I asked a few people why they do it, some said it was fun (not sure how) others said it was for health reason, it is good for the blood flow and the heart and keep you healthy. But the majority said it was the challenge. The challenge of getting up from a warm bed and going out into the cold and getting into a freezing sea. The challenge of going in, in all weathers and the camaraderie they get with other sea swimmers. 

From a work perspective what can we learn from this?  

Well let’s look at how challenging work is for our teams? When I talk to teams of people about work most say they enjoy their work but there not a lot of challenge in it. If you ask the Supervisor or Manager they will often tell you they have too many challenges and the pressure of work never ends. So, we have a disconnect. 

What if we gave our teams more challenging work? Passing on challenges that we need help with. Teams I have worked with always thrive when given challenges. It adds interest to their job role, it gives them something to achieve, they support each other and it builds camaraderie between the team members involved. Some call it delegation, but the work we delegate must be interesting as well as challenging otherwise they will soon figure out that we are dumping work that we don’t want to do. 

If you pass on challenging work to your team, you build their skills, you create a better team environment and you give them the chance to feel fulfilment in their jobs and a great sense of achievement. Doing so, reduces your workload, it upskills your teams and it makes you a more competent and effective leader. 

But we also need to factor in that sometimes it may not work out to our liking, but they can come up with better and faster solutions so give them the encouragement that they need and step back and let them get on with it. 

So why not take the plunge and give your teams a sense of achievement? 

Think about what jobs you could delegate and encourage and support and see what happens – you too might just go for that morning sea swim! 

Many people will tell you they are not negative but think about it, we enjoy gossip and when you think of gossip it’s normally about someone else and what they have done wrong, what about newspapers? They are mostly negative stories – war, deaths, business losses and we enjoy reading them. What about women’s magazines nearly every one of them features articles about what can go wrong with women’s health, they give advice on how to deal with difficult relationships, how to get that amazing man that doesn’t seem to exist. Negativity sells magazines newspapers and keeps conversations fluid. I used to do an exercise when I was teaching people about developing a positive attitude – I got them to make a list of 10 things they didn’t like about the room they were in. Always easy and took just a few minutes, then I changed the question and asked them to list 10 things they liked about the room – always more difficult so it takes time to develop a positive approach but a worthwhile exercise. 

The key is to make sure you are not causing someone damage with false information, yes its tempting to flavor information you have heard to make it more sensational but you are doing someone an injustice and that is not acceptable. How about turning it around and finding something good to say about that person? 

I remember having a conversation with a senior manager in a company I used to work for. At his meetings, he was constantly critical and was doom and gloom about the organisations financial situation. I met with him afterward my first meeting with him and said I thought he was being very negative and was missing an opportunity to motivate and inspire his team. He listened intently and I though that’s good he has got the message. 

At the next meeting he used the same approach – doom and gloom and then said “I know people in this room think I’m being negative but I’m not, I’m being realistic”.  A couple of meetings later he said he didn’t see value in having this meeting as people didn’t have much to say, the problem was that every time someone tried to talk about something positive he would be critical  about what they said. So in the end no one commented and the meeting no longer takes place. It led to a number of problems as people were no longer in the loop as to what was happening. 

There is a lot of value in being positive and looking for inspirational stories as it can motivate people. Research has shown that positive people are more productive and the bottom line is positively impacted as well.

Taking a positive approach and thinking about others has a very positive impact on peoples lives. I was at an airport a week ago and sat having a coffee. I was close to the airlines ticket desk which had just 1 person on duty and a queue of 6 people all demanding assistance from this sole person. I actually felt sorry for her. Them an amazing thing happened, one of the people in the queue who had been helped by the person went and bought a black coffee and a container of milk and went to the desk and said to her I know you have been very busy and working hard but thank you for sorting out my problem and please have a coffee on me. The staff member was shocked – not many people appreciated what she did to sort out problems but this particular person who was a different culture to her did something small but it had an amazing impact. 

