Following a fantastic victory by the West Indies at Sabina Park last week, the ugly side of our regional parochialism reared its head at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. Knowing very well that the stadium was not match ready, rather than doing what was best for cricket and the region, local politicians supported by inept West Indies Board leadership insisted that the match be played in the island. After less than 10 minutes, the scheduled 5-day game was abandoned due to poor playing conditions of the ground. Former player and now commentator Michael Holding and veteran broadcaster Tony Cozier weighed in on the issue.
Holding had this to say:
Michael Holding has slammed the lack of responsibility in West Indies cricket as the region comes to terms with yesterday's sensational abandonment of the second Test against England at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua. The match lasted a mere 10 balls, owing to an outfield deluged in sand, and an unsurprised Holding was quick to point the finger at the WICB.
"We have seen things like this happen in the Caribbean before. Whenever we have things like this happening, like in 1998 when the Test match was abandoned [at Sabina Park], there were no repercussions," Holding said in an audio interview with Cricinfo. "And I suspect there will be no repercussions either. No one will lose their jobs; no one will be asked to resign. If you ask the people responsible whether they will resign, they'll just say 'but why? Why should we resign?' So it will happen again. Once you have no repercussions, you will always have repeats.
"It will hit home for the next two weeks. But after two weeks, everyone will move on. That is the way things operate around here when people have no repercussions, when people don't suffer for their mistakes or their incompetence. If you don't suffer for your incompetence, everything moves on. Whenever anything goes wrong, no one suffers."
Tony Cozier had this to say:
Yesterday's fiasco presented the latest, most dramatic explanation for the sudden decline of West Indies cricket, from its unprecedented excellence of the 1980s to the mediocrity of the past two decades. It was yet another example of the politics and the mismanagement that has undermined a game that once elevated this small, impoverished and otherwise insignificant part of the world from third to first world status.
Its timing is most inopportune, coming immediately after the West Indies' most significant victory in years. The passionate public, so disenchanted with prolonged failure, was energised again by the result in the first Test and, more especially, the manner of it.
In less than a week, the euphoria of Sabina Park has been doused. It should not have come to this. There had been repeated problems with the outfield at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium since it was one of the expensive new stadiums constructed around the Caribbean for the 2007 World Cup.
It was sited, against repeated advice from locals, in a basin near a well-known water course. As everywhere else, an elaborate draining system was installed yet, as forecast, water from overnight rain collected on parts of the outfield and disrupted two matches. It meant remedial work had to be done on the offending areas.
Without any trial, a Test against Australia was again assigned to the ground last season. Once more, parts of the outfield became a bog, and almost a full day's play was lost, all told in a drawn match, in spite of hot, sunny weather.
The warning signals were not heeded by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Politics kicked in and it assigned the England Test on the say-so of the government-appointed stadium committee, the Antigua Cricket Association and, ultimately, the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA), the WICB's relevant member board, that all would be right on the day.
As usual, the buck for this embarrassment will be passed around, but there is only one place for it to stop, at the WICB headquarters just a few miles down the road towards St John's, and the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) which will now be reactivated to ease the shame.
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Vision - the reality
A key underpinning of the Growth Facilitators approach to transformation is vision. To us, everything begins with a vision. Yet, we sometimes observe a disconnect with our clients and potential clients whenever we passionately advocate the development and articulation of the organization’s vision. Visioning is often viewed as one of those "soft issues", a new-fangled idea that has no impact on the hard, bottom-line. People are impatient to get to the real issues of action and numbers. Yet, throughout history, we note the importance of vision:
"Without vision the people perish" – The Holy Bible
"Give us vision lest we perish" – The Jamaican National Anthem
"Begin with the end in mind" – Steven Covey
If we look at the great leaders of history, the great success stories of political, economic and social transformation, we will see that the creation of a compelling vision of the future was paramount. But great leaders did not just articulate the vision and keep it to themselves, they spoke about it at every possible occasion, they aligned their actions with it and they lived (and some died for) it. It is this passion and commitment that multiplied their followership in numbers, passion, commitment and action, until it seemed like the vision took on a life of its’ own.
