My 13 year old son is a member of the BC Boys Choir. This week sopranos and altos (unbroken voices) received an invitation to sing with Sarah Brightman, who is performing at one of the 2010 Olympic venues. We couldn’t figure out why he was so resistant until we realized that he thought he would be performing at the Opening Ceremonies; a stressful and overwhelming thought for him. Once he understood that this was not the case – he was happy to commit.
We all come at life with an existing framework; an understanding of how the world works. Sometimes our preconceptions get in the way and hinder us from moving forward and making decisions. This is particularly true when we ask employees to go through change.
The usual management strategy is to try and persuade employees with facts and figures. The only trouble is that employees will take the facts and figures and interpret them within their existing framework or mind set, and the interpretation might not be exactly as management intended.
To influence effectively we need to understand the world from the other persons point of view. We also need to be ready to trade, in other words provide them with something of value, in return for their support of the change process.
I am currently working with a client on a technology change project. The rationale for the project is solid and the change necessary. The trouble is the group has gone through a number of earlier technology changes that were not positive. This is their existing framework. This is how they see the world and no amount of facts and figures will change that. That’s because decision making has a strong emotional component to it. Research shows that at the point where we must decide, emotion is necessary.
Employees will decide to adopt a change when they can see themselves, and the role they play, within the change. This allows them to make decisions at an emotional level and adapt the change to their internal framework.
The client I am currently working with has opted for a multi-pronged approach to ensuring their employees connect with the change, and understand its value for them.
Here are some of the things you can do to make sure you are not one of the 70% of change initiatives that fail because the people who are to make the changes are not engaged.
1. Long before the change begins talk to your employees about the world the business operates within. Share with them key business results, market information, issues and challenges the industry faces, trends, and other relevant information. Interpret it so they understand what the business needs to do to move ahead. If you are involving them in key business information before you ask for change you are in effect giving them something of value – information , but also trust in sharing information usually meant for senior leaders. This value can then be traded for cooperation at a later stage.
2. Have a clear vision for your project. This will help people to connect with it at an emotional level - and understand their personal contributions.
3. Engage the employees in defining how business processes will change with the adoption of the new system. It’s their work, so they will be able to tell you what they do now and how that will change. There is great value in being seen and acknowledged as an expert.
4. Give the technology a chance. Answer all the important business questions before you introduce it.
5. Be clear about what the technology can and cannot do. Manage expectations.
6. Communicate regularly. Resist the temptation to only communicate when you have all the answers – you never do.
7. Understand clearly how different people will use the technology. Not every group will need to be communicated to in the same way.
8. Work with champions of the change to illustrate early wins. Show the behaviours people need to adopt to be successful.
9. Ensure training is relevant to each group and offers employees a real way to apply the technology.
Change is never straightforward but an acknowledgement that implementing it is more about the people then the technology and process is a good place to start.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Climbing up Maslow’s hierarchy
So much of what we do is about meeting needs.
Maslow outlined it perfectly in his hierarchy of needs; you have to meet basic requirements before you can deal with higher level needs. At the bottom of the Maslow’s pyramid are needs associated with food, water and sleep, this is followed by physical safety, then belonging and affiliation, next is esteem and right at the top of the pyramid is self actualization. This is the point where we fully realize our potential.
Here in North America we have made good strides in meeting employees needs as outlined by Maslow’s hierarchy. We pay decently and frequently offer benefits, safety is a focus for all out organizations, and we work hard at developing culture and recognizing our employees. But somehow that whole actualization thing is a little bit trickier then it should be. Not all our employees feel like they make a contribution to the success of the organization and the direct impact of that is poor engagement. Not surprising given engagement is all about the involvement, commitment and satisfaction that employees have with their work.
The level of employee engagement is directly associated with performance. Some 32 % of Canadian employees are partly or fully "disengaged." Companies with the lowest percentage of engagement show declines of 33 per cent in operating income and 11 per cent in earnings per share.
I can’t think of one client I have worked with who hasn’t imagined how exciting it would be to have the majority of employees right at the top of the pyramid. Most of us can recall a situation where we have been involved with a motivated, excited group of individuals - people who feel they are making a major contribution to the organization. It is a powerful experience!
I have worked with several such teams and observed a number. The common denominator is excellence in leadership. More specifically leaders who establish a clear vision and create the kind of environment that deliberately takes care of all Maslow’s levels – pushing people up to self actualization, where they are at their most engaged and most productive.
One of the most effective means of helping people understand their contribution and how valued they are is by connecting them directly with customer needs. Helping employees understand the Maslow equivalent of client needs and what this means for them.
I was privy to an excellent example of Maslow-focused project management. This particular project manager worked to put her team in the shoes of the client, building understanding and relationship between the two that would pleasantly surprise any client. Together her team established service criteria based on client needs. She then worked very, very hard to model the kind of behaviour she wanted her employees to adopt. Her team was a screaming, happy mess of actualized success. Her company made money on the project and brought in more business because of it.
What she did sounds pretty straightforward, but it’s not always that easy to build a self-actualized team when you’re dealing with the reality of getting things done. The approach that the project manager above took meant that she had to do a lot of planning and thinking about the people stuff. Often it’s easier to simply do the work at hand.
Another example came from a manger who helped his employees connect their own needs with those of their customers – right at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy. He encouraged employees to become involved in community projects of their choice. In this way he blurred the lines between customer and employee.
Helping your employees reach their fullest potential begins with leadership. Here are six steps you can take to begin to build your employees toward self actualization.