A couple of days later I was in a very car park in a major shopping centre. A driver arrived with a baby buggy and was obviously planning to leave, a queue of traffic built up as one driver was hoping to get the parking spot. The driver with the buggy was having great difficulty trying to fold down the buggy and (some of us have been in that situation) obviously was feeling embarrassed about this. Then a middle aged lady in another vehicle jumped out walked over and helped him fold the buggy. A simple gesture but impactful to all of us. 

So think about how you could help a colleague today, the photocopier jams on a colleague – help them out, going for a coffee ask others if they would like one too, someone looking down and unhappy at work, invite them for a coffee and ask if they want to talk about their problem. All small gestures but it will make you feel great and also them, but others who see it too will be impacted.  

Being negative is easy but taking a positive approach takes effort and requires you to do or say something positive – try it and see what happens.

The story of Les Miserables is built around the life of Jean Valjean and was written by Victor Hugo. It’s really about Jean’s life story and how he succeeds through life’s tribulations and challenges. 

It bears a lot of similarity around business life. Firstly, it takes a lot of hard work, patience and persistence to finally get what you want in business, but it’s not always an easy journey. Just as things start to get better for Jean Valjean, he discovers that one of the managers who works for him is not good with his staff and it leads one mother getting fired (unfairly) but that can happen in real life too. How often do we check on staff morale and ensure we don’t have rogue managers? 

Luckily Jean finds out and decided to do something to help, today we call it CSR Corporate Social Responsibility – giving back to the world some off what we have accumulated in life. This is one of the strong themes of the play – giving back to people we meet or know. What do you or your organization do to help people less fortunate that us? 

My daughter works for an excellent US company with an office in Galway Ireland. Each Christmas they put up a traditional tree and on it are various tags. Staff take a tag and on it is an age group and the gift or toy they would really appreciate. The staff member then buys the gift and wraps it up and closer to Christmas the various gifts are distributed through charities in the locality, it is totally voluntary and everyone wants to participate. I found this an excellent way to help others in the community. 

Like some young people today Jean’s start of his journey up the corporate ladder was troublesome, he felt the world owed him a living and he was angry and jealous of what other had. He takes advantage of the kindness of someone who took him under his wing.  But the individual instead of taking revenge on Jean for the wrong that he did to him actually prevented him from getting arrested. Yes, it’s a bit drastic but think about when new people join your organization? How are they made to feel, who looks after them? Do you have a dedicated person (possibly a mentor) to ensure they settle in successfully? Do you ensure they are effectively developed to add value to the job role?

Just like in business, there is an individual that Jean does not get on with, someone who constantly is a thorn in his side. In business that could be a competitor, it could be a difficult boss, it could even be a toxic business partner, but we do meet them and have to deal with them too.  Often, we try aggression, to retaliate, but in the show, Jean shows a different approach and uses kindness to deal with difficult people. Yes, some people believe aggression is the only route but using kindness sets you up as a role model and yes occasionally it may not work, but the reality is we are dealing with human beings and the majority react positively to kindness when it is appropriate. 

As in most people’s lives, Jean has his ups and downs but he did not let the negative situations get him down, you have to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you don’t believe your business will succeed them that’s exactly what will happen. If you believe a project will not be a success them the same result. Look for the positives in all situations, they are there sometimes you have to really look to find them. In the end a positive approach will help you solve problems. 

Jean, gets caught up in the French revolution and there is chaos and uncertainty, how many reorganizations have the same effect and why?  Well in the majority of cases it’s down to a lack of communication. Staff want to know what is happening, why and what the outcome will be. If they don’t get this information is leads to serious demoralization, a dramatic decline in the customer service and staff start to look elsewhere for employment. So while the process is designed to reduce cost, my question would be what will you lose in terms of customer loyalty? How many of your experienced staff will look for jobs with your competitor? What impact will it have on your organizational brand and reputation – those costs will be far greater in the long term. Something many reorganizations do not factor in. So communicate the plan with your staff they won’t like it but they will respect your honesty.

