“All right… all right… but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order… what have the Romans done for us?”Monty Python

These days it seems every mother’s son is a coach, and this reflects the huge growth in the acceptance of coaching in business. However there is always a certain level of resistance both from the “What will I/we get for our money?” and “What good will it do me anyway?” perspectives; so I thought it might be useful to take a pragmatic view of what coaching can bring to the table.

1. Novel Inputs: One of my key observations, having worked in the ‘change game’ for over 15 years, is that in order to change a system, you have to introduce something new. It is much easier to do so from the outside. So if a person or situation is stuck (and don’t we all get stuck sometimes?) then an outsider can bring in something new.
2. Independent Perspective: When everyone you talk to is part of the same system as you are, you all share common perceptions, assumptions and perspectives. An experienced outsider has seen many different organisations and many ways of doing things and can offer these alternative viewpoints. I often find that with most bright executives, this is often all they need to move ahead.
3. Techniques & tools: Sometimes what you need is just that doohickey that gets stones out of horses’ hooves, and if you don’t have it, life is so much more uncomfortable. A good coach has a trusty toolkit (s)he has acquired over the years that can often make light of intractable problems. Adding these to your personal toolbox broadens your range of responses in the future.
4. Time to reflect: I sometimes think this is the most valuable gift of all. The executives I work with usually have their diaries overfilled and thus have little time to sit back and reflect. Putting a couple of hours in their diaries once a month to sit back and consider things would be hugely beneficial, with or without any of the other valuable inputs from the coach.
5. The AhHa moment: When trying to explain a knotty problem to someone else, it is very common to hit that golden moment when you suddenly see it clearly for yourself. Of course this process is much aided by good questions and effective listening skills.
6. Options: After discussing things with an good coach most executives feel they have more and better developed options. If you can only see one or two options then this is a sure sign you are triggered by your fight or flight mechanism. Helping you out of this place is another key contribution.
7. Contracting: A good coaching session should end up with a clear set of actions, and often if these are just items on a personal ‘To Do’ list they can slip, but if you have agreed to do them with someone you respect, it is more likely that you will do them!
8. Investment: All good executives are keen to see a Return on their Investment and if they have input both valuable time and money into a session that is a pretty good reason to make sure they use what they got from it, which is a further spur to both action and change.
9. Clarity: I usually find that my clients feel very much clearer about:-
   • Where they should be focusing,
   • What their priorities are,
   • Potential pitfalls,
   • Enhanced options,
   • What they feel and why
10. Support: It is both tough and lonely at the top and it is great to have someone who is safe to talk to and confide and on your side.
11. Self Belief: All of the above not only result in increase effectiveness and confidence but improve performance which in turn enhances self belief.
12. Coaching Skills: As you are coached, so you improve your own repertoire of coaching skills which enables you to be a better leader and mentor to your team.

I hope this helps you evaluate whether you should be making this investment both in your own and your team’s success.

During April 2004, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) issued a survey report, “Training and development 2004” which evaluated the growing trend of coaching. Of 531 CIPD member organisations that responded, 78% reported that coaching was in use, and over 90% of respondents agreed with various statements regarding the effectiveness of coaching to deliver tangible benefits and promote learning.

Probably my best quality as a coach is that I ask a lot of challenging questions and let the person come up with the answer. Phil Dixon

According to data from the Design Council National Survey of Firms 2005:-

• Two thirds of companies who ignore design have to compete mainly on price. In companies where design is integral, just one third do so.
• More than 80% design-led companies have introduced a new product or service in the last three years, compared to just 40% of UK companies overall. 83% of companies in which design is integral have seen their market share increase, compared to the UK average of 46%.
• Design is integral to 39% of rapidly growing companies but to only 7% of static ones.
• 80 per cent of design-led businesses have opened up new markets in the last three years. Only 42% of UK businesses overall have done so.
• A business that increases its investment in design is more than twice as likely to see its turnover grow as a business that does not do so.
• Businesses that spend £100 on design can expect their sales to increase by £250

The secret of using design well is to incorporate it at the very earliest stages of your innovation rather than attempt to impose it retrospectively, which ends up being as successful as putting lipstick on a gorilla!

