tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58214540824377979052024-03-27T09:11:41.272+00:00CultureTransform BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-15006025073300281952016-01-22T11:07:00.001+00:002016-01-25T18:27:03.037+00:00Church vs Supermarket<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Church in the UK has a bit of a challenge on it's hands. In the rural parishes, attendance has dropped - and the clergy now have broader areas to cover. Our local parish priest has seven Churches to look after, and naturally cannot be present at every service.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm sad to say that the traditional parish service doesn't 'do it' for me any more - but more on </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that shortly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Several years ago, I suggested that we shut some of the Churches every Sunday, build a rota where services were held in three different Churches every week. I believed this would increase the congregation numbers, generate more energy, and make the services both busier and more attractive to those who didn't come so often.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The problem? People typically won't travel to Church (so I'm told). I'd like to point out that the greatest distance between the buildings is 6.2 miles, and the average is 2.8. Now I've seen how busy the supermarkets are at the weekend, and people are more than willing to travel six or seven miles to get there........grrrrr. Draw your own conclusions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I said earlier that the traditional parish service doesn't 'do it' for me any more - and you may be thinking that's quite a rude thing to say, so let me clarify. I wholeheartedly believe that different service styles serve the needs of different people - as a family we've been to Catholic services, evangelical services, rural services, Cathedral services, services in the USA and even a service at the Queen's <a href="http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/" target="_blank">Free Chapel</a> in the grounds of Windsor Castle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Don't get excited by that last one, everybody is welcome there on a Sunday - Britain really is a great place to live)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everyone needs to find their 'fit'. As a family we were seeking a more spiritual experience than we were feeling at our local parish church, and on returning from a visit to the US and a Sunday service at a Baptist Church near <a href="http://www.fbcgatlinburg.org/" target="_blank">Gatlinburg TN</a> (the one in the picture). We started to look around for something similar, but significantly closer to home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We found that the Church of England are trying something new nearby, called 'Fresh Expressions' - one of a loose network that's growing fast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the case of our local Church (<a href="http://emmanuelbicester.org.uk/about-us" target="_blank">here's the 'about us' link</a>), four years ago it was a small group of people meeting at a local school that's now grown into over 350 people in a new Church building with a cafe that acts as a community centre, and activities happening all week long.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So why do we travel five 'arduous' miles to Church on a Sunday? What's different for us?Here are some things that spring to mind.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Live music - who doesn't like to see and hear several guitarists, a few singers, a keyboard player, a bass player and a drummer belt out some modern hymns?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Informality - you never know who's going to stand up and give a sermon, read a notice or present a reading. Some people sing, some don't. Some sit, some stand.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The children enjoy it, and are welcome - we have four of them so that makes a difference. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spirituality. This is a place where if everyone is enjoying a particular song, the band will just 'go round again' - if a reading demands further attention, discussion will ensure. We always leave feeling better than when we arrived.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cake (or bacon sandwiches) - after every service there's food and drink, and everyone stays for a chat. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Community support, and a diverse welcome. Literally everyone is welcome through the doors and it's a great place to make new friends.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being late really doesn't matter. Services on a Sunday start at 10:30(ish) people trickle in for about half an hour after that and nobody minds.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lack of guilt. If we miss a service, we don't feel bad - really. We go because it's fun and spiritually fulfilling. If we choose to do something else on a Sunday - so be it.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So why am I writing this dramatically 'off-topic' blog?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it's not really off topic if you think about it. As a family, we're attracted to a culture that fits us, in an environment that engages us. In this respect the Church we go to on a Sunday (at the moment) reflects everybody's workplace desires. In the case of the average person, it's a lot easier to 'switch Church' than to 'switch job' - but the principal remains the same. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You'll get a lot more out of life if you find somewhere that recognises your gifts and rewards you at a fundamental level. It's easier to find a culture that fits you, but it's possible to change the culture you're in too - and that change starts with you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're looking for something different for your faith - try a new Church. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're looking for more workplace fulfilment, try working with those around you on improving engagement and culture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But for crying out loud, don't give the excuse that you're willing to drive to a supermarket, but not travel to a Church that fits you better. I guarantee you'll feel better after a Church service than an hour pushing your trolley up and down a supermarket aisle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking for more? I love this this entertaining (and funny) clip from the Vineyard Church in North Grand Rapids, Michigan. Spend two minutes of your time. "Girly men" indeed......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if I could trouble you to <a href="https://twitter.com/ECBicester" target="_blank">follow ECB on Twitter</a>, that would be fab :-)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-27735276531210218402015-09-08T08:23:00.000+01:002015-09-08T08:23:46.677+01:00Employee Engagement And Self-Service Checkouts<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you know what it says to your employees when you replace them with a machine? It says "I don't trust you".</span><br />
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It also says, your job will soon be irrelevant. You are worthless. I can provide better customer service by removing you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of supermarket chains are are increasing the number of 'fast' self-service checkouts, with the exception of Morrisons who <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consumer-news/11570602/Morrisons-to-bring-back-staffed-checkouts-after-customer-survey.html" target="_blank">thankfully</a> did some research of their customer base and are removing them.</span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At our local supermarket, instead of spending time at the checkout with a member of the Sainsbury's team, I am forced through the agonising self service process of bag opening, mis-scanning, being accused of theft, and waiting for approval for wine and before I can scramble out of the store. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sainsbury's have also reduced the number of people on the checkouts (naturally), so the queues build up, and just like animals heading to slaughter we are all forced into the zigzag of the DIY area.....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During a recent visit to McDonalds we found a new form of ordering system. Instead of ordering food from a person, big vertical screens were suspended from the ceiling, into which you can tap your order and it magically appears at the counter five minutes later. No need to talk to anyone if you don't want to. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our experience around 90% of the people coming in refused to use them despite staff begging them too. Note to staff - begging people to make you redundant is a <u>bad</u> idea.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Same experience at my local bank - Barclays staff now try and usher me to self service machines rather than spend time at the counters, and </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">there's a move to keep me out of fuel stations by presenting me with a card slot at the fuel pump - the same story is true at my local train station.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even more bizarre is the appearance of self service coffee machines from Starbucks - which is horrifying when you think that their value proposition is based around the quality of barista and bean. Why would I pay the same for a robot as the qualified barista?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While these are unlikely to appear 'in store' any time soon - the rise of the poor quality franchise outlet and the war for UK service stations between Costa and Starbucks is not helping quality perception.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Starbucks - remember this from 2008, when you shut all your stores in the US for the day?</span><br />
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<b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">"We're taking time to perfect our espresso. Great espresso requires practice. That's why we're dedicating ourselves to to honing our craft"</b><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suspect a little sub-note saying "but you can still use the machine at the gas station" would not fit.....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In common with 44% of the population (according to </span><a href="http://www.retail-week.com/technology/analysis-are-self-service-checkouts-fit-for-purpose/5041019.article" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Retail Week</a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">), I prefer interaction with people rather than self service, and although retailers typically preach 'choice' and 'speed' as their reasoning, it transpires that the associated increase in theft is costing far more than the $125k installation costs and the staff salary savings.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These thefts cost retailers over <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/household-bills/10603984/Shoppers-steal-billions-through-self-service-tills.html" target="_blank">half a billion pounds</a> per year and as a consequence are causing greater investments in <a href="http://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/executive-viewpoints/how-to-stop-those-self-checkout-thieves" target="_blank">multi-sensory, anti-theft</a> spying systems at checkouts, combined with an increase in security guards. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I'm sure that there is short term pain investing in the technology, and the aim is long term savings by removing pesky humans from the equation (or at least reducing the number dramatically) - but none of these companies are thinking deeply enough about their brand.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wake up. Your people ARE your brand. In an evolving service economy one of the very few things that separates you from the competition are the interactions your customers have with your staff. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a quote from a <a href="http://raconteur.net/business/how-to-measure-brand-value" target="_blank">really great article by Kate Hilpern</a> on brand value.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"B</b></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>rand value is measured one brilliant customer experience at a time"</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Machines do not give brilliant customer experience. They provide short term novelty and the illusion of choice, but never long term relationships.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am REALLY upset that my local Starbucks closed last week, I'll miss the coffee, and the meeting space, but much more than that I'll miss the team of human beings that have looked after me for several years (most are facing redundancy which makes it doubly hard). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've all been to 'good' and 'bad' versions of our favourite chains - and greater consistency can be achieved by a machine, but it's never going to ask you about your family and bring you an occasional free coffee, burger or kids toy. It also won't prompt you about a '2 for 1' offer you missed (that might slow the line).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More touch points between companies and their customers is a good thing - but so many companies are now flying in the face of common sense it bewilders me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Self service machines are the exact opposite of employee engagement, they suppress any positive projection of culture and they reduce your value proposition.</span><span style="color: #073763;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stop doing it. Stop it now - think better of your staff, see past the cost and appreciate the enormous value these conversations, relationships and other interactions bring.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we need to stop using the damn robots. You don't have to use them - in fact you can have great fun (and get even greater customer service) by proclaiming in a loud voice </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Why would I use one of those, I like talking to others, and if I keep using a machine, soon all these nice people will be made redundant".</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try it and see. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS Great people really do make great companies, and I'm a big fan of both Starbucks and McDonalds for that very reason - read <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5821454082437797905#editor/target=post;postID=7319495795243722522;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=43;src=postname" target="_blank">this blog</a> for some more insight.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-3296151607249445222015-09-02T23:19:00.002+01:002015-09-03T15:32:17.937+01:00Do Gender & Age Influence Engagement?<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had some follow up from my last blog on <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/employee-engagement-cuts-attrition.html" target="_blank">employee engagement</a>, which raised some interesting questions around gender and age, so this one aims to dispel some of the common myths on the subject using 13,000 sparkling data points (otherwise known as people). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those of a 'non data' disposition should start to panic now, or at least skip to the summary at the bottom of the page.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why bother with all this analysis? Primarily to save money and time - if you're aiming at saving a few million pounds (see <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/employee-engagement-cuts-attrition.html" target="_blank">here</a> for details), it's nice to do so as efficiently as possible and target the right groups.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Myth 1 - men and women are just as engaged (or disengaged) as each other, everyone is an individual. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wrong. Sort of. </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the last blog I divided the population into four segments (plus one for the totally disengaged). Mapping the gender distribution gives the chart below.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 'middle' of the engagement spectrum remains the same. But there's a very large difference at each extreme. A higher population of women occupy the 'highly engaged' quartile with 25% of the female population in that quartile compared to 20% of the men.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh12X2t7C_8Cx_WLo1Zc8v6vk1S-htgdi1HbtC3i1s86RG5_RSb8BuTjqjF3G1Ifl73qG_2kK32TRznvEW872zRv38BAFAK8LoU10iaO8x95lXC11YWLLRMcGOU0k0z90eymGgUJVq7B6S/s1600/Gender-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh12X2t7C_8Cx_WLo1Zc8v6vk1S-htgdi1HbtC3i1s86RG5_RSb8BuTjqjF3G1Ifl73qG_2kK32TRznvEW872zRv38BAFAK8LoU10iaO8x95lXC11YWLLRMcGOU0k0z90eymGgUJVq7B6S/s400/Gender-01.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also take note that almost twice as many men reside in the 'disengaged' segment. We'll explore some possible reasons why later on.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Myth 2 - younger people are more engaged than older people.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ermm.....sorry, no - wrong again. In fact the opposite holds true, the more advanced in years, the more likely you are to be a highly engaged employee. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're looking for the most engaged employees in your company, then you're likely to find them in the 'over 40's' section of the population. Strangely, the 40's group has (marginally) the highest proportion of disengaged employees too, but there is a clear progression of engagement as the population gains maturity.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiuZM07srZsiiwvksv1K1zWk3UoHibMWSHC0wBDKDU936jxI8pAOcpjSQj53Jf46INZOgqxNik4NTO8htwAdI9nYO6-s9hW18npPAV6Pa1i6ws5hGvAH6jtBA7BOcQpQMhK8gejKCfA4b/s1600/Age-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiuZM07srZsiiwvksv1K1zWk3UoHibMWSHC0wBDKDU936jxI8pAOcpjSQj53Jf46INZOgqxNik4NTO8htwAdI9nYO6-s9hW18npPAV6Pa1i6ws5hGvAH6jtBA7BOcQpQMhK8gejKCfA4b/s400/Age-01.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Myth 3 - everyone has their own way of getting engaged with the company.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No. Not true, in fact there are a few very straightforward and simple options that engage people much faster than you might think, and they are unlikely to be the ones you imagine (I could write a whole new blog on the myth of internal social media).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's some simple theory before we go much further. Typically people get engaged in five different ways - most of which are available (and measurable) in one form or another at every company.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are <b>learning</b> opportunities - these are not limited to formal education programs, but rather learning about <u>why</u> there is a focus on employee engagement. Most companies are trying to improve this, but few communicate effectively what they are doing about it and why with the population.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are <b>technical</b> opportunities - typically involving multiple interactions with technical infrastructure, such as the intranet.</span></div>
