1. Describe your strengths as a Consultant and Executive Coach?
It is always challenging to speak about oneself. So here we go. I believe that my strengths lie in my capacity to connect with a wide range of people. I have a genuine curiosity about people that enables me to find a point of connection. I think that being able to listen deeply to people helps me enormously in my work as a coach and facilitator. In terms of my approach as a Consultant and Executive Coach I believe that I am collaborative and appropriately challenging and endeavour to walk alongside people as they work towards their goals. I find that doing this work is an enormous privilege and I learn a great deal in the process.
2. What’s your most memorable workshop you’ve conducted and why?
Each workshop holds some memorable element of learning for me. However the most recent workshop I conducted that was most memorable involved facilitating a team in conflict. The reasons it was memorable for me was that it reinforced the absolute importance of creating a safe space for people to be heard and validated as the first step towards healing differences and resolving conflict.
3. What are your thoughts on Leadership for the future?
In my view responsibility for Leadership for the future lies with each one of us. I believe it is incumbent on each one of us to take responsibility to exercise leadership in our own lives and in whatever situation or circumstance we find ourselves and also to encourage each other to take up the mantle of leadership as events or opportunities require.
4. If you could invite 5 people to dinner, who would they be?
This is a hard question to answer as there are many fascinating people that I would like to invite to dinner. Of course I would love to spend an evening with the newly elected President of the USA and the very inspiring First Lady. I have had a long standing interest in politically troubled Timor Leste or East Timor and the current and second President Jose Ramos-Horta. He shared the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize with Bishop Ximenes Belo for their tireless fight against the oppression of the “small people”. In 2008 he survived an assassination attempt and was flown to Darwin for treatment. Then there is the father of anti-apartheid in South Africa the most esteemed Nelson Mandela. Lastly I would want to invite my partner James so that we could share the experience for many years on.
5. Who is the Leader that inspires you and why?
I have been inspired by many people and not all of them who would be readily identifiable as Leaders. However there is a Western Australian, Sir Ronald Wilson who died in 2005 whose humility and quiet determination inspired me. His desire for the wider Australian community to better understand the history of indigenous Australians led him to work and travel widely well after retirement. He co-authored the 1997 Stolen Generation report which resulted in the establishment of National Sorry Day and culminated in the remarkable Reconciliation walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge which involved some 400,000 people and thousands more participating across Australia.
6. If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 items would you like with you?
I would want my MP3 player so that I could listen to my favourite music and of course podcasts of ABC Radio National especially my favourite program Late Night Live with Phillip Adams; a copy of Richard Rohr’s book Everything Belongs and snorkeling gear to explore the hidden magic of the island’s waters.
Change is inevitable, be prepared for it
One thing that is constant is change! Businesses the world over continually need to change and transform to stay competitive. Apple, originally a computer company, now makes most of its revenue from iTunes, mobile phones and application downloads. Hewlett Packard was a scientific equipment company and is now one of the biggest providers of quality printers.
With the economic turnaround, W. A. businesses have to once again attract and retain staff. They also have to understand Asian markets and business practices. The challenge for today’s leader is to ensure that their business remains agile enough to meet the challenges while also remaining consistent enough to deliver the day-to-day customer demands.
Many organisations implement change and hope that managers and employees will get it right with little training or coaching. Research, however, indicates that one to two thirds of major change initiatives are either failures or have made the situation worse. A sign over an employee’s desk summarises this; below a picture of Clint Eastwood holding a Magnum 45 revolver were the words: “Go ahead, make one more change!” With organisational stakes so high it is imperative that change is managed as effectively as possible.
Two factors that contribute to successful change are 1) a planned approach to change and 2) leaders who are skilled in implementing change.
Using an ‘Integral Change Management’ planning model has led to successful implementation of change in private organisations, local and state governments. These changes have dealt with IT, downsizing, restructuring and moving to central locations and shared services.
The steps in the Integral Change Management approach include:
1. Pressure for Change: Pressure to change can come from the customer, legal, or financial areas.
2. Clear Shared Vision: leaders need to communicate and involve employees in a worthwhile shared vision for them to feel motivated and part of the change
3. Strategic Goals and Aligned Systems: The overall goals must be clear and the systems aligned.
4. Capacity for Change: people need the skills, attitude, resources and time to carry out the change.
5. Actionable Steps and Targets: Actionable steps must be set out right from the start and have clear targets and timelines.
6. Model the Way: Leaders must ‘walk the talk’ and become excellent examples of the behaviours and actions they want to occur.
7. Reinforce and Solidify Change: reward and recognize the change so that people feel that they are doing the right thing and are appreciated for it.
8. Evaluate and Improve: The change must be evaluated and improved during and at the end.
Having a ‘Change Team’ comprised of key influential people in management and ‘Change Champions’ from the workforce provides a major catalyst for change. It is also necessary to keep in touch with the attitudes and morale of individuals and teams so that negativity and doubts can be managed.
Recent research carried out by change expert Ann Gilley showed six key leadership skills that result in successful change.
1. Communicating – providing the right information at the right time
2. Motivating – inspiring and finding the right ways to motivate staff
3. Involving and Supporting – getting employees involved and supporting them
4. Coaching – leaders who can assist their teams to improve their resilience will positively enhance organisational success
5. Promoting Teamwork and Collaboration – teamwork has a significant impact on people’s ability to change
6. Rewarding – getting reward and recognition right is an important component of managing change, especially with the Australian Tall Poppy syndrome.
There is also evidence that shows that leaders that have received coaching through times of change are more successful in implementing change.
