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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <!--Generated by Site-Server v6.0.0-8854-8854 (http://www.squarespace.com) on Sun, 11 Sep 2016 22:07:17 GMT
  3. --><rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:media="http://www.rssboard.org/media-rss" version="2.0"><channel><title>Provocative Business Thinking - Strategy, Leadership, Innovation</title><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/</link><lastBuildDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2016 08:10:31 +0000</lastBuildDate><language>en-GB</language><generator>Site-Server v6.0.0-8854-8854 (http://www.squarespace.com)</generator><itunes:author>The Riot Point Research Corporation</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Provocative Thinking</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary>Taking the guesswork about of business and personal growth: Music is licensed for podcast use.</itunes:summary><description>Taking the guesswork about of business and personal growth: Music is licensed for podcast use.</description><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:keywords>Business,Growth,Strategy,Leadership,Customer,Culture</itunes:keywords><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Iwan Jenkins</itunes:name><itunes:email>[email protected]</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:category text="Business"/><itunes:image href="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b7487a6b8f5b7701bcd6bd/1471629439022/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg"/><item><title>Avoid shaved legs and let your customers love you</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:24:51 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2016/8/22/let-you-customers-love-youand-how-to-avoid-shaved-legs</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:57bb08398419c22af22ebcad</guid><description>I’m writing this in the studio, and my legs are lovely and smooth. 
  4.  
  5. Well, they’re not really. 
  6.  
  7. They are itchy, and covered in cuts, and you'll ready why in a minute. Plus
  8. also a tip on how to avoid the same thing happening to you and your
  9. customer—but first a plea.
  10.  
  11. Make it easy for your customers to love you.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  12.  
  13.  
  14. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57bc5ad7b3db2bd0d119da72/1471961824508/" data-image-dimensions="2489x1400" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="57bc5ad7b3db2bd0d119da72" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57bc5ad7b3db2bd0d119da72/1471961824508/?format=1000w" />
  15.  
  16.  
  17.  
  18. <p>I’m writing this in the studio, and my legs are lovely and smooth.&nbsp;</p><p>Well, they’re not really.&nbsp;</p><p>They are itchy, and covered in cuts, and you'll ready why in a minute. Plus also a tip on how to avoid the same thing happening to you and your customer—but first a plea.</p><p><strong>Make it easy for your customers to love you.</strong></p><p>I hope Apple are listening.</p><p>Steve Jobs positioned Apple at the intersection of the liberal arts and technology.&nbsp;</p><p>In his last public address he said,&nbsp; “it’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. Technology married to the liberal arts,&nbsp; yields the result which makes our hearts sing.”&nbsp;</p><p>Well, Steve, Apple’s DNA has mutated.&nbsp;</p><p>You wanted technology to be more intuitive.&nbsp;You wanted to remove the technical obstacles in order to catalyse creativity and communication in the masses.</p><p>Steve, you did well, but now the barriers are back.</p><p>I have been trying to upload these audio blogs to iTunes so that listeners can download the broadcasts with ease.</p><p>Frustratingly my podcasts have been kicked back. Hurled would be a better word, yet you can’t talk to anyone to find out why.&nbsp;</p><p>All interrogation is done electronically. In my twelfth email I was commanded to change 3 lines of html code at the front end of my RSS feed. After this, my podcast would be accepted.</p><p>If I could insert 3 seconds of stunned silence here I would.</p><p>I am not a techie. I am doing what Steve intended.</p><p>I am trying to do interesting work which makes a difference in peoples lives, and Apple’s products promise to help me.&nbsp;</p><p>But they are making it difficult—and this makes it hard for me to love them.</p><p>I don’t code. I don’t want to code. I don’t want to waste time learning to how to backslash br hyphen colon br double back slash.</p><p>I just want to upload my podcast.</p><p>In fact, I’d rather shave my legs with a blunt razor in the absence of shaving foam and water, than endure the pain of learning html.</p><p>I said as much on a podcaster support forum, and one member offered to write the code if I could provide proof of pain in return.&nbsp;</p><p>And, so, dear listener, the new code is written, and I record this with smoothed but nicked calves.</p><p>Podcasts should be available on iTunes next week.&nbsp;</p><p>Take away two things:</p><ol><li>Never make a rash claim on an internet forum</li><li>Make it easy for your customers to love you.</li></ol><p>If you’re making it difficult for customers to improve their lives with your products or services, stop it.</p><p>Stop it—and you’ll improve your brand tremendously.&nbsp;</p><p>After all who doesn’t benefit from more love.</p><p>And here’s a practical tip.</p><h3>If you’re unsure whether your placing obstacles and hazards in front of your customer, ask them, do we make it difficult for you to love us?</h3><h3>It’s amazing what you learn when you listen.</h3><p>Finally, you can hit your stop button here, or you can read a short commercial.</p><p>At the Riot Point we take the guesswork out of business and personal growth.</p><p>I have open courses on <a target="_blank" href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-strategy-2">strategy</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-leadership">leadership</a> in Toronto, Canada and London, UK in September, October and November, and in-house courses are always available on request.&nbsp;</p><p>Circulate this podcast if it has been of interest.</p><p>Share the love.</p>]]></content:encoded><itunes:author>Iwan Jenkins</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Make it easy for your customers to love you</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary>Make it easy for your customers to love you</itunes:summary><itunes:keywords>Business</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:04:00</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b7487a6b8f5b7701bcd6bd/1471629439022/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg"/><enclosure url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57bc5825e6f2e1aba135987e/1471961133288/Itchy+legs+mp3+96+k.mp3" length="2918784" type="audio/mpeg"/></item><item><title>"If you want action, Talk. don't text." </title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2016 12:35:46 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2016/6/1/if-you-want-action-dont-write-go-tell-the-guygal-what-you-want</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:574f77342b8dde8a430ea204</guid><description>I was admonished via email yesterday for not having posted in blog in
  19. recent times.
  20.  
  21. My repost was simple. I quoted David Ogilvy's office memo to Ogilvy and
  22. Mather employees. Recently, doing has eclipsed writing. 
  23.  
  24.  
  25.  
  26.    If you want action, don't write. Go tell the guy/gal what you want.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  27.  
  28.  
  29. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/574f7945cf80a12ba2befb29/1470141448749/" data-image-dimensions="700x664" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="574f7945cf80a12ba2befb29" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/574f7945cf80a12ba2befb29/1470141448749/?format=1000w" />
  30.  
  31.  
  32.  
  33. <p>I was admonished via email yesterday for not having posted in blog in recent times.</p><p>My repost was simple. I quoted David Ogilvy's office memo to Ogilvy and Mather employees. Recently, doing has eclipsed writing.&nbsp;</p><figure>
  34.  <blockquote>
  35.    <span>&#147;</span>If you want action, don’t write. Go tell the guy/gal what you want.<span>&#148;</span>
  36.  </blockquote>
  37.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; David Ogivly 'How to Write' 1982</figcaption>
  38. </figure><p>And it’s true. If you want action, get on your bike, ride your skateboard, or pick the phone.&nbsp;</p><p>I’ll come back to importance of talking with human beings shortly.</p><p>Recently, for me, action has eclipsed writing.&nbsp;And what exciting action.</p><p>With clients, I've been building brands, shifting cultures, constructing strategies and communicating, communicating, communicating.</p><p>As a result, you will see new material around strategy, branding and leadership being published in the next couple of months.</p><p>But here’s one thing I want to share with you today. Call people. Use the phone.&nbsp;</p><p>Ask yourself, “do I really need to do this via email.”</p><p>Like you I am inundated with links to lists such as the 6 best ways to order donuts, or the 5 tips from morticians on how to look good in an interview.</p><p>Or the most heart-sinkingly popular of all, the top 5 behaviours of ‘leaders.’</p><p>The last of these irritate me the most the leader lists miss out the behaviour I observe in the most successful leaders.</p><p>They talk to people!</p><p>Jobs did, Branson does, Joel does, Jay does, Marc does, Norm does.</p><p>In fact, every leader I respect diverts to email only when they have to.</p><p>Whenever possible they speak to person in person, viavideo or on the phone.</p><p>Texting is dangerous. We all know it. There are signs which say to on the highway.</p><p>On the other hand, I have earned more business, built more relationships or made more decisions (not even faster, simply made them) when using the phone.</p><p>It’s good to engage with people, employees, customers, family.&nbsp;</p><p>Beside, it’s amazing what you learn when you listen.</p><p>Remember, number one trait. Engage with people</p><p>Finally, another change. I’m going to run a safe to fail experiment.</p><p>I will no longer just write stuff, I will speak it too. It appears some subscribers no longer have time to read, but they can listen. So, the next half dozen articles will beavailable on the website and through iTunes.</p><p>Exciting times. Engage your people.</p><p>You can hit your stop button here, or you can listen to 15 seconds of commercial as the boys from the black stuff take us out.</p><p>At the Riot Point we take the guesswork out of business and personal growth.</p><p>Check our courses on strategy and leadership, and circulate this podcast if it has been of interest.</p><p>Share the love.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><itunes:author>The Riot Point Research Corporation</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Talk don't text. Engage with people</itunes:subtitle><itunes:keywords>Business</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:03:18</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b7487a6b8f5b7701bcd6bd/1471629439022/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg"/><enclosure url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57a0802c9f7456fc3ff29232/1470136394254/Share+the+love.m4a" length="2957207" type="audio/x-m4a"/></item><item><title>"Live a life filled with fun and purpose." Colonel Donald Pudney</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 05 Jan 2016 15:31:21 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2016/1/5/live-a-life-filled-with-fun-and-purpose-colonel-donald-pudney</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:568bd983d8af1097861929c8</guid><description>If your house lights dimmed unexpectedly this morning, or if your car
  39. stalled without apparent reason, don’t worry. It was a one off.
  40.  
  41. The Universe endured a sudden negative energy spike as a force of nature
  42. transferred from one dimension to another.
  43.  
  44. Colonel Donald Pudney has left the earthly parade ground for the last time.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  45. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/568bdf9bc21b86066aec792e/1452007485267/" data-image-dimensions="5000x2800" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="568bdf9bc21b86066aec792e" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/568bdf9bc21b86066aec792e/1452007485267/?format=1000w" />
  46.  
  47.  
  48.  
  49. <p>If your house lights dimmed unexpectedly this morning, or if your car stalled without apparent reason, don’t worry. It was a one off.</p><p>The Universe endured a sudden negative energy spike as a force of nature transferred from one dimension to another.</p><p>Colonel Donald Pudney has left the earthly parade ground for the last time.</p><p>Once met, never forgotten. You could never invent Donald Pudney. The most gifted Hollywood writer, thrilled by Marvel Comics, would fall short.&nbsp;</p><p>As a youngster he drummed with an visiting American Big Band. He was the last officer to be commissioned into the British Army in World War II, and the youngest Captain.&nbsp;</p><p>He duped the Army medical staff into thinking he had perfect eyesight.&nbsp;Throughout his career no one would discover his ‘dickie’ eye.&nbsp;</p><p>He raced across Italy and Yugoslavia to stall the falling Iron Curtain. He served in Korea and other parts, claiming to have “been shot at in most parts of the world.”</p><p>From Army life he succeeded in becoming the Head of the Bermudian Civil Service. He was preferred Bermudian citizenship, a rare and unusual recognition which required an Act of Parliament in the UK.</p><p>He was a scholar of British Regiments and amassed one of the largest toy solider collections in the world.</p><p>He made the pre-cursor of the music video—in the late 1960's.</p><p>He was feted by the great and good who respected his incisive questioning and clarity of thought.&nbsp;</p><p>His intellectual curiosity knew no bounds. Until his 90th year he read three books a week. Until yesterday his memory was razor-sharp.</p><p>This level of talent and energy could have been sandpaper the ego of some. But Donald’s warmth, wit and generosity always ensured you felt you were part of his success. You never felt envious or jealous.</p><p>We shall miss him dearly.&nbsp;Thankfully we have more than feeble human memories to aid our recall.&nbsp;In November 2014 I interviewed Donald as part the series, “<a href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/11/6/s1">This I have learnt</a>.”</p><p>It was a wonderful conversation in which Donald shared some of the lessons his rich and varied life had provided.&nbsp;It can be found <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/11/6/s1">here</a>.</p><p>Afterwards we enjoyed a spiritual experience or, more accurately, spirit-filled. Donald never drank much water. &nbsp;“I know what fish do in it” was his explanation.</p><p>He once told me,&nbsp;</p><figure>
  50.  <blockquote>
  51.    <span>&#147;</span>You know, life should be filled with fun and purpose. Often the second leads to the first. Live a life without fear and malice<span>&#148;</span>
  52.  </blockquote>
  53.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Colonel D R Pudney</figcaption>
  54. </figure><p>I try and live by his recommendation.</p><p>Colonel Donald R. Pudney. Thank you. Rest in Peace.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/568bd983d8af1097861929c8/1452008136352/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="840"><media:title type="plain">"Live a life filled with fun and purpose." Colonel Donald Pudney</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Concerned your poor strategic thinking will be exposed? Time to write a book.</title><category>Leadership</category><category>Strategy</category><category>Communication</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2015 21:42:55 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/11/4/poor-strategic-thinking-exposed-time-to-write-a-book</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:563a76fee4b044f92768a115</guid><description>Wool-suited, french-cuffed and tied (at that time), executives can sit
  55. cooly for hours in 40C heat but don’t ever extinguish the projector.
  56. Nothing brings on a perspiratory flash-flood faster than the prospect of
  57. delivering a slide-less presentation. 
  58.  
  59. An executive should be able to communicate her or his strategy in 10 mins
  60. or less. They should be able to do so engagingly and with clarity. 
  61.  
  62. Any Executive who cannot do this surrenders their right to admonish
  63. sub-ordinates who are similarly fuzzy in their communication of the
  64. strategy.
  65.  
  66. Can’t past the test? Fortunately a remedy is at hand.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  67. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/563a7735e4b0f965041cc2e8/1446673242743/" data-image-dimensions="1200x800" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="563a7735e4b0f965041cc2e8" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/563a7735e4b0f965041cc2e8/1446673242743/?format=1000w" />
  68.  
  69.  
  70.  
  71. <p>I have had the privilege of running strategy retreats in some exotic venues. Translate exotic to “places of heat, humidity and power cuts.”</p><p>Wool-suited, french-cuffed and tied (at that time), executives can sit cooly for hours in 40C heat. Terminate the AC if you need to,&nbsp;but don’t ever extinguish the projector. In my experience, nothing brings on a perspiratory flash-flood faster than the prospect of delivering a slide-less presentation.&nbsp;</p><p>Nor are consultants immune from the "blank brain" quivers.</p><p>At a convention last month, I saw an “expert speaker” tremble like a dog at a firewire display because a chunk of his materials had been covered by the previous presenter.</p><p>Now, in my view, a consultant or speaker worth their salt (and fee) should be able to speak engagingly and with clarity on a topic of their expertise with little or no preparation. If you can’t do this spontaneously, you need practice.</p><p>Similarly, an executive should be able to communicate her or his strategy in 10 mins or less. They should be able to do so engagingly and with clarity. They should be able to do it without electronic crutches. Sorry,&nbsp;aids.&nbsp;They should also be able to write their entire strategy plan on one piece of paper: A4 or US letter, size 12 font. No cheating.</p><p>Any Executive who cannot do this surrenders their right to admonish sub-ordinates who are similarly fuzzy in their communication of the strategy.</p><p>Fortunately a remedy is at hand.</p><p>You have to grab your audiences attention if you are seeking engagement or collaboration.&nbsp;</p><figure>
  72.  <blockquote>
  73.    <span>&#147;</span>Grab the audience by the throat (in the first scene) and never let them go.<span>&#148;</span>
  74.  </blockquote>
  75.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Billy Wilder</figcaption>
  76. </figure><p> </p><p>For most audiences, a strategy weaved together by narrative is more compelling and more memorable. And that, dear Executives, is your aim.</p><h3>Create the Demand to Participate</h3><p>You are always looking to “Create the Demand to Participate.” It doesn’t matter whether your business story is one of Drama, Action and Adventure or even Redemption. As the leader of others, you are always looking to “Create the Demand to Participate” within your colleagues and employees.</p><p>Create the Demand to Participate. Remember that phrase. It’s a litmus test of success.</p><p>To achieve it, you need to crispen your communication and embed in your head a strategy story that excites. &nbsp;</p><h3>Be the author of your own story</h3><p>Here’s one tool that works well: Write your strategy book. In fact, imagine you’re opening up a new genre—the non-fiction novel.&nbsp;</p><p>In one version of this exercise I limit the strategy book to 5 chapters. The ‘audiobook version’ is limited to 10 minutes. The entire strategy has to be presented on 12 slides or less. All-star’s keep it under 7 with diluting the message—all meat and veg—no dessert.&nbsp;</p><p>Finally, a written précis should be summarised on 1 sheet of paper.</p><p>The 5 chapters are Direction, See, Select, Deliver, Assess.</p><p><strong>Chapter 1: Direction</strong>. These goals or vision that unite and excite. They can broad (“One ring to rule them all”) or specific (“Double EBITDA in each of the next 5 years”).</p><p><strong>Chapter 2: See.</strong> Setting the scene. What are the obstacles preventing us from achieving our mission? Orcs, direct competitors, government legislation?</p><p><strong>Chapter 3: Select.</strong> Where can you go from here? What are our options? What routes should we take around the mountain? How we be better and different than the competition?</p><p><strong>Chapter 4: Deliver</strong>. Based on the range of options you wish to follow you need to describe the resources you require.</p><p><strong>Chapter 5 Assess.</strong> How will we know we are going in the right direction?</p><p>How will end you the book so that the audience will demand to be part of the script?</p><h3>Your strategy book should be a page-turner</h3><p>Remember, your business strategy doesn’t need to be a pot-boiler, but it does need to be a page-turner, and that you can talk about at anytime, with ease but without props and without forewarning.</p><p>For those interested in writing their own strategy book, a template with instructions is available <a href="mailto:[email protected]">here</a>.</p><p>Alternatively, work with me and peers in writing you own Strategy Book on <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-strategy-2">the Human's Guide to Strategy workshop</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/563a76fee4b044f92768a115/1446673784772/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1200" height="800"><media:title type="plain">Concerned your poor strategic thinking will be exposed? Time to write a book.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Get the profits and avoid the perils of digital marketing: an (almost) free workshop</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2015 17:49:24 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/10/29/vj2m1ygx978ifuulcyf3r01y1ywspo</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:56322a25e4b068c168c80414</guid><description>If you're in the Greater Toronto Area on Tuesday 6th December join Rosalina
  77. and me at an (almost) free workshop on the strategic aspects of digital
  78. marketing.
  79.  
  80. Done properly, digital marketing can give you very loyal, high quality
  81. customers. Loyal, high-quality customers lead to loyal, high-quality gross
  82. margins.
  83.  
  84. But digital marketing abounds with sink holes and pit-falls. 
  85.  
  86. This workshop focuses on getting profits and avoiding perils. It will
  87. introduce digital marketing to strategic decision-makers, not tacticians.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you're in the Greater Toronto Area on Tuesday 6th December join Rosalina and me at an (almost) free workshop on the strategic aspects of digital marketing.</p><p>Done properly, digital marketing can give you very loyal, high quality customers. Loyal, high-quality customers lead to loyal, high-quality gross margins.</p><p>But digital marketing abounds with sink holes and pit-falls.&nbsp;</p><p>This workshop focuses on getting profits and avoiding perils. It will introduce digital marketing to strategic decision-makers, not tacticians.</p><p>We will show how digital marketing has reshaped the conversations have with their customers and demonstrate how this translates to opportunities—and threats.</p><p>Participants will leave with decision-making framework to aid in the construction and application of digital marketing resources.</p><p>The workshop is limited to 18 participants and places are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. So hurry.</p><p>The workshop is (almost) free. We will be trialling some innovative approaches to digital marketing and will seeking to only cover costs. &nbsp;Each place costs $100 and includes materials and lunch.</p><p>Places can only be booked by contacting me via <a href="mail:[email protected]">email ([email protected])</a> or by phone (+1 416 302 4701).</p><p>So hurry.</p><p>A pdf of the flyer can be <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Digital-Marketing-Flyer.pdf">downloaded here.</a></p>
  88. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/56322a7de4b0339d4d062842/1446128264880/" data-image-dimensions="2550x3300" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="56322a7de4b0339d4d062842" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/56322a7de4b0339d4d062842/1446128264880/?format=1000w" />
  89.  
  90.  
  91.  
  92.  
  93. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/56322ab7e4b00e1bbad59cf9/1446128324033/" data-image-dimensions="2550x3300" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="56322ab7e4b00e1bbad59cf9" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/56322ab7e4b00e1bbad59cf9/1446128324033/?format=1000w" />
  94.  
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  97. ]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/56322a25e4b068c168c80414/1446140965073/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1941"><media:title type="plain">Get the profits and avoid the perils of digital marketing: an (almost) free workshop</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Executives have to go where the rubber hits the road</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2015 16:17:46 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/9/21/executives-have-to-go-where-the-rubber-hits-the-road</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:56002babe4b00af19b548898</guid><description>Here’s the take away for Executives.
  98.  
  99. Despite your best endeavours, you may have 'defeat devices' installed in
  100. your organisation. To ensure this is not the case, you have to engage the
  101. source data.
  102.  
  103. What does this mean?
  104.  
  105.    * Even if your Net Promotor Score is a whopping 80%, you, personally,
  106.      should still verify the data by engaging with customers.
