This is just one of the many conclusions of a unique, large-scale study of the skills of managers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, Lithuania, Romania, Greece, Ireland and Slovenia.

Project Director, Michelle Moore, commented, “I know as a specialist management training and development organisation we might say this, but we didn’t.  It was the people who know their managers the best, the people who work with them day in day out, their line managers, colleagues and team members.”

Over 300 managers from SMEs took part in a management skills assessment using a 360 degree assessment and feedback system called Perspectives 360. In addition to completing a self assessment, they were assessed by 5 – 10 other people resulting in a detailed skills report including a set of personal development actions.

Over the coming months, the Perspectives 360 Partners will be releasing a series of management skills benchmark reports: one for each country plus an aggregate report comparing all of the countries. The first of these reports about the United Kingdom will be available in mid June. Anyone wanting to reserve a copy should contact james@exponentialtraining.com and insert in the Subject: UK Perspectives 360 Report.

“Whilst I do not think there are too many surprises, there is certainly food for thought. For instance, why do managers employed in businesses employing 50 – 99 employees score lower than both larger and smaller businesses? Why do directors of small businesses score less than most other management groups? And why do managers who have completed training in performance management score higher in most management skills than managers who have not had any training?” continued Michelle.

The answers to these questions and many more will be the subject of a conference taking place on Wednesday 5 September at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). The conference will be exploring several themes including how management training can help to create and support the development of High Growth Companies.

“This is a really important conference which will be looking at the results and impact of two major European projects, Perspectives 360 and The High Growth Coach and hopefully inspiring business leaders to implement plans for growth” added Michelle.  “Already we have had confirmation of some really interesting speakers as well confirmation of delegates from across Europe.”

For further information about this conference contact Ashleigh Oakes on ashleigh@exponentialtraining.com.

We are currently offering 20% off the price of our Distance Learning Certificate programmes which include qualifications in First Line Management (Level 3), Management & Leadership (Level 5), Strategic Management & Leadership (Level 7) and our Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Management (UK only).

REMEMBER TO QUOTE: “CERTMAY12″ when enquiring to ensure you receive your 20% discount

If you require more information please feel free to contact us at sales@exponentialtraining.com

Offer ends: 1^st June 2012

Certificate in First Line Management (Level 3)

• Personal development as a first line manager
• Improving team performance

WAS: £595
Programme Fee: £475*

Certificate in Management & Leadership (Level 5)

• Personal development as a manager and leader
• Performance management

WAS: £695
Programme Fee: £555*

Certificate in Strategic Management & Leadership (Level 7)

• Personal development as a strategic manager
• Strategic planning

WAS: £795
Programme Fee: £635*

* All prices include CMI Registration fee and learning materials but exclude VAT (UK only) – Offer ends 1st June 2012

National Vocational Qualifications – UK ONLY:

Our National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are work-related, vocational qualifications that have been designed with the help of employers, meaning you gain the kind of skills that employers are looking for.

Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Management (Level 3)

Core Units:

• Manage own professional development within an organisation
• Set objectives and provide support for team members
• Plan, allocate and monitor work of a team
• Develop and implement a risk assessment plan in own area of responsibility
• Developing individuals and teams

Plus two Optional Units from:

• Provide leadership and direction for own area of responsibility
• Support team members to identifying, developing and implementing new ideas
• Develop working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
• Plan, allocate and monitor work in own area of responsibility
• Lead and manage meetings

WAS: £1,495
Programme Fee: £1,195*

* All prices include CMI Registration fee and learning materials but exclude VAT (UK only) – Offer ends 1st June 2012

REMEMBER TO QUOTE: “CERTMAY12″ when enquiring to ensure you receive your 20% discount

In your personal life you may have children, a significant other, family and friends all of whom need time, care and attention. Then, of course, there is your professional life – the one that probably consumes the largest portion of your day, and most of your physical and emotional energy.