Why is vision important? A compelling vision of the future provides people with hope of a different way of being. It takes the followers out of their present into the possibility of a different future. It provides a guiding light and focus in which to make decisions. It provides focus for making choices, establishing priorities and allocating resources. The vision is inherently creative – it says to followers that we have the power to create a different reality! It gives people a reason to get up and get going.
What happens if a compelling vision is absent? Then people simply do what they want, or worse, do what they have always done, resulting in the organization staying the same, or deteriorating. There is no focus in such a situation, no harnessing of the powerful energy of the team. The organization becomes a wayward blob, floating this way and that, drawn or pushed along by events and circumstance, into deterioration and ultimate demise. This is the state of many of our organizations. It is the state of many individuals. It is perhaps the state of our nation.
The first job of the leader, CEO, Chairman, President or whatever the title, is to articulate and keep the vision foremost and forefront. The vision must become his/her mantra. If the leader says anything, it ought to be in the context and with reference to the vision. It is the leader’s responsibility to bring and keep the vision alive. Even and especially in challenging times as we are now facing, the vision must be kept active and dynamic. This is what will raise team members’ eyes from their current reality to see that there is more to life, more to the organization, more to themselves than just what now appears to exist.
As a leader, if you do nothing else today – articulate the vision of your organization, division or department and share it with all – over and over. Most importantly, believe in it yourself, and make sure that every decision you make, every action you take is in alignment with it. There is no reality except the reality you create. The vision is the reality.
"Without vision the people perish" – The Holy Bible
"Give us vision lest we perish" – The Jamaican National Anthem
"Begin with the end in mind" – Steven Covey
If we look at the great leaders of history, the great success stories of political, economic and social transformation, we will see that the creation of a compelling vision of the future was paramount. But great leaders did not just articulate the vision and keep it to themselves, they spoke about it at every possible occasion, they aligned their actions with it and they lived (and some died for) it. It is this passion and commitment that multiplied their followership in numbers, passion, commitment and action, until it seemed like the vision took on a life of its’ own.
Why is vision important? A compelling vision of the future provides people with hope of a different way of being. It takes the followers out of their present into the possibility of a different future. It provides a guiding light and focus in which to make decisions. It provides focus for making choices, establishing priorities and allocating resources. The vision is inherently creative – it says to followers that we have the power to create a different reality! It gives people a reason to get up and get going.
What happens if a compelling vision is absent? Then people simply do what they want, or worse, do what they have always done, resulting in the organization staying the same, or deteriorating. There is no focus in such a situation, no harnessing of the powerful energy of the team. The organization becomes a wayward blob, floating this way and that, drawn or pushed along by events and circumstance, into deterioration and ultimate demise. This is the state of many of our organizations. It is the state of many individuals. It is perhaps the state of our nation.
The first job of the leader, CEO, Chairman, President or whatever the title, is to articulate and keep the vision foremost and forefront. The vision must become his/her mantra. If the leader says anything, it ought to be in the context and with reference to the vision. It is the leader’s responsibility to bring and keep the vision alive. Even and especially in challenging times as we are now facing, the vision must be kept active and dynamic. This is what will raise team members’ eyes from their current reality to see that there is more to life, more to the organization, more to themselves than just what now appears to exist.
As a leader, if you do nothing else today – articulate the vision of your organization, division or department and share it with all – over and over. Most importantly, believe in it yourself, and make sure that every decision you make, every action you take is in alignment with it. There is no reality except the reality you create. The vision is the reality.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Leadership in times of crisis - when everything is melting down
Yesterday I addressed the Caribbean Association of Indigenous Banks 35th Annual Conference on the topic “Leadership in Times of Crisis”.
