When I first tried out my new approach, it felt weird and I ended up hitting my leg instead of the shuttle! It was here that my coach stepped in and said that because I’d been playing in a particular way for so long that doing anything different will feel weird but the more I keep doing it eventually it will seem natural and I won’t even think of it anymore.

She then proceeded to get me doing what seemed like hundreds of serves and I started to see some amazing results even though it still felt weird, so I will stick with it and work through the weirdness on my quest to be amazing!

It reminds me of how when we are learning a new way of doing something it can often feel weird, awkward or clunky and this feeling can lead us to go back to our old less effective ways. So as trainers, what can we do to encourage our learners to work through the “it feels weird” stage of a learning new approach (associated with Conscious Incompetent phase of learning) so that they can get better results?

Answers on a post card please

People are aware of your presence, alert to your intentions, sensitive to your actions and listen carefully to what you say and of course what you don’t say. They will make their own meaning of what they see and hear (and it could be completely wrong).

Here’s an example. Before Christmas I was out shopping in a large store and in one isle I noticed a cluster of three staff chatting (arms crossed, frowns and lots of hand gestures). As I got nearer I could hear a snip of the conversation, “…well if she don’t want to do the work, she shouldn’t be a manager…it’s not fair on anyone…” My friend and I started to piece together the information. We came up with the conclusion that they weren’t happy with their manager, who obviously is not happy being a manager and consequently there’s things she’s not doing which isn’t fair on the team.

Okay, we could have put two and two together and made twenty or we could have made four. It really doesn’t matter. The sense we made is our reality and the impression we have of the store is that all is not good and we will then look for further evidence to prove our point.

So why not avoid this altogether, if you were on stage (or ‘On Air’) you would be much more aware of what you say and do so that people around get the right impression from a model performance.

So as you go about your work today think about how clear you are being – are you acting with integrity in everything you do or do you let your guard slip at times?

Make sure that ‘model behaviour really shouts about who you are and what you want to represent. If you want to be deemed as a focused professional, don’t be frivolous. If you want to be seen as the person who gets things done, be focused and ensure you always do what you say you are going to do. Enjoy putting weight behind who you are and noticing how positively people respond to you.

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.”

It strikes me that in our personal and professional lives we do ‘play many parts’ depending on the particular situation in which we find ourselves. For instance, in customer service we may play the part of

• A ‘friend’ when helping a customer find the best solution or
• A ‘rescuer’ when sorting out a problem , to name just two of the essential roles.

People respond to us based on the part we are playing. Know what part your are playing and if you are getting the desired result then great, but if not you can choose to change your part to one that will work better.

Spend a couple of minutes thinking about the roles you need to play today and how making adjustments may help you to progress your cause

I’d decided that making cookies would be a great way to pass the time on an afternoon off school and only 5 minutes into the process I was having second thoughts. With a whole bag of sugar on the floor and butter stuck to the window their level of shrieking seemed to be rising in exact proportions to my frustration. I was just about to utter the words ‘If you can’t do this sensibly then we won’t do it at all!’  but I stopped myself just in time. All that would have meant was that the mayhem would transfer to another room.

Instead, and I’m not quite sure where this came from, I took a deep breath and asked ‘Who’d like to chop up chocolate with really sharp knives?’  Three shouts of ‘Me, me, me!’ followed so I found three chopping boards, three knives and let them get on with it. Now I did still watch from a distance and gave very clear instructions about knives and fingers before they started, but the mood in the room changed instantly. High jinx was replaced with calm concentration which held up long enough to finish the cookies and put them in the very hot oven.

And the point about behaviour? If we want to influence others to behave how we would like them to then it’s own own actions we have to consider first. When we put our trust in others and give them meaningful and challenging work we may just get the performance we are after. So, whether at work or at home see what  relinquishing control and handing over the reins can do for the performance of your people.

Oh, and the cookies tasted pretty good too

Gill

• How often do you think about your interactions and the impact they leave on others?

