Using Technology For You

Most of us feel that technology intrudes on our life, especially in the area of work life balance. There is an expectation to respond to seemingly endless alerts and messages that come through. We have a range of apps that need continuous updating. Rather than technology making life simpler it feels like it has created more distraction, even demands in our life. 

I have spent a lot of my career understanding what 'convenience' means in our busy lives. The shift over time has gone from 'options' to 'simplify'. In other words people were looking for more options to suit their needs and lifestyle resulting in more solutions and choices, which has switched to a current need to prioritise and focus. We are feeling overstimulated, unable to keep up with the latest, struggling to identify what is best for us.

I thought I would share in my next few blogs some ways that I am using technology to help simplify my life and help me focus on things that matter. What prompted all of this has been a focus on 'mindfulness' amongst my friends and colleagues. Feeling the need to be more mindful in how I go about my days, the first thing I thought was I must download an app. The reality for me though is that's where a lot of my good intentions for using technology for my personal benefit end. An app downloaded which I use once or twice. Why?.. I need an app to remind me to use the app. 

I rethought what makes sense for me. Here's some smart phone tips I have used to be more mindful in achieving personal goals. Given they are making a difference for me I wanted to pass on.

1) Use the location setting in reminders on your iphone: I have used this as a simple pop-up 

reminder when I am at home or work to do something. It works for me because it happens automatically when I arrive somewhere. I can take action at the place it needs to happen. It's a great way to set up a new ritual eg. pack gym bag, take vitamins. Even for personal reflection questions  eg.  You're home now are you present?, What did you  learn today? Or List the top things you want to achieve this week

2) Get to know Siri or use voice messages: Apart from saving time, it's quick and easy to talk to Siri or dictate to get things out of your head. You can save your thoughts and know that you won't lose them. Siri is great for setting reminders too with little effort. 

3) Use emojis, photos, music, memes: Make your personal goals stand out by using visual or audible cues. It makes them more fun. I use the location reminder at the gym when I leave to bring up a 'Wow I regret that workout said no-one ever' message with a happy face. It always makes me smile. 

4) Turn off notifications and/or use the Do Not Disturb feature: Create less distractions by managing phone notifications.  Under the setting menu on iPhones you can go into notifications and choose by app which ones you want to receive notification updates for and more importantly whether you want to see them on the lock screen. You can also put your iPhone on Do Not Disturb manually for a short period of time so you won't receive messages or you can schedule times in. You can allow calls from certain contacts, for example your family members, in case of emergencies. These are great features to utilise when you are wanting to focus without interruptions.

5) Group apps together and/or move them into the quick reference bar at the bottom of the screen: if you downloaded an app or apps you want to use for personal goals group them together and place the group along the bottom bar of your device. It will remind you of your goals as they will be in sight often. It may also help you use these, especially when you first download. 

These are just a few ways I am using my smart phone in a smart way to be more focused. I'm sure there are many other creative and clever ideas out there. I would like to hear about any other ideas you may have.  Please let us all know.

Breaking through the pacesetting leadership style stereotype

Early in my career I was in highly analytical roles.  I felt if I ever wanted to be taken seriously as a leader with organisational impact I needed to get out of my comfort zone and transition to an executional role. It was a compelling mind shift change that impacted my approach to so many things.

What I learnt was being action orientated is a skill, and it sometimes intimidates others. I can understand this having spent the early days of my career watching in 'awe' and even avoiding those that seemed to push me faster than I wanted to move.

Pacesetters can be viewed as self serving workaholics, who are uncaring. I have experienced some of this demanding dominant style of pacesetting leadership which is demoralising - to the point of being bullying. 

Most of us pacesetters are not like this. We are just trying to get things done and help others do the same along the way. Yet our motives can be viewed as suspicious and others fail to see our good intent.

The pacesetters that I admire and have role modelled myself on,  expect more of themselves than others. This is not because they think others are incompetent, but because they are self motivated and will pick up tasks to keep things moving along . They need to do, share, direct, discover, solve and create. To turn ideas on paper or in thought into reality.

This is what can be misunderstood about effective pacesetters. They navigate the way for others as much as themselves. They take responsibility for ensuring the right people collaborate or connect the dots to get to the next step. 

Pacesetters have an eye on the time. They intuitively know when things are looking like they are going to miss a deadline. It takes courage to remind others about this. Pacesetters will find the courage to say the things that others won't. It can be a lonely and thankless task keeping an eye on timelines and end goals, especially if you don't own the actions to get things moving.

