Bei Blog

Communication: Close The Gap

2010/08/22

Brenda Eckstein

Poor communication is often stated as a major problem facing business and the professions. This applies to both external and internal communication and is also evident in our private lives.

In this article we are addressing ‘direct’ communication where our intention is to effectively provide others with information. We are referring to either written or verbal messages. In a later blog we’ll address ‘conversational’ communication which is important in building relationships.

THE GAP
There is usually a gap between our intended message and the recipient’s understanding of it. Their perception has been shaped by their environment and personal experience. Comprehension of the message will also be affected by ‘barriers’ and these could include personal prejudice, inability to understand the person’s accent, noise etc.

If the receiver realises there is a gap, they’ll try to fill the gap with what they thought the sender meant. So, the bigger the gap the more distorted the message may become.

CLOSING THE GAP
So, our goal is to minimise the gap and this becomes even more important where we are dealing with a complex message. How do we do this? We need to check that we are sending a clear, concise message and there are a number of ways to do this:

1. Journalistic approach
We should check our message against the following (open) questions to ensure that we have covered all necessary aspects for that specific message. We won’t always need to cover all the questions below. But check the appropriate ‘open’ questions.

a. Who?
b. How?
c. When?
d. Where?
e. Which?
f. Why?
g. What?

2. Layers of complexity
Think about the message carefully. Obviously it is going to be worded differently depending on our target recipient. But to understand our own content better a good exercise is to ask ourselves how we could best explain the same message to each of the following types of people:
a. A five-year old
b. A seventeen-year-old
c. An ‘average’ adult
d. A specialist in that field

I’m grateful to the inspiring Australian presenter, Glen Capelli for planting the seed which helped me to recognise the importance of being able to convey the same message to a range of different age-groups.

We could also change our groupings to cover different layers within our organisation. Or we could ask ourselves how we’d explain it to various stakeholders – directors, management, staff, customers, suppliers, SARS. How would we explain the same message to each of those? Do we understand our message clearly enough to provide it to all of these in an appropriate, coherent manner (even if it is intended for only one group at this time)?

3. Contributory and contradictory thinking
Explore the message further to make sure we have a depth of understanding. Can we expand on the content? In applying ‘contributory’ thinking we could start by confirming, for example: ‘I agree with the statement.’ Then you would add to the idea. ‘And it would also apply in the other contexts (like the leather industry)’.

Then use ‘contradictory’ thinking to examine the exceptions. ‘I agree with the concept, but for example, it would not apply in South Africa because our crime rate is too high.’

MORE GAPS
Do you remember the game that many of us played as children where messages had to be passed on to others? It was known by various titles including ‘broken telephone’. The more the message was transferred to sequential recipients, the more distorted the original message became. The game reflects reality.

After the first ‘gap’ the receiver does not have the content of the message exactly the same as the sender intended it and in passing it on, there will be additional gaps created between the new sender and each individual receiver. So again, our ‘middle man’ needs to make sure that:
• Their perception of the message is as close as possible to the original sender’s intention.
• They check to make sure their message is clear before passing it on to the next person.

CUTTING OUT THE ‘MIDDLE MAN’
What Netcare in South Africa has done very successfully at St Augustine’s hospital in Durban to overcome the problem of messages not being passed on, or messages not being passed on correctly, is that they have cut out the middle layer. So, messages go directly to 1800 staff members via SMS. By cutting down the number of people the message goes through, there are less ‘gaps’. In addition, people always have their phones with them and there is no delay. This concept is working very well for Netcare.

In this article we have spoken primarily about passing information to others directly. In a later article we’ll look at communication that is less ‘direct’, the kind that we need to use in building relationships. Quality conversation helps us to get to know people and also plays an important part in building trust. We all prefer to deal with people we know and trust. So, there we are introducing the element of how to become the ‘person of choice’.

The BEI four-hour workshop, ‘how to get your point across’ has been our ‘top seller’ for many years. We continuously improve the content. The results are phenomenal and those who attend public workshops often request that we then present ‘in house’ for companies. Diverse audiences have included doctors and nurses in the UK who found themselves promoted through their medical skills and with very little experience in managing trusts, hospitals or wards. Others have been IT technicians, University lecturers, salespeople.

At the EYES (Enhance Your Executive Skills) programme at the Oyster Box Hotel on August 18 2010, the topic was ‘How to get your point across’. Seen here during the workshop are participants (left to right): Cedric Wilmans (Cedric Wilmans Financial Planners ), Bruno Lionnet (AdaptIT) and David Rhodes (Dystar Boehme).

For more information on this training or other training we present you are welcome to contact brenda@strategy-leadership.com or have a look at our website www.strategy-leadership.com

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Why a Customer Service Strategy is Critical

2010/06/24

Gary Eckstein

Gary is a business consultant and trainer based in Sydney, Australia but operating internationally. He assists organisations in getting business benefits from I.T . Contact Gary - Mobile: +61 410 923 445, gary@eckstein.id.au , http://eckstein.id.au

Many years ago (I’m starting to sound old!) I worked in luxury hotels. There are many luxury hotels and all offer similar levels of comfort and are priced similarly (although low price usually isn’t a good selling point when it comes to luxury). What really distinguishes the top hotels from the rest is great customer service. The importance of customer service becomes part of the hotels culture as formulated in a Customer Service Strategy and all employees are trained continuously in this key differentiator. A one time slip of service can result in thousands of dollars in lost future revenue and the inverse is also true, where great service can mean attaining a new customer or increased spend by customers. Basing customer service decisions on potential future revenues is a great means of gaining a sustainable competitive advantage over competitors and a good means of understanding what an organization should be doing regarding customer service is to have a Customer Service Strategy. What follows are two examples of customer service that illustrate the importance of every employee being empowered to provide great customer service whilst understanding the potential future value of the customer.

A Customer isn’t worth $1.50 at this hotel

In most countries, no fee is charged by the seller when the customer pays by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Diners etc.). The Australian government allows for retailers to charge an amount when people pay by credit card. Although this is favourable for retailers, consumers are against this premium charge.

A while back I attended a convention at a premium hotel. On one of the nights a few of us had dinner at the hotel restaurant. It was a quick dinner and so as we sat down we each ordered a pizza without taking too much notice of the menu. When the bill arrived, and a Visa card was provided for payment the waiter advised that 1½ % premium would be charged for payment. We felt ‘ripped off’ as we’d spent considerable sums of money at the hotel during the convention and now the hotel was trying to take an additional $1.50 off us which, we felt, was totally petty. We mentioned our displeasure to the waiter and he advised that even all service stations charge a premium for use of a credit card which is blatantly incorrect (I always pay for fuel by credit card and have never been charged a credit card premium). I then spoke to the restaurant manager who pointed to a small sign near the POS which noted the additional charge and he also mentioned that at the bottom of the menu was the notice of the additional charge (note however that people pay from their tables therefore don’t see the tiny sign at the POS and many people order by glancing at the menu rather than reading the tiny notice at the bottom of the menu). Was profiteering by $1.50 really in the best interests of the hotel? Shouldn’t the waiter (or the manager) have been empowered to waive the $1.50 in the best interests of future business?

What was interesting is that many people at the convention had many similar gripes about the hotel so there is clearly a large customer service problem.

Retailer’s Time is more important than the Customers.

We recently went to buy a leather lounge sofa. We found one we liked at one of Australia’s biggest furniture, computer and white-goods retailers. I sat down with the salesman and gave him my name, address and so on and he stated that it would cost $65 to deliver. Then however came the deal-breaker … by now I have agreed to purchase the sofa worth over $2000 and am sitting with the salesman, with him already having entered my details into the computer system. He then asks for a required delivery date so I advise that an afternoon on a certain date is preferable. The salesman then says that he can only give a date for delivery and not an approximate time (i.e. the customer has to be available at the delivery address for a whole day). I explained that I cannot be expected to spend a whole day waiting for a sofa to be delivered and that I wouldn’t purchase the sofa if neither a morning nor afternoon for delivery can be agreed. Anyway, the salesman said that I’d have to accept that I’d have to be at my house the whole day for delivery so the sale was lost by the retailer and I’ll be spending my $2000 somewhere else.

Why couldn’t a half-day time slot for delivery be provided by the retailer? Why couldn’t the salesman give a small discount to keep the sale and perhaps then I’d agree to the whole day delivery waiting time (the salesman had the sale and just had to make me feel like I was getting a good deal)? There are so many things that the salesman could have done from a customer service perspective to both get the sale and ensure that I’d feel positive about the purchase. The retailer has lost a customer because they do not value their clients’ time.

A Customer Service Strategy

A person expects far more than ‘just’ a product when they buy something. They are expecting a certain level of service too. Of course, the amount and quality of service expected varies according to customer expectations (e.g. a person spending $150 on a haircut expects better service than having a haircut at a budget hair salon). It is critical that a Customer Service Strategy is formulated and communicated within the organization. Your employees must know what they are empowered to do relating to customer service as well as what customer service expectations are.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Networking At Its Best

2010/06/22

Brenda Eckstein

Networking is a process and not a transaction. However, in organising our approach, it is sometimes convenient to segment various aspects into past, present and future.

Past: we need to identify the groups of people who have played a significant role in our lives. This involves digging into our past and looking for commonalty. ‘Mindmaps’ or charts are a convenient way of depicting this information.
Present: What are we doing to sustain relationships, to keep our contacts alive? There are many benefits of sustaining positive relationships. Two include:
- Having an advantage over our competitors - becoming the ‘person of choice’ or the ‘firm of choice’
- An ‘absence of malice’. When things go wrong - and we all know that even with the most careful planning, there will be ‘hiccups’, if we are functioning within positive relationships, our partners are more likely to give us the ‘benefit of the doubt’. There would be an ‘absence of malice’. Compare this with the same situation where there is no positive relationship - our customer may consider the ‘hiccup’ a poor reflection on our performance.

Under ‘present’ we also need to assess how efficiently we are capturing and organising the contact details. And how effective are our systems for keeping information ‘up to date’?

Future: How are we going to ‘expand’ our networks in relevant ways so that we continue to build stronger networks? There are two main aspects to this:
- What are we doing to strengthen existing relationships?
- How are we going to add meaningful contacts to our networks? This could involve working out where the weak areas in our contacts are, planning how we are going to fill the gaps or joining forces with like-minded people or those who have a common interest.

Let’s expand further on that idea: We join organisations for a range of reasons. But so often it is the friendship and support that bind us together and cement our membership.