  107.    * Even if your employee engagement surveys tell you things couldn’t be
  108.      better, you still need to confirm this by walking, talking and
  109.      listening.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  110. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/56002bf9e4b0f99f3fa3899c/1442851834638/" data-image-dimensions="1232x700" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="56002bf9e4b0f99f3fa3899c" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/56002bf9e4b0f99f3fa3899c/1442851834638/?format=1000w" />
  111.  
  112.  
  113.  
  114. <p>The EPA has accused VW of installing software in their diesel cars to deliberately reduce levels of nitrous oxide during emission testing.&nbsp; When the software is disabled, some VW diesels emit nitrous oxide levels 40 times greater than legislated limits.</p><p>The EPA are seeking an eye-watering fine of $18 billion.&nbsp;</p><p>VW will join Caterpillar, Volvo, Ford and Honda in the naughty boys room as these too have also employed so called ‘defeat devices’ in the past.</p><p>In recent years there has been a change in the method of measuring emission data. The previous method (left) measured the actual emission. It was expensive, moderately accurate, and required an mechanic to receive a short exposure to dense emissions.</p><p>The new tool (right) plugs into the car computer checks whether the software and hardware controlling the emissions are working properly. If they are, it is then assumed that the actual emission is within standard. It is quicker and safer.</p><p>Now, it turns out, that if you use the old-fashioned approach to measurement without alerting the car’s computer, the regulation-busting NOx levels are evident.</p><p>So, surely then, if these pollutants are so damaging, wouldn’t you put a process in place to monitor the efficacy of the software?&nbsp;For example, doesn't make sense to randomly check the actual emission of, say, every 20th vehicle? This is standard practice in manufacturing.</p><p>Apparently not.&nbsp;</p><p>Here’s the take away for Executives.</p><p>Despite your best endeavours, you may have 'defeat devices' installed in your organisation.&nbsp;To ensure this is not the case, <strong>you have to engage the source data</strong>.</p><p>What does this mean?</p><ul><li>Even if your Net Promotor Score is a whopping 80%, you, personally, should still verify the data by engaging with customers.</li><li>Even if your employee engagement surveys tell you things couldn’t be better, you still need to confirm this by walking, talking and listening.</li></ul><p>If it’s important to you, you have to engage the source data.</p><p>For more information on having an honest conversation with customers learn about <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/customer-rd">Customer R&amp;D®</a></p><p>For more information on having an honest conversation with your organisation learn about <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/culture-rd">Culture R&amp;D®</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/56002babe4b00af19b548898/1471686070952/1500w/static1.squarespace.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="568"><media:title type="plain">Executives have to go where the rubber hits the road</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>O Brother (Steve Jobs) where art thou?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2015 21:47:13 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/9/16/o-brother-steve-jobs-where-art-thou</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:55f9e005e4b0e95e3d1f51c1</guid><description>It’s official. Tim Cook has stepped out of Steve Jobs’ shadow. 
  115.  
  116. Under his watch (no pun intended), the stock price has doubled, market
  117. capitalisation has gone from ~ $300bn to $660bn, and contribution of
  118. revenues from subscription services has boomed. 
  119.  
  120. Cook filled a big pair of shoes—and now he’s using them to walk to a
  121. destination far from Apple’s roots.
  122.  
  123. But at what price?
  124.  
  125. Apple is about to lose it's key competitive advantage: making us creators
  126. and communicators</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  127. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55f9e029e4b033252b9d5661/1442439209837/" data-image-dimensions="799x478" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="55f9e029e4b033252b9d5661" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55f9e029e4b033252b9d5661/1442439209837/?format=1000w" />
  128.  
  129.  
  130.  
  131. <p>It’s official. Tim Cook has stepped out of Steve Jobs’ shadow. That was the headline of the Times piece detailing the launch of new iPads, Apples watches, Apple TV, and of course, streaming content.</p><p>Under his watch (no pun intended), the stock price has doubled, market capitalisation has gone from ~ $300bn to $660bn, and contribution of revenues from subscription services has boomed.&nbsp;</p><p>What’s not to like? &nbsp;</p><p>Cook filled a big pair of shoes—and now he’s using them to walk to a destination far from Apple’s roots.</p><p>When Jobs started Apple in 1976, he wanted to build ‘insanely great products’ which lay at the intersection of technology and liberal arts. The function of technology, he said, “was to enable creativity in these disciplines. Technology should help. It should not to get in the way.”&nbsp;</p><p>And this dictum guided the Apple design ethos.</p><p>In the late 90’s, after developing products for the ‘creative professions’, Jobs decided to bring creativity to the masses. Simplified versions of professional studio recording software coupled with the launch of a distribution channel (iTunes and the iPod) allowed ‘garage bands’ to record their teenage twangs. It also opened up an entirely new genre of broadcasting—the podcast.</p><p>After unleashing sound, Jobs moved to video. Anyone could be Fellini. The launch of the iPhone and the accompanying computer software meant any aspiring director could make their own local blockbuster.</p><p>All of this made Apple a magic brand with Jobs as the chief magician. The Cult of Mac was no longer niche, it was mass market. On every measure, it was superior.</p><p>I believe that Apple products tapped into a deep emotional need that is peculiarly human. We are problem-solvers. To survive and reproduce we have create to solutions to difficult problems. Thus, to have opportunities to demonstrate this capability to ourself and others is highly prized.</p><p>I believe Jobs tapped in to this emotional need, and this was key to Apple’s success.&nbsp;</p><p>I also believe that Cook is taking Apple away from this position and it will impact their brand perception negatively.</p><p>Cook is replacing tools for creativity with plates for consumption.&nbsp; Product development is focussed on easing content consumption, not creating it.&nbsp;</p><p>As a consequence, Apple will reduce the emotional links with the consumer.&nbsp;</p><p>Once, when Apple gave you a product you would ask, “What can I do with this that I couldn’t do before?”</p><p>Now it has become, “What can you, Apple, do me for me?” &nbsp;</p><p>There are consequences to breaking this emotional tie.</p><ul><li>I think Apple will lose some brand loyalty.</li><li>I think more Apple customers will do comparison shopping.</li><li>I think some Apple customers will start (have started)&nbsp;to resent being shackled to the Apple eco-system</li></ul><p>The drift apart might be slow of course, but it has started.</p><p>So what can we take away from this?</p><p>At a minimum,&nbsp;those of us in B2B can learn from Apple’s early positioning.</p><p>We know we can the biggest value to our customers if our offers allow them to be superlative creators and better communicators. Especially if this allows them to be more distinctive in the eyes of their competitors.</p><p>And if our customers will also be better and different people as a result of working with us; more proficient; more successful; more confident—then we will receive our reward.</p><p>Consuming has its place. It’s essential for development. &nbsp;But if your services or products can help people feel their problem-solving skills are by valued themselves and others, then you really are making a difference.&nbsp;</p><p>I have found that, if your services make people more proficient,&nbsp;more successful, and more confident, they tend to come back for more.</p><p>For the brave, print out the <a target="_blank" href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Creation-communication-consumption.pdf">triangle below</a>. Ask your customers to locate your products and services, and ask your colleagues to do like wise.</p><p>What actions will you take?</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/55f9e005e4b0e95e3d1f51c1/1442440038374/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="799" height="478"><media:title type="plain">O Brother (Steve Jobs) where art thou?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>new products From the Lab</title><category>Customer R&amp;D®</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2015 13:02:40 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/9/9/announcing-new-products</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:55f02ac4e4b085756a65e203</guid><description>The Riot Point Research scientists have been incredibly inventive in recent
  132. months. We have been trialling and refining a number of new products, and
  133. we are now ready to launch the first batch.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  134. <img class="thumb-image" alt="New products from the lab" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55f02ae2e4b0d8330c678681/1441802980216/New+products+from+the+lab" data-image-dimensions="1596x1007" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="55f02ae2e4b0d8330c678681" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55f02ae2e4b0d8330c678681/1441802980216/New+products+from+the+lab?format=1000w" />
  135.  
  136.  
  137.  
  138. <p>The Riot Point Research scientists have been incredibly inventive in recent months. We have been trialling and refining a number of new products, and we are now ready to launch the first batch.</p><p><a href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-leadership">The Human’s Guide to Leadership™</a> shows you how to achieve success and let go of pursuing perfection. It has been called “a lighthouse in the fog”. &nbsp;</p><blockquote>“If a one-day workshop could be hugged and kissed, this would be it."</blockquote><p><a href="http://theriotpoint.com/problem-solving-leadership">Problem-solving leadership</a> is an online course aimed at making you a better leader of yourself and others—at lower personal stress.</p><p><a href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-strategy-2">The Human’s Guide to Strategy™</a> gives a straight-forward, practical approach to strategy generation and monitoring. By tapping into the latest work on complex adaptive science, participants can jettison the 150-page slide and replace it with a crisp, short, living document. If you’re looking to build excitement about your strategy (“strategy gravity”), this is your starting point.</p><p><a href="http://theriotpoint.com/digital-sabbatical">The Digital Sabbatical</a> is the personal development programme HR tried to ban—initially at least. Treat yourself to provocative, functional and entertaining self-development material. Content will be delivered to your inbox every two weeks. Topics will cover strategy, innovation and leadership—and include other, unexpected, presents.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/55f02ac4e4b085756a65e203/1471686104756/1500w/New%2Bproducts%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Blab.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="631"><media:title type="plain">new products From the Lab</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Spot talent with just two questions</title><category>Culture R&amp;D®</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2015 19:43:35 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/9/2/talent-identity-kit-complete-the-personal-review-with-two-questions</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:55e71929e4b03a241b7b4c28</guid><description>All leaders know the distribution of talented high performers is not
  139. Gaussian but fractal. For every one Yehudi Menuhin violin virtuoso there
  140. are many, many string scratchers.
  141.  
  142. So how can you spot potential?
  143.  
  144. I use two heuristics
  145.  
  146.   1. Does s/he get the job done?
  147.   2. Do the most talented workers in the organisation want to work for
  148.      her/him?</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  149. <img class="thumb-image" alt="talent identify kit questions" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55e719c1e4b0b9185170bf7d/1441208771814/talent+identify+kit+questions" data-image-dimensions="1920x1080" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="55e719c1e4b0b9185170bf7d" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55e719c1e4b0b9185170bf7d/1441208771814/talent+identify+kit+questions?format=1000w" />
  150.  
  151.  
  152.  
  153. <p>If you’ve been a team leader you’ve endured it; the ‘pay and performance’ meetings where bonuses and personal assessments are stuffed under the curve of a normal distribution.&nbsp;</p><p>Like squeezing 34” waist into slightly elasticated 30” trousers, the job will be done. And while the shape may look acceptable in the eyes of beholders, &nbsp;everyone in the room knows what lies beneath.</p><p>All leaders know the distribution of talented high performers is not Gaussian but Pareto. For every one Yehudi Menuhin violin virtuoso there are many, many string scratchers. &nbsp;An organisation would be better served to invest in making their second-best tier perform more closely to their tier 1 crew.</p><p>But this rarely happens.</p><p>So why do we try to improve the average instead of focussing on the exceptional? Instead we should be focussing our development and reward resources on the 20% (or less) that make 80% (or more) of the difference.</p><p>And what about the bulk of the population?</p><p>Let me be clear. I am not advocating a GE-style “rank and yank” approach of culling the employee population.</p><p>Like Richard Branson, I hold the view that both employer and employee have failed if someone is let go.</p><p>But I do believe individuals should take accountability for the performance improvement but there is a change of perspective required if this is to be realised.&nbsp;</p><p>We need to go beyond our obsession of leadership by personality. We need to focus on the process of leadership. This opens the door for individuals to become leaders of themselves or others—based of their strengths.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>At its simplest, the process of leadership requires that leaders:</p><p>1. Identify the problem to be solved</p><p>2. Recruit the physical and emotional resources (i.e. People) to solve the problem</p><p>3. Solve the problem while delivering mutual benefit (rational and emotional) to all involved.</p><p>If individuals are able to apply this process in a context which matches their knowledge, motivation and ways to working, a dramatic increase in performance is achieved.</p><p>When context and capability match, only then you can start to measure leadership potential.</p><p>How can you assess leadership potential?</p><p>I use two heuristics, two questions, to seek out those who are successful leaders.</p><ol><li><strong>Does s/he get the job done?</strong></li><li><strong>Do the most talented workers in the organisation want to work for her/him?</strong></li></ol><p>These questions address whether problems are solved or business objectives achieved, and whether the leader is completing them while concomitantly improving the capabilities and well-being of those he is leading.&nbsp;</p>
  154. <img class="thumb-image" alt="talent identity kit" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55f2d3d0e4b0e61add877f44/1441977298389/talent+identity+kit" data-image-dimensions="1920x1080" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="55f2d3d0e4b0e61add877f44" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55f2d3d0e4b0e61add877f44/1441977298389/talent+identity+kit?format=1000w" />
  155.  
  156.  
  157.  
  158. <p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1441975652463_16036"><br></p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1441975652463_16035">Whilst I don’t claim these heuristics to be Universal, I have found them to be useful aids to decision-making in a wide variety for circumstances. These have ranged from</p><ul id="yui_3_17_2_2_1441975652463_15320"><li>&nbsp;Selecting ‘high potential’ talent</li><li id="yui_3_17_2_2_1441975652463_15319">&nbsp;Recruitment</li><li>&nbsp;Task allocation</li><li>&nbsp;Deciding which colleagues to work with or (more refreshingly) not work with.</li></ul><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1441975652463_15317">I have also found this approach to be more equitable and transparent when allocating ‘pay and performance’ funds. If a leader has overtly improved a sub-ordinate’s life, there is considerably less resentment when that leader receives financial reward.</p><p>Of course there are times when a leader neither accomplishes their goals nor works with others for mutual benefit. The historical response is attempt development or remediate. The employer assumes the burden.&nbsp;</p><p>With this perspective the employee takes primary responsibility for finding contexts which plays to their strength. The employer provides the opportunity and support, but the employee is ultimately responsible for performance improvement. By choosing the context based on their strengths, the employee stacks the cards in his favour.&nbsp;</p><p>This is a good thing.&nbsp;</p>
  159.  
  160.    <span class="lightbox-handle sqs-system-button sqs-editable-button">
  161.      
  162.        Send me the Talent template
  163.      
  164.    </span>
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  169.  
  170.  
  171.    Send me the Talent template
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  339.        
  340.          <input type="submit" class="button sqs-system-button sqs-editable-button" value="Send me the Talent Identity Kit"/>
  341.        
  342.        
  343.  
  344.        <p>Thank you!</p><p>A copy of the Talent template will be with you shortly</p><p>Iwan Jenkins</p>
  345.  
  346.        
  347.      </form>
  348.  
  349.    
  350.  
  351.  
  352.  
  353.  
  354. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1441308165537_116630">The online <a data-cke-saved-href="/pslonline" href="http://theriotpoint.com/pslonline">Problem-Solving Leadership programmes</a> focus on becoming a better leader of others at lower personal stress</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/55e71929e4b03a241b7b4c28/1441977342550/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="844"><media:title type="plain">Spot talent with just two questions</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>What did the Ancient Greeks ever do for us? Quite a lot it seems.</title><category>Complexity</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2015 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/5/11/what-have-the-greeks-ever-done-for-us-quite-a-lot-it-seems</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:55513d28e4b015fc1acfaf06</guid><description>The Ancients knew a thing or two about Strategy. 
  355.  
  356. The early Greeks viewed life as a voyage in which you would head in a
  357. general direction. Constantly navigating between Cosmos and Chaos—Order and
  358. Disorder with the realisation that winds from both sides could provide
  359. useful momentum. But sailing too close to the craggy shoreline of either
  360. extreme would lead to destruction. 
  361.  
  362. Contrast this with the modern, titanic, corporate warriors. Insulated out
  363. of necessity (internal meetings, financial reviews, presentations to
  364. analysts, fear of bad customer feedback), they delegate strategy to staff
  365. who, with finger-crossed confidence, report that every future has been
  366. anticipated, every contingency planned. This well engineered business will
  367. withstand any iceberg. Nothing left to chance. 
  368.  
  369. Or so they believe. It usually ends in tears—or an unfriendly take-over.
  370.  
  371. So what can we learn?</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  372. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55514414e4b0e19eaeaa8fef/1431389209727/" data-image-dimensions="2500x987" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="55514414e4b0e19eaeaa8fef" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/55514414e4b0e19eaeaa8fef/1431389209727/?format=1000w" />
  373.  
  374.  
  375.  
  376. <p>The Ancient Greeks knew a thing or two about Strategy. In fact, their perspective was far more rooted in reality than that of the modern corporate warrior.</p><p><span>The early Greeks viewed life as a voyage in which you would head in a general direction. Constantly navigating between Cosmos and Chaos</span>—Order and Disorder with the realisation that winds from both sides could provide useful momentum. But sailing too close to the craggy shoreline of either extreme would lead to destruction.&nbsp;</p><p>Despite the best endeavours to trim the sail or steer the rudder, severe conditions could not always be outrun. Some loss was inevitable. Unpredictability was something to be exploited, hence the ‘strategy’ of sailing in dispersed flotillas. Loss was expected, minimised and tolerated, but the final objective achieved.</p><p>Contrast this with the modern, titanic, corporate warriors. Insulated out of necessity (internal meetings, financial reviews, presentations to analysts, fear of bad customer feedback), they delegate strategy to staff who, with finger-crossed confidence, report that every future has been anticipated, every contingency planned. This well engineered business will withstand any iceberg. Nothing left to chance.&nbsp;</p><p>Or so they believe. It usually ends in tears—or an unfriendly take-over.</p><p>Better then, in a complex world, to have eyes on the weather, a hand on the tiller, and a crew who can trim sails expertly and quickly. The salt may sting the eyes, the sun may burn the skin but your early warning system of change will be speedy and alert</p><p>In contrast to the Modern Manager Method (“On a scale of 1-5 where 5 is best”), the Greeks saw life as a series of spectra, with great power and great danger at the extremes.&nbsp;</p><p>In addition to Cosmos and Chaos, they saw approaches to strategy ranging from strength (biē) to cunning (mētis) as represented by Achilles and Odysseus respectively.&nbsp;</p><p>But the force and valour of biē was accompanied by the dark side of rage and bloodlust. The flexibility and fluidity of mētis, well suited to deal with ambiguity, had the sinister accompaniment of the trickster who believed the ends always justified the means.</p><p>So while an extreme would be more potent in one setting, over-indulgence and over-reliance in one form would end in self-destruction. &nbsp;</p><p>Oscillation around the centre, Aristotle’s Golden Mean, would always yield the best of both.</p><p>Another Grecian spectrum pointed to the two forces which tug at the human spirit. These forces, always in tension, are the need to be independent (as an individual) at one end, and the craving to be a socially important member of a larger group.</p><p>But this also points out the challenge for the youth today.</p><p>Plainly presented, they can have either of the two extremes, fashion v fanaticism; one whimiscal and nourished by planned obsolescence; the other dogmatic, intolerant and unchanging.&nbsp; And given the noise in current life, it is these extremes which stand out from the crowd and encourage a divide.</p><p>We have a duty as a society to provide something more substantial to young people. Obviously. But these are the customers of the future and our business models and products have to offer something more enduring than ‘the next new thing’ as the primary driver of life.</p><p>And therein lies the opportunity.</p><p>What products and services can gratify the individuals need for expression, yet balm the yearn to be part of a larger group.&nbsp;</p><p>What is your Golden Mean offer?&nbsp;</p><p>Where are the Ancient Greeks when you need them?</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/55513d28e4b015fc1acfaf06/1431440848956/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="592"><media:title type="plain">What did the Ancient Greeks ever do for us? Quite a lot it seems.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Opportunities are not like London buses</title><category>Culture</category><category>Complexity</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2015 15:56:01 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/4/13/opportunities-are-not-like-london-buses</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:552be504e4b0192cc32ab2d6</guid><description>I was reminded this weekend that opportunities are not like London buses. 
  377.  
  378. You can’t deliberately miss one, confident that another is soon to follow.
  379.  
  380. When Opportunity knocks, you need to ask yourself one question:
  381.  
  382. "Does this Opportunity open more doors than it closes?"</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  383. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/552be59be4b05311d648a774/1428940195137/" data-image-dimensions="2500x1875" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="552be59be4b05311d648a774" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/552be59be4b05311d648a774/1428940195137/?format=1000w" />
  384.  
  385.  
  386.  
  387. <p>I was reminded this weekend that opportunities are not like London buses.&nbsp;</p><p>You can’t miss one deliberately, confident that another is soon to follow.</p><p>In the space of two days I met:</p><ul><li>An entrepreneur who, engrossed in delivery mode, failed to respond to business opportunities with a new client (after he’d told me 80% of his income is from 2 customers)</li><li>A Young executive who turned down promotion because the increase in money “was not good enough” (do it for 6 months and build up the resumé)</li><li>An executive who wanted to open up a new business with his early retirement package from a large organisation. In the first round of downsizing he got 80% what he wanted. He refused, held out for the second round, and got the statuary minimum. Now, at 57, he’s pimping his CV on linkedin, and the dream business is postponed for another 7 years.</li></ul><p>Now, I realise that judgement has always to exercised but when Opportunity knocks, you need ask yourself one question:</p><figure>
  388.  <blockquote>
  389.    <span>&#147;</span>Does this Opportunity open more doors than it closes<span>&#148;</span>
  390.  </blockquote>
  391.  
