The Coach Comments

What an Experience

2009-05-26T10:28:00.000+12:00

Do you believe your customers and clients leave your business or saying “what an experience” as in a great experience? Do you go out of your way to create an experience that is enjoyable and fun and beneficial?

How can you make an experience for your clients that leave them wanting more? The answer is simple; create an experience for your staff. Make work the best place in the world to be for 8 hours every day. Some of you may have heard of the Seattle Fish market which is famous for yelling fish orders and throwing fish across the shop to be wrapped, they even get their customers behind the counter for some fun. They do such a good job of entertaining their customers that they are world famous for it.

Gordon Ramsey has a table in his kitchens where people can enjoy the food and be entertained by the activity going on in the kitchen. In one London restaurant this table for 6 is booked up months ahead and turns over £500,000 a year. People love it because it is an experience.

There is a bookshop here in Cambridge that on Saturdays has a young pianist playing on a real piano (as opposed to a plug in and play). The music is easy listening and perfect for browsing through the books deciding which one you will buy.

Experiences are what people remember – get your staff to create and experience for themselves that can carry over to a customer experience or a client experience. We spend a lot of time at work so it should an enjoyable experience that customers and clients can feed off.

Check out my new caricature on my new website at www.marksutherland.co.nz

all those missed opportunities - wake up!

2009-04-21T14:07:00.003+12:00

I spoke with a business owner in Wellington recently about how his business was going - he said it was a bit slow - slower than he expected, " I put a full page advert in the local paper to try and pick things up but didn't get any replies - It was a good advert though" Doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out the advert was probably crap. More importantly it didn't take long for me to figure out that the business owner was crap. He had his head firmly jammed in the sand - he would have been better off hiring a telemarketer with the money he spent on the advert or sitting down with his own staff and phoning his client database. His response to my question did offer me an opportunity though, so we will see what I can do with him over the next few months.

I spoke with another business owner in Dunedin who was, to put it bluntly, pissed off that so many people are phoning her to find out what there break cost would be to leave the bank and get their mortgag from some where else. I enquired as to how many people were doing this - "15 a day" she said, "why are you pissed off" I said. She replied "because it is stopping me from doing my own work". "What is your work?" I asked. "Mortgage broking, I am a mortgage broker". Shoot me now I thought to myself. 15 calls a day and she is bitching - it doesn't take a professor of mathematics to figure out the potential business just walking in the door. When I pointed this out she put her head in her hands and couldn't believe how stupid she had been.

This does highlight a point though -many people do not see what is right in front of their face. In a recessionary climate it's worthwhile looking at what is right in front of your face.

Try this as an exercise - Get people to SWITCH ON TO OPPORTUNITY. Have the people in your business find one opportunity throughout their day to either save money, create greater efficiency, get new business, develop a better ROI proposition on a project or any thing else they can come up with. Create a bloody big poster with SWITCH ON TO OPPORTUNITY on it - put it on their screensavers, tattoo it to your forehead so when ever they see you they can say to themselves "crazy bugger why did they tatoo it on their head and then they will immediately think of an opportunity - brilliant. OK so maybe a tatoo is a little extreme but you get the picture.

Why do we make innovation an event when it could be and should be an every day activity. Success is an every day activity and finding opportunity is part of your success process so make it an every day activity as well.

Be careful how you go about setting goals

2009-03-20T09:11:00.003+13:00

I googled the words Goal Setting and this is what came up - Results 1 - 10 of about 26,500,000 for goal setting. (0.19 seconds).

The whole goal setting thing has been done to death - there is no doubt that goal setting and creating strategies for those goals can make a difference to your life, your business and your bottom line. So I dont have an issue with goal setting, but I do have an issue with they way people are going about it especially in business.

Many like to set BHAGS - Big hairy Audacious Goals as proposed by Jim Collins in his book Built to Last. Go for the big stuff and take what you get along the way. No doubt this will ding some bells for individuals and teams who are highly motivated and ready for the workload.

We are constantly being told by motivators and speakers and mega stars more noted for their speaking skills than there actual achievements, that small goals should not be on our radar because that is not what we should be aiming for. Go for the big stuff - go and drive that Porsche and get a feel for it and then one day you will get out of that mazda 323 and drive away your Porsche. The Scret which has become a major million dollar earner for its creator is guilty of telling people "you just have to set your goal and then the cheques will arrive in the letter box and you will be rich. Interesting how The Secret doesn't get into the ACTION aspect of making this happen.

So just what should we do when it comes to goal setting - here is my offering.
1. Is the goal relevant - does it meet the need of your business and your people or is it just pie
in the sky bollocks massaging an over inflated ego.
2. Does the goal have a hidden gremlin - if the goal is to ambitious will it force short cuts to
take place which could compromie stability, security or health. For example there are
those who believe JFK's goal in the sixties to safely land a man on the moon by the end of the
decade actually pushed NASA to hard and caused some of the problems and deaths. NASA
has a "Zero Tolerance to Failure" attiude because failure means people die. Yet this was
probably compromised by the goal set by JFK.
3. The goal should be action oriented - Once the goal is set it should make people think
immediately about what actions they can put in place in the next 24hours to start the
momentum.
4. The goal should have an owner who believes in it to drive it.
5. The goal should create energy - If a goal is draining energy it is not worth it. Lose it
change or create a new goal that generates energy.

Just google Goal setting again and in the time it took to write this blog the numbers are now Results 1 - 10 of about 27,400,000 for goal setting. (0.22 seconds).

Do we really know all the facts.

2009-03-11T10:12:00.005+13:00

I was listening to National radio on Tuesday morning where Cathryn Ryan was interviewing Brian Clegg, British science writer and author of 'Eco-Logic: The Truth and Lies of Green Economics. Brian Clegg contends that (in my words) we are suckers for the green brand without really knowing the statistics or even taking time to understand the statistic. We don't really take the the time to understand what Green actually means and how it works. For example, people who buy a Toyota Prius (a supposedly environmentally friendly car) need to keep it for at least 5 years before they can actually make a difference to the environment. It takes this long before they have paid back the environmental cost of making the car at the factory.

He also said that when an airline pays to have a tree planted to offset the carbon emissions of a long haul flight it takes about 100 years for that tree to pay pack the difference - that means it takes 100 years for that tree to soak up the 2 tons of carbon created by the plane and then produce oxygen.