At this conference, the association members examined a number of issues that will or are affecting their organizations, and the Caribbean financial system in general. These include the European Economic Partnership Agreement, Global Financial Regulations, the Sub-Prime Crisis, Financing Opportunities in the Tourism Industry and Enterprise Risk Management. The factor that will pull all of this together and galvanize action is leadership.
As I prepared my speech, I found that the root of the word ““crisis” (Greek): krisis = decision. The dictionary further tells us that a crisis is a condition of instability or danger leading to decisive change. A crisis is therefore a turning point, or a time to decide, not to be paralysed. Our normal response in a crisis is to PANIC! We become paralyzed, not so much by what is happening but by our FEAR of what has happened in the past and that could happen in the future. The terrible thing about fear is that it feeds upon itself (contagion effect), and soon everyone else is in a panic. One cannot see clearly in this state, for a state of FEAR clouds our vision and therefore our ability to make decisions. Ironically, this is the very time that we MUST make decisions!
It is well known that the Chinese symbol for “crisis” is the same as for “opportunity”. Therefore, how do we see the opportunity within the crisis? This is the fundamental function of leadership – to see the opportunities, to give hope of a brighter future, since the present is so bleak and most people can’t see beyond that and to provide forward momentum – make decisions, keep vision alive
I identified 6 things that the leader must do:
C = Communicate
R = Respect
I = Independent
S = Stay on message
I = Invincibility
S = Smile
C = Communicate to build community; communicate not just to share and give news, but to invite feedback and gather information so that you can make better decisions. Communicate via all media possible – in person, by e-mail, intranet, bulletin boards – fill all information voids early, for failure to do so will result in speculation which is the food of fear
R = Respect the feelings and views of others. Allow people to vent their worst fears and insecurity. Listen more than talk
I = Independent – do not get pulled into the panic. I know of a CEO in Jamaica who locks himself in the bathroom every morning and laughs for 5 minutes. This immediately puts him in a good mood that last throughout the day. This allows him to stay clear and focused, aloof from, yet observing the panic, and so able to make the tough decisions that these times require
S = Stay on the message e.g. Obama – “yes we can”. Nothing must keep you from the message. Find something that resonates with your team, and stick to it. Every communication, every speech, every action must reflect this message. A good message to start with is “This too shall pass”
I = Invincible – help others to have courage, and the feeling that they can conquer the crisis situation
S = Smile - The July 17 issue of Time Magazine featured Nelson Mandela’s 8 lessons of leadership. Lesson #6 was “Appearances matter — and remember to smile”. The article noted about Mandela when he was running for President in 1994: “But more important was that dazzling, beatific, all-inclusive smile. For white South Africans, the smile symbolized Mandela's lack of bitterness and suggested that he was sympathetic to them. To black voters, it said, I am the happy warrior, and we will triumph. The ubiquitous ANC election poster was simply his smiling face. "The smile," says Ramaphosa, "was the message."
In closing, I reminded the conference delegates to find the opportunity in crisis, to remember what they need to do as a leader – C (Communicate) R (Respect) I(Independent) S (Stay on message) I(Invincibility) S(Smile), and to keep hope alive.
At this conference, the association members examined a number of issues that will or are affecting their organizations, and the Caribbean financial system in general. These include the European Economic Partnership Agreement, Global Financial Regulations, the Sub-Prime Crisis, Financing Opportunities in the Tourism Industry and Enterprise Risk Management. The factor that will pull all of this together and galvanize action is leadership.
As I prepared my speech, I found that the root of the word ““crisis” (Greek): krisis = decision. The dictionary further tells us that a crisis is a condition of instability or danger leading to decisive change. A crisis is therefore a turning point, or a time to decide, not to be paralysed. Our normal response in a crisis is to PANIC! We become paralyzed, not so much by what is happening but by our FEAR of what has happened in the past and that could happen in the future. The terrible thing about fear is that it feeds upon itself (contagion effect), and soon everyone else is in a panic. One cannot see clearly in this state, for a state of FEAR clouds our vision and therefore our ability to make decisions. Ironically, this is the very time that we MUST make decisions!