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<b style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social</b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> opportunities also exist, voluntary interactions between individuals and groups within a company which may or may not be related to internal social media platforms such as Yammer and Chatter.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Active </b>engagement opportunities involve more visible volunteering or action based giving within the company - going out of the way to give help or recognition to others.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally there are <b>Visible</b> factors, people who are recognised by others for their contributions. These are the hardest to measure, but often take the form of awards and recognition by peers and colleagues for their help, expertise or support.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Examining the engagement quartiles for our population shows a very distinct pattern of evolution. 77% of the least engaged group has engaged in some form of learning, but very little else.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our most engaged group are participating in learning, technical and social engagement, and almost a third are showing active participation in driving the company forward. 13% are being recognised by others.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a clear evolution of engagement through each of the five as engagement increases.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbaFnDx0ZwC136GaWbdb9EK-pPGe11kxv2YkToJhWU3yWZp8wm3auzSALNB9JmQhm2RsRYPjmi_Mlz6lKRWRAuI-hL3MrAtPHvvpChKNfk84uzrOmcZjZbiYn7KS4ZWO9WSXSHrb4OW3J/s1600/Evolution-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbaFnDx0ZwC136GaWbdb9EK-pPGe11kxv2YkToJhWU3yWZp8wm3auzSALNB9JmQhm2RsRYPjmi_Mlz6lKRWRAuI-hL3MrAtPHvvpChKNfk84uzrOmcZjZbiYn7KS4ZWO9WSXSHrb4OW3J/s400/Evolution-01.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The take home from this? Make sure you're communicating effectively <u>why</u> employee engagement is important and <u>what</u> it means to everyone. From that seed, other forms of engagement will grow - but if you can only do one thing, make sure that this one is done well, if only because it is the most accessible to the highest number of people.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would encourage only data geeks to continue from this point in. Remember that we're trying to make more money than the competition by having highly engaged employees - everything else is a waste of time.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in order to do this right, we need to really look at the population to and see if the quick theories described above work on a more granular level. Get this part right, and planning the next phase of your engagement project becomes more cost effective - because it will work.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In theory then, the most engaged employees are older, and gender makes no difference. Everyone can get on board with an engagement learning program, but very few become the visible evangelists.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The charts below bear that out. We have a couple of slight anomalies, most notably with the over 60's in quartile 3 demonstrating a lack of comfort with the social factors compared to their younger colleagues (that's the yellow 57% block) - and those men in their 20's who refuse to engage socially (the red 1% block on the top line).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJlSsHTRfy81zCZtYalOKXFcK_u8UVD4pJFo_fuvcwldHxw9DSfHbY8sv9aAaDzzsCfcde7bmMKUNwb5yr37VZUJwaiu3yT2Fu-AFW9Ni94Nnpwemn-6Aqp9U11nQ-xNIwet9NczQll2u/s1600/Age+Evolution-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJlSsHTRfy81zCZtYalOKXFcK_u8UVD4pJFo_fuvcwldHxw9DSfHbY8sv9aAaDzzsCfcde7bmMKUNwb5yr37VZUJwaiu3yT2Fu-AFW9Ni94Nnpwemn-6Aqp9U11nQ-xNIwet9NczQll2u/s400/Age+Evolution-01.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The final chart shows the gender balance - and as before, regardless of quartile, the engagement factors remain the same.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZvPLQ5fYVN9B7PufHGpEriRDs3fnRpCtHy1CgvPTmA_Xr8z31tlyvIzhkjEX_ZOOoyWppimUeDU3rxiYvbmZdOYpwSzWKqc3Ql_8kipznoDqcliHcJLtiYLhqnbPdmS3ftPwR4ycGd4u/s1600/Gender+Evolution-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZvPLQ5fYVN9B7PufHGpEriRDs3fnRpCtHy1CgvPTmA_Xr8z31tlyvIzhkjEX_ZOOoyWppimUeDU3rxiYvbmZdOYpwSzWKqc3Ql_8kipznoDqcliHcJLtiYLhqnbPdmS3ftPwR4ycGd4u/s400/Gender+Evolution-01.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The conclusion? Stop worrying about different age groups and genders interacting in different ways. The fact of the matter is (with the exception of men in their 20's) - this particular population all behave in a similar manner.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of the tools you need to create better engagement already exist in your company - the technical infrastructure, social enablements and the opportunities to participate are all present, but without creating an environment of understanding even your best efforts are doomed to failure.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then go and ask a bunch of 20 something males why they don't like the internal social systems.......</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-91674094838520628312015-08-20T14:57:00.001+01:002015-08-20T18:20:12.464+01:00 Employee Engagement Cuts Attrition Rates In Half<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg858nIhGzTP7jtw64R2SvSTJv4vBpM4iXyC3AR-D5TtMvOpMt22eGI-4L7myomdZX6AcYNd5PJExsUrcU9ORJDRoZI52raQ4tk-f2ugjMo4YiueU6ri4OzxJuoAAJpozmtaX4dQiwwTgZh/s1600/Goodbye11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg858nIhGzTP7jtw64R2SvSTJv4vBpM4iXyC3AR-D5TtMvOpMt22eGI-4L7myomdZX6AcYNd5PJExsUrcU9ORJDRoZI52raQ4tk-f2ugjMo4YiueU6ri4OzxJuoAAJpozmtaX4dQiwwTgZh/s400/Goodbye11.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why bother with employee engagement? Sometimes a question is so big, it's nice to break it down into a single, simple example rather than try for the 'big picture approach'.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hence the reason for this blog. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had the opportunity to work with an employee population over a number of years and see what effect engagement has in a number of different areas - one of which is staff turnover.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conventional wisdom says that the more engaged a person is within a company, then the less likely they are to leave, and whilst this is true, that's not the whole picture. What is also often omitted from these discussions is that some attrition is actually desirable within an organisation for a multitude of reasons beyond the scope of this particular blog.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So let's take a first look at our population and break it down into some typical 'quartiles' - except in this case we're also going to break out the totally disengaged folks. Those that simply do not participate in any of the people metrics we can gather (and in this case sixteen different measures where used).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without getting too geeky here, the chart below shows the number people in each engagement quartile - if you imagine a scale of 0 to 100, with the most engaged people scoring 100 - then there are on 38 people in the 75-100 band and 9,770 in the lower 25.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may come as a surprise to some, but it's a fairly typical pattern. The 38 at the top of this distribution are the 'superstars' of engagement, the culture ambassadors, brand fanatics, cheerleaders and motivators that exist in all organisations and have huge impact on morale (you may know one or two in your company).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Typically, between 5-15% of any organisation are disengaged. They are the people who will tell you (should you ask) that they simply want to come into work and do their job, they don't want their contribution to exceed their role, or gain promotion. This should never be read as a 'happiness' indicator, but accepting that they cannot be more engaged is an unacceptable conclusion. The challenge is in the amount of effort that is needed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the sake of statistical stability, and to take some of the 'emotional' interpretation out of this - we'll divide up our population in four (almost) equal quartiles, </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">while keeping our disengaged population separate - and see what happens to each of these groups over two years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is where things get interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the very first quarter, attrition is four times greater in the completely disengaged group. Although the rest of the population is approximately the same, there is a noticeably higher attrition rate in the lowest engagement quartile too (but no where near as significant).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7VQWaM3soSle90oXzOIzROUPSCSEJV6qSzJqLXG0SaiOWUSr3gNFd9E9-tKQtTWG1DwDLhhn0slCmwkVpMrWHaDm46M4pAt9f0SGg5MWDrsIcKk3jnUk0bQaZ2OlPutxQ3u5TliPFOd_/s1600/Engagement+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7VQWaM3soSle90oXzOIzROUPSCSEJV6qSzJqLXG0SaiOWUSr3gNFd9E9-tKQtTWG1DwDLhhn0slCmwkVpMrWHaDm46M4pAt9f0SGg5MWDrsIcKk3jnUk0bQaZ2OlPutxQ3u5TliPFOd_/s320/Engagement+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the end of year one, the disengaged group attrition is approximately double that of the rest of the employee population, and after two years that pattern is consistent. The chart clearly shows that the more engaged people are, the less likely they are to leave the company - but the significant finding is that <b>even the smallest amount of engagement is enough to halve the attrition rate</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's try and quantify this - there are a number of studies that analyse the cost of employees leaving, and the associated recruitment costs. I'm going to use <a href="http://www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/recruitment/it-costs-over-30k-to-replace-a-staff-member/50677" target="_blank">this one</a> by Oxford Economics, published in HR Review last year. It takes into account cost of lost output and recruitment costs and calculates a cost of Ā£30,614 per employee. There are many less conservative estimates which place recruitment costs at between 30-50% of salary, but let's think about that for a moment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The charts show that zero levels of engagement lead to twice the attrition. Move the engagement needle just one notch, and that problem can be addressed. More importantly that Ā£30,614 cost can be avoided.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1,467 people in this sample were completely disengaged. In the first quarter of this analysis 107 of these left the company. Do the math: 107xĀ£30k = Ā£3.2m.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stop and think about that for one moment. We know that even the slightest amount of engagement will halve the number of people leaving. Half the number of people leaving = Ā£1.6m.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not paying attention to employee engagement? Maybe it's time to start.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Geek Note: The relationship between engagement and attrition shows a strong negative Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.61, Kendall's Tau of -0.75 and Spearman's Rho is -0.85.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-88893900906646698402015-08-12T16:21:00.001+01:002015-08-12T17:02:32.361+01:00If You Want Increased Sales Productivity - Focus On Culture Fit<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can you place a monetary value on the strength of a corporate culture? Is there any way to prove the value of employing people that fit?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently had the opportunity to look at a group of sales people and see if their culture fit predicted quota achievement for the year. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is an effective test that relies on some 'hard' data from the finance folks, and some 'softer' data from the HR team. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A positive correlation proves that people who align more closely with the organisation they are part of will perform better, especially in high pressure situations. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below are illustrations from two sets of data, one taken at mid-year, showing quota achievement against the culture fit of the individuals in question. The second one shows full year results.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfrRM7ErTtsbDtmq0Q6eTIevVBfZbC7hQiCIKfd7ljv_g1TBR8EQsIq9zzSbwSV3XvkOhU6-QgOYfZAulmZI_wx8-jAksAI_U3qWwoBzvMKPgnpquKXyG1oYOr9AHsnoPNEz4KwTMQUmw/s1600/Quota+Achievment+vs+Culture+1H.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfrRM7ErTtsbDtmq0Q6eTIevVBfZbC7hQiCIKfd7ljv_g1TBR8EQsIq9zzSbwSV3XvkOhU6-QgOYfZAulmZI_wx8-jAksAI_U3qWwoBzvMKPgnpquKXyG1oYOr9AHsnoPNEz4KwTMQUmw/s640/Quota+Achievment+vs+Culture+1H.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first chart shows a group of 37 sales people making a flying start - everyone over 40% of their quota lies in the top half of organisational culture fit, while not a single person from the bottom half is doing well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(For the statistically minded this whole distribution shows a weak, but positive correlation using Pearson's method)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYS_p8rK-Q6yg3FpRQ0fUSouruiax9KcXhaiAd5em6hsJRCrsjo9sNFqLN17vQRFU22kPewSA8fh5kGy3dzwgmLk4YpzrvNOJHa5xaBBFRMcdmzu4KQdLFANeK8zXgF4u_3zZYfDGqe9v/s1600/Quota+Achievment+vs+Culture+Full+Year.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYS_p8rK-Q6yg3FpRQ0fUSouruiax9KcXhaiAd5em6hsJRCrsjo9sNFqLN17vQRFU22kPewSA8fh5kGy3dzwgmLk4YpzrvNOJHa5xaBBFRMcdmzu4KQdLFANeK8zXgF4u_3zZYfDGqe9v/s640/Quota+Achievment+vs+Culture+Full+Year.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second chart shows the full picture for the year, again illustrating that those in the top half of the organisational culture spectrum are outperforming those in the bottom. In this case 38 people achieved more than 100% of their designated quota, while not a single individual in the lower half made their target.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Note that the actual financial rewards are not shown, these have to remain confidential - but over 30% of revenue came from that top right quadrant. Naturally hiring processes have changed at the company in question - who now place a great deal more emphasis on how potential employees fit with their culture and working practices.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEiJoz1c-3C46CXgYh6ZvOR0r97bCCZw7iBI_41kheAjELs0UYm8N3Gp_gfMl4RlajDuFkcr4MCx1WRzaA1qGBuuiT5lTbgqlIMkcFBRLprw99eMq1Ukf2Cg_cvgLrfwP3cHNzUfzgl5H/s1600/Brilliant+Jerks.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEiJoz1c-3C46CXgYh6ZvOR0r97bCCZw7iBI_41kheAjELs0UYm8N3Gp_gfMl4RlajDuFkcr4MCx1WRzaA1qGBuuiT5lTbgqlIMkcFBRLprw99eMq1Ukf2Cg_cvgLrfwP3cHNzUfzgl5H/s320/Brilliant+Jerks.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may also notice that there are no 'brilliant jerks' in this analysis. No high flying sales person with a terrible culture fit. This is clearly a company that took Reed Hastings advice to heart.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're paying really close attention, you may also notice the grey markers on the charts - these are people who left the organisation. In the first half of the year, these were generally at the higher end of culture fit with low to medium quota achievement, in the latter half they were predominantly the under-achievers (this is after all a sales organisation).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Culture fit is no cast-iron guarantee of sales success, but the probability of better results increases when you find people that share common values, behaviours and aspirations with the rest of the organisation. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Defining that fit and working it into the interview process is critical - as is ensuring you can truly define what your culture looks like today. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why not take some time do this analysis on a sales team in your company and see if you find similar results? It's a great way for HR teams to contribute directly to revenue improvement.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-10670287961403174522015-06-24T10:26:00.002+01:002015-06-25T09:40:59.560+01:00Does Your Recruitment Process Suck?