Continue reading »]]> The “Art of Action” by Stephen Bungay stresses the importance of making your strategic intent clear and simple. Intent is what you want to achieve and the reasons why.  You should limit you strategic intent to defining and communicating your intent.  Then allow allow each level to define the intent of the next level up and “back brief”. Set the boundaries that guide the level below you. This cascading intent is an essential part of Bungay’s “directed opportunism”.

The Mindshop “Now-Where-How” process stresses the importance of starting with defining where you are NOW, before deciding WHERE you will be in the future. The third step is to define HOW you will get there.

Combining this with the “Art of Action” provides a very effective way to define your intent.  Follow the steps shown in the mind map below. The critical step is to define the single major objective you want to achieve.

1. Where are we now? What are main internal factors that are relevant to the results we want to achieve?
2. What is the situation now? What are the main external factors that could have an impact on our plans? These could come from a SWOT Analysis.
3. WHERE do we want to get to? List the main objectives including the timing where relevant. You are likely to have several items listed.  Now comes the hard part.
4. WHAT is the single major objective to be achieved? You can only have ONE major objective! Some of the WHERE items are really Constraints. So if you “WHERE” includes both a sales and a profit target, you need to decide which one is most important and therefore the main objective.  If sales is your main objective, your profit target becomes a constraint. ‘We want to increase sales by 30% in 12 months, but our gross profit must be at least 20%.” Others may be better expressed as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI). Lastly, some of them may belong to lower level. They are a means to an end, not the end itself.
5. WHY are we doing this?  It is very important to be clear about the “WHY” as this helps both understanding of the intent and motivation.  “We know both what we are doing and what the higher intent is.”
6. How will you measure success?  What KPI’s do we really need?  Remember that KPI’s should always be a means to an end and not the end itself. As a rule of thumb, the fewer the better, but do distinguish between lead KPI’s, such as prospects, and lag KPI’s such as profit.
7. What are the boundaries: the constraints and the freedoms?
1. Some of the WHERE items are really constraints, such as gross margin or profit. Time and budget also belong here. What other constraints might be relevant?
2. How much freedom should you give? Don’t be too restrictive otherwise you will stifle initiative!

Start using the Strategic Intent for your project or your team.To quote Stephen Bungay “even small steps can have a big impact”. Start with a small project and move to larger and more complex projects as you become familiar with the process. The rest of the organization will follow your example.

Simon Fawkes
Accredited Mindshop Facilitator
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]> This pair of  brass plaques in  the medieval castle at Boulogne-sur-Mer in France caught my attention. I was perplexed at how a simple but elegant plaque in French had been so poorly translated in the English version.

Elegant French and clumsy English

The English plaque is poorly worded, misses one vital piece of information and adds information which may not be correct.  Here is the English text:

“On September 18th 1944 the Stormont Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders of Canada were guided into the citadel by an unknown Boulonnais via a secret tunnel and surprised the enemy garrison of 200 men.  The Stormont Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders were led by Major Jack Stothart DSO and the guide was an unknown citizen of Boulogne.”

The first rule of translation is to be true to the original.  There are two significant departures from the original French text :

1. The enemy garrison surrendered, rather than being merely surprised.
2. The guide was a citizen of Boulogne, but is not mentioned by name. There is no indication that the identity of this person was not known.

There is also the omission that the secret tunnel led to the heart of the citadel.  This would have increased the surprise factor. The second rule of translation is to ensure that the translated text makes sense and reads well.  There are two unnecessary repetitions:

1. “Stormont Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders” only needs to be stated once.
2. “unknown Boulonnais” in line 3 and “unknown citizen of Boulogne” at the end.

The third rule is to proof read the translated text, preferably using another translator.  Casting a bronze plaque is a deliberate and specialised process and is not done in a hurry.  Given the significance of the plaque and the fact that it can last for centuries, more care should have been taken over the translation. Here is my version:

On September 18th 1944 the Stormont Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders of Canada, commanded  by Major Jack Stothart DSO,  were guided by a citizen of Boulogne through a secret tunnel to the heart of the citadel. The enemy garrison of 200 men was taken by surprise and surrendered.