To implement change successfully it is imperative that leaders follow a good change management plan and that they have the right skills. Not having these two ingredients may result in changes you don’t want!
ENDS
PUBLISHED IN WA BUSINESS NEWS, 13-19 MAY p. 20
Dr Ron Cacioppe is the Managing Director of Integral Development, one of Perth’s most unique and experienced leadership and management consultancies. Lynda Folan is a senior consultant specialising in leadership and organisation development.
strategy | leadership | consulting | surveys | coaching | sustainability
+61 (8) 9242 8122 | admin@integral.org.au | www.integral.org.au
With the economic turnaround, W. A. businesses have to once again attract and retain staff. They also have to understand Asian markets and business practices. The challenge for today’s leader is to ensure that their business remains agile enough to meet the challenges while also remaining consistent enough to deliver the day-to-day customer demands.
Many organisations implement change and hope that managers and employees will get it right with little training or coaching. Research, however, indicates that one to two thirds of major change initiatives are either failures or have made the situation worse. A sign over an employee’s desk summarises this; below a picture of Clint Eastwood holding a Magnum 45 revolver were the words: “Go ahead, make one more change!” With organisational stakes so high it is imperative that change is managed as effectively as possible.
Two factors that contribute to successful change are 1) a planned approach to change and 2) leaders who are skilled in implementing change.
Using an ‘Integral Change Management’ planning model has led to successful implementation of change in private organisations, local and state governments. These changes have dealt with IT, downsizing, restructuring and moving to central locations and shared services.
The steps in the Integral Change Management approach include:
1. Pressure for Change: Pressure to change can come from the customer, legal, or financial areas.
2. Clear Shared Vision: leaders need to communicate and involve employees in a worthwhile shared vision for them to feel motivated and part of the change
3. Strategic Goals and Aligned Systems: The overall goals must be clear and the systems aligned.
4. Capacity for Change: people need the skills, attitude, resources and time to carry out the change.
5. Actionable Steps and Targets: Actionable steps must be set out right from the start and have clear targets and timelines.
6. Model the Way: Leaders must ‘walk the talk’ and become excellent examples of the behaviours and actions they want to occur.
7. Reinforce and Solidify Change: reward and recognize the change so that people feel that they are doing the right thing and are appreciated for it.
8. Evaluate and Improve: The change must be evaluated and improved during and at the end.
Having a ‘Change Team’ comprised of key influential people in management and ‘Change Champions’ from the workforce provides a major catalyst for change. It is also necessary to keep in touch with the attitudes and morale of individuals and teams so that negativity and doubts can be managed.
Recent research carried out by change expert Ann Gilley showed six key leadership skills that result in successful change.
1. Communicating – providing the right information at the right time
2. Motivating – inspiring and finding the right ways to motivate staff
3. Involving and Supporting – getting employees involved and supporting them
4. Coaching – leaders who can assist their teams to improve their resilience will positively enhance organisational success
5. Promoting Teamwork and Collaboration – teamwork has a significant impact on people’s ability to change
6. Rewarding – getting reward and recognition right is an important component of managing change, especially with the Australian Tall Poppy syndrome.
There is also evidence that shows that leaders that have received coaching through times of change are more successful in implementing change.
To implement change successfully it is imperative that leaders follow a good change management plan and that they have the right skills. Not having these two ingredients may result in changes you don’t want!
ENDS
PUBLISHED IN WA BUSINESS NEWS, 13-19 MAY p. 20
Dr Ron Cacioppe is the Managing Director of Integral Development, one of Perth’s most unique and experienced leadership and management consultancies. Lynda Folan is a senior consultant specialising in leadership and organisation development.
strategy | leadership | consulting | surveys | coaching | sustainability
+61 (8) 9242 8122 | admin@integral.org.au | www.integral.org.au
Suppliers - Your Competitive Advantage?
Edward Deeming, originator of the quality movement said that quality companies would treat suppliers as partners. The Body Shop had genuine partnership with its trucking company and even shared its profit with the company which resulted in exceptional performance and a reliable delivery service to their shops – a competitive advantage.
Many companies profess to treat their suppliers, consultants and contractors as partners but in reality, few do. Some organisations demand the most out of their supplier but pay as little as possible. Others insist they are ‘the Customer’ and require suppliers to meet strict demands or go to other providers if they don’t. Others behave in a dismissive way to suppliers and contractors.
Some companies, however, consider their suppliers, contractors and consultants as partners and treat them with respect and fairness. While this seems a logical way to work with suppliers, in my experience, it rarely happens, and yet it can provide a competitive advantage if a company treats its suppliers well.
Here is how to turn your provider relationships into a competitive advantage;
1. Keep to your word, appointments and timelines: Some companies provide little notice on changing their appointments and obligations. Remember, the time of your contractors and consultants is as valuable as your own. Expect suppliers to live up to their promises and also keep your own word and promises.
2. Live your Company values: Most organisations have values that they want all of their staff to work by. These usually include; integrity, respect, teamwork, care for the environment, and so on. Apply these values to your providers just as you would to your own staff. If an organisation was genuine with its values it would treat their suppliers in the same way as they treat their CEO and owners. Treat each supplier fairly when deciding on new work and aim to ensure all potential suppliers are offered the same opportunities as those you currently work with (and possibly favour).
3. Provide relevant, truthful feedback to suppliers: It costs a lot of time, effort and money to put in a proposal and suppliers don’t mind this if they can learn and improve their chances. Often organisations provide little more than a standard letter saying that your proposal was unsuccessful. Be open with your supplier, where possible, providing them with honest feedback. The same applies to a supplier who makes a mistake – help them improve by pointing out where they went wrong.