It is so easy to lose control of your life personally and professionally. The two begin to blend together and it can be difficult to know where one ends and the other starts as they become mixed up. Life needs some balance in it to to keep you healthy and sane. When asked what made him so successful, a wealthy business person once answered, “By being unsuccessful in most other areas of my life!”

If this sounds remotely like you, NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT! Here are a few top tips to get some balance back into your life.

Top Tip 1: Take Stock NOW.

Get a piece of paper and draw a circle with 7 – 10 spokes; add a scale of 1 to 10 on each spoke; label each spoke with headings such as work, finances, friends, family, hobbies, personal development and so on. Now score yourself on each heading out of 10 using a green pen (with 10 being totally satisfied and 1 being totally dissatisfied). Now repeat the exercise using a black pen on where you would like to the scores to be RIGHT NOW. Shade in any negative differences (i.e. between the green and the black lines) using a bright red pen. The RED ZONE represents your Work Life Balance Deficit – where you are literally in the red, you are in deficit.

Living in the red or in deficit creates stress, tension, resentment and harms others areas of our lives. The next step is to make a plan.

Top Tip 2: Develop a Plan of Attack

Why bother with a plan? Plans help to empower us; they put us in control. When we feel stressed it is usually because we feel out of control – the next time you drive too fast around a tight corner the feeling of panic, worry, and fright that you experience is the direct result of feeling out of control of the car and the danger posed by the potential consequences. Closing your eyes at this stage will not straighten up the car, so why close your eyes when you feel out of control in other areas of your life?

Remember the first three habits in Stephen Covey’s work, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People,  (1) Be proactive; (2) Begin with the End in Mind; (3) Put First Things First. Being proactive, taking some form of action instantly makes you feel better, so start RIGHT NOW!

Beginning with the end in mind is all about knowing what you want to achieve what you want. Covey also talks about creating things twice; once in the mind and then in reality. If you have not given the time and thought about where you want to be, the mind cannot work on developing ideas and plans to help you get there. Just as in a business, in life an end destination and a plan helps to keep us heading in the right direction. So what is your ideal destination – your outcomes – your ideal vision?

Top Tip 3: Decide and Do It Now!

Most of us do not make decisions as we leave other options available just in case – we like to ‘hedge our bets’. Let us look at a metaphor that might help us to avoid ‘hedging our bets’. To make a decision is to ‘cut off other options’ which means committing to the selected choice. Often we do not make 100 per cent decisions and keep one or two other options open just in case. There are occasions when this is important, but when thinking about our work-life balance surely some decisions need to be fixed. For instance, what is likely to happen if I say to my children or partner, “I will try to commit to spend more time with you.”  You either mean it or you don’t.

So what are your FIXED decisions to which you are 100 per cent committed? Once these are FIXED, they become life guiding principles or values around which other decisions are made. Before finalising them check out Top Tip 4.

Top Tip 4: Work as Part of a Team

To achieve the work life balance you want means you need to understand the needs and goals of others: you need to work as part of a team. It is pointless committing to a goal that is incongruent with the goals of other people with whom you interact. Whether it is your partner, your children, your friends or your employer, talk to them otherwise your decision might be at odds with their goals and decisions.

Top Tip 5 Schedule Time for Yourself

This seems to be one of the hardest things for most people to do. It’s also the last thing on most people’s list. No matter what you do, you must take some time for yourself to take stock and to review where you are. There is a saying that ‘plans are nothing, planning is everything’. Sometimes, we need to modify plans when they are not taking us towards our goals or if the goals are no longer the right goals. Taking time to reflect is important. So look at your plans, re-evaluate your decisions and take a global look at your work-life balance as things change over time.

So do you have the work-life balance you want right now? The key word in the phrase is LIFE. If you were asked right now on a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you with your work-life balance what would it be? The key is to be honest with yourself, so tell it like it is, no worse and no better. What 100 per cent decisions are you prepared to make to improve your work-life balance?