You may feel that design has little relevance to your business, particularly if you are in the professional services market, or have other intangible products or services. However when you consider that design is defined as “making things better for people”, then doesn’t it become a little different? Aren’t you in the business of making things better for your customers?

“A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.” Douglas Adams

This quote gives a clue as to why design is relevant to you whatever your business; if your message can be misunderstood, it will be; if your product can be misused, it will be; and who will suffer most… you will! People, given a choice between blaming failure on their own stupidity or failure to read the instructions and blaming a poor supplier will always blame the supplier.

You need to be reviewing your products or marketing materials and looking at them with new, fresh eyes. What do they say about you and your business? Is the message they give congruent with who you are and who you aspire to be? If you are in the services sector, do your people look like they represent a premium brand?

Design is more a way of looking at things, a way of thinking. One of the key benefits of bringing in a designer is to give you a fresh pair of eyes to look at (and for) your problems and that is always hugely valuable. You need to be using multi-disciplinary teams to review and resolve your problems, bring in outsiders and value the maverick!

Good design usually drives towards simplification, and as we all know, simplification usually finds its way to the bottom line. It reduces waste in terms of time, effort and materials. Where are you wasting your time, or worse still, your customers? Do you have any way of knowing the answer to this?

Like so many things in business, if you want to run an organization that values design, simplification and waste reduction then you have to model those behaviours. Are you always challenging people to simplify or demanding complexity?

Whilst you may not feel that you wish to take the Design Council up on its advice to engage a professional designer at the heart of your team, businesses like Virgin Atlantic that have done so are increasing their market share. Their new flat seat design won them extra customers and certainly improved their image as innovators.

However, whilst you may be able to succeed without the help of a design professional, I would suggest that you do not have a viable option to opt out of setting up systems to ensure that innovation, simplification and responsiveness to customers are at the heart of your business.

PS>> You might pause to reflect that whilst British designers are considered world leaders, few British businesses take advantage of this resource, so we hand that commercial advantage to our foreign competitors!

“I design for real people. I think of our customers all the time. There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothing or accessories that are not practical.” Giorgio Armani

• 1. Richard Seymour, designer
• 2. http://www.flatseats.com/Reviews/vs-cnew.htm

The other day I was at a meeting which was addressed by Sir Steve Redgrave, the famous Olympian. In fact, he is the most
successful British Olympian ever, having won gold in five consecutive Olympics (not to mention numerous world championships & sundry other medals!).

“I’ve had it. If anyone sees me near a boat they can shoot me.”
Steve Redgrave, after the winning gold in 96, but prior to his 5th gold medal

His journey rewards study as it can teach us quite a lot about achieving our goals and the power of setting challenging ones.

He took up rowing at school and discovered early that enthusiasm and strength can take
you only so far. However, as initially they lead him to winning ways he had to suffer a few set backs before discovering that, on their own, they are not enough. His initial experience of victory did help to formulate the dream of becoming a world champion oarsman, even though that was then a huge step away.

His journey is neatly summed up in our Change model.

He started out with a compelling desire to succeed, early experiences taught him to believe this was possible, he was willing to do the work necessary to succeed, he got the resources and knowledge he need to achieve his goal, acted on this and then
having succeeded, and set his next goal …..another gold medal!

One of the things that he made much of was the fact that his coach was able to work out the likely time of the winning boat in 4 years time. He then calculated the improvement required on Redgrave’s current performance to beat that time. It was roughly a 4 second improvement over 4 years. It rowing terms this is a huge challenge. However, they then broke this down: that was a second a year, and as they trained 49 weeks in the year, that 49 / 1 th of a second each week, which didn’t seem too overwhelming. They are not the first or only people to use this technique, but it speaks volumes for its power. Are you breaking down your big, seemingly unachievable dreams into bitesized believable chunks?