4. Pay suppliers on time: Some companies pay suppliers’ invoices very late. Suppliers work harder for companies that pay them on time.
5. Give Proper Time for Tenders and Proposal: Give adequate time for suppliers to respond to your requests. Also, ensure the right people are available to answer any questions.
6. Conduct a survey of your suppliers: Ask your providers to rate you on key factors like courtesy, payment, clarity of requests, fairness in selection of contracts, knowledge of their business, integrity, etc. You might be surprised by the results; your suppliers are probably already telling people about how your organisation is to deal with, so you might as well learn firsthand.
Companies may not be ready to replace the saying; “Our Customers Come First” with “Our Suppliers Come First’. ‘Suppliers are Our Partners”, however, might be a useful first step on the road to achieving competitive advantage through outstanding supplier relationships.
ENDS…
Dr Ron Cacioppe is the Managing Director of Integral Development, one of Perth’s most unique and experienced leadership and management consultancies. Ron is also Adjunct Professor at Curtin’s Australian Sustainable Development Institute.
Strategy| Leadership| People Development | Consulting | Coaching | Surveys | Sustainability
+61 (8) 9242 8122 | admin@integral.org.au | www.integral.org.au
Many companies profess to treat their suppliers, consultants and contractors as partners but in reality, few do. Some organisations demand the most out of their supplier but pay as little as possible. Others insist they are ‘the Customer’ and require suppliers to meet strict demands or go to other providers if they don’t. Others behave in a dismissive way to suppliers and contractors.
Some companies, however, consider their suppliers, contractors and consultants as partners and treat them with respect and fairness. While this seems a logical way to work with suppliers, in my experience, it rarely happens, and yet it can provide a competitive advantage if a company treats its suppliers well.
Here is how to turn your provider relationships into a competitive advantage;
1. Keep to your word, appointments and timelines: Some companies provide little notice on changing their appointments and obligations. Remember, the time of your contractors and consultants is as valuable as your own. Expect suppliers to live up to their promises and also keep your own word and promises.
2. Live your Company values: Most organisations have values that they want all of their staff to work by. These usually include; integrity, respect, teamwork, care for the environment, and so on. Apply these values to your providers just as you would to your own staff. If an organisation was genuine with its values it would treat their suppliers in the same way as they treat their CEO and owners. Treat each supplier fairly when deciding on new work and aim to ensure all potential suppliers are offered the same opportunities as those you currently work with (and possibly favour).
3. Provide relevant, truthful feedback to suppliers: It costs a lot of time, effort and money to put in a proposal and suppliers don’t mind this if they can learn and improve their chances. Often organisations provide little more than a standard letter saying that your proposal was unsuccessful. Be open with your supplier, where possible, providing them with honest feedback. The same applies to a supplier who makes a mistake – help them improve by pointing out where they went wrong.
4. Pay suppliers on time: Some companies pay suppliers’ invoices very late. Suppliers work harder for companies that pay them on time.
5. Give Proper Time for Tenders and Proposal: Give adequate time for suppliers to respond to your requests. Also, ensure the right people are available to answer any questions.
6. Conduct a survey of your suppliers: Ask your providers to rate you on key factors like courtesy, payment, clarity of requests, fairness in selection of contracts, knowledge of their business, integrity, etc. You might be surprised by the results; your suppliers are probably already telling people about how your organisation is to deal with, so you might as well learn firsthand.
Companies may not be ready to replace the saying; “Our Customers Come First” with “Our Suppliers Come First’. ‘Suppliers are Our Partners”, however, might be a useful first step on the road to achieving competitive advantage through outstanding supplier relationships.
ENDS…
Dr Ron Cacioppe is the Managing Director of Integral Development, one of Perth’s most unique and experienced leadership and management consultancies. Ron is also Adjunct Professor at Curtin’s Australian Sustainable Development Institute.
Strategy| Leadership| People Development | Consulting | Coaching | Surveys | Sustainability
+61 (8) 9242 8122 | admin@integral.org.au | www.integral.org.au
Flight Correction Skills Vital for Business
Research has shown that 70 per cent of airplane accidents are caused by human error. An even more startling fact is that 50 per cent of these mishaps happen when crews are together for the first time. In 1977, KLM Flight 4805 collided with a Pan Am 747 on a runaway on the island of Tenerife. More than 580 people were killed when KLM’s Captain Jacob Van Zanten, a highly experienced captain with an impeccable safety record, took off without runway clearance because he was running late. The flight box recording showed that his co-pilot warned him that they did not have runway clearance but he did not challenge Van Zanten’s decision because he was hesitant to challenge the captain’s authority. This crash has resulted in many airlines putting in place Crew Resource Management (CRM) training to help staff constructively question decisions and actions made on the flight deck.
While most companies have systems in place to check and recheck actions that could lead to accidents, people often find it hard to question their supervisor or manager’s behaviour, not only in regard to safety but also in business decisions and actions that affect customers, staff and the success of the business. Often people who have lower positions; are younger; women; timid or from minority cultures are less likely to speak up.
We like to be liked and it is very hard to tell our co-workers that they are doing something wrong. It’s even harder to tell our supervisory manager that he or she doesn’t have it right.
Here are some ways to help staff gain the confidence to constructively question decisions:
• For important decisions bring in an external objective facilitator who will encourage open communication between all levels of staff.
• Encourage those who aren’t comfortable challenging leadership by praising them when they put up a good argument. I once worked with a very competent but shy lady who would refrain from challenging others when she didn’t agree with them. Over time she was encouraged and praised for contributing ideas and she gained enough confidence to win arguments, some with the CEO.