  392. </figure><p>If the answer is yes, jump on board. You can always alight at the next stop.</p><p>Otherwise, I hope you have the skills insulate and prettify your local bus stop.</p><p> </p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/552be504e4b0192cc32ab2d6/1471686147537/1500w/static1.squarespace.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="750"><media:title type="plain">Opportunities are not like London buses</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>At last&#x2014;A Human's Guide to Leadership™</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2015 21:37:07 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/3/3/at-lasta-humans-guide-to-leadership</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:54f63dcce4b08b8edaa9c686</guid><description>You have to lead to succeed.
  393.  
  394. In an increasingly complex world no individual can solve every problem. In
  395. response we form teams, organisations, and even nations. Each of these
  396. needs successful, not perfect, leaders.
  397.  
  398. And here is the challenge. 
  399.  
  400. How can we become successful leaders when humans have no manual? 
  401.  
  402. Answer.
  403.  
  404.    * By working with the grain of human nature, not against it.
  405.    * By utilising our collective strengths instead of wasting energy on
  406.      backfilling our weaknesses. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/118175352?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1920" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="A Human's Guide to Leadership" height="1080"></iframe><p><span>You have to lead to succeed.</span></p><p><span>In an increasingly complex world no individual can solve every problem. In response we form teams, organisations, and even nations. Each of these needs successful, not perfect, leaders.</span></p><p><span>And here is the challenge.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>How can we become successful leaders when humans have no manual?&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Answer.</span></p><ul><li><span>By working with the grain of human nature, not against it. </span></li><li><span>By utilising our collective strengths instead of wasting energy on backfilling our weaknesses.&nbsp;</span></li></ul><p><span>In this &nbsp;workshop&nbsp;we will dissect the three core responsibilities of leadership:</span></p><p><span>1. To&nbsp;select objectives or strategies that are worth achieving; &nbsp;</span></p><p><span>2. To attract the support of talented colleagues ; and</span></p><p><span>3. &nbsp;To deliver the goals with mutual benefit for all.</span></p><p><span>We introduce tools and concepts to aid success in each area.</span></p><p><span>As a you result you will:</span></p><ul dir="ltr"><li><strong><span>Bring greater clarity to your colleagues on the business challenges you face.&nbsp;</span></strong></li><li><strong><span>Tap into your core motivations and preferred way of working while leading others with different profiles.</span></strong></li><li><strong><span>Chose strategies that draw upon the strengths of your team, and are therefore likely to be implemented and succeed.</span></strong></li></ul><p>Details of the programme can be found <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-leadership"><strong>here</strong></a></p><p>Dates have been set for open programmes in&nbsp;Toronto, Canada and London, UK. In-house programmes are available upon request.</p><p>For bookings and further details, please contact <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/54f63dcce4b08b8edaa9c686/1428932433103/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="844"><media:title type="plain">At last&#x2014;A Human's Guide to Leadership™</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>7 tips on improving organisational productivity</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2015 19:40:47 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/4/7/7-tips-on-improving-organisational-productivity</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:552431b2e4b0df69c58388a4</guid><description>I was asked by Advantage Magazine to give 7 tips on how to improve
  407. productivity in organisations.
  408.  
  409. All the details can be found on their site here.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  410. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/552432b1e4b00794e54ba869/1428435634509/" data-image-dimensions="1028x772" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="552432b1e4b00794e54ba869" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/552432b1e4b00794e54ba869/1428435634509/?format=1000w" />
  411.  
  412.  
  413.  
  414. <p>I was asked by Advantage Magazine to give 7 tips on how to improve productivity in organisations.</p><p>All the details can be found on their site <a target="_blank" href="http://advantagemagazine.ca/2015/riot-point-research/">here.</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/552431b2e4b0df69c58388a4/1471686188641/1500w/static1.squarespace-1.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="751"><media:title type="plain">7 tips on improving organisational productivity</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>How to remove the pain and add the profit into Employee Engagement</title><category>Culture R&amp;D®</category><category>Culture</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2015 20:57:53 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/4/6/how-to-remove-the-pain-and-add-the-profit-into-employee-engagement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5522ef93e4b00f941acb1c5b</guid><description>Executives tell me, in their more candid moments, that they doubt the value
  415. of the ‘employee engagement survey.’
  416.  
  417. They find it time-consuming and stressful, and most have all but given up
  418. on trying to calculate any return-on-investment. No wonder then such
  419. surveys have the reputation of being “all pain and no profit.” 
  420.  
  421. So why bother? The answer lies in why we form organisations.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/123997562?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1280" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="How remove pain and add profit to Employee Engagement" height="720"></iframe><p>Executives tell me, in their more candid moments, that they doubt the value of the ‘employee engagement survey.’</p><p>They find it time-consuming and stressful, and most have all but given up on trying to calculate any return-on-investment. No wonder then such surveys have the reputation of being “all pain and no profit.”&nbsp;</p><p>So why bother? The answer lies in why we form organisations.</p><p>Humans form teams and groups to solve problems they can’t do as individuals, and do so for mutual benefit.&nbsp;</p><p>For example. &nbsp;Say I want to solve a problem, Problem A. &nbsp;If I can solve that problem myself, I will. If I can’t solve it myself I will recruit the support of another person who has the necessary skills, knowledge or time.&nbsp;</p><p>And that introduces another problem — can we work with each other? Let’s call that Problem B.&nbsp;</p><p>If Problem B is large, we will never solve Problem A. &nbsp;</p><p>Every ounce of energy devoted to solving Problem B, is an ounce of energy diverted from solving Problem A. The more complex and bigger the problem, the more people we need. The more people we need, the greater the possibility of a large Problem B</p><p>Within organisations we evolve ways of working that aim to reduce Problem B. These ways of working are composed of</p><ul dir="ltr"><li>accepted behaviours,</li><li>shared values and</li><li>written rules.</li></ul><p>The cumulative interaction of these elements is called <strong>organisational culture</strong>.</p><p>Employee surveys were thus introduced to answer one very important question.</p><p>“What are our Problem B’s, and how can we reduce them so that we can solve Problem A?”</p><p>In other words,</p><figure>
  422.  <blockquote>
  423.    <span>&#147;</span>“Is our way of working, our culture, our mode of collaboration, helping us or hindering us from achieving our collective objective?”<span>&#148;</span>
  424.  </blockquote>
  425.  
  426. </figure><p>Surely then, every Executive would love to know the answer to this question for his or her organisation?</p><p>Absolutely.</p><p>But here’s the big challenge. The current approaches to employee engagement are very <strong>poor</strong> at identifying Problem B in the context of Problem A.</p><p>There&nbsp;are 4 meaty challenges with the current methods of understanding your corporate culture.</p><p>The 10-minute video highlights the challenges of the current method and demonstrates an alternative approach which overcomes them.</p><p>The narrative method</p><ul dir="ltr"><li>ties culture to strategy;</li><li>encourages employee engagement in solutions&nbsp;</li><li>measures effectiveness of initiatives, and demonstrates ROI.</li></ul><p>So remember, we are looking for actionable insight&nbsp;how to remove the barriers to collaboration, in order to achieve our collective goals more quickly, at lower cost, and with the greatest mutual benefit.</p><p>If require any further information such as a case study, or if you wish to have a free trial of the method, please <a href="mailto:[email protected]">contact me at the Riot Point</a><a href="mailto:[email protected]">.</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5522ef93e4b00f941acb1c5b/1433793347710/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="574" height="582"><media:title type="plain">How to remove the pain and add the profit into Employee Engagement</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Is the glass half empty or half frozen?</title><category>Culture</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2015 16:27:11 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/2/13/is-the-glass-half-empty-or-half-frozen</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:54ddf792e4b08b101480dd67</guid><description>-25'C flashing on the car dashboard always heralds is a fresh start to the
  427. day, but the cool temperature didn’t deter the hardy souls I saw jogging as
  428. I drove out for my morning coffee.
  429.  
  430. Yet, if the comments of dial-in listeners on the morning news show where
  431. representative of city, a visitor would take Torontonians as feeble-minded
  432. as well as feeble-bodied.
  433.  
  434.  Enough. This is winter. This is Canada.
  435.  
  436. You see, when it comes down to it, we can deal with these parky conditions
  437. in one of three ways:
  438.  
  439.   1. Complain. Wish things were different but do nothing about it.
  440.   2. Ignore. Insulate yourself from current conditions and carry on in
  441.      isolation.
  442.   3. Embrace. Modify your actions to make the most of the environment, and
  443.      change as it changes.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  444. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/54ddf7b3e4b018ea61d13ba8/1423833015662/" data-image-dimensions="2500x1321" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="54ddf7b3e4b018ea61d13ba8" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/54ddf7b3e4b018ea61d13ba8/1423833015662/?format=1000w" />
  445.  
  446.  
  447.  
  448. <p>-25<span>'</span>C flashing&nbsp;on the car dashboard always heralds&nbsp;a fresh start to the day, but the cool temperature didn’t deter the hardy souls I saw jogging as I drove out for my morning coffee.</p><p>Yet, if the comments of dial-in listeners on the morning news show were representative of my city, a visitor would take Torontonians as feeble-minded as well as feeble-bodied.</p><p>“Imprisoned” or “undead” were two common words used by vocal locals to describe the grip winter had on their bodies and psyche.</p><p>&nbsp;Enough. This is winter. This is Canada.</p><p>And while there are genuine concerns for the elderly and homeless, the community and city are geared to give support.</p><p>Plus, if you wish to prevent the salt from ruinating your expensive leather brogues, you have the option walk within the 19 miles of underground pedestrian walkways beneath the city streets. According to the Guinness book of world records, Toronto has the largest underground shopping area in the world.</p><p>But is there is group who accept the conditions, and hug them to their emotional and physical advantage. Some decide to exercise in empty car parks in preference to the gym. Others snow-shoe in the park or skate at the village outdoor rink. A few make the most of the wintry snow blanket and brilliant blue skies to take some extraordinary photographs.&nbsp;</p><p>You see, when it comes down to it, we can deal with these parky conditions in one of three ways:</p><ol><li><strong>Complain</strong>. Wish things were different but do nothing about it.</li><li><strong>Ignore</strong>. Insulate yourself from current conditions and carry on in isolation.</li><li><strong>Embrace</strong>. Modify your actions to make the most of the environment, and change as it changes.</li></ol><p>I’ve seen the equivalent behaviours in organisations, and lest you think there is a correlation between between outlook and management, there isn’t.&nbsp;</p><p>I know a fair few senior leaders hunker down and hibernate in the hope things will be better tomorrow, and a fair few underlings who had made delicious, nutritious omelettes out of broken eggs.</p><p>Strategy, like life, is often less about wishing where you’d like to be, and more about making the most of where you are.</p><p>Sure I’d like to be diving somewhere off the Caribbean. But I’m here, not there.</p><p>And now, I’m donning a warm jacket, thick boots to grab a coffee and some vitamin D, and a lunchtime skate with friends.</p><figure>
  449.  <blockquote>
  450.    <span>&#147;</span>If it is to be, it is up to me<span>&#148;</span>
  451.  </blockquote>
  452.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Tommy Hafey</figcaption>
  453. </figure>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/54ddf792e4b08b101480dd67/1424034310726/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="793"><media:title type="plain">Is the glass half empty or half frozen?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Which would you rather be&#x2014;a perfect leader or a successful one?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2015 21:53:41 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/1/30/which-would-you-rather-bea-perfect-leader-or-a-successful-one</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:54cbfac5e4b0c43a6a5dbc65</guid><description>Winston Churchill was buried 50 years ago today and throughout the week,
  454. revisionist journalists have gleefully (and no doubt remuneratively) been
  455. picking over his bones in the UK press.  
  456.  
  457. Churchill was out of sync with the social changes in Britain in almost each
  458. of the decades he lived. So how does someone with that track record end up
  459. as being the only commoner in the 20th Century to have a State Funeral in
  460. St Paul’s?
  461.  
  462. Because he was successful, not perfect</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  463. <img class="thumb-image" alt="© BBC " data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/54cbfaf6e4b05db5c14cd323/1422654203971/Churchill+Microphone.jpeg" data-image-dimensions="2500x1130" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="54cbfaf6e4b05db5c14cd323" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/54cbfaf6e4b05db5c14cd323/1422654203971/Churchill+Microphone.jpeg?format=1000w" />
  464.  
  465. <p>© BBC&nbsp;</p>
  466.  
  467.  
  468. <p><span>Winston Churchill was buried 50 years ago today and throughout the week, revisionist journalists have gleefully (and no doubt remuneratively) been picking over his bones in the UK press.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“Churchill was an imperfect man” is the tune that unites the presenters, and the supporting narrative is compelling. Churchill was out of sync with the social changes in Britain in almost each of the decades he lived.&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li><span>He failed to recognise the increasing appetite the working classes had for influencing their own destiny, and when they decided to demonstrate this by withdrawing their labour, Churchill, as Home Secretary, responded perhaps too eagerly, by using troops rather than the national police force.</span></li><li><span>He wavered on giving women the vote when he was Home Secretary in 1910, and though he voted for universal suffrage in 1917, his early equivocation has damned him.</span></li><li><span>He was an active proponent of the catastrophic Dardanelles offensive in 1915 which lead to the death of 56,000 troops.</span></li><li><span><span>Top this off with a personality which continually sought to be centre stage, and reputation of an extravagant lifestyle (he drank 2 pints of Champagne per day), and you can see how he might have been side-lined from mainstream politics and forced to endure his, “wilderness years.”</span></span></li></ul><p><span>So how does someone with that track record end up as being the only commoner in the 20</span><span>th</span><span> Century to have a State Funeral in St Paul’s?</span></p><p><span>In May 1940, the context changed; Churchill’s characteristics and capabilities, the irritating and infuriating weaknesses that had marked the previous 3 decades, became potent leadership skills.</span></p><figure>
  469.  <blockquote>
  470.    <span>&#147;</span>I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial...<span>&#148;</span>
  471.  </blockquote>
  472.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; W S Churchill</figcaption>
  473. </figure><p><span>For a period of 5 years, Churchill united a country. In addition, and this is a point often overlooked and undervalued, he lead a diverse cabinet which though disparate in views, remained collaborative and mostly collegial until the end of the war.</span></p><p><span>Then, at general election in July 1945, two months after VE day and with an approval rating of 83%, Churchill’s Conservative Party lost in a landslide victory to Labour.</span></p><p><span>A change in context once again changed Churchill’s strengths to weaknesses.</span></p><p><span>But his success for that 5 year period has dominated, rightly or wrongly, our perception of him as a Great Man.</span></p><p><span>So what can this teach us?</span></p><p><span>I think three things:</span></p><ol><li><p><span>Find or make the context or situations that allow you to exploit your strengths rather than trying to backfill your weaknesses.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Once you understand the nature of the challenge or objective facing you, recruit the support of others whose skills are such that the collective strength compensates for the individual weaknesses</span></p></li><li><p><span>Rejoice in&nbsp;being successful, not perfect.</span></p></li></ol><p><span>Let’s chose a more modern example</span></p><p><span>Steve Jobs was not perfect but he was successful. But he positively bloomed&nbsp;when he surrounded himself with people who were diverse in talent but united in purpose. Jobs had the Vision, Ives converted this tangible product, and Cook had the detailed control to make it happen—profitably.</span></p><p><span>For practical application on how to become a successful leader, participate in the workshop, <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-leadership">A Human’s Guide to Leadership.&nbsp;</a></span></p><p><span>Work with the grain of human nature, not against it.</span></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/54cbfac5e4b0c43a6a5dbc65/1422695923438/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="678"><media:title type="plain">Which would you rather be&#x2014;a perfect leader or a successful one?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Gaining customer insight that is quick, actionable and inexpensive</title><category>Customer R&amp;D®</category><category>Branding</category><category>Complexity</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2015 18:12:44 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2015/1/20/gaining-customer-insight-that-is-quick-actionableand-inexpensive</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:54be97cee4b0121e42a7026a</guid><description> “How can I get customer insight that is actionable?” Don't rely on that
  474. thick, industry-sponsored report for easy answers.
  475.  
  476. Most market and customer research are too turgid, too long and too
  477. expensive. Very few give easily accessible actionable output.  I use a
  478. method  which addresses some of the limitations
  479.  
  480. The philosophy here is to drive continuous input to fuel
  481. continuous improvement —and to do with customer involvement. This means you
  482. can have innovation but at lower risk and lower cost.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/117121900?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1920" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="Gaining quick, actionable customer insight" height="1080"></iframe><p><span>I am often asked by executives, “How can I get customer insight that is actionable?”</span></p><p><span>And then, “how do I know if the actions I am taking in response to the customer insight are having the desired effect without having to wait 6 months for the next survey?”</span></p><p><span><strong>Too much, too late, too costly</strong></span></p><p><span>These questions highlight the four main problems which bog down the effectiveness of most customer experience research.</span></p><ol><li><span>It is expensive and infrequent. Survey are usually conducted every 6 to 12 months otherwise they becomes burdensome and expensive.&nbsp;</span></li><li><span>It takes too long to complete: With an average of 30 questions most response rates are typically in the 20-25% range and usually completed by the customers who’s voices are of the least interest.&nbsp;</span></li><li><span>There is no obvious link for the customer between their input and an improvement in their experience. When customers ask, “what’s in it for me?” it is difficult to give a meaningful response.&nbsp;</span></li><li><span>There is often&nbsp;dependency on an expert to interpret the data. Many research methods rely on one person or small group to interpret your customers data on your behalf. This approach is expensive and places a layer between the customer and the executive.</span></li></ol><p><span><strong>Continuous capture&nbsp;fuels continuous improvement</strong></span></p><p><span>I use a method &nbsp;which addresses some of the limitations I’ve just listed. An example can be found in the video above.</span></p><p><span>The philosophy here is to drive continuous improvement and to do with customer involvement. This means you can have innovation but at lower risk and lower cost.</span></p><p><span>I call it taking the guesswork out of growth.</span></p><p><span>For more information on this method or for case studies on its application, please send me request at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></span></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/54be97cee4b0121e42a7026a/1421786568653/1500w/More+like+this+.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="844"><media:title type="plain">Gaining customer insight that is quick, actionable and inexpensive</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>S1 E6: This I have learnt&#x2014;The Not-for-profit, Ms Cari DeSantis</title><category>This I have learnt</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:46:27 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/12/17/s1-e6-this-i-have-learntthe-not-for-profit-ms-cari-desantis</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:54917850e4b00ada950df965</guid><description>This interview is a cracker. It powerful, uplifting and
  483. heartening—especially if you are a woman in the workplace.
  484.  
  485. While those of us who work in business occasionally complain about
  486. challenging market conditions or a lack of resources, these are nothing
  487. compared to the difficulties and restrictions endured by some
  488. not-for-profits.
  489.  
  490. A poor decision in commerce might result to a disgruntled customer, a poor
  491. decision in a not-for-profit could destroy the life of a child, with
  492. similar consequences to the employees involved.  
  493.  
  494. Those of us in business have much to learn from those in such
  495. circumstances.
  496.  
  497. Cari DeSantis has brought about innovation change in some of the toughest
  498. jobs,and shares lessons learnt in this episode.
  499.  
  500. Finally, she has an uplifting message of young women entering work today.
  501.  
  502. I hope you enjoy the programme.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/113625492?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1280" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="S1 E6: This I have learnt—The Not-for-profit, Ms Cari DeSantis" height="720"></iframe><p><span>While those of us who work in business occasionally complain about challenging market conditions or a lack of resources, these are nothing compared to the difficulties and restrictions endured by some not-for-profits.</span></p><p><span>And while a poor decision in commerce might result to a disgruntled customer, a poor decision in a not-for-profit could destroy the life of a child, with similar consequences to the employees involved.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Imagine. Diminishing resources combined with the fear of getting things wrong. Just the environment with the need for continuous innovation and refinement is required. Just the environment where it is least welcome.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The well of motivation has to be deep in order to cope with stresses of leadership in those circumstances.</span></p><p><span>And today's guest, Cari DeSantis, has thrived and made a huge difference.</span></p><p><span>Cari is the CEO of Melwood, a Washington DC based services business whose 800 employees have some form of disability. She has also been Cabinet Secretary providing Services to Childen, Youth and their Families as well as running for public office.</span></p><p><span>Her public service is founded on strong values, but it’s application is realistic and pragmatic. This ensures things get done.</span></p><p><span>Finally, Cari has a tremendous message for young women of today.&nbsp;</span><span>I hope you enjoy the programme.</span></p><p><span>This is the last in the present series of This I Have Learnt. The Second series begins in February 2015. Should you have any nominees you wish to see in the Series, please send your recommendations to <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></span></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/54917850e4b00ada950df965/1422100415026/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="838"><media:title type="plain">S1 E6: This I have learnt&#x2014;The Not-for-profit, Ms Cari DeSantis</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Can your team deliver innovation? Find out with my Christmas Gift to you.</title><category>Culture</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2014 21:57:11 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/12/16/can-your-team-deliver-innovation-find-out-with-my-christmas-gift-to-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5490a28ee4b03b7e738b3c02</guid><description>Are you hop-skipping delightfully from one good idea to another but never
  503. getting things done? Or are you perfecting the present, making a great
  504. sailing ship while the rest of the world moves to steam?
  505.  
  506. I have seen businesses that are so innovative, nothing ever gets completed.
  507. They flounder as they flail excitedly from one awesome idea to another.
  508. They may not run out ideas, but do they do run out of cash.
  509.  
  510. Conversely, I have worked with highly adaptive organisations who grow,
  511. painstakingly, by tweaking past successes. They make few mistakes, but one
  512. day they end up with perfect sailing ship, while the rest of the world has
  513. moved to steam.
