This weeks task is all about getting the job done …but interestingly the way we can do that most effectively is by taking a balanced approach to our goals and targets.

The balanced scorecard approach encourages us to consider financial goals, delivering to our customers, looking at our systems and procedures and supporting our people and to link these firmly to our overall business mission and vision.

So how are you doing with your actions? They were:
1. Create a greater balance in your own objectives and targets so you are focussing on all elements of delivering
2. Being consistent in your words and actions so your team know what is expected of them

Let us know how you’re getting on and have a great week

The Leaps and Bounds team

What I’ve noticed from my analysis is that every time I shop in Waitrose I look for Janet on the tills because without question, if she is working I will queue just to be served by her… the reason?

No, not because I’m a creature of habit … It’s because Janet provides that extra little bit that always makes me leave the store with a smile.

Now, take nothing away from the other employees in my local store – they are all extremely polite, efficient and always provide great service… but there is something slightly different about Janet.

What I’ve noticed is that she always does the following – with what seems to be any customer who comes to her checkout:

1. Asks you how your day is going, and genuinely listens to start a conversation
2. Smiles – and genuinely smiles… she truly looks like she is enjoying what she does, so you cant help but smile with her
3. Treats you with real care

And as a result she gets me returning to her checkout time and time again, because of the way I feel after my interaction with her!

So, how many of your team members create repeat customers like this? What could we all learn from Janet?

Enjoy your customer interactions this weekend!

Carly x

And so we do hope you’ve made a positive start to the journey by giving yourself the time you need to focus on your actions.

As a quick reminder, those actions are:
1. Take a five minute break from being busy to just ‘be’. See what you notice when you stop, look and listen.
2. Ask your three great questions that will challenge assumptions
3. Use what you’ve learned from the past to take some tough action you have been avoiding.

Use the comments button to share with us what you did, the impact it had, any questions you have or the challenges you faced. And then help each other out by responding to the comments of other too!

Have a great week

The Leaps and Bounds team

By the way – if you are reading this and are curious about The Manager’s coach then click here http://tinyurl.com/yaqyjtq

This has been one of our most commented on threads and its been great to see the development of the topic.

I was then sent a link to a video of Dan Pink speaking about the Surprising Science of Motivation – by our ‘online guru’ Carl Jeffrey and it has inspired me this morning to STOP WHAT I’M DOING AND SPREAD THIS MESSAGE FURTHER!

Dan Pink now proves the conflict that there is a mismatch between what Sciences Knows and What Businesses Do when it comes to motivating staff.

No longer can we continue to use external motivators to boost our team members performance, we must develop the internal motivators so they want, need and boost their performance for themselves.

The new model talks about encouraging three things:

1. Autonomy

2. Mastery

3. Purpose

I encourage all of you to watch Dan Pinks very engaging talk about the scientific proof that building internal motivators is the best way forward for our businesses to increase and enhance productivity (it will take you about 20 minutes to watch and digest so get yourself a cuppa). Please pass this link on to anybody you feel would benefit!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y[/youtube]

I’m a customer who has experienced World Class Service from a call centre advisor who’s got the internal motivators to do the best they can and it makes a massive difference! So help me spread the word and encourage managers to use the new model!!

Enjoy!

p.s. Thanks to Carl for passing this on!

Carly

What a great day we had – the safari is something you should really experience if you’re in the area and want to see animals in as much of a natural environment as you can in the UK! My favourite was seeing the lions!

When we arrived back at our hotel there was a family of wild donkeys in the field opposite and again it was lovely to be around nature and see the way these animals lived & interacted with each other and us in their natural environment.

It reminded me how important it is to stop and watch!

Now you know how I love to learn from any situation, so straight away I’m thinking how does this relate to us in business (it’s ok, it was only day 2 of my hols – so fine for me not to have switched off from work yet!!!! J).

To me, just stopping and watching the animals in their natural environment reminded me how important it is for us to take time to stop and watch what’s going on around us – especially if we’re in management roles.

Sometimes we get so hooked into the day to day work life of being busy, busy, busy, that we don’t stop and notice what’s going on around us – for the business, our team and the individuals in our teams.

So my challenge for you all today is conduct a Business Safari!

What to do:

1. Take 15 minutes out today to STOP and watch your operation

2. NOTICE – what’s going on for the business, for your team and for the individuals in your team… notice the conversations and interactions people are having – what impact are they having on the experience your customers receive? (How can you enhance the positive impact?)

3. LOOK for strong/comfortable relationships – what’s making them strong? Are there any relationships that could do with strengthening – how can you help achieve this?

4. ANALYSE your team’s habitat and environment – how is it helping or hindering their ability to perform? What can be done to improve it?

5. ENJOY it! Safari’s are meant to be fun, interesting and enlightening… make sure your business safari is too!

Have fun observing your team’s natural environment – please let us know what interesting sights you see and insights you get!

Carly

Last week I delivered one of our Quick Wins Workshops ‘The Feel Good Fete’ where people create ideas to help them feel great at the end of each working day rather than wanting to slump on the sofa as soon as they walk through the door.

It was a great session full of very creative people so I thought I’d share some of their ideas with you:

1. Vary my routines – breaking your normal routine pattern can stimulate new thoughts and energise you! Why not break a daily routine you have and notice the impact it has!

2. Celebrate my successes more – reward yourself for your great achievements… those of you who know me, will know that my rewards are normally in shoe or chocolate form!!!

