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"Progress!"
(Progress-U Leadership & Coaching) - Issue No6 / Sept-Oct 03
0. Opinion
What Coaching and Natural Healing have
in common
1. Leadership
Change for the better or worse?
2. Career Development
What bosses like (and hate)
3. Coaching
Serial: Focus
of Progress-U (1): Leadership Coaching
4. News
Seminars, New Articles, ...
5. Management Tip
Sales & Marketing Management:
Why do customers buy?
0. Opinion
Dear Reader in "Progress!",
Recently I had a review with one of
my clients after three months of coaching. This client said that his
expectations have not been met, but nevertheless he finds the coaching
process quite useful. Being a high-ranking manager, he expected quick
results for the issues he was dealing with. These expected results
have not been completely achieved so far, however he stated that the
coaching process ignited a new and positive thought process on different
terms.
This is not an unusual reaction, especially
from high achievers. They tend to be rather impatient and very result-oriented.
Coaching however does not provide a "quick fix". Let me
compare it with catching a cold. You can take some strong medicine
and in this way suppress the symptoms, which eventually enables you
to go on with your normal life. More often than not, a few days or
a few weeks later one catches another cold or suffers from the side
effects of the strong medicine. You "fixed" one problem
but paved the way for another (or for a recurrence of the same problem).
The alternative is to try to change
your habits: eat healthier, sleep more, take a rest, etc. This will
not cure your cold immediately but will help your body to heal naturally
which could take 1-2 weeks time. Usually, one wouldn't have another
cold for quite some time as the healed body tends to be stronger than
before.
Similarly, the concept of Professional
Coaching requires the client to work profoundly on the issues and
to solve them in the best possible way. This takes time as the best
possible way is different for each individual and must be discovered
by the client with the help of the Coach. Of course, the speed of
this process depends greatly on the priority given by the client.
The coach can only encourage but never force the client to take the
necessary time.
Time is relative, and high achievers
usually want to move fast. If you do not discover your true destination
based on your values, needs and wants, you may run fast but in a zigzag
based on the trial & error method. Whereas you are more likely
to reach your true destination faster by first going slower and checking
where it is and then take a more direct path to it.
For top executives like this client,
it is rather unusual to go slow. Once accepted, the benefits of this
approach, which is effectiveness combined with longer term efficiency,
becomes very obvious.
Yours sincerely,
Charlie Lang
Executive Coach and Founder of Progress-U Ltd.
1. Leadership
Change for the better
or worse?
Imagine the following situation: The
Headquarter (HQ) of a multinational company decides to replace the
Managing Director of one of their subsidiaries for the following reasons:
- the anticipated growth of the company
is not being achieved
- the subsidiary is not able to reach profitability
- cash-flow is persistently negative
- the motivation of the staff is on a very low level, key employees
consider to leave the company
- necessary and authorized recruitment of new staff is not given an
adequate priority
- the managing director is not willing to fully implement the strategy
suggested by the HQ
Therefore, a new manager is being recruited
in order to turn this situation around as fast as possible. This new
manager faces an extremely challenging situation:
· high pressure from the HQ to
achieve the necessary growth along with profitability and positive
cash-flow
· retain staff
· improve communication and coordination with the HQ
It is obvious that a turnaround of this
kind of situation requires strong leadership.
What does a manager typically do in
order to tackle with these challenges?
# Cost-cutting wherever possible
# Improvement of the performance of the team by developing the low
performers or by replacing them while further supporting the high
potentials
# Taking smart marketing & sales measures in order to increase
sales as fast as possible
# Enhancing the motivation through creation of a new team spirit which
refocuses on short term and long term success
Eventually, the leader must turn the
whole company upside down in order to effect real change in the minds
of the staff. However, this requires operating on a thin line because
à People are generally resistant
to change, especially drastic changes; this can lead to unwanted staff
turnover
à People tend to get even further de-motivated by strong cost-cutting
measures
à Anticipated sales growth might not be achieved due to low
staff motivation and lack of funds for aggressive marketing
Therefore, it is absolutely crucial
for a leader in this situation to communicate, communicate, communicate!
The leader must make the employees understand all measures being implemented
by the new management and win their support. Also the other stakeholders
(investors, customers, vendors, newspaper companies) must be informed
about the implemented changes relevant to them. Without effective
communication, the Managing Director has no chance to succeed.