1. Begin with yourself. How far on Maslow’s hierarchy are you? What do you need to do travel further? Understand what makes you most fulfilled.
2. Build a customer-focused vision with your team. They will be more likely to accept a vision they have been involved in developing.
3. Together with the team establish your customer-service standards.
4. Work individually with each team member to ensure s/he understands their personal contribution. Plan with each employee to find opportunities for his or her special talents. Help them build their own self-actualization plan.
5. Build a community giving program. This helps shift the focus to the higher levels of Maslow’s hierarchy.
6. Develop your own local reward process.
Maslow outlined it perfectly in his hierarchy of needs; you have to meet basic requirements before you can deal with higher level needs. At the bottom of the Maslow’s pyramid are needs associated with food, water and sleep, this is followed by physical safety, then belonging and affiliation, next is esteem and right at the top of the pyramid is self actualization. This is the point where we fully realize our potential.
Here in North America we have made good strides in meeting employees needs as outlined by Maslow’s hierarchy. We pay decently and frequently offer benefits, safety is a focus for all out organizations, and we work hard at developing culture and recognizing our employees. But somehow that whole actualization thing is a little bit trickier then it should be. Not all our employees feel like they make a contribution to the success of the organization and the direct impact of that is poor engagement. Not surprising given engagement is all about the involvement, commitment and satisfaction that employees have with their work.
The level of employee engagement is directly associated with performance. Some 32 % of Canadian employees are partly or fully "disengaged." Companies with the lowest percentage of engagement show declines of 33 per cent in operating income and 11 per cent in earnings per share.
I can’t think of one client I have worked with who hasn’t imagined how exciting it would be to have the majority of employees right at the top of the pyramid. Most of us can recall a situation where we have been involved with a motivated, excited group of individuals - people who feel they are making a major contribution to the organization. It is a powerful experience!
I have worked with several such teams and observed a number. The common denominator is excellence in leadership. More specifically leaders who establish a clear vision and create the kind of environment that deliberately takes care of all Maslow’s levels – pushing people up to self actualization, where they are at their most engaged and most productive.
One of the most effective means of helping people understand their contribution and how valued they are is by connecting them directly with customer needs. Helping employees understand the Maslow equivalent of client needs and what this means for them.
I was privy to an excellent example of Maslow-focused project management. This particular project manager worked to put her team in the shoes of the client, building understanding and relationship between the two that would pleasantly surprise any client. Together her team established service criteria based on client needs. She then worked very, very hard to model the kind of behaviour she wanted her employees to adopt. Her team was a screaming, happy mess of actualized success. Her company made money on the project and brought in more business because of it.
What she did sounds pretty straightforward, but it’s not always that easy to build a self-actualized team when you’re dealing with the reality of getting things done. The approach that the project manager above took meant that she had to do a lot of planning and thinking about the people stuff. Often it’s easier to simply do the work at hand.
Another example came from a manger who helped his employees connect their own needs with those of their customers – right at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy. He encouraged employees to become involved in community projects of their choice. In this way he blurred the lines between customer and employee.
Helping your employees reach their fullest potential begins with leadership. Here are six steps you can take to begin to build your employees toward self actualization.
1. Begin with yourself. How far on Maslow’s hierarchy are you? What do you need to do travel further? Understand what makes you most fulfilled.
2. Build a customer-focused vision with your team. They will be more likely to accept a vision they have been involved in developing.
3. Together with the team establish your customer-service standards.
4. Work individually with each team member to ensure s/he understands their personal contribution. Plan with each employee to find opportunities for his or her special talents. Help them build their own self-actualization plan.
5. Build a community giving program. This helps shift the focus to the higher levels of Maslow’s hierarchy.
6. Develop your own local reward process.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Dalai Lama guides workplace productivity
Some weeks ago the Dalai Lama was guest editor for the Vancouver Sun. In his lead article he commented that our purpose in life is to be happy. Certainly no-one can argue that most of us want to be happy. Just look at the self help section in your local bookstore.
The Dalai Lama then goes on to say that we achieve a greater sense of well-being when we care for the happiness of others. This takes care of the simplistic, and indeed destructive, notion that we can and should strive for continuous personal happiness. In other words, if I understand the Dalai Lama correctly, our happiness is a by-product of our striving for the general good.
Things become a little bit more complicated when we look at the workplace. Should happiness be something we strive for within the workplace? How do we collectively define happiness and what is the greater good within an organizational setting?
These are hard questions to answer. Let’s tackle two of them:
1. Is happiness important in the workplace?
2. What is the greater good in the workplace?
As a result of research by John Helliwell, professor emeritus of economics at UBC, we now understand that the pay cheque is only half the story in terms of employee satisfaction. Just as important is how far you think you can trust your boss. If, on a scale of one to 10, you can give your employer a one-point rise in rank on trust issues, the flood of well-being you'll experience will be equivalent to a one-third increase in income. So – improve trust levels – employees will be happy and performance will improve?
Well, maybe – but didn’t the Dalai Lama also say something about happiness being the by-product of working for the greater good. So what is the greater good in an organization – the vision? Many visions are centred around making more money, selling more product. Perhaps we have to look at the organizational values; the accepted standards and behaviors that hold us together.
Values throughout the western world espouse notions such as; honesty, integrity, respect, loyalty, innovation, teamwork, excellence, accountability, pride. These are all concepts we can relate to and probably adhere to in our personal lives. So if we can connect the organizational values to those of the employees – we have something that is a common good. Something we can work toward together.