For example, I joined the New South Wales Chapter of NSAA (National Speakers Association of Australia) so that during my visits to Australia (two or three times a year) I could go to meetings, learn and network. The benefits have been enormous. In addition to expose to ideas and the experience of international speakers, trainers and coaches, I have made wonderful friends. In my latest newsletter, I mention the annual convention which Gary Eckstein and I attended in April 2010. Here are some more photos:

Lindsay Adams, a Past National President of NSAA and the current President of the International Federation for Professional Speakers (IFFPS). Lindsay is the National Director of the Referral Institute in Australia and New Zealand.

Rachel Green, CSP is a fellow networker, trainer and speaker from Perth, Western Australia.

Networking is great fun! However, the benefits will not be great unless we approach networking with the right attitude, ‘what can I do for you’ (and most certainly not ‘what can you do for me’.) Most of us are tired of people who are like leeches - wanting to get whatever they can from us. That type of relationship is parasitic. We need to function symbiotically, help each other, work for the ‘common good’.

So, my message to you is clear: Network by seeing how you can be of assistance to others and you will benefit enormously.

�On a high note: 2010 FIFA World Cup�

2010/05/24

Brenda Eckstein

Excitement mounts in South Africa! ‘Football Fridays’ focus attention on our hosting the long awaited 2010 FIFA World Cup. Enthusiasm spills over to the rest of the week. Vehicles bear flags, people wear yellow supporter’s shirts and the atmosphere here is positively electric.

In previous blogs, as a communications consultant, I have given tips for visitors to help make their stay in South Africa even more enjoyable. I quote from my article of April 23 2010 under the heading ‘The vuvuzela calls’:

‘The vuvuzela is a brightly coloured long trumpet-shaped instrument made of plastic. As far as I’m aware, no-one is really sure of the origins and there are a plethora of stories explaining its origins and initial purpose.

Fans take their instruments to matches and the noise is very loud, so loud in fact that opposing teams at last year’s Confederation Cup lodged a complaint that the noise affected their ability to hear and to concentrate. Attempts were made to ban the vuvuzela from the FIFA World Cup. FIFA took this proposal seriously but at the time of writing this blog, to the best of my knowledge, the host nation's response that ‘the vuvuzela is essential to a South African footballing experience’ prevails. There will be plenty of these colourful trumpets at the matches - and as souvenirs for people traveling abroad!’

After writing the article mentioned above, on my return trip to South Africa, in the May 2010 ‘Sawubona’ (The South African Airways in-flight magazine) I smiled as I read the article ‘Tips for travelers during the 2010 football world cup’. I quote from page 22 of that magazine:

‘Vuvuzelas carried as hand luggage

The vuvuzela, a trumpet-like pipe, has become one of the South African soccer supporter’s essential items. Customers traveling with vuvuzelas in the cabin of SAA-owned and/or any SAA operated aircraft are requested to refrain from using these on board aircraft. Vuvuzelas create very high noise levels which may result in difficulty for our crew (licensed safety officers) to communicate important safely information and/or emergency evacuation procedures.

In addition, on smaller aircraft the noise created in the confines of an aircraft may create difficulty for our flight crew to hear important radio communications. The use of these may also create annoyance to fellow passengers. Customers are advised that the use of these items on board may constitute a criminal offence und the provisions of the Civil Aviation Offences Act, punishable by between five and 15 years ‘imprisonment.

In the interest of safety and the comfort of our passengers, SAA will take a zero tolerance approach to any persons using vuvuzelas on board flights’.

The mind boggles! Can you imagine the scene on board an aircraft with enthusiastic fans celebrating by blowing their vuvuzelas? No! Let’s end on another kind of ‘high note’: join us in having a wonderful time during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Your Life�s Story

2010/05/23

List developed by Brenda Eckstein

This article is devoted to family, friends and business associates who have enriched my life. You all have wonderful stories to tell - and I keep nagging many of you to ‘take action’ and write your life’s stories. Sometimes it is easier to get started by making lists or answering questions. So, I hope that this exercise will help you.

PAST
Let’s start by looking at some of the influences that have shaped you.

People: please list 10 people who have had a positive impact on your life.

What did each person do that was so special?

Great - you are doing well!

Achievements: list 10 achievements that you are really proud of.

What effect did each of those have on your life? Or how did each of those change your life?

That wasn’t difficult, was it?

Past challenges: list 5 challenges that you have overcome.

PRESENT
Let’s move on to the present.

Present challenges: list 5 challenges that you are facing now.

Sense of belonging: where do you belong? What groups are you part of?

Nationality
Ethnic
Religious
Tribe or clan
Family
Generation
Gender
Educational or professional
Organisations
Hobbies, sporting, creative or musical groups

How about trying to find another 5 groups that you belong to that are important to you? These can be formal or informal groups.

Next: how similar are you to the other people in each of the above groups?

How do you differ from most people in those groups?

Spend a few minutes pondering your involvement.

Who are you (now)?
Please list 5 ‘touchstones’ - in other words, those things, people or situations that really bring out the best in you - for example, sunrise, your dogs, an engrossing book etc.

Your values
5 of your top personal values are:

FUTURE
Now we move on to your future state.

Your vision
What do you want your life to be like in 3 years time? Please ‘stretch’ yourself - but still be realistic.

How will you be adding more fun to your life?
Who are the people you want to be spending most time with?
How will you be investing and spending your time?
What financial assets will you have accumulated?
What will you be earning and how will you be saving and spending your money?
Which tangible items mean a great deal to you?
Where will you be situated geographically?
What will you have achieved through study or skills development in the next 3 years?
What will you be doing more of (than you are doing now)?
How will you be building, conserving and spending your personal energy?

Stop, start, continue
In order to achieve your 3-year personal vision:

What must you continue doing?
What must you start doing?
What must you stop doing?

If you’d like more details on setting your personal strategy, please read ‘Networking Tactics: a guide to achieving success through personal networking’ - Brenda Eckstein.

Glance through your answers. You are unique. No-one else could have given the combination of answers that you have provided. So, capture the essence and begin writing an aspect of your life that you are enthusiastic about. After all, you are the world expert on YOU!

I hope that this brief exercise has stimulated your creativity and motivated you to start writing your special ‘life’s story’. I look forward to hearing your progress.

Warm wishes,

Brenda

PS - Well done!

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Lessons in Communication Skills

2010/05/10

Brenda Eckstein

My son, Gary is a business consultant and trainer http://eckstein.id.au and is based in Sydney, Australia. He says that in order to really understand and practise negotiation skills, you need to have a lot to do with young children. I agree. Through our interaction and communicating with young children we can learn a great deal that will help us in leading or managing adults.

When you have a message to deliver, consider how differently you’d deliver it to a five-year old, a teenager, a young working adult, and a highly specialised adult. These layers of complexity help us to understand our own message and the best way to deliver it. There needs to be as small a gap as possible between our intention in sending the message and the perception of the message’s content by the person receiving the message. The bigger the gap between the two, the more the person will fill it with what they thought your intention might have been - and this can lead to great misunderstanding.

During this trip to Australia for four days a week I was privileged in ‘looking after’ my granddaughter, Ella who turned five in January and started her first year at ‘big school’ in February this year. This was a great opportunity to get to know her better and build positive relationships. What I didn’t realise was how much she’d be teaching me! - and what wonderful examples she’d be providing for the leadership and communication skills training I present.

So, what lessons did I learn from this charming young five-year old?

The importance of a positive attitude

As we walked into the local shopping centre, I mentioned that I’d like to go and say ‘hello’ to my friend Margaret whom I hadn’t yet seen this trip. I reminded Ella that she had met Margaret 18 months ago. At first, Ella was deeply concerned because at that point she couldn’t remember Margaret.

After a few seconds as we walked along, she said, ‘but Granny Brenda, that’s good!’ I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. So, I asked her and she explained: ‘It’s good that we can’t remember some things because it makes more space in our brains for new things’. How true! And as adults many of us could use that thinking to justify our failing memories!

The ability to find positives in every negative situation is a skill which many adults have not yet mastered. It requires creativity — and this little girl sure taught me a lesson or two!

Incidentally, as we arrived at Margaret’s place of work, Ella suddenly remembered her. And she was relieved. (I didn’t pursue its impact on her perceived ‘space’ in her brain!)

As adults, a positive attitude helps to build relationships. Within positive relationships we can achieve better outcomes and there is more likely to be an ‘absence of malice’ if things do go wrong. In addition, people are more receptive to any message which we may wish to convey.

Think about things. Don’t take anything for granted.

I presumed that going to town by train would be a great treat. But Ella said, ‘Granny Brenda, I’ve been on a train a few times, and that would be good, but I’ve never ever been on a bus’. What fun we had going by bus!

This adventure provided many learning experiences for both of us. For example, as we took our seats on the bus she asked with disbelief: ‘But, Granny Brenda, why did we have to pay to go on the bus?’ If she hadn’t asked, I would have taken it for granted that everybody knew you paid to go on a public bus! This led to stimulating conversation.

It requires skill for us to convey a message in a way that is suitable for the person we are speaking with. How do you describe capitalism, economic supply and demand, or basic business principles to a five-year-old? I pursued the topic and thought I’d explained in a way that was suitable for her. However, later that day she showed that I had not covered the topic in enough detail. ‘Granny, the man driving the bus, does he own the bus?’

So, when leading or managing your teams, think about the amount of information you need to convey. Don’t take anything for granted. Make it easy for people to ask relevant questions — either at the time, or later.

The importance of really listening to the words we use

I have mentioned one of the highlights of our time together, the day we spent in the city (Sydney). Although we traveled in by bus, we returned to the suburb where she lives by train. Although she had been on trains before, this was an adventure.

During the journey, she suddenly said, with great indignation, ‘That’s not right!’ I was confused and asked her what she was talking about. She explained: “the man said ‘please stand clear of the doors’”. She was talking about an announcement she’d just heard as the train departed from a station.

I still didn’t understand. ‘Well’ she said indignantly, ‘Granny Brenda, we aren’t standing. We are sitting.’ She was right. The message didn’t apply to us — at that time. But it did apply to many others.

It’s a matter of awareness. Think about what you are hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and feeling. Have an opinion on everything. You don’t have to express it. But think about things. As one of the great presenters in Australia teaches, develop ‘contributory and contradictory thinking’.

In ‘contributory thinking’, even if you agree with what the person is saying, you ask yourself ‘what else can I add to that?’

Take the same statement and use ‘contradictory thinking’. In other words, you may agree with the basic statement, but you know it wouldn’t work under certain circumstances.

So, in the case of the announcement at the station, ‘the man’ was right in telling people to ‘stand clear’ of the doors (to prevent danger). And there could have been accidents on that train (and on any train leaving that station — or any other station) if people hadn’t obeyed (contributory thinking). However, although he was right, his command didn’t apply to us as we were sitting safely in the train. (Contradictory)

So, listen to messages we receive. Think about any message we convey and test both against ‘contributory’ and ‘contradictory’ thinking. That way our communication will be more effective.