There are several grades of translation:

1. A bad translation with grammatical errors that does not convey the meaning of the original.
2. A poor translation that conveys most of the meaning of the original, but is not well written.
3. A good translation that does accurately convey the meaning and mood of the original.

This raises questions for anyone involved in producing marketing material in other languages:

• What standard of translation do you need in your marketing material?

• How will you make sure the translation is of the right standard?

Someone who speaks and writes a language fluently may not have the skills to be a translator.  It is often worth paying for a professional translator. You may also want to ask a native speaker, who knows your industry, to do the proof reading. This is the last tip in this post.

Simon Fawkes
Accredited Mindshop Facilitator
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]> Successful sports athletes all have one thing in common and that is their will to win. It doesn’t matter what kind of challenge it is or who they are competing against. What matters is that they give their very best to achieve victory. Business leaders can learn a thing or two about success from these athletes and apply such lessons to further advance in both their business and career. Sports teach important leadership skills that can help a business owner become a great business leader. Such skills include teamwork, overcoming challenges, taking risks, letting passion rule instead of emotion and having the drive to win.

Lesson #1: Be a risk-taker

Athletes are always at risk of getting badly injured during a game. However, they still dive for the loose ball hoping that it would be their ticket to victory. Business leaders also need to be risk-takers because if they took the risk and it worked as planned, the returns can be very rewarding. Successful business leaders know that they should never sacrifice any opportunity in fear of failure.

Lesson #2: Have a clear set of goals

Athletes know the importance of clearly identifying their goals so that they would know which method to use to best achieve it. Business leaders should also have a clear set of goals in order to develop their personal and business strategic plans.

Lesson #3: Don’t back down so easily from a challenge

Athletes have this mindset of always going for the win. Successful business leaders always rise to the challenge and fight for the best interests of their business.

Lesson #4: Don’t take things too personally

Even athletes resort to foul actions especially when the game is neck-and-neck. However, they understand that it’s all part of the game and it’s usually not intentional. Issues and questions raised against the business are all part of the campaign for success. Business leaders shouldn’t treat them as personal attacks; they should just answer them appropriately.

 Lesson #5: Try and try again

Losing a game can be a let-down, but athletes know that they need to bounce back from defeats in order to have a second shot at victory. Failures are inevitable in any business. Business leaders should learn to overcome failure and to treat it as a learning experience.

Lesson #6: Mix business with pleasure

Business leaders should enjoy their career and business just as athletes enjoy playing the game. If you like what you do, you will surely grow and be successful.

What are your views on how to be successful in business?

Simon Fawkes
Accredited Mindshop Facilitator
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]> Read the latest quarterly newsletter “Ideas for Success” from Mindshop

There are three thought-provoking articles in the February 2012 edition:

• Business Maximizer Opportunities
• Using your Strengths to Leverage your Opportunities
• 3 Key Ideas for Business Success in 2012

I hope these articles are of interest and l look forward to getting some feedback.

Do take a look at the November edition too. The first article is an abridged version of my post by the same name: Applying the “Art of Action” to your business.

Please let me know if you would like to discuss any aspect further.

Simon Fawkes
Accredited Mindshop Facilitator
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]> How often does your “Help Desk” provide helpful and practical advice?

The service you offer through your Help Desk is a good indicator of the value you place on your customers.  That is the true value, not the hype from your advertising campaigns.

Help or frustration?

As a business you will be calling the help desks of your service providers and the level of service may be a factor in selecting a particular supplier.  I had three very different experiences with help desks this month and they provide some useful insights for business and consumers.