I have been involved in not-for-profits where the personal and organizational values were so closely linked that it was hard not to feel like everyone was working for the greater good. It’s a little more challenging when you deliver janitorial services. And yet my friend Steve says the company he works for is hot on values – it’s something he talks with employees about all the time, topmost among them pride and teamwork.
Happiness and values – these are tall orders for a busy organization. If you don’t have a retreat planned when you can build your values or an HR consultant to help you develop strategies to improve trust, try these two simple strategies:
1. Each senior leader take a value that is important to him or her and does three things:
a. Live that value very deliberately – every day
b. Talk about that value
c. Comment on others living that value.
2. Just as the Vancouver Sun did when the Dalai Lama edited the newspaper, ask people to submit stories about themselves or fellow employees who live the values. Display them on the notice board. Give out prizes. You will create a groundswell of goodwill and coincidentally break down silos.
Here’s to happy, value-driven workplaces!
The Dalai Lama then goes on to say that we achieve a greater sense of well-being when we care for the happiness of others. This takes care of the simplistic, and indeed destructive, notion that we can and should strive for continuous personal happiness. In other words, if I understand the Dalai Lama correctly, our happiness is a by-product of our striving for the general good.
Things become a little bit more complicated when we look at the workplace. Should happiness be something we strive for within the workplace? How do we collectively define happiness and what is the greater good within an organizational setting?
These are hard questions to answer. Let’s tackle two of them:
1. Is happiness important in the workplace?
2. What is the greater good in the workplace?
As a result of research by John Helliwell, professor emeritus of economics at UBC, we now understand that the pay cheque is only half the story in terms of employee satisfaction. Just as important is how far you think you can trust your boss. If, on a scale of one to 10, you can give your employer a one-point rise in rank on trust issues, the flood of well-being you'll experience will be equivalent to a one-third increase in income. So – improve trust levels – employees will be happy and performance will improve?
Well, maybe – but didn’t the Dalai Lama also say something about happiness being the by-product of working for the greater good. So what is the greater good in an organization – the vision? Many visions are centred around making more money, selling more product. Perhaps we have to look at the organizational values; the accepted standards and behaviors that hold us together.
Values throughout the western world espouse notions such as; honesty, integrity, respect, loyalty, innovation, teamwork, excellence, accountability, pride. These are all concepts we can relate to and probably adhere to in our personal lives. So if we can connect the organizational values to those of the employees – we have something that is a common good. Something we can work toward together.
I have been involved in not-for-profits where the personal and organizational values were so closely linked that it was hard not to feel like everyone was working for the greater good. It’s a little more challenging when you deliver janitorial services. And yet my friend Steve says the company he works for is hot on values – it’s something he talks with employees about all the time, topmost among them pride and teamwork.
Happiness and values – these are tall orders for a busy organization. If you don’t have a retreat planned when you can build your values or an HR consultant to help you develop strategies to improve trust, try these two simple strategies:
1. Each senior leader take a value that is important to him or her and does three things:
a. Live that value very deliberately – every day
b. Talk about that value
c. Comment on others living that value.
2. Just as the Vancouver Sun did when the Dalai Lama edited the newspaper, ask people to submit stories about themselves or fellow employees who live the values. Display them on the notice board. Give out prizes. You will create a groundswell of goodwill and coincidentally break down silos.
Here’s to happy, value-driven workplaces!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Yesterday morning my 17 year old decides to shake up her routine a little. She’s up at 6:15 am – out for a run and ready to hit the bus for school at 7:45. Her 13 year old brother, who is usually the one waiting for her, has the tables turned on him.
My daughter sits at the kitchen counter waiting for younger sib. Irritated by his homework spread over the surface she comments that she had never realized how annoying it is when someone (?) leaves papers and binders in the common area.
Her brother is tardy – she goes to the bottom of the stairs to give him a yell.
“Gosh mum”, she says, “I think I now understand why you get frustrated with me when I’m late.”
Eureka!
There is nothing like experience to help people learn important life lessons. All too often we expect employees to get it when we tell them, when in reality the best lesson will be the one they take from their own experiences.
Memo to managers: We need to get out of the way and let our employees learn from life. Our role is to help them make the connections.
My daughter sits at the kitchen counter waiting for younger sib. Irritated by his homework spread over the surface she comments that she had never realized how annoying it is when someone (?) leaves papers and binders in the common area.
Her brother is tardy – she goes to the bottom of the stairs to give him a yell.
“Gosh mum”, she says, “I think I now understand why you get frustrated with me when I’m late.”
Eureka!
There is nothing like experience to help people learn important life lessons. All too often we expect employees to get it when we tell them, when in reality the best lesson will be the one they take from their own experiences.
Memo to managers: We need to get out of the way and let our employees learn from life. Our role is to help them make the connections.
Friday, October 2, 2009
TELL STORIES AND CONNECT EMOTIONALLY WITH EMPLOYEES
Each of us has our own unique "mental vocabulary", an internal library of words and pictures that we associate with certain events, places, people and feelings. When we hear a story about a little girl in Africa who is hungry and would like to go to school, our internal library is hard at work looking for associations and eliciting emotions - and it is these feelings that will make us decide to act.
Skeptics might argue that all we have done is create an imaginary scenario in someone's head. But imagination and action are very integrated. Electrodes placed on a person's brain while he or she visualizes an activity will see the same parts of the brain turn on as if that person were actually doing the activity. Top sportsmen know this and integrate visualization into their practice routines. Similarly if we want employees to act, we have to get them to the point where they are visualizing their own actions.