Effective Pacesetters do care! Probably to their own detriment at times. They care about the integrity of their work, they care about the efficiency of processes, they care about follow through, and mostly they care about getting to an outcome. They don't walk away from actions or take a responsibility lightly. This often makes it easy for others to take advantage of them. They can be relied on. When a pacesetter drops off even half a beat it is noticed.

Effective Pacesetters are outcome focused. They will find a way to get things done and put in extra effort to gather stakeholders views. They try to identify and over come road blocks. This may make them appear highly political when in fact they are trying to positively influence and lobby.

Pacesetters can sometimes move so fast it can seem difficult to keep up with them. They action things immediately and follow up promptly. They state their opinions and move on. They tend not to dwell on things too long. 

Great pacesetters want their teams and projects to succeed.They tend not to give up and feel that people are happiest at work when they have a sense of achievement.

Finally, knowing what goes into developing pacesetting skills I know how vulnerable a style it truly is. Think about a pacesetter you admire. They may be a little annoying always driving the agenda, chasing up on things, and seemingly being overjoyed at ticking off their 'to do' list

Without dynamic pacesetters in an organisation there would be ideas without action, great conceptual thinking without structure, and lots of information exchange without a way forward. 

At some point someone has to be brave and make the move to get things started. Pacesetters do this, even when others resist creating some traction for momentum. 

This is the great irony for pacesetters who truly do care and put ourselves in this state of vulnerability. Being  outcome focussed is the way we show we care. We are looking out for rather than controlling others. After all, business success is about what gets done, and one of the main causes of frustration in organisations is activity that goes nowhere.

That's the different between effective and non-effective pacesetters - those that  are outcome focused vs those that are activity focused. There is a distinct difference.

So here's to all you pacesetters who enjoy the chemical rush of getting things done so everyone feels a sense of achievement,  who make yourself vulnerable everyday, and care enough to know that nothing happens without the tenacity make it happen!

The Great Talent Trade-Off

The global financial crisis has seen a reduction in team sizes, flater structures, and a focus on short term results. This has impacted on how talent is recruited and developed. Acquiring resources that make an immediate impact and are given a remit to 'act and ask questions later' is a trend.

In this current over stretched and activity driven business landscape, the process of developing people through mentoring and coaching is a distraction. Over burdened managers and team members do not have the time to do this well.

So where does this leave talented resources who want to learn and grow. I have seen many people thrown into the 'deep end' who rise to the surface displaying skills they did not even know they had. In these cases, it has mostly been a combination of personal tenacity, coupled with informal coaching and support that has fast tracked professional growth.

Resources that have development needs are missing out on quality informal support networks due to the stress on manager workloads. The outcome being a rush to recruit 'new' rather than enhance 'existing' skills. Given the cost, risks  and lead time of external recruitment this seems like a false economy.

Business leaders indicate that finding and managing talent is one of the biggest; if not the biggest; organisational issue and opportunity. Having resources with the right capabilities, attitudes and experience is a key success enabler. One dissenter, aggressor or saboteur can impact on a team's performance, morale and dynamics. The risk of this increases when new variables are thrown into the mix.

Learning theory states that the more frequently we perform a task, gain experience or apply knowledge the more adept we become. Many younger or developing professionals are finding that time, patience and tolerance for error needed for growth is a scarcity. Being 'tagged' specifically by the job function they perform rather then the potential abilities they possess.

Most managers indicate that they don't have time to manage people, let alone develop people. There is a lot of pressure on team leaders to performance manage individuals and significantly less focus on development. This is a symptom of the current business climate where people management is part of a job function and not a specialised competency.

Short term, high impact resources have come to be seen as the solution. However, when this solution is applied too often it can damage team performance. Causing disruption, frustration and even friction as teams attempt to move quickly while adjusting to change and pushing for results.

It takes time in any new organisation to learn how 'things are done' and effectively build internal networks to influence outcomes. Even highly experienced resources coming into a new organisation need to navigate decision politics and build influence. So the ability to make an immediate impact can be stifled. These resources too can suffer from a lack of internal guidance and coaching.

Bringing in new perspectives and skills is necessary at times. At other times it's a catalyst for disaster. While immediate results are the ultimate aim, these are hindered by changing group dynamics and lack of internal process experience. 

Existing resources that are dedicated, hardworking and willing to learn can excel in stretch roles with the right coaching. They have the advantage of established internal networks and trust. In short, they will get things done. Channelling existing talent into appropriate development roles would reduce recruitment costs, staff turnover and time wasting. It will build a learning environment and motivate current staff to excel with promotion in mind.

