Dermot Earley spoke to many people but it was his words to young soldiers and cadets which should especially resonate “Your attitude is more important than your ability. Your motives are more important than your methods, your courage is more important than your cleverness and always have your heart in the right place.

In organisations, leadership is defined by our ability to become a role model to others and the positive imprint that we leave behind. The Legacy which remains when we ourselves have moved onto new roles or new organisations should define our success. How we inspire, motivate and draw people together in the most difficult times is our challenge as role models. Maybe leaving a legacy is something to which we should all aspire and perhaps it should actually be our starting point when reflecting on how we will conduct ourselves as Leaders.

His recollections were positive as he considered his success rather than his disappointments. He reflected on the importance of teamwork and the great success he had achieved. More importantly he looked to his future and how he would focus on training horses. It made me think of the many people who are leaving organisations now and often not by choice. Optimism and confidence is important in these situations. The ability to overcome initial disappointment and reflect on your past in a way that draws out the positives is a considerable strength. Taking the time to consider what you have learned, what you have achieved and the challenges you have overcome, can place you in the frame of mind for building a future rather than lamenting a past.

In his interview Mick Kinnane reflected on the highly competitive environment of the racing world, he recalled the physical effort and the dedication required to be successful. He also recalled the good luck and the great people he had met through his career. When asked by the interviewer how he dealt with the bad times, I was taken by his answer he said “it’s not how you fall it’s how you pick yourself up.” Such resilience is something that can be applied equally to our life in organisations. The resilience to maintain optimism, the resilience to push on through adversity. The ability to see the positives, move on from past mistakes and demonstrate resilience by our ability to overcome the bad times and look forward, not back.

For me, sorry only means sorry, when it is accompanied by an indication of what one will do to make sure there will be no re-occurrence of the situation. It then demonstrates to me, that the person apologising is genuine. This is especially necessary in the organisational sense.  It demonstrates integrity, an intellectual honesty and strength in ability to listen and recognise when one is wrong.  More importantly by supporting our words with intended change, we demonstrate our acceptance of responsibility for our past actions.

1. Strong leaders have a vision. I see this as a critical factor. For me, it is the starting point and the really good people I know have a vision that they can articulate and more importantly are confident in delivering the message to their colleagues. Vision should be interpreted in its broadest sense. It’s not just about the end state, it’s about the vision for the team, how you will work together, how you will conduct your business, how you will inspire others and sharing your ambition.
2. These same Leaders work tirelessly at communicating that vision and do so with absolute clarity.
3. They also surround themselves with good people and are not afraid to tackle poor performance. But they ensure that feedback is an integral part of performance management. With them, you know what you are doing well and the areas on which you need to focus.
4. Good Leaders have the ability to think strategically and translate it into operational excellence. They take time to consider the future and understand the impact of that likely future on their businesses.
5. They’re not afraid to take risks and will provide people with opportunities to develop themselves through risk taking and innovation.
6. They know their limitations and work to address these through building the skill in the team, or through self development activities. They are resilient and exhibit drive, energy, courage and integrity.
7. They consider the options,make decisions and take responsibility for those decisions.
8. They drive change continuously.
9. Being in their company is exciting and interesting.
10. They are aware that they are role models for others and act in a way that sets the right example.

My own view, is that we are going through a fundamental period of change that is not cyclical in nature. More importantly what do we as Leaders, responsible citizens and parents need to do, to ensure that the “Tomorrow” we create is one of sustainability and holds a solid future for the next generation. My interest here is specifically at an organisational level, although more and more our work existence is inextricably linked with our personal lives. However, my views at a political and societal level are probably best saved for lively debate at the fireside with friends and family!  As Leaders and influencers it beholds all of us to consider our roles in the shaping of that future. I have been struck over the past 10 years of the move away within organisations from the basic disciplines of good corporate management.

The move towards largesse has not just affected our personal lives but also corporate balance sheets. The basic principles of managing corporate costs, as if it were coming from our own pockets has in the past been forgotten. Compromised by the fact that for many, the quality of personal fiscal management of wealth has also been questionable.  Tomorrow, we must ensure that the concept of affordability, budgetary constraint and a real sense of value for money are essentials in leading and managing our businesses regardless of their size.We are commercially in one of the most challenging periods for any generation of leaders across the spectrum, either politically or organisationally. Our “yesterday” was characterised by a benign market environment, and a relative ease with which we could achieve success. The shaping of tomorrow requires a higher skill base and more importantly the recognition of those people in our organisations who have the ability, courage and confidence to make the right decisions.

Of course the fundamental question for each one of us, is whether we, as individuals, want to recreate Yesterday as a model for our future or do we want to begin the process of building a sustainable Tomorrow.

On 10 th April 2004 , six years to the day that Mark went blind, he completed the world’s most extreme marathon at the North Pole. The story is incredible and what he has learnt on the journey reminds us that there is a power that resides within us all to take control of our lives .

[tags] coaching, leadership [/tags]

What is Coaching?

• Coaching provides you with an opportunity to work with an expert on a one to one basis.
• It is a confidential working arrangement which will allow you to test your thinking and also review your activities and progress, in a safe and confidential environment.