At the same time, the leader had better
reckon with strong initial resistance, i.e. staff might initially
say that things didn't get better but worse under the new management.
It requires patience from both the Managing Director as well as the
HQ for negative emotions among the staff to settle down. That will
happen the sooner the better the leader communicates with the employees.
If this initial "unrest" can't be contained within a reasonably
short time period, it may never be contained at all and the new manager
will be destined to fail.
Conclusion: Strong
Leadership during a critical situation of a company is equal to
effective communication with all stakeholders as well as having
the mental strength to overcome and settle initial unrest among
the team.
Back
2. Career Development
What bosses like (and hate)
Even with several years of professional
experience, a lot of people still may wonder why some people make
a career and others don't. If you analyze the reasons, you may discover
two important basics:
1) one who creates negative publicity
will not be promoted for sure
2) one who creates positive publicity
will be promoted eventually
Hence, it seems important to make sure
that one doesn't create negative publicity. One point often overlooked
is that you risk annoying your boss if you present only problems to
him and then "leave your boss alone" with the problem.
You want an example? "Boss, Boss!"
your assistant Pat exclaims, "the top floor of this house is
burning!" End of message. The boss thinks for a while and then
says: "Call the fire fighters and get the house evacuated."
"OK, will arrange for it immediately!" The Boss mumbles
to himself "Idiot" and Pat may not get a promotion for the
next 5 years.
Why? Because he presented his boss with
a problem without providing a ready solution. Because he forced his
boss to think about the solution to the problem, to take care that
he does not forget or overlook anything. Additionally, he has to carry
the full responsibility, i.e. wouldn't have anyone to blame in case
something went wrong; and would be left with the feeling: "Have
to do everything by myself…".
What would have been the correct approach?
"Boss, the top floor of this house is burning. I already called
the fire fighters and I suggest that we get the whole house immediately
evacuated as I believe the situation is dangerous for the co-workers."
This employee takes responsibility and is pro-active. He did what
was anyways clear, that is to call the fire fighters. Further, he
offered a solution on the next steps. Now the boss can do what bosses
like: taking a final (!) decision on what has already been carefully
prepared and the boss will think "Good coworker".
One more aspect: If you offer your boss
several alternatives, you again force him to think things through
thoroughly. Better to say: "I suggest that we do this or that
as Alternative A while Alternative B has certain disadvantages [which
you briefly describe]." Again, you allow the boss to simply say
"O.k., go ahead!" Even if the boss finds the offered solution
not suitable, it does not matter (being a boss you can't always agree,
even if it is only out of principle).
Conclusion:
At least as important as recognizing a problem is to offer a preferred
solution and alternatives to your boss. And that is equally true
for directors reporting to their CEO, for example.
Back
3. Coaching
Serial:
Coaching Focus of Progress-U (1): Leadership
Coaching
In this serial you can read
about the areas of Executive Coaching which are the focus of Progress-U.
Leadership Coaching can touch various
different aspects of Leadership. Leading is always related to people
and requires a whole set of skills necessary to effectively and successfully
lead a group of people (team, department, organization, company, etc.).
The ultimate target of good leadership is to make an organization
more successful.
Unfortunately, there are very few "born
leaders" who naturally do almost everything right. In fact, even
very successful leaders will agree that they failed many times before.
What makes them outstanding is their ability to learn faster from
their failures than others.
Executive Coaching helps a leader to
recognize unsuccessful patterns more quickly, to correct them more
successfully and to avoid major failures. This is achieved due to
the unbiased position of the Coach combined with the ability to induce
a more effective reflection process.
Another target of Leadership Coaching
is to help the leader understand certain habits and behaviors and
to assist in learning how to change them, when necessary.
Finally, many leaders lack a competent
and trust-worthy sounding board. Their life partners and/or friends
often don't have enough professional understanding of the situation
and tend to be biased. To open up completely with colleagues and superiors
may also not be adequate due to the role of the manager in the organization.
A coach with a suitable executive background and a profound knowledge
of the principles of coaching can be the ideal sparring partner for
the leader. In this setup it is important that the coach is "equal"
to the client, i.e. in no way dependent on the reactions of the client.
Only then the coach will be able to "speak the truth", whether
the client likes it or not. And that is an outstanding benefit of
an executive coaching relationship.
