We are all predisposed to work with and spend time with people who are like us, but this lack of diversity can be limiting in business decisions, reinforcing assumptions and creating cultures that miss opportunities. One area where this can have a massive impact is sales teams, who often ignore other perspectives as they appear to create obstacles.
Richard and Graham explore how diversity of thought can be achieved just by including colleagues in different roles, to help you see the world from different perspectives, and create better solutions.
This podcast is part of a short series on productivity, where we are exploring how you can Sell More, Save More and Do More, both personally and for your team
Managers are often frustrated by the lack of initiative taken by the people in their teams, while the team members are frustrated by the perception that they are not allowed to get on with what needs to be done.
Rob and Ricky explore how this common misunderstanding happens and look at how managers can create the sense of permission that their team members need to move forward.
This podcast is part of a short series on productivity, where we are exploring how you can Sell More, Save More and Do More, both personally and for your team.
We some many options available to us, it feels like it should be easy to work out what it is we need to, or which goals we should focus on. However, this wealth of choice can be overwhelming and sometimes leads to people hesitant to focus down on any specific area.
In this episode, Rob and Paul look at some of the causes and discuss strategies for getting momentum on the few things that will have the biggest impact.
This podcast is part of a short series on productivity, where we are exploring how you can Sell More, Save More and Do More, both personally and for your team.
Coaching can help generally in the workplace, and not just when leading sales teams. From a management point of view, it’s a great skill or ability to have, regardless of the team you are leading.
Here, Richard and Graham look at how knowing the way
to coach properly can be invaluable in helping develop your people, including sales
teams.
The first thing to know about coaching is that many people misunderstand what it is. Mention the word and their first thought is possibly about a sports coach, shouting at their team from the sidelines, imploring them to do better. Or they see it in a negative context, imagining a formalised session with their manager in which coaching is a remedial tool to improve their failing performance.
Although
coaching can sometimes be about improving poor performance, equally it can be
about helping someone who’s good to get even better. It assumes that the person
has some understanding of their role, as well as a certain level of skill and
experience. Coaching should unlock the potential of the individual.
Coaching
helps give structure, focus and clarity to people who know they want or have to
do better. It helps them to move forward by using the knowledge and skills they
already have. This can be done by asking questions that cause a deeper level of
thinking. If a member of your sales team tells you “I want to get better at
sales”, narrow it down for them by asking “What aspect of sales do you want to
get better at?”. If, for instance they reply “Lead generation”, ask “What
aspect of lead generation?”
Once
the questioning has helped someone find their focus, a good coach will then help
them open up their thinking by asking more questions: “So now you know what you
want to do, let’s think of ways you could do it.” Get creative and try not to
tell them exactly what to do. It’s sometimes tempting for managers to say “When
I did your job, what I did was…” or “If you look at so-and-so, what they’re doing
really well is this…”. Instead, explore options and draw on what the individual
knows or is good at.
A
good coach encourages people to think for themselves, rather than telling them
what to do, which will limit their thinking.
The
next essential part of coaching is to ensure that the person is going to take
ownership of what’s been discussed. How are you going to make sure they will
put things into action, that they have bought into it? Check their motivation
and confidence. Ask when they are going to start? What’s the first action? What
specific things are they going to do?
Finally, always offer follow-ups: “What can I do? How can I be of help to you?” And remember, coaching doesn’t have to be formal. It can be as simple as a five-minute chat after a meeting, or in the canteen over coffee. If someone starts a conversation with you and you’ve asked them some questions which have helped with their thinking and their actions going forward, then you’ve coached them.
In
our work helping business teams to become more engaged and active with
learning, time and again the concept of cognitive disfluency comes up. The idea
that we process information differently depending on how much effort it
requires is a fascinating one, so we thought we’d take a look at it in more
depth here.
What is cognitive
disfluency?
Cognitive
disfluency is a term that was first coined by the psychologist Adam Alter, assistant
professor of marketing and psychology at New York University’s Stern School of
Business.
What
it essentially describes is the idea that people process information
differently, and that some of it is easy (fluency) and some of it requires
effort (disfluency). An example of how this works was shown in an experiment
that presented a printed question in two different typefaces – one hard to read
and one easy – and asked people to spot the mistake. The proportion of people
that noticed the error in the hard-to-read font was higher than the
easy-to-read one. Alter suggests that a harder-to-read font makes us put more
mental effort into reading, and we are therefore more likely to retain the
information.
On
a wider scale, fluent processing allows us to take in key information quickly
but not necessarily to retain it or even understand it in a meaningful way. The
whole experience becomes meaningless, less engaging and unsatisfying. Conversely,
we process disfluent information more carefully and deeply, and this naturally
results in us understanding it better. This is why the idea of cognitive
disfluency has been suggested as a great way to assist learning.
