Polarising attributes or perspectives is not only the stuff of lazy journalism but is also very unhelpful in developing business capabilities.

We all know managers from a wide range of sectors to whom the precision and detail found within organisational operations fascinate them and fully occupy their perspective. We’ve also met the ‘Big picture’ thinkers ‘Blue sky-ing don’t bother me with detail‘ brigade, now of course being resolutely strategic.

Both perspectives have essential merits but having each ‘camp’ viewing the other with incredulity is the stuff of self-indulgence and indicative of a team of experts – rather than an expert team.

Members of teams at Executive or Board level must wear two hats. One as part of the Senior team responsible for the business and the other as a functional expert with the ability to advise colleagues in specific areas.

The same is true with big-picture and detail. Leaders cannot only have one of these skills. Without the ability to see the strategic context and route for competitive advantage organisations can get into a state of fossilised excellence. Conversely those with broad canvas perspectives with no interest or ability to understand the essential elements of the business that drive value can make organisations vulnerable to poor service delivery, cash-flow problems or lack of focus.

The Executive Team is not a place to polarise abilities or for lacking respect for the range of abilities the team possesses. It is about developing a shared understanding, an agreed plan and a joint sense of responsibility to deliver performance.

David Clayton-Smith

You may have heard the story of a new CEO who finds in the top drawer of his desk three envelopes from his predecessor with a note saying “when things get tough open these one at a time.”  A few months later it starts to get difficult so the CEO opens the first envelope and reads “Blame your predecessor.”  He does this and for a while all is well.  It starts getting tough again so the CEO opens envelope number two, which says “Reorganise.” Again, the predecessor’s advice works like magic for a while, until things get really tricky.  The CEO opens the final envelope and it reads “prepare three envelopes”. 

Clearly successful leadership isn’t simple.  The number of books on the subject give some hint at the complexity and challenge of leading organisations.  And becoming a CEO for the first time can be particularly daunting, so I tend to strip down the priorities to 5 key focus areas:

• Be authentic Don’t try to be someone you’re not, people will see right through you.  There’s a great deal written about this and I encourage you to explore how you can be authentic and mindful.
• Listen There will be people in the company who have excellent understanding and knowledge amassed over many years.  Listen to what they have to say, ensure you truly understand the issues from every aspect before making decisions.
• Create a vision The importance of this is reinforced by practically every leadership expert I’ve come across.  Help your organisation understand where they’re heading, what the objectives are and how you’re going to get there.  Without vision the path is unclear and you’ll lose people along the way. 
• Build a strong senior team I have come across many executive teams who fail to lead their organisations properly.  It may be because one person blocks progress, perhaps the team doesn’t work constructively together or they simply don’t have the necessary skills, personal impact or credibility.  Whatever the challenge, make sure you build a strong executive team.  Even if it’s difficult to make changes and it may take some time to implement, your senior team must be effective otherwise there’ll be a bottleneck and progress will be practically impossible.
• Engage the workforce See my blog dated 28^th November 2011 (Read here).

Anita Weyland

New Year resolutions?  From a business perspective I tend to use January as an excuse for a bit of organisational housekeeping, as well as a chance to reaffirm my long term plans.

However, this year I have been taken by the alarmingly straightforward approach of the well known volume ‘Getting Things Done’ (GTD) by David Allen (click here) , which I’ve only just got round to really paying attention to, thanks to a recent article in Harvard Business Review.

And the thing I enjoyed most was that he deliberately sets aside any long term vision or goal setting and just focuses on a simple structure to capture and manage all the ‘stuff’ that we all find ourselves dealing with on a day to day basis.

The result – I can honestly say I’ve managed to clear my head of a great deal of daily trivia whilst leaving me confident that I’m not missing anything important.  A cathartic experience in many ways and one that has also left me with much more head space in which to stretch my own horizons.  Yes of course the list of
things to do still looks overwhelming – but at least it’s out of my head and all in one place!

A good feeling but perhaps David Allen’s greatest insight is that in this ‘knowledge worker’ world we now tend to operate in, there is no choice but to learn to deal with multiple projects and activities.  Something I thought I was already pretty good at – but it doesn’t hurt to take in a few new lessons from time to time!

Richard Grafton

I recently read an article in The Week magazine (21^st Jan 2012) saying how it was possible the disaster of the Costa Concordia could have been averted if the officers had looked out of their windows rather than being so focused on their digital screens.