Where to start

• Clarify your objectives. What do you want to get from this intervention?
• Is it a short term intervention (under 3 months) or are you looking for something longer term (up to 12 months).
• Ensure you have a close off date for the arrangement. Best not to have it drift on.  The most effective coaching assignments are those that have clear objectives and a start and end date.

Selecting a Coach.

• Look for someone with experience in your field and also at the level at which you operate.
• Create your own selection criteria against which you can assess suitability.
• Arrange a no commitment exploratory meeting during which you can assess the suitability of the coach with whom you are working.
• Look for reference points.  A good coach should readily arrange for you to speak with existing clients.  Ensure that the referees are appropriate in terms of their experience and level of expertise.

Some extra Tips

• The arrangement is intense and you should ensure that there is a rapport between you and your selected coach.  Meet a number of coaches before you make up your mind, review each against your selection criteria and then chose the most appropriate person.
• Review the fee structure, good coaches don’t come cheap! So, carefully review the fee structure, remember you should view the intervention as an investment in your development.
• Once you have engaged a coach make sure you make the time, keep the activity as a priority and keep your appointments.  Find somewhere to hold your meetings where you won’t be interrupted.  This is time for you!

• managing your transition,
• managing your team,
• building your structure
• extending your influence.
• Making an impact!

It is necessary for you to take time out to reflect on the progress to date, the performance of your team and also your own performance.  Making time to stand back is essential, do this in on a weekly basis, take 30 minutes out at the start or the end of the week for this reflection.

Although you may be in a very different environment from your previous role, it is important that you set yourself some manageable goals to achieve over the next six months.  It is also useful to set a personal vision for your function or business and also to stand back and take stock on where everything is.  Consider the following questions:

• How do you want your business to be perceived?
• What are the behaviours you want exhibited in your team?
• Do members of your team know what that vision is and those standards of behaviour?  If not you should ensure that you communicate them.
• Does your team know the progress that has been made? Maybe take some time out to reflect upon those successes.
• Are the roles clearly defined in your unit now and when the new structure is developed?
• What are the barriers to achieving success?
• Do you have plans in place to bridge those barriers?

One final piece of advice – Maintain an achievements log and reflect on a regular basis the progress that you make.

• The collection of quantitative data through questionnaires, on line or paper
• The inclusion of qualitative data through free form comment options in the data collection tool,
• One to one or group facilitated interviews

Through our research in Executive Support Limited we have come across many organisations which have put valuable money and resources into designing a system, implementing it and then falling down on the follow up and measurement piece which negates the whole process.

Our research indicates that the process can fall down in the following areas:

• Lack of clarity in defining the purpose of the exercise
• Lack of leadership buy in, no clear champion
• Lack of robust discussion around the findings of the exercise
• No linkage between the feedback and career progression
• No linkage between the feedback and performance measurement
• Lack of relevant communication with the respondents
• Lack of flexibility in the data capturing tool

If you are considering implementing 360 feedback for either yourself or any of your management teams regardless of the level, there are some fundamentals you must have in place to ensure success

Some Tips for success

Clarify the purpose of the exercise. This may seem obvious but we mean do you precisely understand the purpose, why you are going through this process, what do you expect to achieve and what will you do with the output?

Get Leadership buy in. This needs to take place at the very top of the organisation. Identifying a champion at the most senior level who believes in the value and is prepared to participate themselves in the exercise can have a significant impact on encouraging really useful objective feedback.

Identify the cynics. Receiving feedback can be difficult for many people so identify those people who are most likely to resist and attempt to question the output. Spend particular time with them explaining the value and above all ensure the integrity of your project

Communicate tirelessly. Essential with all stakeholders and especially respondents and explain the importance of the process

Measure improvement. Decide a date for a re run of the 360 feedback process and compare results and perceived performance improvement

Facilitate understanding. Once the feedback reports are completed provide recipients with facilitated feedback with a professional who can help identify areas for concern, strengths and development zones. Integrate with your performance management system.

Make sure you create a context. The purpose of the 360 is to provide performance feedback, it should feed into performance discussions and the identification of development need through the creation of a structured development plan.

Use a flexible tool for data collection. There are many 360 tools on the market. But remember the tool itself will only be part of the success. Communication, facilitation and follow up are the other important ingredients.

Ensure its integrity. Make sure all stakeholders understand their role in the feedback process. Give respondents adequate time to respond to the questionnaire, and ensure that you do not make the feedback process too lengthy.

The Solution

Executive Support Limited have piloted a new approach to 360 feedback by developing ExecutiveCompass 360 an intervention that provides our clients with a number of important dimensions

• Full flexibility by providing 360 through an on line tool that captures ratings and freeform comments
• Full flexibility in designing the questionnaire itself, we can also provide you with a comprehensive generic tool
• Expert facilitated feedback with coaching support
• Comprehensive documented feedback
• Administration of your project from start to finish
• Finally and most importantly the ExecutiveCompass 360 Quality Loop that builds further integrity into the feedback process