Why is cognitive
disfluency important in business?
Think of all the data and information that is presented before us – or our teams – within the workplace. Most organisations now offer their people key decision data in an easy (fluent) way, whether through dashboards, reports or search engines. While these tools can be invaluable, they can also make the data meaningless and hard to retain because they allow people to get to the specific number, target, forecast or performance data whenever they want to. This often means we don’t have to think about, generalise or extract the data.
So
why is that a problem? Well, if people don’t have that data with them when
making key decisions, or if they don’t have an intuitive understanding of the
information and what it means, they will be unable to incorporate it in their
decision-making. They will also be unable to learn from it. Data creates
knowledge, and knowledge creates understanding – but when there is too much
fluency in the information, it reduces this second step.
So should we make
information more disfluent?
A
lot of the data that we use day to day needs to be fluent. We need to be able to access and use it
quickly, so it should be easy to digest.
However, information that is easily consumed is also easily forgotten.
In almost everything we do there are a few key measures that tell us how we are doing against our goals and targets. Data such as production data, sales information or financial projections need to move beyond abstract numbers and become more intuitive, becoming much more central in our awareness, moving from organisation knowledge to personal understanding. It is this data that needs to be deeply understood so that it can underpin the decisions we make.
How should
organisations present their people with important details and data to ensure it
is meaningfully understood and retained?
It’s a good idea to look at the fluency of key data
or information within your organisation. If it’s being presented to people too
easily, make it more disfluent so they have to think about it. You can do this
by:
Asking for
reports that require some small amounts of manual work to create, such as
looking stuff up
Ask people to
interpret data, not just produce it
Change layouts
so people have to search a little, or read more carefully, to find things
But beware
A
word of caution, though: Disfluency should be used sparingly. We’re not
suggesting that you should make your people work hard for every piece of
information they need. After all, not all data needs to be retained or fully
understood.
In addition, too much disfluency can be draining. It
uses up more energy, increases complexity and heightens stress levels. Instead
of continuous disfluency, there should be brief moments of it when appropriate
for processing essential data and information.
Bringing the number to life is vital, whether you’re working in sales, managing a project, leading a team or running a production line.
If you understand and internalise the number, it allows you to monitor your progress and your tracking, intuitively know where you are and what you need to do, inform your decisions, understand how you need to react in real time, and see the bigger picture.
Otherwise, it’s just meaningless data to you.
Here, Paul and Rob discuss why many people are looking at the numbers but not really thinking about what they mean. They discuss the importance of bringing the number to life, and how we can do it.
What’s stopping us from bringing our number to life?
There is too much information at our fingertips.
Think of the wealth of reports, dashboards, BI systems and other technology that we can extract data from
It’s too easy.
We can easily look up the number we need at a particular point in time, and therefore we don’t need to retain the information in our head
The desire to measure everything.
You simply can’t retain every single piece of information put before you – which leads you back to relying on dashboards or systems
So, how do we bring the number to life?
Keep it simple.
If you have a wealth of data in front of you, focus on maybe the three or four core measures that really tell you something. Break down the number to give you something tangible about what you need to achieve each week/month
Engage with the data.
Too many people just input numbers into a system or sales platform without recognising the importance of thinking what those numbers mean. The idea of ‘cognitive disfluence’ is key here – the fact that we retain information and learn more if we actually interact with what we’re trying to learn
Start with the goal.
Instead of looking at the data and feeling that we have to do something with it, look instead at what you’re trying to achieve. What numbers do you need to pull out and understand to reach your goal?
Leaders. If you’re a leader, help your people to work with the data and think what the number really means. Give them the raw information they need and ask them to compile a report about some of the core data. You could break it down and ask different people to look at particular bits of the data. Ask them: Help me understand what’s in your figures and what does that tell you? Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Why has this bit changed? What does that mean?
In our work, we usually tell people that having focus is a good thing. But when it comes to sales, just being focused on the sale and nothing else is not so good. Sales is part of getting your service to your customer, but you can’t just be focused on that – you’ve got to have a bigger purpose as an organisation.
In this podcast, Richard and Graham discuss why some salespeople only think about the sale – and how such tunnel vision can impact on your customers and your colleagues.
Sales
people are, of course, very targeted and often very driven by what they need to
achieve. But having such a singular focus can mean you forget about the other important
things that sit around the sale.
If all you’re concerned about is getting that sale – hitting your targets, getting the number – then you disregard the other parts of the sales process that are really important. A company that’s all about sales creates an aggressive culture, with salespeople who are highly motivated and focused just on getting money from the customer. They’re not bothered about the end product that the customer gets, or the quality of service. And colleagues in other departments, particularly customer-facing staff, can often feel like a spare part, tasked with delivering impossible promises made by the salespeople just to win the sale, or sorting out complaints from dissatisfied customers who have been promised one thing and received another
Of
course, if your job is in sales, you need to be concerned with ‘the number’.