How often can one say, if only one had looked using eyes and done a sense check, rather than purely relying on the digital screen?  For example when planning a route for a journey and just typing in the destination code in the Sat. Nav. without checking the route.  What if the tool one is using is not calibrated correctly eg weighing scales.  This increasing dependency on digital equipment means we are forgetting some basic skills like reading a map or remembering telephone numbers.  Now we just look for the contact details in our mobile phone and press “call” without ever actually having to dial the number.  The same could be said for other business tools, but it is important to remember basic skills, to sense check and to believe in ones experience.  What if you have created a business model, but entered one of the formulae incorrectly?  Some simple sense checking will spot this.  Similarly, reading a map, not just depending on Sat. Nav., will increase the likelihood of one being able to find ones way if the digital equipment should fail.  The cause of the digital equipment to fail maybe simple like the machine ran out of power or a simple human error like entering an incorrect digit into the Sat. Nav. 

Relying purely on digital equipment at the expense of hands on experience can lead to incorrect decisions and may turn out to be costly.  Digital tools can be a great benefit, but should not be at the total sacrifice of hands on experience, but work in conjunction with experience.

Melissa Grafton

It’s time for Non-Execs to supplement their governance role by working with the whole Board to support organisations through the stresses of change and uncertainty

These are testing times for two Boards I am involved in. The NHS transformation is big, serious and far-reaching. Along with international business global charities are having to shift their geographic focus.

The role of the NED or Trustee is clearly defined through the combined code and the charities commission. Correct advice is given on governance, statutory responsibilities and importantly, ‘leaving one’s ego outside the room’. It is true as well that the Chair has a very important role as guide, mentor and performance manager for the CEO.

However, when organisations go through challenging times, particularly when future roles in the organisation
are uncertain or when change is inevitable but not yet defined, there is a vital role for the whole Board to ‘step up’ and demonstrate leadership and support

This is not about committing the fatal error of stepping over the Executive line but it’s about giving the
management team, support, encouragement and sharing personal experience. Empathy combined with the insistence individuals face up to their responsibilities can be energising. Recognising that the ‘corporate body
language’ of the Board and leadership team is watched avidly demands personal responsibility. Difficult times are the point at which visibility, openness and resolution have their real value.

These might sound like ‘old fashioned’ words but they are at the heart of good leaders not corporate
technicians.

David Clayton-Smith

As you are probably aware, John Lewis Partnership delivered a great performance during the Christmas period which continued in to the January sales.  I have been thinking about why this brand should be so strong, articularly in such a tough trading environment.  Based on my own experiences of JLP through the years I believe they cover the bases extremely well.

• The shopping experience.  The stores are brightly lit and clean, the stock is displayed well, there are plenty of tills and normally sufficient staff on the shop floor to deal with individual queries. 
• The stock.  Products are from mainstream brands and the JLP products are generally good quality.   2 year guarantee on electrical goods, together with an easy to use returns policy provide the shopper with peace of
  mind.
• The pricing promise.  In time of recession this kind of reassurance makes a difference.  Admittedly it doesn’t apply to the internet, but for all those people in the store it can give confidence that they’re not being ripped off.
• The partnership structure.   The staff are generally helpful, knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with.  To shop in a store where the assistants actually care about your shopping experience is a pleasant exception to the norm.
• The brand itself.  The brand is easily recognisable after so many years of consistent messaging.  Care has been taken to build the reputation of the company and ensure marketing communications are effective.

Availability.  There are a reasonable number of stores, however not so many that its desirability is diluted.  Shopping on the website is easy and delivery of items flexible.

To be honest, it’s not a long list and I wonder why so many other retailers fall short in one or more areas.    A strong vision, a well developed strategy, consistent marketing, excellent service and a quality product shouldn’t be that difficult to achieve.  However I know it’s easier said than done, so do ensure you have the necessary skills to deliver each area, whether it’s in-house or through external support.  There’s too much at stake to take short cuts.

Anita Weyland

In the Autumn statement, 29 Nov 2011, the Chancellor introduced the new SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) from April 2012.  This will allow investment of up to £100,000 with 50% up front income tax relief.  In addition, any gains from other investments will be exempt from CGT if they are reinvested in SEIS in the same tax year. This could mean the total level of relief will reach 78% if taxable gains are reinvested (50% income relief + 28% CGT avoided on earlier gains).  It is likely to be free of inheritance tax after two years under Business Property Relief, but this is not yet confirmed.  Details of qualifying investments are yet to be defined, but it is likely to be unquoted start-up companies with no more than 25 employees.       

