The OTM Academy is the resource library for clients of Organisations That Matter.
Due to demand a new Mobile App has just been released.
Access the App here http://mobileroadie.com/m/otm-academy
Please let me know what you think.
Discover What Really Matters! Resources for better leaders, better organisations and a better world
Friday, May 18, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A genuinely great service experience!
If you travel a lot for business or pleasure you may be able to relate to that annoying feeling that you have forgotten something important, only to have it dawn on you as your plane is about to land at your destination that you have forgotten your phone charger (again!!!).
As your brain scans quickly for solutions you scamper off the plane only to discover that the airport is effectively in shut down. It is, after all after 8.30pm and you are in Australia. So the opportunity to purchase a charger isn't going to present itself to you at the airport.
Catching a taxi to your destination you ask the driver if, by any chance does he have the same phone charger that you require? "Sorry, I don't have that type of phone", is the reply.
"Damn!", you think yo yourself.
"I'm up here for two full days and my phone won't last that long. It'll be lucky to see the morning. Oh well, maybe I'll get lucky at the local corner store."
If you're wondering why I haven't suggested that you check if reception has a spare charger I need to explain that the particular hotel in which you are staying doesn't have a reception service after 7:30pm, so you have accessed the key to your room via a secure key lock.
You look at your clock and notice that it is nearly 9pm. What are the chances that the local convenience store will still be open? "Hmmm, I might be able to make it it if I'm fast", you think to yourself.
So you quickly race down the stairs and walk to the corner store that you discovered on your last visit. It's still open, but they are bringing all the signs inside in preparation for closing. You pick up a few things for breakfast in the morning and search around for a phone charger, all the while thinking that it is a 'long shot'.
You get to the the counter and say, "I'm not expecting your answer to be yes, but it can't hurt to ask. Do you sell iPhone chargers?"
"No we don't." comes the reply.
"But I can lend you mine if you like?"
"Are you serious" I said, I mean you say (yes if you hadn't guessed this whole story is about a real experience that I have just had!).
"Yes I am serious. You are obviously away on business and I guess you would really need your phone. I have two phone chargers so you can borrow this one."
What a wonderful gesture. I had never before met Andrew from Tuppy's Riverside Convenience Store, (85 Deakin Street, Kangaroo Point Queensland Australia, just down beside the Storey Bridge) yet he was willing to help me out, for no other reason than he could. What was also wonderful about his gesture is that it was made both genuinely and purely. He made the offer with no expectations of me doing anything in return (except of course to return his charger.).
Great service experiences are characterised by little things. In that moment when Andrew heard my question, his response was to a fellow human being in need. Wow that made me feel good.
I explained to him that I write a lot and asked if it was okay for me to write about this experience and he gave me his permission. So if you are ever in Brisbane, check out Tuppy's Riverside Convenience Store, I'll certainly be going back - and that's a promise!
By the way the 'tagline' on its simple brochure says, "More than a convenience store!". Well, unlike many taglines out there, I can say that my experience of this one is that it is an accurate expression of the experience that you will have a Tuppy's Riverside Convenience Store.
Thank you Andrew for providing a simple, yet genuinely great service experience for me. I genuinely appreciate it.
What are your genuine service experiences?
How do you bring genuine service experiences into the work that you do?
And finally, how do you bring your 'tagline' to life, just like Andrew did?
Visit here for information on how you can bring the OTM Service Strategy to life inside your organisation.
As your brain scans quickly for solutions you scamper off the plane only to discover that the airport is effectively in shut down. It is, after all after 8.30pm and you are in Australia. So the opportunity to purchase a charger isn't going to present itself to you at the airport.
Catching a taxi to your destination you ask the driver if, by any chance does he have the same phone charger that you require? "Sorry, I don't have that type of phone", is the reply.
"Damn!", you think yo yourself.
"I'm up here for two full days and my phone won't last that long. It'll be lucky to see the morning. Oh well, maybe I'll get lucky at the local corner store."
If you're wondering why I haven't suggested that you check if reception has a spare charger I need to explain that the particular hotel in which you are staying doesn't have a reception service after 7:30pm, so you have accessed the key to your room via a secure key lock.