But you also need to consider the customer experience, your product, the health
and wellbeing of your colleagues, and your organisation’s culture and ethical
boundaries. Ask yourself: If I make the sale in this way, what does it mean for
the customer and for us as a business, and how might it impact on the other
departments?
Considering
the culture of your organisation is particularly important if you’re the person
setting the targets. Be mindful that the targets you set will drive a certain
kind of behaviour so make sure that the sales process you’re encouraging
reflects the culture of your organisation.
People very rarely like to talk about politics in the workplace. Perhaps we don’t even want to admit that it’s a thing. But the fact is that everyone in your organisation is acting in a political way.
That’s because workplace politics is about how we behave towards each other and our motivations. It’s all about power, authority, and relationships. Power can come from different sources: It could be based on someone’s role, experience, knowledge, professional or personal network, or charisma.
The term ‘office politics’ usually has negative connotations, but is it really always a bad thing?
The answer is no, but it depends on the politics involved. Good politics is about doing things correctly and fairly in the interest of the group and the overall vision, whereas bad politics is about acting out of self-interest. Particularly during the process of change, behaviour needs to be driven by politics—there needs to be somebody who can engage people and take them on a journey. That’s what change leadership is all about.
Awareness is key as a manager of people who will behave according to their own politics. Change leaders often involve people for the wrong reasons. It’s easy to make the mistake of involving someone because of their position or their relationship with you.
Recognising the political motivations of your people will help you assign useful, productive roles to them that utilise their skills and experience and help achieve a goal for the overall good. It’s vital for those times when you need to rely on people who can lead and get things done for the good of the organisation, its people and its goals. So, what political game are your people playing? A useful way of identifying the political style and motivations of your team members is using the model developed by Simon Baddeley and Kim James, as shown in this diagram:
It splits people into one of four categories: sheep, donkeys, owls and foxes. Once you understand which category a person fits into, you’ll know how they will approach things, and what kind of role they should take on a project. It can be particularly helpful when implementing change and thinking about the type of people you can rely on to lead it successfully.
So, what characteristics does each animal show, and what does this mean for their role in the team?
Sheep
are politically naïve but act in the group’s interest, because they think it’s
the right thing for the organisation and the people. They are loyal and
industrious but need to be led.
Donkeys,
like sheep, are politically naïve – but the difference is that they act out of
self-interest.
Owls are politically aware of the situation and the environment, but ask how to do things for the overarching goal and the people. They are loyal to the organisation, possess integrity, and are respected by colleagues.
Foxes are also politically aware but act out of self-interest, putting themselves before others and even before the organisation. But there’s no doubt they can make things happen, even though they do it for their benefit. If you are prepared to manage them closely, there’s nothing wrong with sending a wily fox into a difficult situation. Foxes are useful, but make sure you know their motivation, how they are likely to behave and the opportunities they may want to seize for themselves.
Dealing with these different personalities as a manager can be difficult. Still, the first step is to recognise who fits into each category, understand who should be placed in a key role for a specific project, and who needs to be carefully managed. Owls are clearly prime candidates, although they may as well be unicorns as they are so hard to find! Perhaps you may like or require the ambition and drive of foxes.
The
role of a leader is not to get lost in politics or to turn a fox into an owl.
It’s about recognising which political ‘animals’ are in your team, and being
aware of how best to manage them.
Baddeley, S. and James, K., 1987. Owl, fox, donkey or sheep: Political skills for managers. Management Education and Development, 18(1), pp.3-19.
Your Practical Toolkit for Navigating Workplace Politics
Think about others; look at your key stakeholders: your boss, coworkers, peers, other teams, suppliers, and customers.
How do you see their motivation?
Are they focused on themselves and their own self-interest?
Are they focused on the outcomes of the group?
How politically aware are they?
Are they astute? Do they have a good understanding of what’s going on?
Do they look for cooperation and coalition?
How connected are they to key stakeholders?
This will help you to identify the political behaviour of your stakeholders.
What do you do with a Fox?
Think about the strengths of a Fox, someone who not just knows how to get things done; they actually get it done. Where could you use some focus, attention and single-minded action? But beware of how they play the game and put strategies in place to mitigate their game-playing and self-interest.
What do you do with Owl?
Utilise the owl’s strengths, lean into its wisdom, and leverage its mentorship. Draw from its big-picture understanding and connectedness to help overcome obstacles and advance the collective goals.
How do you handle a Donkey?