He pointed out that recycling is basically uneconomic, so the waste will need to go into landfill which is anti green. "Bring back the old 4c milk bottle and the milk man."

Did you know that using your air conditioner in the car has less emission impact than if you drive your car with the windows open to keep cool. The drag on the car with the windows being open means you use more fuel than if the air conditioner is on.

Just how green or pseudo green is your business - do we really take it seriously - do we really care or do we care because it is expected and we get caught up in the maze of information and a wave of green patriotism. Do we need to care?

I dont know what we should be doing, but whatever it is needs to be with a full understanding of the consequences. Have a listen to the interview at http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20090310-1130-Green_Economics-048.mp3

a chain of events.

2009-02-23T14:38:00.003+13:00

I recently checked out an article regarding ancient Greek laughter -I have no idea why - perhaps I was just intrigued by the joke that was on offer. I was more intrigued that some body two or three thousand years ago wrote a joke book in Greece and had it published. Who would have thought eh? A Greek comedian called Laupheis Histeriopolous was the first comedian of note to be recognised as the founder of comedy or laughter as a form of formal entertainment in ancient Greece.

The story goes that he used to observe what was going on in his local commuity and then mimic things and turn them in something funny. While the ancient Greeks were incredibly civilised they lacked laughter and humour. Histeriopolous became the ancient version of Robin Williams or Chris Rock and took great delight in taking the absolute mickey out of Greek society.

From what I have read I believe he accumulated quite a lot of wealth and was actually sponsored by a Greek nobleman called Givitonomy. Givitonomy literally gave away money to people in need and then learned that he could give money to people and get back in return quite a lot of recognition, which meant he could make more money to give away. So the early version of sponsorship was created and by the look of it was very fruitful.

Histeriopolous used to promote Givitonomies business. His business was teaching farmers and herdsman how to better manage their herds -and eventually branched out into all forms of agriculture. He would get paid mostly in goods, of which he would keep what he needed and sell the rest to other people. Because the farmers looked after their farms better they grew more and harvetsed more and so Givitonomy became quite famous and gathered more clients. This is where it all gets quite interesting; because his business grew, he had to employ and teach others to do the same job as him and it is recorded that one of Givitnomies employees was a man called Consultium who went on to establish a his own teaching school and so the word consultant was born into business language.

It just keeps getting better because Consultium thought a better way to do business was to get others to do it and he would have a share in their business - basically the equivalent of a modern day franchise. While the word franchise was not used in ancient Greece - Consultiums first franchise holder was a man called Levaria and Consultium told franchise holders that they to could teach and earn money Levaria's way - or by what we now refer to as Leverage.

So a chain of events 2-3000 years ago was the set up for a modern business language, a chain of events set in motion by a man called Laupheis Histeriopolous who got some financial help from a Greek entrpreneur.

I just started writing my first ebook called "Stick to the Basics - because everything else is just bullshit" This Ancient Greek story will be in the book.

Connection

2009-01-22T22:56:00.002+13:00

Its January 23rd and work is in full swing - My theme for this year is CONNECTION - with recession and slowing economies it is important to stay connected to people and your business.

Connect with your customers regularly

Connect with your staff every day

Connect with your suppliers

Connect with your bankers if they will let you in the door. We know banks are not very good at connecting unless they need to collect a payment - how often do your bankers call you out of the blue to see how things are going - you would think that with a $50million dollar advertising budget a bank could spend some on the basics of just making a call - no - instead we get animated piggy banks, a very tired and now lacking imagination Ira Goldstein, a Black horse showing up everywhere (nice looking horse), Scotsman who couldn't be understood by the banker but we could understand him in the advert EH??? WHY NOT JUST CONNECT WITH THE CUSTOMER FROM TIME TO TIME.

Connect with your knowledge center and stay updated

Connect with your board of directors and make sure the plan is functional and the path through the recession is on track

Connect with your managers and listen to them and their ideas and make sure they connect with their teams and listen to them

Connect with the market - understand and find the opportunities that exist - even in a recession

Connect with you wife, husband partner and enjoy them, date them, hold hands, make love, share a moment or just be together - they are always there.

Connect with your children and enjoy them, play a few games, let them know you love them, tell them you are proud of them and always kiss them goodnight and before you go to work and give them a hug when you come home so they know you are glad to see them.

Connect with yourself - take some time out on your own just to think and read, and write in your journal or to have a nice glass of wine and just relax.

Connect Connect Connect and then Connect some more.

I am wanting to connect with the young up-and-coming stars in your business with my new program 'The Olympic Gold Medal Program for the Rising Stars in your Business.' Check it out at www.executivecoaching.co.nz

If you need a motivation speech to kick the year off , have a strategy you need facilitated, want to do some planning for the future, or you need some coaching to get you on track or raise the bar or to bring an edge then connect with me - (07) 8277180.

Have a connecting good year.

It's what you do that counts

2008-12-10T14:57:00.002+13:00

I recently attended a clients one day conference for their business owners and presenting at the end of the day was Neil Richardson whom some of you may have heard of. Neil made a statement that resonated with the group - "in the good times you do well because it is the good times, but in the bad times you do well because of what you do". What is you do? I say again what is it you actually do. If there was ever a great time to consider this, it is now in the so called recessionary period. What is your focus and is it the right thing to focus on

Some of you may have read Good to Great by Jim Collins. In it he talks about the hedgehog concept which is based on a fable about the hedgehog and the fox. The fox is a canny character who is all over the place looking for his next meal. Trying to get himself in hen houses, down rabbit holes, into birds nests and wherever he can find some food - all the while trying not to become prey himself. The hedgehog however hangs around the hedge feeding up large on the plentiful supply of bugs and grubs and whenever something tries to do him harm he just rolls up in a ball and waits it out, then goes back to looking for grubs.

In essence the hedgehog has focus. Jim Collins offers the following three questions to help you get your focus;
1. What are you deeply passionate about - e.g. am I deeply passionate about coaching? - no! But I am passionate about the results of coaching and about the differences that I can make.

2. What can you potentially be the best in the world at. I believe I am a good coach but I know I can potentially be the best in the world at coaching individuals and small teams for 12 months or more. I know this because this is where I get my best results and it is these people that refer business to me regularly.