  514.  
  515. The Holy Grail is, of course, Delivered Innovation. This requires the best
  516. of both approaches but each extreme often sees the worst of each other thus
  517. making mutual collaboration difficult.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  518. <img class="thumb-image" alt="How does your business grow: Through Adaption or Innovation?" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5490a300e4b0eb8067236ce9/1418765062104/Delivered+Innovation.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2048x1082" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5490a300e4b0eb8067236ce9" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5490a300e4b0eb8067236ce9/1418765062104/Delivered+Innovation.jpg?format=1000w" />
  519.  
  520. <p>How does your business grow: Through Adaption or Innovation?</p>
  521.  
  522.  
  523. <p>For the past 20 years I have been helping Executives take the guesswork out of business growth. &nbsp;</p><p>I have seen businesses that are so innovative, nothing ever gets completed. They flounder as they flail excitedly from one awesome idea to another. They may not run out ideas, but do they do run out of cash.</p><p>Conversely, I have worked with highly adaptive organisations who grow, painstakingly, by tweaking past successes. They make few mistakes, but one day they end up with perfect sailing ship, while the rest of the world has moved to steam.</p><p>The Holy Grail is, of course, Delivered Innovation. This requires the best of both approaches but each extreme often sees the worst of each other thus making mutual collaboration difficult.</p><ul><li>Those who are more <strong>innovative</strong> see their more adaptive colleagues as stuffy, un-enterprising and resistant to change.</li><li>Alternatively, the more <strong>adaptive</strong> see the more innovative as <span>Abrasive, insensitive and unaware of the havoc that he/she is creating.</span></li></ul><p><span>To deliver innovation, teams need to value (not tolerate) diversity in the context of the problem to be solved. The first step is to discovery the problem-solving style preferences of team members. The second step is to&nbsp;agree how these preferences could be used to deliver greater business value, more quickly and at lower personal stress.</span></p><p><span>The best tool I have used to discover problem-solving style preference is the KAI inventory. It is a 33 item questionnaire, takes 15 mins to complete, is available online in a number of languages, and comes with a detailed feedback booklet.&nbsp;</span><span>As part of my mission of encouraging individuals to fully exploit their strengths, I am giving away 50 KAI’s for Christmas.</span></p><p><span>Here’s the deal.</span></p><p><span>Send me a request by clicking this <a href="mailto:[email protected]">link</a>. You will then receive log-in details and background information on how to complete the KAI.</span></p><p><span>KAI’s will be given away&nbsp;on a first come, first served basis, and distribution is&nbsp;limited to 4 per organisation or business unit. </span></p><p><span>The offer closes 15</span><span>th</span><span> January 2015.</span></p><p><span>Merry Christmas.</span></p><p><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5490a28ee4b03b7e738b3c02/1418767727764/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="792"><media:title type="plain">Can your team deliver innovation? Find out with my Christmas Gift to you.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>S1 E5: This I have learnt&#x2014;The Soldier, Colonel Donald Pudney</title><category>Culture R&amp;D®</category><category>This I have learnt</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2014 02:14:47 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/11/6/s1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:545c2601e4b043f3abfad366</guid><description>What can life under fire teach you about setting priorities and leading
  524. others?
  525.  
  526. Quite a lot it seems. It has helped Colonel Donald lead a successful and
  527. stimulating life. 
  528.  
  529. Some may have a successful career in the military, others in the public
  530. sector or many more in a business career. There are a rare few,  such as
  531. our guest Colonel Donald Pudney, who have excelled in all three. 
  532.  
  533. He has lived in war zones for extended periods, been head of a civil
  534. service, and a director of several prominent organisations. He has valuable
  535. lessons to share.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/111168072?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1280" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="S1 E5: This I have learnt—The Soldier, Colonel Donald Pudney" height="720"></iframe><p>What can life under fire teach you about setting priorities and leading others?</p><p>Quite a lot it seems. It has helped Colonel Donald lead a successful and stimulating life.&nbsp;</p><p>Some may have a successful career in the military, others in the public sector or many more in a business career. There are a rare few, &nbsp;such as our guest Colonel Donald Pudney, who have&nbsp;excelled in all three.&nbsp;</p><p>He has lived in war zones for extended periods, been head of a civil service, and a director of several prominent organisations.</p><p>A full life indeed and yet, comfortably into his late 80’s, his appetite for life is undiminished and his curiosity about the world is still running at full tilt. The camera only hints at the zest he possesses.</p><p>He is a successful survivor. He has useful lessons to share.</p><p>Remember, if you have any candidates for the series, "This I have learnt", please email the details to <a href="http:[email protected]">me</a>.</p><p>I hope you enjoy the conversation.</p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/545c2601e4b043f3abfad366/1415326753414/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="295" height="166"><media:title type="plain">S1 E5: This I have learnt&#x2014;The Soldier, Colonel Donald Pudney</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Why do we speak English&#x2014;even when we don't want to?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:57:41 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/10/30/why-do-we-speak-englisheven-when-we-dont-want-to</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:54529cefe4b0fd4cc64ba5c1</guid><description>Leaders in organisations have two key roles: 
  536.  
  537.   1. Defining the common problems for the group to solve; some call this
  538.      strategy
  539.   2. Reducing the barriers to collaboration so the group can solve the
  540.      chosen problem for mutual benefit: some call this Culture.
  541.  
  542. This first is the glamor-puss getting all the attention but it is the
  543. second, Culture, which is the real powerhouse.
  544.  
  545. But few know how to harness and lead this part of leadership; it is too
  546. messy, too abstract, too human. That's about to change. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  547. <img class="thumb-image" alt="The Roots of Languages" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5452a3d3e4b045a3f1ebb19c/1414702040064/The+Roots+of+Languages" data-image-dimensions="1250x1762" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5452a3d3e4b045a3f1ebb19c" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5452a3d3e4b045a3f1ebb19c/1414702040064/The+Roots+of+Languages?format=1000w" />
  548.  
  549.  
  550.  
  551. <p>Next week I start a short series answering the question, “What is Culture?”&nbsp;</p><p>I will offer a workable definition, and explore the relationship between Culture and strategy, and Culture and Leadership. I will also show how Culture can be measured qualitatively and quantitatively, and how you can shape the Culture of your team, organisation or community over time.</p><p>I will also review the consequences of ignoring Culture when generating and attempting to implement a strategy.</p><p>My definition of Culture will be rooted in the concept of Humankind as problem-solving leaders.&nbsp;</p><p>As a preamble to the series on Culture, I am providing a short refresher of the ‘problem-solving leadership’ concept.</p><ul><li>Humans are problem-solvers. Unlike other species, we are not especially adapted to our environment, so we adapt our environment to suit us.</li><li>This activity, and its consequences, are so complex that no one individual can solve every problem.&nbsp;</li><li>We have to collaborate in the form of pairs, teams, organisations, communities and countries in order to survive and thrive.</li><li>To encourage collaboration for mutual benefit, the barriers to collaboration have to be minimised, and the return on the collaboration has to be maximised.</li><li>A common language greatly reduces barriers to collaboration by allowing those in the team to be clear on the problem to be resolved.&nbsp;</li><li>This permits each member to determine how she or he can contribute the resolution of the problem for overall and individual benefit.</li></ul><p>For example. I was working with a pair of engineers on the construction of Chlorine complex in Asia. One engineer was Bengali, the other Finnish. This pair was a diverse linguistically as they were geographically. Their two native languages had no common vocabulary or common grammatical structure (see infographic).</p><p>On this basis they would had to have to exploit their respective engineering expertise through ugh’s, argh’s and facial expressions. A sub-optimal, high-risk process to design and deliver a Chlorine complex.</p><p>But a common language, in this case, English, gives each individual a stage upon they can demonstrate the value of their personal problem-solving capability to the group.</p><p>Social acclamation of your problem-solving capability is a huge contributor to ones self-esteem. The lack of recognition is at the root of the depression of the unemployed.</p><p>The Ancients recognised the power of collaborative problem-solving groups and knew how to dismantle them if they became threatening.</p><p>In Genesis, the post-Flood survivors formed one large problem-solving group, easing collaboration through a common language,</p><figure>
  552.  <blockquote>
  553.    <span>&#147;</span>And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.<span>&#148;</span>
  554.  </blockquote>
  555.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Genesis Ch 11  v 6</figcaption>
  556. </figure><p>With this expanded problem-solving capability, the people decided to build a tower, the Tower of Babel, toward Heaven.</p><p>Finding this a little threatening, God’s response was to</p><figure>
  557.  <blockquote>
  558.    <span>&#147;</span>confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.<span>&#148;</span>
  559.  </blockquote>
  560.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Genesis Ch 11 v 7</figcaption>
  561. </figure><p>Thereby concomitantly dismantling the Tower and the problem-solving group.</p><p>Leaders in organisations have two key roles:&nbsp;</p><p>1. Strategy: Defining the common problems for the group to solve;</p><p>2. Culture: Reducing the barriers to collaboration so the group can solve the problem for mutual benefit</p><p>The first of these is the glamorous darling of the business press. It is intellectual, easy to see, measure and present. It is the easier to do.&nbsp;</p><p>The second is tougher, messier, unpredictable and human. But understanding Culture is the starting point to understanding barriers to collaboration and how they can be removed.&nbsp;</p><p>This is the essence of effective implementation.</p><p>It is the toughest half of leadership and one will examine more deeply in the series, "What is Culture?"</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/54529cefe4b0fd4cc64ba5c1/1414703036592/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1250" height="1762"><media:title type="plain">Why do we speak English&#x2014;even when we don't want to?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Bead-counting alone doesn’t tell the story</title><category>Leadership</category><category>Culture R&amp;D®</category><category>Culture</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2014 22:36:51 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/10/10/bead-counting-alone-doesnt-tell-the-story</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5437e7bde4b0498a3e39fe62</guid><description>The leader had self-esteem.
  562.  
  563. Contrary to popular belief, many business managers lack self-esteem; they
  564. are fearful of dissent and it bursts through their leadership style and
  565. binds the psyche of the organisation. 
  566.  
  567. Here are some tell-tale signs. If you see a large organisation that;
  568.  
  569.    * was once a leader but is devoid of competitive advantage
  570.    * is diverse in population but not in thinking
  571.    * hails investors yet hides from customers
  572.    * tries to control rather than shape the future
  573.    * put numbers before narrative</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  574. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Young patient, Chichester Hospital" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/544046b5e4b0b8e2e81b5732/1413498550254/" data-image-dimensions="628x443" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="544046b5e4b0b8e2e81b5732" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/544046b5e4b0b8e2e81b5732/1413498550254/?format=1000w" />
  575.  
  576. <p>Young patient, Chichester Hospital</p>
  577.  
  578.  
  579. <p>I had &nbsp;a “craic’ing” time in Liverpool last week.</p><p>As someone with a passion for the sea, and interested in industry and history, it is pleasurable to spend time in place which brings all three together.&nbsp;</p><p>Sadly, Liverpool’s industrial record is also largely historical. In common with other cities that flourished during the industrial revolution, the shift from manufacturing to a service-based industries in the UK yanked the economic rug from under the city’s feet. Jobs left, crime arrived, the wealthy departed. At the of the 20th century, the city lolled. The once gorgeous Georgian townhouses overlooking the port epitomised the decline; broken windows staring out like the eye sockets of a Hamletian skull</p><p>But the Liver bird is replacing the Phoenix, and the city is rising again. Property developers have invested heavily and Liverpool is the third most visited city in the UK. Plans are underway for further development along the River Mersey with Shanghai as the model.</p><p>But commercial re-birth will be stunted if the progeny are mostly fashion stores and coffee shops. To thrive, local companies need to generate value which they can exploit far beyond their immediate hinterland. Last week I worked with one such company, local in its roots, global in its operation.&nbsp;</p><p>The experience was fizzingly refreshing. And here’s why.&nbsp;</p><p>The leader had self-esteem.</p><p>At this development event we had a selection of the 50 executives, and the leader was an active participant. Now I’ve run courses where the CEO decides to be with ‘the tribe,’ and her or his physical presence often dampens deep discourse. This results in mumblings during the day, and rumblings in the bar at night.&nbsp;</p><p>How invigorating, therefore, to find a CEO who has inculcated a culture of openness and honesty, and thus allowed forthright discussions around people, culture, customers and businesses.&nbsp;</p><p>Contrary to popular belief, many business managers lack self-esteem; they are fearful of dissent, and it bursts through their leadership style and binds the psyche of the organisation.&nbsp;</p><p>Here are some tell-tale signs. If you see a large organisation that;</p><ul><li>was once a leader but is devoid of competitive advantage</li><li>is diverse in population but not in thinking</li><li>hails investors yet hides from customers</li><li>tries to control rather than shape the future</li><li>put numbers before narrative</li></ul><p>then you have senior leadership with lacks self-esteem.</p><p>Numbers before narrative?</p><p>Yes. As I was reminded earlier this week, the highest performing, most successful leaders start with narrative then move to the numbers.&nbsp;</p><p>Why?&nbsp;</p><p>Because the key questions in business (where will we play, how will we compete, what is our business model) are answered first by narrative.&nbsp;</p><p>Narrative sets the context for analysis.</p><p>It is narrative, not numbers, which recruit others to our cause.</p><p>Here is a case in point.</p><p>In 2004, Jean Baruch started a programme, Beads for Courage, at a children’s oncology department in Phoenix, Arizona. A child would receive a bead for every medical intervention, and the form and colour of the bead would represent the detail of the intervention. See below. The initiative is now deployed in 60 children’s hospitals across the world.</p><p>Certainly, we can lay out the number of patients, the frequency and type of treatment and perhaps some measure of their discomfort or pain each intervention has caused by auditing the number and style of the beads.&nbsp;</p>
  580. <img class="thumb-image" alt="beads-of-courage.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/544046efe4b0104bb7578f53/1413498609804/beads-of-courage.jpg" data-image-dimensions="557x725" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="544046efe4b0104bb7578f53" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/544046efe4b0104bb7578f53/1413498609804/beads-of-courage.jpg?format=1000w" />
  581.  
  582.  
  583.  
  584. <p>But this data, neatly formatted and tabbed doesn't tell the story. No doubt it helps in planning and allocating resources but it doesn’t answer questions.&nbsp;</p><p>Jean Baruch didn’t start the initiative so that the planners could budget resources. She did it so that children could tell the story of their journey. This gave sense and purpose to hospital staff who, in turn, planned the most effective use of the resources.&nbsp;</p><p>In tough times, you need fortitude, resolve and self-esteem to look at the necklace first before counting the beads.</p><figure>
  585.  <blockquote>
  586.    <span>&#147;</span>Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.<span>&#148;</span>
  587.  </blockquote>
  588.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Peter T. McIntyre</figcaption>
  589. </figure>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5437e7bde4b0498a3e39fe62/1413499101902/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="628" height="443"><media:title type="plain">Bead-counting alone doesn’t tell the story</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Why do businesses continually enter races they can't win?</title><category>Culture R&amp;D®</category><category>Culture</category><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2014 10:48:34 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/10/3/0erp1hzs12hh32oeabzzpqg73evhuz</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:542e76ede4b0072a396ceb10</guid><description>Last week both Dennis Kimetto and I were in Germany. I was there to conduct
  590. a Problem-Solving Leadership workshop, and Kimetto was there to run a
  591. marathon. And though my programme went well, it was Kimetto’s performance
  592. that made the newspapers. 
  593.  
  594. Dennis broke the marathon world record in Berlin by completing the course
  595. in 2:02:57, beating the previous record by almost 30 seconds.
  596.  
  597. This is a remarkable feat, but remarkable feats in distance running are not
  598. uncommon within Kimetto’s, Kalenjin tribe of Kenya. Their five million
  599. members have won an incredible 40% of the major international distance
  600. races since 1980. 
  601.  
  602. Let’s put this into context: There are 17 American men in history who have
  603. run under 2:10 in the marathon. There were 32 Kalenjin men who did it in
  604. October 2011.
  605.  
  606. What is the secret of their success, and what can it teach organisations?</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  607. <img class="thumb-image" alt="What race can I win? The 'marathon' legs of the Kalenjin" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/542e7cd2e4b036aff2ab1483/1412332755607/Kalenjin+runners" data-image-dimensions="1200x627" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="542e7cd2e4b036aff2ab1483" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/542e7cd2e4b036aff2ab1483/1412332755607/Kalenjin+runners?format=1000w" />
  608.  
  609. <p>What race can I win? The 'marathon' legs of the&nbsp;<span>Kalenjin</span></p>
  610.  
  611.  
  612. <p><span>Last week both </span><span>Dennis Kimetto and I were in Germany. I was there to conduct a Problem-Solving Leadership workshop, and Kimetto was there to run a marathon. And though my programme went well, it was Kimetto’s performance that made the newspapers.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Dennis broke the marathon world record in Berlin by completing the course in </span>2:02:57, beating the previous record by almost 30 seconds.</p><p>This pace is the equivalent to running 100 metres in 17.4 seconds, a time comfortably within the range of most athletic club sprinters. Except, of course, Kimetto maintained this pace for the equivalent of 420 sprints without rest. A remarkable feat.</p><p>But remarkable feats in distance running are not uncommon within Kimetto’s, Kalenjin tribe of Kenya. Their five million members have won an incredible 40% of the major international distance races since 1980.&nbsp;</p><p>Let’s put this into context: There are 17 American men in history who have run under 2:10 in the marathon. There were 32 Kalenjin men who did it in October 2011.</p><p>So while Gladwell’s “10,000 hours” might ring true with certain aspects of individual skill development, exploiting your genetic or cultural predilection for tasks, activities or competitions is the lower investment, higher return path to take.</p><p>The trend in running research suggests it is better to run with more emphasis on the toes, and to wear minimalist footwear. In contrast Kimetto has a pronounced heel strike and he wears cushioned shoes with a 10 mm from heel height to toe. &nbsp;</p><p>So, even if the new wisdom is correct on the Savannah, they may not be right on the road, and Kimetto's talent overwhelms these minor factors. Being clear on context and capability is crucial. This is an important lesson for organisations.</p><p>As an athlete, you would assess the nature of your talent, its competitiveness at against others, and choose your event and the level of competitiveness of the race accordingly.</p><p>Yet, surprisingly, few businesses undertake a qualitative and quantitative assessment of their organisation before signing up for the big event. Some sprinting organisations perform admirably at the beginning of the 1500m, but end the race in the pack. Marathon runners clack each of the hurdles in the 200m, causing injury and rancour, but hack on through bloody-minded determination.</p><p>Clarity on your genetic disposition should be a pre-requisite to any generation strategy process. A little investment gives much pleasure and avoids tears.&nbsp;</p><p>Is your organisation disposed to win a marathon or be first in the sprint? Find out by requesting your two minute audit tool, <a href="mailto:[email protected]">Show me the Culture™</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/542e76ede4b0072a396ceb10/1412333403877/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1200" height="627"><media:title type="plain">Why do businesses continually enter races they can't win?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>The sands in China are shifting</title><category>Culture</category><category>Leadership</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 26 Sep 2014 14:28:30 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/9/26/the-sands-in-china-are-shifting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:542576e6e4b05507f3ecde93</guid><description>This week I conducted a leadership workshop in China’s largest and most
  613. prosperous city, Shanghai. It has been five years since I last visited the
  614. city, and there have been two dramatic change in that period.
  615.  
  616. Dizzyingly tall towers continue to shoot up at a rapid pace. Globally,
  617. Chinese contractors are now the masters of modular construction of these
  618. structures, and cosmetically at least, the results are impressive. But the
  619. quality of the electrical, plumbing and mechanical is far below the
  620. sophistication of the outer casing. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  621. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Jinshan beack" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/542577dbe4b070e908067143/1411741659846/Jinshan+beack" data-image-dimensions="800x416" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="542577dbe4b070e908067143" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/542577dbe4b070e908067143/1411741659846/Jinshan+beack?format=1000w" />
  622.  
  623.  
  624.  