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50GM1kdmdblK8H8QzUPpD527BGKe3YE-XFRTAvmGXPta4lOtf4raiYPk3-BMHjUIgiJiYsYVF350Zb9I9qZ9wxLnQXtVblZNqJzd1VTnguyQr9sMxrielkPumgZr4W_B5H2vrtGUQ67c9/s1600/Alan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50GM1kdmdblK8H8QzUPpD527BGKe3YE-XFRTAvmGXPta4lOtf4raiYPk3-BMHjUIgiJiYsYVF350Zb9I9qZ9wxLnQXtVblZNqJzd1VTnguyQr9sMxrielkPumgZr4W_B5H2vrtGUQ67c9/s320/Alan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's nice to see the UK job market <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/job-market/" target="_blank">improving</a> - many of my friends who have been 'on sabbatical' for a year or so are now finding their way back into permanent employment, but some of the stories they tell about recruitment processes make me want to cry.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most popular experience - submitting an application, following up and then hearing nothing back. Nada. Not so much as a short 'You're rubbish and we don't like the font you used' email.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In second place - having a face to face interview (in person or on Skype) and hearing nothing back. Given that at this point they have typically met some of the people from the company too - the offence and level of rudeness is even more exaggerated.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Third on the list - repeated contact telling people to 'just wait' while decisions are made, other candidates are interviewed or organisation changes are taking place. In other words, "Our time is valuable, yours isn't, we're trying to find someone better, but if we don't we might just hire you."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could carry on with these - from systems that eliminate candidates who don't enter their expected salary in the right ballpark, to skills not counting if they have been learned in other industries (I especially enjoyed the tale of a large financial institution looking for a full time employee engagement and culture specialist insisting that they would only interview candidates from other banks......)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ask yourself one question. What impression of these companies are people left with? What do you think they tell their friends? How likely is it that their brand will be improved from these interactions? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there's the personal level. In several of the cases above, job offers were eventually extended. How valued would you feel as an employee walking through the door on day one after having been treated this way (if indeed the offer was accepted)?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contrast this to a conversation I had a few weeks ago on a flight back from Barcelona. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several members of the executive team of a very well known global sportswear company were sat around me, and I got talking to their new head of UK Sales & Marketing. He was four weeks into the role - and still in 'training'.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the recruitment process he had interviewed with a number of people from the company. Finally he sat down with the Managing Director for a discussion. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within 24 hours he was offered the job.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite all the efforts of his previous employer to retain him, he chose to move on. And why wouldn't he? </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They wanted him NOW. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here was a company that felt confident enough in <u>his</u> abilities to extend an immediate offer. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A company that made fast decisions, that was passionate about their products, and finding the right people. Above all else, one where taking this 'risk' was acceptable, and where it was part of the company culture to be enthusiastic and passionate about everything - including recruitment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The passion for his new employer, their product and ethos was palpable. It rubbed off on me, and although my family have all been big fans for years, we've spent some money since on refreshing our supply......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent some time with <a href="http://www.zappos.com/" target="_blank">Zappos</a> a few years ago. Early on, the HR team realised that recruitment was not all about finding the right people for the company - it was also about leaving those 'rejected' from the process with a good feeling about Zappos. So they started to recommend other companies that may be a better 'fit' to candidates that didn't quite make it - using experience and a library of culture data.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JeCh4_Sb5OGN-p3Py8GAWp2EuYFnzGeUvUw5dqvmJOVFiT3iq_JGiKRXaHO7DL0onSy6nmzntJ4dZtDe7Pqg40wOcmVvVOWJSx79xVQr4h8cnNXm-EnTrnCgQhWAdtvZGF4e3Bat8jQb/s1600/Zappos_logo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JeCh4_Sb5OGN-p3Py8GAWp2EuYFnzGeUvUw5dqvmJOVFiT3iq_JGiKRXaHO7DL0onSy6nmzntJ4dZtDe7Pqg40wOcmVvVOWJSx79xVQr4h8cnNXm-EnTrnCgQhWAdtvZGF4e3Bat8jQb/s200/Zappos_logo-1.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The company 'powered by service' extends that to everyone that touches them. Because it's good for business, and it's a nice thing to do. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why not take some time today to review how well you do with the 'recruitment experience' in your company? You may not feel it's worth the effort to treat people well - but can you really afford not to in this age of social media and brand awareness?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What does your recruitment process say about you as a company?</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-71859156013793681142015-05-21T07:01:00.003+01:002015-05-21T07:01:50.327+01:00Bypassing Parental Controls With BT<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every so often I feel the need to share some 'internet control' experiences, this is my third 'off topic' blog - the first of which concerned <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/turn-on-parental-controls-do-it-now.html" target="_blank">turning on parental controls</a>, the second about the <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/keep-your-children-away-from-twitter.html" target="_blank">prevalence of porn on Twitter</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently I've seen plenty of evidence that inappropriate content is showing up on childrens' computers despite their parents locking down devices and restricting access.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just to be clear, there are ALWAYS ways to circumvent these controls. But many cannot work out how - and I'm certainly not going to share methods for doing it. That doesn't mean you should ignore the problem though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're a BT broadband customer (one third of UK households are), you are almost certainly providing simplified access to the pornosphere for your children and their friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some background first - if you're of a mind to block inappropriate material, then you have probably enabled parental controls on mobile devices and computers in the house.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfcO04_4B9EYLWKtxkJNcOdf20gdZqmcZgmwyAT434856nQL6omphGDFvfE_zxoH0Ii8morXiozSU6GDOyrXcVJiPQeLkV_jtZ2BRHeVU_NDwVGJQOcYiUfHQMn5qT4MtaOvvI63J2Zzz/s1600/BT+PC.png" 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/AVvXsEiOfcO04_4B9EYLWKtxkJNcOdf20gdZqmcZgmwyAT434856nQL6omphGDFvfE_zxoH0Ii8morXiozSU6GDOyrXcVJiPQeLkV_jtZ2BRHeVU_NDwVGJQOcYiUfHQMn5qT4MtaOvvI63J2Zzz/s200/BT+PC.png" width="124" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may even have decided to completely stop the flow into your house, and had your provider block it at source. There's a simple way to do this with BT, follow this <a href="https://www.bt.com/appsconsumeraccount/secure/enhancedMyBT.do?siteArea=con.mya" target="_blank">link</a>, sign in with your credentials, then scroll down to the 'extras' section and click 'Manage' in the BT Parental Control box.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congratulations, you've successfully blocked inappropriate content coming into the house, (although how porn and alcohol end up in the same filter category is beyond me).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually it's very easy to bypass this, not for you, but for your children or for guests in your house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part of the BT offering is to allow <u>your</u> home router to be used as a personal hotspot for anyone. Check out your wi-fi network now, and you'll see 'BTWifi-with-FON' listed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This means that if I am in range of any BT router I can use it as a wi-fi hotspot (by signing in with my BT account credentials).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many parents give those credentials to their children so they can access wi-fi and not use mobile data plans, so usernames and passwords get passed around at school, enabling your child to use someone else's details to see whatever they want through <u>your</u> router.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news is that you can opt out of this, but it's not that easy, and after half an hour of navigating through BT's website to a human I finally got this link, which allows you to opt out of providing a hotspot: <a href="https://www.bt.com/wifi/secure/statuscheck.do" target="_blank">https://www.bt.com/wifi/secure/statuscheck.do</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bizarrely if you don't have a btinernet.com email address you need to find an actual person to do this for you - this <a href="https://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact/" target="_blank">link</a> may help. (Click problem with service, then broadband and eventually this magic chat button will appear). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNy55i9jJx2USBUbjGeQjMncxtN2Hty8OJ2n-OHHaCI7tC9X_nJgBtE06-XI1Xr5i0TlqPLWFNJgutQQBbBgHeD4Gyu24j8DTo1VCAd422gokezkHdodyr1ePWAjrItQmBMJbdOxAZHIo/s1600/BT+Chat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNy55i9jJx2USBUbjGeQjMncxtN2Hty8OJ2n-OHHaCI7tC9X_nJgBtE06-XI1Xr5i0TlqPLWFNJgutQQBbBgHeD4Gyu24j8DTo1VCAd422gokezkHdodyr1ePWAjrItQmBMJbdOxAZHIo/s320/BT+Chat.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If all this seems like a huge amount of hassle, then that's because it is. I'm not sure that you should have to 'opt-in' to see adult content, that's a much larger debate, but if you do want to turn off adult content, then BT could make it a great deal simpler (and not leave the open hotspot wide open for abuse). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not enabled parental controls yet? Don't think you should? Read <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/turn-on-parental-controls-do-it-now.html" target="_blank">this</a> and it may change your mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-34669727906555752112015-05-12T11:24:00.002+01:002015-05-12T11:26:03.730+01:00Accepting Poor Behaviour<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've resisted the temptation of posting any kind of 'workplace' blog involving the Top Gear crew or the BBC in general. Not only does it seem to be marginally exploitative, but having seen a progression of death threats aimed at people who dare criticise I wasn't sure that I needed that kind of attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then I caught a few minutes of the Wright Stuff on Channel Five recently, where Richard Madeley and Anne Diamond were discussing the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31869967" target="_blank">Top Gear 'fracas'</a> and I realised that I was hearing the same old 'abuse' story - but from TV personalities rather than corporate employees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OpKU-Y-ewHEvkn4JbxXP3I8NC2eG6HxWxEtMcqEUt6x2YPzj4Wug-AadaYJCZPpJ9c7JHg6PCz8lkIbMT58R373teGcrseFBOH4MOKSUEEfPYhrVolPGsEPCindaS41C9RWkc9UtgOAo/s1600/anne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OpKU-Y-ewHEvkn4JbxXP3I8NC2eG6HxWxEtMcqEUt6x2YPzj4Wug-AadaYJCZPpJ9c7JHg6PCz8lkIbMT58R373teGcrseFBOH4MOKSUEEfPYhrVolPGsEPCindaS41C9RWkc9UtgOAo/s320/anne.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This shouldn't surprise me - often we forget that the folks staring out at us from the gogglebox are 'real' people with real jobs, mouths to feed and mortgages to pay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What aggravated me was that both Richard Madeley and Anne Diamond both spoke of this kind of behaviour happening to them in the past, with a degree of implied acceptance that this was 'normal' behaviour in their industry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love Top Gear - I find Jeremy, James and Richard great entertainment. There is no doubt that they provide a huge amount of revenue for their company, have immense talent and will be sadly missed by the vast majority of the viewing public (at least until they appear elsewhere). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you verbally and physically assault someone it is wrong. No matter who that person is, but particularly when that person is 'subservient' to you in the organisation, perceives that their job depends on you, or that you have power to make them suffer. There are no excuses - and in case I'm in line for some hate mail here, Mr Clarkson would appear to agree.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are just three corporate examples from my experience, and I'd like you to imagine how you'd feel if this happened to you....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3dMag5OLSJeRnXtxWF18I6aQ_8RvmdhNtgQqmZxEk629jKBE9G8iMg-lC4-A3zjVqTcz-xCS0MYm_fLU_EVcfGLmnO-pMbpI9t2QEOvmUjhV65eDpzzO3N-ocCYzyYrL-tim_RYhsouw/s1600/presidentbusiness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3dMag5OLSJeRnXtxWF18I6aQ_8RvmdhNtgQqmZxEk629jKBE9G8iMg-lC4-A3zjVqTcz-xCS0MYm_fLU_EVcfGLmnO-pMbpI9t2QEOvmUjhV65eDpzzO3N-ocCYzyYrL-tim_RYhsouw/s1600/presidentbusiness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3dMag5OLSJeRnXtxWF18I6aQ_8RvmdhNtgQqmZxEk629jKBE9G8iMg-lC4-A3zjVqTcz-xCS0MYm_fLU_EVcfGLmnO-pMbpI9t2QEOvmUjhV65eDpzzO3N-ocCYzyYrL-tim_RYhsouw/s320/presidentbusiness.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3dMag5OLSJeRnXtxWF18I6aQ_8RvmdhNtgQqmZxEk629jKBE9G8iMg-lC4-A3zjVqTcz-xCS0MYm_fLU_EVcfGLmnO-pMbpI9t2QEOvmUjhV65eDpzzO3N-ocCYzyYrL-tim_RYhsouw/s1600/presidentbusiness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The executive, who when aggravated, stressed, or simply in need of some entertainment thought it was OK to kick chairs at people in their office - or even outside their office door in the corridor. Sometimes I think the Lego policeman in the movie worked for him at some time.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The senior leader who denied the whole office the right to go home on Christmas Eve if one person dared to ask what time they could leave - holding everyone in a frenzy of discomfort for the whole day (and for several weeks beforehand).</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The divisional head who enjoyed swearing loudly and publicly at staff so much, that even after multiple complaints, and subsequent warnings he continued until he had to be escorted off the premises - permanently.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Behaviour that you accept spreads through your organisation - this works equally for positive and negative behaviours, but the negative ones spread much faster. Simply shrugging it off by saying "well that happened to me too" gives tacit approval to others to mimic poor behaviours, and actually promotes their belief that it's necessary to fit in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you think any one of the examples above is even remotely acceptable behaviour, then I suggest you go and find a job where you can work alone, far from others, and if possible far from society in general.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-68811572334642867092014-11-04T07:56:00.003+00:002014-11-04T09:26:21.714+00:00Learning About Student Culture<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been spending time lecturing second year degree students recently - and it's become something I really look forward to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teaching has always been something I've wanted to try, regular readers will note that I have a great respect for the profession and the challenges it faces (mostly from bureaucracy and meddling), so when I was offered the chance I jumped at it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Read my blog on '<a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/disempowerment-culture.html" target="_blank">Disempowerment Culture</a>' to learn more about my views on the teaching profession) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've done plenty of adult coaching, auditorium presenting, and of course 'dad teaching' at home - but this has been my first experience of teaching in a formal environment, and I've learned a lot.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWHLqVGVl_BM4uhY5ybf37m1XV3F0EGLoWnYxvpgIZLpFjZpP9T0r_eVH7gFzDbjK8yKGsOqHADuvsIOZsmQpWmSsPYp1NYD2MWG2lFCXNuZggUa-6yCygiDsqntx3kQv97u_HC8sL4xb/s1600/Lego+Teacher.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWHLqVGVl_BM4uhY5ybf37m1XV3F0EGLoWnYxvpgIZLpFjZpP9T0r_eVH7gFzDbjK8yKGsOqHADuvsIOZsmQpWmSsPYp1NYD2MWG2lFCXNuZggUa-6yCygiDsqntx3kQv97u_HC8sL4xb/s1600/Lego+Teacher.png" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've learned that I need help in lesson planning. Three hour lectures don't work in 'death by presentation' format (actually, half hour sessions don't either) - and there are exams and assessments to teach. Thankfully a fellow lecturer, and the head of the department have been great mentors for me despite my lack of experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then there are the students.