In the end Jean marries off the daughter that he had adopted and ensure she has a good start in life. It was an interesting look into the life of an individual and the trials and tribulations he faced, it’s good for us to do this occasionally and learn from it. One piece of advice I give to participants of my programmes is to read a biography of a famous business person once every 3 months. No, you won’t become this person but you will learn a lot about remaining positive in difficult times and to achieve small objective which them become bigger as you progress. Many biographies are inspirational and they help you to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

If you get the opportunity do go and see the show, its engrossing and spectacular and well worth the time out. Try to find the time to lose yourself for a few hours either in a show a movie or a play and you will feel the value of the time spent and I’m sure your spouse will appreciate it too. 

They miss the commute and people watching. The crazy drivers who only think of themselves. The weird looking passenger on the train. The Buskers they see in the stations and public places, the discussions about last night’s TV.  We miss all of this interaction because it all became a great conversation topic when we met up with our colleagues at work. Also in reverse, the new person who joined the department, the boss ‘s latest idea about motivation, the gossip about work, the journey home, all provided us with conversation when we got home from the office with our spouse, partner or friends. 

All of this interaction has slowly slipped away. Yes, we talk to our spouse, partner, friends while working from home but what is there to discuss about? The latest depressing results of Covid infections, whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher? Who is going to walk the dog? So, while we may be happy at home, is it having a detrimental effect on our wellbeing/mental health? 

So why is Teamwork important? First and foremost, we are social beings. Yes, we can get along with ourselves but long term on our own without social interaction can impact our mental health. This is why solitary confinement is used as punishment for problem prisoners. It is very tough not to be with other people as we need social interaction. There is a percentage of people who thrive on being on their own and that fine. But 90% of people need social interaction so its important to consider its impact.

Teamwork is something that has existed since time began and it’s believed that gave us an advantage over other species. Teamwork allows us collectively, to solve problems that we probably may not have been able to do on our own. Another advantage of Teamwork is that it boosts efficiency as we share the work load, which gets the job done. It also boosts our morale all of which helps our mental health. 

So, what can you do about Teamwork while working from home? Well keep in touch with your colleagues, use WhatsApp or similar communication tools. Why not send messages or comments to let people know you are there and thinking of them?  Better still, call them, (it’s more personal when talking to someone than just reading a message).  Discuss non work issues, but try to avoid Covid discussions (that only leads to depression).   Tell them stories of funny things that have happened – your partners latest attempt to do DIY, your supermarket experience, this will encourage like-minded behaviour and will help your wellbeing/mental health because you are not on your own, your part of the team. 

Why not arrange social meeting outside of work hours? Meet at a coffee shop, a restaurant, or a pub. Try this once a month and keep the team spirit going. The advantages? Well, you can talk about the crazy drivers who only think of themselves. The weird looking passenger on the train. The Buskers you see in the stations and public places, discuss last night TV. It will have a positive impact on your mental health and you will feel you belong!

So, Teamwork is more important now than ever before – enjoy it!

Victor booked the car in for it’s regular service in early April and it was confirmed before the lockdown began. But in April the dealership closed down its operations due to the lockdown. What concerns us is the dealership did not inform anyone that their appointments were cancelled. Now you might say well it was obvious, agreed but what would it take to notify your customers by e-mail or phone and apologize but give them reassurance that they will be prioritized on return of business.   

I always remember a training video I saw in the 1990 about a Cadillac dealership in the USA. They were the most successful in the USA and one of the most profitable because they focused on customer care. In the video they explained that when they deal with a customer, they realise their future potential value. 

If the dealership takes care of the customer, they will buy a future car from them, they might also buy a vehicle for their spouse or children. They will recommend them to other potential customers so the reality was that an average happy customer could be worth up to 25 vehicle sales. Now that a valuable customer. Staff were briefed on the concept and then customer service climbed and the dealership was very successful.