You look at your clock and notice that it is nearly 9pm. What are the chances that the local convenience store will still be open? "Hmmm, I might be able to make it it if I'm fast", you think to yourself.
So you quickly race down the stairs and walk to the corner store that you discovered on your last visit. It's still open, but they are bringing all the signs inside in preparation for closing. You pick up a few things for breakfast in the morning and search around for a phone charger, all the while thinking that it is a 'long shot'.
You get to the the counter and say, "I'm not expecting your answer to be yes, but it can't hurt to ask. Do you sell iPhone chargers?"
"No we don't." comes the reply.
"But I can lend you mine if you like?"
"Are you serious" I said, I mean you say (yes if you hadn't guessed this whole story is about a real experience that I have just had!).
"Yes I am serious. You are obviously away on business and I guess you would really need your phone. I have two phone chargers so you can borrow this one."
What a wonderful gesture. I had never before met Andrew from Tuppy's Riverside Convenience Store, (85 Deakin Street, Kangaroo Point Queensland Australia, just down beside the Storey Bridge) yet he was willing to help me out, for no other reason than he could. What was also wonderful about his gesture is that it was made both genuinely and purely. He made the offer with no expectations of me doing anything in return (except of course to return his charger.).
Great service experiences are characterised by little things. In that moment when Andrew heard my question, his response was to a fellow human being in need. Wow that made me feel good.
I explained to him that I write a lot and asked if it was okay for me to write about this experience and he gave me his permission. So if you are ever in Brisbane, check out Tuppy's Riverside Convenience Store, I'll certainly be going back - and that's a promise!
By the way the 'tagline' on its simple brochure says, "More than a convenience store!". Well, unlike many taglines out there, I can say that my experience of this one is that it is an accurate expression of the experience that you will have a Tuppy's Riverside Convenience Store.
Thank you Andrew for providing a simple, yet genuinely great service experience for me. I genuinely appreciate it.
What are your genuine service experiences?
How do you bring genuine service experiences into the work that you do?
And finally, how do you bring your 'tagline' to life, just like Andrew did?
Visit here for information on how you can bring the OTM Service Strategy to life inside your organisation.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Insights for Senior & Developing Leaders ebook released
What Really Matters! Volume 4, Number 1, 2012 complimentary edition released.
This complimentary ebook
is for Senior & Developing Leaders who share our view that
organisational success is created through enabling people to be the best
they can be, was created from a selection of articles published on the OTM Academy from January 1st 2012 through to April 30th 2012.
Please feel free to join the OTM Academy - it's free!
* How to conduct 'Meetings That Matter'
* How clutter detracts from your service levels
* A great opportunity that results from Changing What's Normal
* How to use illustrations to create Conversations That Matter®
*Why you should use the What Makes People Tick personality profile tool
* Why thinking like a chicken is not useful if you are an eagle
* How four extraordinary women have inspired many other people to contribute to a higher purpose
*And much, much more!
Order this free ebook to download here.
Contributing authors include:
What Really Matters! Volume 4, Number 1, 2012
This complimentary ebook
is for Senior & Developing Leaders who share our view that
organisational success is created through enabling people to be the best
they can be, was created from a selection of articles published on the OTM Academy from January 1st 2012 through to April 30th 2012.Please feel free to join the OTM Academy - it's free!
In the ebook you will discover:
* Why you should know what is on your corporate website* How to conduct 'Meetings That Matter'
* How clutter detracts from your service levels
* A great opportunity that results from Changing What's Normal
* How to use illustrations to create Conversations That Matter®
*Why you should use the What Makes People Tick personality profile tool
* Why thinking like a chicken is not useful if you are an eagle
* How four extraordinary women have inspired many other people to contribute to a higher purpose
*And much, much more!
Order this free ebook to download here.
Contributing authors include:
- Gary Ryan
- Ian Berry
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Conversation Starters Catalyse Conversations That Matter®
Conversation Starters are generally single page documents that are designed to catalyse Conversations That Matter.