3. What is your economic driver - mine is simple 'cash flow per customer' which means repeat business or a cheque every month.

The challenge I offer you is to ask these same three questions of yourself and your business or company. By doing this it will create focus for you. If you need help call me and I can assist you. If you really want to understand more about the Hedgehog then I can recommend the book Good to Great by Jim Collins.

Have a great Christmas and a good rest because you know you will need to be focused next year.

The Customer is telling you things and you don’t even know it.

2008-11-17T11:47:00.002+13:00

I am writing this on flight 974 from Brisbane to Hamilton, a very late flight due to delay in arriving, a one hour brilliant lightening storm that kept the plane grounded and then a 30minute wait in the queue waiting our turn to take off once the planes got running again.

I have done thousands of miles over the last two years flying around New Zealand, over to Aussie and a trip to Europe last year. One of the most important things you can get on a plane is the food – get it right and the customer is happy. I have to say that most meals I have been served have been complete shit. A few international flights ago I decided to do a walk about survey of food consumption. That is, I walked up and down the plane a few times getting some exercise and holding the deep vein thrombosis threat at bay, and while doing this I surveyed the food trays of the passengers in cattle class. Without a doubt most of them had eaten bugger all. So they were either not hungry or the food was complete crap. While not scientific my surveys seem to be giving me the same message – the food is crap. All of these flights have been on Air NZ – sorry team – it’s time for a new chef.

While I was in Brisbane I started reading Richard Branson’s latest book and in it he talks about making changes when they are needed and these are usually at the request of the staff. When a staff member see’s that something is not right they can request it be tidied up or changed for the better and are rewarded with a free ticket to give to anyone they like. Consequently the standards are kept up, but having never flown Virgin Blue or Atlantic I can only take Richard Branson’s word for it.

If so much food is being thrown out surely there is a message for the company that what they are providing is not what the paying punter wants. The customer talks in many ways about their likes and dislikes. This means we have to listen in many ways to what they are saying. We have to listen with our eyes, ears and actions. Branson expects all his management staff including himself to be a flight attendant for a day to see what people think. Air New Zealand could learn from this.

How about your customers – what are they saying to you in their actions as well as their words. Have you been a flight attendant for a day to see how things are going, It gives you a chance to see not only what the customer thinks but also what your staff member thinks. How many customers have you got and how many of them are happy customers. What are they really telling you – do you know?

On another matter, I am still on a crusade for my “One for the Blokes™ program about men’s health and wellness. I have made the seminar into a 90 minute version that I can run at your business for your blokes. Mens health is a serious issue, and if you want to provide a great low cost, high investment in the men in your company then contact me to find out more.

Of the seminars I have already done I have three men who have had medicals and had to be put on medication for things like blood pressure and cholesterol. Many others have started doing small regular workouts and the feedback around nutrition changes has been great with many guys changing their eating habits for the better. I have also had several of them go and get their prostate checked.

Give me a call or flick me an email and we can set up a 90minute “One for the Blokes™” seminar in your business for as many men as you get to attend. Women are invited as well (they are my biggest advocates).

The three effects of time

2008-11-06T17:58:00.003+13:00

In business as an executive or a manager you transition through three different stages of development. When you first start in your business or job you are in the WORKING stage and you learn by practice that it is better to work on your business than in your business. Through this working stage you graft away learning all the things you need to know and then setting up systems to make these things happen smoothly - well at least as smooth as you can. Once you recognise the $10 an hour jobs and you can afford it - you pay someone to do these jobs for you so you can get on and do the $1000/hr job. This is known as grow your business and maximise your leverage.

The second part comes once you have been in business for a while and your knowledge starts to grow as does your confidence. You learn the VALUE stage. In this stage you understand the value you bring to your staff and clients and the differences you can make. It is important to value these things UP so as to keep motivation high. In my experience Valuing up is not done well amongst New Zealand business owners or executives and it is time we got over this and really valued up what we know. A client recently told me that they felt a little intimidated when telling and showing people such as Lawyers and accountants about the services they offer. He made an assumption that these people should already be familiar with his type of service. My response was immediate - "you are a specialist in your area of expertise - Lawyers know about the law, accountants know about accounting, value up your specialist knowledge because it is a unique way of approaching a common problem". My first major corporate speech was to a group of lawyers and I had prepared very diligently for this presentation. The technical terms were in their as well a good deal of assumption that they would know what I was talking about. It became very clear they had no idea what I was talking about so my notes went in the bin and I talked to them in way that could be easily understood. They were lawyers and what would they know about executive health and fitness, and if they new about it why would I be standing there talking to them. I did not value up enough about my knowledge and recognise that even smart people can be educated and I could this.

After a much longer time you learn about PERSPECTIVE - your thoughts and urgency's and anxieties change with time. As a young self employed consultant I used to fret about getting enough work and where would it come from, got to pay the bills and make ends meet aaahhhhh!!!!! Now my perspective has changed. This is because I have done the work and I still work on my business and I value up what I know and I back myself to deliver. I ask myself once a month "If everything turns to shit tomorrow what is the worst possible thing that can happen"? I will go and get a job and still pay the bills and feed the family. The stress is not there now because my perspective has changed due to my experience and due to the transition from work to value.

Where are you and your team on this simple three step scale?

Its all over - the world is officially ending tomorrow

2008-10-16T17:51:00.006+13:00

It's true the end is nigh - we are officially in the crap, oh the humanity, governments are taking over and will own everything, George Orwells book 1984 is really coming true. Its time for a shovel and a banana skin. Alas, here I was thinking when my ending came, that I would be running stark bollocking naked full bore towards my grave site having nothing left in the world by way of worldly belongings and having just spent my very last few dollars on the finest glass of champagne known to mankind, with the plumpest sweetest strawberries in it screaming Yahooooo what a life and sculling the lot just before I drop dead into the hole in the ground.

OK so I might be going over the top (running naked is bad enough but why would I risk spilling the champagne) - but probably no more than many of the commentators out there or the sad-arse doomsayers. Add to this the fact that we have a bunch of politicians tripping over themselves trying to win our favour for that three yearly tick in the box, (by the way didn't Aunt Helen get rattled the other night in the leaders debate - ouch, she is not used to that).