Look back at Victors experience with his dealership who are hiding from the customer, what impact does that have on Victor and other future customers? The reality is that they may try another competitor who does offer great service and actually cares about the customer.  

How many other businesses are hiding from their customers today? Limited advertising, no information on what is happening. No reassurance that they expect to start operations again. Why?

A simple communication strategy is all that’s needed. In the case of the car dealership why didn’t they send out e-mails to their customers who have booked their cars in for a service. They have their phone numbers and in most cases e-mail addresses. They can even use software products that can customize mass e-mails? That’s how you build customer loyalty.

We have worked with a number of organisations and it’s interesting how many companies initially took their customer for granted. In the good time organization can get away with it but in today’s climate you cannot afford to ignore your customers. 

Actions to take: 

• Starting building a data base of your customers. You may already have the data.  Just ask your staff! You will be amazed how much information you staff have on your regular customers.

• Prepare weekly messages about what you are doing. Tell them what your future plans are or what new products are coming. 

•  In the case of the car dealership, why not offer some simple advice on how to look after their vehicles in the current situation. Get a mechanic to produce a video on his phone on the key things to observe or do. 

• If you think you don’t have the capabilities then talk to your staff, get their ideas and you’ll be amazed what they come up with. You might be the only people in your business to be doing this and that gives you a competitive advantage. 

You have time on your hands now and instead of worrying about what might go wrong, start working on what you can do to secure your future business – your “Comeback Strategy!”  You really need to communicate with your customers and you need to do it now or your competitors will.

It’s really amazing to think that you can take off from one side of the world and land within feet of your intended destination on the other side of the globe. The distance is just over 8,000 miles.

This journey would have been unthinkable if not impossible in the past because the technology wasn’t there. I always find it interesting that many passengers get on an aircraft and then get off at the destination oblivious of the technology and skills of the Pilots that makes journeys today a simple formality.

We flew on the Boeing 777 which is a great aircraft both for passengers and crew. I remember when the project manager for the Boeing 777 project Alan Mullaly was given the task to build this amazing aircraft. From approval in 1990 by the Boeing board to the first test flight 4 years later the 777 was an amazing concept. Why? well apart from being an incredible aircraft with the latest technology, Boeing took the unusual step of bringing its first 4 airline customers who ordered the aircraft to work with them over 4 years to build a world beating aircraft.

It was an interesting concept getting the customer to partner with you in designing the customer experience and using the best technology available. Let me give you an example. One of the complaints that passengers complained about prior to the 777, was that often on departure the seat in the bathroom when left up and on take off it would bang down on the toilet on take off due to the vibrations of the aircraft. It would frighten some passengers or annoy others because no one knew what caused it. The airlines did and asked crew to ensure the toiled lids were down on take off. But it was often overlooked.

The team working with Boeing came up with a great solution. It was a small hydraulic arm just under the seat lid that slowly lets the seat come down without a bang. Next time you are in the bathroom of a 777 you may notice it. Was it critical no, but it made for a better customer experience. This was just one of the many ideas and enhancement that this aircraft brought to the travelling public.

That’s why the 777 has been such a successful; aircraft over 1,989 have been built to date. It was built with the customer in mind. So the next time you are flying on a 777 take a few minutes and consider what a great aircraft it is. It also shows that if you listen and act on your customers feedback you too could be very successful in your business.

My 2^nd experience was a good one and it was with Woodies, a DIY focused retailer. 

When I visit their stores (there are two in my hometown of Galway) I have always observed the staff being friendly and helpful whenever customers need help. I was in there about three weeks ago, as I was repainting a bathroom in my home. I had decided on a particular paint and while in the store I couldn’t find the specific supplier I wanted so I decide to look at another supplier. A staff member noticed me browsing the paints, I explained the situation and he said he would look in the store to see if he could find my original choice. A few minutes later he came back with the tin I needed. 