Through using a combination of text and illustrations, Conversation Starters provide focus for conversations that otherwise might not be able to occur.
Through enabling people to focus on something other than another person, Conversation Starters allow people to talk about things that matter to them without fear of offending anyone - after all it is the document that can be blamed rather than a person.
Access a complimentary Conversation Starter 'Who is the Customer' here and please let me know how you have used it.
Through using a combination of text and illustrations, Conversation Starters provide focus for conversations that otherwise might not be able to occur.
Through enabling people to focus on something other than another person, Conversation Starters allow people to talk about things that matter to them without fear of offending anyone - after all it is the document that can be blamed rather than a person.
Access a complimentary Conversation Starter 'Who is the Customer' here and please let me know how you have used it.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Making a difference - Four extraordinary women and the power of purpose
What's the acronym for 'make a difference'?
M.A.D.
That's exactly what scores of people said to Michelle, Nicky, Maureen and Jan when they told people they were going to do the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker event in Melbourne, Australia to raise much needed funds for the important work that Oxfam does around the globe.
At the time of posting this article Team Make a Difference (M.A.D.) had raised over $11,000 - a remarkable effort in a time when raising money has become very difficult due to challenging economic circumstances for many people.
It is important to recognise differencemakers because they set the example for how 'ordinary' can become 'extraordinary'. In this case I think it is fair to say that our four differencemakers above were already extraordinary before the event, but having finished the walk they are even more extraordinary than ever.
When I talk about extraordinary let's look at some highlights from each of our differencemakers.
Michelle, my wife is the mother of five children ranging from 12 years old to 20 months old. Need I say more!
Nicky is equally as extraordinary being a mother of three young boys ranging from seven through to 23 months old.
Jan is a mother of a five year old and someone who has saved countless wildlife from death in her role as a wildlife volunteer, personally caring for injured and sick wildlife until they recover and are able to be returned to their habitats.
Maureen is the veteran of the group being 60 years old and this year completed her third Oxfam Trailwalker - completing one is an extraordinary effort let alone having now completed three!
What is also wonderful about this story is that Michelle, Jan, Maureen and Nicky are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to extra-ordinary people. The sea of support led by Harry Lowe was something to behold. Each person volunteered one of the greatest gifts that anyone can give another person, cause or both: their time!
In this context I believe that it is important to recognise each person because, quite simply, Team Make a Difference could not have raised their funds nor finished the walk without the support of their team.
I understand that you see lists of names all the time. However I urge you to look at each name and recognise that there is a human being behind that name - a human being that subscribed to a purpose bigger than themselves and in the small and large ways contributed to making a positive difference.
Team Make a Difference support crew
Harry Lowe, Christine Sellar, Loreto Ryan, Heather Cecil, Mark Cecil, Merrell Harris, Julie Davenport, Liam Ryan, Sienna Ryan, Callum Ryan, Aiden Ryan, Darcy Ryan, Jonathan McKeown, Anthony McKeown, Hugh Mckeown, James McKeown, Karen Lowe, Lehela Manoel, Mark Mattrow, Gemma Mattrow, Evelyn Devitt, Rosey Cullinan, Geri Burns and Mark Burns.
In addition to these special people recognition must also go to everyone who donated to Oxfam, attended the fundraising event and/or simply spread the word about what was happening.
I have been involved in the Oxfam Trailwalker event before, but this time was extra special. Without a doubt the bigger picture that Team Make a Difference was striving to support was truly engaged by all team members and their support crew. While simple in words the purpose of making a positive difference for the less fortunate in the world through participating in the Oxfam Trailwalker event proved itself to be extaordinarily powerful.
And shared purpose is extremely powerful.
Originally the team had aimed to raise $5,000 but this total was surpassed by a single fundraising event that itself raised $6,300.
Jan, Maureen, Nicky and Michelle thank you for being extraordinary and in being so enabled so many more of us to be extraordinary too.
Donations are still open so please feel free to donate to Oxfam here.
Gary Ryan helps Senior and Developing Leaders achieve high performance through enabling their people to shine.