In contrast, high performing organisations, including High Growth Companies, report higher levels of line manager effectiveness. The CMI report, The Business Benefits of Management and Leadership Development claims that eighty per cent of managers in high performing organisations report that their line manager is effective or highly effective compared with 39 per cent in low performing organisations. This means that there is considerable scope for improving the effectiveness of managers and organisational performance in most organisations.  The question is what is the best way of developing them?

CMI’s research identified 26 different types of development activities that are commonly used by organisations. Whilst on-the-job training is one of the most commonly used methods, managers rated accredited learning and qualifications as having the most impact on their management abilities. Professional bodies’ qualifications were viewed as particularly important at the early stages of a management career with MBAs being more significant later in a manager’s career.

The research also showed that the types of development that are seen as most effective depend on management level, age and gender. On-the-job experience is seen as effective by managers at all levels, but more senior managers are more likely to see external conferences, networks, workshops and short courses as more effective. Professional bodies’ qualifications and management and leadership programmes delivered by external providers are seen as particularly effective for those at more junior levels.

One surprising finding is that coaching, either by line managers or external practitioners, appears in the top five most effective types of management and leadership development for women but not for men. Coaching by external practitioners is identified by over half of CEOs and senior managers as something they wish they had received earlier in their careers.

Unsurprisingly, different management and leadership development activities develop different competencies: for example management and leadership programmes delivered by external providers are strongest for developing teams, whilst a business school qualification such as the MBA is particularly strong for developing strategic awareness.

The top five motivations for investing in management and leadership development all reflect a business-outcome focused approach to management and leadership development. They included:

• To achieve organisational objectives (62 per cent)
• To manage change more effectively (49 per cent)
• To improve managers’ performance (47 per cent)
• To increase competitive advantage (46 per cent)
• To support business growth (41 per cent)

The research also highlighted the need for CEOs and Board Directors to take responsibility for ensuring that leaders and managers’ skills and capabilities, at all levels, are effective and that their skills are aligned to the organisation’s strategy. The high performing organisations in the study had a clearly differentiated and strategic approach to management and leadership development.

Commenting on the research, Exponential Managing Director, John Moore said, “To gain a return on any investment (ROI), especially leadership and management development, it is essential to understand what you are trying to achieve. In the past, too many organisations and too many Government funded schemes have focused on activity or inputs rather than outcomes and the ROI. In the UK and many parts of Europe, we are seeing Governments putting a greater emphasis on supporting fast or high growth companies without much attention being paid to developing the managers charged with the responsibility of delivering the growth. Now is the right time to think more strategically about the knowledge, skills and techniques managers need to implement growth plans and the best way of meeting those needs. If you think about what Einstein said we need some new thinking”.

Einstein said, “The thinking that caused today’s problems are insufficient to solve them”.

Here is a set of key pointers highlighted by the CMI research about improving individual and organisational performance through management and leadership development:

1) Senior managers in high performing organisations show commitment to management and leadership development which means:

• Being clear about the organisation’s leadership ‘brand’ and what is expected of all managers and leaders
• Challenging senior leaders on their commitment to developing managers at all levels of the organisation
• Providing role models at the highest level with CEOs and senior managers  demonstrating their personal commitment to learning
• Considering networking with other organisations to co-commission management and leadership development and share best practice.

 2) Effective managers need to be able to achieve high levels of employee engagement by:

• Developing management capability and core competencies and knowledge of management practices through formal learning such as qualifications
• Providing bespoke development solutions which are aligned to specific skills and competencies, learning styles and career stage
• Using coaching provided by either line managers and/or external coaches
• Ensuring managers are able to have effective career conversations to help align personal aspirations with the organisation’s goals and values

3) High performing organisations spend more on management and leadership development which means:

• Providing sufficient resources and commitment to development, even during tough times because development is a long-term strategic investment that feeds the leadership pipeline for years to come
• Aligning management and leadership development to the business plan and targeted at managers’ specific development needs rather than generic needs

4) Management and leadership development has a bigger organisational impact when aligned with organisational and HR strategy which means:

• Ensuring management and leadership development supports the talent pipeline
• Considering the financial benefits of growing your own leaders who understand the culture from the ground up rather than buying in new talent
• Undertaking long-term workforce planning rather than short, ad hoc skills training
• Developing HR and learning and development practices to support management and leadership development procurement, design, application and evaluation
• Not offering development for its own sake, instead identifying specific needs and where organisational aims meet individual career aspirations

 5) High performing organisations evaluate management and leadership development to a greater degree which means:

• Being very clear what success looks like and defining the critical success factors
• Aligning management and leadership development to organisational performance measures to support the development of hard evidence of return on investment (ROI)
• Assessing managers against success criteria before, during and after the development intervention
• Being flexible and using evaluation data to improve management and leadership development interventions for even greater impact

“I think that for most organisations aspiring or already seeking fast growth, the key is to develop the simple, clear strategy and then to execute the strategy effectively – for many organisations, the problem is not the strategy, but its execution and that is why investment in the management team is imperative” concluded John Moore.

http://www.managers.org.uk/sites/default/files/u28/Business%20Benefits%20MLD%20Exec%20Summary.pdf

This is not and never has really been the case, but in today’s busy ever increasingly competitive world, there is less and less room for ineffective managers. But what is it that makes a great manager? Is it that they know how to lead by example? That they are highly knowledgeable about their industry? That they excel at their job role or functional specialism? No it is much simpler and yet paradoxically more complex than that!

“My premise and one that underpins all of the management and leadership development programmes delivered by Exponential is that what differentiates the ordinary, average manager from exceptional and great managers is the quality and consistency of the decisions that they make. Quite simply, great managers consistently make great decisions,” says Exponential’s Managing Director, John Moore.

Whilst this observation is almost stating the obvious, it provides tremendous insight into how great managers think and behave. Decisions that are routine, simple and have little or no significant consequences can be made quickly and often lend themselves to delegation. Decisions that are complex, non routine with long lasting consequences often do not easily lend themselves to being delegated; they also require plenty of time to fully explore issues and the options before a commitment is made.

John added, “The first step in being a great manager is knowing and understanding what type of decision has to be made. Usually, this means asking great questions because great questions help to generate great answers – this is the second step. The third step is knowing who to ask these great questions of and the next step is knowing who and how to communicate the decisions.”

Jokingly, he added, “Of course there are a few more steps and one or two other skills and techniques that are also needed, but until I get around to writing a book about being a great manager, they will just have to stay something of a secret!”

Great managers are equipped with many great attributes and resources and do some very simple things over and over again. Here is a list of the ten things great managers do:

1. Great managers have great tools and techniques at their disposal to help them make the right choices; to know what data to collect and how to analytically analyse the information and to make decisions.
2. Great managers have great communication skills which they use to acquire information; to share their ideas and plans; to enthuse and influence people; and to involve and engage people.
3. Great managers have great organisational skills which they use to acquire and deploy the required resources; to manage complex and non routine events; to monitor and to evaluate progress and to add value.
4. Great managers have great team building skills which they use to develop and support great teams; to motivate and inspire their teams and individuals; to enable other people to achieve and to perform.
5. Great managers have great interpersonal skills which they use to involve, excite and empower others; to make people believe in themselves; and to build trust and respect.
6. Great manages have great self-motivation and determination which they use to keep going when faced with seemingly impossible questions; to dig deep when looking for the root cause of a problem and to seek out the truth even when others express their doubts.
7. Great managers have great networks which they use to access knowledge and resources; to involve the right people at the right time; and to help others by sharing their knowledge and experience.
8. Great managers have great personal development plans which they use to address shortfalls in their knowledge, skills and experience; to add value to themselves by investing in themselves; and to grow as a person first and a manager second.
9. Great managers have great coaching skills which they use to help people to develop and perform; to help people to develop their own skills and talents; and to add value without ‘hogging the light’.
10. Great managers have great coaches and mentors which they use to help them to become even greater managers recognising that yesterday’s achievements are no guarantee of tomorrow’s successes.