Practise your conversation skills

In my communication skills workshops I constantly stress the importance of practising ‘quality conversation’. The rationale is that we all prefer to deal with people we know and trust. Building trust goes hand-in-hand with building positive relationships. Conversation is a tool for building those relationships.

I always tell people to regularly practise the simple conversation techniques we cover in the workshops and I have been excited by the feedback from people who have done this. For example, one business executive decided that every morning while driving his teenage daughter to school, for those 40 minutes he’d ask her to help him practise the techniques. So, instead of silence and just listening to the radio in the car, they began to have stimulating conversations. They both began to look forward to the daily practice session and they added new elements. The father delegated reading the daily newspaper to his daughter so that they could discuss current events. Hearing each other’s views added richness to their relationship. He was so very grateful that his relationship with his daughter had moved from ‘average’ to ‘outstanding’.

We all need to practise our conversation skills and what better place to do it than with our families? And it doesn’t matter how old our conversation partners are, it helps to improve the quality not only of conversation, but also of relationships.

Ella, as mentioned earlier in this article is only 5 years old and has a natural ability to communicate. But doesn’t almost every child? She I enjoy the most wonderful conversations following the ‘listen — comment — (open) question’ principles which I teach adult participants during my training courses.

We can enrich our understanding or others by engaging in quality conversation. So, practise your conversation skills and you’ll enrich the lives of those you practise with and enhance your performance in the workplace.

There are lessons all around us. Recognise and optimise opportunities. I’m grateful for the privilege of spending many days learning from a five-year old.

A Letter From My Dog� And Other New Perceptions

2010/04/27

Brenda Eckstein

An annual convention of the National Speakers Association of Australia (NSAA) is an ideal place to hone your thinking skills - especially when the presenters include diverse international experts like Dr. Edward de Bono, author of 83 books and the instigator of creative thinking.

Shelley Sykes , Brenda Eckstein and Edward de Bono — NSAA Convention, April 2010

I was privileged to be there again this year (April 16 to 19 2010). In summarising my notes and reflecting on the information, I notice there are again many important messages and trends. One that stands out is the necessity for us to make every effort to see things through various ‘frames’. We all see things differently and as speakers, trainers and coaches we should try to present information in a way that will be more relevant to our various audiences (and by ‘audience’ I mean anyone to whom I’m addressing a message.) This applies to individuals in their business and private communication, too.

I gained great value from this Convention, not only from the formal sessions, but from the people with whom I networked. Some I had met before, others were newcomers to my circle of ‘friends and associates’. The networking extends beyond the exchange of words in conversation. Many of us are authors and in reading others’ ‘words of wisdom’, I am constantly astounded at the richness of thinking and ideas generated. One example is the work of Dr Danny Beran, author of ‘Ten questions you must answer before you die’ (published March 2010).

Gary Eckstein and Dr Danny Beran with ‘Ten questions you should answer before you die’.

Danny and I are both members of the New South Wales chapter of NSAA and we had shared experiences in authoring and launching our books. So, I was excited to receive a copy of his book. In addition to the ‘ten questions’ which he as a medical doctor invites his patients and readers to ponder, there is a section on ‘what your dog would love or need to tell you if he could talk’? That certainly is a new perspective for me and I was motivated and had soon written myself two letters - one from each of my dogs! I was amazed at what Ebon and Sabrena said - and how different their letters were.

An added dimension to my conference experience was having Gary (my son) with me, too. We could share ideas and hearing his perspective on various issues added a richness to my experience in being there. Thank you, Gary!

More articles reflecting on Edward de Bono, other exciting people and the messages from the NSAA Convention will follow in forthcoming blogs.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Countdown To The 2010 Fifa World Cup � Part 2

2010/04/23

Brenda Eckstein

On June 11 the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South Africa begins. This is the world’s largest sporting event.

If you would like to visit our country at this exciting time, South African Airways confirms that for ‘late-bookers’ wanting to travel from Australia and other countries, there are still limited seats available. For Australian visitors the toll-free number is 1 300 435 972 and the contact person stephanieconstance@flysaa.com For general bookings anywhere else in the world, please visit the website, www.flysaa.com Thank you!

At his Sydney office, Thevan Krishna, SAA Head of Australasia and India shows Brenda Eckstein the model of the new plane.

In a previous article, in the spirit of encouraging greater understanding, I outlined some areas of diversity that visitors to South Africa might find helpful.

As a communications consultant living in the host country, South Africa, I’m delighted to share a few more insights that may be of interest to you and make your visit more enjoyable. And even if you are from the host nation, you may not know enough about these aspects of our soccer (football) culture. This background will also help you to converse in a knowledgeable way!

1. The Vuvuzela calls

As mentioned in the Qantas March 2010 in-flight magazine when referring to the football fan culture, ‘South Africans love to celebrate their players and teams — generally without indulging in the hooliganism that plagues other countries — with a rich tradition of chants, gadgets and rituals’.

The vuvuzela is a brightly coloured long trumpet-shaped instrument made of plastic. As far as I’m aware, no-one is really sure of the origins and there are a plethora of stories explaining its origins and initial purpose.

When I arrived in Sydney recently, we were met at the airport by our daughter. We were telling her about the excitement in South Africa and the different 2010 FIFA World Cup items on sale at the Oliver Thambo International Airport in Johannesburg. As I told her about the prominence of the vuvuzela, I realized that I needed to explain. As I described she excitedly said, ‘oh I wondered what all those brightly coloured pipes were sticking out of most people hand-luggage as they arrived’. While waiting for us to come through customs, she had observed may people from our flight carrying these instruments. And this was 70 days before the start of the event in South Africa!

2. The ‘makarapa’ headgear

At Oliver Thambo International airport in Johannesburg, I was also fascinated to see some very interesting items of headgear. I didn’t have time to investigate but was delighted to read a description in the Qantas' magazine (the SAA flight is code-shared with Qantas and their planes are used on the Johannesburg~Sydney route). ‘These decorated construction hard hats will become the fashion statement of the World Cup. The makarapas is cut, twisted and painted into a fabulous headdress to give a look that is part sorcerer, part jester. Created 30 years ago by a cleaner who wore his hard hat after he saw a fan hit on the head by a bottle, the makarapas became a hit. Now covered with football imagery, it has become and improvised art form in its own right’

So, a makarapa would be a good souvenir to wear on your trip home - it certainly could lead to quality conversation!

2009 Confederation Cup fans wearing makarapas with a vuvuzela in the foreground

3. Chants and rituals

The popular chant for the national team is ‘Shosholoza’. Fans chant this as a form of encouragement to their team. This was sung originally, as far as I can establish by migrant Zimbabweans traveling to work on the mines in South Africa. However, it is a Zulu word which means ‘go forward’ and is perceived as a positive form of encouragement.

When the home team scores, the chant will be ‘laduma’ which means ‘it thunders’.

The vuvuzela, makarapa and chants are all part of the South African soccer (football) culture. I hope that knowing this background will help you to enjoy your stay even more. And, of course, weaving this into your conversation will help you to build positive relationships. The rewards are great. Remember to ‘listen — comment — question’ and you’ll enjoy quality conversation which can lead to positive relationships.

However, if you choose to return home wearing your makarapa while blowing your own vuvuzela and intermittently chanting ‘Shosholoza’ you won’t have much chance for dialogue. But you could be the ‘conversation piece’ (those of you who have been to my workshops will know what I’m talking about) and that could also be very interesting! Have Fun!

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Communication skills: 2010 FIFA World Cup

2010/04/20

Brenda Eckstein

The final countdown for the long awaited 2010 FIFA World Cup has begun. Welcome to the many visitors who will be coming to South Africa to enjoy not only the soccer, but a holiday in our wonderful country.

To make your stay more enjoyable, as a communications consultant, I’m going to cover a few areas that could lead to greater understanding and therefore help to build positive relationships. Conversely, South Africans as you await the proud moment when you welcome visitors from afar, be aware of differences, build on them and help to provide lasting positive memories for our guests.

What makes us different?

I’m often asked what makes South Africa unique. There are many factors and I’m going to mention only a few.

Firstly, let’s look at the statistics: we are a nation of over 48 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages and beliefs. At just over 38-million, Africans are in the majority making up 79.6% of the total population. This category is neither culturally nor linguistically homogenous. Africans include the Nguni people, comprising the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi; the Sotho-Tswana people, comprising the Southern, Northern and Western Sotho (Tswana); the Tsonga; and the Venda.

The white population is estimated at 4.3-million (9.1%), the coloured population at 4.2-million (8.9%) and the Indian/Asian population at just short of 1.2-million (2.5%). The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin.

Nine of the country's 11 official languages are African, reflecting a variety of ethnic groupings. The languages you will hear most frequently spoken in South Africa depend on where in the country you are. The most commonly spoken home languages (considering the whole country) according to the more comprehensive statistics of the 2001 census are isiZulu (23.8%), followed by isiXhosa (17.6%), Afrikaans (13.3%), Sepedi (9.4%), Setswana (8.2%) and English (8.2%).

In terms of religious affiliation, about two-thirds of South Africans are Christian, mainly Protestant. They belong to a variety of churches, including many that combine Christian and traditional African beliefs. Many non-Christians support these traditional beliefs. Other significant religions are Islam, Hinduism and Judaism.

Cultural diversity provides a great ‘richness’ to our nation. In addition, our country being simultaneously ‘first world’ and ‘third world’ introduces further complexities.

Diversity and contrast are dominant factors. To me, it is perhaps easiest to start by comparing our heterogeneous status with a homogenous ‘melting pot’ where the constituent parts lose their identity. To me, South Africa is a great, big delicious fruit salad. The ingredients absorb some of the flavour of other fruits but are identifiable. They are presented in a way that contributes to a harmonious whole, the bright colourful combination of people known since 1994 as ‘The Rainbow Nation’. That year marked the birth of our ‘new democracy’ which gave greater opportunities to all our people enabling them to ‘shine’. It also accelerated the promotion and cultural developments of commercially desirable cultural symbols such as fashion and music with a very definite African ‘feel’.

Another aspect of South Africa’s uniqueness results from the underlying philosophy of ‘Ubuntu’. This is the foundation on which many of our attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things is based. Although people will argue that this is confined to our Black population, I disagree. Think of the fruit salad concept! The ingredients all absorb flavour of the other ingredients. I believe that ‘Ubuntu’ is a powerful force influencing all South Africans.