• Encourage staff to ask questions when managers give them tasks such as: “Can you clarify that for me?” “When do you need this by?” Do you want me to decide on this without checking back with you and if you want this by tomorrow; are you ok for me to delay the other project you have given me?”
• Have your staff or management meetings conducted by somebody other than you. You can also ask a group to explore an issue without you and come up with a final recommendation to present to you.
• We have modified three steps from the CRM airline training process that can be used by staff to question and challenge another person:
1. State a fact that is causing concern: “The project will not be able to meet the November 15th deadline at this rate.”
2. The second step is to ask a question. Use a person’s name to get their attention: “Jim, do you think it would be useful to check that the other alliance partners can make their commitments on this date?”
3. These two first steps may need to be repeated but if they are not successful then a third step is necessary which states the consequences and suggests tangible solutions, such as: “Jim, I am sure that we are not going to meet the November 15th date and the clients need to know this. If you don’t inform them by next Tuesday, we will incur substantial penalties and more time delays.”
While these are not easy conversations, they can help avoid crashes due to poor management decisions, project problems and many every day problems. As our businesses begin to take off again in the Australian economy, it would be useful to teach yourself and your staff, flight corrections skills.
ENDS
PUBLISHED IN WA BUSINESS NEWS, 2010
Dr Ron Cacioppe is the Managing Director of Integral Development, one of Perth’s most unique and experienced leadership and management consultancies. Ron is also Adjunct Professor at Curtin’s Australian Sustainable Development Institute.
strategy | leadership | consulting | surveys | coaching | sustainability
+61 (8) 9242 8122 | admin@integral.org.au | www.integral.org.au
While most companies have systems in place to check and recheck actions that could lead to accidents, people often find it hard to question their supervisor or manager’s behaviour, not only in regard to safety but also in business decisions and actions that affect customers, staff and the success of the business. Often people who have lower positions; are younger; women; timid or from minority cultures are less likely to speak up.
We like to be liked and it is very hard to tell our co-workers that they are doing something wrong. It’s even harder to tell our supervisory manager that he or she doesn’t have it right.
Here are some ways to help staff gain the confidence to constructively question decisions:
• For important decisions bring in an external objective facilitator who will encourage open communication between all levels of staff.
• Encourage those who aren’t comfortable challenging leadership by praising them when they put up a good argument. I once worked with a very competent but shy lady who would refrain from challenging others when she didn’t agree with them. Over time she was encouraged and praised for contributing ideas and she gained enough confidence to win arguments, some with the CEO.
• Encourage staff to ask questions when managers give them tasks such as: “Can you clarify that for me?” “When do you need this by?” Do you want me to decide on this without checking back with you and if you want this by tomorrow; are you ok for me to delay the other project you have given me?”
• Have your staff or management meetings conducted by somebody other than you. You can also ask a group to explore an issue without you and come up with a final recommendation to present to you.
• We have modified three steps from the CRM airline training process that can be used by staff to question and challenge another person:
1. State a fact that is causing concern: “The project will not be able to meet the November 15th deadline at this rate.”
2. The second step is to ask a question. Use a person’s name to get their attention: “Jim, do you think it would be useful to check that the other alliance partners can make their commitments on this date?”
3. These two first steps may need to be repeated but if they are not successful then a third step is necessary which states the consequences and suggests tangible solutions, such as: “Jim, I am sure that we are not going to meet the November 15th date and the clients need to know this. If you don’t inform them by next Tuesday, we will incur substantial penalties and more time delays.”
While these are not easy conversations, they can help avoid crashes due to poor management decisions, project problems and many every day problems. As our businesses begin to take off again in the Australian economy, it would be useful to teach yourself and your staff, flight corrections skills.
ENDS
PUBLISHED IN WA BUSINESS NEWS, 2010
Dr Ron Cacioppe is the Managing Director of Integral Development, one of Perth’s most unique and experienced leadership and management consultancies. Ron is also Adjunct Professor at Curtin’s Australian Sustainable Development Institute.
strategy | leadership | consulting | surveys | coaching | sustainability
+61 (8) 9242 8122 | admin@integral.org.au | www.integral.org.au
Q&A: An Interview with Lynda Folan
1. Describe your personality
I think if I were to ask others they would describe me as an outgoing, energetic person who generally has an opinion about most things. The person that I have become has been hugely influenced by the fact that I have lived on three different continents and have travelled to over 85 countries. Personally I would describe myself as someone with a love of life and a strong belief that we make our own success.
2. What are your strengths as a consultant?
Having spent most of my career in international executive roles I believe that I have the ability to offer broad based strategic thinking coupled with pragmatic realism of what works and does not work in business. As a consultant my strength lies in energising and enthusing individuals, teams and organisations to go beyond their own expectations and to look for new possibilities. With an academic background in Organisational Psychology I have a strong leaning towards a deeper psychological perspective on business issues.
3. What's the most memorable workshop you've conducted and why?
I guess the most memorable workshop I can recall was one that was conducted on an ocean liner out to sea. The workshop happened to take place in the middle of a massive storm. Delegates were turning green and running from the conference room at regular intervals. This was rather off putting to say the least. We were asked to continue with the workshop through the storm so it was just as well that I did not give in to sea sickness. The final straw was when someone did not make it out the room in time, at which point I called it a day.
4. Where do you see Integral Development in 5 years time?
My vision for the business would be for it to be unique in the market place providing leading edge development that enhances business outcomes for its clients. I also personally value being part of a strong united community of people who are leading the way in relation to holistic business and individual development.