Being a good manager is about more than just having a title. Being a great manager is about consistently making great choices.

What great choices are you going to make today?

Study Visits offer the opportunity to exchange experiences and expertise on education policy and practices across Europe. Participants learn about national training systems, visit organisations involved in education and training, and discuss policies and issues on a particular theme with local experts. Exponential decided to host a study visit in the 2011/2012 catalogue to showcase its work to a wide range of participants and gain insight into the education practices of other institutions, as well as potentially find new partners for future projects and ideas.

The study visit played host to 9 participants from 7 countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey and Italy and comprised of a mixture of organisations from schools, to training and consultancy organisations.

The four day Study Visit, entitled ‘Supporting the Growth of SMEs through Effective Leadership and Management Development’ allowed participants to learn about the role, skills and competences required by a high growth coach, the challenges SMEs face when adopting a high growth strategy and the role of managers in implementing high growth strategies. Participants also looked at the tools and techniques used by high growth coaches and the use and application of 360 degree management skills benchmarking tools/ techniques including Perspectives 360.

Participants met with a UK High Growth Coach and took a field visit to the Chartered Management Institute as well as setting up and undertaking a 360 management skills assessment. On the last day of the Study Visit, Exponential took all the participants outside to take part in a team exercise. This allowed them to put into practice what they had learnt throughout the week about planning, leadership, communication and teamwork. When given a long piece of rope and told they had to make a perfect square with it, many had the expression ‘there must be a catch?’ Of course there was! All participants were blindfolded, making this challenge much more difficult than it first appeared. It was a great end to the week and allowed everyone to see the importance of each of the factors discussed during the week and also have a lot of fun, particularly seeing the photos of them in action!

View More Photos from the Study Visit on our Flickr

The Feedback:

“The Study Visit was a useful experience for me too. I have had the opportunity to learn about various practices from different countries and also meet such precious friends like you. Thanks to all members of Exponential team for their sincerity and hospitality.”
Nilay Dönmez, Turkey

“I expected this study visit to be a beautyful (sic) experience, but it was even better, I have met so many gentle and professional people and learnt so much from all of you. John and everyone at Exponential were siply (sic) extraordinary! I really want to thank you all and I hope we will keep in touch and work together again soon.”
Silvana Cavallaro, Italy

“Many thanks for your hospitability (sic) and great organization of the study visit! I’ve learned many things and also hope to implement them at school. Also hope to cooperate with you in the near future!”
Ana Ribeiro, Portugal

The 2012/13 Study Visit Catalogue is out now! To view the catalogue, please follow the link:
http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/4110_en.pdf

* Deadline for round one applications is 30th March 2012, deadline for round two is 12th October 2012

Exponential’s next study visit, to be hosted in November 2012 can be found on page 40 of the Study Visit Catalogue. If you have any questions or would like further information please feel free to contact me at ashleigh@exponentialtraining.com 

For those of you who don’t me I should start by giving a little bit of a background about myself. I have worked with Exponential Training for over three years after graduating from Leicester Business School (De Montfort University) in July 2008 where I studied Business Studies. I first joined Exponential in the role of “Marketing Assistant” where I was responsible for developing and maintaining the website as well as email marketing. Within 6 months I gained additional responsibilities such as running what was then called “Management Perspectives” before moving into the role of Business Development Manager.

My role in Exponential now primarily involves marketing, sales, customer service as well as the development & management of our Information Technology. I work in a small but effective team which consists of two people who I report to (Managers), two colleagues on the same level (peers) and one part time member of staff who reports to me (subordinate).

360 Degree Feedback Philosophy

These five people who make up my team were those who I asked to contribute to my Perspective 360 assessment. For the purpose of 360 degree assessment it is recommended that you have a minimum of 3 respondents to ensure confidentiality and accuracy of results. Once the assessment was set up on the Perspectives 360 system automated emails were then sent out to all individuals taking part asking them to complete the questionnaire. When all questionnaires were complete, my report was then available for me to view.