“Although they only give gold medals in the field of athletics, I encourage everyone to look into themselves and find their own personal dream, whatever that may be … sports, medicine, whatever … The same principles apply.”.

He also had a great support system because he enrolled others in his dream, not just his fellow oarsmen, but his family, who
supported him throughout the inevitable ups and downs. The converse of this is, if what you are doing at work undermines the relationships that underpin your life then you need to pause and reflect, why you are doing this? What is really important to you. Do you wish to win at any price?

His huge achievements were based on turning up each and every day and doing what was required. Sure there were days when they hid (quite literally, by hanging on to the branch of an overhanging tree, that allowed them to rest behind a small island on the Thames) but more often than not they worked on their goal every day. Are you?

Any big project is made up of a lot little victories, days when you feel good & positive and ones when it all just seems impossible. Setbacks are inevitable, but if you want to be a winner, you have to get back in the game, learn from your mistakes, adjust your plan if necessary & keep on going….

Good Luck!

“Excellence can be obtained if you:-

• care more than others think is wise
• risk more than others think is safe
• dream more than others think is practical
• expect more than others think is possible.”

“Why are you going to work?” This may seem a strange question, but is it because:-

You want a good life for you and you family?

• Is it about the money and power?
• Are you trying to build something?
• Do you want to make a difference?
• Or do you just feel that you have no choice…?

Normally it is some combination of the above, but whatever your reason, when did you last stop and consider if you are on track to meeting this goal?

We are all creatures of habit, and every Monday morning we go off to work, sometimes not even taking time for breakfast, let alone considering what we are doing it for.

Figure 1: Why Work?

We often think that the harder we work, the more money we make. The more we make, the more choices we will have, and this will give us the quality of life we want for us and those we love.

It is more often true that the harder we work, the more stressed we get, and the less happy everyone around us becomes.

Here are a couple of thoughts that may help:-

If you are not in control of you life and your business then you will feel stressed and perform that much worse.

If you are looking to retire early, or sell your business, put your children through university, or see them married, then you need to make sure that your ‘money making machine’ (your career, or your business) is going to deliver what you need. This takes careful planning, and sometimes some expert help. If every day you go to work your goal draws a little closer then you will feel that it is all worthwhile.

Whether you want to build your business or sell it, whether you want promotion or retirement, it is all a matter of planning. And having planned, measuring your progress, checking that you are still on track, checking that you still want the same things, and if necessary, changing your plan.

A little plan can take you a long way, and like the man said “If you are failing to plan, then you are probably planning to fail!”

So when you finish reading this, talk to you wife, your children, your partners, your colleagues. Tell them what you want, and why you want it. Find out what they need and want too. Then begin planning to do that, and only that.

Basic Economics defines profit as the reward for taking risk. So if you are in business, you are, by definition, in the Risk Management business. The key question is are you actively aware of, and managing the risks that you are taking? Do you even know what they are?

Why not take a 60 second challenge? Stop reading this, and go and get a piece of paper and a pen. Write down the top 5 risks that you are currently exposed to.

How hard was that? If you found it easy you are probably doing quite well. Because risk is such an every day phenomenon, most us take it for granted. Every time we step out of the front door we are beginning the process of taking calculated risks; just think about your drive to work. No really, think about your drive to work. What would be the implications of your having a crash, and having to be off work for a prolonged period?

You may have some sort of private health insurance to cover you against hospital bills. Are you also covered for loss of earnings whilst you are off work? More importantly, if you are running your own business, what about loss of profits? Can someone else keep the business going forward whilst your are off? We are all uniquely special, but if you have any one person who has the complete knowledge and control of one aspect of the business, and that know ledge exists only in their head, your business is at risk every time they get in the car!

Knowledge needs to be shared, recorded, backed-up and stored somewhere safe. What happens if you have a fire or a flood? Do you have vital records duplicated and stored off site? Could you survive the loss, crash or theft of your computer system? All of which, by the way, are common experiences. Most small business do not (have either proper back-up or survive such an event!).