Donkeys love attention, but not for the right reasons; they ‘kick off’ without any sense of what is happening or who is around them. So beware, don’t feed that attention-seeking behaviour, and don’t reward their bad behaviour. However, do document what you agree and establish an audit trail to go back on.
How do you handle a Sheep?
The sheep are looking for you to value their contribution. Don’t take them for granted, and definitely avoid sidelining them or assuming they’ll just go along with it—they’ll just come along. They may come along, but if not respected, they will bleat, moan, and drain energy.
Something Practical for you to do – Part 2:
Now think about you: how good a politician are you?
Before you fall for delusionary self-assessment, like everyone else, you will be guilty of seeing yourself as perhaps more astute than you really are. Beware of confirmation bias, where we look to support our view and ignore areas where in our heart of hearts we know we could be better. So, to overcome this, invite two or three people you trust to answer these two questions for you. Pick those who can be objective and will give honest feedback.
How politically aware is [insert your name]?
Is [insert your name] motivated by their own agenda or that of the group?
Where do they see you? A game-playing fox or a wise owl? A troublesome donkey or a compliant sheep waiting to be told?
The reality is that we all could do with sharpening our political skills; here are four things that will help you to level up your political awareness:
Know
Observe & Seek out Trends
What are the issues that get raised again and again?
Create a network with different perspectives in your industry
Speak
Sound more political
Focus on the main points as succinctly as possible
Communicate against overarching topics, not tactical details
Think
Ask the Tough Questions
What does success really look like (now and in the future)? – What are the signs of failure?
How does what I am working on support the broader organisational goals?
Act
Time to Think – Embrace Conflict
Spend more time on the important (and less time on the urgent)
Embrace challenge – Focus on the issue, not the personalities
Thinking Focus has been announced as a finalist in the Learning Awards 2019, a prestigious celebration of outstanding achievement in workplace learning and development.
The company, which was founded in 2016, was among hundreds of entries from companies across the world, and is vying for the title of Start-Up Learning Provider of the Year alongside five other organisations based both in the UK and abroad.
Ricky Muddimer, a director at Thinking Focus, said: “We’re delighted to be shortlisted in the Learning Awards and to be recognised for our achievements since setting up the company just over two years ago.
“The last couple of years has seen Thinking Focus win 49 new clients, work on assignments in 12 countries and across 21 sectors, and meet, work with and develop well over 2,000 interesting and inspiring people. We’ve also taken on our first employee, produced a book and created a gamified learning product called What Would You Do? which helps develop managers in a way that makes learning stick.
“But what gives us the biggest buzz of all is seeing how our work delivers impact, and hearing our clients report fantastic results.”
Run by the Learning Performance Institute, the Learning Awards are a leading event in the learning industry, and recognise outstanding examples of high standards, best practice, innovation and excellence in the corporate L&D sphere. Around 400 people will attend the glittering presentation evening at the Dorchester Hotel, London, in February next year.
Thinking Focus are people productivity specialists who work with organisations around the world to unlock productivity, implement change and deliver sustainable results. Using a flexible and practical tools-based approach, combined with their proven psychology-based methodology, they focus on developing growth mindsets to enable people to think and work differently, and to help them define a clear and shared vision.
Ricky added: “We’re so proud that our hard work, innovation and growth has been recognised in these prestigious awards, and would like to thank all those who have helped, inspired and supported us: We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Productivity is one of the key issues encountered by organisations of all sizes, and it’s often one of the most misunderstood, especially by managers. Many leaders look at their teams and at the skills and experience within them, and are baffled that their productivity isn’t greater.
But what they’re failing to look at is closer to home: themselves.
As a manager, the first step towards making your team more productive is to lead by example. Your team’s productivity starts with you. This is why, when we work with an organisation on any productivity issue, more often than not we start with the leaders.
You may not be aware of it, but you are the main influence on your team. And we don’t mean in the sense of giving orders or targets. We’re talking about how your behaviour, attitude and work ethic is noticed and adopted by your people. There’s a saying that your staff leave at the end of the day with the same mood that you walked in with in the morning, and this is often true.
This concept of the unconscious influence of a manager is known as ‘The Shadow of the Leader’ which, as the name suggests, relates to the influence – for better or worse – of the leader on their team. People absorb their leader’s values, and tend to mirror their leader’s behaviour. On a wider level, a leader’s shadow may be cast so wide that it affects the culture of an entire organisation.
Your leadership shadow reflects everything you say and do. Whether you intend it or not, you cast your shadow over your team. Your people will, either consciously or subconsciously, take clues from you about their behaviour, values, motivation and work ethic. They will mirror what you do and say, and how you react to situations.
So, as a leader, ask yourself: Are you aware of the shadow you cast over your team? Is this shadow a positive or negative one? Are you displaying the behaviours that you would expect see from your people?