‘Ubuntu’ in simple terms means ‘I am because we are’. It links people and gives us responsibility for each other and goes even further than that. It is a dynamic concept and has been described as ‘humanity in action’. For example, being a good person and caring about your fellow man is not enough. You have to ‘take action’ to bring those links to life. And that action can be as simple as smiling at strangers in a caring, sincere manner.

English

Although English is commonly accepted as the preferred ‘language of business’ in our country, various aspects may be different to your use of the language.

1. Pronunciation and accentsvary from province to province. For example, they may range from a British influence in the speech of many who come from Kwazulu-Natal, the province where I live, to the way in which Cape Malays of the Western Cape speak. They use a colourful version of English mixed with Afrikaans.

The variety of accents is also multiplied by the fact that our role models on TV, radio and those speaking in public are more and more often people whose first language is not English. In the ‘old South Africa’, it was accepted that pronunciation considered ‘different’ should be corrected, but that is no longer practised. So, I see an accelerated increase in variety of English pronunciation.

2. Words and their use

I like the site www.southafrica.info/travel/advice/saenglish.htm which gives insight into some of the ‘English’ words which are unique to our country.

We may also use words which are universal English words in a slightly different way and this can be confusing to foreigners. Let me give you two examples:

When I as an English-speaking South African say:

‘I’ll attend to your query just now’ what I really mean is:

‘I'll attend to your query as soon as I have completed the task I’m busy working on at present’.

Many non-South Africans understand the use of ‘just now’ and my statement as meaning:

‘I’ll attend to your query immediately’.

So, when I continue working on my current task, the non-South African is understandably frustrated as he understood that I’d be attending to his query immediately – and here I am completing another task first! He/she perceives my action as not following through on what I had said I’d do. This could lead to frustration and lack of trust and will impact on understanding and the building of positive relationship. Can he trust me to do what I have said I would do?

I, on the otherhand, am confused by the foreigner’s reaction. I’m doing exactly what I said I’d do – in other words, completing the task and then attending to his query.

Another similar issue arises through the use of the word, ‘might’. As a South African if I say ‘I might go to Durban’, I’m implying the possibility that I may (or may not) go to Durban. I have not yet decided. The word ‘might’ with Australians does not seem to imply a possibility, but rather a hard fact or command. For example, at a weekly assembly at my grandchildren’s school in St Ives, towards the conclusion of the assembly, the person in charge announced: ‘The parents might now leave the hall’.

All the parents (and grandparents) immediately obeyed by leaving the room! The teacher was not conveying an option. It was a command. In South Africa, we would have understood the same words differently. We would consider that leaving the room was an option to be followed through when we wanted to leave.

I have also heard some Australians, as they are about to take action saying, ‘I might put the child in the carseat’. Might? They are telling us what they are about to do. There is no degree of possibility.

Message for visitors and South Africans: As with any communicating, don’t rely only on a person’s words. Try to understand their message from their perspective. Be open to the fact that you may not understand each other even when using the same words.

3. Direct answers

When communicating with some groups in South Africa it is not considered polite to get to the point directly. So, to set the scene, it is sometimes a good idea to ask how the person is (and show genuine interest) before getting to the request or question you need to ask.

Similarly, if we as Westerners ask a person how many legs the table has, we often expect an immediate answer of ‘four’. From a rural Zulu you may still get the answer ‘the same number as legs as a cow has’. So watch out for picturesque word pictures and enjoy them rather than getting frustrated that you don’t always get immediate, direct answers.

4. Decision-Making

‘Ubuntu’ (and the interdependence of people) also means that you will often not get an immediate answer or a swift decision. Don’t be surprised if the person whom you presumed to be empowered to make that decision needs to refer that matter to be debated amongst his or her colleagues. ‘Ubuntu’ and our new democracy are contributing factors leading to a participative style of management being the most suitable in many cases.

Message for visitors:
Don’t expect instant decisions. In many circumstances it may take more time than you are accustomed to for the person with whom you are dealing to come back to you with an answer. Practise patience. But ask, ‘when shall I contact you for an answer?’

Conclusion

So, dear visitors don’t expect us to be a homogeneous nation. Accept and celebrate our differences with us. And you will find your visit an enriching experience. We wish you a happy visit to our country. Enjoy the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Please see next week’s article which is also dedicated to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Leadership Lessons

2010/04/13

Brenda Eckstein

‘Brenda Eckstein International’ specialises in leadership development, a subject which has been of great interest to me for many years. A leader who ignited my passion for this topic is a great man who is now retired and lives in Hermanus in the Cape, Republic of South Africa. My interaction with him began many years ago. Let me tell you the story:

Mike Mathews had been a teacher before he joined the corporate world. So when the current chairman retired, Mike was the ideal candidate to become Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Girls’ Collegiate School in Pietermaritzburg, Republic of South Africa.

I had been invited to join this board a few months before he became chairman. At age thirty, I was half the average age of the members of the board and most of them were experienced in education. I felt inadequate and there seemed to be no way I could contribute effectively as a member of this board. To improve my own performance at the board meetings, I joined a voluntary training organisation specialising in business meeting procedure and participation. Yet, I was not inspired. Meetings lasted more than five hours and ended late in the evenings. Members had little sense of achievement, as we seemed to have no function except to attend boring meetings.

Then Mike Mathews became Chairman and there was a dramatic change. The Board’s role (ensuring the school’s long term success and survival) was clearly defined and sound business principles were to be followed. Mike made it clear that he expected positive results. He said it was unnecessary to waste time having long meetings. Board meetings were cut to two hours and the board members were divided into committees. Members were given responsibilities. I was given a special portfolio and became the Public Relations Chairman. What did I know about that topic? I had never done anything like that before but Mike showed great confidence in my ability to succeed. He helped me by adopting a coaching style of leadership.

Although I had a great deal to learn, I was determined not to let our leader down. I was inspired. The new system involved each committee chairman producing a report (including explanations of budget variances) two weeks before each board meeting–something that had not been done before. I looked forward to presenting these reports because I was proud of the achievements. In addition, Mike through his genuine interest in each one of us and to make sure we were achieving, phoned each of us at intervals to see how we were doing. I enthusiastically and eagerly awaited his calls to share our successes, and I made sure I had successes to share! I was no different to any other members of his team.

I excelled under Mike’s leadership and I know that the other members of the board did, too. He not only helped me to reach my potential but also became my role model for leadership. As I progressed and held various leadership positions in the business world, I always looked back on the wonderful example that Mike set in getting the task done through helping to set a clear vision, motivating his team to achieve the vision and enabling each member to achieve infinitely more than they thought they were capable of.

I was truly privileged to have a coach like Mike.

Mike Mathews - an inspiring leader.

PS The school has grown and trebled in size and continues to thrive as ‘The Wykeham Collegiate’!

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Networking Profile

2010/04/06

Brenda Eckstein

Within organisations there is usually a wealth of networking experience. Deals often depend on sustaining positive relationships. The problem is that the leaders and others who are good at networking and sustaining positive relationships are not conscious of what they actually do as far as networking is concerned.

My job is to enable them to be more conscious of what they do and articulate the ‘tacit knowledge’ in order to share it within the organisation. To achieve this, I recently showed one of my clients how each role model in the firm could write up their ‘networking profile’. This information may be used as a tool in a variety of ways to promote internal and external networking.

First I drew up an outline for them to follow. This would help tap into the way each person operated. But, to test the concept and way I was structuring the information, I needed to write up my own profile according to my format and I’m sharing this with you. I have included the number of words as a guideline. In most cases, the profiles should be considerably shorter.

For training on this topic or others offered by BEI, please contact brenda@strategy-leadership.com

EXAMPLE

Summary of Brenda’s approach to networking

Brenda’s ‘what can I do to help you’ approach enables her to assist others and build positive relationships. She searches for opportunities to connect ‘people with people’ and ‘people with information’ and optimises those opportunities. She consciously promotes a strong personal brand and actively assumes a systematic approach to networking. She sustains relationships by remaining in contact with people from various aspects of her life and intentionally moves seamlessly between her work and private life.

(75 words)

Background and experience

Brenda currently operates ‘Brenda Eckstein International’, a training and consulting company, specialising in leadership development, strategy and training in communication skills and customer service. Her theme of FLAG (Fun, Leadership, And (continuous improvement) Growth permeates all her endeavours.

Her background in clothing retail and manufacture provide opportunities for building a strong customer base and enables her to incorporate a strong ‘hands on’ approach in all her consulting and training. Through a voluntary organisation aimed at leadership development and communication skills, and using opportunities to ‘hold office’ at high levels she enjoyed the opportunity to present training and build her network in many different countries. She remains in contact with friends internationally.

Her opportunities to train and build her network with this organisation made her realise that while she had been presented with incredible opportunities, she lacked a formal training qualification. She thus embarked on becoming a trainer through a professional company and qualified with an international qualification. She later gained accreditation in South Africa through the Services Seta (but chose to abandon that avenue and become a ‘listed provider’) and also qualified as a registered assessor. In Australia in March 2009 she was awarded the ‘Professional Member’ accreditation through the National Speakers Association of Australia.

Brenda has served on many boards and committees but confines her appointments to positions that enable her to ‘add value’ combined with her passion for the goals of the organisation. She finds that the easiest way to raise her profile is to write articles for quality magazines or to address audiences of the right caliber. That way she gets through to many people at once. She always follows up with anyone who contacts her after one of her presentations or having read one of her articles or one of her two books, ‘Networking Tactics’ or ‘ABCs of Networking’.

Brenda’s passion for business started at a very young age as she was brought up ‘under the counter’ in her mother’s tea-room. Later, as part of her degree she chose to do her research and write her (junior) thesis on ‘Modern Trends in American Retailing’. That ‘opened doors’ for her and presented opportunities which resulted in her and her husband starting their group of clothing stores from scratch.

Her involvement in ‘organised business’ led to her becoming the first woman to hold the position of ‘President of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Commerce and Industries’. Her next leading role was that of President of International Training in Communications (at that time, the Headquarters were in Los Angeles). She continues to be passionate in helping others in leadership roles.

(430 words)

Approach to networking

Brenda uses several tools to diligently and methodically reach out to people:

When she meets a person for the first time, if she wishes to pursue the relationship, she contacts the person again within 48 hours. That interaction could be as simple as saying ‘it was great meeting you, let’s stay in contact’. That step cements the introduction and sets the scene for future networking.

Brenda makes sure that all details are immediately entered into her database. She uses ‘Outlook’ and currently has over 5000 contacts, all people with whom she has personally interacted. (She does not support ‘list buying’ or using.)