The key is to reinterpret all the contextual information we provide; relate it to what is happening in your organization. There are two strategies we can employee to do this. The first is the more traditional reporting of information in the newsletter with statistics and interpretation and through the established cascade process. This is good and should be continued. It begins the process of making the information relevant to the front line. The only trouble is that it does not provide employees with a blueprint for how they should act.
That's where stories and examples from within the organization come in. Real stories of people who have understood the urgency and taken action are personal, powerful and provide a clear framework of expectations and behaviors. With stories we tap into an individual's internal library and we take a step toward connecting with them emotionally.
Each of us has our own unique "mental vocabulary", an internal library of words and pictures that we associate with certain events, places, people and feelings. When we hear a story about a little girl in Africa who is hungry and would like to go to school, our internal library is hard at work looking for associations and eliciting emotions - and it is these feelings that will make us decide to act.
Skeptics might argue that all we have done is create an imaginary scenario in someone's head. But imagination and action are very integrated. Electrodes placed on a person's brain while he or she visualizes an activity will see the same parts of the brain turn on as if that person were actually doing the activity. Top sportsmen know this and integrate visualization into their practice routines. Similarly if we want employees to act, we have to get them to the point where they are visualizing their own actions.
The key is to reinterpret all the contextual information we provide; relate it to what is happening in your organization. There are two strategies we can employee to do this. The first is the more traditional reporting of information in the newsletter with statistics and interpretation and through the established cascade process. This is good and should be continued. It begins the process of making the information relevant to the front line. The only trouble is that it does not provide employees with a blueprint for how they should act.
That's where stories and examples from within the organization come in. Real stories of people who have understood the urgency and taken action are personal, powerful and provide a clear framework of expectations and behaviors. With stories we tap into an individual's internal library and we take a step toward connecting with them emotionally.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Should we be introducing a new term for fully engaged employees? Read the article posted by Michael Sabastian and make up your mind. http://ping.fm/AxjcN
Don't have time for the entire article? Here's a quote from the author to give you the gist of it:
"So, it seems engagement in the traditional sense and the corporate sense are similar. Someone who is “engaged” in the corporate sense is much like a man or woman engaged to be married, which means they are committed—to a point. But they aren't committed to the fullest extent, which is marriage.
And that brings me to “employee marriagement,” a new term (I think), which means someone who is fully committed to the company in a lifelong “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer” kind of way.
How many of your employees are married to your company? Is it time you launched an employee marriagement program?
Don't have time for the entire article? Here's a quote from the author to give you the gist of it:
"So, it seems engagement in the traditional sense and the corporate sense are similar. Someone who is “engaged” in the corporate sense is much like a man or woman engaged to be married, which means they are committed—to a point. But they aren't committed to the fullest extent, which is marriage.
And that brings me to “employee marriagement,” a new term (I think), which means someone who is fully committed to the company in a lifelong “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer” kind of way.
How many of your employees are married to your company? Is it time you launched an employee marriagement program?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Great article from Kaihan Krippendorff. Storytelling really is fundamental to communication and learning. http://ping.fm/rrM8z
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Remember you only live once. Jill and Kevin get it - they made "their day" quite unique. http://ping.fm/jJ60D
Monday, August 17, 2009
WE SPEND 42% OF OUR TIME LISTENING, YET 75% OF ORAL COMMUNICATION IS IGNORED OR MISUNDERSTOOD
I receive a weekly newsletter from Kaizen Consulting. http://www.kaizenconsulting.com/ . Check out their website to sign up.
This week’s topic was on enrolling people with a view to doing business, a key component of which is listening.
As author Michael Walsh points out - we are not very good at listening.
In school we are taught to write, read and present, but not to listen. Our educational system and our workplaces give “power” to the person with the microphone. We are either speaking or waiting to speak. Even so we are not having much success with our oral communication – close to 75% of oral communication is ignored or misunderstood.
We spend about 42% of our time listening. What if we were truly productive listeners? According to Michael 68% of lost business is due to “poor listening”. Just imagine what we could achieve if we truly heard others.
I receive a weekly newsletter from Kaizen Consulting. http://www.kaizenconsulting.com/ . Check out their website to sign up.
This week’s topic was on enrolling people with a view to doing business, a key component of which is listening.
As author Michael Walsh points out - we are not very good at listening.
In school we are taught to write, read and present, but not to listen. Our educational system and our workplaces give “power” to the person with the microphone. We are either speaking or waiting to speak. Even so we are not having much success with our oral communication – close to 75% of oral communication is ignored or misunderstood.
We spend about 42% of our time listening. What if we were truly productive listeners? According to Michael 68% of lost business is due to “poor listening”. Just imagine what we could achieve if we truly heard others.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
TEN THINGS ABOUT CHANGE THAT EXCITE ME
I am on a journey of discovery. Check out my website to learn more about Nicky Fried Consulting www.nickyfried.com .
While I may be very excited to be on the path less traveled, many find change intimidating.
It may be a sign of the times but I have numerous friends and colleagues who have either chosen to or had change imposed on them. It is with them in mind that I decided to develop a top ten list of what excites me about change. I hope you will add to, and share this list with colleagues and friends, so that together we can inspire and help others to embrace change.