So things are a little tight at the moment - we can mope or we can get proactive. It is time to review everything and look to smarten up. It is not so much about getting more positive - it is more about being pragmatic. Do some of the basics like:

1. Cleaning house and get everybody using systems correctly
2. Manage costs without going stupid and rationing the toilet paper
3. Manage your client list and pay attention to those who grow your business, put energy into those that have supported you and are likely to continue supporting you
4. Create a target plan that will maximise your talents, skills and experience
5. Keep the energy of your staff up by continuing to train them
6. Look to your staff for answers and efficiencies - they want your business to survive and thrive as much as you do
7. Make sure you are doing the basics better than before, all day, every day, in every way.
8. Create solutions for your customers that will keep them coming back in hard times.

It is the pragmatic and the sensible who will ride out the storm. Panic is a waste of energy and sweat.

I have developed a seminar called 'Switching On When Times are Tough'. There are many basic things that can be done, especially with your staff to keep them motivated. If you are interested in having this seminar in your workplace please call me.

Just what do you believe

2008-09-11T09:22:00.006+12:00

Believing things is becoming harder and harder these days. There are so many variations on everything. Some examples for you;

The Winston Peters/Owen Glenn saga - just who is telling the truth.

This morning I heard on the radio that Kelly the last surviving dolphin at Marineland died aged 38 years old. she lived about 20-25 years longer than a dolphin in the wild. Her carers told me years ago she was a happy interactive dolphin who played and enjoyed the company of her carers. By all accounts Kelly was a happy dolphin. She lived long because she had good quality food with no parasites. Dolphins generally die from the inside out due to parasites. The Jonah organisation would have us believe Kelly did not have a quality life because she was not in the wild. Who do we believe the Marineland carers for Kelly or the Jonah crew.

The Emission Trading Scheme was passed into law because the current government is hell bent on us being the world leaders in saving the environment. Just who do you believe though, the scientist that say we are not in an environmental melt down or the ones who say we are. I heard some vegetarian woman on TV the other night telling me that if I don't eat meat I am protecting the environment from gas emissions, just what does she do with her farts? I also heard on national radio an American Astro-Physics genius tell us that Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are also suffering global warming and they are cowless, carless, peopless oh the dilemma - to believe or not believe.

Even the Pope has put his foot in it - He has come up with a few new rules for the catholics amongst you and one of them is "you shall not covet overt wealth(or something to that effect). Yet the Catholic church is one of the wealthiest businesses in the world and one of the biggest land owners on the globe - 7th biggest I think. So does he really expect us to believe that coveting overt wealth is a bad thing.

Believing ain't what it used to be - it is almost a dieing art. There are however those true believers who don't actually believe in anything.

How about the people in your business? Do they believe in your services and products? Do they believe in themselves and value the contribution they are making. Do you believe in your people? Do they know you believe in them? Something to think about eh?

Must away now and do some early Santa shopping.... hmmmmm????

The SWITCH ON TO SUCCESS series

2008-08-30T21:37:00.004+12:00

This is the start of the switch on to success series of blogs.

Over the last 20+ years of coaching I have learned that switching on is paramount to success. I wrote briefly about switching on in my second blog earlier in the year. Over the years I have been told many times following seminars and speeches that the thing people liked the most was Switch On. This has now become a key theme in my coaching work and also in my workshops and seminars. Over the next few months it is the theme of this blog.

We spend a lot of time trying to switch things off. We spend a lot of time using 'don't instructions' - By way of example, a client of mine in Christchurch told me recently he went to a one day sales training workshop and after three quarters of the day spent listening to "don't do this in sales and don't do that in sales" he walked out. He didn't go their to learn what not to do he went to be switched on to what to do.

This is a common theme in work places all over the world. Not any more I am on a crusade to get people switched on. The first exercise I want you to do is to Switch On to 10 minutes of Simplicity. Do a small exercise and write down on a piece of paper or on the back of your hand what is going on in your business that could be done more simply and would make life easier for you. In the next ten minutes set about doing something that will initiate the change to simplicity. You only have ten minutes so it will be something small. Maybe write down a small plan, make an appointment, discuss your idea with a colleague, book out a time in your diary to attend to the issue. Switching on is that simple - YET--->

Switching on is also fraught with distractions because we are programmed to try and switch off. This means it will take a little time to create a switch on mindset. If you would like to learn more about how to switch on then email or call me (07) 827 7180.

If you would like a Switch On To Success workshop/seminar for your staff then please call me.

Till next time in the Switch On to Success series have a switched on week.

What a Privelege

2008-08-15T20:46:00.002+12:00

How often in our lives do we get the privilege of seeing greatness. In my lifetime I have seen man walk on the moon, watched Muhammad Ali become the greatest, witnessed Carl Lewis win 9 Gold Medals, Watched Mark Spitz win 7 in one Olympics, Coached our two winning-est Olympians MacDonald and Ferguson, watched Michael Schumacher become the greatest F1 driver, been completely awed by the career of Tiger Woods, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg, couldn't help being blown away by the skill and sublime talent of Michael Jordan, Diego Maradonna, Ronaldinho, and the end of the career of my personal sporting hero Pele - the greatest soccer player of all time.

Then this week we are treated to something very special - a young man who is able to churn out world records and Olympic Gold Medals - six of each (at time of writing). Michael Phelps it is a privilege to watch you blitz the world. You are a benchmark and you have won more gold medals in the last five days than New Zealand has won in the last four Olympics. What will week two bring.

Attitude restructuring

2008-07-30T09:40:00.005+12:00

A study by Harvard University found that when a person gets a job, 85% percent of the time it is because of their attitude and 15% of the time because of how smart they are. William James (1842-1910) a philosopher and psychologist at Harvard University said "the greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitude." This still holds true today.

Energy is as important as attitude when it comes to being successful and coping with stressful times. What are the energy centers in your business? Who are the people most energised that need your support. Gallup have been doing research for years and find that for every actively disengaged person in your business it takes four actively engaged people to counteract the damage caused. Unfortunately, the energy of the manager is directed to the negative individual and away from positive engaged individuals thus further damaging the situation.

Your energy should be directed to the engaged rather than the disengaged. Your energy center will either drag that negative person into line or they will decide to leave.

