tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54363938440573662802024-03-13T11:08:28.561+00:00What more can there be?Open up a different view of your world.Dave Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11894850581040571719noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-80446070300102047312013-07-15T12:44:00.000+01:002013-07-15T12:44:47.694+01:00Lessons from the Tour de France<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; width: 282px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #606060; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Segoe, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; padding: 9px 0px 9px 18px;" valign="top">On 29<sup>th</sup> June 2013 the Tour de France set off on its 100th edition. There is no doubt that this is one of the greatest sporting events of the year and undoubtedly one of the hardest. <br /><br />How the cycling teams prepare for the Tour gives us insights that we can utilise to achieve extraordinary performance in our teams.<br /><br /><img align="none" height="199" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/a6412dbf66b9972e2faa02aa0/images/Chris_Froome_2da59c5.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: 199px; line-height: 12px; outline: none; width: 250px;" width="250" /><br /><a href="" name="Tour de France" style="color: #6dc6dd; text-decoration: underline; word-wrap: break-word !important;"></a><br /><br /> The Tour de France is three weeks of bike racing with most stages over 100 miles in length over some of the highest mountain passes in Europe. I’ve ridden up some of them recently and can vouch for their severity. The race in itself is extraordinary.<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; width: 282px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #606060; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Segoe, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; padding: 9px 18px 9px 0px;" valign="top">Team Sky <a href="http://www.teamsky.com/" style="color: #6dc6dd; word-wrap: break-word !important;" target="_self">Sky Professional Cycling Team</a> is closely associated with British Cycling and their concept of improving performance through finding marginal gains is well documented. Too many organisations however focus on marginally improving the wrong things. Dave Brailsford the mastermind behind the team’s success starts by ensuring every member of the team is clear about what they want to achieve. Not surprisingly the nine man cycling team of domestiques, climbers and Chris Froome their leader and favourite for overall victory in the race, know their roles.<br /><br />All the support team including the mechanics, soigneurs, bus driver, director sportive, and chef are crystal clear about what the team wants to achieve and what they need to do for the team to achieve this dream. Quite simply their job is to put Chris Froome on the podium in Paris at the end of the race.<br /><br />To achieve the extraordinary, your leaders, managers, team leaders, supervisors and front line people have to be crystal clear about their role in achieving your organisation's podium finish. If I asked them what this was would they all give me the same answer? Are they working together as one winning team?<br /><br />To find out more book Dave Bradley's <a href="http://davebradley.co/?page_id=47" style="color: #6dc6dd; word-wrap: break-word !important;" target="_self">Become extraordinary </a>for your next conference or team meeting.</td></tr>
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Dave Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11894850581040571719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-6646828047727578362013-03-15T10:00:00.002+00:002014-02-04T16:16:27.874+00:00Crazy will do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s37hpDHZLoqUjL97cME-edmPS5kWSfUALalTNY5MU3lYR_Mi2dFE27pDUh5X9OoIpEhrB_ZXpz0FLFlH5kzamLHegLG0P7K_galwZHkId7XAy90U5nwF6zJFIEJFJhpLi4Wg82jXj8qj/s1600/inventor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s37hpDHZLoqUjL97cME-edmPS5kWSfUALalTNY5MU3lYR_Mi2dFE27pDUh5X9OoIpEhrB_ZXpz0FLFlH5kzamLHegLG0P7K_galwZHkId7XAy90U5nwF6zJFIEJFJhpLi4Wg82jXj8qj/s1600/inventor.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Transcript from an advert for Apple about 2o years ago.<br />
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here’s to the crazy ones<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The misfits. The rebels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The troublemakers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The round pegs in the square holes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ones who see things differently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They’re not fond of rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And they have no respect for the status quo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them,
disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because
they change things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They
create. They inspire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be
crazy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of
art?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We make tools for these kinds of people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can
change the world, are the ones who do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks to David Hain via www.toddnielsen.com/international-leadership-blogathon</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Dave Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11894850581040571719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-9193993788189239602012-11-05T14:20:00.001+00:002012-11-05T14:20:31.076+00:00Virtual Possibilities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_tZNY_BfWsfk82yMC6F_TVGRk5rU-OkEl8fYKSN2DYALKzeXuSYis41fa9VzK_6rwWwwNsP4PJKHydewBHgyVee_2gzTEQCqztuqAZF4dbNLeB4Akk64bVny7nYVODH6bZARMCFB989B/s1600/Baby+Computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_tZNY_BfWsfk82yMC6F_TVGRk5rU-OkEl8fYKSN2DYALKzeXuSYis41fa9VzK_6rwWwwNsP4PJKHydewBHgyVee_2gzTEQCqztuqAZF4dbNLeB4Akk64bVny7nYVODH6bZARMCFB989B/s1600/Baby+Computer.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Virtual Possibilities<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I have long harboured a desire to become virtual and I don’t
mean become an avatar (I did that at the BT TalkZone in the Millenium Dome at
the turn of the century and I ended up looking like ET). What interests me is the ability to do
training, coaching, focus groups and the like, conveniently, cheaply and
virtually. Three years ago we did some
tests to find out whether group training could be delivered live on line. After several attempts, with a number of
providers, we had to conclude it couldn’t.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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That was then, this is now.
Technology has moved on. No
longer does the internet connection disintegrate or suffer from interminable
delay; software providers have been
busy developing technologies that cater for a blend of media and accommodate
group interactivity. All this means the
time is right to deliver great sessions live and online. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This isn’t e- learning, which has its place but limited
application and effectiveness. With live,
online training we have a trainer, facilitator, presenter or coach working live
with groups. Interactivity has improved
so we can have discussion, experiential activity and breakout sessions. We can challenge, stimulate, collaborate and
create. People can at last be
successfully be engaged.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, as with most new ideas there are problems; some
early providers are switching people off to the possibilities. Death by PowerPoint is as prevalent in the
virtual world as the actual one and zero interaction (apart from the obligatory
poll) is the norm. Poor practice by some
trainers is leaving learners confused and alienated. This new world requires a new approach and,
as an experience trainer of many years, I can tell you it does need a new set
of skills to complement the existing ones. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There is evidence that people are engaged by this form of
training and find it less stressful than live sessions and it certainly has
proved more effective than e-learning – but of course, only when it is done
well. It takes skill, imagination and a
passion for engaging learners in the session.
And there is nothing new or virtual about those things!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-4821029207898950382012-02-10T16:48:00.000+00:002012-02-10T16:48:49.978+00:00Three R's and a T<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKGVkAsRjJL21PRTfJlm7gxlC1VTpTrmch-qXNGrPkkbeXDz6Z4JMKRQ1BeLgAGQbZLrCHAMkhtNILV6shE6_ndsbW2978etc_kRzE-5fz-oWcX4_CNhpM13WMmHEYP5Vwgje7ZoYNxxs/s1600/Mrs+O.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKGVkAsRjJL21PRTfJlm7gxlC1VTpTrmch-qXNGrPkkbeXDz6Z4JMKRQ1BeLgAGQbZLrCHAMkhtNILV6shE6_ndsbW2978etc_kRzE-5fz-oWcX4_CNhpM13WMmHEYP5Vwgje7ZoYNxxs/s1600/Mrs+O.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">What role does good education play
in great customer service?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tools for
learning, the so called 3Rs of reading, writing and arithmetic, are
cornerstones of education systems across the globe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tried, tested and mastered by most young
people, each of course plays an important role in any customer
interaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But where is the T?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">On a recent visit to a relative in
our local hospital I decided to quench my thirst at the WRVS café.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My server for the day was a bright young lady
of about 16 years of age, commendably volunteering for the day to help
visitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her greeting was exemplary. I
instantly felt welcome. It was at this point warning bells sounded as I placed an
order for a cup of black tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might
have known there was an issue when my order was repeated back as a question, ‘a
black tea?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is great when people
repeat back my order to check they’ve understood, but not with an inflection at
the end of the statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This might
have simply been due to the trend in modern speech to turn every sentence into
a question (?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry, this was an
assumption on my part and I apologise for questioning my server’s grasp of the
spoken word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, it was a question.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">After a couple of minutes doing
something out of view involving a muffled discussion with her colleague she
returned asking: ‘What is black tea?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
first thought was one of joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A young
person interested in improving her product knowledge, perhaps wanting to
appreciate the subtle differences between white, green, black, yellow and oolong
teas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disappointingly, ‘it’s tea without
milk,’ was all she needed to know.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">I was gratified to find she could
count the coins I presented but was left wondering. How can making tea, our
national drink, have been missed off the National Curriculum? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Most importantly, her customer
service training had been excellent; the service I received was exemplary.