In the ‘notes’ section of Outlook, she enters relevant details which may help her to connect ‘people with people’ or ‘people with information’. A good way to start is to write down 5 key words about the person. These could include tangible aspects of their appearance (big nose with scar on the left nostril — only kidding!). An example would be Rosie C (catering company, sons attend Cordwalles, husband = neurosurgeon, formerly a nurse).

She purposely uses carefully chosen ‘categories’. For example, she spends a total of two months each year in Australia. Each trip she creates a category of those significant people with whom she has interacted during that trip. For example, there are 70 people listed under Australia November 2009. That makes it easy for her to follow up with a personal note and contact each person when she returns to South Africa. She may even send them photographs taken during the trip if appropriate. For each training session she runs, she creates a category, e.g. BEI 324 is the last ‘How to get your point across’ workshop. There are also groups for family, friends and other categories. One person may appear in multiple categories.

Her Contacts are synced with her phone. She purposely chose a phone with the capacity to transfer all her contacts and store them according to the categories on her computer. (She uses categories for reference a great deal.)

Brenda always has her A4 ‘black book’ with her. Here she writes notes as she talks to people. A book lasts about 4 months. As she nears the end of each book she summarises all phone numbers she has used into the next book. Her secretary checks these against her Outlook Contacts to make sure all are updated. Brenda then goes through the summary and phones as many of those people as possible and appropriate. This acts as a reminder to her to phone them at least every 4 months.

Visibility is very important. She aims at participating in at least two networking meetings and events a month (either Chamber or independent functions). She also attends a wide range of presentations and talks. However, she is ruthless in refusing invitations to events which are not in line with her interests, goals or image.

Positioning at any function is very important. Where possible she takes a seat near the entrance facing the incoming people. That way she can smile at specific people as they enter. At gym, on Sundays she has coffee in the coffee bar after she has completed her exercise (timing is important, people want to do their gym first, and then talk). She positions herself at a table where she has easy access to the people whom she wishes to speak to and network with.

She also supports colleagues who may be presenting talks and sends ‘well done’ and ‘thank you’ notes immediately after functions. She also sustains positive relationships with the press and journalists and always phones to say ‘thank you’ after every article or mention of her.

Brenda is constantly on the ‘lookout’ for information which may be of interest to others. For example, she sends newspaper articles or photos to people where she feels that they would be of interest. She enjoys recognising opportunities and immediately linking people. For example, if she hears some-one looking for information on e-learning and it is appropriate, she’ll provide the opportunity to connect with a colleague who is an expert in this field.

Brenda uses techniques to build relationships. Over the years she has developed her skills in a technique which she calls the ‘listen-comment-question’ approach to quality conversation. ‘Open’ questions dominate. This helps to build relationships and trust.

Brenda averages 16 breakfasts, lunches or ‘coffees’ per month. She finds that most of the people she networks with are high powered people who work hard and are tired at night. Dinners also are not as cost effective as breakfasts or lunches. However, she finds that her business colleagues enjoy the opportunity to be entertained at her home and she occasionally combines business networking with her passion for cooking and entertaining. She carefully combines interesting people and usually has 14 people for seated functions at home. She strategically seats people, and moves them (usually with their partners — where appropriate) to new seats during the meal.
(821 words)

Networking Success (one example)

When Brenda reads a book or article that really interests her, she contacts the author. For example she had found the ‘Instant Manager’ to be an excellent quick guide and she wanted to use a certain questionnaire in the book for a training session she was presenting.

Tracking down the author Cy Charney was very difficult. The publishers were not keen to divulge information. After a great deal of effort, she tracked down this ex-South African to Toronto, Canada. She phoned, chatted to him and asked his permission to use the questionnaire. He immediately responded in a positive manner as he was impressed that she had taken the trouble to phone him, congratulate him on his book and to ask permission to use the questionnaire.

As it happened, Brenda was one of the programme organisers for an international convention which was being help in Toronto a few months later. Co-incidence! She was looking for a workshop presenter to fill the final slot that had not yet filled. And Cy Charney was perfect. He agreed and presented an excellent workshop (on a voluntary basis!) at the convention. After that he also invited her to explore becoming licensed to present his work in South Africa and this was investigated.

So, through making the effort to contact the author or authority on the topic, we help to build a positive relationship and achieve positive results.

(232 words)

Advice from Brenda

Pick up the phone! Don’t rely on e-mails. Talk to people. Regularly.

Always follow up immediately on any offers you have made and keep the other person informed of progress.

Respect people’s time. When you phone them, ask if it is appropriate to talk to them at that time. They may prefer you to phone later.

Respect people’s privacy. Don’t share information or contact details without first asking both parties their permission. ‘Would you mind if…. I gave a colleague your contact details as I think you have a common interest.’

Adopt an attitude of ‘what can I do to help you’. Contrast this with the network marketing or pyramid approach where many people want to be friendly so they can sell you something or tap into your network. We avoid those people!

Sustain relationships. Don’t allow an active relationship to become dormant for too long. A quick phone call to ask how the person is reminds them of your existence.

Remember details. The person’s family, dog, hobbies and interests are all ‘hooks’ on which to hang your interest. Try to tap into their passions. Ask yourself, ‘what makes them tick’? Show genuine interest in the person.

Practise the ‘listen — comment — question’ technique using open questions to build quality conversation and positive relationships.

Develop a definite networking strategy for yourself and put it into practice.

Harness the power of collective networking for your team.

(234 words)

The above is an example of the Personal Networking Profile which I have developed to help organisations tap into their internal networks and learn from each other.

Take action. Articulate the way you operate and share with your colleagues (where appropriate) Sharing valuable information will help to achieve greater results and you’ll build stronger teams.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Choosing a Learning Management System

2010/03/30

Gary Eckstein

Gary is a trainer and technology consultant based in Sydney, Australia. Contact Gary at gary@eckstein.id.au for assistance in selecting and implementing Learning Management Systems.

Learning and development (L&D) makes business sense for most organizations. The significant advantages include increased employee motivation and improved employee skills and capabilities in addition to satisfying the various legal and stakeholder requirements to develop staff. Keeping records in relation to L&D is necessary (in Australia electronic records often need to be kept for 30 years) as is making L&D accessible and relevant for employees. A significant portion of L&D involves training and this is the focus of this article.

The needs of learners have changed markedly over the past decade. With the proliferation of technology in business as well as in everyday life, learning is increasingly becoming decentralised and varied in content and method. Whereas ‘classroom’ teaching alone may have satisfied most learners a few years ago, combinations of media and extension of geographic reach are becoming necessary (increasingly video, wikis, blogs and the like are being combined to form successful training materials).

The solution to the changing training landscape has been in the form of software suites called Learning Management Systems (LMS). These software systems combine course content (for online education for example), assignments and records of attendance and attainment making them a single solution for managing most aspects of training in organizations, both educational and in other industries. The uptake of LMS has been rapid, particularly with the widespread use of Internet connectivity. The first widespread ‘wave’ of LMS use began in the late 1990s with the adoption of learning software systems in large corporate enterprises, government departments and larger educational institutions such as universities. We are however on the cusp of a new wave of LMS implementations.

Due to the improving capabilities along with increased support and reliability of General Public License (GPL i.e. free to implement and use) Learning Management Systems, the Return on Investment (ROI) of implementing and maintaining a LMS is proving attractive to medium and even some small size organizations. Whereas in the past LMS cost a fortune to license, implement and maintain, the costs have become affordable to smaller organizations particularly when weighed against the benefits that may be attained. This is resulting in a new wave in rapid uptake and implementation of Learning Management Systems.

The major proprietary Learning Management System developers and vendors had a very valid argument for persuading potential customers to ignore GPL systems; GPL systems lacked support, were short on features and were unreliable. Unfortunately for the major proprietary LMS vendors, the tables have turned; GPL systems are now often more reliable, have more features, have a far broader support based (such as documentation and online forums) and are simpler to implement than the propriety systems.

If your organization is thinking of implementing or updating a LMS it is thoroughly advisable to consider some of the GPL alternatives such as Moodle, Ilias and Claroline. Nowadays a strong case needs to be made to implement a non-GPL LMS.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Expand Your Network

2010/03/23

Brenda Eckstein

Expand your personal network by improving the quality of relationships within your existing network, and also by adding new contacts in a purposeful manner.

Personal networks are dynamic and constantly changing. Most people would like to expand their networks and at the same time maintain quality and integrity. In order to do this, you need to pay attention to all the aspects of building your network. These include improving your skills, identifying your network, organising and updating the information and sustaining relationships. On this firm foundation you can then build an even stronger and more effective network.

We often underestimate the value of ‘harnessing the power of collective networking’. I thank one of my current clients for emphasising this aspect and wording it so well. A forthcoming blog will provide ideas for symbiotically tapping in to other team-members expertise in networking.

Exercise
How can you improve the quality of existing relationships within your network?

List your top 20 customers. What action are you going to take in order to sustain each relationship? Are you going to phone them for a chat, meet with them, entertain them, send them an article of interest, or simply send them a message?

Set definite goals for each customer and implement the process of building positive relationships.

Which areas of your network need to be improved? With which categories of people would you like to build relationships? (For example, people in similar positions in other businesses?)

Take action. Build strong networks, keep them alive and you will benefit.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

10 Step Document Review Best Practice

2010/03/16

Gary Eckstein

Gary Eckstein is a Business Analyst based in Sydney, Australia. Gary can reduce your organization’s costs and improve quality by implementing and managing document review processes. Gary may be contacted at gary@eckstein.id.au

In large corporations the review of documentation comprises tens of thousands of labour-hours per year. In this article a best-practice approach to document review processes is offered; this document does not describe authoring documents but rather the document review process between a Customer and Supplier.

The Advantages of Review Process Best-Practice

There are numerous advantages to adhering to a best-practice document review process:

Quality: The quality of documents is enhanced through clear guidelines and defined roles and responsibilities.
Costs: For the Supplier, documentation costs will be reduced through reduced rework and less documented ambiguity.
Ongoing relationships: As documentation is often one of the first times operational people from the Supplier and Customer engage, being professional from the start sets a positive ‘tone’ for ongoing business relationships.
Customer care: The Supplier, through review process best-practice shows that they are serious about meeting the Customers’ needs. This results in enhanced Customer care for the Customer.

Context

Most major contracts between organizations involve some form of documentation creation and delivery (i.e. a contract deliverable). For example, suppose that an I.T. service provider has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to provide networking services to a government department. The government department (the Customer) will typically specify during contract negotiation what documentation they expect to attain from the I.T. service provider (the Supplier).

The documentation required will usually include some form of operational documentation which describes how the contract deliverables will be provided to the Customer by the Supplier. The responsibility for authoring the documents will be with the Supplier and the Customer will be responsible for reviewing the documents.