It is well known that the Chinese symbol for “crisis” is the same as for “opportunity”. Therefore, how do we see the opportunity within the crisis? This is the fundamental function of leadership – to see the opportunities, to give hope of a brighter future, since the present is so bleak and most people can’t see beyond that and to provide forward momentum – make decisions, keep vision alive
I identified 6 things that the leader must do:
C = Communicate
R = Respect
I = Independent
S = Stay on message
I = Invincibility
S = Smile
C = Communicate to build community; communicate not just to share and give news, but to invite feedback and gather information so that you can make better decisions. Communicate via all media possible – in person, by e-mail, intranet, bulletin boards – fill all information voids early, for failure to do so will result in speculation which is the food of fear
R = Respect the feelings and views of others. Allow people to vent their worst fears and insecurity. Listen more than talk
I = Independent – do not get pulled into the panic. I know of a CEO in Jamaica who locks himself in the bathroom every morning and laughs for 5 minutes. This immediately puts him in a good mood that last throughout the day. This allows him to stay clear and focused, aloof from, yet observing the panic, and so able to make the tough decisions that these times require
S = Stay on the message e.g. Obama – “yes we can”. Nothing must keep you from the message. Find something that resonates with your team, and stick to it. Every communication, every speech, every action must reflect this message. A good message to start with is “This too shall pass”
I = Invincible – help others to have courage, and the feeling that they can conquer the crisis situation
S = Smile - The July 17 issue of Time Magazine featured Nelson Mandela’s 8 lessons of leadership. Lesson #6 was “Appearances matter — and remember to smile”. The article noted about Mandela when he was running for President in 1994: “But more important was that dazzling, beatific, all-inclusive smile. For white South Africans, the smile symbolized Mandela's lack of bitterness and suggested that he was sympathetic to them. To black voters, it said, I am the happy warrior, and we will triumph. The ubiquitous ANC election poster was simply his smiling face. "The smile," says Ramaphosa, "was the message."
In closing, I reminded the conference delegates to find the opportunity in crisis, to remember what they need to do as a leader – C (Communicate) R (Respect) I(Independent) S (Stay on message) I(Invincibility) S(Smile), and to keep hope alive.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Why do we do the things we do?
“Why do you want to?” I incredulously asked the security officer at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston yesterday, in response to her request to feel my hair. Granted, I do have a lot of hair, enough to ensconce a pound or two of drugs, is what she was probably thinking. Opening her eyes wide, shoulders bracing with all the power invested in her uniform and position, she responded “So you are not allowing me to feel your hair?” I replied quickly, seeing that this could get ugly, and that I was in HER space, not mine, that I did not have any such problem.
The next line was Immigration. I stood behind a lady who was being asked by an Immigration officer to turn off her cell phone. Energised by my encounter with the hair-hounding security detail, I asked him why. He looked at me aghast, smiled and said “Because this is a sterile zone”. So, I asked him what that meant. He repeated his statement. I proceeded to the Immigration counter, to another officer and asked “Why can’t we use cell phones here?” “Because it is a sterile zone”. I pressed on, and got a series of responses with the ultimate declaration that this is the way it is in here as in all Immigration zones throughout the world and well, just … because.
This got me pondering – why do we do the things we do in our organizations? Why do we have the systems, processes and procedures? Why do we have certain regulations, systems, procedures and processes in our government? Presumably, they were put in place for a very good reason, and they served a useful purpose when they were instituted. But do we ever stop to question why we still have them and whether they are still useful?
Further, do our organizational team members know why they do the things they do? The security officer should have been able to respond to my question, for it was a reasonable one – she wanted to put her hand on my person, my body, my space. I wanted to know why she would want to do such a thing, which frankly, I consider an invasion of my privacy, and maybe even fraught with health issues (like, how clean are her hands?) And surely Immigration officers, highly trained and educated, should be able to tell me in one sentence or less why cell phones are not allowed in their space. “Because that’s the way it’s done all over the world” is not an appropriate answer to my question.