5. What are your thoughts on Leadership for the future?
The more I work with leaders, from diverse cultures across a range of organisations, the more I realise that the issues that they face are fundamentally the same. The message that is loud and clear is that leadership comes from within and the future of leadership will be more and more focused on the internal aspects of leadership. As people across the world awake to the knowledge that they are the owners of their future ,they will start to focus on what really makes a difference, the ‘I’ underneath the job title or the label that they are know by.
6. If you could invite 5 people to dinner who would they be?
Nelson Mandela for his ability to forgive unconditionally and inspire a whole nation.
Charles Handy for his incredible insight into organisations and the people within them.
Steven Covey because he has managed to capture a whole generation with his teachings on Leadership.
Maharishi Mahesh for his gift of Transcendental Mediation.
My five year old son Matthew because he keeps me grounded and has the amazing ability of a child to say it as it is.
7. Who is a leader that inspires you, and why?
Richard Branson is a leader who I admire immensely. He is a massively successful entrepreneur and business man with an energetic and inspirational style. The reason that I think he is inspirational is that alongside this huge success he is down to earth and exudes a genuineness and respect for all. Having been lucky enough to meet him on a number of occasions I have had the opportunity to observe his natural ability to enthuse others and draws people with him.
8. If you were stranded on a desert island, what book and 2 items would you like with you?
My journal to help me stay sane, a surf board to enjoy the waves and my camera to capture the beauty of the island.
I think if I were to ask others they would describe me as an outgoing, energetic person who generally has an opinion about most things. The person that I have become has been hugely influenced by the fact that I have lived on three different continents and have travelled to over 85 countries. Personally I would describe myself as someone with a love of life and a strong belief that we make our own success.
2. What are your strengths as a consultant?
Having spent most of my career in international executive roles I believe that I have the ability to offer broad based strategic thinking coupled with pragmatic realism of what works and does not work in business. As a consultant my strength lies in energising and enthusing individuals, teams and organisations to go beyond their own expectations and to look for new possibilities. With an academic background in Organisational Psychology I have a strong leaning towards a deeper psychological perspective on business issues.
3. What's the most memorable workshop you've conducted and why?
I guess the most memorable workshop I can recall was one that was conducted on an ocean liner out to sea. The workshop happened to take place in the middle of a massive storm. Delegates were turning green and running from the conference room at regular intervals. This was rather off putting to say the least. We were asked to continue with the workshop through the storm so it was just as well that I did not give in to sea sickness. The final straw was when someone did not make it out the room in time, at which point I called it a day.
4. Where do you see Integral Development in 5 years time?
My vision for the business would be for it to be unique in the market place providing leading edge development that enhances business outcomes for its clients. I also personally value being part of a strong united community of people who are leading the way in relation to holistic business and individual development.
5. What are your thoughts on Leadership for the future?
The more I work with leaders, from diverse cultures across a range of organisations, the more I realise that the issues that they face are fundamentally the same. The message that is loud and clear is that leadership comes from within and the future of leadership will be more and more focused on the internal aspects of leadership. As people across the world awake to the knowledge that they are the owners of their future ,they will start to focus on what really makes a difference, the ‘I’ underneath the job title or the label that they are know by.
6. If you could invite 5 people to dinner who would they be?
Nelson Mandela for his ability to forgive unconditionally and inspire a whole nation.
Charles Handy for his incredible insight into organisations and the people within them.
Steven Covey because he has managed to capture a whole generation with his teachings on Leadership.
Maharishi Mahesh for his gift of Transcendental Mediation.
My five year old son Matthew because he keeps me grounded and has the amazing ability of a child to say it as it is.
7. Who is a leader that inspires you, and why?
Richard Branson is a leader who I admire immensely. He is a massively successful entrepreneur and business man with an energetic and inspirational style. The reason that I think he is inspirational is that alongside this huge success he is down to earth and exudes a genuineness and respect for all. Having been lucky enough to meet him on a number of occasions I have had the opportunity to observe his natural ability to enthuse others and draws people with him.
8. If you were stranded on a desert island, what book and 2 items would you like with you?
My journal to help me stay sane, a surf board to enjoy the waves and my camera to capture the beauty of the island.
Developing Leaders by Ron Cacioppe
With the W.A. economy accelerating, many companies are moving rapidly forward with energy and resource projects. Organisations are hiring new people and pushing their managers to complete projects on time and on budget. Dealing with technical challenges, letting of contracts, hiring manpower, managing costs, maintaining safety and environmental standards and meeting project deadlines have become their main priorities. But the factor that most results in success is often left out: developing leaders who inspire, motivate, plan strategically and manage performance of the workforce.
During this rapid growth, frontline workers are being promoted to supervisors, supervisors are promoted to middle managers and middle managers are given higher levels of responsibility often without the necessary training and support to be effective leaders. As a result, good staff leave because of poor leadership. A survey by the Australian Institute of Management found that the biggest cause of people leaving their organisation was not salary, poor work conditions, or other organisation factors but was poor management. The results were summarised as; “People don’t leave their organisations, they leave their managers.”
A study of outstanding leaders by Jay Conger, a well known expert in leadership development, showed that good leaders developed in three major ways:
1. Working for an outstanding leader provided a role model that successful leaders emulated.
2. Working for a poor leader provided clear guidelines of what not to do.
3. Being placed in a challenging situation gave leaders responsibility that moved them out of their comfort zone and tested their stamina, intellectual and emotional skills and spiritual strength.
The City of Joondalup recently ran an intensive leadership development program in which every manager was placed in challenging situations that simulated real organisational situations. Trained observers gave each person feedback at the end of each day on how well or poorly they performed and what skills they needed to become successful leaders.