• Download a Copy of my 360 Report

I then received a one-to-one feedback session to go through my 360 report in detail and this is what it said about me:

The first page of the report gives an overview of my results across the six core skills of management: Planning, Communication, Team working, Leading, Personal effectiveness and Managing People. The first exercise I went through during my feedback session was to identify which were my lowest perceived skills from my “Others” scores. As you can see from the report my two lowest core skills were Managing People (42%) and Team Working (66%). It was then important to think about why this might be the case in the context of my job role. For me, as I have already mentioned I work in a relatively small team and only have one part-time person to manage so therefore this made sense that these particular skills would not be areas I would be perceived to demonstrate strength in regularly.

The next step was to then look at where my two areas of strength were by identifying the highest scoring core skill areas, which were Leading (79%) and Communication (71%). In this case I was expecting Communication to be an area I did relatively well in but to get the highest score in the core skill Leading did surprise me slightly. As you can see from the first graph (page 1), I rated myself significantly lower (-27%) than my respondents did which shows that this was something I was unaware that I demonstrated.

Throughout the Perspectives 360 feedback session I was able to apply the Johari Window philosophy. Large gaps, as described above, between my “Self” score and “Others” scores meant that there were things that were unknown to me that were known by others. These skills would therefore come under the “Blind Area” as shown below:

Johari Window

The aim of the Perspectives 360 process is to identify these skills and move them from the Blind Area maximising the size of the Open Area.

The second page of the report shows a Specific Skill breakdown. These are the specific skills that make up the six core skills of management. In the red you can see my “Self” scores and in the green you can see the “Others” scores which are an average of all of the respondents. Any scores that are over 70 show that the individuals who took part in the assessment perceive me to be effective in that skill area.

As you can see from the second graph (page 2) my “Self” score is almost always to the left of the “Others” scores. This tells me I have a relatively large blind area, meaning I am demonstrating the skills, but not necessarily aware that I am. An example of this could be situations where I am asked to advised how technology works; I don’t recognise this as providing guidance, but those I am supporting do.

Next I needed to identify areas for personal focus/ development. My facilitator asked me to identify four or five specific skills most important to my role within the business and which I needed to develop. I was asked to focus on the “Others” scores as these are the skills I need to move from my Blind Area and into my Open Area.

The areas I selected for development are:

Explaining Clearly – This was one of my lower scores that are relevant to my current role. I felt this should be a priority development point. By going to the appropriate page in my report (page 5) I can then see that my respondents identified that I could improve the way I check that people have understand what I have communicated.

Monitoring Performance – This was an area which again was one of my lowest scoring skills and when looking at the more detailed explanation (page 3) it suggests that I should look at monitoring my progress against plans more often.

Acting Assertively – Despite scoring a relatively good score of 64% this is another area in which I feel I could improve on. Within the Core Skills analysis (page 8) my main development point is that I “Do not find it easy to say ‘no’ to others”. I would tend to agree with this and is definitely an area I will include in my action plan.

Developing Self – The final specific skill area I have identified is developing self. In doing the Perspectives 360 assessment I have looked to develop myself by recognising weaknesses and areas for improvement. However, I feel this can be further improved by looking to develop all the above areas going forward.

In order to help improve in the areas I have identified the Perspectives 360 report goes to the next step and offers a short and practical development suggestion for each Specific Skill that can be taken away and put into practice. I then put together an Action Plan with my Perspectives 360 facilitator.

• View my Action Plan

To summarise, Perspectives 360 helped me obtain honest/ unbiased feedback on my management skills from the people who know me best: the people with whom I work. The process enabled me to identify my management strengths as well as some areas for development. The 360 report also helped me think of ways in which I can tackle these development areas going forward and as a result I have decided to enrol on the CMI Certificate in Strategic Management & Leadership course.