The very first question is not “how long do you have to wait to get a response?”, but rather “can you even get a response?” I tried calling an Auckland-based Internet Service Provider last week about the event that I was organising for Auckland ICT.  We could not access webmail and my quest for help was both urgent and important.  There was no response from either the Residential or Business help numbers.  The Residential 0800 number had an automated message “all lines are busy, try again later”.  This was a fraction better than the Business 0800 line, where the message was simply “your call cannot be connected”. So much for Orcon!

As it happens, Orcon is running TV adverts offering “awesome broadband and extremely competitive packages”. I strongly suggest you check Orcon Support before making any purchase decision.

This is the worst of the three.  The next one was with Toshiba and it warrants a full post in its own right.  The “good news” is that I did not experience long delays in any of my 10 calls. The “‘bad news” is that I had to make 10 calls. After a while you get to learn the standard messages how to quickly navigate through the maze of menu choices.  The length of the wait varied but I quickly tired of hearing how wonderful Toshiba was and the boasting about “continuous innovation” become increasingly frustrating.

If someone was waiting to talk to you in person, would you get someone else to read a script extolling the virtues of your company? So, why inflict this on someone who has cleared selected “technical help” rather than “new products”?

There is some good news: two people did offer some real help, one at NZ Couriers and the other at the Toshiba Mobile Service Centre in Auckland.  In the words of the founder LV Martin, the appliance retailer in Wellington, ” it is the putting right that counts”.

The last experience was with another Auckland-based ISP, Slingshot.  I had to call a few times about upgrading the connection and my calls were handled well.  There was one instance when I had a longer wait, but I was impressed with the experience:

1. The initial message “you may have to wait longer than 5 minutes”is helpful
2. Pleasant music is far better than self-promotion.
3. “Thanks for your patience” lets you know you are still in the queue.
4. Lastly, talking to someone that is knowledgeable and helpful.

Factors in selecting a service provider

Here are some factors you might like to consider:

1. How important is the service to you or your business?
2. Do try using the Support or Help services before you buy.
3. Ask people you know, in business or private, for their experiences.
4. Check out user forums or other on-line networks if the service is important to you.

These are just some general factors.  If you have particular needs, you may want to get some professional advice.

Lastly, here is a plea to the companies that offer or at least purport to offer a Help Desk.  If your business model dictates that you must annoy your customers seeking help, then so be it. Your business may not have a bright future or indeed any future. If on the other hand, you do seek to offer a reasonable standard of service, do get some of the basics right:

1. Monitor performance regularly.
2. Take corrective action quickly, such as resource allocation and training.
3. Do have “mystery shoppers” call your own number.  You can even phone the number yourself!

The motto ” treat others as you would like them to treat you” applies well to companies with a Help Desk.

Simon Fawkes
Accredited Mindshop Facilitator
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]> An unexpected gift of apple syrup inspired me to try a new recipe!

Glazed Ham - you too can cook a masterpiece for Christmas!

I am very proud of my glazed ham and this is now a tradition in our family. I should add that I am also a dab hand at roast turkey, well most roasts, if I am to be frank.  Summer in New Zealand is not the ideal weather for a large roast turkey and my culinary allegiance has shifted to glazed ham.

My glazed ham  last year was even better.  You could call this a “step-change” rather than incremental improvement. The inspiration came from an unexpected gift from ieproduce, the organic food store I visit every week.  There are two important words here: unexpected and gift.

I was given a bottle of organic apple syrup with the recommendation that it made a delicious glaze. I had not tried this before, but being adventurous in the food department and something of an Internet expert, it only took a few clicks for find a very tempting recipe by Juile Le Clerc.  The results, as you can tell from the photo, speak for themselves and the taste was even better.

I will be repeating this gastronomic feat in a few days time, with a greater degree of confidence in the culinary marvel that we will enjoy on Christmas Day.

The point of this story is not to boast about my skills as a cook, but to emphasise the impact that a small gift can have.   Consider the following questions:

• Would a discount of say 10% inspire you tell your friends, let alone to compose a post? Probably not.
•  Would you even remember getting a small discount? Unlikely, unless it was for a very large purchase.