The Sirota Institute has researched over 3,000,000 employees over 30 years and found the following to be most important to staff;
1. Equity - a fairs days pay for a fair days work and a say in their job.
2. Acknowledgment - for a good job well done
3. Camaraderie - people will do the same job for years if they like their team mates and feel a sense of belonging.

Have a look at your business from the outside and make an assessment of following on a scale of 1 - 10 with 1 being poor and 10 being excellent;
1. The attitude of yourself and your people towards the company and the business you are in
2. The energy level in your organisation
3. The level of engagement of your people
4. The level of equity your people have
5. The level of acknowledgment you and your management team provide
6. The sense of TEAM that exists

Add up your score and divide by 6. If your score is less than 8.5 then you need to do some work. Call me because this where I come in and assist you with this.

If your average is 8.5 and above then congratulations you are doing well, keep it up.

I am now offering One for the Blokes one to one coaching for those interested in getting their life after 40 sorted it out. If you know anyone just get them to email me and I will call them. mark@executivecoaching.co.nz

AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-11T13:28:00.002+12:00

I recently had a run in with Slingshot my ISP. They tried to sell me a service that was cheaper than what Telecom was offering,and told me - quote " Nothing will change - everything will be just the same as it was at Telecom" Unquote. Well that was a load of bollix. The next morning I had a niggle in my gut and thought something just doesn't add up - so I phoned Telecom and then Slingshot just to confirm a few things and my gut was right. Without going into details everything was not going to be the same.

I told Slingshot that I therefore did not want this service any more and to cancel - They said they would - BUT THEY DIDN'T and the next 5 weeks were a nightmare. Some companies are exceptional on how not handle problems. Slingshot would be right at the top of the list. After 6 different people and retelling my story 6 different times finally something was done to reverse the situation and they still had the gonads to try and negotiate what I was going to pay them for particular things that they had been charged for by Telecom. Not my problem I said - but like a rabid Pitbull they bit in and insisted that I pay some money.

I managed to get the $204 they wanted from me down to $33. I will however have the last say as I have just sent them an invoice for $600 for wasting my time - lets see what response I get from them and and I wonder if I can waste their time as much as they have wasted mine. This is not about revenge - it is a study in how the big guy will react. Will they pay - hell no of course not, but it will waste someones time and I suspect they will write me a letter back with a good explanation why they shouldn't. Then I will send them an overdue notice and see what reaction I get. This is one for the small guy - after ignoring this kind of crap for many years its time to dish it out and just see what happens.

Are you on the ball

2008-06-13T12:44:00.003+12:00

In my travels around the country I come across businesses who are implementing new ideas and programs into their game plan. Quite often these new implementations are either very general or so detailed that no one knows where to start. In response to these observations I have put together the following five key words to guide the implementation activity.

Clarity, Capability, Specificity, Simplicity and Discipline

Clarity – Do you know exactly what your implementation is supposed achieve for your organisation, people, customers and shareholders. Can you look forward and see how it is beneficial to everyone, cost effective and productive.

Capability – do you have the capability on board to establish this new product, service or process? Before you go seeking expertise from outside have a look at your current staff and assess whether you are maximizing your resources fully. Keep in mind those horrible stats that show NZ is 2^nd in the OECD for number of hours worked but only 24^th for productivity. Capability will make or break your implementation. I have had discussions with several businesses who have implemented new software programmes and many of them have gone over time and over budget. Capability was either missing, underestimated or the original quote was not properly thought out. You may need to implement training to bring capability to the level that will ensure success. Always be diligent in assessing capability.

Specificity – exactly what is it that you and your team need to do? Setting a goal is not good enough. My experience with Target 8.5™ Ratings over the years has shown me that 95% of people are very good at setting a goal but are absolutely shocking at creating a strategy or plan for that goal. Specifics are very important in helping to make decisions and implementing appropriate processes. Take care of the detail as it will impact your business and your people.

Simplicity – nothing needs to be complicated or sophisticated. A key question associated with any new implementation should be “how simple is this to do”? Simplicity is relative, for example flying the space shuttle is a simple process for a space shuttle pilot. The dangers and maneuvers of exiting and entering the earth’s atmosphere have all been calculated and the training has been specific with highly capable people. By practicing over and over and over again, the process of flying the space shuttle becomes simple. Simplicity does not mean looking for the easy way out. It means looking at how effectively something can be done with low stress and high rates of success.

Discipline – this is important in making sure that ideas and implementations stay on track. Discipline is essential to maintaining standards and quality. It is important to meeting deadlines and budgets and avoiding distraction. The processes employed must be followed and when necessary challenged and changed to suit the dynamics of the project. Individual and team discipline require well structured lines of communication and quality leadership.

A great example of this can be seen in the television show Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares. Ignore all the cussing and swearing and TV drama and observe what Ramsey sets out to achieve. He delivers through the drama a result that leaves the Restaurant operating better than it ever did with CLARITY about its place in the market and what it is to be doing for its customers. CAPABILITY is assessed with some people leaving and others changing jobs, Chefs are reigned in and managers exposed for their incompetence and other staff are maximised. Gordon Ramsey cuts to the SPECIFICS of the situation very quickly and identifies exactly what needs to change. Menus are cut back, meals are easy to prepare and quality is paramount. The menus become SIMPLE to understand and the kitchen and waiting staff procedures become SIMPLE to implement without confusion and frustration. Following all of this he encourages everyone to be DISCIPLINED in maintaining the new look, feel and quality of the food and customer service. This is relatively easy to achieve because of the processes he has implemented.

If would like an outside perspective on these key things in your business please call me or email me and I can help.

It only takes a minute

2008-05-29T15:19:00.004+12:00

"It only takes a minute". How many times have you heard that?-
Had a few to many on a Friday night - it only takes a minute to call a taxi cab.
Got an idea - it only takes a minute to scribble it down on a piece of paper.
Feeling sick - it only takes a minute to make an appointment with the doctor.
Talk about sick - I have had the flu for the last few days and have spent my time between bed and the Man chair (my Lazy boy) watching TV. I have to say the documentary channel is great.