There is, however, no point in creating<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a> great customer
interactions by spending time, money and energy on touch-point experiences,
customer feedback, building customer engagement through social media and the
like, if you can’t deliver first time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Would I recommend the WRVS catering
service?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their staff are wonderful volunteers who do great
work with patients and relatives. They also, now, know how to make black tea.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-67734626241441844262012-01-31T11:01:00.000+00:002012-01-31T11:01:09.044+00:00Banksy - An Artist in Radical Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuMC63xqoq-q10-UAymvy98uYxN7i3Xx_P-q12ji0PiXdA1cqqJsPV4-qe5LNbeZjMvUNin35HxvQW8j-YGvbqV2Elq6OfxaXn4D8ORKxQs-GIut-qG7H15a9eopeVkg3utaM_t14Cxt5/s1600/BanksyChange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuMC63xqoq-q10-UAymvy98uYxN7i3Xx_P-q12ji0PiXdA1cqqJsPV4-qe5LNbeZjMvUNin35HxvQW8j-YGvbqV2Elq6OfxaXn4D8ORKxQs-GIut-qG7H15a9eopeVkg3utaM_t14Cxt5/s200/BanksyChange.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">I have a fascination with people, situations, products and historical
events which have changed the way we live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let’s be a bit controversial today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“The greatest crimes in the
world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following
the rules. It's people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages”</em>
- Banksy</span></blockquote>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Banksy is a graffiti artist who likes to keep his identity
anonymous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t the first Graffiti
artist, I think we have to attribute the creation of the genre to our ancestors
who crafted images upon the walls of caves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact he didn’t even invent modern graffiti which achieved popularity
/ notoriety with the rise of hip-hop in the 1980’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t create the stencil technique and
style used for many of his pieces; this has been attributed to French artist
Blek le Rat. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcBrUdrvZ3wW8IPodxfAC0ccswhyphenhyphenBIr7oyn0toHZNWuWzAd4IdMyeuc7vFI-rKQQwI7-lQy50JV3TundPMPY-31gq87NCZrp0E19hq5fAZib-LhpsQODhZJfz2u18wsGvf7-BAGjkb12F/s1600/BanksyCave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcBrUdrvZ3wW8IPodxfAC0ccswhyphenhyphenBIr7oyn0toHZNWuWzAd4IdMyeuc7vFI-rKQQwI7-lQy50JV3TundPMPY-31gq87NCZrp0E19hq5fAZib-LhpsQODhZJfz2u18wsGvf7-BAGjkb12F/s1600/BanksyCave.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">No, what makes Banksy a Paradigmeer is he has made this type of
expression popular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask many graffiti
artists what they think of Banksy’s work and they retort that he has ‘sold out’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask art critics for an opinion and they are
dismissive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask some people and they say
it is just vandalism and encourages others to deface public property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask an art teacher and they will tell you
Banksy has encouraged people to create art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">What he has done is to challenge the rules of art and political
expression in a way that has captured the attention of a wide audience. Most
importantly he has made it accessible and </span><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">acceptable.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBHMVYHAZtBciHakKCkeq59a26U5iHeB9jtcMe5VvA2cclhVXOKZfd68J3OnRM23Ev4UzZ64H_9syX2TgYvoVdWbrbLolK1kOzEitPGOw66nJgXzV6HkgYP9kZma_IYTH8lsCrADUqUqp/s1600/BanksyBabyBath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBHMVYHAZtBciHakKCkeq59a26U5iHeB9jtcMe5VvA2cclhVXOKZfd68J3OnRM23Ev4UzZ64H_9syX2TgYvoVdWbrbLolK1kOzEitPGOw66nJgXzV6HkgYP9kZma_IYTH8lsCrADUqUqp/s320/BanksyBabyBath.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">With so many people involved in addressing structural change there are
some basic principles which have proved successful for Banksy.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Clearly identify what you want to improve.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Put
your intention out there for all to see.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">3.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Make
it accessible to all, so they can become involved and help to shape the future.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">4.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Have
a strategy for coping with your critics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Critics are protective of the status quo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">5.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Use
humour to temper emotions in order to allow your communication to become
constructive.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">6.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Park
any ego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The art, the message, the
customer, the patient, the issues which need addressing are more important than
status and ego.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">7.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Be passionate about what you are doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has to mean something to you otherwise why
should it mean anything to anyone else. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">My favourite Banksy quote: </span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">“One Original Thought is worth 1000
Meaningless Quotes.”</span> </span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-68598747271843735252012-01-20T16:17:00.000+00:002012-01-20T16:17:01.293+00:00New Tent, New Circus - Achieving More for Less<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEkGj_z42-7c_lMBsUNoxjVMGFIRMGv8mb4DOH5Q_1wE6zg_JUnL3raPAyy8pz4ssPrcClh6MazjUWZfLNQ1vkABCKe38ZoNwPKE2D2ufSqHu2rN28PWuh1PteyjtL4C7kB7sndwPE6jJ/s1600/NewTent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEkGj_z42-7c_lMBsUNoxjVMGFIRMGv8mb4DOH5Q_1wE6zg_JUnL3raPAyy8pz4ssPrcClh6MazjUWZfLNQ1vkABCKe38ZoNwPKE2D2ufSqHu2rN28PWuh1PteyjtL4C7kB7sndwPE6jJ/s1600/NewTent.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt -5.45pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Firstly a little homework;
you may want to read our initial article entitled <a href="http://whatmorecantherebe.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-tent.html" target="_blank">‘New Tent, Same Circus’</a>
before embarking upon the following flight of fancy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt -5.45pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt -5.45pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">We often refer to
organisations shifting to the next level from the assumption that they will
maintain their current level of resources to achieve more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we move into a new era it seems that the
level of resources most organisations will have available will decrease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet achieving the ‘next level’ has become
even more important to <a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>stakeholders who don’t want less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no reason why an organisation should
reduce their level of production, customer experience and the like simply
because they have less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now is the time
to move to a ‘New tent, New Circus’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt -5.45pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt -5.45pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">The metaphor of ‘New Tent,
New Circus’ focuses organisations on two key elements of change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change mindsets and change the rules. Here
are five factors of uncertainty which argue there has never been a better time
to do this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt 12.55pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Although there is a desperate
rearguard action being fought by many to hold onto a status quo which deep down
everyone knows is unsustainable; we all expect our lives to be different in the
next few years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt 12.55pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">We don’t know what the future
looks like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means that the future
is there to be moulded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an
acceptance that there is no longer a ‘right way’; best practice is now only
good practice; expert? – expert in what?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt 12.55pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Changes in resource mean new
ways of delivery have to be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
organisations are busy trimming people, service, infra-structure and the
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others are asking more fundamental
questions about what purpose their organisations serve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt 12.55pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">There is a shift in power
occurring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just the rise of
China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor people asserting democracy by
holding MPs to account, holding the newspapers to account and wanting to hold
financial institutions to account. Those who had power can no longer expect to
keep it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm -2.8pt 0pt 12.55pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Technology can create a new
world in moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giants like Kodak
Eastman filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection demonstrates how quickly
organisations can be left behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Google, Apple and Social Media rule the roost... for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means three things:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1. Social Media is making our world more
sensitive to the views of ordinary people 2. Markets can change rapidly, and
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is great today could be unwieldy
tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">This
is why we live in such an exciting time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The barriers to improvement are coming down. Organisations can take a
fresh look at their purpose and how they deliver it. Imagination and creativity
will become a much sought after currency, freeing people’s minds to the
possibilities these five fundamental factors of uncertainty will bring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-3915611861011449682012-01-13T15:58:00.000+00:002012-01-13T15:58:02.367+00:00Flipped Thinking: Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-bwPkDj2a01uMf3fQDrytPFzMMJdkNfDC_5k2kKKo8kTyxiOw8T3u1zwHlGlZXR34ldzB3N78HljxZ7Jhr9_ECT8CLkjSzD5kCOayhvXxqew53nZlEdB-wmV5zxv2DHIPJ63fJO8yHuh/s1600/Flipping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-bwPkDj2a01uMf3fQDrytPFzMMJdkNfDC_5k2kKKo8kTyxiOw8T3u1zwHlGlZXR34ldzB3N78HljxZ7Jhr9_ECT8CLkjSzD5kCOayhvXxqew53nZlEdB-wmV5zxv2DHIPJ63fJO8yHuh/s1600/Flipping.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">I’m currently
embroiled in a British Triathlon Level 2 Coaching qualification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My spare time is consumed with cycling, swimming
and running sessions; not to mention the coursework and preparing for an exam.