• How often have you left unfinished discussions whether personal or in business because it’s easier to think it might disappear rather than to deal with it.

So, whoever you are, whatever you do, remember to think about the lasting impression you want others to have of you. It takes very little time to listen and think about your response before you need to give it but it can take a long time to undo the impact of a rushed response.

At home, this can be the difference between a calm and pleasant evening and one fuelled with anger. At work, when we get it right, the impact can transform the energy and commitment of an entire workforce who will go out of their way to be the best they can be.

Think about the exchanges you have had today – did they all leave the bets impression of oyu that they could? If not, what can you do between now and the end of the day to put them right?

So what can we learn from this programme (did I say you simply must watch it). Two things:

1. Lessons from Perry – Dr Doofenschmurtz is so obsessed with showing off to his nemesis Agent P (Perry) that he never manages to fulfil his evil intentions. How much time, money, and resource do you and/or your organisation spend looking at your competition and trying to outdo them? What could you more fruitfully achieve if you spent that time creatively asking and listening to your customers instead? I hear the constant obsession by some organisations with enticing customers from competitors through early deals and seductive promises that we forget the thousands/ millions of customers with whom we already have a relationship. Research shows that businesses are doing everything in their power to make it as easy as possible to switch but are they deploying the same amount of resources on helping customers to stay? Which leads me nicely to the second learning from Phineas and Ferb
2. Each day they invent the impossible. Each episode starts with “Hey Ferb, I know what we are going to do today!” With conviction, passion and enthusiasm their inventiveness has rubbed off on the most unusual bunch of children who gather to help. If you started each day with that same mantra with the same energy and conviction, what new ideas do you think you and your team could have to help your customers stay. Often the boys create inventions to thrill their friends and has nothing to do with their own motives. They get their kicks simply by helping or creating something for others. So why not spend the next week just talking to your customers, delving a little deeper and showing that you really care.  Ask your staff too also. You never know what you mind find out to help them stay loyal to you.

If we reflect on the conversations about Bankers, their part in the recession and indeed in its recovery, what can we learn as managers and family members about decision making and how we can make the most robust and proactive decisions possible.

Here are just a few things I have been thinking about:

1. Go with your gut feel if you sense something is going to happen, take action immediately – read Malcolm Gladwell’s book ‘Blink’. This will help you understand more about how and why intuition is an important part of the decision making process. You can get this on Amazon and also look at the reviews here http://bit.ly/cErAVb
2. Plan for tomorrow and not just today and remember to add a contingency
3. Remember for those of you who are managers, that even though we are clawing our way out of the recession, your staff may still be anxious – communicate widely about any changes that are taking place in the company and help them see how they are valuable to you and the organisation
4. Members of your team may have been deeply effected by the recession – perhaps a partner or family member has lost a job, perhaps their level of debt is too high and perhaps they are begin chased by creditors. You need them to focus whilst at work so do whatever is in your power to help them. The first step is to notice subtle changes in their attitude, energy and focus and to ask gentle questions to determine if this is a problem for them
5. Rather than focusing on stopping using post its and closing down spend start asking a new set of questions that help the business to thrive. E.g. “how can I get £5 value out of every £1 I spend?”

And for you personally, some additional thoughts:

1. Budget, budget, budget! Go to www.moneysavingexpert.com great savings and templates
2. When you buy things go for quality goods that will last.  Buy the best that you can, it’s likely to last longer
3. Save first for what you want rather than buy on credit that may be difficult to pay back later. If you still want it after you have saved for it, it is likely you will enjoy it more and certainly appreciate its value more
4. When buying presents for close family or friends who are under 18 always give a cheque it’s a double whammy they can’t spend it immediately and it encourages them to think about saving. (they might think you are boring but trust me when they are older they will thank you)
5. Always ask for a discount.  I negotiated a 40% discount on an item I really wanted recently. Another item I got a 25% discount. All because I asked. Don’t be afraid to ask – you have nothing to lose

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

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