Conclusion:
An Executive Coach can help a leader develop leadership skills and
may be an ideal sounding board for any manager provided the Coach
has a relevant background and education.
P.S.:
If you are interested in case studies of leadership coaching, click
on http://www.progressu.com.hk/leadership.htm
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4. News
November 01, 2003: Join
the next HKCC Personal Inspiration Day
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O N G K O N G C O A C H I N G C O M M U N I T Y
Personal Inspiration Day
Experience
the Essence of Personal Coaching
Venue:
Central Conference Centre, 4/F Wheelock House, 20, Pedder Street,
Hong Kong
November 1, 2003 (Sat) 2 - 6pm
Guests: HK$360/HKCC Members: $300
Early Bird Discount: Registrations Before Oct. 20: Guests: HK$320/HKCC
Members: $260
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Reserve a seat
by emailing your name and daytime phone number to: event@coachinghk.org.
For enquiries call: 8106 2126
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BREAKOUT SESSIONS
You will have a chance to experience 2 of these sessions.
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Strengthen
Your Inner Space – Reduce Stress
Monika Parker
You can only do one thing at
a time-live someone else’s life or your own; worry or enjoy
– THE CHOICE IS YOURS!
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Change
Your Beliefs, Change Your Life!
Anita Moorjani
Your beliefs create your reality. If you
don’t like any aspects of your current reality, learn how to
find the beliefs keeping you there and change them!
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The Art of
Manifesting
Pooja Bhagat
Learn how to manifest what you want - Easily and Effortlessly!
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Living
with a Formula
MJ Jennings
(Order-Chaos) + Structure = Habit (Learn How to Master the Formula!!)
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Career
Transition = Life Change
Charlie
Lang
Think beyond
changing your job, find the life you really want
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New
Webdesign of Progress-U Ltd.
Check out the new webdesign of Progress-U
by clicking on http://www.progressu.com
Any comments are very welcome (email to progressu@progressu.com.hk)
For
upcoming seminars & events please click here:
http://www.progressu.com/Seminars.htm
For
recent Articles on Coaching please click here:
http://www.progressu.com/ArticlesonCoaching.htm
Back
5. Management Tip
Sales
& Marketing Management: Why do customers
buy?
Ever wondered why your customers buy
or don't buy your products and services? Research found out that there
are 14 key motives why customers buy:
| Motive
|
Customer
wants to |
| Need for recognition |
be admired,
be no.1, be accepted |
| Gains instinct |
save money,
time, obtain advantages, gain money |
| Security instinct |
be insured
against losses, damage, feel safe |
| Convenience
instinct |
have it easy,
convenient, be lazy |
| Herd instinct |
be trendy, belong to
a certain group |
| Health instinct |
feel well, avoid stress,
be fit |
| Affection and love |
be adored, receive
gratitude, not be lonely |
| Power instinct |
control and determine
things |
| Creation
instinct |
build up
something, develop his personality |
| Destructive urge |
shaking off competitors,
to thwart somebody's plans |
| Envy |
be envied, not allow
others anything |
| Play instinct |
have fun, find out
by playing, trying |
| Collection instinct |
collect things, complete
things |
| Immortality instinct |
become a legend, set
monuments |
In Business-to-Business sales, at least
one of the first four motives can be identified in almost all cases.
Key to sales success is to identify the actual motives of each customer
and to present the benefits in a way that the customer feels that
his needs and wants are being met by your offer.
Example: You want to sell a PC-Network
to a medium sized company and you find out that the decision maker
is a very proud person who does not want to take any risks, i.e. this
person wants to be recognized as a great purchase manager and has
at the same time a strong need for security.
Then you may argue like:
"If you decide for our latest and
most modern PC-Network, your management will be impressed with the
high functionality and you don't need to worry about the reliability
or the possibility for further upgrades due to the high-end technology
used in combination with our 24hour service-contract."
This kind of argument will strike a
chord in your customer rather than just saying we use the latest technology.
This seems trivial and yet, research
showed clearly that top sales people consciously or subconsciously
argue in this way. Product management can support the sales team by
developing arguments that relate to the key motivators of your clientele.
Conclusion:
The identification of the key purchasing motives of your customers
combined with the development of arguments highlighting the benefits
related to these motives will significantly increase the success
rate of your sales team.
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