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now let me be clear (and I know some of them will read this), they are a great group of young men and women, and I enjoy teaching them. For the most part they are enthusiastic about what we're doing, ask questions (never enough!) and keep me challenged to find interesting ways to present things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, a</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nd there is a very big BUT here - the education system is letting them down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I've had a learning curve to contend with, my students have it much worse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was studying at University a lecturer showed up, spoke for a few hours and took questions. Generally they used acetate sheets, projectors and chalk boards (yes I am that old), and when the lecture was over we were expected to go the library and find books to study further.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assignments were given, but with very little guidance, and the examinations were fierce because you never new the nature of the fiendish questions the professors were going to come up with to challenge your learning. But at the end of the process, if you worked hard enough you left with a degree.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this was fine, because the school system had prepared me for it. By the time I finished my A' levels I was used to this method of learning. There was a little more structure, but we were not taught everything you needed to know to pass the exam - it was expected that you self taught and broadened your learning in order to get higher grades.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not so any more. The advent of league tables and inspections, competition for funding and oversight has given way to a learning culture that requires a spoon fed approach. Teachers are teaching to curriculum, and more crucially to get results for league tables.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is now in the best interests of the school to teach precisely what is expected on the exam paper. No more, no less. Repeating over and over again the things that teachers know will get more passes. An increase in coursework has further narrowed the 'self study and learning' experience - and no amount of 'learning to learn' lessons will help (yes, children really do that at school).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now when students arrive at University they have never been asked to struggle with concepts, to learn, to hear - "go and find out for yourself and we'll talk next week" from their lecturers. When things go wrong, answers are expected, not learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add to that the additional complication of the 'funding' system, whereby students have to pay Ā£9000 per year to be taught. (A total betrayal of every value our country has ever had by the way - tax me more and reduce the number of places, but education should ALWAYS be free).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lecturer friend in London had spoken to me about this before, but in a nutshell it means that there is an underlying feeling amongst students that they are buying their degree. In some sense it's a good thing - there are higher standards demanded from lecturers but there are major downsides - click <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.com/2014/03/do-we-really-value-others.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my blog on valuing others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's an illustration. The most common question during my first two lectures was a variation on "will this be on the exam", and "will this be part of the coursework". Of course the answer is "It might be", but the fact that it's being asked at all is troubling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Early on I was asked to post my slides to the University portal ahead of the lectures. This I've learned comes from a strange modern practice called 'reverse learning' where students supposedly go through the presentation and then come prepared with questions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This won't work with me because firstly I can make six slides last for three hours (we talk, use the whiteboard and paper, and do practical exercises), and secondly because I have a strong feeling that students wouldn't show up if they new exactly what was going to be taught (but maybe that's more about my attitude than theirs).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing is certain - if this doesn't change soon, I would question the value of institutional on site learning. University is meant to provide a collegiate learning environment where students learn from their professors (and each other) in many ways - through text, practical experience, conversation, lectures and shared experiences. But the modern education system is not preparing them for that jump.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we want 'battery farm' learning, then all we need to do is keep doing as we are - but if the UK wants to create future global leaders then we need a rethink.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-18530003758018775452014-07-14T10:08:00.004+01:002014-07-14T10:13:05.420+01:00Tech Free Sunday<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've been experimenting at home with the idea of taking a day off from technology for one day a week - how hard can it be?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Very hard.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some context - I have four children aged fifteen, twelve, ten & four (boy, boy, girl, boy). My eldest and I take it in turns to be 'most addicted to technology' - but recently he started to edge past me on the league table.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we decided six weeks ago that Sundays were to be internet, computer, tablet, phone and game console free. We still have the radio, and we still have TV - but that's as far as it goes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6p4YyRn7ef5U-600G1qz7gk4K-caEyH5iOJqjF35ExU6NVIcgZuSF_BfYBbLmAM6Xc1qbG1CYaW1InO8mJ75jIIAozVNg5Gcs-lRlnHeZ6qpqtKDd3heynDd2NNvlH2T2NY8B3-Bd46o/s1600/Scooters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6p4YyRn7ef5U-600G1qz7gk4K-caEyH5iOJqjF35ExU6NVIcgZuSF_BfYBbLmAM6Xc1qbG1CYaW1InO8mJ75jIIAozVNg5Gcs-lRlnHeZ6qpqtKDd3heynDd2NNvlH2T2NY8B3-Bd46o/s1600/Scooters.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Week 1 - definite withdrawal symptoms, increased levels of grumpiness, especially from my eldest and youngest son (and myself to be honest) for at least two hours - which then resulted in them all pitching a tent in the garden and then sleeping in it for most of the following week. iPhone withdrawal hardest for me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Week 2 - arguments the night before about whether to try it again ended with my Wife and I pointing out that the reason we were banning technology was precisely because of this level of addiction. On the day - much excitement at having a Nerf war which lasted three hours in a nearby park. Still missing my iPhone.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Week 3 - slight improvement, although new tactic from two children insisting that computers were needed for homework. Internet opened up with a warning that next week they better get their work done on Saturday. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Week 4 - Acceptance that the rules were not about to change - homework done ahead of time. Much walking with dog, and then National Trust visiting for early evening picnic. Well picnic is too grand a word - more like loads of scones with jam and cream :-)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Week 5 - Day spent cycling. All day. With breaks for the pub.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Week 6 - Yesterday spent predominantly with Frisbee and radio, before settling down for the world cup final, and yes, we let the eldest three stay up and watch it because we're bad parents. Expecting lots of yawning at school today.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we're carrying on with it. We have a better day for the break, together as a family for the most part. Everyone is less selfish about what they do - rather than retreating into their own world, we all find things to do together - and the world does not stop turning because we cannot use email, or look at the BBC news site, or send texts, or play Minecraft......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The corporate part of this blog, the part that ties this to engagement and culture? We keep doing new things. If you take some time away from the tech and let your brain work properly, you may find some more innovation creeping into your workplace. Live in the moment, connect, look up.......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But why not give it a go at home too? It's not easy, but for us it was certainly worth the initial pain.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-57326083372603832912014-07-10T18:35:00.001+01:002014-07-11T08:06:43.758+01:00HR vs IT - The Battle Of The Sexes?<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've noticed that HR and IT teams don't get along too well (to say the least), which is odd, because experience shows me that they have a lot more in common than most seem to recognise. For example:</span><br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are both overheads to the company</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are both blamed for nearly every bad thing that happens</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are both held responsible for decisions which were made by other parts of the business</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone else in the company thinks they can do their job better</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They both have wildly unbalanced gender distribution in their teams</span></li>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent the first fifteen years of my career in IT, before switching (sort of) to the HR space - and I'm still confused about this. I only have to mention IT to a HR group and they roll their eyes and growl - the same is true within IT.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the start of every project, I explain to the program team that HR are the custodians of the most powerful culture and engagement data in the company - I'm usually greeted by confused looks, but if you stop and think about this, it makes perfect sense.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not going to get too geeky with this, but everyone needs a base line of engagement to work with, and either you pay an external agency to do a survey, or you try and manage it yourself - but if you're really smart you tap into the data you already have before making those decisions.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's one example of how you do that. Let's say I want to know who the most engaged managers are in the company, HR can look at the moment during the performance management window they completed their staff assessments, and how much work they put into them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The data is already there. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a clue - if the process was completed on the last day of the window, and very little text is present in the summary or development plan, that manager is not too engaged in the process, the company, or the staff they manage. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A simple report from the IT folks will let you crunch those numbers quickly and easily.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Typically you can find a dozen or so 'markers' in company data that build into an employee engagement profile - from time spent learning on the intranet to employee recognition and wellbeing program data. This gives you a 'real' level of active engagement, rather than a 'passive' level of requested opinion (both are valid if used correctly).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fly in that particular ointment is the friction that exists between HR and IT. There's no common language, so typically the IT 'guy' sees a "I want ALL this stuff" request from the HR 'girl' - and so begins a negotiation in awkwardness that chews up months of time and effort.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rarely do I see an IT team brought into the wider conversation or requirements, or the HR team attempting to understand the complexities.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's easier for me - I speak both dialects quite well, so I can ask for report from the performance management system with a few columns - <manager name>, <employee name>, <date manager started>, <date manager finished>, <date employee started>, <date employee finished>,<date employee signed off>, <length of text in summary>, <length of text in development plan> - and I know that the IT folks can grab this kind of thing quickly and easily (OK, I apologise, that was a bit of a geeky paragraph).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DO not ask the IT guy to do the analysis - this is something that you can (and should) do yourself, Excel is really good at this kind of stuff - and someone, somewhere in the HR team should be able to help.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're really lucky you have an HR Operations team that is more than just 'the people that are better with Excel than the rest of us' and they'll already be doing this for you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If not, start building bridges with the IT team - you're going to need to add salary and promotion data at some point, mixed up with some gender and racial diversity statistics and blended in with the sales and profitability data. Culture and engagement (as I say so often) is about building better business results, not fluffy bunnies - and only HR has access to ALL of the information needed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do I think that gender has any bearing on this? No. Although I personally know more geeky men than women and humanistic women than men, I suspect it's more to do with the difference in the two disciplines than any underlying sexism.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I know for sure is that effort needs to be made on both sides to bridge the communications gap, preconceptions need to be put to one side, and by working more closely together, everyone will benefit.</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-85184190216908148912014-06-19T10:00:00.000+01:002016-01-29T15:19:40.589+00:00Sugar, Screw-Ups and Accountability<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am fed up with rules, nannying and pointless evasion of responsibility in the UK. It's starting to remind me of some of the more dysfunctional companies I work with.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recent news stories have drawn attention to plans for removing <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27514077" target="_blank">sweet treats</a> from check out areas and considerations of a '<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26442420" target="_blank">sugar tax</a>' by the government. This is aimed at reducing the number of obese (fat) people in the UK - especially children, and as <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/29/uk-western-europe-obesity-study" target="_blank">this</a> recent article in the Guardian points out, there are more problems (fat people) in the UK than anywhere else in Western Europe.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can spend as much time as you wish researching this, but there are two facts you rarely see pointed out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Eating more than you burn off during the day will add to your weight. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>People do not HAVE to consume sugary food and drink.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjY4xJx1qoaXuS6EoZs5fmEdLMdkk2Ru8DUxcAtGK36ozb0o7PdW-gUukxueXCR-GSuLNo162rPsJxPwhuCy1vzxXpdYqWcZ-oaEzPLbStSTyXSykVqHEiR9QVGFroLGfMZLPvBWCiM-p/s1600/lg_714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjY4xJx1qoaXuS6EoZs5fmEdLMdkk2Ru8DUxcAtGK36ozb0o7PdW-gUukxueXCR-GSuLNo162rPsJxPwhuCy1vzxXpdYqWcZ-oaEzPLbStSTyXSykVqHEiR9QVGFroLGfMZLPvBWCiM-p/s1600/lg_714.jpg" width="101" /></span></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Typically the press take aim at Coke, Starbucks and McDonalds - but I recently grabbed a can of San Pellegrino Limonata which also has over 30 grams of sugar within - about a third of my daily allowance. It was lovely - but I don't feel the urge to consume six every day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nor to I typically go on to grab a Coke, followed by a Frapuccino and a Big Mac.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Likewise, if I want to grab a chocolate bar at the checkout, I will. Another 30% of my sugar intake for the day - but I'm not of a mind to eat one every time I go out. If one of my children ask me for sweets at the checkout, I can say 'no'. I do not need supermarkets to rearrange because I have no self control or parenting skill.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kat Cole, the President of Cinnabon has exactly the right attitude to this, Cinnabon sell wonderful indulgences ranging all the way from 90 - 880 calories (and we desperately need more of their stores here in the UK). Here's a perfect common sense quote from her:</span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; widows: 1;">"We're not a health food, clearly we're a treat and if you believe people want to treat themselves, and I do, and if you believe they're going to want to do that with sweet treats, and I do, then there's a place in the world for indulgent companies"</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bravo. All companies now have the calorie count of their products on the menu. Don't complain when you find your iced coffee has 600 calories - it's YOUR fault for not reading the menu and taking note, not theirs for selling it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a responsibility issue. If I choose to get fat by consuming too much sugar it's MY fault. Not that of the government or the company that sells it. I am choosing to become unhealthy, choosing to put a burden on my joints and organs. No one is to blame but me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Too many companies I work with have little concept of accountability. Email is used as a cover your a** mechanism and 'group' decisions are the norm so if something goes wrong nobody is to blame.