Try Perspectives 360 for Yourself:

As part of a project funded by the European Commision Leonardo da Vinci Lifelong Learning Programme we are offering managers working for SME organisations (less than 250 employees) the opportunity of a FREE Perspectives 360 assessment and feedback worth £200 + VAT per person.

To claim one of only five free assessment and feedbacks please complete the following application form below:

• Application Form

If you have any questions or require further information please feel free to contact ashleigh@exponentialtraining.com

* Assessments will be allocated on a strictly first come, first served basis.

There is a strong suggestion that principles were violated, values were trampled on and lines were crossed, but whose and by whom?

When managing such issues sensitivity needs to be the watch word. So who was insensitive, who is the victim and who is at fault? When facing such strong allegations many businesses would suspend the employee – as much for their protection and out of consideration of the victim; it also helps to protect the reputation and integrity of the employer and enables the appropriate investigations to take place. Guilt or innocence should not come into it at this stage because for many businesses it would be a matter of policy and procedure.

Now to the matter of ethical leadership. As an ambassador and role model, should John Terry have volunteered to step down as captain? Appointed as much for his football abilities as for his leadership qualities, did he exercise poor judgement in staying? Would stepping aside have been perceived as a sign of guilt or a sign of strength?

Forgetting the FA’s role in the fair play scheme, did it act according to its corporate social responsibility and ethical policies? Did it act inappropriately by failing to make it a line management issue or did it in fact take the appropriate action? Like many of the decisions that were made, it is unlikely that we will ever know the full story. Did the FA take action after the ‘horse had bolted’ and treat Fabio Capello unfairly? Fabio Capello claims that the FA “crossed a line” undermining him and reducing his authority.

Upset by the FA’s disrespect for the Anglo Saxon’s sense of ‘innocent before proven guilty’, Fabio Capello’s values were violated making it impossible for him to continue. Now are we are skating closer to a case of constructive dismissal?

With banker and ‘fat cat’ bonuses and the recent debacle over MP’s expenses in the news almost daily, it really begs the question, what has happened to good old fashioned right and wrong and values such as honesty and integrity – values you read on most company websites. Is this now the time for leaders, be they football coaches, heads of corporations, Government ministers or the supervisor at work to set an example and show clear, ethical leadership?

By the way, with all of this fuss, there is one thing of which we all seem to have lost sight – the original allegation and the alleged victim. What a weight of responsibility that has just fallen on Anton Ferdinand’s shoulders!

What do you see in this picture?

What you see is heavily dependent upon your perspective. For instance, take another look at the picture now, but this time from the perspective of a 4 year old child: might it now look like a cute, cuddly pet called Percy? What about from the perspective of a pig farmer – might it now look like potential profit? What would it look like from an animal rights perspective or a vegetarian perspective or from a stock market analyst’s perspective? What we see depends to a great extent on our perspective!

If we change our perspective, often what we see and therefore understand is quite different from what we first saw. One explanation of why this is the case is thought to be a function of our brain’s Reticular Activation System (RAS).

The functions of the RAS are many and varied. Among other functions, it contributes to the control of sleep, walking, sex, eating, and elimination. Perhaps the most important function of the RAS is its control of consciousness. It is believed that the RAS automatically filters out what is not important to us and brings to our attention things that are important: this filtering process can make seeing and understanding things from a different perspective quite challenging.

This is where multi-rater tools such as Perspectives 360 can be very effective. As the name suggests, Perspectives 360 collates information about the skills of managers from multiple sources to produce a well balanced skills report based upon the perspective of team members, colleagues and senior management.

James Dillon, Perspectives 360 Product Manager said, “Getting 360 degree feedback from the people who know you best in a working environment is very illuminating and helpful in identifying how to improve performance”. Perspectives 360 helps managers to understand how others perceive their skills and behaviours. The inclusion of a set of personalised development suggestions helps managers to pinpoint precise actions to improve their performance.

James added, “When combined with the Skill Builder learning modules, that sit alongside the twenty five skills covered by Perspectives 360, the result is a complete management assessment and skills development solution”. If we change our perspective, often what we see and therefore understand is quite different from what we first saw. One explanation of why this is the case is thought to be a function of our brain’s RAS.