Setting aside the desire to become ‘qualified’, the process is a great example
of ‘flipped learning’.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">‘Flipped
learning’ is where the learner is significantly predisposed to the subject
matter to be ‘taught’ before they experience any formal learning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traditionally people are invited to train at
something under the assumption that they know little or nothing; that they
arrive as an empty vessel ready to be filled with knowledge, after which they
disembark into their workplace to possibly transfer this learning into
practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are lucky they have some
experience we can hang the training onto, although this experience might be either
high quality practice or low quality floundering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also has nothing to do with how long
people have been in a job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two years of
high quality practice can yield the same expertise as 20 years of floundering.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Our assertion
here is that to ‘flip’ the traditional approach to training by designing
appropriate pre-learning such that people arrive at their ‘course’ with some
background and a shared understanding allows trainer/facilitators to work more
effectively, in greater depth and to greater effect within the vital
face-to-face training environment.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Given my
professional background in training and coaching alongside my ‘extracurricular’
sports-coaching and competing, I arrive at the taught elements of my Triathlon
Coaching course with a different mindset than if I had no predisposition. My
fellow coaches and I become sponges desperate to refine the techniques we
use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are keen to identify how others
have applied them in different contexts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are eager to hear about the latest thinking and what the Brownlee Brothers
(world’s best triathletes) are doing! </span><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Most importantly
this learning will be applied into our practice the moment we are with our next
group of athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><span style="font-size: small;">What if more organisational
training was like this? What sort of return on your training investment could
be achieved?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How quickly could your
organisation be transformed?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">To check out our <a href="http://www.whatmorecantherebe.blogspot.com/2011/09/flip-thinking-part-1.html">Flipped Thinking: Part 1</a> article, simply click the link.</span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-78485790378456618602012-01-09T16:07:00.000+00:002012-01-09T16:07:30.190+00:00The 'Bezzie Mate' Test<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYO8FfDgwTU2nUA10Bh4TJeyo_GkRsWH-9p8D0i-EP-L_j-CsfmdF4yrs52t_DgVoDX0SLAPuWB87KLDot2Dfzrb2QxxsX181s4LotLJGRG7czP-sCZcHzt87BqQEiOdOXHO-ckKKk3vR/s1600/Manuel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYO8FfDgwTU2nUA10Bh4TJeyo_GkRsWH-9p8D0i-EP-L_j-CsfmdF4yrs52t_DgVoDX0SLAPuWB87KLDot2Dfzrb2QxxsX181s4LotLJGRG7czP-sCZcHzt87BqQEiOdOXHO-ckKKk3vR/s1600/Manuel.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">How often do we try to show our smartness by making
simple ideas complex, when we really need is to make complex behavioural
processes simple?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">When we interact with a customer this can be a
hugely complicated process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just try
stepping into a role that you have never experienced before to understand the
sheer terror of trying to ‘get it right’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I decided to put this to the test by helping out at a restaurant I part
owned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much to the amusement of the
highly experienced staff, I suggested that I needed to understand the pressures
they worked under so would do a few shifts. My induction quickly showed that
here was a job we all took for granted, after all, we have all been to a
restaurant, we all know what we want as a customer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Firstly, I had to achieve mastery over the
equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tills, coffee machines, dishwashers,
order-taking, creating a bill, even cutlery… arghh! This is before getting to
relationship building with my customers. I needed to give a great experience so
they would go home bursting with praise and desperate to come back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was the face of the restaurant; I was now
responsible for the success of the business.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Luckily our team realised my intention was to learn
so I could help us all to make better decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting to grips with the processes was a
matter of good training and practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Transactional
customer service can be mastered relatively quickly but when we</span><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">
identified what a great customer experience would look like, the number of
factors became unmanageable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was
until one of our super-skilled waiters simplified the complexity brilliantly.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">She described her approach which was to treat all
customers as ‘bezzie mates’ (local vernacular for best – ‘bezzie’ friends). You
want your ‘bezzie mates’ to have the best possible experience, to show off how
good your restaurant is, to be proud of what you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know that sometimes they want a quiet
experience while on other visits they want familiarity and fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With your ‘bezzie mates’ you work hard to
understand quickly how they want to be treated. The ‘bezzie mate’ test became
our mantra.</span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-37937077318181073322012-01-03T11:51:00.000+00:002012-01-09T09:09:32.195+00:00100<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T96IBC0Z7nk/TwLrBbtU5SI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/1ongH7n_K00/s1600/Everest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T96IBC0Z7nk/TwLrBbtU5SI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/1ongH7n_K00/s1600/Everest.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Century Gothic';">In 1923, a reporter from the New
York Times asked George Mallory why he wanted to climb Mount Everest. His reply became seared into mountaineering
history and will resonate with climbers forever. He simply retorted; ‘Because it’s there’.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Century Gothic';">There is something magical about starting
a challenge. Whether it is a personal challenge, in your
business, or within your marketplace, the moment you decide to set yourself a
goal and head off into the unknown raises the spirit and heightens emotions. There is always an element of risk. No doubt
you will consider the pros and cons; complete your risk assessment and a SWOT
analysis, but without risk there is no challenge. The learning is, as they say, in the journey.
It is only by having a go, experiencing your Everest that you can discover what
is possible.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Mallory and his climbing partner
Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine died in their attempt, however there is still debate as
to whether they were the first to set foot on the summit of the world’s highest
peak. When they set out they were well
prepared, at the height of their physical and mental powers and understood the
consequences of their endeavour. They
wanted to find out what was possible.
Indeed their courage continues to show others what can be achieved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Century Gothic';">As I write this today the news
from around the world is dominated by retrenchment, risk aversion, and clinging
to what is familiar. The challenge we
are presented with is not about discovery, or development, or even
progress. Yet surely going backwards
cannot be the way forward. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"></span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Perhaps we need to consider how
we challenge ourselves and our people.
Maybe this is the time to look up and ask what we can do to make a
difference in the world. Conceivably there
could be more, not less.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Century Gothic';">100 blogs ago we set ourselves a
challenge to explore ‘What more can there be?
We believe that within realms of customer experience, change and
striving for the next level we can offer stimulation to our readers. Our challenge is to at least open minds to
the possibility, just the possibility, that by thinking differently we can
create a better world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">The likes of Mallory and Irvine
are our inspiration, long before we posed our question they dared to answer
it. Why write this collection of blogs?