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is OK to blame people for screw ups. It is OK to accept blame. It is right and proper to learn from mistakes and move on. Screw ups are an intense form of critical feedback which should be used for personal and professional development.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If screw ups cost the company money, then you just invested that amount of money in a learning experience. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you take the opposite view and decide to punish all screw ups then the behaviour of those in the company will change to 'share' responsibility, avoid risk and ultimately cripple you with indecision.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are fat or thin, fit or unfit, then decisions YOU made got you there.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are an executive in a company that does not hold your managers and staff accountable for their decisions, then YOU are responsible for their behaviour, and the failure that will eventually follow.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-30192663427090141082014-05-29T10:24:00.003+01:002014-05-29T10:33:50.233+01:00It's Not Sexism - It's Good Manners<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spend more time in London than any other city, with friends, clients or fellow <a href="http://www.engageforsuccess.org/" target="_blank">Engage For Success</a> team members, </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">which for me </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">involves a train journey, usually followed by a hop through the tube system. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Often there are not enough seats to go round - so I spend some of my journey standing up, which is absolutely fine by me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are always others in greater need of seating - the elderly, those with injury or disability, families trying to sit together.......</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but most of the time I give up my seat for a lady. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not because I'm sexist or believe women to be the weaker sex, but because I think it's a nice, polite thing to do.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I was travelling with my Wife, I would not sit down and let her stand - so I find it weird that some men will sit down and watch women standing when they wouldn't dream of letting <u>their</u> girlfriends, wives or mothers do the same.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is not a generational thing - yesterday I saw an elderly gentleman give up his seat for lady on the tube, a teenage girl did the same on the mainline train. In both cases, many more women were left standing by seemingly fit, able bodied men.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realise that women have to bear some of the blame here - for decades fear has been instilled into men that by offering kindness to women they may be instantly labelled sexist and publicly humiliated - but I'm pretty resilient to that kind of nonsense so here are my top tips if you feel like developing some manners today. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you cannot make eye contact first (while standing and gesturing at the now empty seat), then stand up, walk over the person you want to give you seat to, smile and say "There's a seat there if you'd like it".</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost always, they will say "Thank you" and take it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If not, the two most common objections are "No thank you, It's OK" or "I'll be getting off at the next stop"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some things you can say in that situation......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On mainline trains this usually means you'll be spending the rest of the journey at the end of the carriage, with a bunch of other people who cannot work on their laptops or spend all their time buried in their smartphone.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An unexpected bonus of this behaviour is that you may find you've started a conversation in the near silence of the modern morgue/library environment of the public transport system - and the journey will pass much more quickly.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-12744030752338301022014-05-13T08:25:00.005+01:002014-05-29T10:36:30.926+01:00Look Up - Smart Phones, Dumb People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like 35 million other people, the YouTube video "Look Up" struck a chord with me last week (you can find the video at the bottom of this blog).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having also watched the BCC documentary "Blurred Lines" investigate whether women are being subjected to more sexism in our culture, and having a number of tweets from Everyday Sexism....we decided to increase the 'draconian' measures in our houshould.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've had a 7pm curfew on technology for quite some time (although homework for the children has been known to extend that) - but for the last few weeks we've been dropping out of the (dis)connected world for Sundays too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We still have the TV, and the radio - but the phones, tablets, web browsers, and even Minecraft are not not allowed. It's just for one day - how hard can it be?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is not without it's problems, my eldest is nearly fifteen, and we have three others at twelve, ten and four. Removing their technical umbilical chord causes some 'discussion' - but so far we've stuck with it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Sunday, they raided cupboards in the house, found Nerf guns and all four set off to the local park to play some variant of 'Cowboys, Indians and Aliens' which one later referred to as a "first person shooter, but real".........tragic.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But they spent time creatively, thinking up new things to do and generally having a heck of a lot more fun than when glued to a screen. Although they did get a wet, dirty and bruised. Shame.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Look up' has equal weight in corporate life too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ignoring generational generalisms - most of the people I work with have a smart device glued to their hands (myself included), and although they can be used for work purposes, they also provide an innovational and emotional straightjacket if never put down.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sitting in meetings, at conferences, even at your desk while looking down all the day will constrain your ability to think, socialise and make new connections - and it's bad for your health.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not advocating removing the gadgets from our professional lives, just taking a break every now and again. Go and make eye contact with real people, walk, discuss, debate. Don't reach for the gadget to find the answer - ask those around you for their opinions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are losing the ability to build real relationships with real people, and this is starting to impact on the ability to collaborate and socialise within the workplace too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try this experiment. When you get home tonight, park all the gadgets. See if you can spend the evening without them. See what happens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-43988598893403388722014-05-13T08:02:00.004+01:002014-05-13T09:11:02.483+01:0010 Great Culture Quotes - Superhero Edition<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My family all love the super hero movies, and together we picked out ten quotes that everyone can use at work to improve their culture.........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">1</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working together is critical, no matter how small or large the team is. If everyone in the company is not pulling in the same direction, then it's going to be hard to get things done. Do not pursue your own agenda, or tolerate if from those around you.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH14XtliDEnWic2XK-C0QTRHGiOtLHq3Z9om5yPd0wkOQFBYB7VHHjuXDXaWYfgKBAir9gzdmBHLwfqDBmYP-wShXbcWI-XXe5g-toMCBgAPbs1sX_o9z4cZ_1tdYDI1pFz4YwdBp3VgEF/s1600/Odinson+-+Learn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH14XtliDEnWic2XK-C0QTRHGiOtLHq3Z9om5yPd0wkOQFBYB7VHHjuXDXaWYfgKBAir9gzdmBHLwfqDBmYP-wShXbcWI-XXe5g-toMCBgAPbs1sX_o9z4cZ_1tdYDI1pFz4YwdBp3VgEF/s1600/Odinson+-+Learn.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're not learning, then you're not growing, and soon your skills will be obsolete. Continuous learning is a life skill you need to have - or one day you may lose your hammer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assume positive intent from those around you - only super villains come to work to screw up your day. It is unlikely that this applies to </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">your</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> colleagues.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to remove the brilliant jerks because of the results they deliver. Do not tolerate it - get rid of them before people get angry and real damage is done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can make a difference. No matter how hard the challenge or how impossible it seems, change always starts with you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">6</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Innovation usually needs a kick start. Analysis paralysis and too much planning can lead to the world changing before anything get's done. It's not arrogant, it's smart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lot's of people talk a good game, but ultimately your reputation is defined by your actions. Trust starts here. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PkytVqpzieoR291jgJxZbDP54MjDFH5CsUWTL2O9LBBERGkUE_iJ3G2qj-6uY88Z0rovy6xol928DbBb4l-QTYtGg2lMBc_CtIoCu4tnlrXljNdqsnw63veSxjls0XUZRScfu5w7mQfw/s1600/Jordon+-+Horizon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PkytVqpzieoR291jgJxZbDP54MjDFH5CsUWTL2O9LBBERGkUE_iJ3G2qj-6uY88Z0rovy6xol928DbBb4l-QTYtGg2lMBc_CtIoCu4tnlrXljNdqsnw63veSxjls0XUZRScfu5w7mQfw/s1600/Jordon+-+Horizon.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your career will not follow a straight path to the top, and most companies go through pain during their financial year. Maintaining a positive attitude will help those around you deal with the tough times - no matter how weird the people you work with are.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHueo_dLSAr95YFji1cUTvgcASho5ZIBSELsWsxBAKp3tnTgzZ56GHCxNrkQwB2E8f5SmDv0hLk4RJadnbQydw5EF9xhvqMbzRGcK9LBezfhvROLgw18dF3Oqiu19WZyoxNhNebhRnniH/s1600/Fury+-+Stupid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHueo_dLSAr95YFji1cUTvgcASho5ZIBSELsWsxBAKp3tnTgzZ56GHCxNrkQwB2E8f5SmDv0hLk4RJadnbQydw5EF9xhvqMbzRGcK9LBezfhvROLgw18dF3Oqiu19WZyoxNhNebhRnniH/s1600/Fury+-+Stupid.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't be afraid to make the tough decisions, companies get screwed up when they forget this. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's typically much easier to apologise than get permission - and you know you're doing the right thing, because <u>you</u> are right there in the thick of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You need to use your gifts to help others - if you're skills are not being used, then you are unlikely to be happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/10-great-culture-quotes.html" target="_blank">Top 10 culture quotes from inspiring leaders in business can be found here</a>)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-2157515550681085502014-05-08T14:17:00.001+01:002014-05-08T14:43:09.638+01:00Nanny State Culture and Halal Meat<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Culture is my thing, I love working with people on their engagement strategies, I love making companies better places to be. I try and avoid strong opinion and controversy, but embrace crucial conversations - which is why I'm a little worried about publishing this blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I was talking with David D'Souza about his blog "<a href="http://ddsouzadotcom.wordpress.com/2014/04/27/the-sexy-women-of-hr/" target="_blank">The Sexy Women of HR</a>" and some of the trouble it caused. I enjoyed it, it made me laugh - and I didn't take it too seriously - ultimately it started a great debate which is always healthy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I wouldn't be brave enough to have written it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_l-R2pVXODCVwk06K9Or_bvI44ZTFrSUFgWeWkzetiVBhjpGMr7Dmrkd5LGQNgw5CQNuX8D2XeHz-9Q-Aj1SaC8YrdzWIlr1_V9w7Tg1JQGaI83FQSTBvAS8BmVDQ8zcepDkqvEndejef/s1600/choc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_l-R2pVXODCVwk06K9Or_bvI44ZTFrSUFgWeWkzetiVBhjpGMr7Dmrkd5LGQNgw5CQNuX8D2XeHz-9Q-Aj1SaC8YrdzWIlr1_V9w7Tg1JQGaI83FQSTBvAS8BmVDQ8zcepDkqvEndejef/s1600/choc.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, two things just pushed me over the edge. Firstly, I was astonished to hear the leader of our political opposition talking about banning the displays of sweets at supermarket checkouts, and making that a major policy should they reach government after the next election.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Really? Is there nothing better the government of the sixth largest economy of the world could be doing?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He claims it's to help obesity rates decline, especially with regards to children. But I have an alternative policy - trust people to say 'no' to their children and make up their own minds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a fundamental belief that it's my choice to resist (or give into) temptation, and it's certainly not the place of the government to dictate the positioning of goods in a supermarket. Weird I know, freedom of choice......it will never catch on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the opposition wants a controversial policy about obesity, how about giving the UK population five years to change before introducing a 'no free healthcare' policy for the clinically obese. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That should make people a lot healthier, reduce food consumption and reduce health expenditure - and it's easy to measure (may improve our chances in the Olympics too). That beats moving the chocolate a few feet away from the checkout.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then today I find that much of the supermarket meat sold in the UK is Halal, and the companies involved haven't thought to mention it. Stunning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cards on the table here - as a family we buy most of our meat from the butcher, we keep chickens that I kill and eat on occasion, and I'm a very imperfect Christian (aren't we all).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this Halal debate makes me angry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do I object to an Islamic blessing being said over an animal as it dies ("In the name of Allah, who is the greatest")? A little bit, but maybe I should take more offence - there are plenty of scripture interpretations out on the web that say I should.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But personally I take this verse from the Bible as the final word... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth...........Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart - that's what defiles you" Matthew 15:10 & 15:17</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do I object to an animal having it's throat cut after being stunned unconscious? No - but that cannot happen with cattle, electro-stunning won't work and I do certainly object to a live, conscious animal having it's throat cut and dying slowly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what really makes me upset is that this activity has been kept from the consumer. You would imagine after the horse meat scandal last year, somebody might have thought honesty would be a good option.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because it IS dishonest - everyone working in the food industry (at least those with any common sense) <u>know</u> that labelling meat Halal will affect sales - so it was deliberately left off the packaging. That's lying by omission, even if many don't care (or prefer not to know) about how their meat gets to the table.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It must increase the cost of our meat, it's certainly not the most efficient or fastest way to kill on the scale needed for modern appetites, and that means everyone is bearing a shared extra cost for the activity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.8% of the UK population is Muslim - and regardless of the 'secular' make up of our society, it is wrong to make universal decisions based on a small minority. If 5% of your company wanted to start and finish work an hour early, I don't think that would change corporate policy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But most of all I object to seeing any objection or debate about this practice being labelled as racist. Grammatically it is incorrect - Islam is a religion not a race, and ethically it is wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Objecting to the way animals are slaughtered is not racist, or even Islamophobic - it's a matter of personal opinion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the executives of the supermarket chains should hang their heads in shame for intentionally supporting the practice of concealment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I leave you with this thought - what kind of culture are you condoning within your own organisation?