subject feeling unmotivated or ill confident. Too much pressure for change being exerted on the subject can have a contrary effect causing them to believe the possibility of behavioral change is not achievable or even warranted. Their confidence in their abilities might wan. Some coaches still believe that pushing people very hard is the best way to inspire peak performance. This can’t be argued looking at the statistics but there is a more pure way to incite change in behaviors. Genuinely helping to “build confidence” in the coaching sessions is a powerful way to engage the subject to tap into their self-potential. When the subject believes that the coach has pure motives they tend to apply themselves and embrace change more readily.

Some People Are Just Not Coachable
Coaching is not for everyone. There are those who reach their level of competency (or incompetency) and simple plateau-out. They feel leaning of a coach is akin to a character weakness. There are a number of signs which are indicators that a person is not coachable. First; they may not believe they have a problem but in fact, everyone else is the problem. Second; they may be stuck on behaviors which they believe to be the most effective yet blind to evidence of the contrary. Third; they just may be in the wrong job or pursuing the wrong strategy which they are too personally aligned with to back-off. It's hard to help people who don't think they have a problem. It's impossible to fix people who think someone else is the problem. This is a clear sign that coaching may not be the right solution.

Whether you are a coach, someone being coached or someone looking for a coach it is critical to recognize the impediments to coaching. In doing so we might save someone and ourselves the heartache of attempting to bring about unwanted change.

On the other hand most good leaders are self-reflective and focused on continuous improvement. They know that success is not a destination but a journey and are always seeking ways to improve their competencies and behaviors. Next time you are tasked with coaching someone or even being coached think about these four impediments and answer the question, are these behaviors present?

If so, head for the door!

8 Tips For Employee Engagement

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 14:22:00 +0000

As simple as this sounds, actively engaged employees exhibit certain tendencies - tendencies that will make any business much more productive.

According to a Towers Perrin study of 90,000 employees in 18 countries conducted in 2007-2008, companies with the most engaged employees had:
A 19% increase in operating income during the previous year; while those with the lowest levels had a 32% decline.

Overall, employees are happy when they enjoy their work and they see their part in the organization's progress. What can you do to actively engage your employees?

Tip #1: Create Activities Outside Of The Office - Employees enjoy socializing outside of the workplace. Once per season, create an activity outside of the office, such as a scavenger hunt, bowling outing or picnic.

Tip #2: Eat Lunch With Your Personnel - While understanding each person's job function is important, you should also be aware of your employees' feelings about processes and procedures. Host an informal lunch on a Friday afternoon to encourage general chat and to assess your level of employee engagement.

Tip #3: Encourage Experimentation - Innovation and productivity happens when employees are encouraged to have some time and space to come up with new ideas. Create a workspace that encourages brainstorming.

Tip #4: Establish Weekly One-On-One Meetings - A short, 5 to 15 minute weekly status meeting can really help you connect with each employee and monitor progress. These meetings also give your employees a chance to discuss any concerns.

Tip #5: Interact With Your Employees - Walk around and talk to your employees every now and then. Check in and observe their progress. This also keeps you involved in each aspect of the operation of your business.

Tip #6: Provide A Sense Of Completion - Most employees crave change, especially if their job duties are repetitive. Once a project or major task is complete, encourage the sense of completion that comes along with it. Allowing this to happen will increase employee retention and the general feeling of accomplishment in your corporate culture.

Tip #7: Reward Positive Behavior - Always praise positive behavior and reward success with your employee engagement goal in mind. Provide incentives for helpful ideas that can increase sales or productivity.

Tip #8: Survey Your Employees - Employee engagement is measurable. You can judge your level of employee engagement and obtain metrics by creating and distributing a simple employee engagement survey. Be sure to include some extra space for additional comments or ideas. To measure your success, distribute this survey quarterly or semi-annually. You also might want to provide a gift certificate to the best suggestion to improve the company.

Executive Summary: Employee engagement involves an investment of time (and very little money). Once you do invest more time with your employees, it will result in new ideas, higher productivity, lower turnover and a better work environment for everyone; therefore, investing in meeting your employees' intrinsic and extrinsic needs will provide you a huge competitive advantage in today's competitive economy.

Let us know what we can do to help your firm fully engage your team members.

The Wrong Way to Increase Productivity

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:12:00 +0000

All businesses are challenged by requiring increased efficiency and productivity at a time when their workforces are already doing more than ever before. A desire to shift to a collaborative work environment to ramp up efficiency is quickly gaining traction. According to a recent study by IBM, collaboration is the number one trait CEOs expect from their employees. When employees’ sense of purpose becomes better aligned with the organization’s they are then more engaged and eager to contribute toward achieving the company’s ultimate objectives.” You don’t need to resort to drastic measures. In fact the most practical communication and crossfunctional solutions are the most effective. When properly implemented, people strat collaborating like never before!

The Importance of Family Businesses in America

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:26:00 +0000

Family businesses are the most influential factor in the health of the U.S. economy and they are the ONLY solution to our difficult economic times.