M.A.D.
That's exactly what scores of people said to Michelle, Nicky, Maureen and Jan when they told people they were going to do the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker event in Melbourne, Australia to raise much needed funds for the important work that Oxfam does around the globe.
At the time of posting this article Team Make a Difference (M.A.D.) had raised over $11,000 - a remarkable effort in a time when raising money has become very difficult due to challenging economic circumstances for many people.
It is important to recognise differencemakers because they set the example for how 'ordinary' can become 'extraordinary'. In this case I think it is fair to say that our four differencemakers above were already extraordinary before the event, but having finished the walk they are even more extraordinary than ever.
When I talk about extraordinary let's look at some highlights from each of our differencemakers.
Michelle, my wife is the mother of five children ranging from 12 years old to 20 months old. Need I say more!
Nicky is equally as extraordinary being a mother of three young boys ranging from seven through to 23 months old.
Jan is a mother of a five year old and someone who has saved countless wildlife from death in her role as a wildlife volunteer, personally caring for injured and sick wildlife until they recover and are able to be returned to their habitats.
Maureen is the veteran of the group being 60 years old and this year completed her third Oxfam Trailwalker - completing one is an extraordinary effort let alone having now completed three!
What is also wonderful about this story is that Michelle, Jan, Maureen and Nicky are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to extra-ordinary people. The sea of support led by Harry Lowe was something to behold. Each person volunteered one of the greatest gifts that anyone can give another person, cause or both: their time!
In this context I believe that it is important to recognise each person because, quite simply, Team Make a Difference could not have raised their funds nor finished the walk without the support of their team.
I understand that you see lists of names all the time. However I urge you to look at each name and recognise that there is a human being behind that name - a human being that subscribed to a purpose bigger than themselves and in the small and large ways contributed to making a positive difference.
 |
| From left: Jan, Nicky, Maureen and Michelle |
Team Make a Difference support crew
Harry Lowe, Christine Sellar, Loreto Ryan, Heather Cecil, Mark Cecil, Merrell Harris, Julie Davenport, Liam Ryan, Sienna Ryan, Callum Ryan, Aiden Ryan, Darcy Ryan, Jonathan McKeown, Anthony McKeown, Hugh Mckeown, James McKeown, Karen Lowe, Lehela Manoel, Mark Mattrow, Gemma Mattrow, Evelyn Devitt, Rosey Cullinan, Geri Burns and Mark Burns.
 |
| Support crew celebrate finishing the event with the girls! |
In addition to these special people recognition must also go to everyone who donated to Oxfam, attended the fundraising event and/or simply spread the word about what was happening.
I have been involved in the Oxfam Trailwalker event before, but this time was extra special. Without a doubt the bigger picture that Team Make a Difference was striving to support was truly engaged by all team members and their support crew. While simple in words the purpose of making a positive difference for the less fortunate in the world through participating in the Oxfam Trailwalker event proved itself to be extaordinarily powerful.
And shared purpose is extremely powerful.
Originally the team had aimed to raise $5,000 but this total was surpassed by a single fundraising event that itself raised $6,300.
Jan, Maureen, Nicky and Michelle thank you for being extraordinary and in being so enabled so many more of us to be extraordinary too.
Donations are still open so please feel free to donate to Oxfam here.
Gary Ryan helps Senior and Developing Leaders achieve high performance through enabling their people to shine.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Leadership - It's more complex than ever!
Google the word, "leadership". How many hits did you get?
507,000,000 was my number. That's a lot of hits. It is also a lot of thinking and theories on the topic.
Maybe too many.
When I facilitate leadership programs (including corporate and co-curricular programs at universities for both undergraduate and postgraduate students) very few people are clear about their approach to leadership. While folk are able to list books and thoughts on the topic, most people haven't worked out what guides their approach to leadership.
For example, what is your approach to leadership? What theories do you do your best to apply? What models underpin your approach because you find them useful? What quotes do you find helpful?
How are you consciously putting these theories and models into practice?
The challenge with so much thinking on the topic of leadership is that it has become confusing. For this reason I strongly recommend that you take charge and develop your own approach to leadership.