What makes us want to make our small contribution to a challenge so huge? </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5436393844057366280" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"> Because it’s there.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-61045286011720274372011-12-16T09:21:00.002+00:002012-01-05T18:31:10.784+00:00A Christmas Moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">t's once again 'The Most Wonderful Time of the Year' (or at least I think that's what the song says!). Of course in reality we're all rushing about; trying to get work wrapped up before the break, make sure we haven't forgotten Auntie Gladys' annual consignment of 'Quality Streets' and grotto-ify the house with tinsel, twigs and baubles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, in the midst of all of this we can hopefully look forward to one or two wonderful moments (maybe even three or four!) peculiar to this time of year. And that got us thinking...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0NRQmzuZ9yI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And, of course, should you wish to send any festive greetings our way, we can be contacted at: <a href="mailto:info@paradigmantics.com">info@paradigmantics.com</a></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-61009401615343369562011-12-08T09:53:00.001+00:002011-12-08T10:30:38.484+00:00Nothing Fails like Success<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7m7aB5ebUoH2DBIvrhwOcaBQfAVUCCieWwdfa0yVWZugMmYY13qyR_bdo0proEtAJ7_v1oKSguWuM7nII8KN0mYan1ph9rGlOk9rFTiwqjlNQMHVAkqueWMjBJPCObDxbFgG6_mUZtSa/s1600/SuccessFail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7m7aB5ebUoH2DBIvrhwOcaBQfAVUCCieWwdfa0yVWZugMmYY13qyR_bdo0proEtAJ7_v1oKSguWuM7nII8KN0mYan1ph9rGlOk9rFTiwqjlNQMHVAkqueWMjBJPCObDxbFgG6_mUZtSa/s1600/SuccessFail.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">I’ve just been searching through my old notebooks to find a
list of addresses of family and friends to whom I want to send festive
greetings. It’s in one of them. Somewhere! Predictably I go through this
exercise every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When eventually the
list is retrieved I make a solemn vow to either create a spreadsheet</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"> or at least to put it somewhere where I will find it next
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As yet the addresses remain stubbornly
elusive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">On the positive side, I’ve become reacquainted with pages of
thoughts collected from conferences I’ve attended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ideas worthy of note but forgotten in this
jumbled archive of assorted notebooks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One set of pages was my record of a presentation by Stephen Covey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first line, and title for this blog,
caught my eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though it was
delivered before the Lehman crash 2008, in a time of plenty, the concept has
resonance and is very much the subject of this site.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Covey’s primary message was that ‘successful practices no
longer work today’. He used a wonderful metaphor to illustrate the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">If you are in London trying to navigate your way around the
city with a map of Amsterdam to find your destination, it won’t be too
surprising if you can’t find the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your first inclination is to try harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, if we work harder success eventually arrives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you don’t arrive! The only thing that
arrives is a sense of frustration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
you have an attitude problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get this
sorted, you need a PMA (positive mental attitude).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get psyched up, come on you can do it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, however positive you become, you
will remain lost.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">This has nothing to do with your behaviour or attitude, just
a bad map. You have a map problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Breakthroughs come from ‘breaking with’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changing what you are doing, finding a new
accurate map is the key to making a difference. The map is the paradigm; the
way we do things around here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one
time the accepted paradigm was that the earth was at the centre of the
Universe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a more accurate map showed
this was not the case, unsurprisingly people wouldn’t accept it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changing a paradigm is really hard for people
to even contemplate, let alone adopt. Maybe, the way we do business, the way we
deal with our customers, how we work and the like might benefit from a new map.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Since I’ve already redoubled my effort, adopted a PMA and
achieved frustration, maybe it’s the time to adopt a different approach towards
finding this damned Christmas card list!</span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-72843000236424125512011-12-01T08:00:00.000+00:002011-12-01T08:00:19.397+00:00Customers as Partners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TxeAINJU0k0kdL0dSdEorznsbtrVfgNmNh4BflNEAy07KuIeriVFwHF8E1XlNGoK4HhABVOvXXpEXSlZdQ9UP9foeTm7QbqxnZJP_8Xvc9a2TNreyGKr0SwjBr77FNJ0LANh9M_UnzaN/s1600/TomnJerry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TxeAINJU0k0kdL0dSdEorznsbtrVfgNmNh4BflNEAy07KuIeriVFwHF8E1XlNGoK4HhABVOvXXpEXSlZdQ9UP9foeTm7QbqxnZJP_8Xvc9a2TNreyGKr0SwjBr77FNJ0LANh9M_UnzaN/s1600/TomnJerry.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">How often do we hear words like;
‘We work in partnership with our customers’. Welcome to yet more rhetoric. It’s
as if we say it often enough, loud enough, to as many people as possible, it
will become more than wishful thinking. Rarely is your customer relationship a
partnership, mainly because of the contractual arrangements, self-preservation
and ego that gets in the way of it becoming so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">What sort of partnership do you
have with your business to business customers?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Are you a supplier?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means you have a contract to deliver
services. When you re-tender, you and all your competitors will face the same
level playing field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will compete on
price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will all make extravagant
claims about their excellent service.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Are you a supplier of
choice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In which case, you deliver
everything in your contract, on time, on budget, to the accepted standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the contract is re-tendered every
competitor will claim they can deliver what you have done at roughly the same
price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The advantage you have is some
evidence that you are up to the task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your
customer hopefully thinks; ‘better the devil we know’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Are you a partner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You deliver everything that is expected. The
difference is in the way you work together to deliver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You make every effort to understand what
success looks like for your partners and together to achieve this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s as if you share the same goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have become the partner of choice. How
could they manage without you?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">These principles apply to all types
of customer relationship not just business to business.</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Are you regarded simply as a supplier?</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Are you a supplier of choice?</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Do your customers engage with your business and
choose to become involved?</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">If you want to make partnership
the reality of your customer relationship, first, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accept</i> what sort of relationship your customers perceive they have
with you. Don’t believe your own rhetoric. If you want to have something
different, then, identify what behaviours you need to demonstrate in order for
your customers to choose to join you in </span><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">a relationship which can truly be defined as a partnership. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Remember if you don’t deliver to their expectations you will
quickly find yourselves as ‘just another supplier’ accompanied by all of the
uncertainty that comes with this status.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><strong>If you're interested in finding out more about how Paradigmantics can help your organisation to develop more engaged partners, contact: </strong><a href="mailto:andy@paradigmantics.com"><strong>andy@paradigmantics.com</strong></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Holme, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire HD9 2TP, UK53.5658596 -1.798471853.5635021 -1.8034073 53.568217100000005 -1.7935363tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-69527953904363598952011-11-22T10:54:00.001+00:002011-11-22T11:20:21.556+00:00Be Aware<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUt2XwxEP5TRQhh1SFeX5DucyMZsernj5JBDgJ71kK9-oMsnQYAUsarewgA9SoF8jwXkjRD7xv9TVji6fKbo7__QRXYII2kSFWVjLoP3vLUjfFqrdj1JZmByj4EnPJTd3nrDMI6nsQboV/s1600/Totally+Unaware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUt2XwxEP5TRQhh1SFeX5DucyMZsernj5JBDgJ71kK9-oMsnQYAUsarewgA9SoF8jwXkjRD7xv9TVji6fKbo7__QRXYII2kSFWVjLoP3vLUjfFqrdj1JZmByj4EnPJTd3nrDMI6nsQboV/s1600/Totally+Unaware.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">The no-cost trick to gain more
customers, more engaged colleagues and a more fulfilled life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">How often have you travelled an
oft-used route in your car, or on the train, and arrived safely at the other
end with no recollection of your journey?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not that you were asleep; simply that nothing caught your
attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps your mind was
elsewhere, musing on the pressing issues of your day. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Have you ever been in a shop,
selected a magazine or sandwich, and have no recollection of the experience you
just had as a customer? Amazingly, you were willing and able to spend your hard
earned cash in their shop, but they made no attempt to make a connection with
you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Would your colleagues ever say
you had missed an opportunity to notice a great piece of work they had done for
you? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they made a special effort to
hit a deadline, or had to overcome complications to help you out. I know if I
asked you, your response would be that you always praise people, at every
opportunity. We always like to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">think</i>
we do.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Now,</span><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"> let’s
consider another perspective.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">You completed a piece of work to
the best of your ability; hit the deadline by some miracle, after having all
sorts of problems. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ticked that box, now
move on. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did anyone thank you to show
they valued what you did for them? Has anyone recognised the effort you