Today however I watched Oprah and got to understand exactly how 'it only takes a minute' to become a millionaire. She was raving about a book called 'The Pillars of the Earth' by Ken Follett. She only talked about it for a minute and in that minute Ken Follet became a much bigger millionaire than he used to be. If Oprah likes it and she puts it on her show it will sell and sell big - real big. Many people have become millionaires just by being on Oprah's show. I saw stats that said in 2005 Oprah had 600,000 online members and in 2007 this had grown to 900,000 members of her book club. Does anyone have a contact for Oprah??

Heres a challenge for you - do a possibility exercise in your business with your team(s) on how your business could grow, or operate smarter, be more productive, improve customer services etc.
The rules are simple
1. Everybody must have a pen and paper
2. No talking
3. They write any idea they have about anything
4. Use your watch and give them only one minute exactly
5. At the end of the minute collect everything up and see what comes out.

That one minute could change your whole business, your staff haven't been away from their jobs for long, you have engaged them fully and they have all contributed. Now its cost effective as well.

It only takes a minute to change your business for the better.

"Hit it Right"

2008-05-02T14:00:00.009+12:00

I read a readers comment in the Herald yesterday regarding the current state of affairs for people in NZ.

"If petrol costs to much - walk, If bread costs to much - make your own, If veges cost to much - make a garden, If electricity costs to much - turn off the TV and play games with your kids, If you get cold - put a jumper on. Stop moaning and get active".

Great advice. It is simple and straight to the point. How often do we complicate things? - in my experience far to often. I read a story once about the great golfer Ben Hogan who was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter :-

Reporter: "Mr Hogan you played a beautiful shot on the 16th down the right of the fairway. With the trees, bunkers and water hazards down the left side of the fairway, what were you thinking as you approached the shot?

Hogan: "hit it right".

Doesn't take a nuclear physicist or a brain surgeon to figure that one out. How many "hit it right" moments have you had lately. My observations are that the more you are involved in something the less likely you are to have "hit it right" moments.

The key to creating "hit it right" moments is to embrace simplicity. This does not mean dumbing things down. It means looking at things from all angles and with an open mind. It means looking for simplicity before looking at anything else.

When you see a space shuttle lift off, it looks very impressive and for us mere mortals it is something that is complex and requires a flight commander with two or three PhD' s who has done years of training just for that task. For that flight commander however, it is a simple task to fly the space shuttle because they have practiced and trained and practiced some more.

Our own space shuttle experience occurs when we learn to drive a car. So many things to think about and so many coordinated activities requiring all of our senses. But after a short while we undertake some of the most sophisticated bio-mechanical, psychological and technical activities we will ever do in our lives with "hit it right" simplicity. We will almost do it on auto pilot.

Have a look at your business and your role and apply a "hit it right" attitude and see what opportunities might just be available.

If you need some help with this call me (07) 827 7180 I am always looking for more work.

One for the Blokes

2008-04-17T15:59:00.008+12:00

When you wake up in the morning and your feet hit the ground you have a choice to make – “will today be a good day or a bad day”? In every practical sense you are in charge of your destiny, your goals, your plans and your life. You make it great or you don’t. We are only on this world for a short time so we may as well make it a great time.

After 40, something happens. We start to question things about our lives, our health, relationships, career, fitness, what we have achieved or not achieved, our future and other things to many to mention. The body doesn’t react to stress the way it used to. Going for a run was something you did 15 years ago. You get aches and pains you didn’t used to get, your body is suffering from your sports field war injuries, from your days as a high school or club athlete built of steel and bucketfuls of testosterone.

Before you know it, your 40, 45, 50 or 55 and older and you have kids and responsibilities. Your increased income doesn’t go as far as it should because your teenage money suckers constantly have their hands out for dancing shoes, guitar lessons, extra tuition, new footy boots, school trips and pocket money they don’t want to do any chores for. Then the ultimate slap in the face happens, you wake up, get out of bed and walk down the hallway and a six foot giant walks by you and says g’day Dad and pats you on the head – the little bugger isn’t shorter than you any more.

While all of this is taking place you are trying to further yourself in your career, deal with work mates, bosses, clients, shareholders, staff, unions, suppliers and compliance etc. This is draining and tiring, and starts to take over your mind. Before you know it you are completely out of balance and heavily work oriented.

Let’s not forget that you also have a relationship to maintain with your fishing, golf, sports night with the boys and of course your Wife or girlfriend or both if you have lost your way. The true love of your life, that sports vintage car is being neglected all this time and you just can’t seem to find the time.

To add insult to injury your body is changing and your hair is graying, your belly is expanding, and your neck flops over your collar. You haven’t had a health check for years and you have put off going to the dentist (it hurts and they cost to much). You puff going up the stairs because you don’t exercise, deep sleep is not possible because your brain just keeps firing on the 8 cups of coffee that have not made there way through your system. Your wife has been asleep for an hour - thank goodness, at least you don’t have to perform, it was hard enough just walking up the stairs.

In the shower you notice that one testicle is a little abnormal, but she’ll be right. Peeing is a little bit harder than it used to be, but she’ll be right. Your heart seems to be racing, but she’ll be right. You get headaches regularly, but she’ll be right. An erection is a memory and that really is annoying, you don’t feel quite the same without one of those from time to time. To top it all off, you are quietly grumpy and unhappy, you are not the mammoth hunter you used to be, but you will just keep that to yourself.

Seems like a bleak picture doesn’t it? You will recognise some of these things but hopefully will not be suffering from all of them. This is just a summary of the stuff we go through at some point after 40. At some point we just get anxious, grumpy and tired. We suffer from a lack of tolerance to just about everything and mostly we don’t know what to do about it.

The great thing is - we can do something about it. This is the purpose of ‘One for the Blokes’. To provide you with information and motivation that will enable you to change some or all of these things for the better and assist you to cope with life after 40. It is not a magic elixir, because life is not a game of perfect. It is about understanding and being armed with some skills and knowledge that will assist you in making decisions about your health, fitness and wellbeing and ultimately to assist you in creating some quality, energy and balance in your life.