It is assumed for this article that the documentation to be delivered by the Supplier to the Customer is of an operational nature i.e. how the contract is to be delivered from an operational perspective.

Key Supplier Considerations

The documentation requirements are usually legally binding upon the Supplier. This obviously means that great care needs to be taken to ensure that ambiguous detail is avoided and that only items in the contract are included in the subsequent documentation. Often Suppliers and/or Customers will purposefully attempt to create ambiguity in the documentation in order to gain an advantage over the other party.

Creating documents is very costly and therefore the Supplier must attempt to manage the document process as effectively and efficiently as possible with both quality and costs being key considerations.

Key Customer Considerations

As with the Supplier, the Customer also needs to ensure that they understand exactly what is in the documentation and that it corresponds to what is in the agreed contract/s. Again, unclear detail must be avoided. The Customer must be able to clearly understand how the contract is going to be delivered per the text in the document/s and that the operational delivery will compliment and support the Customers business.

So, from the Suppliers perspective, what is best practice in a document review process?

The Document Review Process

The following Ten Step document review process works well. Organizations should customize this process as they see fit:

1. Documentation Review Plan. This documented plan is created to define, document, agree and communicate the process; the scope, format, limitations, process, responsibilities, timings, people involved and so on should all be agreed before any document writing commences. Templates should also be created at this step and agreement with all stakeholders attained. Communicating the documentation plan is vital to the success of the documentation process.

2. The ‘first draft’ document is created and given to the Customer for review.

3. The first review by the Customer will typically involve a conceptual and high-level review i.e. is the concept of the document correct, the content relevant, the scope correct ...?

4. The feedback is considered and entered in the reviewed document by the Supplier. Any debated feedback is communicated and agreed with the Customer.

5. The second review by the Customer is a more detailed/low-level review by the Customer e.g. is the detail in fact correct, is the terminology correct etc. No high-level feedback or scope changes should be accepted from the Customer as this should have been given in the first Customer review.

6. The feedback is considered and entered in the reviewed document by the Supplier. Any debated feedback is communicated and agreed with the Customer.

7. The third review by the Customer: there should be very little feedback by the Customer as they have had two previous reviews to air their concerns.

8. The final feedback is incorporated by the Supplier.

9. Supplier Document Owner sign-off: the owner of the document must agree to, and sign-off on, the document.

10. The final step is the Customer sign-off.

Of course reviewing the process is necessary so that it may be improved for the next document review needed.

Process Management

It’s all good and well to have a clearly defined and successful process however there is a missing ingredient. Adherence to the process through management by a single process manager is vital. Because Customer and Supplier management is required, an experienced and disciplined approach to process management is needed.

As an example, if there isn’t good management, it is more than likely that review comments by the Customer will be returned to the Supplier in an unordered and haphazard way. It takes a good manager to ‘push-back’ on the Customer to insist that all review comments be returned to the Supplier in a single review document (even although the means of communicating feedback should be defined in the first step of the process).

Summary

Suppliers often produce inadequate documentation for Customers. This is usually as a result of the Supplier not being professional in their approach to documentation delivery. Following the ten step documentation review process is sure to greatly enhance the quality of documentation produced, will reduce costs and will give the perception of the Supplier being professional.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Ten Tips on Assertiveness

2010/03/09

Brenda Eckstein

1. Know the difference between assertiveness and aggression

Assertiveness focuses on the problem.
Aggression focuses on the person frustrating your needs.

2. So what is — or isn’t - assertiveness?

Assertiveness is truthful, open, non-judgemental communication that expresses your needs.
Assertive people feel good about themselves, act appropriately and take responsibility.
Assertiveness does not mean always saying what is on your mind regardless of whom you hurt.
Assertiveness does not mean that you’ll always get your own way.

3. Your message

Know what you want and be specific.
Structure your message using the PREP formula if possible (ask Brenda!).
Make your point without becoming involved in side issues.
Avoid going into lengthy explanations or giving long lists of excuses.
Where appropriate describe the benefits of your suggestion and plan of action and what the consequences will be if the goal is not achieved.

4. How you deliver your message:

Where people have different viewpoints and emotions are likely to be high, try to communicate ‘in person’ where possible. Second choice would be a phonecall. Try to avoid electronic means in situations like this.
State what you want clearly and without hesitancy.
Speak in the first person. ‘I would prefer you to………. ’
Maintain an erect posture whether sitting or standing and yet try to appear relaxed.
Use eye contact, where appropriate, without staring

5. Your feelings and behaviour:

Don’t bottle up feelings. Express your feelings candidly and clearly — so the other person knows where you stand.
Don’t lose control. Stay calm and relaxed — don’t get hooked into an emotional response.
Give and take fair criticism.
Don’t be afraid of taking reasonable risks.

6. The other person:

Try not to be upset by the other person’s expression of emotion (aggression, anger, sadness, fear etc.). If possible and appropriate, help them to deal with their feelings.

7. The process:

Don’t look for new ways of arguing.
Use the ‘broken record technique’. Simply repeat what you believe, decide or intend doing (and keep repeating it). This way you avoid being manipulated and side-tracked.

8. Give and take

Express your case with conviction, but do not neglect the position of the other person.
Be prepared to listen and be objectively influenced by the other person’s needs or views.
Concede any reasonable points but express your disagreement with issues you find unacceptable.
Learn to say ‘no’ without feeling guilty.
Do not begin a refusal with an apology. Say ‘no’ firmly and keep your explanation short and clear.

9. Example

Describe the situation, what is happening now. For example, ‘This letter has three typing errors.’
Express your true feelings, your likes and dislikes using ‘I’ statements. For example, ‘I am really upset that the letter was sent out with three mistakes.’ It makes your wishes and expectations clear without putting the other person on the defensive.

10. Practise so you enhance your assertiveness skills

A helpful formula provided by a workshop presented by Candy Tymson in Sydney is as follows:

When you……………………………………..

I feel ……………………….

because………………..

I would prefer you to…………………………

Change Management: A Simple and Effective Lesson

2010/03/02

Gary Eckstein

Kurt Lewin was a German-American psychologist. He introduced two simple yet hugely effective models which are widely taught in good Business Schools:

the Force-Field Analysis and the

Unfreeze – Change - FreezeModel (this is also referred to as the Unfreeze – Change - Refreeze Model).

In this article we examine the Unfreeze – Change - Freeze Model and see how effectively this simple model can be applied to business and personal situations.

What is the Unfreeze – Change – Freeze Model

We know that change is disruptive and that some people and organisational cultures handle change better than others. Lewin studied change and then concluded that by following a three step Change Model, change could be made vastly less disruptive and more effective in reaching its objectives. The beauty of Lewin’s model (the model is actually a cycle as there is almost always a requirement for change in organisations) is that it is so simple to understand and yet so very powerful:

Figure: The Unfreeze – Change - Freeze Change Model

Unfreeze: Before any change there is preparation to be done which includes communicating the need for change, up-skilling employees where necessary and so on.

Change: As the organisation is now prepared for change (i.e. the Unfreeze stage has been addressed) the Change itself is now implemented.

Freeze: A period of stability is necessary after the Change for the organisation to adjust to the change. This time for stability is needed for employees and other stakeholders to adjust as well as for efficiencies and effectiveness resulting from the change to be realised.

The basic concept is that for change to be successful, it cannot be ongoing. Periods of stability and preparation for change are necessary.

Example: Change Management in Education

It is interesting that so much of the Change Management theory is seen as business focused. Change however occurs in all professions and spheres of life. Below therefore is an example showing where Lewin’s Unfreeze – Change – Freeze model would benefit a primary school initiative:

In my home state of New South Wales (Australia) the State Government mandated that all Kindergarten children from 2010 need to be assessed as part of the ‘Best Start’ initiative. Certainly the idea is great as described by the Education Minister who states that ‘by sitting down with each student and assessing their early literacy and numeracy skills, teachers can develop learning plans for their students’.

The implementation of the assessment program was left mostly to each school and this is where a number of Change Management issues arose.

Change 1 – Starting school for the first time

Kindergarten in Australia is the first year of Primary School and the children are generally five years old. Many are away from their parents for the first time and for all the children it is a huge Change from their pre-school days.

My daughter’s school did a great job of preparing parents and advising them to get the children ready for the Change (i.e. they did well at the Unfreezing for children attending primary school for the first time). Day 1 of ‘Kindy’ came along and my daughter and others went off for their first day of primary school (i.e. the Change was effected). In the past (prior to 2010) the daily routine would then be the same for a certain amount of time so the children could adjust to the Change (i.e. Freeze).

Change 2 – Best Start Program

My daughter’s primary school decided that the class teacher would perform each child’s assessment of the new Best Start program. This took place from day 2 of the new school year with teachers ‘filling in’ for the class teacher. This meant that for the next seven school days (i.e. days 2 to 8 of the children’s first days at primary school) there was a different substitute teacher each day who didn’t know the children (and the children didn’t know the teachers) and nor were the children familiar with the school itself. There was therefore no period of stability (Freeze) after the first Change.

Many of the children did not adjust at all well and, referring to the Unfreeze – Change – Freeze model it is evident why; a period of stability is needed after Change and this did not occur. The good news is that the school has recognised that there needs to be a period of stability (i.e. Freeze) before the Best Start assessments in future.

The Model Works

A common misconception is that simple models are less effective than complex models. Lewin’s Unfreeze – Change – Freeze model shows that a model that is simple to understand and implement can be extremely effective in various organisations and Change situations.

Try applying this model to changes in your business and personal life and you will benefit.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Let people know what your needs are

2010/02/23

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

In networking, so often we forget to tell others what we need. For example, if we are looking for a secretary with special skills, we should remember to tell others in our network what you are looking for.

At one of my sessions, during an exercise which I conduct, a person mentioned that he needed indigenous plants for a new section of his garden. The person he was talking to happened to have a friend who was clearing indigenous plants from his garden. After the session, the ‘middle-man’ introduced the two men to each other. The giver was pleased that he wouldn’t have to discard his excess plants and that someone could make good use of them. The recipient was delighted that he could get plants that were difficult to obtain. The ‘middle-man’ celebrated the success of his ‘networking’ initiative. All three felt good about the outcome.

What are your needs at present?

For example, do you need to buy a second-hand bicycle? Would you like to know where to take clients for an excellent lunch? If you are new in town, do you wish to know about networking events?

Step 1: Write down a list of needs - the type that others might help you meet.

Step 2: Next to each, write the name of someone in your network who could possibly give you the information you require, or suggest how you could go about finding it.

Step 3: Take action. Contact the relevant people.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

10 tips to help you become the �person of choice�

2010/02/16

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

BEI successfully provides training in helping people ‘move up the ladder’. Apply the ‘Ten tips’ illustrated below in your work and personal lives and you will increase your chances of being ‘the person of choice.’