made?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you notice the acknowledgement
and thanks your colleague lavished upon you for doing a great job and saving
their day? Maybe it didn’t register.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Your customers came and went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They seemed happy with the service you gave
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or at least didn’t say
otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some regular
faces, but many you might see only once or twice and then never again. They didn’t
make any attempt to make a connection; they’re in a world of their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never to be seen again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Beware. There is a great deal to
lose when we take awareness for granted.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Perhaps if we make a conscious
effort to be more aware, we might connect with more customers turning them into
regular visitors, engage with our colleagues more, and ourselves feel more
valued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this at no cost... What more
can there be?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">See how we've helped other organisations to become more aware and build engagement with their customers by viewing the short case study links below:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://whatmorecantherebe.blogspot.com/2011/09/very-good-course-which-i-shall.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Legal & General Case Study, Short</strong></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://whatmorecantherebe.blogspot.com/2011/09/fab-team-very-energetic-excellent.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Ellbee Case Study, Short</strong></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-33480159786622131142011-11-16T15:06:00.001+00:002011-11-16T15:15:46.718+00:00Pandora’s Box - Creating new Opportunities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRUo_sV6W_tn3r8WLO7DJICkZT_SfF7Kv0-ye7oU4VMrJvRyLlquXy6NtnhXDl6u7oiAmGfoD8yvzdmcPp0wPmntLh_TZB28EnXnf_WTiEF121A-oUWMcxeiplpmGgzo47eTfFS_rz5Fq/s1600/Pandora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRUo_sV6W_tn3r8WLO7DJICkZT_SfF7Kv0-ye7oU4VMrJvRyLlquXy6NtnhXDl6u7oiAmGfoD8yvzdmcPp0wPmntLh_TZB28EnXnf_WTiEF121A-oUWMcxeiplpmGgzo47eTfFS_rz5Fq/s1600/Pandora.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Pandora was given a box by the Greek God Zeus and forbidden
from ever opening it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course,
curiosity eventually overcame her. As she prised off the lid, to her horror she
released all the ‘evils’ into our world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This means that while the root cause of our current economic and
organisational dilemmas can therefore be attributed to Pandora, so can the
cure. As Pandora stared into the vessel, luckily, at the very bottom, one thing
remained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">At every meeting I attend, and training programme I deliver,
the crowd without fail utter the mantra, ‘more for less, more for less, more
for less’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As if saying this over and
over will somehow open up Elysium, the Greek land of plenty. It won’t. The
predominant thinking I witness is; ‘preserve as much as we can, this is the way
we do things, less is more!’ </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">How can you unlock this mindset</span><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">? The
great breakthrough will come from thinking differently about what you are
doing. Ask, ‘what more can there be?’ Better solutions with great possibilities
do exist for those who look from a different perspective. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">A technique to help realise possibilities and great opportunity
is called ‘flip-flop’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start with a list
of the characteristics of your business, your issue or service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then ‘flip’ your ‘flop’ to create a new
perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me help you with an
example: let’s see how this thinking changed the air travel industry for ever:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Characteristics of 1970s
air travel</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">National carriers</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Expensive</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Luxury travel available to a few</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">From major city airports</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">All the frills</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Food and drink included</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><em><span style="color: #990000;">.... Now, Flip the flop<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">The Budget Airlines'
new thinking created in the 1990s<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Small agile carriers</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Inexpensive</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Available to almost anyone</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">From regional airports</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Pay for what you want</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Buy a sandwich and coffee on board</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">A highly profitable new market was born.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Flip–Flop, try it. Unlock your thinking. Open minds to new
opportunities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Release the one thing
left in Pandora’s box …</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Hope.</span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-91695538988315232552011-11-07T16:04:00.001+00:002011-11-07T16:11:41.271+00:00How Do We Disengage People?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw7Ju4NvJTB8keiAts5W6j_O7UVm_yKBeE9vWzsqA-EMvYcM0_NoMjssOl8Dr0E2sCWW_2mxk2wLFKYapbQM5xImxKrddu5ceFQAZRd8kkT_fM0SWknLR8q7GWuwU61QSxpWrhZdekMgE/s1600/Disengagement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw7Ju4NvJTB8keiAts5W6j_O7UVm_yKBeE9vWzsqA-EMvYcM0_NoMjssOl8Dr0E2sCWW_2mxk2wLFKYapbQM5xImxKrddu5ceFQAZRd8kkT_fM0SWknLR8q7GWuwU61QSxpWrhZdekMgE/s1600/Disengagement.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It’s
great to visit an organisation and hear the leadership team express the desire
to improve morale, to have everyone in the workforce engaged and to keep their
people motivated during a time of uncertainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply because the answer to
the question is so easy to find.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">How
quickly we forget those times when we were starting our careers, when we were
on the front line, or in the back office, learning the ropes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you ever gather around the water cooler
with your work chums to practice low morale, disengagement and general
can’t-be-botheredness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How often were
you lured from your positive state to joining in with your more disaffected
colleagues?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What pushed you onto the
slippery slope?</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The
classic reason cited by nearly every piece of research into the matter is a
lack of trust in leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem
here is that this means different things to different people. Is it determined
by your actual or perceived experiences, or is it fuelled by the experience or
perceived experiences of others?</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Not
surprisingly a lack of communication will also be high on the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So often leaders report that ’we told
them’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you tell ‘them’ in the way
they wanted to be told, so that they perceived they were being communicated with
effectively?</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">‘We
don’t feel valued’ ranks highly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
an emotional response. You may value your people very highly but what have you
done that would reinforce this? </span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Uncertainty
is usually a root cause of people leaping onto the bandwagon of disquiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least we can be certain that everyone we
talk to on this vehicle to despair will share, or at least sympathise with our
views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When leaders tell us that the
only thing we are sure about is that things are currently uncertain is hardly
reassuring.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Other
stuff which seems trivial but isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
child has mumps, I’ve got a bad back, I’m going out tonight and I haven’t got
enough money. These are all the things that leaders cannot<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="_GoBack"></a>
control yet they have great pertinence to the individual rehydrating for the third
time this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This
(more or less) means that the answer is very simple.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Go
and stand by the water cooler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hear what
‘they’ hear, see what ‘they’ see, feel what ‘they’ feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember when you were standing here with
your chums and what made you want to join in these conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, ask what would I have wanted my leader
at the time to say to me, to reassure me that everything will be ok?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>To find out more about how Paradigmantics can help your UK organisation to engage with its workforce contact <a href="mailto:andy@paradigmantics.com">andy@paradigmantics.com</a> for a brochure or further information.</strong></span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-63858925116267681822011-10-31T15:38:00.000+00:002011-10-31T15:39:01.027+00:00The Bic Crystal ‘Biro’; The tool of the Paradigmeer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MUaJX3Jum_Kih9XR45_g5UfbHVv6OwMMAzxOhK0ZDncJLAIndoaFjRMrXeEpEmzCshhM7s97yZLfU1D9xPwwPG4wXAQFGM73-BvcfiVJ8ITntoG5FrjiqNBJLTv7pFFwCu8RPbduic3M/s1600/Quill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MUaJX3Jum_Kih9XR45_g5UfbHVv6OwMMAzxOhK0ZDncJLAIndoaFjRMrXeEpEmzCshhM7s97yZLfU1D9xPwwPG4wXAQFGM73-BvcfiVJ8ITntoG5FrjiqNBJLTv7pFFwCu8RPbduic3M/s1600/Quill.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I recently discovered a bundle of
old exercise books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I untied the
string which bound the collection I noticed they were a relic of my
schooldays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What struck me as I thumbed
these seminal tomes of my intellectual development, was the smudged
handwriting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blotches of ink, inky
fingerprints and other ink related schoolboy catastrophes highlighted each page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was the product of a schooling system which
insisted that the ballpoint pen was bad for the development of fine calligraphy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Luckily the invention of Laszlo Biro
has prevailed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His name is synonymous
with the ballpoint pen even though this had been invented 50 years before
Biro’s 1938 patent. Marcel Bich bought the patent in 1950 before spending two
years perfecting his iconic Bic Crystal ballpoint pen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So successful was his product that 57 Bic
Biros are sold every second amounting to 100 billion since 1950. There can be
hardly anyone on the planet that isn’t familiar with it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">When we
consider that for years the Bic Biro was the tool we used to express
ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many of the world’s great
ideas started their lives as a line of blue or black ink scribed onto paper by