1. Change provides opportunity to do things better – we all love to improve.
2. Change forces my mind to work harder. When we do something differently we use unfamiliar neural pathways; it’s like exercise for the mind.
3. I get to indulge my passion for people watching. When there’s change on the go people are sure to react - one way or another.
4. I am inspired by those who are earlier adopters of change and help the rest of us to see opportunity in challenge.
5. I love the fact that people whom I would least expect to react positively to change surprise me and find their personal connection to it.
6. Change forces me to think more deeply about how I look at life and what my role and reaction to change is – and should be.
7. Change gives me a new perspective on things I take for granted. It’s like walking down a street you usually drive down – you get to look at it from a different viewpoint.
8. Change makes me feel young. When I was young possibility was around every corner, and change helps me to regain that feeling.
9. I love that I go into change knowing that I will come out a new person, more experience, enriched.
10. And the very best reason of all for change - I get to learn new things.
And now – it’s your turn.
I am on a journey of discovery. Check out my website to learn more about Nicky Fried Consulting www.nickyfried.com .
While I may be very excited to be on the path less traveled, many find change intimidating.
It may be a sign of the times but I have numerous friends and colleagues who have either chosen to or had change imposed on them. It is with them in mind that I decided to develop a top ten list of what excites me about change. I hope you will add to, and share this list with colleagues and friends, so that together we can inspire and help others to embrace change.
1. Change provides opportunity to do things better – we all love to improve.
2. Change forces my mind to work harder. When we do something differently we use unfamiliar neural pathways; it’s like exercise for the mind.
3. I get to indulge my passion for people watching. When there’s change on the go people are sure to react - one way or another.
4. I am inspired by those who are earlier adopters of change and help the rest of us to see opportunity in challenge.
5. I love the fact that people whom I would least expect to react positively to change surprise me and find their personal connection to it.
6. Change forces me to think more deeply about how I look at life and what my role and reaction to change is – and should be.
7. Change gives me a new perspective on things I take for granted. It’s like walking down a street you usually drive down – you get to look at it from a different viewpoint.
8. Change makes me feel young. When I was young possibility was around every corner, and change helps me to regain that feeling.
9. I love that I go into change knowing that I will come out a new person, more experience, enriched.
10. And the very best reason of all for change - I get to learn new things.
And now – it’s your turn.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Restructuring to enhance service offerings and delivery. Join me on my latest change initiative. Check out my website: www.nickyfried.com
On my drive home I was thinking about a friend’s toddler. He’s a charming, sunny little fellow by the name of Elijah. Only trouble is Elijah is risk and change averse. And his mum is concerned because she knows that Elijah will need to take lots of risks and deal with constant change to grow and develop as a human being.
Personal change can be extremely gratifying – particularly when we feel like we have instituted the change and are in control of it.
I am fortunate enough to be going through my own self induced change right now.
Ken Milloy and I recently made the decision to restructure Strategic Connections Inc to better meet the needs of our clients. As a result of research conducted over the past three months we have decided to move forward with a new partnership-based model.
The most visible outcome of this change marks the end of an era of sorts: Strategic Connections Inc. is closing its doors and will be replaced by two separate companies; Nicky Fried Consulting Inc. and Milloy Management Consulting Inc. This new approach will allow us the flexibility needed to meet the ever changing needs of our clients – current and future – while allowing us to provide new and different services.
Through our partnership we will continue to provide the highest level of service and results possible. And for those who rely heavily on our online article library and resource centre, fear not, as plans are being made to ensure that all of the information found on the Strategic Connections inc. website will be available to all as in the past.
Here’s a little bit about the two organizations:
Nicky Fried Consulting Inc is dedicated to translating strategy and change so that it is meaningful and relevant to all employees.
We will help our clients to achieve better business results because their employees will understand the journey the company is on and the role they play in support of its success.
Milloy Management Consulting Inc will focus on supporting senior level leadership teams to identify and proactively pursue strategic programs that lead to competitive advantage through effective planning, communication and engagement.
We have had a blast in Strategic Connections and would like to thank all of you we've come in contact with. We are very excited about the next leg of the journey.
Here is my contact information. Have a look at my website, give me a call or send me an email. I'd like your input to develop and grow my new venture.
Website: www.nickyfried.com
Phone: 604.831.5692
Email at nicky.fried@telus.net
On my drive home I was thinking about a friend’s toddler. He’s a charming, sunny little fellow by the name of Elijah. Only trouble is Elijah is risk and change averse. And his mum is concerned because she knows that Elijah will need to take lots of risks and deal with constant change to grow and develop as a human being.
Personal change can be extremely gratifying – particularly when we feel like we have instituted the change and are in control of it.
I am fortunate enough to be going through my own self induced change right now.
Ken Milloy and I recently made the decision to restructure Strategic Connections Inc to better meet the needs of our clients. As a result of research conducted over the past three months we have decided to move forward with a new partnership-based model.
The most visible outcome of this change marks the end of an era of sorts: Strategic Connections Inc. is closing its doors and will be replaced by two separate companies; Nicky Fried Consulting Inc. and Milloy Management Consulting Inc. This new approach will allow us the flexibility needed to meet the ever changing needs of our clients – current and future – while allowing us to provide new and different services.
Through our partnership we will continue to provide the highest level of service and results possible. And for those who rely heavily on our online article library and resource centre, fear not, as plans are being made to ensure that all of the information found on the Strategic Connections inc. website will be available to all as in the past.