A gift, especially an expected gift with no expectation of anything in return, can make a lasting impression.  You get a small warm fuzzy feeling, feel good about life and more important the person who made the gift. It can be a great way to create customer loyalty and to win new customers through recommendation by a fan!

A discount, on the other hand, is soon forgotten.  Discounts also attract customers who are price sensitive and these may not be your ideal profile.  This does not just apply to the retail sector.

The gift does not have to be large and it should not come with any strings attached.  This means do not make a gift in the expectation that you will get something back as this devalues the whole exercise.  It may even be counter-productive.

So consider how you could make a positive and lasting impression by some act of generosity or kindness. Do be a little adventurous too!

Montmartre Caricature

Merry Christmas

Simon Fawkes
Occasional Chef
Accredited Mindshop Facilitator
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]>

Here’s a VERY Special Deal I highly recommend for you to check out RIGHT NOW if you are looking for an effective way to stay inspired and finally achieve those goals you have set. Vision Board Studio (VBS) will guide and inspire to take action and make your dreams a reality; mark my words: THIS will be of life-changing value to you in 2012!

Are you ready to finally..

• Create balance in your life and enjoy a peaceful mindset?
• Lose that weight and have a healthy, toned body?
• Find love and meet that soul mate you are longing for?
• Achieve the success you deserve in your business or job?
• Purchase that dream house for you and your family?
•  Take that fantastic holiday you have been envisioning for years?

It’s all possible, make it happen! Get off to a flying start in 2012 by teaming up with your ongoing “coach” Vision Board Studio (VBS). It is the most powerful goal setting and motivation package on the market and the product of seven years solid experience. I love it! Check this out: this unique software and education package enables you to visualize your goals and dreams in unique and dynamic ways on your computer screen, mobile phone, iPod, iPhone, photo frame, on your office wall, personal website and much more.

In the comprehensive step by step creation process, you will be able to use your personal dream images, affirmations, power words and even your chosen audio to create a fantastic display of what you wish to create in 2012. The result will be more success and happiness in your life, right from the word “GO”!

Find out about the incredible Festive Season Special Offer valued at $1,300.

 What’s really valuable, is that VBS combines effective software with superb educational material and ongoing encouragement. By reading The Vision Juicing e-Handbook included you will become a master in the effective use of Vision Boards, learn the proven ways to apply visualization, understand how limiting beliefs can hold you back and how you can counteract them effectively.

VBS also get’s you into action straight away: through the hands-on exercises in the Workbook, you will develop a crystal clear picture of your vision. You will identify your goals following a success formula and put together powerful affirmations that continue to empower and inspire you. To top this all up, you will be able to register for a 6 Week coaching series, ongoing “Splash of Inspiration” emails and become part of their online community visionlounge.com.

The different elements of this complete and proven system will set you up for life to achieve your most idealistic visions. Keeping you inspired, motivated and connected on your path to success! Take your life to the next level, follow your bliss to success and enjoy a happier and successful life. Don’t waste another minute

Incredible Offer by Orangepeel Systems

For a limited time only, as a Festive Season Special Gift to you, you can download the complete VBS package for over 50% off the normal retail price PLUS you will get access to extra Festive Season Gifts on top of the already impressive bonus package!!

Will you finally realize those New Year’s Resolutions that otherwise may dwindle quickly? Will 2012 finally be YOUR year to shine?

Don’t miss out and take this dynamic Vision Board Studio part of your daily goal achievement TODAY! It will support you all the way on your journey in the New Year, assisting you in making 2012 your most successful year EVER!

Click here to learn more right now.

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]> This sun dial in Montmartre caught my attention.  Both the age building and the language of the inscription show that the good citizens of Paris have been walking past these wise words for several centuries.

What is your call to action?

The underlying wisdom does not age, but the method of responding to the message is influenced by changes in society and technology.

The inscription on the sun dial is homage to the bell of Sacré-Cœur and reads “Quand tu sonneras, je chanteray” – which translated means “when you ring, I will sing”. This is a good example of linking one action with another action by a different person.