If quotes, theories and models work for you, then use them. Keep using them until you discover something more useful, and then replace them. This approach, of course suggests that you should never stop assessing and re-assessing your approach to leadership. Or even more simply, never stop learning.
What is your approach to leadership? How would you describe it to someone else?
507,000,000 was my number. That's a lot of hits. It is also a lot of thinking and theories on the topic.
Maybe too many.
When I facilitate leadership programs (including corporate and co-curricular programs at universities for both undergraduate and postgraduate students) very few people are clear about their approach to leadership. While folk are able to list books and thoughts on the topic, most people haven't worked out what guides their approach to leadership.
For example, what is your approach to leadership? What theories do you do your best to apply? What models underpin your approach because you find them useful? What quotes do you find helpful?
How are you consciously putting these theories and models into practice?
The challenge with so much thinking on the topic of leadership is that it has become confusing. For this reason I strongly recommend that you take charge and develop your own approach to leadership.
If quotes, theories and models work for you, then use them. Keep using them until you discover something more useful, and then replace them. This approach, of course suggests that you should never stop assessing and re-assessing your approach to leadership. Or even more simply, never stop learning.
What is your approach to leadership? How would you describe it to someone else?
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Discover the secret to motivating your team members
Over many years of facilitating leadership development programs I have been continually asked, "What is the secret to motivating my team members?".
I have been taking the participants of our programs through a simple three step process to find the answer to this question. You might like to treat this process as an activity, so why not pull out some paper and a pen and see what answers emerge for you.
Step One
Rather than focusing upon the factors that will enable you, as a leader, to motivate your team members, let's consider your thoughts about the factors that enable you to be the best that you can be at work. Take out your pen and paper and jot down some points that, for you, enable you to be highly motivated at work.
Once you have completed your answer, look at the typical responses that I have received over many years of collecting participant responses to this question.
The following are the Top 10 typical responses that are listed in no particular order of importance.
• Recognition for the work that has been done
• Opportunities to be creative
• A sense of contributing to the company
• A sense that what I do has value
• A fair wage for my contribution, all things considered
• Being treated fairly and trusted to do my job
• Being given appropriate feedback on my performance
• Having work that is interesting and that uses my skills
• Having opportunities to develop and grow in the business
• Having opportunities for promotion
Step Two
Now place yourself into your leadership role. What factors do you think will enable your team members to perform to the best of their ability? Once again take out your pen and paper and write down your answer to this question.
Once you have completed your answer, look at the typical responses that I have received over many years of collecting participant responses to this question.
The following are the Top 10 typical responses that I have received over many years of asking this question.
• Being given compliments and recognition for doing good work
• Having appropriate work delegated to them
• Having opportunities to progress their career
• Having training and development opportunities
• Having work that uses their skills
• Being paid appropriately for their work, all things considered
• Having leadership opportunities
• Being shown that management actually cares about them as a person
• Being trusted to do their job
• Being consulted about changes before they happen
Step Three
Look at both lists of responses. What do you notice? What stands out to you?
Many people have responded that they are surprised at the similarities between the two lists. When I have asked why they are surprised about the similarities between the two lists, people have responded that they somehow thought that the motivators for leaders and everyone else would be different. In reality it seems that most people’s motivations are fairly similar.
In summary, people want:
• To be paid fairly for what they do
• To be provided work that uses their skills
• To be provided training and development opportunities
• To be recognised for the work that they do
• To be trusted to do their job properly
• To be provided with opportunities for advancement or promotion
• To be included in making decisions about changes that will affect them
• To be treated fairly including being given feedback on their performance
• To be shown that people in the organisation actually care about them as a person
• To have work that has some value
How to use this information
As a leader the easiest way to use this information is to look at the three lists and ask yourself, “How am I and my organisation performing with each of these motivating factors?”. Neither leaders nor organisations are perfect, so you are unlikely to have a positive tick against each item. However, if your team members are lacking motivation then I guarantee that the underlying reason will lie in what you and your organisation are not doing to help them to maintain their motivation.