There was a time when all of us used to ask “Why” constantly – the time was called “childhood”. Unfortunately, the adults in our lives quickly beat this out of us (figuratively, and some even literally) and we soon learned that asking “Why” was not a good thing to do, since the only response it elicited was “Because I say so”.
As organizational leaders, we need to constantly be asking “Why”. This is how we create organizations that are efficient, effective and profitable. This is how we create organizations that truly serve the needs of our customers and create unassailable competitive advantage. We also need to encourage our team members to ask “Why”. They are the ones actually carrying out the processes and procedures, and who receive direct feedback from those on the receiving end i.e. your customers. When they ask “why”, it is important to be open to the feedback and give them straight, honest responses. If “because I say so” is the only response you can muster, then you need to get back to the drawing board and redesign (or eliminate) your systems, processes or procedures.
The next line was Immigration. I stood behind a lady who was being asked by an Immigration officer to turn off her cell phone. Energised by my encounter with the hair-hounding security detail, I asked him why. He looked at me aghast, smiled and said “Because this is a sterile zone”. So, I asked him what that meant. He repeated his statement. I proceeded to the Immigration counter, to another officer and asked “Why can’t we use cell phones here?” “Because it is a sterile zone”. I pressed on, and got a series of responses with the ultimate declaration that this is the way it is in here as in all Immigration zones throughout the world and well, just … because.
This got me pondering – why do we do the things we do in our organizations? Why do we have the systems, processes and procedures? Why do we have certain regulations, systems, procedures and processes in our government? Presumably, they were put in place for a very good reason, and they served a useful purpose when they were instituted. But do we ever stop to question why we still have them and whether they are still useful?
Further, do our organizational team members know why they do the things they do? The security officer should have been able to respond to my question, for it was a reasonable one – she wanted to put her hand on my person, my body, my space. I wanted to know why she would want to do such a thing, which frankly, I consider an invasion of my privacy, and maybe even fraught with health issues (like, how clean are her hands?) And surely Immigration officers, highly trained and educated, should be able to tell me in one sentence or less why cell phones are not allowed in their space. “Because that’s the way it’s done all over the world” is not an appropriate answer to my question.
There was a time when all of us used to ask “Why” constantly – the time was called “childhood”. Unfortunately, the adults in our lives quickly beat this out of us (figuratively, and some even literally) and we soon learned that asking “Why” was not a good thing to do, since the only response it elicited was “Because I say so”.
As organizational leaders, we need to constantly be asking “Why”. This is how we create organizations that are efficient, effective and profitable. This is how we create organizations that truly serve the needs of our customers and create unassailable competitive advantage. We also need to encourage our team members to ask “Why”. They are the ones actually carrying out the processes and procedures, and who receive direct feedback from those on the receiving end i.e. your customers. When they ask “why”, it is important to be open to the feedback and give them straight, honest responses. If “because I say so” is the only response you can muster, then you need to get back to the drawing board and redesign (or eliminate) your systems, processes or procedures.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Key phrases in urgency
Some great phrases came from Prof. Kotter in his webinar on Thursday and his article "Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail". Here are a few that resonated with me and the meanings I ascribe:
Team of prima donnas - this is a leadership team that think they know everything and parade around extolling their brilliance. They are untouchable, and infallible, or think they are. They are so focused on boosting themselves that they become hindrances to any real change effort
Relentless urgency killers - these are the people who kill the sense of urgency by their negativism, cynicism and downright sabotage. They have honed their urgency-murder to a fine art and are often subtle, but very very effective
Urgency generating machine - the people/person whose "job" it is to establish and maintain the sense of urgency. Best if the CEO considers this to be his/her role - but then aims, by example, to get more and more people operating likewise
Power-dispersed environment - an environment where power is not concentrated at the top, and where people feel and are empowered to act and make decisions on that generate real change
Aggressive cooperation - cooperation focused on the achievement of results and which is underpinned by a true sense of urgency
Paralyzed by the downside - this is where people are so consumed in the "what ifs" that they are unable to take any action at all
Which of these phrases apply to you or to members of your team? And what do you plan to do about it?