The sun dial is intriguing as there is no bell, just a cockerel above the sun dial.  The reference to the bell of the nearby church is subtle.

This poses some interesting questions:

• How do you encourage your customers to act?
• How do you then respond to this action?
•  How well are you in tune with your customers?
•  What could you do to be more attuned?

These signals can take many forms, such as spoken or visual.   Consider how you could add a touch of mystery to your “call to action”.

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]> Further reflections on Rugby World Cup 2011

As a rule dictators are not great advocates of succession planning and refuse to contemplate a world without them at the top.  This blindness to accept change can come at a huge cost, as Gaddafi learnt only too late.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry stands out as wanting to become dispensable, as Paul Ackford wrote in The Telegraph on 29 October 2011.  The last paragraph contains an insightful observation that “the players going off message was proof that the journey was complete”.

The RWC2011 final between the All Blacks and France was a great spectacle, at least for those All Black supporters who were able to summon the courage to watch!  “Agonising” does not do the justice to the surge of emotions that many of us went through.  This is not a sports blog and aside from that, many eminent sports commentators have dissected every aspect of the game.  I want to draw some lessons on leadership and explore how they might be applied in a business context.

In both sport and business, it is always too easy to bathe in glory when all has gone well.  The true test of leadership is how the leader and team respond when things do not go well, or worse still when they go badly.  Twice before New Zealand has learnt the heart-wrenching lesson that a team that is weaker on paper can produce a match-winning performance when it counts.  At least having scraped through this Rugby World Cup match against France, we can recognise the painful lessons of past defeats with some demeanour.

Aside from a few rare cases, the coach can only prepare his or her team and has limited ability to directly influence the game itself.  This makes the planning and preparation even more important ad is in stark contrast to business, when the CEO can always “step in when things go wrong”.  Another way of looking of this is: “things go wrong when the CEO steps in”.  Few will be able to beat the CEO of Qantas in grounding the entire fleet without notice.  Saying sorry won’t win back customers or customer loyalty in a hurry.

Too often “leadership team” is an oxymoron with more following than leading and not much of a true team.  The leadership group of senior players, including the injured Dan Carter, does seem to have played an important role in helping the players to form their own team.

There are some important themes that stand out from Ackford’s article.  I would like to present them in a different order that draws on “The Art of Action”.  Firstly there was a clear intent that was understood by all.  This was not just “win the rugby world cup” but in Ackford’s word’s “a precise and shard understanding of what game to play, when to play it and against whom”.  There was also lots of communication between coaches and players to achieve clarity about how a game should be played.  High alignment then enables high autonomy within the guidelines of a particular game plan.  Older players encouraged the younger players and they all had their techniques to handle the intense stress.

Finally to the last paragraph and the seemingly strange observation about Henry making himself dispensable.  He wanted the players to work out their own ways of dealing with the intense pressure of a rugby world cup final.  Some of these players will be playing in four years and guiding some new and younger players.  The main lesson for business is that the time to step down may be when your senior managers have the confidence to make their own decisions and are not doing precisely what you expect.  Be inspired by Graham Henry, set an ambitious goal, form a talented and committed team and work with that team to achieve victory.  You can then stand aside with dignity and the respect of all stakeholders.  In Henry’s case this was the entire nation.

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

Continue reading »]]> Read the latest quarterly newsletter “Ideas for Success” from Mindshop

There are three thought-provoking articles in the November 2011 edition:

1. Applying the “Art of Action” to your business
2. Designing surveys to test customer needs
3. Three Key Ideas for Business Success in 2012

I hope these articles are of interest and l look forward to getting some feedback. I am proud to be the author of the first article , which is an abridged version of my post by the same name: Applying the “Art of Action” to your business.

Do take a look at the August 2011 edition too. Please let me know if you would like to discuss any aspect further.

Simon Fawkes
Accredited Mindshop Facilitator
Business to Markets Ltd