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-43774751428346346342014-04-22T12:28:00.001+01:002014-04-22T16:56:16.118+01:00Employee Engagement and Innovation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLC8iHcIezKcKag3lB0aU0AwSkhTJDRykXlJecsa5udyEqPG5_uMy81YzymDDmPtJcTT6x1LigJJO_BEfsPjxTy5G3JtkWZrTpVRXafjk5ARoTHHhdZCcQgE-FIf-FYwycfkxRfxaaKbc/s1600/Musk+-+Failing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLC8iHcIezKcKag3lB0aU0AwSkhTJDRykXlJecsa5udyEqPG5_uMy81YzymDDmPtJcTT6x1LigJJO_BEfsPjxTy5G3JtkWZrTpVRXafjk5ARoTHHhdZCcQgE-FIf-FYwycfkxRfxaaKbc/s1600/Musk+-+Failing.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here in the UK, the government is pushing hard to spend vast amounts of money on a new high speed rail link (known as HS2) to reduce the time in which people can travel from London to Birmingham, and t</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen eventually to Leeds and Manchester.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Successive obstacles are learning to increased costs and more delays, not least of which are public concerns about the plans.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also have a problem with HS2. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not with building more infrastructure for transport, but simply because it's depressing to read about the boring <a href="http://assets.hs2.org.uk/sites/default/files/consulation_library/pdf/P2C40_HS2%20operation%20and%20train%20types.pdf" target="_blank">train types</a> that are being planned, and envision the outcome.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I grew up with a 1354mph aircraft that flew nearly 800mph faster than the latest Boeing Dreamliner, and a space ship that could fly into space with seven people, do cool stuff and then fly back home to do it all over again. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Try explaining to kids that humans used to be able to fly twice as fast as a bullet in large groups, but not any more).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">200 years ago we started the rail network with steam, 100 years ago there was electric, and then diesel. 50 years ago In Japan the 200mph Shinkansen started to run followed by the TGV in France.</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 30 years ago Magnetic Levitation trains emerged, carrying passengers at over 270mph by monorail in Germany and more conventionally in Shanghai.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNH0y517U-8mgzK2EubnX-BxRz4Vuv9890ihIwnmP_hHKLwYJZ8_RPXqHVxKz1JTD8WbO9E3WW8_ML7F2xss-Grdaba8VgPHS7dlPkVvZn1UtqhqFt6WgK8KTxO0ntoYxsC7AFAYfj23cs/s1600/1-the-top-dog-in-the-world-of-fast-trains-is-china-which-broke-the-300-mph-barrier-with-the-crh380a-the-302-mph-top-speed-makes-this-the-fastest-legal-way-to-travel-by-land.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNH0y517U-8mgzK2EubnX-BxRz4Vuv9890ihIwnmP_hHKLwYJZ8_RPXqHVxKz1JTD8WbO9E3WW8_ML7F2xss-Grdaba8VgPHS7dlPkVvZn1UtqhqFt6WgK8KTxO0ntoYxsC7AFAYfj23cs/s1600/1-the-top-dog-in-the-world-of-fast-trains-is-china-which-broke-the-300-mph-barrier-with-the-crh380a-the-302-mph-top-speed-makes-this-the-fastest-legal-way-to-travel-by-land.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Current fastest? In China there's a train that travels at 302mph, which is pretty cool.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Britain? We're going to reach.....wait for it......225mph - but only in certain small sections. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is just great - it's really nice to be copying what other countries have - and it's safe to be behind the curve.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's the secret of success isn't it? Incremental upgrades. Playing safe. Avoiding risk. Please everyone all the time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bollocks.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any business that desires success needs to shatter expectations with something amazing. Something new and incredible that captures the imagination. Too many companies complain about a lack of innovation without encouraging it, daring to take risks or listening to 'left field' ideas of their employees.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When was the last time your company captured YOUR imagination? What was the last thing you did to build passion in your teams?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can you expect engaged employees if you don't fire imagination with what you do? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what <u>should</u> HS2 be like? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about a nuclear powered zero emission magnetic monorail with passenger pods travelling at 760mph? </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to get from London to Birmingham in 8 minutes, not 40. I want the UK to have some ambition!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-rlOuQpl_Ojd6Jb-5DFmRJehxiJ1r8YuhkWuBJkv3XyFYd03ljKONiLr-r3gY1r67ZL3mdYIdtgPVjxvZIRDYAclNEzeT5-k62GapVe0l4aZ8qeL07UhQyl-oy0Q3fuhSG63AdGrRyz2/s1600/Feat-loop0_2648263b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-rlOuQpl_Ojd6Jb-5DFmRJehxiJ1r8YuhkWuBJkv3XyFYd03ljKONiLr-r3gY1r67ZL3mdYIdtgPVjxvZIRDYAclNEzeT5-k62GapVe0l4aZ8qeL07UhQyl-oy0Q3fuhSG63AdGrRyz2/s1600/Feat-loop0_2648263b.jpg" height="125" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Invent that. Make something that <b>changes the world,</b> create a technology that can be exported to every part of the planet. The population will rally behind that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or how about building on the Victorian idea of a pneumatic dispatch tube like </span><a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/114461178896543099856" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">+Elon Musk</a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23677205" target="_blank">Hyperloop</a> </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">concept? </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please. Anything but the same old boring stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We put a man on the moon in 8 years. But it's taken five years of 'debate' on HS2 and nothing has yet been done. Tragic.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't settle for 'dull' at work. Inspire engagement in your workforce by aiming high, leveraging passion, capturing expertise, and doing something amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Focus on plans that speak to the heart <b>and</b> the head. Use your imagination and those of everyone around you to do things that wow.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nobody woke up this morning and said, "I know, let's do something mediocre today".</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-27007708156562775622014-03-25T13:06:00.003+00:002014-03-25T17:55:43.668+00:00Seven Ways To Improve Minion Engagement<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />One great thing about having lots of children is the guilt free pleasure of watching all the kids movies - which are usually much better than 'grown up' films.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As stated in several previous articles, it's hard for me to watch a movie without analysing management style - which in the case of the lead character in Despicable Me is just exemplary.......</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1cj4MkwP44L17IYm-CVy_AaKrmlvaPUF8eohw3FS-iqKoOobA-t5yGykv95omx5GoT4vAiyiiYPWEzCv7ikvlObSPna_wsO7V-1vGq8bow_m9tHA0CAS8oKr8Guv0kyrXPahB5MP1GAO/s3200/Screen+Shot+2014-03-25+at+12.07.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1cj4MkwP44L17IYm-CVy_AaKrmlvaPUF8eohw3FS-iqKoOobA-t5yGykv95omx5GoT4vAiyiiYPWEzCv7ikvlObSPna_wsO7V-1vGq8bow_m9tHA0CAS8oKr8Guv0kyrXPahB5MP1GAO/s3200/Screen+Shot+2014-03-25+at+12.07.37.png" height="264" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In case you missed this excellent movie, Gru is an evil super villian with a horde of minions set on committing (and sometimes solving) various criminal acts.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In order to achieve success, he has hundreds of marginally uncontrollable minions who don't necessarily do the right things (sound familiar?)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nonetheless they always work hard, innovate, complete seemingly impossible tasks, and enjoy themselves in the process. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without them Gru would never succeed in achieving his goals.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would argue this is due to the high level of employee engagement demonstrated in the organisation, and would offer the following seven examples as proof:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>1. Set Clear Direction And Explain Your Goals</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's never any doubt about the focus of the team. The goals are set clearly, and although the deadlines are tight there is absolute transparency with regards to the end goal - even if that end goal is stealing the moon by first stealing a shrink ray.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>2. Celebrate Success Together & Give Credit</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The word 'we' is used often - never 'me'. <u>We</u> stole the Times Square Jumbotron. <u>We</u> have had a great year. <u>We</u> will have a party. Great success calls for celebration, goals and rewards are shared at all levels.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>3. Never Stop Employees Having Fun</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The minions cannot help but enjoy their work - naturally mischievous, they find things to enjoy even during the most mundane of tasks. Simple pleasures cause laughter and everyones day passes faster because of it. The goals are achieved, but their enjoyment of life is not seen as an inhibitor to success - but rather a sign of a highly integrated, functional team.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>4. Be Appreciative Of Failed Innovation</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is unlikely that one of your staff is going to present you with a fart gun today, but if they did would you be impressed with their innovation, or furious at them for not focusing on the task at hand? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the movie, a simple misunderstanding about a <b>d</b>art gun requirement produces an unexpected result - but lessons are learned, and it eventually becomes useful. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most importantly, failure is appreciated as a learning experience.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>5. Ensure Adequate Staffing</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are no shortage of hands to help complete the work. In fact having a few extra bodies helps a great deal when things start to go wrong - and that excess of resource allows for new creations. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extra resource ensures a high quality of work and confidence that the job can get done. When too many minions go missing in the second movie, all kinds of disasters occur and everything starts to go wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>6. Really Delegate Responsibility</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gru cannot do it all. He is clearly the leader, but together with a highly skilled middle manager (Dr. Nefario) - he hands out clear tasks and steps back. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is never guilty of micro-managing and only comes to help when it becomes apparent that he can provide resource, advice or clarification to ensure success. His door is always open, and if no-one comes to visit, he takes the time to go and see what's happening.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>7. Listen To Concerns And Take Action</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When minions notice things going wrong - the departure of a respected manager, a reduction in staff, missing children and so on - Gru takes notice. He doesn't spend time questioning motive or accusing them of wasting his time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a consequence, lines of communication remain open and problems are not hidden from senior management.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you follow these steps, not only will your own employees become more engaged, they will be more productive, your business will be more profitable, and everyone will be happy....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(now turn up your speakers and play this clip)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-71126211846473786732014-03-18T10:45:00.003+00:002014-03-18T10:46:33.735+00:00Do We Really Value Others?<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A week after the CIPD Question Time event on the future of work, one of the things discussed is still playing on my mind.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVsdCLl6-UT8VDLExSwNQ2yVhLx6Gn2aECSNQKZaOfb2ACDiXyUgTirxzUiTBi2Gm_tI0cyoQZQKi66Pi9tY-rAnCEPZixIYNpZsz-y0lWGlyMtVVVwPgJlAa_k3O-0NOpYE5Np5G-ybA/s3200/Screen+Shot+2014-03-18+at+10.37.27.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVsdCLl6-UT8VDLExSwNQ2yVhLx6Gn2aECSNQKZaOfb2ACDiXyUgTirxzUiTBi2Gm_tI0cyoQZQKi66Pi9tY-rAnCEPZixIYNpZsz-y0lWGlyMtVVVwPgJlAa_k3O-0NOpYE5Np5G-ybA/s3200/Screen+Shot+2014-03-18+at+10.37.27.png" height="200" width="146" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was complete agreement from the panel that the focus on University education was screwing up the country, and that past and present decisions by various governments had brought about some unintended consequences (more on that later).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In particular the perceived value of trades has been greatly diminished - as Lembit Opik remarked "We need to rehabilitate the idea of trades as valid professions". </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An almost maniacal focus on increasing the percentage of teenagers that go to university has left little focus for manual skills in other areas. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost 50% of school leavers are presently attempting to gain degree level education, despite the fact that (according to this mornings quarterly labour force survey) the UK has 424,000 graduates </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">under the age of 25</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in non-graduate work.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fEJlV9WIZ7AVlyQbieQg8CPdiEtv09Ar8X7gZolgQdeL1vRlRUegfAfavpjZBqCWSHWxLFiS1jMhCnSfB5rdUFPiAiB2CETCdtS_T6OX8rC3v0DQ50PwsJb82b_pmkKHoQAArbwbyF7z/s3200/photo+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fEJlV9WIZ7AVlyQbieQg8CPdiEtv09Ar8X7gZolgQdeL1vRlRUegfAfavpjZBqCWSHWxLFiS1jMhCnSfB5rdUFPiAiB2CETCdtS_T6OX8rC3v0DQ50PwsJb82b_pmkKHoQAArbwbyF7z/s3200/photo+-+Version+2.jpg" height="311" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The original target was a nice, clear goal for government to set - but now plumbing, carpentry, building, mechanical and other trade skills are seen as somehow 'lesser' options in the UK - and then we complain about economic migrants 'stealing our jobs' in these areas.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madness. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning the government announced a Ā£2000 tax break if <b>both</b> partners are in employment. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those that choose to give up work to look after their children have been overlooked by successive governments, and this announcement reinforces it - otherwise their tax free allowance would move to their partner. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the latest in a long line of policies designed to reduce 'unemployment' by increasing the number of mums returning to full time work.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most undervalued part of British society right now are the stay at home mums. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which leads to the general perception that those that stay at home to raise children are less valuable to society. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpXIT9poWclCSkkFmop_8GQkVz1RmzRA4AdSBZ7C5SOSvH5Q8WDD34jQjTV7A7WdxFfkp8VtxJRQWOinTTiKGIcf21DfgRyFnlMiIgdTYTkbBhJd_1hBQNx_8YVUkhNzJz-3xW3MQdzk5/s3200/Screen+Shot+2014-03-18+at+10.25.04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpXIT9poWclCSkkFmop_8GQkVz1RmzRA4AdSBZ7C5SOSvH5Q8WDD34jQjTV7A7WdxFfkp8VtxJRQWOinTTiKGIcf21DfgRyFnlMiIgdTYTkbBhJd_1hBQNx_8YVUkhNzJz-3xW3MQdzk5/s3200/Screen+Shot+2014-03-18+at+10.25.04.png" height="210" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Wife gave up a senior management role at a London graphic design agency fifteen years ago to look after our four children and support me at work. I can categorically say she works harder than me, for longer hours, for less thanks and provides a heck of a lot more value. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that's increasingly seen as a 'lifestyle' choice that's no longer as appreciated as it once was - and 'Mum' is no longer seen as valid role.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madness.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now - those unintended consequences .....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the event (held at Kings University College) I was talking to one of the lecturers present - and expressed my view that University places should be free for all. I would not have driven myself into debt to go when I was 18 - and believe that money should never be a barrier to education. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfo17FWJ1c7IYYWIEgl4pKIN29uUbg4_DC0ZnRsIRlqEE9uOh8Iczqtaxzk1_aaKxqzdvr24KR3QU3hInPQpgOapU6D166YX_J7nfYCZXzhmnejMlPTdVdPOBXQLJJGq7UqO6DABOAp3F/s3200/Screen+Shot+2014-03-18+at+10.38.43.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfo17FWJ1c7IYYWIEgl4pKIN29uUbg4_DC0ZnRsIRlqEE9uOh8Iczqtaxzk1_aaKxqzdvr24KR3QU3hInPQpgOapU6D166YX_J7nfYCZXzhmnejMlPTdVdPOBXQLJJGq7UqO6DABOAp3F/s3200/Screen+Shot+2014-03-18+at+10.38.43.png" height="200" width="141" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I'm also happy to be taxed more to provide better education for those who will be part of my welfare in old age)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lecturer agreed, but for different reasons. She sees an 'entitlement' culture emerging from students - who now feel that they are paying for their degree and deserve it, no matter how little effort they put in, or what their level of aptitude and intellect. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coupled with increasingly measured and socially open methods of lecturer 'judgement' where students evaluate staff internally and post external online reviews of their abilities - the educational system is in danger of suffering irreparable damage.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simply put, students are increasingly empowered to bully their way to a degree, given that they believe that have bought it already.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly though, the idea of 'degrees for all' has meant that the old system was financially unsupportable and funding was needed - the only way of fixing the problem would be to reduce the number of places at University to the point where the taxpayer could fund all. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which would promote competition for those places left and let only the brightest, most apt and hardest working gain success at Univeristy (just like the workplace).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">______________________________</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Society doesn't function if all parts are not valued. Neither do companies. It's important to remember that we all have our role to play, and appreciate efforts of everyone around us.</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-85491694839441347892014-03-10T10:03:00.002+00:002014-03-10T10:03:56.456+00:00Never Make Acronyms From Core Values<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Acronyms, don't you just love them? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst some have slipped into common use (TV, PC, DNA) - and even more have become part of a new mobile language (LOL, LMAO, IMHO), they should never, ever be used for your core values.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some reasons why it's a terrible idea....</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you need an acronym to remember your values, then your values suck.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If someone created an acronym, they probably had to change the words or add some new ones to make them fit, which messed them up.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It speaks more of care for 'image and marketing' than for honest, straightforward common sense.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It won't translate to other languages well, and therefore screw up your international efforts.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few months ago I wrote a blog on <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-cowboy-way-personal-core-values.html" target="_blank">defining core values the cowboy way</a> - the values created at the end of that article were:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Speak the truth</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Do the right thing</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Respect others</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's imagine for a moment that instead of capturing things properly, somebody decided that an acronym was needed. Looking at the above, perhaps the word 'Steer' could be used - and we could make a good logo out of it too...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">S</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">peak the truth</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">T</b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">aking other peoples stuff is wrong</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>E</b>lders come first</span></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">E</b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">veryone eat steak</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>R</b>espect others</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've kept to the content of our employee voice capture, but in essence we've created something that <u>looks</u> a little better, but is clearly full of crap - which is something we know Cowboy Inc. likes to avoid.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to make it worse, then define your value acronym against the current company tag line - then employees will be absolutely sure to see it as a marketing exercise.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have acronym-based values (and many do), then I hope this doesn't offend. I</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n the unlikely event that they work well, and the behaviours that underwrite them drive better business then you should be proud to be in the minority.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">If not, it's time to make some changes.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-45006361275008501292014-02-27T20:10:00.001+00:002014-02-28T13:15:45.360+00:00Bringing Some Romance To Corporate Culture<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes it can be hard to explain the importance of culture in the workplace. There are many great quotes and literature that prove it's effectiveness, from the ever brilliant Edgar Shein "Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast" to my own research into how pipeline development and deal closure are predicted by culture fit.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But sometimes it's easier to step out of the business world and look at things from a different viewpoint.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(If you just want to read the work bit, scroll to the bottom)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier this month, during the annual festival of roses and chocolates, my Wife and I were watching "<a href="http://www.magic.co.uk/worlds-greatest-love-songs-2014" target="_blank">100 Greatest Love Songs</a>" and both having the 'generation' discussion - that the old songs were so much better than new. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdhAscAw93G__EZAqzKmu2GiFjdGEOJRbCRCXUiA-4lfDOsGVuiD0xRK6fcdq1h3bsYN1RG4uQc9UGa6LUMpSJSC1VBsdjtruArplrlAFTQr_DI4vxhjHwbIZXDvXiRGkhQPiNXMa9mCH/s1600/HeartRose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdhAscAw93G__EZAqzKmu2GiFjdGEOJRbCRCXUiA-4lfDOsGVuiD0xRK6fcdq1h3bsYN1RG4uQc9UGa6LUMpSJSC1VBsdjtruArplrlAFTQr_DI4vxhjHwbIZXDvXiRGkhQPiNXMa9mCH/s1600/HeartRose.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many years ago I stood in front of my university class and gave a lecture on how the music industry was changing to reflect the needs of the film industry. Instead of music being picked for movie soundtracks, often the reverse was true - I set out the economic case for an industry change that led to multiple hits being written specifically for film. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That trend came and went, although there are still some examples (Christina Perri with her song for Twilight), but now it's more common for film directors to use songs from the 80's and 90's in their movies (see the resurgence of AC/DC from the Iron Man movies, Percy Jackson and Battleship) rather than commission new material.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Industry culture has changed, but can genres of music be affected by other cultural shifts?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little statistical analysis shows that </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">80% the love song list were recorded over 10 years ago, when the internet was available to less then 5% of the global population.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Video killed the radio star, but the internet seems to have killed romantic love songs, and possibly romance too.....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking at the top ten of our televised list, five represent signature movie songs, with only one that wasn't written specifically for the movie (just reimagined for it). The lyrics are gentle, the videos contain plenty of hugs and kisses, there is very little flesh on display, and none of the stars look like they learned their dances in a strip club.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now stop and think about current 'romantic' songs on the radio. I'll save you the trouble, because according to </span><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azafar/best-love-songs-2013" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, the top 22 romantic (heart melting) songs for 2013 include those below. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is certainly more skin on display than clothing, more simulated sex, and more emulation of the sex trade than the earlier sample. And now the lyrics are about bitches, 'niggas', drowning, and direct demands for sex.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other facets of the same problem are internet porn, parental controls and unrestricted social media, all of which desensitise people to all kinds of sexual behaviour and encourage unrealistic expectations. I've written two blogs on the subject based on my own experiences as a <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/turn-on-parental-controls-do-it-now.html" target="_blank">parent</a> and a <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/twitter-is-not-safe-for-children.html" target="_blank">friend</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(You should also read this excellent </span><a href="http://joanigeltman.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/pornteenage-boyssexual-assault.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">blog</a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> from Joani Geltman about an 11 year old boy and porn peer pressure).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Wife was recently listening to Rachel Morris (the Cosmopolitan sex therapist) talking about sexual expectations of teenage boys and girls. The detail was too explicit to discuss on national television, but she was clearly horrified at the data collected.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The conclusion, bluntly, is that for a large number of teenagers romance is dead (and I don't mean the type of romantic encounter that involves vampires).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have evolved a culture that reinforces explicit, selfish sexual behaviour. The adage 'sex sells' has been extended to younger and younger audiences through music, film and the internet - and what we're seeing are the unintended consequences.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nobody set out to achieve this, this is the end result of multiple decisions to improve profit, gain publicity, create unique features and push the boundaries of what's acceptable. Industry reaction to market forces without consideration for moral or ethical responsibilities. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly this is not going to change.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How does this apply to workplace culture? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please be aware of what you deem 'acceptable' for managers, for employees, for contractors, for all of those that work within your organisation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, p</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rofanity in the workplace is often seen as 'acceptable'. It's not. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somebody will be offended by it, and you'll see it in employee surveys if you ask the right questions. The profanity is not the problem, the offence caused to another employee is.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you overlook it, then it will escalate, and before you know it there are words that should never be uttered emerging in client meetings - and valued staff who don't like it will find ways to leave for pastures new.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sexual jokes? You may think that the threat of litigation has stamped it out. Not so. If you hear one at work, and you don't respectfully draw attention to it, you <u>are</u> encouraging it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your corporate culture is the result of a large, complicated cycle of events. Behaviours that you allow will escalate.....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news is that this works for both positive and negative aspects of your culture - rewarding positive behaviours will reinforce them. So look for the good, and promote it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But don't let your unwillingness to confront bad behaviours hijack your efforts.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-58348745042751648152014-02-24T16:50:00.000+00:002014-02-25T09:00:53.668+00:00Lego Movie Culture Lessons<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love Lego, so the fact that we enjoyed the movie so much was hardly a shock. Although one of the occupational hazards of working with organisational culture is looking at how things could be improved or replicated (even in fictional worlds)......</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the opening scene of the film we are introduced to the bad guy, Lord Business, who divides the all the Lego worlds and locks them away for eight and a half years.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">President (Lord) Business wants to glue everything down, stop it moving, make it perfect and prevent changes and chaos. He even creates micro-managers and robots to help him restore order and process. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He makes himself bigger before meetings, shouts a lot, doesn't listen, sends his chair kicking minion to terrorise the protagonists, and misunderstands things (especially new stuff he hasn't encountered before).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then near the end of the movie, we see the the 'real world view' as Dad marches down into the basement to prevent his son playing with the perfect Lego models. He stops him creating new models, acting out new stories and building more fun. He wants his perfect models in their perfect dioramas to remain untouched and unchanged forever.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I would add that I've come close to gluing some models together in the past, just to stop the kids breaking them. I received several jabs in the ribs from my Wife during the film).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What happens when Dad finally looks at the work he hasn't micromanaged? He sees some pretty impressive stuff - much more exciting than the original designs. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmmmmm</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've seen managers (and entire companies) with the same problems.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg862_QcRH9NVgZNHT99pFu4aOm5Wh-cm4RUkRa5XQ1MTXSZhHRDoswHaeKnwpJ2tyAhzgpEmESJTCGl3UyQqVV6HXa19OVZRQfosDcGKeahx9jttHF7x6jtGrCKHWIxMdlZdXl2ZY-QUmw/s1600/lucy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg862_QcRH9NVgZNHT99pFu4aOm5Wh-cm4RUkRa5XQ1MTXSZhHRDoswHaeKnwpJ2tyAhzgpEmESJTCGl3UyQqVV6HXa19OVZRQfosDcGKeahx9jttHF7x6jtGrCKHWIxMdlZdXl2ZY-QUmw/s1600/lucy.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bad guy eventually fails because of the overwhelming passion of the heroes to make things different. No amount of chair kicking, glue spraying, control freak megalomania stops the inevitable march of progress.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes we all need to face up to the fact that the people you manage (or parent in this case) know more than you do, and getting them engaged will create the innovation you need to succeed and grow.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the real world Lego already know this - they set the gold standard for engagement with their Japanese partner <a href="http://lego.cuusoo.com/" target="_blank">CUUSOO</a> (which charmingly translates to 'wish something into existence'). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When enough people vote for a community model, then Lego make it. Add this to their incredible design and marketing team and you find huge levels of constructive competition keeping a largely unchanged concept from 1958 at the leading edge of the toy market.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQGB10XHEKldpoO30V-fJZ-wPB2cMTkymd0WqIHJo_KVFDexP4F67V55EeTqiiLKashMG11-_ZRJWmz2NqCzgjx7G4V9PGK-bH99Aj5iZrLAD0iWjaho1eauqWdro_Ya1OzdMQhh17K8V/s1600/emmet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQGB10XHEKldpoO30V-fJZ-wPB2cMTkymd0WqIHJo_KVFDexP4F67V55EeTqiiLKashMG11-_ZRJWmz2NqCzgjx7G4V9PGK-bH99Aj5iZrLAD0iWjaho1eauqWdro_Ya1OzdMQhh17K8V/s1600/emmet.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So please, take some advice.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you only do one thing today, then listen to someones idea. Listen properly. Don't interrupt, thank them when they're done, then engage in some dialogue with them about it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone at your company has good ideas. Some of them may improve process, some may lead to new products. One of them is likely to be the thing that sets you apart from your competition and lets you retire early.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a good idea to build an engaged, healthy culture in your company if you want to survive. Doing that starts with you, and it starts today.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTza6risGGBGg_l7ZHFr-3lekrWB09N4AcRE1PVJKXBOIrVlWqqf5_5IIYoWLIbnvf-WAz66Yft-iZSkRdsiTdz4iQtAq1CNelQDLcf92KtAq-98fKLRcS9fH0UbJ_hABjhDQuzo-sF8UD/s1600/badcop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTza6risGGBGg_l7ZHFr-3lekrWB09N4AcRE1PVJKXBOIrVlWqqf5_5IIYoWLIbnvf-WAz66Yft-iZSkRdsiTdz4iQtAq1CNelQDLcf92KtAq-98fKLRcS9fH0UbJ_hABjhDQuzo-sF8UD/s1600/badcop.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS Don't kick chairs around. This happens a lot in the movie, and a lot in real life too (trust me on this, I've seen it happen, and I've seen it many, many times in employee surveys). </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It makes you look like an ass and undermines your authority. If you have to throw your toys out of the pram to get your message across you need to work on your dialogue skills.