One of the most effective leadership development programs is to place a group of potential leaders in a rugged natural environment which requires using their combined individual and team skills to achieve a challenging and complex mission. Just like the workplace environments, the natural environment spontaneously changes and leaders must adapt to unpredicted changing events and conditions. These outdoor adventures test and extend the limits of a person’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development.
Simon Priest, a Canadian researcher showed outdoor programs can lead to lasting benefit for the individual and the organisation if they are ‘framed’ into real issues relevant to the workplace. For example, instead of using a ‘spider-web’ problem, the outdoor challenge should be framed as the distribution problem they face at work. If a person receives feedback about themselves and guidance in learning useful leadership lessons during the adventure program, it can lead to a life changing experience. Participants often remark years later that when faced with huge barriers, challenges or adverse conditions at work, the lessons learned in these programs helped them to persevere to achieve personal and organisational success.
Does investing in leadership development matter? Does it lead to organisation benefits? Professor Barry Posner, author of The Leadership Challenge indicates that the results of over 250 studies show that outstanding leadership results in:
• Greater levels of commitment
• Greater teamwork and empowerment
• Increased productivity
• Higher performance and effectiveness
• Reduced turnover and absenteeism
A 2006 study by leadership development expert Richard Roi showed that companies with excellent leadership skills had income growth of 841% compared to companies with poor leaders which lost 49% of their income. Roi also showed that the stock price growth of companies with better leaders was up 204% versus only 79% for other companies. Another study showed that companies that invested in leadership training were more profitable during a downturn than those that didn’t.
Venturing into leadership development, therefore does matter.
* As published in WA Business News on 18 March, 2010
During this rapid growth, frontline workers are being promoted to supervisors, supervisors are promoted to middle managers and middle managers are given higher levels of responsibility often without the necessary training and support to be effective leaders. As a result, good staff leave because of poor leadership. A survey by the Australian Institute of Management found that the biggest cause of people leaving their organisation was not salary, poor work conditions, or other organisation factors but was poor management. The results were summarised as; “People don’t leave their organisations, they leave their managers.”
A study of outstanding leaders by Jay Conger, a well known expert in leadership development, showed that good leaders developed in three major ways:
1. Working for an outstanding leader provided a role model that successful leaders emulated.
2. Working for a poor leader provided clear guidelines of what not to do.
3. Being placed in a challenging situation gave leaders responsibility that moved them out of their comfort zone and tested their stamina, intellectual and emotional skills and spiritual strength.
The City of Joondalup recently ran an intensive leadership development program in which every manager was placed in challenging situations that simulated real organisational situations. Trained observers gave each person feedback at the end of each day on how well or poorly they performed and what skills they needed to become successful leaders.
One of the most effective leadership development programs is to place a group of potential leaders in a rugged natural environment which requires using their combined individual and team skills to achieve a challenging and complex mission. Just like the workplace environments, the natural environment spontaneously changes and leaders must adapt to unpredicted changing events and conditions. These outdoor adventures test and extend the limits of a person’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development.
Simon Priest, a Canadian researcher showed outdoor programs can lead to lasting benefit for the individual and the organisation if they are ‘framed’ into real issues relevant to the workplace. For example, instead of using a ‘spider-web’ problem, the outdoor challenge should be framed as the distribution problem they face at work. If a person receives feedback about themselves and guidance in learning useful leadership lessons during the adventure program, it can lead to a life changing experience. Participants often remark years later that when faced with huge barriers, challenges or adverse conditions at work, the lessons learned in these programs helped them to persevere to achieve personal and organisational success.
Does investing in leadership development matter? Does it lead to organisation benefits? Professor Barry Posner, author of The Leadership Challenge indicates that the results of over 250 studies show that outstanding leadership results in:
• Greater levels of commitment
• Greater teamwork and empowerment
• Increased productivity
• Higher performance and effectiveness
• Reduced turnover and absenteeism
A 2006 study by leadership development expert Richard Roi showed that companies with excellent leadership skills had income growth of 841% compared to companies with poor leaders which lost 49% of their income. Roi also showed that the stock price growth of companies with better leaders was up 204% versus only 79% for other companies. Another study showed that companies that invested in leadership training were more profitable during a downturn than those that didn’t.
Venturing into leadership development, therefore does matter.
* As published in WA Business News on 18 March, 2010
Share Your Voice by Ron Cacioppe
Research has shown that 70 per cent of airplane accidents are caused by human error. An even more startling fact is that 50 per cent of these mishaps happen when crews are together for the first time.
In 1977, KLM Flight 4805 collided with a Pan Am 747 on a runaway on the island of Tenerife. More than 580 people were killed when KLM’s Captain Jacob Van Zanten, a highly experienced captain with an impeccable safety record, took off without runway clearance because he was running late.
The flight box recording showed that his co-pilot warned him that they did not have runway clearance but he did not challenge Van Zanten’s decision because he was hesitant to challenge the captain’s authority. This crash has resulted in many airlines putting in place Crew Resource Management (CRM) training to help staff constructively question decisions and actions made on the flight deck.
While most companies have systems in place to check and recheck actions that could lead to accidents, people often find it hard to question their supervisor or manager’s behaviour, not only in regard to safety but also in business decisions and actions that affect customers, staff and the success of the business. Often people who have lower positions; are younger; women; timid or from minority cultures are less likely to speak up.
We like to be liked and it is very hard to tell our co-workers that they are doing something wrong. It’s even harder to tell our supervisory manager that he or she doesn’t have it right.
Here are some ways to help staff gain the confidence to constructively question decisions:
• For important decisions bring in an external objective facilitator who will encourage open communication between all levels of staff.