Here’s a little bit about the two organizations:
Nicky Fried Consulting Inc is dedicated to translating strategy and change so that it is meaningful and relevant to all employees.
We will help our clients to achieve better business results because their employees will understand the journey the company is on and the role they play in support of its success.
Milloy Management Consulting Inc will focus on supporting senior level leadership teams to identify and proactively pursue strategic programs that lead to competitive advantage through effective planning, communication and engagement.
We have had a blast in Strategic Connections and would like to thank all of you we've come in contact with. We are very excited about the next leg of the journey.
Here is my contact information. Have a look at my website, give me a call or send me an email. I'd like your input to develop and grow my new venture.
Website: www.nickyfried.com
Phone: 604.831.5692
Email at nicky.fried@telus.net
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Accountability is engagement
Do you have 45 minutes? Pick up a copy of John G. Miller’s QBQ: The Question behind the question. http://ping.fm/cBNx9 . It’s all about personal accountability.
Miller believes the answers are in the questions. He has a simple formula for taking accountability:
• Ask What and How questions
• Use I in the sentence
• Make the sentence action orientated.
E.g. What can I do to improve our relationship with marketing.
Imagine working in an organization where people functioned like that!
Miller believes the answers are in the questions. He has a simple formula for taking accountability:
• Ask What and How questions
• Use I in the sentence
• Make the sentence action orientated.
E.g. What can I do to improve our relationship with marketing.
Imagine working in an organization where people functioned like that!
Lack of personal accountability at United Airlines. http://ping.fm/Fqyd4 v=5YGc4zOqozo&feature=PlayList&p=2772A63434557B0E&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=82 Customers notice when employees aren’t engaged.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The customer rules
In hard times the customer rules! Check out this Globe and Mail article http://ping.fm/HH6nl
Friday, July 3, 2009
Employee shows the way to get the job done
Check it out! SW Airlines employee - gets the job done his way. http://ping.fm/gmYQD
Friday, June 26, 2009
Ten most common mistakes CEOs make in communicating strategy
been six months of hard work, time and energy, the results are outstanding and you and your executive are looking forward to seeing your strategic plan implemented. Nine months down the road you are disappointed and frustrated. The new plan is not having the results you would like to see.
Employees don’t seem to understand or care. It’s a great plan but it’s not getting any traction.You are not alone. Seventy percent of change plans fail, not because they aren’t good, but because the people who must execute them don’t feel engaged. To fully engage employees you will need to actively communicate.
Here are the 10 most common mistakes CEOs make in communicating strategy:
1. Not having an engagement/communication plan. Any important initiative needs a plan. You have put a lot of effort into the development so make sure an equal amount goes into the execution.
Solution: Work with your communication team to develop a clear plan that targets different groups and maps out strategies, tactics and messages.
2. Leaving it up to someone else. You own the plan. No one else has the same passion for it. How can you expect them to communicate as effectively as you?
Solution: Show you are committed and get out and communicate. Your employees will respond to your passion and understand this is important to the organization, through your behaviour. You need to be a key tactic in the communication plan. You are after all the Chief Engagement Officer!
3. Trying to be someone else in communicating the plan. Don’t try and communicate in a style that doesn’t work to your best advantage.
Solution: Use your personal style to your advantage in communicating to staff. If you are an outstanding one-on-one communicator then set up a series of meetings that allow you to communicate in this way.
4. Not taking time to simplify the message so everyone can understand it. Remember only you and the executive worked on it for six months.
Solution: Work with your communication department to create key messages and graphics that clarify and communicate the plan so everyone can understand and relate to it.
5. Sending out the same message to everyone. Different areas will need to interpret the strategic plan in different ways.
Solution: Personalize your message to different departments so that they can begin the work of interpreting it for their area.
6. Not being available to answer questions about the plan. This is not about telling – it’s about engaging and helping people understand their role in the plan.
Solution: If you are holding group meetings, assign a large portion of session for questions. Host a blog where people can interact with you. Cancel appointments and open your door to employees.
7. Not making your communication objectives clear to managers on how they must communicate the plan to their employees.
Solution: Set clear and measurable communication objectives for managers on communicating e.g. “the plan will be communicated to all your staff by July 15”.
8. Not supporting managers with appropriate materials so they can communicate to their staff.
Solution: Develop discussion guides and Q/As so managers can fully discuss the strategic plan and help employees understand how they support it.
9. Not measuring the success of communication throughout the organization. How do you know your efforts are working?
Solution: Phone surveys to random employees to see if they have been communicated to and understand the gist of the communication.
10. Not communicating early wins. Employees need to see the new behaviours in action so they can understand what they need to do.
Solution: Know who your early adopters are and make sure their successes are fully communicated.
Employees don’t seem to understand or care. It’s a great plan but it’s not getting any traction.You are not alone. Seventy percent of change plans fail, not because they aren’t good, but because the people who must execute them don’t feel engaged. To fully engage employees you will need to actively communicate.
Here are the 10 most common mistakes CEOs make in communicating strategy:
1. Not having an engagement/communication plan. Any important initiative needs a plan. You have put a lot of effort into the development so make sure an equal amount goes into the execution.
Solution: Work with your communication team to develop a clear plan that targets different groups and maps out strategies, tactics and messages.
2. Leaving it up to someone else. You own the plan. No one else has the same passion for it. How can you expect them to communicate as effectively as you?
Solution: Show you are committed and get out and communicate. Your employees will respond to your passion and understand this is important to the organization, through your behaviour. You need to be a key tactic in the communication plan. You are after all the Chief Engagement Officer!