Monday, September 15, 2008
Lessons in Leadership – Jamaica Football
Captain Horace Burrell, the President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) first assumed office in 1994 and boldly stated that he would take the Jamaican team to France for the World Cup finals in 1998. Although he faced many obstacles and hardships, he stuck to his vision, took tough decisions and delivered on his promise. One of the key factors in delivering on his promise was the hiring of Professor Rene Simoes as the Technical Director.
Captain Burrell relinquished the Presidency in 2003 to Crenston Boxhill and wrestled control once more in 2007 where he vowed once more to take Jamaica to the world cup finals, this time South Africa in 2010. Shortly after assuming the office the second time around, the Captain took a tough decision to dismiss then Technical Director Bora Milutinovic. He turned to his good friend Professor Simoes who arrived in Jamaica in January 2008. Over the last 14 years the Captain and the Professor developed a deep mutual respect for each other and were very close friends.
Jamaica was drawn in the proverbial “Group of Death” for the CONCACAF semi-final qualifiers alongside Mexico, Honduras and Canada. Everyone knew it was going to be tough to be one of the two qualifiers from this Group. Mexico, the perennial kingpins of CONCACAF was expected to go through, however Honduras and Canada were no walkovers. Having lost the first three matches, and with Jamaica’s chances of qualifying literally hanging by a string, Captain Burrell had to take a tough decision. The fact that it involved the future of Professor Simoes, his very close friend and one well loved by Jamaicans, made it very difficult. Shortly after 1 am in Honduras, the decision was taken and Professor Simoes was no longer employed to coach the Jamaica National Football Team.
What lessons can we learn? Some persons agreed with the Captain, while many said it was cruel – he should have waited. The fact is that as leaders we are always faced with tough decisions, we may not always take the “right” decision, but we must be decisive and work with what we have done.
I reflect on the tenure of Mrs. Portia Simpson-Miller as Prime Minister. She was faced with tough decisions regarding persons very close to her. Most notably was then Minister Phillip Paulwell who should have been held accountable for the cement debacle which crippled the construction industry for months. He should have been held accountable for the Trafigura Affair. Unfortunately, Mr. Paulwell was the greatest supporter of Mrs. Simpson-Miller leading up to the PNP Presidential race in 2006 and thereafter. It is my opinion that had Mrs. Simpson-Miller taken the tough decision and stripped Mr. Paulwell of his Ministerial responsibilities, she would most likely have won the General Election in 2007. Instead her popularity rating snowballed from in the 70’s in March 2006 to the 40’s by time the election was called.
Captain Burrell relinquished the Presidency in 2003 to Crenston Boxhill and wrestled control once more in 2007 where he vowed once more to take Jamaica to the world cup finals, this time South Africa in 2010. Shortly after assuming the office the second time around, the Captain took a tough decision to dismiss then Technical Director Bora Milutinovic. He turned to his good friend Professor Simoes who arrived in Jamaica in January 2008. Over the last 14 years the Captain and the Professor developed a deep mutual respect for each other and were very close friends.
Jamaica was drawn in the proverbial “Group of Death” for the CONCACAF semi-final qualifiers alongside Mexico, Honduras and Canada. Everyone knew it was going to be tough to be one of the two qualifiers from this Group. Mexico, the perennial kingpins of CONCACAF was expected to go through, however Honduras and Canada were no walkovers. Having lost the first three matches, and with Jamaica’s chances of qualifying literally hanging by a string, Captain Burrell had to take a tough decision. The fact that it involved the future of Professor Simoes, his very close friend and one well loved by Jamaicans, made it very difficult. Shortly after 1 am in Honduras, the decision was taken and Professor Simoes was no longer employed to coach the Jamaica National Football Team.
What lessons can we learn? Some persons agreed with the Captain, while many said it was cruel – he should have waited. The fact is that as leaders we are always faced with tough decisions, we may not always take the “right” decision, but we must be decisive and work with what we have done.