(These were developed through the consolidation of input from various groups of participants in Brenda Eckstein International workshops.)

1.	Develop your competitive advantage Firstly identify your unique talents. What are you able to offer that few others can? Then develop these talents so that you cement a competitive advantage. See how you can match your competitive advantage with the needs of the other person or the organisation.
2.	Build positive ongoing relationships We all prefer to deal with people we know and trust. Use your conversation skills to help build positive relationships, and then actively sustain those relationships. Treat networking as a process and not as a transaction. Promote yourself, maximise your influence.
3.	Communicate effectively Get your point across effectively by first being sure what you wish to communicate. Then convey it clearly in the most appropriate, effective and efficient manner. Check that your message has been perceived and understood correctly.
4.	Become an expert listener Become valued as an ‘expert’ listener so that others know they can depend on you to understand and follow through on instructions correctly. Active listening will help you to process and remember facts and also enable you to be more empathetic.
5.	Be reliable Build up a history of following through on expectations and on your promises by completing all assignments efficiently and effectively. Consistently meet or exceed people’s expectations of you. People need to know that they can depend on you. Make sure your performance is always exemplary.
6.	Exercise professionalism Be professional in all your behaviour. This includes being punctual, respecting other people, their privacy and their time. Present a professional image in all your actions and in your appearance.
7.	Recognise and optimise opportunities Actively look for ways in which you can be of assistance to others. Find areas where you can help solve problems. Also look for opportunities to pursue activities that you really enjoy or are good at. Maximise those opportunities.
8.	Be approachable, friendly and yet polite Make sure that people find it easy to approach you to ask for help, or to share ideas. Be friendly and easy work with. Be respectful and polite.
9.	Practise honest and ethical behaviour Show that you are a person of integrity and that you can at all times be relied on to actively promote and practise honesty. Be ethical in all that you do. Do not tolerate complacency in this area. Do the right thing.
10.	Be properly informed Have the correct facts ‘at your fingertips’. Consciously make an effort to learn all you can about your job and the functions of all with whom you interact. Research and learn as much as possible about your product and services, your company, its competitors and the industry.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Discover the person sitting next to you

2010/02/09

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

In an article entitled ‘Who is this person sitting next to you?’ Ross Snyder, of the Chicago Theological Seminary (1968), said:

‘You might say a name, describe how tall he is, and the colour of eyes and hair. But none of these things is what the person is. A person is invisible activities…

‘The person sitting next to you is an inexhaustible sort of existence. Within him are energies that have only been partially awakened. Nine-tenths of his possibility has not yet been touched off…

‘Thus the person sitting next to you is a cluster of memories of the past and expectations of the future. He (or she) is really a whole colony of persons, of people met all during a life. Something of these people has entered into this person forever. So that the person sitting next to you is really a city — a community. In that community live the father and mother of this person, the boys and girls with whom he played most, the people with whom he was at school, the persons with whom he competed, the enemies he met: all the live things of this world that came and interacted with this person. They are still deep within…

‘Each person is this world of experiences. …Thus the person sitting next to you is the greatest miracle and greatest mystery that you will ever meet.’

Whether you know the person sitting next to you or not, remember the words of Ross Snyder and apply them. Through holding quality conversations you can bring out the best in them. This will enrich your understanding of the person.

Discover the person sitting next to you.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Ten tips on sustainable customer service

2010/02/02

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

During 2009, ‘Brenda Eckstein International’ in conjunction with ‘Leverage and Growth’ (Leon Grové) presented many ‘Sustainable Customer Service Strategy’ workshops and programmes. These included a wide range of participants at workshops held ‘in house’ for various organisations, professions and businesses and also at ‘public’ workshops.

One of the exercises during the workshop involves groupwork where each team produces ‘Ten tips on sustainable customer service’. Obviously the consolidated input from each workshop varies depending on the focus of that specific audience. Here we have captured the most frequently mentioned tips from all the sessions held during 2009.

1. Develop and maintain a sound ‘Sustainable customer service’ strategic model and this should stem from and align with the entity’s overall strategy.

2. Implement ongoing customer service training for management and staff at all levels. Make customer care everyone’s responsibility.

3. Rotate staff so that they build relationships and become familiar with the different aspects of the organisation and appreciate the work that their internal customers do.

4. Recognise and reward staff. Motivate staff through offering relevant incentives. This could be recognition, time off, money or other rewards. Empower staff to make decisions. This will not only motivate staff, but help with staff retention, too.

5. Ensure that regular training improves knowledge of the company, its products, services and the way it operates. Educate and inform customers regularly regarding innovations. Don’t assume that they know there have been improvements.

6. Make sure there is ongoing communication of a high standard internally and externally.

7. Treat your internal and external customers as partners and adopt the attitude of being sales advisors or partners. Show them that you are interested and enthusiastic about their business and their needs. Understand their needs. Add value to them and their businesses, providing return on investment. Where possible, involve customers in new developments.

8. Follow up. Send cards to say ‘thank you’ or make courtesy calls to show interest in meeting customers’ needs. Where possible, phone or meet. Don’t over use e-mails.

9. Get feedback through customer surveys or other means. Measure client satisfaction and act on suggestions and requests where appropriate and advantageous. Implement strategies to improve customer satisfaction.

10. Attend customer care seminars to provide visibility, make contacts, keep motivated, obtain ideas and continuously improve. Market and advertise your company in all appropriate electronic and other ways.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Ten steps to effective delegation

2010/01/26

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

There are many people who hesitate to delegate for a number of reasons. For example, they may have had bad experiences in the past when they have tried to delegate. However, by following the simple ‘Ten steps to effective delegation’ which I have built up and refined over the years and cover in my workshops, and practising these steps diligently, many participants in the workshops have had outstanding results. Their ability to delegate effectively has improved greatly.

By delegating effectively you create time for activities which are of higher importance to you at that specific time. For example, you may need to devote more time to strategic issues. Or the requirements of the task you are delegating may help the other person to accept more responsibility and grow in different ways.

1.	Choose the right person Match the requirement of the assignment with the person’s needs, potential, skills, interests and motivation. (You want success!)
2.	Explain why you are asking Tell the person why you feel that he or she is the right person for the job and why you believe they will be successful. In other words, articulate the points you have considered in 1. above.
3.	Define the required results Focus on the outcome which the delegated task will require (rather than on the tasks to be performed to achieve the results). Introduce a measure of success. You want the best.
4.	Emphasise the benefits Mention the benefits to the organisation (of achieving the required results) and to the individual. (What’s in it for me?)
5.	Explain the resources Ensure that there are adequate resources and explain these to the person. (Remember to mention all resources — human, financial, supplies, time, transport, information etc.)
6.	Provide parameters Explain that he or she needs to develop a ‘plan of action’ for your approval and that this should include time limits.
7.	Introduce control systems Develop and discuss control systems and show how progress will be monitored and deviations dealt with. Allow for different work styles and minor mistakes.
8.	Ensure that the person understands……. the rules, regulations, limitations and policies with which they will function.
9.	Empower with sufficient responsibility and authority.. to achieve the best results. (Don’t abdicate.)
10.	Conclusion Invite questions, summarise, make sure the person has accepted the assignment, indicate your availability to support and say ‘thank you’.

Follow these ten steps and you will delegate effectively.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Identify the benefits of personal networking

2010/01/19

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

More information on personal networking can be found in ‘Networking Tactics: a guide to achieving success through personal networking’ and ‘ABCs of Effective Networking: fifty-two ways to achieve success’. Brenda Eckstein is the author of these books and presents training programmes, workshops and talks on personal networking.

The benefits of personal networking are many and varied. Identify those benefits that will help you to achieve success. It’s important to have your personal vision clearly articulated. Make sure you know where you want to be in three years’ time. Align your networking tactics with your strategy.

The benefits of strategic personal networking are great, and if managed correctly, they translate directly into sustainable business and personal success and growth. For example, effective personal networking can:

· provide opportunities for you to be of service to others
· build and sustain relationships
· help to maintain a good reputation
· be the best marketing tool available
· result in good referrals
· expand your horizons
· make you more visible so that when opportunities arise people think of you
· create a sense of belonging
· enable you to reach your goals
· give you easier access to relevant information
· put you in line for a work promotion
· create occasions for sharing ideas and generating new ones (energy)
· provide a safety net for testing ideas and obtaining trustworthy advice.

From a professional, business and personal perspective, make sure your strategy for achieving your three-year goals is clearly articulated. Then set tactics for using personal networking to help you achieve your vision.

Exercise
List 10 benefits of networking that apply to you and will help you to achieve your three-year vision. Give an example of each:

10.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Use Objectives for Success

2010/01/12

GARY ECKSTEIN

Most of us have personally set or have been provided with objectives. Objectives are commonly used in organizations of all size. However objective setting is often haphazard and objectives are not aligned towards organizational strategy. A framework for effective objective setting is also often lacking.

Peter Drucker, the well known management ‘guru’, introduced and recommended Management by Objectives (MBO). MBO, very simplistically, is about defining and communicating, at all levels of an organization, which objectives need to be realised in order to meet the aims of the organization (strategy, values and so on). Drucker was one of the first proponents of using objectives to meet the goals of an organization, for objectives to be complimentary and for formalising the objective setting process.

Below is a practical and simple guide for implementing the basics of MBO.

Objectives must align with Strategy

The Objective Setting Process

Per the diagram above, lower objectives are set for the specific audience and align to the higher objectives and ultimately organizational strategy. All objectives work towards common organizational goals.

Objectives should be set for departments and individuals. For example, a strategic objective may be ‘Improve market share of supermarket soap sales to 10% by March 2011’. Every sales person may then be given an objective of ‘Sell 500 cartons of soap to supermarkets each month’ (which will result in the 10% market share being reached). Each individual sales person will then be set further aligning objectives; Joe the salesman may be great at selling to existing customers however needs training in attaining new customers therefore may be set an objective of ‘Attend BEI training in personal networking techniques by March 2010’)

So, what makes a good objective?

Good Objectives are SMMART Objectives

SMMART objectives are extremely effective in aligning employees and the organization towards common goals. When setting objectives it is important that objectives are SMMART:

· Specific: The objective must not be too broad and must be clearly defined.

· Measurable: You must be able to measure success against the objective.

· Measured: Measurement of performance against the objective as well as feedback to the person/people to whom the objective was set is critical.

· Achievable: It must be realistic to achieve the objective.

· Relevant: The objective must compliment higher objectives and strategy and be relevant to the person/department for whom the objective is being set.