  625. <p> </p><p>This week I conducted a leadership workshop in China’s largest and most prosperous city, Shanghai. It has been five years since I last visited the city, and there have been two dramatic change in that period.</p><p>Dizzyingly tall towers continue to shoot up at a rapid pace. Globally, Chinese contractors are now the masters of modular construction of these structures, and cosmetically at least, the results are impressive. But the quality of the electrical, plumbing and mechanical is far below the sophistication of the outer casing.&nbsp;</p><p>I am told that there is a direct correlation between the desirability of an apartment buildings and the speed with which the landlord replaces broken fitments. Websites have arisen where tenants record such data and perceptions, and these are now used by landlords to aid in their pricing strategies.</p><p>Construction growth is a continuing trend, but my other observation indicating shifting sands under the controlled economy.&nbsp;</p><p>The people of China are opening their wallets and opening up their mouths.&nbsp;</p><p>China has a growing middle-class, and they are both spending and talking. While there has been a concentration of wealth in the major cities for some time, there is now an increasing display of disposable income in the neighbouring districts.&nbsp;</p><p>On this trip I stayed in Jinshan, a seaside town a couple of hours south of Shanghai. Five years ago, most inhabitants promenaded along the front in work uniforms, or &nbsp;drab clothes drawn from a limited colour palette. &nbsp;</p><p>This Sunday past, the 18-25 years wore styles and brands that would have matched those of their modestly wealthy counterparts in Berlin, Manchester or Boston. The penetration rate of sunglass usage exceeded 20%, and sunglasses usage rate is, for me, a leading indicator of commercial confidence in the economy.</p><p>Additionally, for the first time in the smaller cities, I heard criticism about the Government. But these were not grumbles about civil liberties and increasing surveillance. These gripes were about the economy, and they would seem familiar to those who live in the West:</p><ul><li>Factories are moving to other countries such as India and Vietnam where the labour rates are cheaper.&nbsp;</li><li>Businesses who borrowed heavily on the expectation of continued high growth rates are squeezed from three directions. Cheap loans are less available, growth rates have declined so less cash is coming in, and employees are demanding higher wages.</li><li>Pollution of air, food and water are cited reasons why &nbsp;potential parents decide against a family.&nbsp;</li><li>Government officials are levied lower tax rates, preferential housing opportunities, and receive higher pensions than their equivalents in the private sector.</li></ul><p>But this is progress. Airing these issues will lead to their resolution, and an indication that China is really starting to open up. A further measure of the increasing openness of Chinese society is the build up of return immigration by overseas Chinese, professionals and students. In 2012 272,900 overseas students came back, an increase of 46.57 per cent compared with 2011.</p><p>It seems that most people want the same thing for their families, regardless of ‘culture.’</p><p>They want:</p><ul><li>safety and security</li><li>education for their children</li><li>jobs</li><li>time for themselves, family and friends</li></ul><p>Government is still incredibly powerful in China, and the man-made beach close to the uniform, concrete apartment buildings represented their muscle.</p><p>But, as the sun set on their day by the sea, parents would pack up the bucket-and-spade of their single child family unit, and fill a plastic back with sand so the holiday could continue at home.</p><p>The sands in China are shifting.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/542576e6e4b05507f3ecde93/1411798123723/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="800" height="416"><media:title type="plain">The sands in China are shifting</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>S1 E4: This I have learnt&#x2014;The Entrepreneur. Anthony Borg.</title><category>Leadership</category><category>This I have learnt</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2014 13:58:44 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/9/16/s1-e4-this-i-have-learntthe-entrepreneur-anthony-borg</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:541832ffe4b0a6f04e48e6bf</guid><description>The life of the entrepreneur. All goodies and glamour if you believe the
  626. business press, but these reports often avoid revealing that (at least)
  627. eight out of ten businesses fail within the first three years.
  628.  
  629. So what makes a successful entrepreneur? It seems they share three
  630. approaches:</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/106218907?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1280" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="S1 E4: This I have learnt—the Entrepreneur. Anthony Borg, Chairman (retired) AON Direct Group" height="720"></iframe><p>The life of the entrepreneur. All goodies and glamour if you believe the business press, but these reports often avoid revealing that (at least) eight out of ten businesses fail within the first three years.</p><p>So what makes a successful entrepreneur? It seems they share three approaches:</p><ol><li>They share risk with others. Certainly their appetite for risk is above average, but their risk taking is brave rather than foolhardy. Risk is mitigated and rewards are shared &nbsp;through collaboration with others. Everyone has 'skin in the game.'</li><li>They recruit and lead diverse teams. Successful entrepreneurs recruit members into a team whose skills and styles compliment but don't duplicate. They often have a diversity and energy unseen in larger organisations.</li><li>They have unshakable self-belief. Successful entrepreneurs believe that can make a difference and back themselves. They don't look to others for affirmation, they don't dither, they don't seek perfection. They seek success.</li></ol><p>Even we don't have the appetite to be an entrepreneur, these are insights we can exercise to help achieve success—not perfection.</p><figure>
  631.  <blockquote>
  632.    <span>&#147;</span>Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.  All life is an experiment.  The more experiments you make the better.  What if they are a little coarse, and you may get your coat soiled or torn?  What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice.  Up again.  You shall never be so afraid of a tumble.<span>&#148;</span>
  633.  </blockquote>
  634.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Ralph Waldo Emerson</figcaption>
  635. </figure><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1410872049116_52661"><br></p><p><br></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/541832ffe4b0a6f04e48e6bf/1410877183650/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="865"><media:title type="plain">S1 E4: This I have learnt&#x2014;The Entrepreneur. Anthony Borg.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Driving up your ROI (Really Outstanding Improvement)</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2014 21:05:08 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/8/25/driving-up-your-roi-really-outstanding-improvement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53fba2d9e4b0a52701b62897</guid><description>Had the typhus squeezed the last few ounces of life from his limpid body,
  636. Thomas Paine might have felt blessed release.
  637.  
  638. If his biography had been written soon after he was stretched off that ship
  639. in Philadelphia, he would have been deemed a failure. 
  640.  
  641. But thankfully he did survive; the works that he composed in the succeeding
  642. year, ‘Common Sense’ ‘Age of Reason’ and ‘Rights of Man’ influenced the
  643. formation and direction the current liberal democracies. Many US Presidents
  644. quote Paine’s words at their inauguration, and Napoleon is said to have
  645. carried copies of Paine’s works while on campaign.
  646.  
  647. Paine found a way, encouraged by others such Benjamin Franklin, to
  648. co-mingle his spiky personality with his grand idea of a new social order
  649. and his incredible ability to write for the ‘common man.’</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Had the typhus squeezed the last few ounces of life from his limpid body, Thomas Paine might have felt blessed release.</p><p>If his biography had been written soon after he was stretched off that ship in Philadelphia, he would have been deemed a failure.&nbsp;</p><p>By 1774, at the age of 37, he had lost one wife in childbirth, and was separated from another. His attempts at launching a career amounted to a series of flops. He had dabbled as a corset maker, a teacher, an excise officer, and a tobacconist. Prickly, opinionated and direct, he managed to rile customers, colleagues, superiors and family. &nbsp;</p><p>Had he expired on that dockside, few would have grieved his passing. And when did die, some 35 years later, only six mourners stood by the graveside.&nbsp;</p><p>But thankfully he did survive; the works that he composed in the succeeding year, ‘Common Sense’ ‘Age of Reason’ and ‘Rights of Man’ influenced the formation and direction the current liberal democracies. Many US Presidents quote Paine’s words at their inauguration, and Napoleon is said to have carried copies of Paine’s works while on campaign.</p><p>Paine found a way, encouraged by others such Benjamin Franklin, to co-mingle his spiky personality with his grand idea of a new social order and his incredible ability to write for the ‘common man.’</p><p>All of this required investment.</p><figure>
  650.  <blockquote>
  651.    <span>&#147;</span>THE CHOICE<br/><br/>The intellect of man is forced to choose<br/>
perfection of the life, or of the work,
<br/>And if it take the second must refuse<br/>
A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark.
<br/>When all that story is finished, what is the news?<br/>
In luck or out the toil has left its mark:
<br/>That old perplexity an empty purse,
<br/>Or the day’s vanity, the night’s remorse.<span>&#148;</span>
  652.  </blockquote>
  653.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; W B Yeats</figcaption>
  654. </figure><p>As Yeats points out, the choice on how we can live our lives lies upon a spectrum; at one extreme we improve the world through an all consuming pursuit of an idea; at the other pole we can improve the lives of others by being directly involved with them. Yeats believes the former comes at the cost of personal happiness. As with Paine, it may do.</p><p>But surely, &nbsp;shouldn’t our families, our colleagues, our customers, and the World all be improved as a result of the actions we have undertaken.</p><p>Based on your impact upon others, what would your ROI (Real Outstanding Improvement) be if you had to account for it now?&nbsp;</p><p>If you had only 18 months to drive it up, what would you do, and would be your measures of success?</p><p>Write that book?</p><p>Leave that job?</p><p>Confront that policy?</p><p>Spend more time with the family?</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53fba2d9e4b0a52701b62897/1422375646960/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="574" height="582"><media:title type="plain">Driving up your ROI (Really Outstanding Improvement)</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Shutting up shop shouldn't mean closing doors</title><category>Culture</category><category>Customer R&amp;D®</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 17 Aug 2014 10:49:39 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/8/17/shutting-up-shop-shouldnt-mean-closing-doors</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53f0843be4b020d5c7fc0bf6</guid><description>Stout women remove skin from your ankles with their chariots. Old men
  655. stop-and-start foot traffic abruptly as they shake hands and kiss their
  656. acquaintances. It exasperates some of the younger locals and beguiles some
  657. of the visitors, but these are prices of participation in French local
  658. markets.
  659.  
  660. Local markets have always been important in Europe and set to become even
  661. more so. And while markets have been at the heart and soul of a town, they
  662. may become its lifeblood too.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  663. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Le Marché Thiviers.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53f08643e4b0880c7d507ff8/1408271944380/Le+March%C3%A9+Thiviers.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1400x625" data-image-focal-point="0.47530864197530864,0.524822695035461" data-load="false" data-image-id="53f08643e4b0880c7d507ff8" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53f08643e4b0880c7d507ff8/1408271944380/Le+March%C3%A9+Thiviers.jpg?format=1000w" />
  664.  
  665.  
  666.  
  667. <p>Stout women remove skin from your ankles with their <em>chariots</em>. Old men stop-and-start foot traffic abruptly as they shake hands and kiss their acquaintances. It exasperates some of the younger locals and beguiles some of the visitors, but these are prices of participation in French local markets.</p><p>Local markets have always been important in Europe and set to become even more so. And while markets have been at the heart and soul of a town, they may become its lifeblood too.</p><p>Thiviers is typical French town, and representative of what is happening elsewhere in the EU. Three large supermarkets on the edge of town, each part of a large chain, have forced the closures of a number of retail outlets in the centre of town.&nbsp; Even in the faster growing economies, vacant retail space in city and town centres is growing at 5% pa. It decline would be more rapid still if were not for the proliferation of night clubs and outlets for cheap alcohol.&nbsp;</p><p>In lots of centres, the tumbleweed during the day is replaced by danger at night.</p><p>Out-of-town development appears to have peaked, which might hold the promise of some respite for the small business owner, but the rise in internet shopping seems set to maintain the pressure.</p><p>And yet.</p><p>And yet, with the right mindset,&nbsp;enterprise and ambition can find a way through. After shutting up shop but opening minds, some former retailers are making more money than ever before.</p><p>Take for example Monsieur Pétou. Formerly, Msr P ran the local butchers. He pulled down the blinds on the shop window and started participating the regional markets. He now serves six communities instead of one. &nbsp;</p><p>As a consequence of spending his time this way:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>he now spots trends faster than the local supermarkets (an influx of Belgian visitors for example) and modifies his product range (and prices) accordingly.&nbsp;</li><li>he is able to trial new products—and new pricing strategies—quickly, &nbsp;because the increase in the size of his potential consumer base&nbsp;means he can spread the risk.</li></ul><p>He is also making more money. His pricing strategies and his lower costs have doubled his total gross margin versus last year.</p><p>The town centre comes alive for the two days a week of the market. Market traders and supermarkets co-exist, but the market keeps the community together.&nbsp;</p><p>Perhaps local markets are the future of communities where local economies are weaker or urban planning have failed.&nbsp;</p><p>It just takes energy and enterprise; and the confidence to close one door and open another.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53f0843be4b020d5c7fc0bf6/1408432212266/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1400" height="625"><media:title type="plain">Shutting up shop shouldn't mean closing doors</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>S1 E3: This I have learnt&#x2014;Norris Zucchet, CEO (retired), Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries</title><category>Culture</category><category>Culture R&amp;D®</category><category>Leadership</category><category>This I have learnt</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:48:43 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/8/14/s1-e3-this-i-have-learntmorris-zucchet-ceo-retired-mount-pleasant-group-of-cemetries</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53ec83bee4b092e3d0c6a053</guid><description>Imagine having a market where demand is guaranteed (yes, guaranteed) to
  668. grow, where competition is limited, and the cost of entry is high.
  669.  
  670. Too good to be true? Maybe.
  671.  
  672. But there is a downside. Such dynamics can cause organisations to become
  673. sluggish and indifferent to innovation. After all, why should they change?
  674.  
  675. Norris Zucchet faced such conditions. It turned out to be the most
  676. demanding, exhausting and exhilarating 13 years of his career.
  677.  
  678. What did he do and what did he learn? Grab 15 mins of wisdom in this
  679. edition of 'This I have learnt.'</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/103404669?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1280" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="S1 E3: This I have learnt - Norris Zucchet, CEO (retired) Mount Pleasant Group of Cemetries" height="720"></iframe><p>Imagine having a market where demand is guaranteed (yes, guaranteed) to grow, where competition is limited, and the cost of entry is high.</p><p>Too good to be true? Maybe.</p><p>But there is a downside. Such dynamics can cause organisations to become sluggish and indifferent to innovation. After all, why should they change?</p><p>Norris Zucchet faced such conditions. It turned out to be the most demanding, exhausting and exhilarating 13 years of his career.</p><p>What did he do and what did he learn? Grab 15 mins of wisdom in this edition of <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/8/14/s1-e3-this-i-have-learntmorris-zucchet-ceo-retired-mount-pleasant-group-of-cemetries">'This I have learnt.'</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53ec83bee4b092e3d0c6a053/1422375795182/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1222" height="680"><media:title type="plain">S1 E3: This I have learnt&#x2014;Norris Zucchet, CEO (retired), Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave: Can you handle the brutal truth?</title><category>Culture R&amp;D®</category><category>Strategy</category><category>Leadership</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:23:50 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/8/7/land-of-the-free-and-the-home-of-the-brave-can-you-handle-the-brutal-truth</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53e396ebe4b0f3eb1aa003d9</guid><description>Like any patient participating in a check-up, the leadership team has to be
  680. braced for any results arising from an examination.  For some, this thought
  681. alone prevents an appointment from being made. But for those who do
  682. proceed, the feedback provides a prodigious increase in corporate
  683. confidence about future organisational health. The process lifts the
  684. fogginess on possible routes to growth.
  685.  
  686. Investigating if there's a gap between culture and strategy is unnerving
  687. for some. Participation means exposing ourselves to the brutal truth, and
  688. dealing with the consequences of the results. Our corporate bodies are no
  689. different.
  690.  
  691. We can, though, may the process more comfortable.
  692.  
  693.  
  694.  
  695.  </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  696. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Opening yourself up to investigation" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53e39711e4b0f17d9c788b9d/1407424274660/Opening+yourself+up+to+investigation" data-image-dimensions="1186x722" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="53e39711e4b0f17d9c788b9d" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53e39711e4b0f17d9c788b9d/1407424274660/Opening+yourself+up+to+investigation?format=1000w" />
  697.  
  698.  
  699.  
  700. <p>A <a target="_blank" href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/7/7/corporate-indigestion-or-what-happens-when-strategy-tries-to-eat-culture-for-breakfast">recent blog</a> exploring the link between culture and strategy has drawn much interest.&nbsp;</p><p>In that article I pointed out that comprehension of the link between your culture and your strategy would greatly enhance the success of your organisation. This, of course, requires that you have a clear picture of your culture before commencing an strategy review.</p><p>In this note I will respond to some correspondence in which I was asked two questions:</p><h3>Question 1. “How does an organisation obtain a picture of its current culture?”&nbsp;</h3><p>The best way to define the culture of organisation is to get that organisation to define it! Experts may provide tools to record your culture, but a top team should <span>not</span> rely on experts to interpret the data.&nbsp;</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Culture-RD-Field-Tool.pdf">Click here to download a &nbsp;sample Culture R&amp;D™ tool.</a> Test is it with your team. You and your peers can interpret the data in my absence. How empowering is that!</p><h3>Question 2. “Are there any pre-requisites which should be in place before undertaking such an exercise?”</h3><p>Yes. You should be prepared to deal with the result and act upon it quickly, hence the title of this post. The core team needs to be free enough to ask the questions, and brave enough to deal with the answers.</p><p>Like any patient participating in a check-up, the leadership team has to be braced for the results of the examination.&nbsp; For some, this thought alone prevents an appointment from being made. But for those who do proceed, the feedback provides a prodigious increase in corporate confidence about future organisational health. The process lifts the fogginess on possible routes to growth.</p><p>Naturally, all of us would prefer to avoid receiving bad news about our bodies. But we engage in (or should engage in), regular check-ups because we accept the procedure confirms our good health, or highlights areas that need attention if we are to thrive.&nbsp;</p><p>But participation means exposing ourselves to the brutal truth, and dealing with the consequences of the results. Our corporate bodies are no different.</p><p>Undertake the examination with your team: Bring your team together to completed <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Culture-RD-Field-Tool.pdf">this 30 minute culture assessment.</a> See if your Executive is capable of handling the brutal truth.</p><p>To be safe, limit participation to your direct reports. If you’re feeling brave, engage the layer below as well.</p><p>Share the feedback within your group and interpret your teams culture—and its consequences for strategic choices, and please feel free to share feedback with me. Larger volumes of information can be captured by an app or on the website.</p><p>Click <a target="_blank" href="http:[email protected]">here</a> to request a case study on Culture R&amp;D™ and its impact on strategy generation and implementation.</p>
  701. <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Culture-RD-Field-Tool.pdf" >
  702. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Window.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53e5eb2ce4b0f3bb3d22bc1f/1407576890052/Window.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x1272" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="53e5eb2ce4b0f3bb3d22bc1f" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53e5eb2ce4b0f3bb3d22bc1f/1407576890052/Window.jpg?format=1000w" />
  703. </a>
  704.  
  705.  
  706.  
  707. ]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53e396ebe4b0f3eb1aa003d9/1471686252204/1500w/Opening%2Byourself%2Bup%2Bto%2Binvestigation.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="609"><media:title type="plain">Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave: Can you handle the brutal truth?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Leading people is labour intensive; popping the bubble of the 4-hour work week</title><category>Culture</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 12 Jul 2014 20:07:41 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/7/12/leading-people-is-labour-intensive-popping-the-bubble-of-the-4-hour-week</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53c1900ce4b00dd6940508b8</guid><description>The 4-hour work week might be attainable if you forward orders of vitamin
  708. shipments to a third-party, or have only one employee—you. But if you are
  709. dependent on people to collaborate effectively for achievement of goal,
  710. here's the wake-up call. It takes time. In fact, the better your team and
  711. the bigger the change, the more time it requires.
  712.  
  713. Leading people is labour intensive. It takes time and energy. It requires
  714. passion for that role. If you don't have the appetite, stay away from this
  715. buffet.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  716. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Leading people is labour intensive and not always glamorous" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53c192a2e4b011c6ecfdfa33/1471686290551/" data-image-dimensions="520x300" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="53c192a2e4b011c6ecfdfa33" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53c192a2e4b011c6ecfdfa33/1471686290551/?format=1000w" />
  717.  
  718. <p>Leading people is labour intensive and not always glamorous</p>
  719.  
  720.  
  721. <p>Earlier this week I put another episode of <a target="_blank" href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/6/26/s1-e2-this-i-have-learnttom-schmidt-managing-partner-norton-mcmullin">This I have learnt</a>™ in the ‘can’</p><p>The aim of the series is to provide useful, practical insight from successful individuals who have had satisfying, productive and (often) lucrative careers.</p><p>Another key aim to engage with people who have had ‘attainable’ success, who lead a lifestyle and career within the reach of those who are gifted, committed, and hard-working. &nbsp;Already I'm starting to see a gap between 'internet-life' (how we are told we should be living) vs 'real-life' (what actually goes on.)</p><p>Obviously some may wish to emulate a Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or even a Jack Welch. But they would have to replicate the freakish circumstances in which the freakish (or more kindly, outlier) aspects of their personalities where able to flourish centre-stage. Of course, once you have a billion-in-the-bank, it seems others will tolerate freakish behaviours which would cause the rest of us to fold up our tent and camp elsewhere.&nbsp;</p><p>It will not stop some from attributing cause-and-effect between behaviours and achievement. No doubt there are mini-Steve’s in the work place (without his talent or the resources), following Jobs’ bean curd-only diet, neglecting to shower, throwing tantrums, and finishing their 55-slide powerpoint presentation on Q2 sales forecasts of garage door openers in South-Western Ohio with, “Oh, and no more thing.” Read and learn from the (authorised) biographies of business celebrities by all means, but stay grounded.</p><p>I was reminded of the gap between the portrayed and the actual lives of leaders earlier this week.</p><p>In the morning I attended a presentation by prominent business academic who proposed that a ‘good’ CEO can do his or her work in 4 hours a week. The follow-on implication being that if you can’t, then you’re a bad CEO. In the afternoon, I interviewed a CEO who had implemented two major change programmes in two large organisations, who described leading people as the most time-demanding, crucial, component in any change management programme.</p><p>The internet is replete with schemes on ‘how to have a four-hour work week.’ Usually the authors are heading up a pyramid distribution network, or selling vitamin supplements via virtual store, or taking many hours to travel around the world selling their marketing materials on ‘how to have a four-hour work week.’</p><p>Few of these evangelists are, if any, running large organisations staffed by a large volume of human beings. And here’s why:</p><p>Leading people is a labour-intensive.&nbsp;</p><p>If your strategy requires a <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/7/7/corporate-indigestion-or-what-happens-when-strategy-tries-to-eat-culture-for-breakfast">shift in corporate culture</a>, know that you are in for an exciting, sapping, thrilling 3 years of herding cats, dogs, hamsters (and all the requisite or inherited species). You will be repeating, stopping, modifying, pushing, pulling, hiring and firing and generally pulling your hair, as you try keep your organisation focused on the primary goal for the change.</p><p>To quote one CEO, “For the period of a big change, there is no work-life balance. The sooner you admit that and seek the support of your family, the better everything is. Why? Because, realistically, your workday starts when everyone else has finished. Don’t fool yourself that it can be any other way.”</p><p>The activity of leading people has to be a passion. If it isn’t, stay away.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53c1900ce4b00dd6940508b8/1471686348061/1500w/static1.squarespace.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="520" height="300"><media:title type="plain">Leading people is labour intensive; popping the bubble of the 4-hour work week</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Corporate indigestion: or what happens when strategy tries to eat culture for breakfast</title><category>Culture R&amp;D®</category><category>Strategy</category><category>Leadership</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:43:28 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/7/7/corporate-indigestion-or-what-happens-when-strategy-tries-to-eat-culture-for-breakfast</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53bb024ae4b0ae714af71ed1</guid><description>This CEO of global pharma business was never a shrinking violet. But this
  722. year, at his global Town Hall meetings he was positively pugilistic.