I reflect on the tenure of Mrs. Portia Simpson-Miller as Prime Minister. She was faced with tough decisions regarding persons very close to her. Most notably was then Minister Phillip Paulwell who should have been held accountable for the cement debacle which crippled the construction industry for months. He should have been held accountable for the Trafigura Affair. Unfortunately, Mr. Paulwell was the greatest supporter of Mrs. Simpson-Miller leading up to the PNP Presidential race in 2006 and thereafter. It is my opinion that had Mrs. Simpson-Miller taken the tough decision and stripped Mr. Paulwell of his Ministerial responsibilities, she would most likely have won the General Election in 2007. Instead her popularity rating snowballed from in the 70’s in March 2006 to the 40’s by time the election was called.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Customer Happiness
How’s this for a job title? “Customer Happiness Manager” As we continually redefine the world of work in an effort to be and remain competitive, we are realising more and more that the experience of the customer is tantamount. Put simply, a happy customer buys more! So, in recent years as organizations have tried to get this message across we have seen moves from “customer service” to “customer satisfaction” to “customer delight” and now “customer happiness”.
What’s in a word? Are these changes important? Do they really create changes in how people behave and in particular, how they serve customers? Yes, they do – but words alone are not enough. Many organizations think that if they simply train their frontline employees to answer the phone within 3 rings, smile when dealing with customers and say “Please”, “Thank you” and “You’re welcome”, then customers will be happy. Well, the news is that bad service, that is, service that does not meet the needs of the customer, even if delivered by smiling employees, will still be bad service – no happy customers at all. Nor happy employees either!
A “Customer Happiness Manager” would have to be backed up by an organization that is dedicated to the happiness of its’ chosen customers. This would mean careful choice of customer, based on knowing that you can’t be all things to all people; deeply understanding what makes the chosen customer happy – not guessing, or thinking – KNOWING. Constant research, feedback and communication with customers and about customer issues would be the order of the day. Systems and procedures would be geared to customer happiness - meeting the customer where they are, providing what the customer wants, delivering the service where and when the customer wants and as little work for the customer as is possible.
All these customer happiness procedures are necessary, but not sufficient. For the most important piece of the puzzle is the people. The CEO must lead the charge and consider him/herself the Chief Customer Happiness Officer. The Customer Happiness Manager would have his/her ear, with quick and easy access. The entire leadership team would know that customer happiness is “Job One”, and that they must do, and allow their team to do everything they can to achieve this. Most importantly though, is that the people in the organization must themselves be happy – with themselves, with their lives. They must feel that they are in the right job, with the right skills and tools. While the organization may be responsible for putting in place the job, skills and tools, it is the individual’s responsibility to come to the job with the right attitude, beliefs and behaviours. Organizations committed to customer happiness know that they must attract people who are already happy within themselves and then place them in the right job. Not the other way around – place the person with the right skills in the job and hope that will make them happy!
I love the idea of Customer Happiness! I also love the idea that an organization would be so dedicated to it that it would seek out happy people to be on its team, and then do everything possible to create an environment in which happiness flourishes for everyone!
What’s in a word? Are these changes important? Do they really create changes in how people behave and in particular, how they serve customers? Yes, they do – but words alone are not enough. Many organizations think that if they simply train their frontline employees to answer the phone within 3 rings, smile when dealing with customers and say “Please”, “Thank you” and “You’re welcome”, then customers will be happy. Well, the news is that bad service, that is, service that does not meet the needs of the customer, even if delivered by smiling employees, will still be bad service – no happy customers at all. Nor happy employees either!
A “Customer Happiness Manager” would have to be backed up by an organization that is dedicated to the happiness of its’ chosen customers. This would mean careful choice of customer, based on knowing that you can’t be all things to all people; deeply understanding what makes the chosen customer happy – not guessing, or thinking – KNOWING. Constant research, feedback and communication with customers and about customer issues would be the order of the day. Systems and procedures would be geared to customer happiness - meeting the customer where they are, providing what the customer wants, delivering the service where and when the customer wants and as little work for the customer as is possible.