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-81413975492222726632014-02-17T11:29:00.003+00:002014-02-17T12:58:10.583+00:00Changing A Culture Of Avoidance<div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been noticing an increasing trend of issue avoidance at some of the companies I work with. Not just an inability to discuss the elephant in the room - but a genuine fear of confrontation that we are having to spend way too much time fixing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4PSkD7EL4Wa2JAgG1uaPQYOpe1oeHFJbrzVICjemntMYf60ZPH7AFVwIIJB9JFm7dnZ5RYCBLgHMArmQxKQJgRdTt0owCSfV4Lubg3qkHC6ublEnTTWn73Z7w0jcsEALq_QATe63QSRJ/s1600/Praise_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4PSkD7EL4Wa2JAgG1uaPQYOpe1oeHFJbrzVICjemntMYf60ZPH7AFVwIIJB9JFm7dnZ5RYCBLgHMArmQxKQJgRdTt0owCSfV4Lubg3qkHC6ublEnTTWn73Z7w0jcsEALq_QATe63QSRJ/s1600/Praise_Poster.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although more prevalent at lower levels of management, on the executive floor it often manifests as passive non-compliance (where people say "yes" and then don't actually do what they have committed too, instead choosing to pursue their own agendas). This then spreads through the ranks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was fortunate enough to attend a dinner with <a href="http://adrianfurnham.com/" target="_blank">Professor Adrian Furnham</a> last week, a hugely insightful (and entertaining) speaker, author, columnist for the Sunday Times - and he had some observations about the root causes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adrian made the general observation that modern western culture no longer sees feedback as a positive thing. In fact, the opposite is true - feedback (unless wholly positive) is seen as criticism. When suggestions are made, they are often not seen as routes to improvement, but rather a criticism of the work already done.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've been experimenting on my Wife and children (which is safer than experimenting on clients, and has the advantage of being free, fun and hugely entertaining)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRc0eT7oCDZhozTAWj93DlBnsl4E202_IhQUaBx7R5Yvpgi733XntXDBYpPe-S1dqQDClY1tbCSnwXrbh4fqK0cdB4V103PHxC82vkodR1ajHJ0F0W3jAPYj8DQoIyXrg-K1U7p5Pbyn-/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-17+at+10.57.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRc0eT7oCDZhozTAWj93DlBnsl4E202_IhQUaBx7R5Yvpgi733XntXDBYpPe-S1dqQDClY1tbCSnwXrbh4fqK0cdB4V103PHxC82vkodR1ajHJ0F0W3jAPYj8DQoIyXrg-K1U7p5Pbyn-/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-17+at+10.57.37.png" height="217" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On valentines day, my Wife and I went out for a nice breakfast to a newly opened cafe. She'd been there a few weeks ago with some friends for coffee, and wanted to introduce me to the place. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After we'd placed our order I pointed out that some minor changes would greatly improve the place - some gentle music to create atmosphere, a wi-fi hotspot to encourage more passing business, a couple of additions to the menu and a few more comfortable chairs.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was definitely received as criticism rather than feedback.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that starting the sentence with "This coffee is great, and I love that oak breakfast bar, although you know what would make this place <u>even</u> better........" would have changed that perception - but it shouldn't really be necessary.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Same thing with my children. Homework on the space program for my 12 year old son, I suggest some additions (to what is already fabulous piece of work), and it can easily cause friction. Suggest another way of looking at fractions for my 9 year old daughter - easy to 'mis-phrase' the comment.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswuFOv24zNHL_-o2660Daf8M9bjrWsc9W4WcJzA2P4NK0VUHJiI7mguX9E0vBJjLvaede5NVEsHyZl-heWeGPFEt0CNsXy_1bgo2kSiw-lF7sQykoPwsWGv_FXuO2zKFwnKVhkUaezQh7/s1600/SPACE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswuFOv24zNHL_-o2660Daf8M9bjrWsc9W4WcJzA2P4NK0VUHJiI7mguX9E0vBJjLvaede5NVEsHyZl-heWeGPFEt0CNsXy_1bgo2kSiw-lF7sQykoPwsWGv_FXuO2zKFwnKVhkUaezQh7/s1600/SPACE.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">__________________________</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are two methods of dealing with this issue in the workplace. Firstly you can teach everyone to interact with each other (at a conversational level) in a more constructive fashion. Your best people will already be doing that, those social skills and the ability to have difficult conversations effectively are one of the key defining traits for highly successful people. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or you can build a better culture in your organisation. One where those in your organisation <u>hear</u> things differently. Where people <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/assume-positive-intent.html" target="_blank">assume positive intent</a>, where suggestions made are perceived as opportunities to improve, where people start to listen to others and react positively to criticism.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all, people don't come into work to spread dissent and make others miserable. It's all too easy to blame the dialogue skills of others for their failure to communicate effectively - but it is equally <u>your</u> responsibility to hear positivity and suggestions, rather than negativity and criticism.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I would encourage you to try it for a week, no matter what you hear, see it as an opportunity to improve - how hard can it be?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-4928705246055213872014-02-12T11:27:00.000+00:002014-06-03T18:20:37.246+01:00Keep Your Children Away From Twitter<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog is a little off topic for me - but back in May last year I wrote an article on <a href="http://cultureeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/turn-on-parental-controls-do-it-now.html" target="_blank">parental controls</a> that is still getting plenty of attention, and I wanted to share a recent experience.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I consider myself to be well versed in tech and social media, I've been working with computers since I was nine years old, and worked in the technology industry most of my life. With four children it pays to keep up with what's going on in the world. But a few weeks ago, I learned something very new.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Twitter is the new home of easily accessible hard core porn for all.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It really is - if you need a hooker, stripper or dominatrix this evening - just take a look. Feel in the need for some hardcore sexual imagery? - It's only a click away, living side by side with all the business and celebrity chatter.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn't have been more surprised if I'd seen One Direction smoking pot at the top of my LinkedIn headlines.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So please, please, please be aware of this before allowing your kids to use Twitter. They may not want to (my children think that Facebook is something old people do) - but be aware that access to Twitter is access to interactive pornography.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brief back story......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came upon this enlightening discovery while trying to help a friend who was being bullied online. This is a fellow parent I might add, not some naive teenager.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The abuse started out when somebody opened a fake Facebook account, then started hurling insults her way. They then tried to friend people she knew and draw their attention too the abuse. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This became more and more personal and abusive, before turning into a game of virtual stalking and the posting of pornographic imagery with further lewd commentary. Then pictures started to show of her up taken at various locations nearby. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creepy, weird and sick.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook (to their credit) allow you to report this kind of thing easily, just right click on any image - and after three complaints have now shut down the account. It took them only a few hours to respond each time.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But before he left Facebook, the abuser started a Twitter account, and shared his Twitter name. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He then set about adding the same kind of imagery, abuse and offensive behaviour - and started to follow a number of accounts whose prostitution or pornography business is clearly very much at home in Twitters ecosystem. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then he starting to use the names of my friends employer and professional contacts in his abusive tweets, drawing attention to his newly posted (faked) nude pictures of her.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter say that this is all perfectly OK, and allowed - freedom is their mantra. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Multiple complaints received no reply - and it was only when my friend approached her employer about it (who have a large advertising contract with Twitter) that the offending account was removed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love Twitter - I really do, and enjoy using it to learn from others, keep in touch with friends and follow the antics of a few celebrities I admire. But I do wonder how many businesses know about the dark underbelly......and how that might affect advertising revenue in the future.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821454082437797905.post-15258893500657689842014-02-10T14:00:00.002+00:002014-04-03T08:13:18.549+01:00Five Reasons Performance Management Processes Suck<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK - let me tone down that title a little. </span><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All performance management processes don't suck, but most do - if you don't believe me, just ask some of your employees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Managing and improving performance is essentially about developing people - these are management and leadership skills that require continuous communication, coaching and feedback.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By creating a 'performance management' process (or worse an 'annual appraisal process') you are absolving management from a key part of their role. Essentially you are saying "Don't think too hard, we'll create a process that you can follow, and magical things will happen to performance when you're done"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No good ever came out of a performance management system. What did you personally get out of your last performance review? Do you think HR rigorously go through each one and develop organisational development plans? Was your last promotion based on your review? Do you believe that organisational decisions are made based on your review? How much time was spent on the process? Did it help YOU at all?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The process actively discourages tough conversations. Many new managers learn to rely on reviews as a 'formal' methods of giving feedback - instead of learning to deal with issues head on as they happen, respectfully and constructively. It becomes easier to make a note and bring it up during the next review cycle. This helps nobody, and eventually leads to a form of 'incompetence paralysis' in any company.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually this builds a culture where managers only share the review with the employee during the meeting, an evil bullying trick designed to put the recipient on the defensive.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Invariably, the more process that get's placed around performance, the closer you get to the 'happy hippy' system - where everyone is doing just GREAT. I've worked with several companies recently who have less than 1% of their staff in the lowest bracket for overall performance.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEidqBMuLJmF4YYMg8Bg21QFnJGqYtmMfohiMLLvByyGq5uOgtPUbMwOkoXhJzjjF5QH9Nbc7tL1wiTlcYr7vS-ukiaCiWNtizazKEAOyVR0YI2cIUBBewJtsmDSfjdVhJwjlASSc9GBtS/s1600/Fillmore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEidqBMuLJmF4YYMg8Bg21QFnJGqYtmMfohiMLLvByyGq5uOgtPUbMwOkoXhJzjjF5QH9Nbc7tL1wiTlcYr7vS-ukiaCiWNtizazKEAOyVR0YI2cIUBBewJtsmDSfjdVhJwjlASSc9GBtS/s1600/Fillmore.jpg" height="158" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two points on solving this one - firstly don't put a forced ranking in place, that will cause more problems than it solves. You might as well just start beating your employees with sticks - it's kinder, and at least illustrates your intent in a more obvious way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Secondly don't under any circumstances add a 'super duper brilliant' achievement level above your top ranking because too many people are getting 'excellent' in their reviews. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(You may be laughing at that idea, but I've seen it done many times)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reviews are individually subjective. If you have a personality clash with your manager, that is going to reflect in your review - in most cases, because nobody takes any notice of the results anyway, it won't matter. But it will make you feel unhappy, and if you decide to 'appeal', it will draw HR attention to the matter and use lots of time that could otherwise be constructively spent. </span><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This works equally with the managers 'favourites' and is even more damaging. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Want to measure how badly your systems suck? Try these three simple tests:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out the percentage of your managers who complete their reviews in the last 48 hours of the process window. Plot the number of completions per day on a chart and you'll see a pretty curve. The steeper the curve, the more the system sucks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(If you're feeling a little more bold, you can also look at how many managers started their reviews AFTER getting the employees self appraisal........there is nothing wrong with making edits based on submissions, but waiting for it <u>before</u> you start is a bad sign.....)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at how the overall performance rankings spread out (across the whole company) - you should see a normal distribution curve, low at the bottom, low at the top, and high in the middle brackets. It's OK to see some positive leanings here - but you know you're in trouble if you see this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhST0Xa6GxU6ZD842hyWHHsMgm86gk1zINysJ3D76BABAWK8nlpkpnrWyWwqlHUBdffhH3yQ1SymlNeuNplGlSXyvBa3FHwJ6TSk2Tz3OG06e9RFQsZkHHJZzeGmwlaFFxrRvb3-WfqKjMQ/s1600/Performance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhST0Xa6GxU6ZD842hyWHHsMgm86gk1zINysJ3D76BABAWK8nlpkpnrWyWwqlHUBdffhH3yQ1SymlNeuNplGlSXyvBa3FHwJ6TSk2Tz3OG06e9RFQsZkHHJZzeGmwlaFFxrRvb3-WfqKjMQ/s1600/Performance.png" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out how closely aligned your rankings lie with other factors - such as quota achievement, employee attrition, high potential leadership programs, training completion and so on. You should see a close match, if not, then consider that an alarm bell.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've made it this far, then let me offer some advice on some stretch goals for handling this problem (I'll check back on progress in a year and hope you've done something about it - that's our next scheduled review)......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get rid of the whole thing. Teach your managers to continuously communicate, educate them on how to have uncomfortable conversations (try "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Conversations-Talking-Stakes-Edition/dp/0071771328" target="_blank">Crucial Conversations</a>" - Patterson et al), promote a more open and constructive culture within your organisation. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Lose the idea of annual merit increases. This is where the whole mess began - higher performance should absolutely be rewarded, but lumping everyone together in a monolithic process and adding 'other stuff' just screwed it up. Either determine increases on career service anniversaries, or deliver them every quarter to 25% of your employees. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may not think this will work, your sales may 'hockey stick' at the end of the year and provide funding, your budget process is annual, it's never been done that way etc. etc. But your employees will understand it, you'll find it easier to plan for, and your shareholders will respect the predictability of the expense.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally have employees rate their managers performance. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, you read that correctly - reverse the process. The best feedback a manager can get is from those who work for them - you may have to make the process anonymous at first, but it will develop and grow your leaders like nothing else. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not advocating universal 360 degree assessments (they don't work organisation wide, though I'll bet you use them occasionally for with your high potential leaders). Try something like <a href="http://www.culturetransform.com/culture-360.html" target="_blank">this</a> instead.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03576758811422654705noreply@blogger.com1