So the next time you see a pig, a difference of opinion or a problem, think about it from different perspectives: the perspective of the customer; the perspective of a colleague or team member. The way you perceive the problem is based upon the filters you have developed over the years! Perspectives 360 is available directly from Exponential or one of its Perspectives 360 Partners in the UK, Slovenia, Lithuania, Romania, Greece, Ireland, Singapore – soon to be available in South Africa, Kosovo, Turkey and Trinidad.

From small, back street shops employing highly skilled tailors in Singapore to graphic design firms in Trinidad, the world is seeing an ‘exponential’ growth in small, local enterprises reaching new international markets making them ‘micro-national’ enterprises. Since 2009, Exponential has established a growing base of customers and partners in South Africa, Singapore, Kosovo, Mongolia, Armenia, Romania, Lithuania and many more – View Exponential Partners.

Here are ten interesting facts that business owners, managers and High Growth Coaches need to know:

1. The percentage of businesses doing business overseas rose from 26% to 31% over a two year period
2. More young companies are grabbing international opportunities from an early stage; almost one in five (17%) new companies currently active abroad are classified as ‘Born Global’ – so have been doing business overseas since the outset
3. Around 37% of firms less than five years old report no significant barriers to doing business overseas and over a third (35%) also report significant growth due to exporting
4. Almost forty per cent of companies said that exporting delivered a level of growth not otherwise possible; companies also report a significant return on investment from doing business overseas in terms of improved financial performance, higher levels of innovation and productivity
5. So-called ‘innovative’ firms (those devoting resources to R&D or new product/service development) tend to benefit most from doing business abroad
6. Many internationalised businesses experience a ‘virtuous circle’ where exporting leads to new innovation, and where those innovations then lead to further exporting
7. Over half of all companies surveyed (53%) said that a new product or service evolved because of their business overseas
8. Intellectual property protection is a valuable asset that is associated with a 10% increase in the likelihood of reporting overseas turnover for an SME
9. Different barriers apply to different markets, but the most widely experienced barriers relate to the formalities and bureaucracy of doing business overseas, such as dealing with customs procedures or different legal and tax structures however one in three firms (34%) does not experience any significant barriers to doing business overseas
10. Even the smallest business can benefit from becoming a ‘micro-national’ enterprise!

 
Export is the new ‘black’ in the world of business. Trading internationally can be exciting, rewarding and can often open up new joint ventures and business opportunities that domestic markets cannot. For instance, The Eduquest International Institute, is now delivering several of the Chartered Management Institute qualifications in Singapore having entered into a partnership with Exponential. Eduquest Director, Rafiq Mohamed, has just returned from a trip to his partners in India resulting in interest in the joint delivery of the Certificate in Management Consulting Essentials (CMCE). In 2011, Exponential delivered the CMCE to a group of consultants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia on behalf of The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development/ TAMBAS. Just before the end of last year, the Institute of Management Consultants Armenia (IMCA) was established and Exponential is in discussions about how to develop and extend its relationship with IMCA.

The Exporting for Growth initiative was launched in November 2011 by the Prime Minister and Lord Green to boost the number of SMEs that export. The aim is to get up to 100,000 SMEs to either start exporting for the first time or spread to new markets over the next four or five years. There is a series of Exporting for Growth seminars organised by UK Trade & Investment to promote this message taking place throughout the UK ( http://www.regionalexportforgrowth.com). Exponential Director, John Moore is taking part in the East Midlands seminar on Thursday 1 March 2012.

He commented, “I am delighted to have been asked by UKTI to take part in the seminar as this is an important issue. I would stress that the message does not just apply to UK businesses: it applies to small businesses all over the world as trade is a two-way process. If you have not thought about export previously, NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME to do so!”

Source: New markets, new ideas: How exporting fosters innovation and growth, UKTI: 2012