If you feel as though you need some assistance in this area then email for info, I can do one on one consultations or a whole workshops for the men in your business. To all the women reading this encourage your man to take his health and well being seriously, if you need help just email me. mark@executivecoaching.co.nz

Yo Rocky

2008-04-13T22:15:00.002+12:00

I am writing this while watching Rocky Balboa, the last movie in the rocky series. To me Rocky 1 is the best Rocky movie but this last one comes close. Rocky 1 managed to grab my imagination. I was a teenage athlete at the time with my dreams of Olympic sport. The more I look back, the more I remember about how energised I was and how excited I was about the chance to chase my Olympic dream. I was 17 when I started to formulate my plans I was 27 when they they came true. I had no money, and no regular job - kept getting sacked because I was going overseas all the time. But, nothing was going to get in my way and I worked my arse off.

Now that I have been self employed for the last 20 years I have to consciously remind myself of the energy I had - I don't think business will replace the adrenaline buzz, but it does offer some unique challenges. Staying on top of your game is all you can do, and the way to do that is to feed off the initial energy that got you in the game in the first place. Remember the energy and the excitement.

Remember Rocky running up the stairs in Philadelphia with that theme music playing - I do, I was about 16 and my knees could take the punishment. The knees are now shot to hell, the body is nearly 47 but the muscles still remember those runs. On my list of 101 things to do before I die, is the run up the stairs in my sweats with my headphones playing the the theme from Rocky.

Do you remember the energy and the buzz that got you in your game. When things get tight as they are at the moment it might well be a worthwhile exercise.

Go Rocky.

Check your fire alarm

2008-04-09T10:29:00.003+12:00

Currently on TV The fire department are running some very good adverts about checking your fire alarm while the ads are on - "now is a good time to take a minute and check your fire alarm". Its brilliant - we did it and it took about 30 seconds. That 30 seconds could save my children's lives one day. Just think about that! 30 seconds to save my family.

In the media right now there are numerous columns about the state of business confidence, recession, falling property market, over valued property market, price hikes in basic foods, a dollar that is to strong, we need tax cuts, we need interest rate cuts No hang on a minute we need to start saving, no we need to get our cash flow up, but fuel prices are through the roof, the finance market is keeling over, "oh the humanity" (wasn't that from the reporter who commentated the Zeppelin explosion back in the 1930's).

So do you have any hair left on your head after witnessing the business world being obliterated right in front of your eyes. This might be a good time to check your fire alarms if you haven't already. Take half a day and take stock of your business. Step back and have a good look at things in relation to the current market you are operating in.

1. Are your costs being well managed?
2. Are you maximising your skills base?
3. What value can you add to your clients purchase in terms of knowledge and service?
4. What markets have you not tapped into yet?
5. Who on your database have you not contacted for a while?
6. Review your business plan - brush the dust off it and see where you are at.
7. What collaborations can you make to increase your market?
8. Have a look at all the small things you take for granted and make sure they are not
costing you in terms of money, time and inefficiency.

The list could go on and on - but you get my point. Check your fire alarms. I remember a speech that Michael Barnett of the Chamber of Commerce gave at the Waipa business awards once. He said that a survey of 1000 Auckland businesses showed that 80% of them thought the economy was negative but at that same time, the same group thought they were doing alright in their own business. You work out the logic.

Ultimately we are not in a depression so we have an opportunity to smarten up our act and make sure that we are as fire proof as we can be.

Check your fire alarms, reset your goals and create new strategies. Rock on!

The Order of Things

2008-03-23T10:46:00.009+13:00

I have just finished reading Gordon Ramsay's second book 'Playing with Fire'. One theme that comes through his book and is key to his success, is his loyalty to his staff. He takes the time to select them based on his criteria, and when selected, he invests in them to make them high performers. Many of the chefs that work for him are Michelin Star chefs (the Olympic Gold Medal of Cooking).

I read Richard Branson's book 'Losing my Virginity' and one of the strong themes that came through his book was that he puts his staff first. If the staff are happy and well trained then the customer gets quality service and spends money - then the share holders are happy.

The Sirota Institute in the United States has surveyed over 3 million people over 30 years and found the following top three things staff want in a job.

1. Equity - a fair days pay and a say in their job and work environment.

2. Acknowledgment - staff want to be recognised for doing a good job and for the contribution they make towards success - this does not have to be money.

3. Camaraderie - the research showed that people will stay in a job if they like the people they work with and if the social aspect of the job is fun and encouraging.

Get these three things right and your business or team will thrive. The key to success is to look after your people, they make things happen. Invest in your team and they will invest heavily in your business. This does not mean baby sitting or giving them everything they want. It means treating them fairly, tapping into their knowledge, not micro managing, providing a great place to work and acknowledging the fact that success is a team effort and where possible acknowledging individual contributions to that success.

For many leaders the outcomes of profit and customer happiness are dominant, when in actual fact they are by products of staff development and quality customer service and products.

For a sporting twist (fancy me having a sporting twist to things) check out this weeks audioblog to see what I mean. It is titled 72000 minutes.

To be productive or not to be productive

2008-03-12T17:29:00.003+13:00

Productivity Observations

Research findings came out last year in the media showing that New Zealanders work more hours than just about everyone in the OECD. Only Iceland works more than us (what else is there to do, it is so bloody cold you may as well be warm at work and save the electric bill). We are not however showing a corresponding level of productivity for those hours worked, in fact we are well down the list at number 14 if I remember correctly.

There are number of reasons for this but I have my own observations based on my coaching and consulting over the years. Here they are;

1. Poor quality of on the job training. A degree or certificate only gives you so much, nothing can beat high quality on the job training. With new staff, train their butts off, drill, drill drill - when they 'GET' your business then let them have the reigns to bring their personality and talent to the fore.

2. Being side tracked from core business activities. This is common amongst many of my executive clients. They are sidetracked into meetings and memos and emails and calls that have nothing to do with them. They are also doing to many $10/hr jobs instead of delegating them and concentrating on the $1000/hr jobs.

3. Resourcefulness vs Resources - a common complaint I hear is that there are not enough resources. In some cases this is true, but in many cases the resources are not being maximised. Firstly maximise resources and then decide exactly what other resources are needed before spending valuable time and money on getting them.

4. Not maximising people and skills - On different occasions I have seen the hiring scramble take place when what was really needed was maximising the staff and skills already on deck. This means evaluating work flow and understanding the strengths of the individuals who work for you. Do an audit on the strengths, qualities and skills of your work force and then evaluate whether you are maximising these.

5. Being impatient causes poor recruitment and bad decisions which ultimately lead to poor productivity. Slow down and be considered in your approach.