the ball of a Bic Biro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Did it
challenge the rules?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would argue it
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Previously pens were relatively
expensive and required skill to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
biro opened up the world as a cheap, reliable tool that anyone could use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It has
popular appeal. Even today as electronics usurp the written word we still carry
a ballpoint pen to fill those gaps when only pen and paper can be useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">We couldn’t
imagine a world without the biro or its many spin offs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even, I would suggest in a hundred years
time, there will still be biros in use. When your ‘i’ this that and the other,
has become obsolete, still tucked away in your desk drawer will be a ubiquitous
biro. I look at my desk now, as I type into my super clever computer, beside me
are notes, diagrams, doodles and drawings made using a small army of biros.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">My schoolbooks are testament to what
life was like without the Bic biro. We can only speculate that given the ease with
which words, thoughts and ideas could be generated it is possible that without
the ballpoint pen we wouldn’t have made intellectual or technological progress
as fast as we have, without it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-1247896436817308142011-10-17T13:56:00.000+01:002011-10-17T14:00:08.873+01:00Why Change?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XLW45d1662HUNDrj0WIcEtAkDrnqhloypr3P7QP6aL5DVsaZPHaDnNUbF8bXhxhYJdtmLmiR6sbiczgsnPqUeF9QWrZyafukcbQZ0QOiEipvEYW89Fg5364JkRL9zS2OxrCj4XyD6kES/s1600/Change.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XLW45d1662HUNDrj0WIcEtAkDrnqhloypr3P7QP6aL5DVsaZPHaDnNUbF8bXhxhYJdtmLmiR6sbiczgsnPqUeF9QWrZyafukcbQZ0QOiEipvEYW89Fg5364JkRL9zS2OxrCj4XyD6kES/s1600/Change.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">If I hear yet another speaker quote
Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity as ‘doing the same thing over and over
again and expecting different results’, I shall scream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not because it’s a statement I disagree with,
more because it is used ‘over and over again’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Interestingly Einstein assumed that
the Universe was static!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Expansion
Paradigm developed by Edwin Hubble proved that the Universe is actually
constantly expanding, which led Einstein to concede that assuming the Universe
remained constant was perhaps his biggest blunder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only real constant is change itself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Unfortunately people’s desire to maintain
equilibrium and have a high degree of certainty is strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to those sages in every organisation
who, for as long as I’ve drawn a pay packet, have uttered; ‘It’s not as good as
it used to be, we’re always changing things, we need a period of stability...’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second constant is that change is uncertain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">If change is inevitable but we
naturally hang on to what we know because the alternative is ‘the unknown’, what
will force us to move?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Big Bang was
the violent starting point (the singularity) for our constantly changing
Universe, thus what is also certain is that any behavioural change also
requires a trigger point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That moment
when we become ready to accept that maybe, just maybe, we could do something
different. We’ve reached the point at which it will only take a ‘nudge’ to set
us in motion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">So far, it seems, all beyond our
control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change happens, there will be a
trigger point and the results will be uncertain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is how we perceive this inevitability that
makes the difference, which makes this a truly exciting time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone accepts that whatever our organisation,
there will be change; the economy has provided the nudge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now leaders can design organisations,
encourage mindsets and create processes which will embrace the sentiment behind
Einstein’s oft plagiarised words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
beware:</span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><blockquote>
“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from
mediocre minds.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Albert Einstein</blockquote>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Old habits die hard.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">To receive a free copy of our new 24 page BlogBook in PDF format, comprising of a series of articles considering change from different perspectives; drop us an e-mail at <a href="mailto:info@paradigmantics.com">info@paradigmantics.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-72212149872785561132011-10-12T14:57:00.000+01:002011-10-12T14:57:21.470+01:00Frontiers of Customer Experience - Part 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDO5iO6aneh7MjU-uUJfHlOqKU93iwi93B0muMtkQKP_eDK07hL7RH9_70uY9hWtjCJ_9njpwIlLUv6jS4kDkyp1S8YUwIbGinLwa-I86S4lIpBlaeOlyGPid1j6P2Cqj2zSBOqA-dN6K/s1600/Rude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDO5iO6aneh7MjU-uUJfHlOqKU93iwi93B0muMtkQKP_eDK07hL7RH9_70uY9hWtjCJ_9njpwIlLUv6jS4kDkyp1S8YUwIbGinLwa-I86S4lIpBlaeOlyGPid1j6P2Cqj2zSBOqA-dN6K/s1600/Rude.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 3rd and final opportunity presents a far greater challenge. Once we have taken responsibility for the whole customer experience and educated our customers as to how they might benefit from the full potential of our service, we move into an area over which we might at first seem to be powerless. How can we get our customers to be good customers? How can we help them get the best out of us? <div>
</div>
<div>
Anyone who has ever faced a customer will know how some of them manage to bring out the worst in even the most accommodating of colleagues. Let’s face facts, we have all done it; been rude, aggressive, ignorant, confused, distracted, disconnected, or considered the person serving us to be incompetent. We all know how to be ‘bad’ customers. So how can we help customers become better at being ‘good’ customers so the person serving has at least a sporting chance of giving them a great experience? </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
It can be done. When my son took to skateboarding I spent many hours as the taxi service to a local skate park. Housed in a converted warehouse and frequented by an eclectic mix of young people, it may have been draughty, apparently disorganised and mainly held together with gaffer tape, but once those customers walked through the doors their etiquette was a joy to behold. Small kids flattened or concussed would be dusted off by big kids, tricks were applauded and newbies always given a tour of the hallowed ramps and jumps. They all become great customers. So whose responsibility was it to make this happen? Most interestingly these young people had created the customer culture that they wanted, they used the facility to its fullest potential and they learned to skate in the way that suited them best. They even organised the taxi service! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Indeed more organisations are enabling their customers to personalise their experience; iGoogle and BBC homepage are good examples of web-based products where you can do this. The ‘virtual’ environment will lead the way because it is easier to deliver a personalised experience than in the infinite complexity of a ‘real’ customer interaction but this should not stop us being ambitious. What more can you do to:</div>
<div>
</div>
<ol>
<li>Influence those parts of your customer’s experience over which you have no influence?</li>
<li>Help customers to take full benefit of your service by learning about your product in the way they prefer to learn?</li>
<li>Help your customers become better at being ‘good’ customers?</li>
</ol>
<div>
</div>
<div>
These three frontiers represent a challenge for all organisations to explore if we are to achieve even greater levels of customer experience. Like all great pioneers, who are pushing at new frontiers, do you ask the question: ‘What more could there be?’</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
To find out how Paradigmantics can help you to explore these frontiers, contact Andy Summers for information on our Engaged Customer programme: </div>
</span><div>
<a href="mailto:andy@paradigmantics.com"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">andy@paradigmantics.com</span></a></div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-7890743233710209242011-10-06T14:21:00.000+01:002011-10-06T15:01:24.348+01:00Absenteeism, Presenteeism & Stress... Taking its toll on the UK workforce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvArWcSvE6XNbkyHqS3JRpPMGq55S-zzHyNJ5oPkZ489mDRnEgLch_wbYzQA2LF5JqMYUHwfTd7POCfiu-mXe88yzOgfOy_HqGglosFLiKZgDM8WINuXpA9mBkVJ1g42Da1NeNrr80_1-/s1600/Absence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvArWcSvE6XNbkyHqS3JRpPMGq55S-zzHyNJ5oPkZ489mDRnEgLch_wbYzQA2LF5JqMYUHwfTd7POCfiu-mXe88yzOgfOy_HqGglosFLiKZgDM8WINuXpA9mBkVJ1g42Da1NeNrr80_1-/s1600/Absence.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Here we go again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">The headline screams: Absenteeism on the rise amongst
British Workers.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Shock, horror, a news item that reveals short term unplanned
absence due to ill health is rising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
do we expect?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Uncertainty abounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
if your organisation is secure, there is always an underlying threat of
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The news reports problems in
Greece, Italy and the Eurozone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are
told prices are rising and your wages will remain the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will be worse off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many issues that could affect you and your
family are outside your control. You are helpless, your influence over your
circumstances is getting weaker; your level of stress is rising.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Then you go to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here you meet other people who are quick to add to your burden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They reinforce the rumours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask anyone in the organisation what the
biggest issue is and they point the finger at a perceived lack of communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When your manager informs you that they have
told you everything they know ‘at the present moment’, you want to know more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is it you are not being told?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">However hard you try the uncertainty grows.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Eventually this tips others over the edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take time off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This puts pressure on those that are working
who have to cover; customers are met with stressed people or a less responsive
service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And through all this, managers
become convinced that they are not being kept in the picture, the leadership
team puts their collective heads in their hands and despair at why the level of
trust is evaporating.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">What do you expect?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">How can you empathise with ‘John Smith’ whose call you are