Two weeks ago, I decided to buy a computer desk for my home office and chose a sturdy well designed unit. I approached the check out and requested specific desk. She asked me if I could wait a couple of days which I thought was a strange question. She then went on to say they were having a sale later in the week and the desk I wanted would be reduced by 50% so I paid for a couple of other items. She didn’t have to tell me that, but the fact that she had made me realise how good the service ethic was in Woodies. A few days later I went in and got my desk with a 50% reduction which I was very pleased about. 

Looking at Woodies financials their trading profits have risen close to 50 per cent over the past three years which is impressive. It’s clear that good customer service leads to increased profits. I also looked at staff comments about Woodies. It makes interesting reading: Friendly environment, productive and fun; staff are treated with respect. A great place to work. 

What a difference to the other retailer where I had a series of bad experiences. Like many good companies they are not perfect but overall, the vision and values of the company stream down to the front line. 

Retailers, there are lessons here that you can incorporate into your business which will help increase profitability:

1. Treat your staff how you want your customers to be treated

Woodies spend a lot of time focusing on the staff. They have a ‘Colleague Committee’ for voicing their opinions. It’s important that staff have the opportunity to have a voice in the organization. They often come up with great ideas that can save the company money and improve the service experience. Don’t waste this valuable resource.

2. Make the job interesting and fun

Working in retail can be challenging and yes, there are some very difficult customers out there which front line staff have to deal with on occasions. You need to allow you staff to download in a safe environment. They will learn from each other and everyone benefits as their understanding will improve on the process to defuse such situations. Get staff to share funny stories, crazy questions they have been asked, strange customer they have met. The objective is to bring a bit of fun into the work environment.  Don’t forget to take the opportunity to recognize the good staff who get the best feedback from customers. 

3. Profits will come if you look after your staff

One of the biggest errors in retail management is not understanding ‘How you treat your staff directly impacts the service customers receive’. Good service leads to increased profits but only if you value your staff and their efforts to help your business succeed.  

4. You must train and develop you staff

Woodies run regular training programmes not only in customer service but in product information, communication skills, working in a multi-cultural environment and management skills. If you don’t develop your staff they won’t stay in your organization. Today most new joiners ask what development they can they expect in their careers. It’s a big benefit that retailers provide development, you will attract the best candidates and they will stay longer with your company. 

If you need help in any of these areas, contact us at Https://strategicleadershipconsultancy.com

 If you want to protect your business and make or keep it successful then read this. It’s a useful article for managers and staff to understand why the customer is important and for businesses to understand that staff and customers are important to their survival. 

My story begins when I decided to buy a quality printer from a high street conglomerate who specializes in PC’s and white goods and have operations throughout the UK & Ireland. I went to their local store as there was a sale on. There was a queue due to the ongoing Covid epidemic.

I stood in the queue for 40 minutes and eventually got to the front door where I was met by a gruff aggressive staff member with crossed arms. He said “What do you want?” I said “I’m looking for a printer” he responded with “We have no printer anywhere in the store” So I said no problem I will just have a browse around as there is a sale on. No you won’t he replied, no browsing allowed!

Wow what an attitude and I wasn’t the only person getting this attitude, which is shocking for a major retailer. Yes, we are all concerned about Covid, but to practically push a customer out of the store, who wants to spend money, is a first for me. So later that day I went online and asked to be advised when the printer stock will be in and the system said I will be notified. 

The system worked! I received the confirmation of my preference being in stock on Monday, the e-mail arrived Sunday night so first thing Monday I was back in the queue and yet again the guy on the door (a different person) challenged all customers asking what they wanted before allowing them in.  A young couple in front of me said they wanted to see what was on sale and they were refused – no browsing that’s the rule. So, they left and said they would go to a competitor where they would be allowed to browse.