6. Poor self management means to many hours. Self/time management should be taught as a level three paper in Universities and Techs and should be compulsory in all secondary schools. It should also be compulsory for any new recruit who has not done a course before. A small investment for a productive return.

7. Finally perception - we have a perception that working long hours is good -WRONG- it means you don't have a life. Get the fishing rod out or the bike or photos of your kids so you remember their names when you meet them next and play a game with them. There is no doubt that at different times you have to work long hours but lets be serious it is not all the time.

I make a promise to many clients that I can find at least a 20% saving in time spent at work - to date I have yet to be proven wrong.

Are you working smarter and productively or are you working longer just hoping something will change

NO NO NO Thrice NO

2008-02-28T10:10:00.002+13:00

Just how do you say NO and not feel guilty? How do you just say NO?
In many businesses saying NO is an issue. Some people believe if they say NO it will go against them in a performance review. Others don't want to be seen or perceived as a someone who is not pulling their weight. NO is such a simple word yet the effects of saying it can be quite negative and in some cases career threatening.

My observations of the consequences of not saying NO are;
1. People take on more work than they can do
2. The work they do is not done to an acceptable level
3. Stress elevates significantly
4. Worry sets in about work quality and job delivery
5. Pressure builds and eventually something has to give - usually health

Superman and Wonder Woman are cartoon characters - we are human and that means saying NO when it is required.

Know you bottom line - set your 'GO - NO GO' parameters around what you will do and wont do. It is better to say NO and avoid becoming over committed than saying YES and becoming a screaming mess.

The key to saying NO is to say it accompanied by a very brief uncomplicated explanation, e.g) No I wont be able to do that as I am on a dead line already with three other jobs. No further explanation is need. Or, NO I am unable to assist you at this time as I am fully committed for the next three weeks. Or, NO I don't wish to contribute to your charity as I have selected my charities for this year and have a commitment to them.

The key to not feeling guilty is a simple one - 'You need to value yourself and your time and your current commitments'. Let me be quite clear, you are allowed to value your time and your own needs. The worst possible thing that can happen is the person needing you will find some one else to help or some other way of dealing with things, or they will figure out they need to get their own act together and smarten up (maybe you should tell them that), or they will get around to the job when they can.

It is worth defining emergency at the point because this word is used to often when people need you. To me, emergency is " will someone get physically hurt, maimed or killed, or, does is it involve my family" - if the answer is no - then it is not an emergency. When was the last time you did emergency accounts or made an emergency car sale or did an emergency golf lesson. If it is not an emergency Just say NO , value up your own activities and if possible advise the individual where they might go to get assistance and for goodness sake don't feel guilty, you have not committed a crime by saying NO.

How to get people to deliver on time!

2008-02-11T13:06:00.000+13:00

I know it can be frustrating when you are expecting a job to be completed by a particular time and day and it does not arrive. Chances are it is your fault, you created the situation. You gave someone the job and said get it done by the 10th. The 10th comes around the job is not done or the person doing it calls you and wants an extension, they are under pressure themselves - you get peeved and frustrated.

How do I know this? because it is a common complaint from many of my clients. The bottom line is simple, if you want work completed on time then give clear instructions that let the worker take ownership and deliver the job.

Next time you have a job to be done do this;

_ Bob I have a job for you, it will take approximately 90 minutes to complete. Can you look
in your diary and let me know when you have 90 minutes free to complete this job before
Thursday the 10th?

- Bob advises that he has 90minutes on Tuesday the 8th from 9.30 - 11.00am.

- Thanks Bob, I will make a note in my diary to expect delivery at 11am on the 8th.

This is not a warm fuzzy "oh thats great on paper theory". People are doing this and getting very productive results. It is concise, well directed and provides Bob with an opportunity to manage his diary and work load, and to deliver the job on time with out pressure. It creates an expectation that work will be completed on time and that you will be following up on this.

Simple clear instructions and the opportunity to create ownership can work wonders when managing people.

Switch On

2008-01-31T21:00:00.000+13:00

Ever gone home from work and tried to turn work off, tried to forget about the office? If I was a betting man I would bet a substantial amount of dosh on the fact that you failed miserably to turn work off. It is impossible to turn it off.

Right now as you read this, don't think about an orange, a big fat juicy orange - ahhhh! its impossible isn't it? The moment you see the word orange you think of an orange. The more I mention the word orange the harder it is to not think about it.

This is the same as work - every time you try to turn work off you are actually focusing on work and reinforcing the word work, hence not being able to turn it off.

So what do you do to take your mind off work - simple - SWITCH ON to other things. Switch on to your family or your tennis game or your swim, or the after work picnic you are going on with your children.

When you get in your car start switching your brain and thoughts ON immediately to what it is you are going to do. By doing this you will reduce your thoughts about work and allocate those thoughts to a holding pen in your mind somewhere. You wont completely stop thinking about work, the thoughts however will minimize and not be as dominant.

You can also you the switch on at work to turn your attention to a particular task, meeting, person, product etc. Switch on to the things that are important and give them eye and mind contact - this will increase your productivity and your efficiency.

Now where is that Orange?

Whats it all about?

2008-01-22T11:30:00.000+13:00

This comment blog is about telling it the way it is. Real world, straight shooting and no nonsense. You can make any comments you want as long as they are to the point and not personally abusive to anybody. Stick to the issue, freedom of speech is about being able to say what you think and feel but on this blog it is not about threatening or abusive behaviour. This blog is issues based. My comments will range from how to be a better executive and manager to what I think about the world, business, NZ, politics, sports and topical subjects. I encourage debate and discussion.

If you want my views on something then just ask.

Today is the funeral of our greatest living kiwi so it is important to recognise him first.

Sir Edmund Hillary - Humanitarian and Adventurer. A good kiwi bloke, straight to the point, cared about people, genuine in his interaction, walked the talk. I remember seeing him when I was 15 years old at Palmy Boys High, he was the biggest man I had ever seen with huge hands. My teacher came to class and declared he would not wash his hand again as he had just shaken Sir Eds hand. My favourite quote is a Sir Ed quote

"In some ways I believe

I epitomise the average New Zealander.

I have modest abilities, I combine these with a
good deal of determination,

and I rather like to succeed."