  723.  
  724. The strategy, wrestled for many hours on the 21st floor at Bockenheim
  725. headquarters, was failing to deliver. Well, in reality, it wasn't being
  726. implemented well enough to know if it could deliver.
  727.  
  728. The issue was crystallised for the CEO in a conversation late one evening.
  729. During post-presentation beer and sandwiches at their largest R&amp;D facility,
  730. he exasperatedly asked the Site Manager, "why aren't you implementing the
  731. strategy?" To which the long-standing, retiring-in-a-year-after-20-years of
  732. service, replied, "why don't you give us a strategy we can implement?"
  733.  
  734. There are few occasions in business when scales from the eyes, but this was
  735. one of them. In one pithy response, the consequences of a mis-match between
  736. strategy and culture had been laid a bare.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A number of years ago I accompanied the CEO of a global pharmaceutical company on his annual communication road show.</p><p>He was never a shrinking violet but he was positively pugilistic in response to this years questions. As a result, the Town Hall meetings were fizzy and bruising for all concerned.&nbsp;</p><p>The source of&nbsp; frustration was the business's lack of success in delivering the (his) corporate growth strategy. Milestones were being missed, and the projects that had been implemented successfully, were failing to deliver the expected improvements. Afraid to say it out loud,the Functional Heads would only exchange 'I told you so' glances in the thickly carpeted offices of the Executive floor.</p><p>The issue was crystallised for the CEO in a conversation late one evening. During post-presentation beer and sandwiches at their largest R&amp;D facility, he exasperatedly asked the Site Manager, "why aren't you implementing the strategy?" To which the long-standing, retiring-in-a-year-after-20-years of service, replied, "why don't you give us a strategy we can implement?"</p><p>There are few occasions in business when scales fall from the eyes, but this was one of them. In one pithy response, the consequences of a mis-match between strategy and culture had been laid a bare.</p><p>But we still persist with the corporate equivalent mind/body dualism. And although there are times with strategy and culture are rightly inspected isolation, they have been to viewed as mutually interdependent.</p><p>Ignoring this inter-dependency would the equivalent of placing a 350 lb NFL nose tackle (our culture) into an Olympic marathon (our strategy), and expecting him to beat the 123 lb record holder. But it's even more severe. We spend a lot of resources on determining how to win the race, and very little time determining our characteristics. I have seen 350 lbs business's who think they weigh 123 lb. And they wonder why their strategy exhausts them and ruins their knees!</p><p>It is, however, an oversight that can be quickly and easily overcome. It requires the application of simple tools matched with an appetite capable of ingesting some dyspeptic-inducing truth.</p><p>Let's take the pharma company in question. Compared to direct competitors, their new product pipeline was paltry. The cupboard was dry and there were miracle deliveries on their way. The situation was described by a Board Member as, "dire."</p><p>Why?</p><ul><li>The principal sales generators were soon to be losing their patent projection.&nbsp;</li><li>Investment in new products has been curtailed in the past 7 years as part of company wide cost cutting initiative—cynically interpreted as the prime method for maintained the promises to the market of year on year cash growth.&nbsp;</li><li>As a result, the underlying 'culture' of the organisation had shifted toward cost containment, and seeking operational efficiencies (the emphasis on the former)</li><li>Greater price pressure on government purchases removed any margins achieved through squeezing suppliers, delaying capital purchases or reducing research budgets.</li><li>Promised performances to the City were at risk.</li></ul><p>In a bid to pull away from the pack of competitor also-ran's (and to head off a possible call for his resignation), the CEO and Executive constructed a strategy of strong organic growth based on more rapid expansion into new markets, and new product penetration into existing sectors. All done as quickly and inexpensively as possible of course, and with guaranteed success. No surprises there.&nbsp;</p><p>But a simple audit of the corporation's culture would have told the Executive that a strategy of rapid product innovation in 12 months was undeliverable and would not yield the desired 'get of jail for free' card.&nbsp;</p><p>The strategy failed to deliver. It was indigestible by the corporate culture.</p><p>The strategy called high levels of customer-orientated product innovation. To deliver this strategy quickly, effectively, and with the highest likelihood of success, requires an externally-oriented culture, with a slight excess of resources, and comfortable with the concept of running safe-to-fail commercial experiments.</p><p>The post-mortem review with the (new) team, yielded the data-set below.</p>
  737. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Culture R&amp;D triads" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53bb03c0e4b0ae714af72185/1404765127376/Culture+R%26D+triads" data-image-dimensions="1546x1018" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="53bb03c0e4b0ae714af72185" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53bb03c0e4b0ae714af72185/1404765127376/Culture+R%26D+triads?format=1000w" />
  738.  
  739.  
  740.  
  741. <p><br></p>
  742. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Culture R&amp;D diads" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53bb03e5e4b0ae714af721cf/1404765158765/Culture+R%26D+diads" data-image-dimensions="1549x1021" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="53bb03e5e4b0ae714af721cf" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/53bb03e5e4b0ae714af721cf/1404765158765/Culture+R%26D+diads?format=1000w" />
  743.  
  744.  
  745.  
  746. <p>Clearly this organisation has a strong bias toward cost-efficiency, tight control over resources, and a high intolerance of unpredictability. It has the perfect culture for running a large volume, commodity, cash-cow business.</p><p>It is <strong>not</strong>, though, suited to implement a business plan calling for high organic growth via customer-orientated, product-driven strategy.</p><p>Of course cultures can change; but the rule of thumbs suggests this can take at least 3 years, even for organisations in crisis-mode. Strategies can be modified in months.</p><p>So the lesson seems to be this. Before you go to far down the 'strategy process' you need to be clear on your starting point.</p><ul><li>What is your culture, and, as a result,</li><li>What race are you &nbsp;best suited to win?</li></ul><p>If you don't like the answer, make sure you have plenty of resources (time, money, capabilities) to fund the necessary exercise, surgery and dieting in order to reshap your cultural body.</p><p> </p><figure>
  747.  <blockquote>
  748.    <span>&#147;</span>The great law of culture is: let each become all that he was created capable of being: expand, if possible, to his full growth; and show himself at length in his own shape and stature, be these what they may.<span>&#148;</span>
  749.  </blockquote>
  750.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Thomas Carlyle</figcaption>
  751. </figure><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1404764733455_36383"><br></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53bb024ae4b0ae714af71ed1/1471685849326/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Corporate indigestion: or what happens when strategy tries to eat culture for breakfast</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>S1 E2: This I have learnt&#x2014;Tom Schmidt, Managing Director, Norton McMullen Corporate Finance</title><category>Culture</category><category>Leadership</category><category>This I have learnt</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2014 00:17:41 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/6/26/s1-e2-this-i-have-learnttom-schmidt-managing-partner-norton-mcmullin</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53acb539e4b01a32f3dd4d91</guid><description>Large organisations are characterised by the size of their employee
  752. population. Engaging the group to co-operate for combined and individual
  753. benefits is the single largest challenge of leaders in such in an
  754. organisation. In fact, in some ways, it is the only thing they do.
  755.  
  756. Tom Schmidt has had a successful career within a number of large
  757. organisations. In this episode of 'This I have learnt' he shares with us
  758. some of his experiences on how to lead others, but also how to lead and
  759. develop oneself in order to be a better leader. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/99287217?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1280" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="This I have learnt -Tom Schmidt" height="720"></iframe><p>Filmed and Edited by Rick Maden</p><p>Large organisations are characterised by the size of their employee population. Engaging the group to co-operate for combined and individual benefits is the single largest challenge of leaders in such in an organisation. In fact, in some ways, it is the only thing they do.</p><p>Tom Schmidt has had a successful career within a number of large organisations. In this episode of 'This I have learnt' he shares with us some of his experiences on how to lead others, but also how to lead and develop oneself in order to be a better leader.&nbsp;</p><p>Tom is experienced and successful—and he's still learning.</p><p>If you are interested in participating in this series, or wish to nominate someone who has something to share, please send an email with details to [email protected]</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53acb539e4b01a32f3dd4d91/1422376099876/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1220" height="678"><media:title type="plain">S1 E2: This I have learnt&#x2014;Tom Schmidt, Managing Director, Norton McMullen Corporate Finance</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>S1 E1: This I have learnt&#x2014;Andy Davies, Commercial Director, Merlin Entertainments </title><category>This I have learnt</category><category>Strategy</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Culture</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2014 22:08:20 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/6/2/s1-e1-this-i-have-learntandy-davies-commercial-director-merlin-entertainments</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:538cf461e4b048a9bc5ff2db</guid><description><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/97374405?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1280" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="S1 E1: This I have learnt - Andy Davies, Commercial Director, Merlin Entertainments Ltd" height="720"></iframe><p>This I have learnt © The Riot Point 2014</p><p>Video and edit - Laurent Drancourt</p>]]></description><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/538cf461e4b048a9bc5ff2db/1422376063849/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1226" height="684"><media:title type="plain">S1 E1: This I have learnt&#x2014;Andy Davies, Commercial Director, Merlin Entertainments </media:title></media:content></item><item><title>This I have learnt: An introduction to the series</title><category>Culture</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2014 21:59:25 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/6/2/this-i-have-learnt-an-introduction-to-the-series</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:538cf2dae4b0ad1838adbd85</guid><description><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/92769633?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1920" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="This  I have learnt—introduction" height="1080"></iframe><p>"This I have learnt" is series of interviews with successful executives from the private and public sector.&nbsp;</p><p>The responses to four questions around setting priorities, leading others, making decisions and &nbsp;giving advice to the younger self, provide powerful insight on how to survive and thrive in a complex world.</p><p>Interviews will be broadcast on a monthly basis, and can be subscribed to via this sites RSS feed or via <a href="mailto:[email protected]">email.</a>&nbsp;</p><p>If you have any suggestions on who you'd like to see interviewed, please send their details please click this <a href="mailto:[email protected]">link </a>or send an email to [email protected]</p>]]></description><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/538cf2dae4b0ad1838adbd85/1422376026552/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1224" height="678"><media:title type="plain">This I have learnt: An introduction to the series</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>This I have learnt&#x2014;from Michel Drancourt</title><category>Complexity</category><category>Leadership</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 08 Apr 2014 20:43:40 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/4/8/this-i-have-learntfrom-michel-drancourt</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53445f9ae4b0a363b9594dc1</guid><description>In July I will launch a monthly series of videos entitled, “This I have
  760. learnt.” It is said that experience is teacher who gives us the lesson
  761. after we need it, but with this series, we will short circuit the process.
  762.  
  763. I will be interviewing individuals who have had extended successful careers
  764. in the public and private sector. Some have excelled in both.
  765.  
  766. Through a short, honest conversation we will hear how each person has dealt
  767. with the challenges of work/life balance, strategy, leading others and
  768. making difficult decisions. Early recordings have highlighted some
  769. commonality in approaches, but also some interesting, particular
  770. (peculiar?) distinctions. It makes for fascinating viewing</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  771. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b827efd2b857c2cf2be0d5/1471686646989/" data-image-dimensions="1000x650" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="57b827efd2b857c2cf2be0d5" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b827efd2b857c2cf2be0d5/1471686646989/?format=1000w" />
  772.  
  773.  
  774.  
  775. <p>In July I will launch a monthly series of videos entitled, “This I have learnt.” It is said that experience is teacher who gives us the lesson after we need it, but with this series, we will short circuit the process.</p><p>I will be interviewing individuals who have had extended successful careers in the public and private sector. Some have excelled in both.</p><p>Through a short, honest conversation we will hear how each person has dealt with the challenges of work/life balance, strategy, leading others and making difficult decisions. Early recordings have highlighted some commonality in approaches, but also some interesting, particular (peculiar?) distinctions. It makes for fascinating viewing</p><p>Sadly though, the recording of the series came too late for me capture the perspective of one of my mentors. Earlier this week, Prof. Michel Drancourt passed away.</p><p>Michel Drancourt will not be known to many readers and this is a pity for he was a great man.</p><p>Dr Drancourt was a prominent French journalist and economist. Growing up in Vichey France, and with proud roots in Alsace, he saw the need for a united Europe as a pre-requisite for peace and economic growth. This belief never dimmed.</p><p>He was patriotically French, passionately European, pragmatically global. He had an energy, a fuse of curiosity that burnt throughout his life, and this informed his daily activities.</p><p>Physically he was a bear, intellectually he was a giant. He was vigorous in thought, pugnacious in communication, charming in company, warm in affection.</p><p>His metier was understanding and commenting upon the nature of business. It was a inquisitiveness which never dimmed, and led to the publication of millions of words through books, articles and blogs.&nbsp;</p><p>In his ninth decade, Dr Drancourt continued to write everyday. In 2010 he co-wrote “The Case for Business”, with Betrand Collomb, Chairman of Lafarge, which laid out the challenges of combining economic growth and while protecting the environment. He was always looking to the future even though he would not be an active participant is its delivery.</p><p>Though he is no longer with us, I think we can still learn from him.</p><p>The longer we survive, the more we have learnt and the more resources we have to exploit. But experience is an asset that needs both investment and exploitation in order to grow. Without either of these, it depreciates and dies.</p><p>Monsieur Drancourt was growing and giving until the end.&nbsp;</p><p>What a great model.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53445f9ae4b0a363b9594dc1/1471686669357/1500w/static1.squarespace-1.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="650"><media:title type="plain">This I have learnt&#x2014;from Michel Drancourt</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Recruit customers and colleagues who value what you do. Fire those who don’t.</title><category>Branding</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2014 14:43:48 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/4/3/raevi92zcre6og0v94ybdiy9e4g52v</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:533d70e8e4b09af66101b9d0</guid><description>Meet Carlo Anichini. If you're in London and need a haircut complimented
  776. with a case study on Brand delivery, he's your man.
  777.  
  778. Carlo is an artisan descended from a long line of artisans. His grandfather
  779. was a master mason in Florence, a place where they know a thing or two
  780. about working with stone. From his mother he inherited an acute eye for
  781. design, line and detail.
  782.  
  783. In addition to being an outstanding barber and a successful entrepreneur,
  784. Carlo is also something of a Brand-meister. He is clear on his brand values
  785. and executes them clearly, and precisely.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  786. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/533d7130e4b09af66101ba3a/1471685982218/" data-image-dimensions="2500x1406" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="533d7130e4b09af66101ba3a" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/533d7130e4b09af66101ba3a/1471685982218/?format=1000w" />
  787.  
  788.  
  789.  
  790. <p>Meet Carlo Anichini.</p><p>If you're in London and need a haircut complimented with a case study on Brand delivery, he's your man. I don't go anywhere else.</p><p>Carlo is an artisan descended from a long line of artisans. His grandfather was a master mason in Florence, a place where they know a thing or two about working with stone. From his mother he inherited an acute eye for design, line and detail.</p><p>To this mix, Carlo added his own ingredient of entrepreneurship, and has been a successful barber in London since moving there from Italy a number of years ago.</p><p>In addition to being an outstanding barber and a successful entrepreneur, Carlo is also something of a Brand-meister. He is clear on his brand values and executes them clearly, and precisely.</p><h3><strong>I love what I do</strong></h3><p>When others of his age have retired, Carlo works (at least six days) at week. He “puts love” into every haircut. Improving others by expressing his skill invigorates him.</p><h3><strong>I am clear on my Brand</strong></h3><p>Carlo delivers a product of outstanding technical quality, pleasurably, and in a timely manner. He knows his target audience.&nbsp;</p><p>He speaks knowledgeably (and with direct experience) of art, food, design and cars. He is Italian after all. Time in his chair is an opportunity receive a good haircut and an education. You enjoy a module in a Masters of Culture with each visit.</p><p>Carlo respects your time, and expects you to respect his and that of other customers. Don’t turn up late. You will be chastised.</p><h3><strong>I</strong><strong> focus on customers who value my brand. I deselect customers who don’t</strong></h3><p>Carlo fires customers who don’t support his Brand. He and his customers are busy people and respect for time is a common brand value. People who don’t share this value are made aware of this fact and asked to improve their behaviour. Ask him for examples.</p><p>So, what can a large organisation learn from Carlo? Everything.</p><h3><strong>Be fuelled by confidence, not driven by fear</strong></h3><p>Large organisations are composed are individuals. We each need to love what we do, enjoy how we do it, and receive feedback that it makes a difference.</p><p>When we are unsure of this, confidence is replaced by fear. We become desperate for business, and thus put ourselves and our needs at the centre. As a consequence, we debilitate our employees, dilute our brand, degrade our performance. &nbsp;</p><p>However, if our mindset is concentrated on improving the lives of others—to mutual benefit—our collective psyche, wallets and wellbeing will be much healthier.</p><p>As ever, here is the takeaway checklist. Can you say the following:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><strong>I am clear on how I make a difference.</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>I believe it. I live it. I love it.&nbsp;</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>I recruit customers and colleagues who value what I do. I fire those who don’t.</strong></p></li></ul><figure>
  791.  <blockquote>
  792.    <span>&#147;</span>Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.<span>&#148;</span>
  793.  </blockquote>
  794.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Bernard Baruch</figcaption>
  795. </figure><p>True self-development should be holistic and measurable. Most courses favour one over the other. On the Foundry programme, we focus on both. Details can be found<a href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-leadership"> here</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/533d70e8e4b09af66101b9d0/1471686781505/1500w/static1.squarespace-2.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="562"><media:title type="plain">Recruit customers and colleagues who value what you do. Fire those who don’t.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>A Pocket Guide to Communication for the busy Leader</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2014 15:27:27 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/3/18/an-executives-pocket-template-for-communication</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:532863bae4b08fd5fbc6c45c</guid><description>Passing are the days when the baying of an Executive would be sufficient to
  796. gather and galvanise the pack. This, though, does not prevent some howling
  797. at senior levels for the way things use to be.
  798.  
  799. The more enlightened and successful Leaders are becoming sophisticated
  800. communicators, able to elicit the desired action from their audience. The
  801. better Executives have identified a change in the tide.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  802. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Shouting loudly is no longer enough" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/532863ebe4b0fb8ebe764d62/1471686818794/" data-image-dimensions="1024x768" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="532863ebe4b0fb8ebe764d62" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/532863ebe4b0fb8ebe764d62/1471686818794/?format=1000w" />
  803.  
  804. <p>Shouting loudly is no longer enough</p>
  805.  
  806.  
  807. <p>Past are the days when the baying of an Executive would be sufficient to gather and galvanise the pack. This, though, does not prevent some howling at senior levels for the way things use to be.</p><p>The more enlightened and successful Leaders are becoming sophisticated communicators, able to elicit the desired action from their audience. The better Executives have identified a change in the tide:</p><ul><li>Customers are more influenced by other customers than the Corporate press release;</li><li>The better suppliers want to be wooed. They will no longer accept dictation. High-performing suppliers can decide with whom they share their competitive advantage;</li><li>Talent has choice. High-performing individuals are becoming ever more mobile, with each job is seen as “a project in which I can deliver and develop.”;</li><li>Deeds speak. With the advent of social media and smart-phones, behaviours and words are easily captured and rapidly disseminated. Acting ‘on-brand’ is a permanent requirement for the high-profile executive.</li></ul><p>And while formal presentations may appear to represent the majority of communication opportunities, the number of communication channels is myriad.&nbsp;</p><p>Whether talking to colleagues, presenting to investors, or writing a profile on LinkedIn, the opportunity exists to create the demand to participate for mutual benefit.</p><p>Investment in the principles of communication yields a huge return for Executives and, at the request of a group I work with, I am making communication check-list available <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/The-Riot-Point-Communication-Template.pdf">here</a>.</p>
  808. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Communication template" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5328645ee4b09aa77d077779/1395156063458/Communication+template" data-image-dimensions="1199x927" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5328645ee4b09aa77d077779" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5328645ee4b09aa77d077779/1395156063458/Communication+template?format=1000w" />
  809.  
  810.  
  811.  