3. Trying to be someone else in communicating the plan. Don’t try and communicate in a style that doesn’t work to your best advantage.
Solution: Use your personal style to your advantage in communicating to staff. If you are an outstanding one-on-one communicator then set up a series of meetings that allow you to communicate in this way.
4. Not taking time to simplify the message so everyone can understand it. Remember only you and the executive worked on it for six months.
Solution: Work with your communication department to create key messages and graphics that clarify and communicate the plan so everyone can understand and relate to it.
5. Sending out the same message to everyone. Different areas will need to interpret the strategic plan in different ways.
Solution: Personalize your message to different departments so that they can begin the work of interpreting it for their area.
6. Not being available to answer questions about the plan. This is not about telling – it’s about engaging and helping people understand their role in the plan.
Solution: If you are holding group meetings, assign a large portion of session for questions. Host a blog where people can interact with you. Cancel appointments and open your door to employees.
7. Not making your communication objectives clear to managers on how they must communicate the plan to their employees.
Solution: Set clear and measurable communication objectives for managers on communicating e.g. “the plan will be communicated to all your staff by July 15”.
8. Not supporting managers with appropriate materials so they can communicate to their staff.
Solution: Develop discussion guides and Q/As so managers can fully discuss the strategic plan and help employees understand how they support it.
9. Not measuring the success of communication throughout the organization. How do you know your efforts are working?
Solution: Phone surveys to random employees to see if they have been communicated to and understand the gist of the communication.
10. Not communicating early wins. Employees need to see the new behaviours in action so they can understand what they need to do.
Solution: Know who your early adopters are and make sure their successes are fully communicated.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Peter Gruber on sharing stories to engage and communicate effectively
Here’s a great interview on storytelling with one of the masters, Peter Gruber, chairman of the Mandalay Entertainment Group.
Gruber maintains that we are all wired to tell stories.
Language is an organizing principle for human cultures and allows us to communicate values. We are not wired to remember information; only when it is embedded in story does it become memorable and actionable.
According to Gruber every great leaders is a storyteller, and it’s the stories leaders tell that move our hearts and excite people to action. Story makes people apostles and moves them to tell others. He reminds us that when if we tell people to move to the door – they don’t, but if we yell ‘fire’ - which is in essence a story – they run for the door.
Gruber talks about control and the viral nature of story, suggesting that control is in fact illusionary. He suggests that through story we provide the navigational stakes and the emotional connection and let others take and retell our stories.
Gruber maintains that we are all wired to tell stories.
Language is an organizing principle for human cultures and allows us to communicate values. We are not wired to remember information; only when it is embedded in story does it become memorable and actionable.
According to Gruber every great leaders is a storyteller, and it’s the stories leaders tell that move our hearts and excite people to action. Story makes people apostles and moves them to tell others. He reminds us that when if we tell people to move to the door – they don’t, but if we yell ‘fire’ - which is in essence a story – they run for the door.
Gruber talks about control and the viral nature of story, suggesting that control is in fact illusionary. He suggests that through story we provide the navigational stakes and the emotional connection and let others take and retell our stories.
Feathers are soft: communication is a hard core management skill
Recently I came across Ten Tips on how to help your employees manage change in uncertain times from Towers Perrin. It’s good sensible advice like, have a strategy for uncertain times and communicate your strategy effectively. And, help employees understand the context they function within, let them know they area valued and give them an opportunity to air concerns. Have a look at them – I’m sure you will find them useful.
What intrigued me was the fact that the majority of the tips are communication related. We know that organizations that practice effective internal communication financially outperform those that don’t; up to 29.5% increase in market value and 50% higher shareholder returns. Impressive!
I don’t know why people call communication a ‘soft’ skill. Soft suggests something lightweight – like feathers. And feathers have a horrible habit of flying all over the place and being difficult to catch. I like to believe that we can be more targeted and deliberate with our communications. My business partner refers to communication as a fundamental management skill - a far more appropriate term, don’t you think?
What intrigued me was the fact that the majority of the tips are communication related. We know that organizations that practice effective internal communication financially outperform those that don’t; up to 29.5% increase in market value and 50% higher shareholder returns. Impressive!
I don’t know why people call communication a ‘soft’ skill. Soft suggests something lightweight – like feathers. And feathers have a horrible habit of flying all over the place and being difficult to catch. I like to believe that we can be more targeted and deliberate with our communications. My business partner refers to communication as a fundamental management skill - a far more appropriate term, don’t you think?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
People are more precious than machines
I had the pleasure of hearing Paul Herr speak today. His book Primal Management was published last month.
Paul’s focus is natural management. This is a management strategy that respects human nature and strives to align the workplace with the motivational survival-mechanism nature built into each of our brains.
I’d like to share with you one of Paul’s analogies - I found it quite powerful.
If you purchased a $5 million piece of equipment for your organization you would likely look after it. You would have dedicated technicians to watch over it, and you would have sensors in place to track and ensure it functioned within established parameters.
Do we do the same for human beings? No we do not!
And yet we should. A Brookings Institute study found that nearly 85% of a company’s assets are related to intangible capital tied up in knowledge and human talent. Our employees truly are our greatest asset and we are all quite willing to admit as much. But we need to go beyond the words. Why is this so difficult? I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Paul’s focus is natural management. This is a management strategy that respects human nature and strives to align the workplace with the motivational survival-mechanism nature built into each of our brains.