All these customer happiness procedures are necessary, but not sufficient. For the most important piece of the puzzle is the people. The CEO must lead the charge and consider him/herself the Chief Customer Happiness Officer. The Customer Happiness Manager would have his/her ear, with quick and easy access. The entire leadership team would know that customer happiness is “Job One”, and that they must do, and allow their team to do everything they can to achieve this. Most importantly though, is that the people in the organization must themselves be happy – with themselves, with their lives. They must feel that they are in the right job, with the right skills and tools. While the organization may be responsible for putting in place the job, skills and tools, it is the individual’s responsibility to come to the job with the right attitude, beliefs and behaviours. Organizations committed to customer happiness know that they must attract people who are already happy within themselves and then place them in the right job. Not the other way around – place the person with the right skills in the job and hope that will make them happy!
I love the idea of Customer Happiness! I also love the idea that an organization would be so dedicated to it that it would seek out happy people to be on its team, and then do everything possible to create an environment in which happiness flourishes for everyone!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Mandela's Leadership Lessons
The Time magazine July 21 issue had as its’ cover story “Mandela at 90: The Secrets of Leadership”. This was the very day I was leaving Jamaica for South Africa. The article made riveting reading on the long flight and was excellent orientation for my first visit to this fascinating country in conscious transition.
Here are Nelson Mandela’s lessons, gleaned over decades of leadership – most of which he spent incarcerated, yet still managed to effectively lead a movement for massive change:
Lesson #1:
Courage is not the absence of fear – it’s inspiring others to move beyond it
Lesson #2:
Lead from the front – but don’t leave your base behind
Lesson #3:
Lead from the back – and let others believe they are in front
Lesson #4:
Know your enemy – and learn about his favourite sport
Lesson #5:
Keep your friends close – and your rivals even closer
Lesson #6:
Appearances matter – and remember to smile
Lesson #7:
Nothing is black or white
Lesson #8:
Quitting is leading too
What I love about these lessons are their simplicity and practicality. These lessons are no treatises developed out of years of research, analysis, discourse, debate or scholarship. They are lessons that were gleaned in the mud, dirt, grime, violence, hardship and challenges of the trenches of the fight against apartheid. They are lessons that all of us can put into practice. Most importantly, they are lessons that work – we see the result in the victory over apartheid, and in the example that Nelson Mandela has set and continues to set. For all of us who love and admire Nelson Mandela, the greatest tribute to him would be for us to put these into practice in our families, organizations and nations.
Here is the link to the article - read and put into practice!
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1821467,00.html
Here are Nelson Mandela’s lessons, gleaned over decades of leadership – most of which he spent incarcerated, yet still managed to effectively lead a movement for massive change:
Lesson #1:
Courage is not the absence of fear – it’s inspiring others to move beyond it
Lesson #2:
Lead from the front – but don’t leave your base behind
Lesson #3:
Lead from the back – and let others believe they are in front
Lesson #4:
Know your enemy – and learn about his favourite sport
Lesson #5:
Keep your friends close – and your rivals even closer
Lesson #6:
Appearances matter – and remember to smile
Lesson #7:
Nothing is black or white
Lesson #8:
Quitting is leading too
What I love about these lessons are their simplicity and practicality. These lessons are no treatises developed out of years of research, analysis, discourse, debate or scholarship. They are lessons that were gleaned in the mud, dirt, grime, violence, hardship and challenges of the trenches of the fight against apartheid. They are lessons that all of us can put into practice. Most importantly, they are lessons that work – we see the result in the victory over apartheid, and in the example that Nelson Mandela has set and continues to set. For all of us who love and admire Nelson Mandela, the greatest tribute to him would be for us to put these into practice in our families, organizations and nations.
Here is the link to the article - read and put into practice!
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1821467,00.html
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