Getting the right mix of established and new talent requires considered thinking. People Managers have many time pressures, giving them little time to focus on others in their teams. So naturally it seems expedient to look for team players that need little guidance or direction.

Yet where does this leave individuals with potential who want to learn and grow. These resources can miss out on receiving the attention of their line managers for informal and formal mentoring. Is the desired outcome of minimal involvement for quick wins really holding true as managers struggle to do just that - manage people.

I can't help but ponder... managers are too busy to manage and resources need to be 'ready to roll.'

Are we making talent assessments based too much around short term needs?

Is there a section of the workforce missing out on developing professionally through informal support networks?

Is the cost vs benefit stacking up?

Is this a time of short term talent trade-offs that will have long term impacts on individual and team performance?

What do you think?

Quiet please I'm thinking

I have been reading the book 'Quiet' by Susan Cain who raises the question how did we go from Character to Personality without realising we had sacrificed something meaningful along the way.

That 'something meaningful' where space is provided to process, create and be productive. Where quiet reflection is valued as highly as group interaction.

That 'something meaningful' where thoughts can be internal for a time before they are shared. Where group thinking and consensus does not allow the opinion of a few to dominate.

That 'something meaningful' where shouting is not required to be heard. Where deep thought is as important as making a statement. Where diversity includes room for introversion as well as extroversion.

In the noise that exists in work and life, through shared experiences, group activities and team connectedness, there is limited attention given to the need for 'quiet.' Solitude and thinking independently are not negative behaviours. An intense focus on a problem can deliver creative solutions. We need to find ways to enable this and not take away from the contribution of those who need to break away from the group noise to find their own thoughts.

One thing is for sure, there is more noise than ever before. A no other time has self expression been more accepted or encouraged. As pointed out in 'Quiet', the on-line space has created an even playing field for introverts to promote and share their ideas, without the restrictions or difficulties they would encounter in group situations.

The book 'Quiet'  is a voice for introverts, more importantly it challenges the popular views on how we should interact and work together. It is true that extroversion is admired and has become the default preference for how we operate. Extroversion can be trying when there is too much of it, and even demoralising if you find it difficult to speak up.

Finding the balance is key for break through thinking, work satisfaction and personal development.

The Pursuit of Marketing Excellence

The pursuit of marketing excellence is a journey of discovery, territory expeditions, and sharing experiences. Like all great adventures, it is the twists in the tale that capture our imagination and stick in our memory. We learn as much from the chase as we do from the conquest.

A marketing culture that champions excellence has evidence of robust processes and information exchanges; all done under the umbrella of an aspirational internal positioning of marketing pursuits. 

What evidence of excellence would exist?

- details on ROI (return on investment) and/or ROO (return on objectives) are identified upfront

- is insight driven when formulating approaches

- NPD (new product development) has the customer in mind

- openly shares strategy and campaign development

- documents execution and performance

- trials and tests, learns quickly

- is flexible about changing direction based on test data

- keeps pace with new media, distribution and technology impacts

- actively exchanges ideas and best practice across brands and markets

- keeps watch on the external environment

- invests in training and access to experts 

- recognises and rewards excellence 

- builds informal marketing networks that lead to collaborative solutions 

What can really ignite Marketing Excellence is positioning it right. After all the words marketing and excellence together are powerful. Like any impactful campaign the 'call to action' must cut though and be memorable. 

Reflecting the desired marketing qualities in messaging, events and programs reinforces what the pursuit of excellence is all about for marketers. It will bring them on the journey. Marketers can be a tough audience to engage because they know all the gimmicks. 

The principles that I work too for engaging a marketing audience are:

- celebrate all things marketing - that is give it the spotlight (obvious maybe, but often not done)

- surprise and delight (don't do the obvious eg. Show the viral campaign that everyone has seen)

- always have  a theme for marketing excellence (shake it up every year)

- create energy and fun (not funny, marketing is a serious pursuit, it important not too make fun of it)

- champion the marketers and their campaigns 

- bring an external voice and/or perspective

- create some challenges and competition

- create a way of sharing learning, approaches and success stories 

- start an internal word of mouth campaign to build awareness and interest

- peer to peer is powerful

- bring the 'rational', bring the 'emotive'

- marketers respect clever creativity and messaging

In the pursuit of marketing excellence realise that there is always a new way forward to explore and test. The destination may not always be clear, however the experience is always worth the journey.

Entrepreneurs and Innovators Need Only Apply

There is high demand for entrepreneurs and innovators right now. The race for growth and 'break out' innovation is on as businesses look to future proof offers and grow income streams.