This statement might surprise many people but consider the statistics. According to Family Business Review Magazine family businesses comprise 80% of all business enterprises in North America. They account for 60% of total U.S. employment, 78% of all new jobs, 65% of wages paid and 34% of these companies are listed on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. With those stats as a backdrop, it’s not surprising that nearly 40% of family businesses in America will be passing the reigns to the next generation over the next five years according to Business Week Magazine (August 11, 2003).

Yet the most incredible statistic by far was the one postulated by Robert Avery at Cornell University in his paper, “The Ten Trillion Dollar Question: A Philanthropic Gameplan.” Avery noted that by 2050, virtually all closely held and family owned businesses will lose their primary owner to death or retirement. Approximately $10.4 trillion of net worth will be transferred by the year 2040, with $4.8 trillion in the next 20 years.

The plain fact is that family businesses are in trouble because succession plans are quite obviously less and less effective. This is primarily due to what I call the “motive gap” between generations. According to an article appearing in the Boston Globe, only 40% of family owned businesses survive to the second generation, 12% to the third, and 3% to the fourth. It s also a known fact that these companies are most successful when run by a family member. Family members have the passion, drive and purest motives to run the company in a way consistent with the founding member. While some of these companies will be successfully sold to those outside the family, these statistics represent a disturbing trend and concern for the future of family businesses and the American economy in general!

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the root of this problem, simply said, is that sons and daughters are not interested in taking over the family business. Now this may well be attributable to other interests and passions. Certainly this is understandable but it does beg the question of WHY they may not interested or excited about learning the ropes and assuming the reigns? I can tell you that after personally working with thousands of family businesses and in may cases counseling numerous reluctant second or third generation leaders this stems from significant generational differences. These differences can easily be reconciled but often both parties (parents as well as sons and daughters) seem to be completely oblivious as to the differences. The result of generational differences are often mistaken as ineffective work habits, personality flaws or other personal characteristic or attributes. Yet more often than not simply becoming aware of the differences in generational decision making, communication and leadership styles can resolve conflict and restore trust and continued harmony in the business.

This allows the business to thrive even in difficult circumstances.

Mission Clueless

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:49:00 +0000

Merely hanging your mission statement in the lobby or putting it on the back of business cards will not ensure that your people are “living it.” Simply doing this demonstrates that leaders are clueless to the real mission – “making believers of their people!” Certainly articulating the company’s mission and specific goals is important but it is even more critical to incite genuine belief, a deep faith and a burning desire among your team to live-out those plans on a daily basis. This cannot be accomplished with mere words. It must be demonstrated by the leaders in the firm with shoulder-to-shoulder unity. When team members experience this they will then believe that the mission is real… that the leaders themselves are living this out even under difficult circumstances. Don’t be clueless; make your company’s mission-possible! Providing your people with the skills they need is the only way to achieve your vision.

Storytelling

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:05:00 +0000

Let me ask you a question. Where do you find inspiration from? Movies, music, books, magazines, seminars, friends, family, co-workers? - Maybe from all of those places.

Let's face it inspiration comes from stories that we hear from other people tell. How they beat the odds, achieved growth, or found a better way, it's all in the story.

You know storytelling has been around for hundreds of years. From the beginning of time, storytelling has been the means by which cultures and societies have preserved and celebrated their memories, passed on their values and belief systems, entertained, instructed and reported. Long before there were written records, storytellers taught through the oral tradition. It was true in the bush, it's true in the boardroom and it's true everywhere in between.

In fact I think true leadership is the effective communication of the story. Our American culture seems to underestimate the power of storytelling. But think about how powerful a story can be when you're in front of a client. Tom Peters says, stories are the red meat that meets our reasoning process. Stories give us permission to act, they are photographs of who we aspire to be, and they cause the most emotional responses. Stories are how we connect with people.

Falling Asleep on the Job

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Achieving organizational behavioral change must occur first with leaders. Employees are very good at picking-up signals from management. They observe much more closely how leaders ACT versus what they SAY. When there is conflict between these two behaviors, team members are hesitant to change their own behaviors. But when there is alignment, leaders are credible and win followers. This behavior is less inborn than learned. When effectively leveraged it produces engagement, accountability and a passion among team members. In short it changes behaviors. Winning accountable behavior requires authentic role modeling. This means leaders must learn how to embrace change. When they do the magic begins to happen!

Typical Training is for Pets

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:08:00 +0000

Training our people to be more compliant and follow policies and procedures just doesn't work. They often politely listen and tell us precisely what we want to hear yet fail to make significant, sustainable change. When self-driven behaviors are adopted team members perform with greater passion and engagement. They make better decisions and create more consistent results. Don't train your people like they're pets. They need practical and relevant solutions to today's difficult business challenges.