The beauty about this simple exercise is that it can quickly highlight what you can do to increase motivation. If you discover that you aren’t properly recognising your team members for the work that they are doing, then start doing this behaviour. If you recognise that you aren’t providing appropriate development opportunities for your team members, then consult with your People & Culture department and discover how they might be able to help you. If you discover that some of your team members aren’t being paid properly, all things considered, why not commence whatever processes that you can to increase their pay to a more appropriate level? These actions and others can be taken to quickly enhance the motivation of your team members.
Motivating team members is not as difficult as many leaders think. Follow the three steps above and take action based on your results. You will be pleasantly surprised by the increase in motivation that your team members display.
How do you motivate your team members?
I have been taking the participants of our programs through a simple three step process to find the answer to this question. You might like to treat this process as an activity, so why not pull out some paper and a pen and see what answers emerge for you.
Step One
Rather than focusing upon the factors that will enable you, as a leader, to motivate your team members, let's consider your thoughts about the factors that enable you to be the best that you can be at work. Take out your pen and paper and jot down some points that, for you, enable you to be highly motivated at work.
Once you have completed your answer, look at the typical responses that I have received over many years of collecting participant responses to this question.
The following are the Top 10 typical responses that are listed in no particular order of importance.
• Recognition for the work that has been done
• Opportunities to be creative
• A sense of contributing to the company
• A sense that what I do has value
• A fair wage for my contribution, all things considered
• Being treated fairly and trusted to do my job
• Being given appropriate feedback on my performance
• Having work that is interesting and that uses my skills
• Having opportunities to develop and grow in the business
• Having opportunities for promotion
Step Two
Now place yourself into your leadership role. What factors do you think will enable your team members to perform to the best of their ability? Once again take out your pen and paper and write down your answer to this question.
Once you have completed your answer, look at the typical responses that I have received over many years of collecting participant responses to this question.
The following are the Top 10 typical responses that I have received over many years of asking this question.
• Being given compliments and recognition for doing good work
• Having appropriate work delegated to them
• Having opportunities to progress their career
• Having training and development opportunities
• Having work that uses their skills
• Being paid appropriately for their work, all things considered
• Having leadership opportunities
• Being shown that management actually cares about them as a person
• Being trusted to do their job
• Being consulted about changes before they happen
Step Three
Look at both lists of responses. What do you notice? What stands out to you?
Many people have responded that they are surprised at the similarities between the two lists. When I have asked why they are surprised about the similarities between the two lists, people have responded that they somehow thought that the motivators for leaders and everyone else would be different. In reality it seems that most people’s motivations are fairly similar.
In summary, people want:
• To be paid fairly for what they do
• To be provided work that uses their skills
• To be provided training and development opportunities
• To be recognised for the work that they do
• To be trusted to do their job properly
• To be provided with opportunities for advancement or promotion
• To be included in making decisions about changes that will affect them
• To be treated fairly including being given feedback on their performance
• To be shown that people in the organisation actually care about them as a person
• To have work that has some value
How to use this information
As a leader the easiest way to use this information is to look at the three lists and ask yourself, “How am I and my organisation performing with each of these motivating factors?”. Neither leaders nor organisations are perfect, so you are unlikely to have a positive tick against each item. However, if your team members are lacking motivation then I guarantee that the underlying reason will lie in what you and your organisation are not doing to help them to maintain their motivation.
The beauty about this simple exercise is that it can quickly highlight what you can do to increase motivation. If you discover that you aren’t properly recognising your team members for the work that they are doing, then start doing this behaviour. If you recognise that you aren’t providing appropriate development opportunities for your team members, then consult with your People & Culture department and discover how they might be able to help you. If you discover that some of your team members aren’t being paid properly, all things considered, why not commence whatever processes that you can to increase their pay to a more appropriate level? These actions and others can be taken to quickly enhance the motivation of your team members.
Motivating team members is not as difficult as many leaders think. Follow the three steps above and take action based on your results. You will be pleasantly surprised by the increase in motivation that your team members display.
How do you motivate your team members?
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