I went back as they now had printers. I had to be personally be escorted by a staff member and I was told I could only look at printers, yes really! I told the guy I had an email confirming stock of a particular printer. He said no, they were out of stock of the particular printer I was interested in. He said they came in last Wednesday and all sold on that day. I asked why I received an email saying it was in stock. He said he didn’t know but that stock only comes in on Wednesday so I asked how about the next Wednesday, should I come then? He said no I don’t think we will get any printers next Wednesday. That was my experience with this retailer – will I buy from them? No, I certainly won’t. 

My first concern is what type of manager runs an operation like this? At a time when retailers are struggling against online sales and yet this retailer had such unpleasant staff on the front door. He or she must condone this attitude. As a customer it got my back up and I’m sure many other customers felt the same. The result is that staff at this retailer created upset and angry customers who their colleagues  would then have to deal with. I bet the staff think what awful customers we get in this store. Well, you create your customers attitude by the attitude you take towards them. 

I will be interested to see how long they last; staff will lose their jobs along with the managers and they will all wonder what went wrong. I looked up the comments of that particular store on Google and they get a poor score. Most reviews say rude unhelpful staff – I wonder if their management follow up on this. Sadly, it seems unlikely as the reviews have been negative for a number of months.

I had a look at Glassdoor ratings of this retailer as a place to work and they get a poor rating in all areas. This suggests this organization doesn’t value their staff and that’s another reason why the staff don’t value customers. Financially they have struggled over the past few years but had a good 2018 when they went back to profitability. I will be interested to see how they do this year.

So, what can you learn from this? 

1. Keep an eye on all public reviews about your business 

Reviews confirm the experience your customer are having good and bad. They highlight your good staff and it will also highlight problem areas that may need your attention.

2. Motivation is critical to business success

How often do you meet personally with your staff? You should try to do so weekly. Ask them what the problems are, ask them for suggestions on how to improve any potential issues. Share feedback with them. If it’s good then mention staff names, if it’s bad don’t mention names but discuss why that incident occurred and how it can impact the reputation of the branch and everyone who works there. 

3. Reward the good staff 

Recognizing your best people means they will stay with you and they will become an example to other staff. The majority of staff seek attention and recognizing them is the most powerful way. It’s not about the money it’s about being appreciated. 

4. Develop your staff and management 

Most frontline staff only learn about the organization and it values but what about the psychology of dealing with people? What about developing managers to effectively manage staff? When I asked the staff in my experience about if they had a been involved in training they said yes we attended the staff induction programme when we joined but that was it.

If you need help sorting out your customer experience contact us at;

Next week I will share another experience but more professional and customer focused and successful. 

It’s a great question but be very careful about playing politics unless you know what you are doing. It’s similar to investing money, you need to be prepared to lose as well as win. 

The interesting part is that you don’t start playing politics, it starts by playing with you. Think about your first day in the job, who came and introduced themselves to you? What were they like?  Friendly, welcoming, asked you a lot of questions to get to know you.  Well, you were starting in the game of politics. Politics is all about power. Who is in control and who leads the pack? 

Even at home or among your friends you are playing politics too. Think about it, who decides where you go as a group on a night out?  Who decides what you will eat tonight?  Who takes control in an argument? The amazing thing about politics is it is part of your daily life. The difference is that some people pay attention to it and use it to their advantage, while others cruise along, not really aware of what is going on. 

My first piece of advice is: don’t try to take control as it has already been decided by the group your work with or socialise with.  If you suddenly turn up saying you will decide where to go or what to eat is just going to put people’s back up. 

The real trick with corporate or social politics is to understand where the power base is, who supports the power base and who is influential in that power base. Another useful angle on understanding the power base is the see who is outside the pack? What person or persons are criticized the most, which ones are ridiculed at the water cooler talks or bathroom talks?  You need to know who they are too. 