• Encourage those who aren’t comfortable challenging leadership by praising them when they put up a good argument. I once worked with a very competent but shy lady who would refrain from challenging others when she didn’t agree with them. Over time she was encouraged and praised for contributing ideas and she gained enough confidence to win arguments, some with the CEO.
• Encourage staff to ask questions when managers give them tasks such as: “Can you clarify that for me?” “When do you need this by?” Do you want me to decide on this without checking back with you and if you want this by tomorrow; are you ok for me to delay the other project you have given me?”
• Have your staff or management meetings conducted by somebody other than you. You can also ask a group to explore an issue without you and come up with a final recommendation to present to you.
• We have modified three steps from the CRM airline training process that can be used by staff to question and challenge another person:
1. State a fact that is causing concern: “The project will not be able to meet the November 15th deadline at this rate.”
2. The second step is to ask a question. Use a person’s name to get their attention: “Jim, do you think it would be useful to check that the other alliance partners can make their commitments on this date?”
3. These two first steps may need to be repeated but if they are not successful then a third step is necessary which states the consequences and suggests tangible solutions, such as: “Jim, I am sure that we are not going to meet the November 15th date and the clients need to know this. If you don’t inform them by next Tuesday, we will incur substantial penalties and more time delays.”
While these are not easy conversations, they can help avoid crashes due to poor management decisions, project problems and many every day problems. As our businesses begin to take off again in the Australian economy, it would be useful to teach yourself and your staff, flight corrections skills.
* As published in WA Business News, 25 February 2010
In 1977, KLM Flight 4805 collided with a Pan Am 747 on a runaway on the island of Tenerife. More than 580 people were killed when KLM’s Captain Jacob Van Zanten, a highly experienced captain with an impeccable safety record, took off without runway clearance because he was running late.
The flight box recording showed that his co-pilot warned him that they did not have runway clearance but he did not challenge Van Zanten’s decision because he was hesitant to challenge the captain’s authority. This crash has resulted in many airlines putting in place Crew Resource Management (CRM) training to help staff constructively question decisions and actions made on the flight deck.
While most companies have systems in place to check and recheck actions that could lead to accidents, people often find it hard to question their supervisor or manager’s behaviour, not only in regard to safety but also in business decisions and actions that affect customers, staff and the success of the business. Often people who have lower positions; are younger; women; timid or from minority cultures are less likely to speak up.
We like to be liked and it is very hard to tell our co-workers that they are doing something wrong. It’s even harder to tell our supervisory manager that he or she doesn’t have it right.
Here are some ways to help staff gain the confidence to constructively question decisions:
• For important decisions bring in an external objective facilitator who will encourage open communication between all levels of staff.
• Encourage those who aren’t comfortable challenging leadership by praising them when they put up a good argument. I once worked with a very competent but shy lady who would refrain from challenging others when she didn’t agree with them. Over time she was encouraged and praised for contributing ideas and she gained enough confidence to win arguments, some with the CEO.
• Encourage staff to ask questions when managers give them tasks such as: “Can you clarify that for me?” “When do you need this by?” Do you want me to decide on this without checking back with you and if you want this by tomorrow; are you ok for me to delay the other project you have given me?”
• Have your staff or management meetings conducted by somebody other than you. You can also ask a group to explore an issue without you and come up with a final recommendation to present to you.
• We have modified three steps from the CRM airline training process that can be used by staff to question and challenge another person:
1. State a fact that is causing concern: “The project will not be able to meet the November 15th deadline at this rate.”
2. The second step is to ask a question. Use a person’s name to get their attention: “Jim, do you think it would be useful to check that the other alliance partners can make their commitments on this date?”
3. These two first steps may need to be repeated but if they are not successful then a third step is necessary which states the consequences and suggests tangible solutions, such as: “Jim, I am sure that we are not going to meet the November 15th date and the clients need to know this. If you don’t inform them by next Tuesday, we will incur substantial penalties and more time delays.”
While these are not easy conversations, they can help avoid crashes due to poor management decisions, project problems and many every day problems. As our businesses begin to take off again in the Australian economy, it would be useful to teach yourself and your staff, flight corrections skills.
* As published in WA Business News, 25 February 2010
Great Sounding Visions, but Bad Eyesight!
Many organisations have a vision. “A vision without actions is a dream and actions without vision is a nightmare.” or “A man without a vision perishes.” are common statements in management books and seminars. Over the last 25 years, I have worked and watched executives go into paralysis when trying to describe their vision and values. At strategic planning workshops, I have seen middle level managers with the bored ‘here we go again’ look when told they are going to revisit the vision!
If your company is a vision devotee then here are some tips to help get it right:
Use Consistent, Clear Terminology: Purpose/Mission and Vision are different. The word mission often confuses people. Mission sometimes means the objectives the army goes on to achieve a goal or what a church organisation does to convert people. ‘Purpose’, a much easier term to understand, is the reason why an organisation exists and is often defined as the ‘business we are in’. Vision, on the other hand, is what the organisation is striving to become, look and feel like in the future.
Strategic Objectives Are Different From Visions: John Kennedy’s “We will put a man on the moon before the end of the decade” was a goal, not a vision. The vision was for America to again become the leader in space. Landing on the moon was a way to demonstrate the vision was achieved.
Some company’s vision is to double their revenue in 5 years. These are goals not a vision. A vision is the why behind the goal. Why do we want to double our revenue?... To be a sustainable company returning value to shareholders, staff and community. That’s closer to a vision!