3. Yoga Once a Week – Yoga or any exercise will help you raise your energy levels… be sure to choose the right exercise for you though (doing something you enjoy will boost your vitality, pressuring yourself to do something you don’t enjoy will increase your anxiety and stress levels… so think about what you enjoy doing and do it at least once a week.

4. Leave the office at Lunch for 10 minutes – so many of us get chained to our desks for the day and we eat our lunch whilst checking emails or doing some form of work… STOP! This is not good for you… not only do you not enjoy your food, you are also removing an opportunity to refresh those brain cells, so be sure to go out, get some fresh air and have a proper break!

5. Focus on the Positive – try to limit the time you spend thinking about the things you can’t change, and instead focus on the things you can influence. This change in mindset will without doubt make you feel better about things!

6. Desk Exercises – try out some desk exercises to get moving and grooving at your desk http://www.tellmehowto.net/healthandfitness/desk_exercises_194

Have fun giving these a try, and please let us know how they work for you!

Enjoy!

Carly

]]> http://www.leaps-bounds.co.uk/learning/boosting-your-vitality-at-work/feed/ 1 http://www.leaps-bounds.co.uk/learning/top-training-room-tips-from-our-associates/ http://www.leaps-bounds.co.uk/learning/top-training-room-tips-from-our-associates/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:47:15 +0000 Leaps-and-Bounds http://blog.leaps-bounds.co.uk/?p=245 For a little Leaps and Bounds insight click here for top tips from our Associates.

Check out all the free stuff in our reports section on the website and subscribe to our ezine that contains many useful tips and articles for managers and trainers.

Keep in touch on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LeapsBounds

Have a great day.

If not, Change It! Our suggestion would be to grab a blank sheet of A4 paper, a glue stick and about 3 magazines. Now take 30 minutes out of your busy life pop on some relaxing music, and start flicking through your magazines. Each time you find yourself drawn to a picture, STOP, LOOK, ASK (yourself – “Do I want this”)… and if the answer is yes TEAR! Once you have a pile of pictures that you have torn out of the magazine begin gluing them on your paper. This becomes your Law of Attraction Treasure Map and will help you place your focus on getting the things you want. Stick it somewhere you will see it every day – a fridge, an office notice board, on your bedside table even, then make sure you look at it each day… you’ll be surprised at how focusing on these things daily will help the Law of Attraction get you what you want! Enjoy!

]]> http://www.leaps-bounds.co.uk/learning/the-law-of-attraction/feed/ 3 http://www.leaps-bounds.co.uk/learning/choices-choices-choices/ http://www.leaps-bounds.co.uk/learning/choices-choices-choices/#comments Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:45:00 +0000 Leaps-and-Bounds http://84.45.62.60/~leaps/?p=46 Recently I hear more and more people say that they feel they don’t have as many choices as they used to and that the economic climate is making them feel cornered. The truth is you do still have these choices but maybe you feel more fear in exercising that right.

Yesterday we did some filming to share information about our Quick Win 90 minute sessions. The topic was influencing skills and how to get to a win win. It occurred to me that in today’s competitive world we find it difficult to take the time to really understand other people’s perspective or indeed, for some people, it is hard to care about it. But actually, the more we are prepared to make the time and do the work, the solution we get to will always be better if we are prepared to search for the solution.

Many procurement departments will beat down the price of work from a supplier but what impact on quality does this have in the long run? Suppliers in efforts to get the contract will price below their break even rate, what impact does that have on internal resources and ultimately on the success of the business?

Within and organisation, the marketing department comes up with a great idea to generate sales, they have researched and trialled it but it is out of budget. In your business would the funds be released or not? Or if the Learning & Development department has identified a critical learning need for staff that they know will dramatically and positively impact on performance will the funds be released? The business case all makes sense but what will it take to build confidence?

In turbulent times, responsibility is clawed back up to senior people and often more junior and middle managers feel disempowered and frustrated but remember “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt www.quotationspage.com. It is up to you. You do still have choices and can influence outcomes – it is whether you have the will to make it happen. You do still have choices – you have the choice to bury your head in the sand until it’s all over or you can stand up and be counted. If you need the budget, find a way to argue for it:

* What’s the pain if you don’t do anything?
* Trial it and show the results
* Hook into key drivers for the business and demonstrate how you can make a difference
* Most of all, own how you feel and think, take action that needs to be taken and don’t do anything you feel uncomfortable with.

Remember you have the right to ask questions and gain understanding to help you make your own decisions.

In the filming we did yesterday, Gill shared a checklist of 3 questions to ask yourself how important an action is to take. This could be a negotiation, an action, a proposal anything that is about progress. These questions were:ofhgkgggkgk

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1. How important is the outcome? If it doesn’t matter that much or it won’t make a difference then let it go
2. Is this really about the outcome or about you? What personal issues are at play? Resolve these first to move forward. Progress is always about the outcome
3. How can we think and rather than or? Remember people think first about what they have to give up when things change, it doesn’t have to be like that if you can think creatively.

In today’s climate you need to be bold. Being prepared to challenge more, fight more, develop more are all traits of successful people. But the fight has to be about the outcome and not self projection. Remember all the best superhero’s are shy in real life so don your cape and mask and seek out the next task that will show you in your true colours and help you make your difference.

So in our blog we will aim to share with you ideas both strategic and tactical to help you make your mark.

Enjoy