As you can see with this process, you are building up a matrix of who’s who. In many cases it could be your boss who is the group leader and hopefully he’s good at his job. Many bosses enjoy the power of being in control of people’s lives and emotions.  Some people play up to the boss for this reason and this can be a risky strategy. Bosses can and do change and then you’re back to square one. 

So back to your matrix, try this at home and you will be amazed. Start off with the controller of a particular group that you are familiar with and then add in supporters, influencers (use different colours for each group). Now start another group you are familiar with, who probably don’t associate with the first group but probably work in the same area. So, build up that matrix too. Now you will see the people who understand politics as they will have position in both camps. They run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds. Many people don’t realise they do it, but it’s useful for you the have the map. 

So how can this help, well it’s all about awareness! Ideally you need a foot in each camp but that may result in you not being an influencer as you may be perceived as part of the other group. But for the sake of harmony, you help build bridges, so you are perceived as useful. 

Now how do you use it to help yourself? Well, knowing who makes the decisions and who the influencers are can really assist with your progress in the organization. Apart from being good at your job, which you must be, you should be passionate about the organization you work for, that alone may not get your up the corporate ladder, it’s the connections that you have made, along with the use of the influencers in the various packs that can get you noticed. 

The most important part of politics is being aware of who the main players are, find out about them. How long have they been here? What are their objectives or goals? Can you assist in anyway?  If you can, then they maybe they will assist you on your way up.

A note to bosses, yes it’s great to have a team of people around you who tell you that you are great but is there sincerity in that? Get to know your people.  Who are the leaders of the groups?  Who has influence?  How can you use this to help you meet target and goals of the organization? Get building that matrix too.

So, can it go wrong? Yes, it does and frequently – that’s why many people don’t play politics except people who are good at it and why some of us are happy to coast along with the group. Bosses change and so do allegiances so beware. Having a foot in both camps helps to limit the effect of this.  

Corporate politics is fascinating, as a starting point talk to the people who have been there for a few years, ask them who the players are and find out about them and their traits. This will help you identify the ones to be close to and the ones to be careful of. And, if you become really good at politics well then, your career path could take you a long way.

The first problem was the belief that the Titanic was unsinkable, folly of course but hindsight is a great thing. But how many Senior leaders think their business are infallible today, any yet the many icebergs of business, the threat from competition, is mostly ignored. 

Why does this happen well it can be for a number of reasons but from my experience it can sometimes be due to the middle management team. Their approach is don’t tell the senior managers when things are going wrong or we might be blamed – what ice bergs? 

Sometimes it can be the arrogance of senior managers. A common but dangerous perspective is to think and actually believe that their organization is infallible, unfortunately all businesses have the potential to fail, the seabed of business is littered with them. You may recognize some of the following, some have sunk and other are about to sink sadly, Blockbuster video rental company, Eastman Kodak, Sun Microsystems, Borders Bookshops, Sears Retail Company, Pan American Airlines (Pan Am), The Hummer Jeep, Blackberry mobile phones, Abercrombie & Fitch.

What they all share is a belief they were infallible and a reluctance to innovate but as the ship is sinking and the band plays “we told you so” the staff go down with the ship and the bosses all wonder where it all went wrong. 

I know of an organization that when the President went to visit the organization the management team made sure that the best staff were on duty, the operation was spick and span and everything worked perfectly. The outcome was the President believed he had the best organization in the world but the reality was there were many problems that impacted the customers who didn’t get his VIP treatment. So when issues were raised at board meeting he didn’t believe there were problems – big icebergs ahead!  

So what can we learn from this? Firstly, don’t believe everything you hear check it out yourself, drop in unexpectedly!  Talk to your customers they will tell you what the problems are or ask their secretary who deal with the organization. Don’t ignore the feedback there is probably a lot of truth in it. 

Encourage your management team to be more open and to feel comfortable tabling issues. Give them the opportunity to discuss challenges and they will help you find solutions. Don’t become the Captain of the Titanic. Show effective leadership, be a good communicator and a good listener. And keep watching for icebergs!