Mark Hobnobs with Congressional Candidate

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:24:00 +0000

Here I am with Bill Bloomfeild who is running for Congress in the 72nd District. I know Bill from our long association with Wash Laundry Service here in El Segundo. What I like about Bill is he is an independent and doesn't talk bad about the Rpublicans or Democrats. In fact his whole platform is finding a way to bridge the rediculous partisan gap with just common sense and a little hard work. Check him out at www.bloomfeildforcongress.com

Managing Change from the Front Lines

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:08:00 +0000

“Three of the Top Workplace Stressors”

“A true leader has the confidence to influence change, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” – General Douglas MacArthur

The most powerful form of influence we can exert as leaders is… “the ability to influence change.” Yet when change is produced it creates emotions and fears among the members of the organization.

Change is stressful. But stress is a stimulus that can be positive or negative. Studies have shown that stress in the workplace most commonly occurs in one of three situations:

1. When there is a high demand placed on employees

2. When employees are being closely watched

3. When employees are concerned about their competence or value

As leaders it is our job to quell those fears. When we operate in the management role we must balance our passion, execution and sensitivity. It is good to be passionate about where we are taking our organization. But even more important is translating this belief into action. Taking part in the execution process makes a big statement to your team. The best generals have led their troops into battle at the FRONT of the lines. You won't win cooperation by calling the plays from the sidelines. This will create resentment and reduce morale. Finally be sensitive to the emotional and behavioral issues involved in change. Get in touch with how the change is affecting each of the critical members of your organization.

In order to truly put these precepts into practice, we need to understand the way change works. Jeanie Daniel Duck in her book, "The Change Monster," points-out the stages of organizational change and how this impacts the people in companies.

The stages of change are as follows:
1. Stagnation

2. Preparation
3. Implementation
4. Determination
5. Fruition

Stage 1: Stagnation
This first phase can be summed up in two words: demoralization and denial. A demoralized company exhibits the same symptoms as a depressed person: general slowness, difficulty in making decisions, and a lack of motivation. Stagnation can be caused by poor communication, lack of leadership, murky strategy, too few resources, conflicting goals or poor execution. Before you can implement a sound strategy, however, you have to modify the culture of the company - its beliefs, attitudes and habits. In most cases these are the elements hindering growth. To burst free of stagnation, you need to ask yourself: "What outdated beliefs and behaviors are preventing us from conceiving or executing a winning strategy?"

Stage 2: Preparation
During this stage, many operational issues are addressed. This often results in a new structure for the organization, new employee roles. New responsibilities are designed, and management determines which products or services will be most critical in the future. The goal in this stage is to align and energize our management team around a corporate strategy and vision. As leaders we must all consistently articulate the SAME vision. In other words, we all need to be on the same page as to where we're going and how we plan on getting there. Only then will it be clearly understood and executed by others. We also need to be careful of becoming too dictatorial with our precepts. The goal is to develop a group thinking about change. This can't happen if the leader isn't open to hearing criticism of his or her ideas.

Stage 3: Implementation
Implementation is different in every organization. Leaders are responsible during the implementation phase for managing expectations, energy and experience. Asking people to change can create resentment, embarrassment and tension. Here are some ideas to reduce the barriers to change among team members:

Test before deployment - If a new process is being implemented, try it in one department or with one product or service group before rolling it out.

Build behavior first - Focus on a SINGLE OBJECTIVE and ask the employees for input. This allows us to empower our team by letting them SHOW YOU how they can come up with the solution. Create your own little focus groups if necessary for green-light thinking.

Plan replication - Duplicate your successes. Transferring change from person to person takes time. Let change spread rather than forcing it on your team.

Stage 4: Determination

Because change does take time, many of the former champions of change may have developed second thoughts. At this time it is not unusual to see conflicts arise as a result of change. Often service levels drop, sales falter, production problems deepen, and profitability wavers. It is critical that leaders have the determination to see change through. We can be tempted to throw up our hands and say, "That's it! We're going back to the way it was. Nobody is doing what we told them to do!" Don't mistake your own perceptions for reality. People are finding a new way to accomplish their goals. One that is more dependent on their efforts rather than their leaders support. Conflict is not necessarily bad. It produces change, a reorganization of priorities and self-sufficiency. Conflict must be facilitated in a constructive way.

Stage 5: Fruition
No change is easy. But achieving long-sought-after goals is rewarding. Once a targeted goal is reached, success often begets success. This is the time to reward people for their success. Reward in public and punish in private. The great Dale Carnegie said, "Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."

Understanding the stages of change will afford leaders the ability to assist their employee in dealing with the stress that change produces. As effective leaders we must foster behaviors which are consistent with the company’s values and objectives. Doing this in an organization experiencing significant change is an audacious

Dale Carnegie customized corporate solutions provides all of the tools that leaders need to deal with change in organizations. These include behavioral and work competency assessments, strategic planning and succession planning systems and leadership and employee engagement programs.

Give us a call to discover how you might be able to deal with change more effectively.

The Importance of Family Businesses in America

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 01:42:00 +0000