I’d like to share with you one of Paul’s analogies - I found it quite powerful.
If you purchased a $5 million piece of equipment for your organization you would likely look after it. You would have dedicated technicians to watch over it, and you would have sensors in place to track and ensure it functioned within established parameters.
Do we do the same for human beings? No we do not!
And yet we should. A Brookings Institute study found that nearly 85% of a company’s assets are related to intangible capital tied up in knowledge and human talent. Our employees truly are our greatest asset and we are all quite willing to admit as much. But we need to go beyond the words. Why is this so difficult? I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Why people and engagement matter
This video was first produced in 2007. I came across it in my files and was reminded of why I feel so strongly about what I do, and the importance of engaging employees in the organizational journey. I hope you enjoy it.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Facilitate leader communications for engaged employees
Imagine every manager in your organization fully understanding the communication role they play within the organization? And now imagine those managers with all the necessary tools and process at hand to be highly effective communicators?
My friend and client, Susan, who heads up internal communication for a financial institution, is doing just that and creating communication leaders within her company.
Susan has documented all the communication processes from the point of view of the manager. In addition she has developed a series of simple tools to help leaders take control of those processes in their areas. She is sharing this material in management meetings throughout the organization, and empowering managers to take control of the communication process.
Twenty years ago communicators produced the goods. Today we facilitate the discussion and it’s an exciting place to be.
My friend and client, Susan, who heads up internal communication for a financial institution, is doing just that and creating communication leaders within her company.
Susan has documented all the communication processes from the point of view of the manager. In addition she has developed a series of simple tools to help leaders take control of those processes in their areas. She is sharing this material in management meetings throughout the organization, and empowering managers to take control of the communication process.
Twenty years ago communicators produced the goods. Today we facilitate the discussion and it’s an exciting place to be.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Saying thank you still the best way to engage
I am in the process of developing a Webinar on leadership communications. There are a number of cool things about the technology, such as being able to hold random polls at any point during the presentation, share multiple documents, work on a whiteboard as a group and surf the web. But my favourite is the thumbs up button. How wonderful to be able to give on the spot praise, something we are short on in our culture. We spend vast fortunes on reward and recognition programs when the most effective and well received strategy is to say “well done” right there and then. Cost to the organization: $0, payback: priceless!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Engage employees by being present in your communications
Great excitement yesterday in our home. My 16 year old, a keen student of the social sciences, went off to the Provincial Legislature to observe democracy in action. She said it was hilarious. “Why?” I asked. “Were the members of the house at one another’s throats.”
Apparently not; one was having a nap, most were busy on their Blackberries – though many were just playing games. My daughter was somewhat indignant – not because of her concern for tax dollar misuse - but rather because the person who was speaking did not have the attention of the house. And she is quite right to be outraged. When we do not pay attention to humans we dismiss them – which may well have been the intent at yesterday’s session.
I remember once sitting with a senior leadership team and one of the leaders was working away on his Blackberry while the CEO was speaking. Apparently he does this with his own staff. The engagement scores within his group are abysmal.
Technology is wonderful it allows us to connect in many more and exciting ways. But we should remember to present in all our connections. If we try and be everywhere at once, we end up being nowhere and sending the message that we do not care.
Apparently not; one was having a nap, most were busy on their Blackberries – though many were just playing games. My daughter was somewhat indignant – not because of her concern for tax dollar misuse - but rather because the person who was speaking did not have the attention of the house. And she is quite right to be outraged. When we do not pay attention to humans we dismiss them – which may well have been the intent at yesterday’s session.
I remember once sitting with a senior leadership team and one of the leaders was working away on his Blackberry while the CEO was speaking. Apparently he does this with his own staff. The engagement scores within his group are abysmal.
Technology is wonderful it allows us to connect in many more and exciting ways. But we should remember to present in all our connections. If we try and be everywhere at once, we end up being nowhere and sending the message that we do not care.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Employee passion - is it being directed toward work?
On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a multi-cultural choral performance featuring choirs from the Italian, Chinese and Jewish communities here in Vancouver. The finale involved all 160 voices singing songs from the three traditions.
It was a remarkable performance – and of a quality that one would expect from internationally acclaimed groups. And yet it was put together and performed by volunteers, ordinary folk; possibly the man or woman in the cubicle next door to yours. These people gave up their free time to give something astonishing back to their communities. Sometimes the effort was considerable - I know because my husband was one of the organizers.
I can’t help but wonder if the organizations these people work for understand the fabulous talent they employ – and I’m not talking about the ability to sing. What if these people gave just some of the passion they put into their singing, to their work?
It’s a question I can’t fully answer. But given what I saw over the weekend it would seem that a little bit of effort on the part of organizations to involve and enthuse employees would probably be more then worth its weight in gold. Performance improvement is in our people!
It was a remarkable performance – and of a quality that one would expect from internationally acclaimed groups. And yet it was put together and performed by volunteers, ordinary folk; possibly the man or woman in the cubicle next door to yours. These people gave up their free time to give something astonishing back to their communities. Sometimes the effort was considerable - I know because my husband was one of the organizers.
I can’t help but wonder if the organizations these people work for understand the fabulous talent they employ – and I’m not talking about the ability to sing. What if these people gave just some of the passion they put into their singing, to their work?
It’s a question I can’t fully answer. But given what I saw over the weekend it would seem that a little bit of effort on the part of organizations to involve and enthuse employees would probably be more then worth its weight in gold. Performance improvement is in our people!
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