taking; one which is simply adding to your level of stress? It’s time to manage
the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start with yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are you doing to take control over your
level of stress?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Too often we come across managers and leaders who keep
taking other people’s stress on board and take no action to reduce their own
levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaders in particular keep going
until they suffer a catastrophic breakdown which will take months to recover
from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaders have to set an example to
everyone else and show how individuals can look after their own wellbeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we can get everyone in the organisation to
recognise that they can take control and accept personal responsibility for
their wellbeing, then any action taken by teams and the organisation to make this
uncertain world more certain will have a far greater effect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><strong>For further information on 'Altogether Better', Paradigmantics' Attendence Management Portfolio, please don't hesitate to contact: </strong><a href="mailto:andy@paradigmantics.com"><strong>andy@paradigmantics.com</strong></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-20739455877344791662011-10-04T15:40:00.000+01:002011-10-04T15:40:02.872+01:00Leaders as the custodians of ‘The way we do things around here’<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cMPgdN4Pc53arBpOt2MApuKaFedS_TQ_bXdmfARVc5e3U2LHkmzlh4gH9kwFnLaUlSYIQC54G_T4aGDP3JkZf76vgzVQ81inVKZWZ4plcPgLyAmdTl0HZBRkVjhk2Pu3MxEDix_8fMmd/s1600/Don%2527t%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cMPgdN4Pc53arBpOt2MApuKaFedS_TQ_bXdmfARVc5e3U2LHkmzlh4gH9kwFnLaUlSYIQC54G_T4aGDP3JkZf76vgzVQ81inVKZWZ4plcPgLyAmdTl0HZBRkVjhk2Pu3MxEDix_8fMmd/s320/Don%2527t%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rules evolve from the need to control. Often people governed by the rules have no idea where they came from. Why 30 mph as the speed limit in a built up area? Why does the shooting season start on the 12th August not the 11th? Why is 9:00pm the TV watershed? Why do I need a licence to have a radio station?<br /><br />Once the rules are established we get custodians of the rules; usually the leaders in an organisation. People who have a stake in maintaining the rules and identify with them. They become emotionally attached to the prescribed way. Their function is to continually limit what can happen. As people start to push the boundaries, so new rules are created to stop this. We find rules prescribing ‘best practice’ which means that any other good practice is not allowed. And so a patriarchal mindset prevails: ‘we do it this way because we know best’.<br /><br />Interestingly if you read the above paragraph again from the perspective of your own personal rules it becomes easy to understand why people find it hard to break from the norm. We create our own set of immutable legislation to which we become emotionally attached.<br /><br />The odds are stack against making a step change in performance. The rules are set either formally or informally. They are governed by others and ourselves. They are also used as a credible excuse for inertia, so even when we can see that something is not functioning as we want we claim our hands are tied; there can be no more.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><blockquote style="text-align: justify;">
‘Cos everybody has sometimes broke the rules’ (Status Quo – ‘Legendary?’ Rock Group)</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Where are the brave Leaders who recognise that this is a time of opportunity? How often does a genuine challenge to the way we do things arise, giving us the chance to question the rules we work within and those we set ourselves? Maybe this is the time for Leaders to change from being custodians of the rules to become promoters of innovation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />To find out more about our Training and Development Programmes focused upon Transformational Leadership contact: <a href="mailto:andy@paradigmantics.com">andy@paradigmantics.com</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
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</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-58105133166073645922011-09-29T11:42:00.000+01:002011-09-29T11:42:37.234+01:00Follow the Leader (The 'Sir Alex' Method)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84qm6XGc1jNytEguCOVL6P_1wpZwUxaJqDWjG_Er2eMC7B-8d7iqaMZZGJWt6L3hvc5kbR8ERuX5dAGDLB-VJq3qo1lYTtwHg6n3zVavZFSNg8lDiZloxqRSP6wZQuxY9G0M-MJHpvGU_/s1600/Alex+Ferguson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84qm6XGc1jNytEguCOVL6P_1wpZwUxaJqDWjG_Er2eMC7B-8d7iqaMZZGJWt6L3hvc5kbR8ERuX5dAGDLB-VJq3qo1lYTtwHg6n3zVavZFSNg8lDiZloxqRSP6wZQuxY9G0M-MJHpvGU_/s200/Alex+Ferguson.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">The football season is well underway and it won’t be long before some teams are failing to match the dreams of their fans and owners. As is the tradition at these times when your<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>team is doing badly, they have had some poor results and your expectations of Premier League success are fading fast, it’s the manager’s head that is called for. Is changing the leader the answer or is it a need to do something differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many of these teams actually recover from a manager merry go round?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Academic evidence (Bridgewater 2010) shows that a short term honeymoon improvement over the first 12 games of a new manager’s tenure is replaced by a level of performance below that of before the change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highest performing organisations are those that develop a winning culture, where everyone understands their long term vision, beliefs and values.</span></div><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">More interestingly, how many leaders are able to change their approach, mindset and behaviours to bring about a better performance?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">I was particularly struck by the reaction of Sir Alex Ferguson after Manchester United were so comprehensively beaten by Barcelona in the Champions League final 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just looking at his demeanour suggested that he recognised that even at their very best his team wouldn’t have won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The standard of competition had been raised and a new approach was required in order to become world-beaters again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no call for the leader to be changed, after all this was an outstanding team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the leader that recognised the need to change in order to compete with the best in the business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">It’s a brave person who changes a successful team; there is so much to lose, so little to gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often see successful businesses stagnate, afraid to do anything different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We find good managers reluctant to adopt different practices because they might give poorer results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What brilliant leaders like Sir Alex have is a clear vision of what they want to achieve and they are not afraid to challenge their own ways of doing things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Their vision does not change, everyone understands the goals, they share the values of the organisation, and they are not afraid to challenge their approach in order to get a better result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If our market, the economic environment, our competitors, or even our team changes then sticking remorselessly to the way we know may well leave us heading for relegation or for the crowd baying for our heads. Great leaders are always prepared to change their rules.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Are you able to follow Sir Alex’s example?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><em><strong>To find out more about our Management and Leadership development programmes, or for a no obligation conversation about how we help businesses achieve measurable improvements, please drop us an e-mail at: </strong></em><a href="mailto:andy@paradigmantics.com"><em><strong>andy@paradigmantics.com</strong></em></a></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-28882409712929655042011-09-21T14:30:00.000+01:002011-09-21T14:30:17.956+01:00‘Very good course which I shall recommend to others.’ - Building Emotional Engagement with Legal & General.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxEIkeMDjoWgSE11m7KTvKCerpdyg9O4NNaNSLGeJ9LU9lcDAQ-gLfa7R6bxo1AnlqmneCmaLNGYJA1N85h_dlzgTct4bzDawr1rPtlhE9jEXQPFDoOO3AXkC6rE6hN7jzDCjg8SkiEOn/s1600/L%2526G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxEIkeMDjoWgSE11m7KTvKCerpdyg9O4NNaNSLGeJ9LU9lcDAQ-gLfa7R6bxo1AnlqmneCmaLNGYJA1N85h_dlzgTct4bzDawr1rPtlhE9jEXQPFDoOO3AXkC6rE6hN7jzDCjg8SkiEOn/s200/L%2526G.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">6<sup>th</sup> September 2011, Paradigmantics descend upon Brighton & Hove, met with torrential rain, gale force winds and news of ‘Operation Stack’ flashing on the Motorway gantries! As we arrive at Legal & General’s Hove HQ we are greeted by a plethora of their trademark multicoloured umbrellas as staff battle against the elements!<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Fortunately, once inside, a warm room and fresh coffee lifted our spirits as we prepared to deliver another of our ‘Engaged Customer’ Masterclasses for 17 staff from across a variety of functions within the organisation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Focusing upon the question: ‘How do we build emotional engagement with our customers?’ (Both internally as well as externally), we guided participants through an engaging and highly interactive session comprised of multimedia, facilitation, discussion and group activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Participants were given the unique opportunity to not only learn from Paradigmantics’ expertise on achieving this ‘holy grail’ of Customer Experience, but also encouraged to share and learn from the innovations and experiences of their colleagues who have been pushing the boundaries of how they deliver for their customers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Reflecting the subject matter itself, the session is designed to emotionally engage<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>participants which, in turn, creates a safe environment to explore new ideas, transcend organisational barriers and aspire towards something better. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The result:<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">88% of participants felt completely or mostly able to participate in the event</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">94% of participants felt they now completely or mostly understand what is meant by emotional engagement</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">100% of participants felt in some way more confident to contribute to engaging customers</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">On average, participants said they would be 75% likely to recommend this session to a colleague<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Participant Comments included:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">‘Extremely motivating & linked to subject matter’<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">‘Engaging’, ‘Clear & Concise’ & ‘Brilliant’<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">‘Good & very relevant course’<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">‘Good presentation, enjoyed it’<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">'Good speaker with lots of humour. I really enjoyed the films’<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Our Client said:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><blockquote>"An engaging and thought provoking session which prompted healthy debate and discussion on the need to connect emotionally with both customers and colleagues"</blockquote><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To find out more, or to arrange a free taster session, please don't hesitate to contact: <a href="mailto:andy@paradigmantics.com">andy@paradigmantics.com</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-61929883994003052732011-09-14T11:08:00.001+01:002011-09-15T16:18:08.325+01:00'Fab team, very energetic, excellent content - stimulating'. Our Engaged Customer Master Class raises aspirations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAf5VEOHXG7O617xBKhxVaiE8lGf0c0InFNXNXGA34fZ65eWKsdgxEtH8-MrXlIJJyQKKhjfcABaWfx35tMT67ikg2tdX2luZzoURri0sDgWc1-bGnwKKUU8RVLyLZ_YkQUBtz8iDhbMK/s1600/Ellbee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAf5VEOHXG7O617xBKhxVaiE8lGf0c0InFNXNXGA34fZ65eWKsdgxEtH8-MrXlIJJyQKKhjfcABaWfx35tMT67ikg2tdX2luZzoURri0sDgWc1-bGnwKKUU8RVLyLZ_YkQUBtz8iDhbMK/s1600/Ellbee.png" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On 24<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> </span></span>August 2011, Paradigmantics piloted a new Masterclass session in partnership with renowned Leeds-based manufacturer Ellbee Ltd.