“The development of an individual to his or her highest level of performance can be seen as a journey of empowerment” (Ken Blanchard et al, The 3 Keys to Empowerment) Coaching is about enhancing performance, not scolding team members for doing wrong or badly in the execution of their duties. The intent needs to be…
Building a culture that is sensitive to the ‘moment of truth’ is the precursor to being able to reach new heights in quality, innovation, and service delivery for companies. The ‘moment of truth’ is that short period of time when a customer interacts with a brand, product, or service to form or change an impression…
One of the key roles of first-line leadership is to assist team members with their growth and development. Jim Rohn noted: “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better”. This involves the mind-set, skills and…
Build a team so strong that no-one can point out the leader (Anon) The mark of true leadership lies in the efficacy, confidence and performance of the leader’s team. Too many leaders rely on personal charisma, authority (even manipulation) and other coercion techniques to get the job done, disempowering team members as a result. Trust…
When having to go to the medical doctor for an appointment and upon entering the surgery, the door is shut behind you and all focus of the doctor falls on you – questions are asked about your condition, you are examined and a suggested course of treatment is offered. There are no distractions, no pharmaceutical…
“We don’t seem to be making any meaningful headway. There’s conflict and back-biting amongst team members, each team is very protective of their respective pieces of turf and the business lacks focus”. I hear this quite frequently as I consult with companies – strategic goals not being executed effectively as a result of a lack…
I have been driving vehicles for many years now and enjoy the experience. One of the big problems faced by any driver of all vehicles is the inherent blind spots – areas outside the vehicle that the normal rear-facing mirrors can’t pick up. To overcome this problem, most vehicles have split rear-facing mirrors to reflect…
Managers are employed to accomplish very specific project requirements (e.g. a sales manager has to guide and inspire the sales team to reach certain targets that the organisation has set; a call-centre manager must ensure quality and speed to enable customers to understand and purchase projects or get resolution to problems they are experiencing, etc.)….
Organisational change and growth is seldom produced by a once-off event – employees need time to acclimatise to new expectations and to digest new learning. Behaviour change requires a strategy of ongoing modelling of “the new way we do things around here” and consistent reflection on “why” we have embarked on this journey. In other…
Frequently, the word ‘empowerment’ mistakenly conjures up images of authority, control and supremacy. The word seems to have so much emotion and sensitivities attached to its application. In an organisational effectiveness context, however, the word is best understood as dismantling unnecessary bureaucracy, removing barriers and enabling people to give their best through training and the…
To the uninformed, change is an unnecessary hassle; to the informed, change is a necessary evil; to the few, change is what they thrive on! Those that form part of the “few” group see change as an opportunity to get better – to tweak company processes and systems for greater productivity, to enhance quality and…
I have often wondered what it would be like to manage managers with a merit/demerit system linked to their potential bonuses – it would be punitive, but oh, so much fun. Just imagine a measurement system application linked to their respective smartphones where they can achieve merit points for doing well, but get penalised with…