· Time-based: Don’t leave objectives open-ended. Have a specific date as to when the objective must be met.

MBO in Small Organizations

MBO was originally designed for large organizations. MBO is however often more effective in small organizations (and is usually far simpler to implement). Small organizations may benefit greatly from the entire organization having common objectives. Need assistance with aligning your objectives with strategy? Contact Gary at gary@eckstein.id.au or http://eckstein.id.au.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

How to deal with dissatisfied customers

2010/01/05

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

Ten steps for handling dissatisfied customers

When you become aware that there is a problem:

1) Immediately provide an opportunity to allow the customer to fully express his or her dissatisfaction to you in private.

2) Listen carefully to what they are really saying. Ask yourself: ‘what does this customer really want’?

3) Remain objective. Don’t take what they are saying personally. Don’t get trapped in a negative filter towards the customer. Maintain a positive attitude.

4) Express empathy as you listen to the customer

i) Use empathetic phrases. For example: ‘The lateness of our delivery must be very frustrating’

ii) Apologise either for the problem that has occurred, or concentrate on their feelings and say how sorry you are that they are feeling that way.

5) Double check all the facts

i) LISTEN

ii) Use the mirroring technique. Repeat whatever they have said for clarification (shows you are listening). Obviously do this in a professional manner and ensure that you are not irritating them.

6) Begin active problem solving

i) In a non-threatening manner, question the customer to gather the information you need

ii) Include bridging techniques

iii) Ask yourself how you can provide what they want.

7) Mutually agree on the solution

i) Be realistic

ii) Come to mutual agreement on the solution with the customer

8) Follow up and make sure that you more than ‘go the extra mile’ in resolving the situation in the shortest amount of time possible.

9) Communicate with the customer regularly throughout the time it takes to completely resolve the ‘problem’.

10) Check flaws in your procedures to make sure that the same problem doesn’t occur again (either with the same customers or with others).

Remember that when things go wrong your ‘bounce back’ policy can increase your credibility and win customers and customer loyalty.

Use business cards as a source of conversation

2009/12/29

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

More information on personal networking can be found in ‘Networking Tactics: a guide to achieving success through personal networking ’ and ‘ABCs of Effective Networking: fifty-two ways to achieve success’. Brenda Eckstein is the author of these books and presents training programmes, workshops and talks on personal networking.

Personal networking is a process and not a transaction. It involves making contacts and building relationships. Quality conversation is an important part of this process.

Business cards are an excellent source of conversation. Often, when given a card, the recipient hardly looks at the card before putting it in his (or her) pocket.

In doing this, the person has lost an opportunity to engage in quality conversation which could lead to the building of positive relationships.

This is how you use the card as a conversation tool:
Look at how the person’s name is spelled and you can comment on that. Seeing the name written will help you remember the person’s name.
The business or company name could lead to an interesting conversation on the business and the way it operates.
The job title will help you to show interest in what the person does, and also makes it easier to see how this person could fit into your network.
The address tells you where the business is situated and can be another ‘hook’ on which to build conversation.
The logo has special significance. Ask questions.
Consider how the colours used link to the corporate or business identity. This provides more information and that is interesting, too.

In addition, showing interest in their business cards impresses people and helps you to remember them.

Next time someone hands you a business card, immediately study it carefully and use aspects of the information to enrich your conversation. Comment on the details and ask ‘open’ questions.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Organise your thoughts and your information

2009/12/22

BRENDA ECKSTEIN

Often we procrastinate before providing a written or verbal message. A possible reason is that we don’t have a quick, effective way of organising our information. There is just too much information, or we don’t know how to knock it into an appropriate, usable pattern.

There is a solution: practise organising your information effectively and you’ll be more motivated to communicate timeously and effectively.

Let’s look at the background: in preparing a message remember ‘GAPS’. We need to Gather information either from searches, through speaking to people in our network or from our own experience base. We must be able to Access that information when we need it. It’s pointless having the information if we can’t find it or access it. We then need to Process the information in order to Share it.

Our emphasis in this article is on Processing the information and this involves developing a clear message which is logically presented and which your audience or readers can follow. In order to do this, you need a systematic sequence which will enable the listener or reader not only to follow, but to remember what you have said. (Sharing)

The following are some of the many patterns for organising your ideas and materials for the body of your message. In reality, most of us use a combination of these methods. However, we often get stuck in the ways we use automatically and we can possibly improve on those. So, try experimenting with new ways of organising your information.

1.Chronological (time) order
Yesterday, today, tomorrow (past, present, future) or
Historical sequence – 1^st period, 2^nd period, 3^rd period or
Recurring sequences - summer, autumn, spring, winter

2.Criteria order (ascending or descending)
complexity (simple to most complex) or
importance (least important to most important) or
urgency (least urgent to most urgent) or
other criteria (an example could be - necessary to know, should know, nice to know)

3.1^st 2^nd 3^rd- articulate each

4.A B C (could be used similarly to 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd)

5.Letters spelling a word
e.g. PMB, CARD, ACE, aeiou, your initials
For example, PMB could stand for ‘people’, ‘marketing the city’ and ‘business developments’.

6.Journalistic – Who? How? When? Where? What? Why? Which?

7.Response or feedback
The same order as the document to which you are responding or
Any of the methods mentioned in number 8 below

8.Problem solving, how to improve or clarifying issues
Strengths, weaknesses, how to improve or
Define the problem, explain, offer a solution or
Problem, possible solutions, best solution or
Symptoms, prevention, cure or
Cause and effect or
Resemblances, differences or
Stop, start, continue or
Theory, practice, demonstrate or
ADO – advantages, disadvantages, other

9.Random categories
Thinking, feeling, doing or
Auditory, visual, kinesthetic or
Stop, look, listen or
Different categories (or aspects) or
Different perceptions of an issue

Organise your information effectively. It will help you to clarify what you wish to convey and make it easier for your audience to follow and remember your message.

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Business Blogs

2009/12/15

GARY ECKSTEIN

Brenda Eckstein International is pleased to begin this new series of weekly blogs with an article by associate, Gary Eckstein, business consultant based in Sydney, Australia — http://eckstein.id.au

Why have a business blog

Blogging started as a means for anyone to be able to communicate information on the Internet; it was less expensive (often free) than maintaining a website and far more personal. Blogging has evolved significantly since the early days and the divide between websites and blogs has become increasingly blurred. The fundamental difference between a blog and a website (in the traditional sense) is that a blog contains frequently added content in the form of ‘posts’ (sometimes called ‘articles’).

Blogs for business public relations

Many organisations use blogs for public relations purposes. Blogs are an ideal means of putting across a message to interested readers. The content of a blog is managed by the blog owner meaning control of the ‘message’ (content) being communicated. Because most blogs also allow feedback from readers it is a great way of engaging potential from existing customers as well as attaining feedback from them. Once your blog is established it also provides the opportunity for a more direct style of marketing. Quality blogs, over time, attain regular readers which results in a willing sales channel!

Search engines and blogs

Google, Bing and other search engines love blogs because of the frequently added content and engagement with readers. Blogs also often attain more referrals from search engines than traditional websites. Of course the advantage of visitors being referred from the likes of Google is an expanding audience of potential customers. Increasingly quality websites include blogs as part of the business website itself due to blog benefits (this website is a good example of a combined website and blog).

Linking strategy, branding and blogging

It is essential for business blogs to align the ‘look and feel’ and content of the blog posts to business strategy. As an example there is little point in publishing a post about the advancement in quality of low cost suits when you sell premium ‘made to order’ suits. Blog posts must support the objectives and strategy of the business.

Of additional importance is recognising that a blog is an ideal means of positioning your products or services and brand in the mind of the consumer. It is a critical mistake to confuse your consumer in terms of your positioning (again the suit example used previously is applicable; if you sell premium suits then don’t confuse your customer by communicating the benefits of low cost suits).

Finally in relation to strategy, a blog must be considered a deliberate and long-term activity. As branding is a sustained and deliberate set of activities, so is a blog; benefits won’t be realised overnight however the long-term advantages may be significant.

How to start a business blog

So, where does a business start in relation to blogging? Unfortunately there is usually a divide between ‘I.T. people’ and ‘business people’ (i.e. although I.T. people are good at I.T. they often lack business and strategy understanding). It is therefore important to find and employ the services of a consultant who is able to cross the I.T./business divide. This consultant should then be tasked with planning for, and implementing a blog which will work towards the aims of your particular business. Blogging is typically far less costly and more effective than other forms of P.R. (and marketing) however does require new posting of content occasionally e.g. once per week.

Gary is a business consultant based in Sydney, Australia but operating internationally. He assists organisations in getting business benefits from I.T . Contact Gary - Mobile: +61 410 923 445, gary@eckstein.id.au, http://eckstein.id.au

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Bei Blog

Communication: Close The Gap

Why a Customer Service Strategy is Critical

A Customer isn’t worth $1.50 at this hotel

Retailer’s Time is more important than the Customers.

A Customer Service Strategy

Networking At Its Best

�On a high note: 2010 FIFA World Cup�

Your Life�s Story

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact: brenda@strategy-leadership.com Phone: +27 33 3425432 Mobile: + 27 82 4993311 Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Lessons in Communication Skills

A Letter From My Dog� And Other New Perceptions

Countdown To The 2010 Fifa World Cup � Part 2

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact: brenda@strategy-leadership.com Phone: +27 33 3425432 Mobile: + 27 82 4993311 Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Communication skills: 2010 FIFA World Cup

What makes us different?

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact: brenda@strategy-leadership.com Phone: +27 33 3425432 Mobile: + 27 82 4993311 Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Leadership Lessons

Brenda Eckstein

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact: brenda@strategy-leadership.com Phone: +27 33 3425432 Mobile: + 27 82 4993311 Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

Networking Profile

Choosing a Learning Management System

Expand Your Network

10 Step Document Review Best Practice

Ten Tips on Assertiveness

Change Management: A Simple and Effective Lesson

What is the Unfreeze – Change – Freeze Model

Example: Change Management in Education

The Model Works

Let people know what your needs are

10 tips to help you become the �person of choice�

Discover the person sitting next to you

Ten tips on sustainable customer service

Ten steps to effective delegation

Identify the benefits of personal networking

Use Objectives for Success

The Objective Setting Process

Good Objectives are SMMART Objectives

MBO in Small Organizations

How to deal with dissatisfied customers

Use business cards as a source of conversation

Organise your thoughts and your information

Business Blogs

How to start a business blog

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com

This information forms part of a training programme offered by Brenda Eckstein International. For more information, please contact:
brenda@strategy-leadership.com
Phone: +27 33 3425432
Mobile: + 27 82 4993311
Or visit our website: www.strategy-leadership.com