  812. <p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1395155334670_51018">A number of the Executives I coach have a pocket-sized version of this check-list and prior to a communication opportunity, will rehearse their upcoming presentation with this checklist in mind.<br></p><figure>
  813.  <blockquote>
  814.    <span>&#147;</span>The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. <span>&#148;</span>
  815.  </blockquote>
  816.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; George Bernard Shaw</figcaption>
  817. </figure><p><a href="http://theriotpoint.com/a-humans-guide-to-leadership">Want to be a better leader and communicator? Here are three programmes to unlock your potential and that of your colleagues.</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/532863bae4b08fd5fbc6c45c/1471686865521/1500w/static1.squarespace.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="750"><media:title type="plain">A Pocket Guide to Communication for the busy Leader</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Coffee and music&#x2014;what a way to start the day</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2014 14:56:58 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/3/14/coffee-and-musicwhat-a-way-to-start-the-day</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:53231614e4b0b75ac61bfa96</guid><description>Life is richer with strong friends and strong coffee. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/135439580?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="640" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" title="Coffee in the morning" height="480"></iframe><p>I enjoy my coffee and I enjoy my music, and often enjoy the two in tandem as I catch up on the morning email.</p><p>Today we upgraded certain aspects of the website in anticipation of a forthcoming video podcast series, so this entry is a test run of the capability.</p><p>My preferred brand of coffee is Moak. This choice was stimulated through the friendship of some Sicilians from Pacino, whose preference is for a short espresso drawn from beans selected by Moak, a company headquartered near their home town.</p><p>Life is richer with strong friends and strong coffee.&nbsp;</p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/53231614e4b0b75ac61bfa96/1438762276570/1500w/" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="574" height="582"><media:title type="plain">Coffee and music&#x2014;what a way to start the day</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>The Mathematics of High Performance&#x2014;recruiting a mountain range of talent</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 08 Mar 2014 22:00:19 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/3/8/the-mathematics-of-high-performancerecruiting-a-mountain-range-of-talent</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:531b88f9e4b063fa3e9486bd</guid><description>You cannot have peaks without valleys. The splendour of the rising, craggy,
  818. glinty peaks are made more majestic by their contrast to the plunging,
  819. dark, soden-moss valleys.
  820.  
  821. And while plains have their charm, it is the mountain which pulls breath
  822. from the crowd.
  823.  
  824. And as for topography, so for people.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  825. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Cnicht, Wales" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/531b8d15e4b0c39be0ca04ad/1431488563001/Cnicht%2C+Wales" data-image-dimensions="2500x1406" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="531b8d15e4b0c39be0ca04ad" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/531b8d15e4b0c39be0ca04ad/1431488563001/Cnicht%2C+Wales?format=1000w" />
  826.  
  827. <p>Cnicht, Wales</p>
  828.  
  829.  
  830. <p>You cannot have peaks without valleys. The splendour of the rising, craggy, glinty peaks are made more majestic by their contrast to the plunging, dark, soden-moss valleys.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15914">And while plains have their charm, it is the mountain which pulls breath from the crowd.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15915">And as for topography, so for people. Yet, while many of our personal review processes acknowledge an individual’s strengths, most myopically over-focus on actions to remediate &nbsp;weaknesses. Thus we spend our developmental years obsessed with the task of back-filling valleys.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15916">This is akin to forcing Usain Bolt to train (and win) the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and marathon race—while still expecting maintained prowess in the sprint.&nbsp;</p><h2 id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15917">Recruit a mountain range of talent</h2><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15918">A different perspective emerges when you spend time with top athletes and highly accomplished business professionals. it is clear they shun the 'superman' approach and chose a different path. They play to their strengths and focus on developing them further. They avoid exposing their weaknesses and recruit others with complimentary strengths.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15919">They build an Olympic team, not a super-hero expected to win every race.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15920">They only enter races in which they can be competitive. They apply the mathematics of high performance.</p>
  831. <img class="thumb-image" alt="High performance equation.png" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/531dc8b9e4b0f741e5de995a/1394460868416/High+performance+equation.png" data-image-dimensions="1495x135" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="531dc8b9e4b0f741e5de995a" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/531dc8b9e4b0f741e5de995a/1394460868416/High+performance+equation.png?format=1000w" />
  832.  
  833.  
  834.  
  835. <p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15921">Notice the two prerequisites.&nbsp;</p><h3 id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15922">TALENT</h3><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15923">To deliver high performance an individual needs an abundance of talent relevant to that context. This requires brutal self-awareness. If talent is absent, no amount of stress, strain,&nbsp; bullying, reward or tuition will give a peak performance.</p><h3 id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15924">PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE</h3><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15925">Top performers are very aware of the way they develop their skills.&nbsp; They use a variety of tools and methods to mimic their field of play, and practice purposefully. They don’t over-train, and they try to avoid injury. They don't confuse Hours-In-The-Office (HITO) with effort, and they adopt behaviours which reinforce their training.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15926">Typical behaviours of a high-performing team are:</p><ul id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15927"><li>The members are self-aware of, and confident in, their talent</li><li>They are clear on the common aim of the group</li><li>They deliver their contribution within a common set of values</li><li>They trust each other to deliver their respective contribution &nbsp;</li><li>They provide honest feedback loops to aid improved performance and cohesion</li><li>The team <strong><span>and the individuals</span></strong> are improved as a result of the collective interaction</li><li>Each team member is exploiting their talent—not trying to correct a weakness</li></ul><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15928">Are you recruiting a mountain range of talent? <a data-cke-saved-href="/s/Recruiting-a-mountain-range-of-talent.pdf" href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Recruiting-a-mountain-range-of-talent.pdf">Download the checklist</a> to find out.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1394460829302_15929">If we want high-performance at minimal stress, we should focus on building Olympian teams, and leave the expectation of super-heros to our bedtime fiction.</p><figure>
  836.  <blockquote>
  837.    <span>&#147;</span>He aba te kai o te rangatira? He kõrero, he kõrero, he kõrero.”<br/><br/>”What is the food of the leader? It is knowledge. It is communication.<span>&#148;</span>
  838.  </blockquote>
  839.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Old Maori Proverb</figcaption>
  840. </figure>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/531b88f9e4b063fa3e9486bd/1471686917906/1500w/Cnicht%2C%2BWales.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="563"><media:title type="plain">The Mathematics of High Performance&#x2014;recruiting a mountain range of talent</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Mental health matters&#x2014;and how you can improve it</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:19:48 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/2/12/mental-health-mattersand-how-you-can-improve-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:52fbdd3fe4b03f845db3253c</guid><description>There is a reason why airlines prompt us to pull-on our own oxygen mask
  841. before helping others: At a time of stress or demand, when we are needed to
  842. serve or support others (family, friends, colleagues, patients, customers)
  843. and energy flow will be one way, we had better be in robust physical and
  844. mental health.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  845. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Ensure you are capable of helping others.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52fbddc3e4b060243dd73d84/1392238063071/Ensure+you+are+capable+of+helping+others.jpg" data-image-dimensions="800x455" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52fbddc3e4b060243dd73d84" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52fbddc3e4b060243dd73d84/1392238063071/Ensure+you+are+capable+of+helping+others.jpg?format=1000w" />
  846.  
  847.  
  848.  
  849. <p>There is a reason why airlines prompt us to pull-on our own oxygen mask before helping others: At a time of stress or demand, when we are needed to serve or support others (family, friends, colleagues, patients, customers) and energy flow will be one way, we had better be in robust physical and mental health.</p><p>Now I have had broken bones and torn muscles, but these arose from adventurous folly. I have been fortunate however to have avoided, thus far, suffering from poor mental health.</p><p>I have, though, seen the consequences of this invisible, ravaging disease.&nbsp;</p><p>As a late teenager I worked as an auxiliary nurse on a secure psychiatric ward, giving blessed thanks at the end of each shift for not having to carry the burden of depression, a malaise once described to me as, “having a rucksack permanently attached to your back, knowing that another brick will be deposited in it tomorrow.”</p><p>Since then, young family members have left us, and in the past month, I know of three family practitioners in the UK who have taken their own lives.&nbsp;</p><p>But there is hope.</p><p>I volunteer some of my skills to not-for-profit organisations, one of which provides mental health services.</p><p>Like most professional care-givers, they are chronically under-resourced, and chronically sapped by the nature of their work. No matter how care, affection and motivation you have to give, demand will always exceed supply. If you yourself are starved of oxygen, there are only so many emergency masks you can put on others.</p><p>But as I said, there is hope.</p><p>I do know of a number of colleagues and clients who wish they had better mental health. Here are 6 “gets” given to me by a health practitioner who had previously suffered from depression</p><h3>Get help</h3><p>There is no stigma associated with poor mental health. There are caring professionals who can help, supported by increasingly effective therapeutic methods</p><h3>Get friends</h3><p>We are social animals who need to interact through direct contact. Socialising via the internet or with people who are impacting your personal review does not count! We each cannot solve every problem, and mutual supportive dependency on friends gives us perspective and affirmation.</p><h3>Get sleep</h3><p>Unplug the electronics by 9:00pm (was one piece of advice), but the salient point is—get as much sleep as possible, and this aided by breaking tech-addiction</p><h3>Get out</h3><p>Nearly every leading mental health professional I know spends time outdoors. Walking, cycling, anythinging…it doesn’t matter. Being outside and interacting with your environment is key</p><h3>Get exercise</h3><p>If you can combine this with ‘Get out’ you’ve a high-return combo.</p><h3>Get feedback</h3><p><a href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/9/14/the-mathematics-of-self-belief.html">Our self-belief </a>is founded on our knowledge that our problem-solving capability is valued by those whom we respect.</p><p>If you know of a friend or colleague in need, be supportive and help them out.</p><figure>
  850.  <blockquote>
  851.    <span>&#147;</span>“It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him.” <span>&#148;</span>
  852.  </blockquote>
  853.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Abraham Lincoln</figcaption>
  854. </figure>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/52fbdd3fe4b03f845db3253c/1471686957903/1500w/Ensure%2Byou%2Bare%2Bcapable%2Bof%2Bhelping%2Bothers.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="750" height="427"><media:title type="plain">Mental health matters&#x2014;and how you can improve it</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>The Project Manager Super Hero: leadership challenges of delivering the amazing for nothing by yesterday.</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 05 Feb 2014 15:48:33 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/2/5/the-project-management-super-hero-leadership-challenges-of-delivering-the-amazing-for-nothing-by-yesterday</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:52f24fd0e4b0a96c7b53c7f4</guid><description>There is a sub-group in the working population whose environment could
  855. funnel them into a jaded and jaundiced view of humankind. If business
  856. success has many parents and failure is an orphan, these are the
  857. foster-parents. 
  858.  
  859. I am referring, of course, to Project Managers.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  860. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Lamppost project manager.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52f25478e4b03e1f2f574561/1431488576365/Lamppost+project+manager.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x2250" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52f25478e4b03e1f2f574561" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52f25478e4b03e1f2f574561/1431488576365/Lamppost+project+manager.jpg?format=1000w" />
  861.  
  862.  
  863.  
  864. <p>There is a sub-group in the working population whose environment could funnel them into a jaded and jaundiced view of humankind. If business success has many parents and failure is an orphan, these are the foster-parents.&nbsp;</p><p>I am referring, of course, to Project Managers.</p><p>Except, as I know, many avoid being cynical and remain enthusiastic professionals, investing heavily in their own improvement. I met some of them at my <a href="https://m360.soc.pmi.on.ca/ViewEvent.aspx?id=94261&amp;instance=0">presentation to the PMI</a> last week.</p><p>I exaggerate (but not by much) in the metaphor I employ for the kick-off of the typical project.</p><p>A passer-by encounters a drunk looking for his house keys close to a lamppost. He offers some assistance, and they both look under the streetlight together. After some time searching and failing to find the keys, the passer-by&nbsp; asks the drunk if he is sure this is where he lost them. The drunk replies, “No, but this is where the light is.”</p><p>As shown in the graphic above, a lot of Project Managers will support Executives by bringing along very sophisticated process to help shift the direction of the light. All of which is impressive, but never finds the keys. Project managers are then set to fail, nicely summarised by a Project Manager gave me the quote, “all of which means you have to deliver the amazing, for nothing, by yesterday.”</p><p>Here are some tips on how a Project Manager can start to make a big difference.</p><p><strong>1. Introduce the 3 Why's men</strong>. You have to unveil the potential for the project.Ask the Sponsor why the project is important, and ask "Why?" again at least two more times, but don't be annoying while doing it.</p><p><strong>2. Make the ambiguous explicit:</strong> Despite Malcolm Gladwell’s assertion, Groups don’t think. Only individuals think, and until we have the equivalent of Google Glasses for the brain, Line Managers and Project Managers need to record the challenges to be overcome, and the value the project will generate. To do this I use the <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/5/1/strategy-is-about-why-and-what-dont-waste-time-on-mission-vi.html">GOSH template </a>or an equivalent.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>3. Classify the problems:</strong> A critical stage which dictates whether you end looking for the keys or moving the light. I map the output of the GOSH template onto a&nbsp;<a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Cynefin-framework-xg6k.pdf">Cynefin framework</a>. Many Executives wish their lives to be in the Simple domain and this colours their judgement. In fact, the value they create is often in the Complex. This exercise makes public the Complex but does so quite gently.</p><p>Think of it as titling the mirror gently toward the Emperor and revealing that he has no clothes But does so in the relative modesty of his State bedchamber.</p><p><strong>4. Right tools, right job.</strong> If your project has Complex problems you will require some excess of resources; you will need to experiment; you will not be able to predict explicit outcomes with certainty. There are excellent project management processes for solving Complex problems (Agile/Scrum). A table linking tools with problems is shown below.</p>
  865. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Context specific tools for problem solving.027.png" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52f25ddee4b0ee0635aaf897/1391615457101/Context+specific+tools+for+problem+solving.027.png" data-image-dimensions="1920x1080" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52f25ddee4b0ee0635aaf897" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52f25ddee4b0ee0635aaf897/1391615457101/Context+specific+tools+for+problem+solving.027.png?format=1000w" />
  866.  
  867.  
  868.  
  869. <p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391615368398_24195">Here’s the headline:</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391615368398_24196">The keystone to future success is the upfront explicit conceptual agreement with the Sponsor on the value of the project, and the nature of the challenges to be overcome .</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391615368398_24197">Copies of the presentation made to the PMI can be obtained <a data-cke-saved-href="http:[email protected]" href="http:[email protected]">here</a> or via the PMI website.</p><figure>
  870.  <blockquote>
  871.    <span>&#147;</span>In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.<span>&#148;</span>
  872.  </blockquote>
  873.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Charles Darwin</figcaption>
  874. </figure>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/52f24fd0e4b0a96c7b53c7f4/1391626079861/1500w/Lamppost+project+manager.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="750" height="675"><media:title type="plain">The Project Manager Super Hero: leadership challenges of delivering the amazing for nothing by yesterday.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Pride, pleasure, profit: the link between strategy and leadership</title><category>Complexity</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 22 Jan 2014 19:12:59 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/1/22/pride-pleasure-proft-why-strategy-and-leadership-are-linked</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:52e00dd9e4b0ec83649795f5</guid><description>The message is starting to sink in. At least with some. 
  875.  
  876. If you bring the voice of the customer to the heart of the decision-making
  877. process, you will lay the foundation stone of a resilient strategy.
  878.  
  879. But this alone is not enough.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The message is starting to sink in. At least with some.&nbsp;</p><p>If you bring the voice of the customer to the heart of the decision-making process, you will lay the foundation stone of a resilient strategy.</p><p>But this alone is not enough.</p><p>Organisations that thrive improve the emotional and financial health of their consumers. The best brands have emotional involvement with their customers. It drives their business model and is the primary emphasis in their communications. I don’t think I have ever seen an Apple commercial lead with processor speed.&nbsp;</p><p>Organisations who rely on the ruler and focus mostly on measurable attributes are encouraging direct competition. Soon, someone will soon be faster, slower, bigger, smaller-with dimensions to prove it. Competitive gaps and gross margins will decrease. It’s a well worn path.&nbsp;</p><p>So a strategy that is market-based and which aims to improve the emotional as well as the financial health of the target audience has the potential to provide an attractive business.</p><p>But this alone is not enough.</p><h3>Pride, Pleasure and Profit applies to you as well as your customers</h3><p>Any strategy has to address the Pride, Pleasure and Profit of the target audience—with particular emphasis on the first two items.</p><p>Likewise, to be implemented and to be organic, any strategy must also improve the Pride, Pleasure and Profit the organisations members with again—particular emphasis on the first two items. This is often overlooked, assumed to be implicitly in place or deemed of little importance. But here’s the hard fact; if you’re best people are not emotionally involved in your business, they will under-perform versus their potential. According to recruitment studies, lack of emotional involvement is the primary driver for the departure of young high-flyers.</p><h3>Six ticks is the target</h3>
  880. <img class="thumb-image" alt="© Iwan Jenkins 2014" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52e01009e4b0ac05a719786c/1390415883208/Pride+Pleasure+Profit.001.png" data-image-dimensions="1920x1080" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52e01009e4b0ac05a719786c" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52e01009e4b0ac05a719786c/1390415883208/Pride+Pleasure+Profit.001.png?format=1000w" />
  881.  
  882. <p>© Iwan Jenkins 2014</p>
  883.  
  884.  
  885. <p>If you’re not sure where your team stands following a strategy or marketing plan session, conduct the 3P survey. Ask each of your team members to fill in the template and agree what to do next. Six ticks are required if you want to drive business and margins with a high-performing team.</p><p>Download the Six Ticks template <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Pride-Pleasure-Profit.ppt">here</a></p><figure>
  886.  <blockquote>
  887.    <span>&#147;</span>We enjoy throughly only the pleasure we give<span>&#148;</span>
  888.  </blockquote>
  889.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Alexandre Dumas</figcaption>
  890. </figure>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/png" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/52e00dd9e4b0ec83649795f5/1471687026455/1500w/Pride%2BPleasure%2BProfit.001.png" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="563"><media:title type="plain">Pride, pleasure, profit: the link between strategy and leadership</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>What makes a good brand? The predictable delivery of an exciting promise.</title><category>Strategy</category><category>Culture</category><category>Branding</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Jan 2014 19:54:39 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/7/25/what-makes-a-good-brand.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5214a6e6e4b03a9b5707150c</guid><description>Goodness we make things difficult for ourselves.
  891.  
  892. Before Christmas I participated in a conference on Strategy and Branding. I
  893. gave a presentation entitled, “Market-driving vs market-driven:
  894. consequences for organisational culture,”
  895.  
  896. I will amplify the content of the presentation in future articles, but I
  897. want to focus on a question which came up in subsequent presentations, and
  898. whose answer clearly has implications for the way we drive a business.
  899.  
  900. What constitutes a good brand?</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  901. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Definition of a good brand.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715bf/1431488561235/Definition+of+a+good+brand.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x484" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715bf" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715bf/1431488561235/Definition+of+a+good+brand.jpg?format=1000w" />
  902.  
  903.  
  904.  
  905. <p>Goodness we make things difficult for ourselves.</p><p>Before Christmas I participated in a conference on Strategy and Branding. I gave a presentation entitled, “Market-driving vs market-driven: consequences for organisational culture,”</p><p>I will amplify the content of the presentation in future articles, but I want to focus on a question which came up in subsequent presentations, and whose answer clearly has implications for the way we drive a business.</p><p>What constitutes a good brand?</p><p>In fact, it became clear from subsequent sessions, that few organisations have an agreed definition of what is a Brand, or at best have a definition that is of limited utility.&nbsp;</p><p>One presentation, “Branding and Jungian Archetypes,” took the audience up a twisting and intriguing pathway with many stimulating views. But left them stranded in fog at the summit; lost, breathless, and unsure where to take the next step.</p><p>Most of the folks I work with are practical and pragmatic in personality, and this reflects the way they want to run their business. They want a definition of “Brand” that is actionable and communicable to everyone in the business, and leads to an improvement in organisational performance.</p><p>Here is my definition of good Brand:</p><p>The predicable delivery of an exciting promise.</p><p>Think of your favourite brands. They combine two elements; logic + magic. The logic of a strong operational machine that delivers the magic of an exciting promise consistently and predictably.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>LOGIC IS GOOD: BUT ALONE, NOT GOOD ENOUGH</strong></p><p>&nbsp;In the best brands, strong rational underpins exhilarating emotional.&nbsp;</p><p>But strong operational logic can only take you so far. It may be easier to manage, it may be more predictable in performance, and it may be more transparent in investigation—but it is also more copyable—and hence beatable.&nbsp;</p><p>Repeatable is beatable.</p><p><strong>MAGIC&nbsp;IS GOOD: BUT ALONE, NOT GOOD ENOUGH</strong></p><p>Being different without backup is a land of fantasy. It will always end in tears. &nbsp;Customers have bought the dream but then live the nightmare of poor delivery of an exciting promise.</p><p><strong>WHICH KILLER COMBO REFLECTS YOUR ORGANISATION?</strong></p>
  906. <img class="thumb-image" alt="The predictable of delivery of an exciting promise.001.png" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52decc96e4b032209176fd86/1390333082981/The+predictable+of+delivery+of+an+exciting+promise.001.png" data-image-dimensions="1920x1080" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52decc96e4b032209176fd86" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52decc96e4b032209176fd86/1390333082981/The+predictable+of+delivery+of+an+exciting+promise.001.png?format=1000w" />
  907.  
  908.  
  909.  