Vision Is More Than Returning Profit To Owners: That is not a vision, it is a bank statement! Why do employees want to get up and work every day to make 0.00000000001 cent for their owners? Having an organisation’s vision be ‘to make a profit’ is like saying the purpose of life is to breathe. We need to breathe to live but we live to have an enjoyable, fulfilling life. It is fine to have profit as a goal, but profit is the beginning not the end of the vision!
Making Visions Real For The Truck Driver: A lot of visions wind up in strategic plans or on posters but not in the hearts and minds of staff. A vision has to be translated to front line staff so that it influences their actions. Staff friendly words, including relevant skills in performance appraisals, staff signing their names on vision statements and acknowledging staff who contribute to the accomplishment of the vision, are effective ways to translate visions to staff.
Visions Are More Than Vague Wishes: “Our vision is to be the best-lead organisation in the world through our commitment to total customer satisfaction delivered by our totally empowered employees to continuously improve our position of unequaled quality and lowest costs, and in so doing, produce superior returns for our shareholders” Many visions are so broad and meaningless that everyone reading them says; ‘Yeah, whatever’. Ensure your vision is relevant to your organisation, is inspiring, challenging and can be achieved!
Strategic Objectives And Visions Must Be Aligned: Companies have objectives. The achievement of the strategic objectives should result in the accomplishment of the vision. I am amazed that many companies have objectives that are unrelated to their vision. Somehow their left brain came up with the vision and their right brains came up with objectives, but no one asked if they led to the same result. Have a look at your strategic objectives and see if they fulfil your vision.
Values Drive Vision And Objectives: Finally, a lot of companies have lovely values such as integrity, teamwork, customer service, creativity, continuous improvement and business acumen but the values don’t relate to the vision and objectives of the company. IBM had great values; product excellence and integrity, but it didn’t include innovation, while Apple was fanatically encouraging values of creativity and innovation. Values should relate to your company objectives and its core beliefs and vision.
Many organisations have great sounding visions but they need to look at them more clearly to see how they can be translated into an inspiring reality.
ENDS
Dr Ron Cacioppe is the Managing Director of Integral Development, one of Perth’s most unique and experienced leadership and management consultancies. Ron is also Adjunct Professor at Curtin’s Australian Sustainable Development Institute.
strategy | leadership | consulting | surveys | coaching | sustainability
+61 (8) 9242 8122 | admin@integral.org.au | www.integral.org.au
If your company is a vision devotee then here are some tips to help get it right:
Use Consistent, Clear Terminology: Purpose/Mission and Vision are different. The word mission often confuses people. Mission sometimes means the objectives the army goes on to achieve a goal or what a church organisation does to convert people. ‘Purpose’, a much easier term to understand, is the reason why an organisation exists and is often defined as the ‘business we are in’. Vision, on the other hand, is what the organisation is striving to become, look and feel like in the future.
Strategic Objectives Are Different From Visions: John Kennedy’s “We will put a man on the moon before the end of the decade” was a goal, not a vision. The vision was for America to again become the leader in space. Landing on the moon was a way to demonstrate the vision was achieved.
Some company’s vision is to double their revenue in 5 years. These are goals not a vision. A vision is the why behind the goal. Why do we want to double our revenue?... To be a sustainable company returning value to shareholders, staff and community. That’s closer to a vision!
Vision Is More Than Returning Profit To Owners: That is not a vision, it is a bank statement! Why do employees want to get up and work every day to make 0.00000000001 cent for their owners? Having an organisation’s vision be ‘to make a profit’ is like saying the purpose of life is to breathe. We need to breathe to live but we live to have an enjoyable, fulfilling life. It is fine to have profit as a goal, but profit is the beginning not the end of the vision!
Making Visions Real For The Truck Driver: A lot of visions wind up in strategic plans or on posters but not in the hearts and minds of staff. A vision has to be translated to front line staff so that it influences their actions. Staff friendly words, including relevant skills in performance appraisals, staff signing their names on vision statements and acknowledging staff who contribute to the accomplishment of the vision, are effective ways to translate visions to staff.
Visions Are More Than Vague Wishes: “Our vision is to be the best-lead organisation in the world through our commitment to total customer satisfaction delivered by our totally empowered employees to continuously improve our position of unequaled quality and lowest costs, and in so doing, produce superior returns for our shareholders” Many visions are so broad and meaningless that everyone reading them says; ‘Yeah, whatever’. Ensure your vision is relevant to your organisation, is inspiring, challenging and can be achieved!
Strategic Objectives And Visions Must Be Aligned: Companies have objectives. The achievement of the strategic objectives should result in the accomplishment of the vision. I am amazed that many companies have objectives that are unrelated to their vision. Somehow their left brain came up with the vision and their right brains came up with objectives, but no one asked if they led to the same result. Have a look at your strategic objectives and see if they fulfil your vision.
Values Drive Vision And Objectives: Finally, a lot of companies have lovely values such as integrity, teamwork, customer service, creativity, continuous improvement and business acumen but the values don’t relate to the vision and objectives of the company. IBM had great values; product excellence and integrity, but it didn’t include innovation, while Apple was fanatically encouraging values of creativity and innovation. Values should relate to your company objectives and its core beliefs and vision.
Many organisations have great sounding visions but they need to look at them more clearly to see how they can be translated into an inspiring reality.
ENDS
Dr Ron Cacioppe is the Managing Director of Integral Development, one of Perth’s most unique and experienced leadership and management consultancies. Ron is also Adjunct Professor at Curtin’s Australian Sustainable Development Institute.
strategy | leadership | consulting | surveys | coaching | sustainability
+61 (8) 9242 8122 | admin@integral.org.au | www.integral.org.au
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