It's a great time for creativity and 'go getting.' New ideas need to prevail despite organisational barriers. Taking a 'leap of faith' into a brave new world is the only option for some organisations with technology changing the playing field.

The future is here now, and the talent gap is widening. Companies are fast-tracking cultural change programs to stay ahead of competitors. The 'shout out' for entrepreneurs and innovators is deafening. It seems to be implied in every job advertisement - our company needs individuals that will help us evolve and grow - Entrepreneurs and Innovators need only apply. 

Establishing a workplace that supports process discipline, entrepreneurial tenacity and innovative creative thinking is a challenging construct. A major leadership engineering task. 

New resources acquired to boldly instigate change coupled with established process enforcers makes for an interesting work dynamic. Motivating individuals and establishing interaction rules needs considered attention. Fostering internal partnerships that collaborate effectively to develop solutions requires progressive management thinking.

Below are some thoughts of management style principles to accommodate the entrepreneurs and innovators that every business is chasing:

• Champion inquisitive and flexible project management practices
• Embrace diversity
• Value and reward contribution 
• Avoid curbing enthusiasm, direct it towards an outcome
• Respect areas of expertise and opposing professional strengths
• Encourage exploring leads/ideas to come to 'own' conclusions
• Be a behaviour moderator - not conformist 
• Check robustness of ideas and set clear decision frameworks
• Navigate cross functional politics and decision hierarchies
• Be a gatekeeper of ideas that do not lead anywhere - allow quirky thoughts and unstructured processes 
• Maintain an external focus on the customer
• Be willing to try new approaches 
• Make process checks pit stops rather than long endurance races
• Manage risk, set a tolerance for failure
• Do not over commit - ensure checks and balances are in place

The call is out for entrepreneurs and innovators.....who answers and who listens will determine future success or failures.

Creating Internal Respect for the Brand Signature

The brand mark is like your signature. Would you sign your signature to a statement, idea or representation that does not reflect your values? The answer would inevitably be NO.  

This simple analogy can be applied to business and personal branding. It is relatable way to engage others in making ‘on brand’ judgements in their day to day roles. Too often brand strategy is presented in an abstract way, where others can’t see the relevance to them or their roles.

Social networking has resulted in a focus on personal branding. Job offers, social community acceptance and even friendships can be influenced by an individual’s on-line image and values. Your personal branding can have an impact without knowledge or warning. Thinking that an objectionable on-line persona is immune to a wider audience is misguided.

The idea of ‘living the brand’ through thinking and acting in alignment with core values builds an image over time. In organisations with many employees and customer interactions it is the ultimate positioning tool. The challenge becomes engaging internal audiences to understand this and consistently align their actions to reflect brand values. 

There are organisations attempting to control brand image and manage risk through having access to employee social media sites. While this highlights the importance of consistent brand representation and associations, education and engagement is a more effective long term strategy. 

Every interaction internally or externally creates an impression of the brand. Individual actions will stand out as the exception rather than the rule for brands with strong equity. Building a collective set of positive experiences and associations over time, rather than micro managing negative ones results in increased stakeholder loyalty.

The following is a guide on ways to create internal engagement for the brand strategy.

·       Accessible brand messages:   Branding theory and language can come across as abstract and detached. Drawing analogies to real life examples builds a compelling rationale and makes it relevant. The growth in personal branding has by default heightened the interest and applicability of ‘values’ based decision making, actions and communications.

·       Everyone can recite the brand values: Every employee must be able to recite the brand values and understand what they mean. Providing tools and easy reference points is critical. Find examples of work or interactions that are ‘on brand’ and ‘offbrand’ to clearly demonstrate.

·       Integrate into performance standards and protocols: A way to make brand values accessible in every day work roles in to integrate into existing performance standards and/or protocols for customer and internal decision making, interactions and service standards.

·      Be specific about how ‘inside actions and choices impact ‘outside' perceptions. State this clearly and where possible discuss examples relating to other companies.

Keep posing the question – Would you place your signature here?

Great Leaders Believe ALWAYS

Belief...this is what stands out to me about the leaders that I have most admired in my career. They are clear about the philosophy and outcomes they want to see and stick by this - no matter what. 

They appear unconcerned that others may not believe their vision is  achievable. They understand that there will be resistance, cynicism and rejection even. Yet their conviction remains strong and over time their belief system becomes contagious throughout the organisation.

They remain strong on strategic intent and empower teams to set their own paths. Brave, resolute and tenacious they stay true to their vision, while enabling others to be the solution 'heroes.'

When you are exposed to a leader that operates this way you truly understand the difference between management and leadership. Before you know it you believe and you're on the same journey.