The difference from the existing EIS scheme is that EIS allows more to be invested into larger companies (currently £500, 000, increasing to £1.0m from April 2012 in larger unquoted companies with up to 250 employees with gross assets up to £15m.  Another difference is that upfront income tax relief is 30%, not 50% as with SEIS.  EIS also is inheritance tax free after two years under Business Property Relief.

The SEIS is potentially really attractive to investors with its very tax efficient incentives.  For businesses to make the most of this new scheme, business must have a proper, well thought out business plan.  Obvious one would have thought, but I read in a recent magazine that a significant number of small businesses seek investment under such schemes and funds from banks without a robust business pan.  The key to success in attracting investment under such schemes is to ensure your business plan is thorough and provides confidence to potential investors that you know where your business is going and how it will get there.  Do you have a business plan, if not start thinking about it now.

Melissa Grafton

Over the years a great deal has been written about how to engage employees, and for good reason; it’s not easy!  And there’s no quick way of doing it, nor in fact, any single way either.  It depends on the culture of the organisation, it depends on how effective the leadership is, it depends on what team spirit there is, it depends….

There are however, a number of key activities that should be in place in order to create a positive platform of effective employee engagement.

• Be clear on the direction of the business and how each person plays a role in delivering the successes.  Every individual needs to  understand their worth in order to feel they have value and want to contribute.
• Listen to people’s opinions, thoughts, views and invite discussion and debate.  If you don’t do this then you won’t get proper buy-in.
• Accept and be open about the fact that mistakes happen and you don’t know all the answers.  People warm to others who are open and honest, and respond accordingly.
• Develop people by giving them support to grow, opportunities to learn and increased responsibility.
• Be genuinely concerned for peoples well being. Ensure staff are happy, healthy and well cared for.  By doing so you’ll gain commitment from others and the relationship will be of mutual benefit.

Above all, leaders need to be visible and authentic.  The world of work is all about relationships, and there’s no more important relationship in your business than the one you have with your team.

Anita Weyland

I have been lucky enough to be working for a client responsible for organising the International Historic Motoring Awards (www.historicmotoringawards.com), which were handed out recently by Martin Brundle at a gala dinner at the fabulous St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London. Now I happen to like historic cars but even if you don’t, it’s hard not be impressed by the passion and enthusiasm that runs through so many entrepreneurial businesses supporting this industry. And an industry it is, with not just specialist car dealers and auctions houses but an impressive array of engineering firms that between them help a growing band of enthusiasts to keep some amazing cars on the road for us all to enjoy.

It’s easy to forget we’re leading the world here and it was speaking to so many interesting people at the Awards dinner that reminded me just how important a passion for what you do really is. I have always felt that starting up and running your own business is hard enough so you had better make sure it’s something you love. From small regional businesses to more mature companies with a global reach, I was fascinated to listen to stories of success as well as disappointment – all of them driven by some good old fashioned attitudes towards hard work and customer service.

I was also in awe of the depth of knowledge in the room and of course the sense of history – the automobile really has played quite a part in all of our lives! With Sir Stirling Moss picking up the Lifetime Achievement Award making a fitting end to the night it was perhaps one final reminder that you can still be passionate about what you do even in your 80s!

Richard Grafton

I have recently been involved in a Project Management assignment. It reminded me of some important points to always have at the front of my mind while working through the Project Management process.

1. 1. Set down the process for managing the project at the outset
   1. a. Establish clear lines of communication
   2. b. Ensure all the skills required for successful completion are covered by the team
   3. c. Have clearly defined roles and responsibilities of each team member
   4. d. Have a clearly defined decision and approval processes
2. 2. Engage the project team and stakeholders to work with end objectives that are aligned
3. 3. Define the scope of the project
4. 4. Define the critical success factors for the project
5. 5. Develop an implementation plan in manageable steps and ensure all the team sign-up to the plan and to deliver by the agreed key dates
6. 6. Identify the key dependencies of the project
7. 7. Note any constraints of the project
8. 8. Identify the risks to the project and appropriate actions to mitigate against the risks
9. 9. Establish a schedule of meetings dates at the outset to ensure the whole team is available when required – regular and timely communication is a key component for success
10. 10. Keep focused on the end target date for delivery

Melissa Grafton