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Our ‘Engaged Customer’ programme recognises that quality and value is no longer the holy grail of business, as competitors can quickly replicate an organisation’s success in this field. Customer satisfaction is no longer the pinnacle of customer service as today’s sophisticated customer has higher expectations and plenty of choice.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Even if you deliver your product or service brilliantly and give customers a great experience, there can still be more. Getting customers emotionally engaged with your organisation ensures they keep returning and recommend you to others.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Ellbee are market leaders in the design and production of doors, windows and shower enclosures for the holiday home and trade markets. They have chosen to focus upon Customer Experience as a key frontier for achieving even higher levels of excellence and success. Our 3-hour Building Emotional Engagement Master Class was delivered to 25 individuals from across a range of functions within the business. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">By utilising a highly interactive approach, combining discussion, group activity, multimedia and facilitation, participants were quickly and effectively engaged, raising aspirations toward those of the world beating organisations we used as examples of ‘great’ practice.</div><u1:p></u1:p> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><b>The Result:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">100% of participants felt they now understand what an engaged customer wants</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">96% of participants felt able to participate in the session</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">88% of participants felt more confident to contribute to engaging customers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">On a scale of 0-100%, participants said they would be 77% likely to recommend this session to a colleague</div><u1:p></u1:p> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><b>Our Client said:</b></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><i>“I have not been disappointed with Paradigmantics level of service and response, and in particular the way that they have quickly understood our business and the internal and external challenges that we face. Their Masterclass has certainly given our staff some things to think about, and has been the catalyst for the Company to consider their feedback and implement their ideas on how we can continue to engage with our internal and external customers.”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> </span></i></span><b>Caroline Lee, HR Manager.<u1:p></u1:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><b>Comments included:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><i>'Excellent content - felt trainer really understood our business'</i></div><u1:p></u1:p> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><i>'A very well delivered, interesting session'</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><i>‘Very informative & enjoyable – relaxed atmosphere’<u1:p></u1:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><b><i> </i></b>For more information, a copy of the ‘Engaged Customer’ programme outline, or to request a free taster session contact:<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> </span></span><a href="mailto:andy@paradigmantics.com"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">andy@paradigmantics.com</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-52017277850302511102011-09-09T11:36:00.001+01:002011-09-09T11:39:40.715+01:00Queuing Theory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHBYba5htWucCl5n1deTAyYTiG7Gpx1Rb72Syv6NwhAfFv2hW5XN77cDa_S_xKknXSDNORAbsFx1Yf3xbRSt5YuJo0-MppyFTv4Ww57JKXLeNzrBGgYvh1ImxJhKq59vaAqqXYL4EWLNf/s1600/Queue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHBYba5htWucCl5n1deTAyYTiG7Gpx1Rb72Syv6NwhAfFv2hW5XN77cDa_S_xKknXSDNORAbsFx1Yf3xbRSt5YuJo0-MppyFTv4Ww57JKXLeNzrBGgYvh1ImxJhKq59vaAqqXYL4EWLNf/s1600/Queue.png" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">My previous blog about queuing <a href="http://whatmorecantherebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/queuing-there-has-to-be-better-way.html">‘Queuing:there has to be a better way.’</a> received an unexpected response from my son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a University researcher studying something to do with physics and mathematical modelling, he suggested that I might have mentioned queuing theory in the blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say this was very remiss of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him to briefly clarify my understanding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">The theory is used extensively by organisations that deliver queuing to their customers as part of their experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theme Parks, banks and supermarkets employ mathematical models to optimise the most efficient way for their customers to be processed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a brief resume of the following we decided to apply this to a supermarket queue:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Expected average queue length<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E(m)= (2ρ- ρ2)/ 2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1- ρ) </span></div><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Expected average total time<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E(v) = 2- ρ / 2 μ<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1- ρ)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Expected average waiting time<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E(w) = ρ / 2 μ<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1- ρ)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Expected average waiting time<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E(w) = E(v) – 1/μ</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">λ = Arrival Rate<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">μ = Service Rate </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">ρ = λ / μ</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Sam used QT to choose the line he was to follow, whereas I used my own unique queuing criteria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My criteria was simply ‘Which queue would be most fun to join?’, including sub-criteria such as: queue-ers who looked funny, potential for the cashier to smile, banter, amusing purchases and vegetables that looked like Prince Charles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sam used these various indexes and a calculator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Admittedly he did get served marginally quicker but only because my fellow queue-ers couldn’t agree which member of the royal family bore most resemblance to the sweet potato I had offered up for the ‘vegetable that looked like Prince Charles’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to disagree entirely with the Security Guard who was brought in to make the final judgement, there was no way it was a Lady Di lookalike.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Well that puts queuing theory into perspective, I think you’ll agree.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436393844057366280.post-11382719311822867552011-09-02T10:56:00.000+01:002011-09-02T10:56:08.859+01:00Flip Thinking: Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Are you not curious?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvdR8Jo3ZPZm5sC7DlRu3hC91XiNgsgyMgr1pkB3zOCPf4zU_KlMoPfswBvRTTsSX_t3a2fLpFD4ZPNaAfZ72CwoIOfntNM1s5tPVk8A-LgfqC69F1v59W-C6onXnNW1gZnmvPYE9bXNf/s1600/Flip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvdR8Jo3ZPZm5sC7DlRu3hC91XiNgsgyMgr1pkB3zOCPf4zU_KlMoPfswBvRTTsSX_t3a2fLpFD4ZPNaAfZ72CwoIOfntNM1s5tPVk8A-LgfqC69F1v59W-C6onXnNW1gZnmvPYE9bXNf/s200/Flip.jpg" width="170" /></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Turn over a stone in a stream to find if there is anything beneath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Want a back stage pass to see what the performers are really like? Stand on the footplate of a steam engine to get the drivers view. Flip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at something from a different perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the outside – in and suddenly you open up a new world of possible improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A different way of thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flip thinking.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">The concept has been around for as long as man has hunted for food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anthropologists have shown through their study of indigenous hunters that our ancestors realised that they would catch more prey if they thought from the perspective of what they were hunting, where would it feed, how would it react, how did it think. So if this is a primeval instinct why is it that people are so reluctant to think in this way?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Maybe it’s because really empathising with people, situations or behaviours isn’t easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are different from them, we understand how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i> would react, that’s easy, after all we do that every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Russian theatre director Constantin Stanislavsky (An Actor Prepares,1936) the doyen of actors, revolutionised acting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by asking his actors to ‘be’ the character they were playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted his performers to really understand their motivation, lifestyle, and background. One of his infamous exercises is to ask the actor to ‘be a tree’ to help them open up their imaginations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His ‘method’ takes years of practice to master but the performance of the great actors is testament to its effectiveness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Flip thinking encourages people to take a different perspective, one which can open up new possibilities and opportunities for improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Few leaders and managers find this easy, they focus on their activity from a process point of view. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They understand what their role is, what their team needs to do, what has to happen to enable them to hit their targets, but this often has no empathy with their customer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opportunities for improvement are missed. Doing the same old thing results in continued inefficiencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They become very good at doing things which don’t matter. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">As one sage remarked, ‘Their ladder is up against the wrong wall’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it should be around the flip side?</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0