The Engaging Brand

Trust is to Business, What Oil is to an Engine

Trust is such a vital part of business. Trust between employees, trust with consumers and trust in the leaders, from the stakeholders.

I often work with teams to develop trust but there are no words that will build or develop it, only actions delivered against promises

T = Telling the truth, not spinning the story
R = Realistic expectations that are stretching for people yet people trust that if they are delivered, they will bring business and personal success
U = Understanding people and their emotions. People are emotional by nature. This can lead people not to give truthful feedback, however people need the truth for growth. So understanding people, showing empathy to what motivates them can really help in their growth. Confidentiality is imperative.
S = Seeking the truth is important in the business. People can hide behind data, people can hide from the truth. To be successful you need to want the truth and constantly seek the truth to improve over time. When you seek the truth, people will learn to be truthful.
T = Taking the rough with the smooth. Trust is built when people do not judge in the short term, they judge over the long term. Trust that people know that no one is perfect, mistakes will be made....but that the mistakes were made for the right reason..pushing the boundaries. Trust is developed when people know, that they will be supported to push those boundaries.

8 Traits of a Successful Team

I work a lot with leadership teams and over the years I believe that successful teams have the following behavior traits

1. Truth about how they really feel
2. Respect for diversity
3. Desire for honesty and faith honesty won't be punished
4. Confidentiality
5. Belief in the power of the team
6. Forgiveness for mistakes
7. Support for each other
8. Encouragement for each other

A community feel comes from these traits, the feeling of wanting to be part of the group not just being part of the team because they have to be....If these are missing you have a group of people in denial, not a team.

How Not to Build Team Spirit

I am constantly amazed at how many people manage badly on a daily basis and then treat the team to a night out to "build team spirit". Mmmm throwing money at a problem rarely solves it. Some random thoughts

1. Social sessions should be about celebration, a reward because you are moving in the right direction.
2. You cannot BUILD culture, all you can do is to encourage an environment that develops a culture that you want.
3. People are not tricked by short term actions, they engage with leaders that day in day out live by the values and respect each individual for who they are.
4. The day after an event you can get a short term high, then if the actions revert to normal you find people are more disengaged before....purely because you have raised their expectations and dashed them.
5. If one team gets "treated" to a social event and others don't, it can breed resentment.

I am a firm believer in celebrations, in days out of the office, in surprising people. But I am also a believer in leading every day, leading by example and valuing people every day. If you do that there is less need for an expensive elastoplast for a short term improvement.

It is in your stars

As I was driving home tonight I looked at the stars, it is funny that some really catch your eye and other ones although dim are still shining. The reason why the sky is intriguing is the array of different brightness. The more you look the more you see, the more you see the more you search. I made me think about teams and how teams are the same  - a collection of stars. The team may have brighter stars that catch your eye, however the other stars are as important in making your team shine.

Look tomorrow around you not just at the ones that catch your eye, but also the ones that are still shining just not as brightly. Reach out to the stars that you maybe ignore without meaning to, and spend time making sure that the light does not go out.......

Meetings or Parties?

I hate meetings, always have. Well when I say meetings those that are an excuse not to make a decision. Despite being heavily right brained...I prefer to get on with changing the world, prefer to have coaching sessions, idea picnics! etc My belief has always been if you are in my team then I trust you, we don't need a meeting because it is your job to deliver and if I sense you need help then we will talk it through in our weekly sessions. I came across this quote that I love from Sir Phillip Green, a UK entrepreneur

"Successful companies have parties, Unsuccessful ones have meetings"
I love that! Obviously there are times when you need meetings but if your culture runs on meetings then there is something wrong - there is a lack of direction, trust, respect, or relationship management. Deal with the cause...then use meetings when you need the right people in the same room for information, clarity, cross functional decisions etc

Rant over....she says smiling!

Are you looking for a solution or a solid?

Have you ever thought about the word solution....it is a fluid, a mixture, a way of dissolving different things, it is a process. In many meetings I don't see a solution, I see a solid!

Solution vs Solid - The Engaging Brand test!

• Do you mix ideas looking for the right taste, strength or have you picked your outcome beforehand?
• Do you allow the ideas to "flow" or discount them early?
• Do you mix different backgrounds, thinking processes, together or do you pick people who are going to agree with you?
• Do you start with what you want the solution to achieve once "mixed" or the outcome and mix the meeting to achieve it?
• Do you allow for "spillage" - more ideas than you need  or do you just go with the first one?
• Do you allow the idea to evolve and change over time or once fixed do you stick with it forever?
• Are you looking for a solution or a solid?

If you answer say yes to more of the second parts of the questions....there are SOLID reasons why you are not making the progress you want!

The Real Business Questions

Here are some questions that prowl around my mind.....

1. If you are wanting to go teambuilding, isn't the real question why do you need it?
2. If the customer is king, why do we not talk to them?
3. If you are a leader...why do you keep asking me to write the strategy, and then you present it?
4. If people are our greatest asset....why do you allow talent depreciate?
5. Can our competitors always be lucky?
6. How come we miss budget and people still get a bonus?

Just some musings ahead of the weekend...

A little story...on how to derail your team!

A story taken from Your Leadership Legacy, which you win if you send your 8 word legacy to me. The draw will be made at the end of November.

An ant asks a centipede "How can you coordinate all those legs and actually walk?" The centipede had never thought why - so he looked down at his legs, and at that point guess what...he fell over!

A story yes, but one that is so true at work...how often do we over analyze, instead of getting on and doing it. Analysis is good, but analysis paralysis should be avoided unless you want to ....fall over!

What's in it for me - the old business question

How do you influence people or get them to buy into an idea? Key question to ask yourself

Am I giving them a reason to participate?

The old "what is in it for me?" But if you want ideas, or people to take action - spend the same amount of time on the "why" as the "what" Spend more time on listening to the feelings, concerns, reaction than explaining.

Just because you are the boss does not engage people to deliver...they need to know why, especially the newer generations. The why could be

Development opportunities

Simplifying their role

Internal PR

Learning

Achievement of objective

I would always argue that you don't visit a customer and say "Buy!". You explain the value to them and why the product suits their needs. This is as relevant to internal customers and teams. Your role is to sell so well that they buy into the idea.....

What managers can learn from athletes

OK so what do all athletes do before a race or competition - that's right warm up.

OK so what do people do when they start brainstorming - that's right nothing.

OK so what have both got in common - that's right both are relying on muscles. SO why do not warm up?

I have no idea. I liked to start brainstorming sessions with little brain exercises. For example

• Put random words down on a piece of paper and ask people to link them.
• Put a couple of random objects in the middle of the table and ask them to think of 20 uses of them.

Anything that gets people thinking, and stretching the boundaries. There are no right or wrong answers...and I would always get people to write them down, so it gives people some feeling of safety. Remember if you want the brain to burst into creative energy, then you need to warm it up!