If you are using the internet, (which 99% of businesses do) then you are exposed every day to viruses and worms. Do you have proper firewall and anti-virus protection in place? Do you update it regularly?

Failure to do so at the least risks wasting days reformatting systems. At worst, it could kill your business. What is your contact list worth to you? Data should be regularly backed-up and stored safely off-site.

There are all sorts of other risks that are lurking unseen. What is your cash flow like? One of the main causes of failure for small businesses is lack of cash flow. It is not uncommon for perfectly viable businesses to go bust because one big bill or customer wouldn’t or couldn’t pay on time. How much of your annual turnover is outstanding at any one time?

Stop for a moment, and do this simple sum to work it:-

Annual Turnover   = Monthly sales

        12

Debts outstanding = Months outstanding

   Monthly sales

If it is more than 3 months, 25%+ of your turnover is at risk. What percentage of your total annual profit does this represent? If you are making less than 25% net profit (profit after paying all your overheads / bills), and most people are, then all of your years work is at risk!

What can you do about all this? The answer is sensible planning. With every risk you face you have the choice to Remove it, Accept it, Mitigate it, or Pass it on (this is what insurance does). The only choice you shouldn’t make is to ignore it!

The problem is that you are probably running risks that you are unaware of, so take time out to go through each aspect of your business (and whilst you’re about it, why not your life?) and consider the key risks and what your contingency plan is for each one.

It is never nice to consider these things, but much better to consider them, and thus avoid their consequences than to suffer them!

Good luck.

We are taught that questions are useful, that they can be divided into two types, Open and Closed, both have their uses.

However, I would suggest that we neither value not encourage questions enough. How often have you heard the phrase “Are you questioning me?!” It is usually spoken aggressively and said to quell what is thought to be rebellion in the ranks. If this phrase isn’t spoken out loud quite as often these days, I would suggest that it is a frequent internal response.

I think that there are two fundamentally different sorts of questions:-

• ‘Type A’: those that potentially challenge the status quo, such as Why? And What?
• ‘Type B’: those that seek to conform to the status quo and implement it, such as How? And When?

‘Type A’ questions are usually asked by a peer, a superior or a maverick who is throwing things open. These questions relate to fundamentals such as strategy and direction. ‘Type A’ questions are intrinsically challenging on both the intellectual and emotional levels. They can make us feel aggressive as they take us into unsafe territory; the unknown.

‘Type B’ questions are more often asked by someone seeking to enact a decision already made. We are much more tolerant of these.

Leaders, or alpha males/ females, tend to have risen to their place in the system not only by virtue of their capability and hard work but also by a certain tendency to fight off competition. I would suggest that this makes them intrinsically intolerant of ‘Type A’ questioning.

However, ‘Type A’ questions are essential to bring about any significant change. Companies that value innovation tend to have a culture where this type of thinking is not only tolerated but rewarded.

Maybe it is time to take an honest look in the mirror and ask yourself how well you respond to ‘Type A’ questions and who you have around you that will ask them. Every leader needs someone who can challenge their thinking and this kind of open, fundamental questioning is a very powerful tool.

A good non-exec will do this, as will a good consultant or facilitator, but this way of thinking is something that is deeply rooted in a person’s personality, at least as much as a learned skill.

In days of old, when knights were bold, kings kept jesters in their court so that there was someone who felt safe to challenge their absolute power. It took a brave man to question the person who could utter the words “Off with his head!” I know that modern companies are different from feudal courts but bosses still wield great power over the rewards, security and prospects of those under them.

If no one around you is questioning you then they are probably afraid to do so. Also compliance is so much easier; it is not only safer career-wise but also we avoid the other bete noir ‘being wrong’!

Do you have a jester in your court? It is time to seek out and reward this kind of input to help ensure that the right kind of changes are happening in your business.