  910. <p><strong>Low logic and low magic</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>The domain of Desperado’s. Woeful products delivered pitifully. An unattractive magnet drawing in unattractive customers, with margins too tight to allow for safe-to-fail experimentation. Tough to get out the downward trajectory without major intervention. The haphazard delivery of blandness.</p><p>NPS range: 1-6</p><p><strong>High magic and low logic</strong></p><p>The land of the ‘if only’. Prodigious imagination that can move others. A gossamer will-o-the-wisp. &nbsp;</p><p>NPS range: huge bifurcation. Either 1 or 10. Not too much in-between.</p><p><strong>High logic and low magic</strong></p><p>I hope you have a big budget for marketing communications because making lots of noise is the only way you’ll attract attention. You’re pricing strategy will ensure you will spend more time watching your competitors than listening to customers.</p><p>NPS range:7-8</p><p><strong>High logic and high magic</strong></p><p>Congratulations—and where’s the proof? Unless you’re consistently receiving an NPS score of 9-10 from your target audience, you are not operating in this domain. If you are, you should be making sure you’re getting margins to reinvest back into the predictable delivery of your exciting promise.</p><p>NSP range: 9-10 &nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>Plot your brand vs your competitors. A copy of the template can be found <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/The-predictable-of-delivery-of-an-exciting-promise.ppt">here.</a></p><p><strong>Can you really measure magic? Yes you can.&nbsp; The Customer R&amp;D® process use sophisticated method of narrative research to a quantify how much magic you deliver to the market place. These methods can be used to dramatically increase your return on your NPS research investment.</strong></p><p><strong>For more details contact us <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/contact">here.</a></strong></p><figure>
  911.  <blockquote>
  912.    <span>&#147;</span>In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.<span>&#148;</span>
  913.  </blockquote>
  914.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Coco Chanel</figcaption>
  915. </figure><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390332570776_21220"><br></p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390332570776_21412"><br></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b5707150c/1471687467469/1500w/Definition%2Bof%2Ba%2Bgood%2Bbrand.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="194"><media:title type="plain">What makes a good brand? The predictable delivery of an exciting promise.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Unclogging the River of Goodness so that others can grow</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 12 Jan 2014 14:31:01 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/1/11/unclogging-the-river-of-goodness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:52d1e8c5e4b0178cd18190e7</guid><description>There is a river of Goodness that flows within those who wish to improve
  916. the lives of others. Their capabilities are carried to the beneficiaries in
  917. a variety of vessels (workshops, writings, reports, interviews), all buoyed
  918. along with the aim of improving the lot of the recipients.
  919.  
  920. However, the actions of others serves to dam or obstruct the flow. These
  921. representations of human blotting paper should be rapidly removed, rebuffed
  922. or retrained with the appropriate disciplined vigour.
  923.  
  924. Why the stridency?</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  925. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Chaudière River, Quebec" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52d2a66ce4b051d70b4675db/1471687560503/Chaudiere+Beauce.jpg" data-image-dimensions="600x338" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52d2a66ce4b051d70b4675db" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52d2a66ce4b051d70b4675db/1471687560503/Chaudiere+Beauce.jpg?format=1000w" />
  926.  
  927. <p>Chaudière River, Quebec</p>
  928.  
  929.  
  930. <p>There is a river of Goodness that flows within those who wish to improve the lives of others. Their capabilities are carried to the beneficiaries in a variety of vessels (workshops, writings, reports, interviews), all buoyed along with the aim of improving the lot of the recipients.</p><p>However, the actions of others serves to dam or obstruct the flow. These representations of human blotting paper should be rapidly removed, rebuffed or retrained with the appropriate disciplined vigour.</p><p>Why the stridency? Well consider the flow below.</p>
  931. <img class="thumb-image" alt="The River of Goodness.001.png" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52d922e8e4b0167bd76514c5/1389961963299/The+River+of+Goodness.001.png" data-image-dimensions="1920x1080" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52d922e8e4b0167bd76514c5" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52d922e8e4b0167bd76514c5/1389961963299/The+River+of+Goodness.001.png?format=1000w" />
  932.  
  933.  
  934.  
  935. <p>We build our capabilities (technical expertise, interpersonal skills etc) with a view to improving the lives of some particularly group (patients, clients, customers, businesses.) We exploit these capabilities by delivering them through workshops, engagements, patient interviews and, at some point in the future, observe a measurable improvement in the conditions of the recipients. It is how we add value.</p><p>In the return, our success and remuneration (and survived failures) provides feedback to stimulate re-investment in capability development and delivery—which then leads to more value delivery to beneficiaries and so on and so on.</p><p>[Yes, I realise the limits of the 'flowing river' analogy but I'm continuing.]</p><p>Anyone or any environment which sucks out energy, or blocks the flow in this cycle, will destroy improvement in self which, in turn, destroys our capability to improve the lives of others. Anything which prevents exploitation of the past or inhibits investment for the future deserves examination.</p><p>This includes (but is not limited to); disruptive team members; acerbic colleagues; professionally-miserable patients; and self-important, self-absorbed clients. Closer to home of course, the list could include spouses, children and neighbours.</p><p>I am not saying that everything or everyone has to be addressed, but the cumulative effective of these small streams is drain the river to a dribble. There is insufficient draft or power to deliver value to the targeted group; reduced value means reduced re-investment in self.</p><p>Nobody benefits from a dry river bed.</p><p>I speak from experience and the observation of others. Acute decisions are required to remove chronic pain.</p><p>Clear the obstructions and remove the dams.</p><p>If you're not investing in yourself now—improving what you do and the way that you do it—you will be unable to improve the lives of others in the future.</p><p> </p><p>A copy to the River of Goodness template can be downloaded <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/The-River-of-Goodness.ppt">here.</a></p><figure>
  936.  <blockquote>
  937.    <span>&#147;</span>The activist is not the man who says “this river is dirty.”  The activist is the man who cleans up the river.<br/><span>&#148;</span>
  938.  </blockquote>
  939.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Ross Perot</figcaption>
  940. </figure>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/52d1e8c5e4b0178cd18190e7/1471687598560/1500w/Chaudiere%2BBeauce.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="600" height="338"><media:title type="plain">Unclogging the River of Goodness so that others can grow</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Fix the slow puncture: kill the chronic relationship</title><category>health</category><category>Culture</category><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jan 2014 21:53:44 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/1/6/fix-the-slow-puncture-kill-the-chronic-relationship</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:52cb1fbce4b0d96837395359</guid><description>Coincident with the last piece extolling you to manage your health and
  941. avoid chronic conditions, the Guardian newspaper published the cost of
  942. chronic health care to the UK NHS (hat tip to Dr Paul Davies).
  943.  
  944. The data is sobering.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  945. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Flat Tire 1965 Skyline Drive.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52cc1212e4b04e2aa2b9f91d/1389105729842/Flat+Tire+1965+Skyline+Drive.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1266x571" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52cc1212e4b04e2aa2b9f91d" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52cc1212e4b04e2aa2b9f91d/1389105729842/Flat+Tire+1965+Skyline+Drive.jpg?format=1000w" />
  946.  
  947.  
  948.  
  949. <p>Coincident with the<a href="http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/1/2/managing-your-health-a-resolution-to-do-today"> last piece</a> extolling you to manage your health and avoid chronic conditions, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/03/nhs-overwhelmed-long-term-medical-conditions">the Guardian newspaper</a> published the cost of chronic health care to the UK NHS (hat tip to Dr Paul Davies).</p><p>The data is sobering. Here are the facts;</p><ul><li>70% of the NHS budget of £110bn is consumed by people with at least one long-term condition. This includes heart disease, obesity, diabetes (90% is type II), and mental health conditions</li></ul>
  950. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Chronic disease costs.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52cb2173e4b0b1a43abdd706/1389044184707/Chronic+disease+costs.jpg" data-image-dimensions="600x324" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52cb2173e4b0b1a43abdd706" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52cb2173e4b0b1a43abdd706/1389044184707/Chronic+disease+costs.jpg?format=1000w" />
  951.  
  952.  
  953.  
  954. <p> </p><ul><li>The total number of patients in long-term care is expected to remain constant at 15 million per year, but the number with three or more long-term conditions is expected to rise from 1.9 million to 2.9 million by 2018.</li><li>England is now considered to be a world-leader in managing the consequences of type II diabetes e.g. amputation of limbs. An admirable but surely unwanted decoration</li></ul><p>The trends are clear.&nbsp;</p><p>1. Government pressure on spending will continue, and the chronically ill will receive more of the reduced resources than the acute, so avoid accidents if you can. Better still, avoid chronic disease. This is club to which you do not want membership.&nbsp;</p><p>2. If you have one chronic disease, you are more susceptible to a second. If you have two, you are more susceptible to a third, and so on.&nbsp; Again, avoid chronic disease in the first place!&nbsp;</p><h3>Chronic diseases are reversed by acute practices.</h3><p>Of course, chronic disease is not limited to the physical. Chronic relationship and environments can be equally as damaging, and too often we focus on mollifying the symptoms instead of arresting the cause.</p><p>All of which is understandable, of course, for chronic diseases are only reversed by an acute action. And, after all, is the grief of confrontation worth the gain?</p><p>Yes it is.</p><p>I speak from direct experience and from the experience of others. Chronic relationships and environments deflate you like a slow puncture. You proceed, knowledgable about the problem but dismissive about the solution, until one day you can go no further. Now you’re by the side of the road, changing the wheel in the rain, while traffic clips past at high-speed.</p><p>Physically and emotionally we are built for short bursts of high-intensity activity interspersed with long periods of relaxed socialised play and development. We are not built to jog for endless hours on a treadmill.</p><p>If any of your relationships or environments feel like a marathon, or if you’re saying, metaphorically, in your meeting with John, Jim, Sally or Jane, “just one more mile,” it is time to make a change.</p><p>The table below may &nbsp;focus your decision-making.</p><p> </p>
  955. <img class="thumb-image" alt="focussed removal of chronic pain.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52cb24f7e4b007f174088419/1389044984751/focussed+removal+of+chronic+pain.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1487x1021" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52cb24f7e4b007f174088419" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52cb24f7e4b007f174088419/1389044984751/focussed+removal+of+chronic+pain.jpg?format=1000w" />
  956.  
  957.  
  958.  
  959. ]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/52cb1fbce4b0d96837395359/1471687662426/1500w/Flat%2BTire%2B1965%2BSkyline%2BDrive.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="451"><media:title type="plain">Fix the slow puncture: kill the chronic relationship</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Managing your health: a 2014 resolution you can complete today</title><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><category>health</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 Jan 2014 21:26:14 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2014/1/2/managing-your-health-a-resolution-to-do-today</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:52c5d659e4b0c34705cb7df6</guid><description>Happy New Year to you all.
  960.  
  961. By the end of February, most of the resolutions taken yesterday (learn a
  962. new language, spend more time with the family, lose weight) will lie
  963. disassembled on the floor, like a broken Lego model given at Christmas. 
  964.  
  965. The challenge of Resolutions is to break down their contributing elements
  966. into behavioural habits, and without the vitamins of resolve and planning,
  967. this seldom occurs.
  968.  
  969. But there is something you can accomplish today.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  970. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52c5d950e4b068c3c20ac333/1388697998774/" data-image-dimensions="600x403" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52c5d950e4b068c3c20ac333" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52c5d950e4b068c3c20ac333/1388697998774/?format=1000w" />
  971.  
  972.  
  973.  
  974. <p>Happy New Year to you all.</p><p>By the end of February, most of the resolutions taken yesterday (learn a new language, spend more time with the family, lose weight) will lie disassembled on the floor, like a broken Lego model given at Christmas.&nbsp;</p><p>The challenge of Resolutions is to break down their contributing elements into behavioural habits, and without the vitamins of resolve and planning, this seldom occurs.</p><p>But there is something you can accomplish today.</p><h3>The 2014 challenge: Proactively manage your health.</h3><p>Now, with this, I am not throwing down the gauntlet to exercise for 5 hours every day, nor am I preaching that you should become an ascetic and forgo your occasional devilish dietetic indulgence. But I do think you can achieve improved health by heading off the big malevolents before they get to the pass, and you can do this without anguish.</p><p>The reasons for proactively managing your health in 2014 are multiple, but these two alone should suffice.</p><ol><li>Wherever you are in the world, pressure to reduce health care spending will continue to increase. In countries where health care is ‘free at the point of use’, the fundamental problem of ‘demand side’ abuse will stress some services to breakdown. No politician will take this issue head-on (or at all), so ‘supply side’ tinkering will continue, and the timeliness and quality of services will diminish. Anything you can do (positively) to keep yourself and your loved ones out of the system should be considered.</li><li>Our ability to lead others and care for friends and family is severely curtailed when we are waylaid with poor health. Chronic treatment distracts us from contributing, and acute treatment may dock it for considerable periods—perhaps permanently. It is in the interest of our organisations, our immediate dependents and ourselves for us to avoid a free fall into ill-health.</li></ol><p>In addition to maintaining a generally healthy lifestyle, I will actively seek to manage my health.</p><p>In business parlance, to ensure I maintain my obligations as a leader, I will audit 4 leading indicators of poor health.</p><p>Specifically, my 4 tests will cover my:</p><ol><li><strong>Tubing: </strong>The&nbsp;Insulin sensitivity test is a simple blood test (1 min) conducted after some fasting. You can find the details elsewhere but here is the headline.&nbsp; If you lose insulin sensitivity you become highly susceptible to diseases which destroy vessel walls, chief among them are Type II diabetes and other cardio-vascular diseases. Caught early enough, these diseases can be reversed as demonstrated by Dave Snowden's slaying of his Type II diabetes.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Heart</strong>&nbsp;The Exercise Stress test consists of a 15 minute walk on a tread mill to determine how well your heart takes activity. An extremely powerful test which reveals the checklist of problems that might cause the ticker to stop ticking when least expected (or desired).</li><li><strong>Eyes</strong>: Specifically a dilated funds examination (10 mins) to look for early signs of glaucoma or growths</li><li><strong>Erm, plumbing</strong>: Enjoy a colonoscopy: 1 hour of procedure preceded by 24 hours of fasting. Minor discomfort (in the head more than the body) but a rapid and effective means for catching (and remediating) early signs of bowel cancer. I have seen the impact of treatment upon friends who have bowel cancer; the discomfort of investigation far outweighs the debilitation of treatment.</li></ol><p>Before the year gets into full swing I encourage you to place appointments into your diary to take the 4 non-invasive tests which will give you the best insight into you personal health management in 2014.</p><p>Many of GP friends avoid taking these tests in case it surfaces a problem.&nbsp;Resist the fear of wanting to avoid the unknown. Shine light into the dark corners.</p><p>This is the one resolution you can do today which will repay you with a long and healthy lifetime—literally!</p><figure>
  975.  <blockquote>
  976.    <span>&#147;</span>Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely<span>&#148;</span>
  977.  </blockquote>
  978.  <figcaption class="source">&mdash; Edna St Vincent Millay</figcaption>
  979. </figure>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/52c5d659e4b0c34705cb7df6/1471687864867/1500w/static1.squarespace.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="600" height="403"><media:title type="plain">Managing your health: a 2014 resolution you can complete today</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Too big to fail? The importance of being human</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Dec 2013 20:29:27 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/12/23/to-big-to-fail-the-importance-of-being-human</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:52b897e7e4b0ca132bc9852e</guid><description>In an ice storm, precipitation falls as rain but turns to ice upon impact.
  980. Ice builds to several inches thick on roads, cars, trees—and Christmas
  981. decorations.
  982.  
  983. The result is startlingly beautiful and startlingly dangerous. Sunlight is
  984. refracted through frozen lenses. It is the only light we have. Trees
  985. collapse onto power lines and, as of yesterday, 450,000  of the 6 million
  986. inhabitants of Greater Toronto were without electricity. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  987. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Ice storm.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52b89d4be4b0ca132bc98cf3/1431488568685/Ice+storm.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x1662" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52b89d4be4b0ca132bc98cf3" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52b89d4be4b0ca132bc98cf3/1431488568685/Ice+storm.jpg?format=1000w" />
  988.  
  989.  
  990.  
  991. <p>In an ice storm, precipitation falls as rain but turns to ice upon impact. Ice builds to several inches thick on roads, cars, trees—and Christmas decorations.</p><p><span>The result is startlingly beautiful and startlingly dangerous. Sunlight is refracted through frozen lenses. It is the only light we have. Trees collapse onto power lines and, as of yesterday, 450,000 &nbsp;of the 6 million inhabitants of Greater Toronto were without electricity.&nbsp;</span></p><p>Already there have been calls to senior management in the Hydro authority to resign. The storm was forecasted accurately but the extent of the damage it delivered was not—but should have been—according to many of those interviewed in the affected areas.</p><p><span>But these interviewees fail to recognise that predicting the outcome of complex systems is impossible. Plan pragmatically by all means, but no planning process will be robust enough to predict and then accommodate every scenario.&nbsp;</span></p><p>In such circumstances, it is resilience which must be displayed. Resilience gives us the ability to survive the unforeseen and, ideally, to bounce back quickly, and in a better position.</p><p>Resilience requires human interaction and human networks. &nbsp;The camera crews spend less time in Churches and Social Halls because positive stories attract fewer viewers. &nbsp;But when they do visit, they record happier faces recounting stories of re-established comradeships and the birth of new friendships.</p><p>We are clannish. It helps the species survive, and the individual build their self-worth. We turn away from this at our personal peril.</p><p>We face the possibility of unpredicted ice-storms on a daily basis in our business lives, and we constantly put faith in our ability to robustly deal with the impact when it occurs.&nbsp;</p><p>Don't fool yourself.</p><p>During this Christmas period, rekindle friendships, engage with others. Help someone.</p><p>Yesterday evening, there were 80 people alone in an apartment building. Each one cold and fearful. &nbsp;Two hours later the majority were standing around a huge bonfire organised by a local Church group. Tonight in the same dark, cold building, the tenants are playing age-banded games of scrabble, with BBq'd food being carried by young volunteers throughout.</p><p>Build your resilience. Be human.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/52b897e7e4b0ca132bc9852e/1391624101907/1500w/Ice+storm.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="997"><media:title type="plain">Too big to fail? The importance of being human</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>The Career Triad; plotting the route to Perpetual Success</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 Nov 2013 22:43:01 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/11/19/the-career-triad-plotting-the-route-to-perpetual-success</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:528be983e4b0c2ddaef1fcbf</guid><description>There are days when I tingle enough to power the grid. There is nothing
  992. like seeing a client thrive. Nothing. Consuming a dozen Moak coffee
  993. espressos with my fingers poked into mains socket wouldn’t electrify me as
  994. much as seeing someone I’ve worked with succeed.
  995.  
  996. And that’s what it was like last Friday while having lunch with Amanda.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  997. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Zone of Perpetual Energy.003.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/528be9ebe4b0cfa534b19e85/1384901106377/Zone+of+Perpetual+Energy.003.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1920x1080" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="528be9ebe4b0cfa534b19e85" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/528be9ebe4b0cfa534b19e85/1384901106377/Zone+of+Perpetual+Energy.003.jpg?format=1000w" />
  998.  
  999.  
  1000.  
  1001. <p>There are days when I tingle enough to power the grid. There is nothing like seeing a client thrive. Nothing. Consuming a dozen Moak coffee espressos with my fingers poked into mains socket wouldn’t electrify me as much as seeing someone I’ve worked with succeed.</p><p>And that’s what it was like last Friday while having lunch with Amanda.</p><p>During the past 18 months Amanda D. has become a star re-born. In that time she has progressed from sitting on a chair by the Exit to having a seat at the top table. This achieved this&nbsp;<span>generating increasingly large amounts of value while, in parallel,&nbsp;&nbsp;diminishing personal and family stress. &nbsp;</span></p><p>No magic bullet here. Just some tweaks in behaviours, some safe-to-fails experiments which built profits and self-esteem concomitantly, all of which supplied the growth in confidence to make some bold decisions on Life.</p><p>At her request I am sharing the triad which kicked off our work together.</p><p>Dryly titled the Career Triad, I am now adopting Amanda’s moniker of “the Tonic Triad” because of its “life-affirming properties.”</p><p>We sat down and plotted Amanda’s 30 year career. We researched into her&nbsp;performance reviews and&nbsp;examined&nbsp;the correlation between job (as located on the triad)&nbsp;and performance evaluations.&nbsp; From this, Amanda concluded she was on a path to a fog-shrouded summit; each successive step required even&nbsp;harder work; there lots of opportunities to fall; there were no good views on the ascent to compensate.</p><h3>Carrying on is not an attractive option</h3><p>The apices of the Tonic Triad are the constituent ingredients of problem-solving leadership;</p><ol><li>Is there a problem to be solved, an opportunity in a job for example, where I can display my problem-solving capabilities.</li><li>Do I have the necessary skills, capabilities, knowledge or experience to solve the problem successfully?</li><li>Have I the motivation and interest to solve the problem and to fund, psychologically, any required stresses and strains to get the job done?</li></ol><p><span>There various combinations can leave isolated in doldrums waiting for favourable winds. Unfortunately, to ensure getting out of these zones, you have to paddle.</span></p><h3><span>The Zone of the Unhappy Artist</span></h3><p><span>This is where you have skills and capabilities and bag fulls of energy and motivation—but no market or opportunity. You’re a solution looking for a problem.</span></p><p><span>Action: You don’t need a strategy, you need a marketing plan. Network and seek opportunities—otherwise find a day job.</span></p><h3><span>The Zone of Reluctant Duty</span></h3><p><span>High performer meets high need but little appetite to invest in further growth and development.&nbsp; The career equivalent of a cash cow. Sustainable if the environment doesn’t change (good luck), and highly susceptible to sudden crash.&nbsp; No self-improvement leads to DBD (death-by-depreciation.)</span></p><p>Action: Seek opportunities to shift into more motivating roles using your current capabilities as a springboard. Apply your current skills into new areas. NB: It is a mis-conception that mathematicians are intellectually dry and shrivelled once they hit 25. Many mathematicians win prizes in later age by applying their knowledge and experience to problems in different topics</p><h3><span>The Zone of Broken Dreams</span></h3><p><span>Yes, yes, yes. We have all wanted to be a professional footballer, ballet dancer, rockstar, or to play Bach’s Cello concerto at the Albert Hall during the Prom’s, but leaden feet, two left hands, or the inability to carry a tune in a bucket spoilt those dreams. But some still float through life in that reverie.</span></p><p><span>Action: Burst your own bubble before someone else does. There’ll be fewer tears and you won’t graze your knees when you hit the ground. Reset your standard or convert your career to a hobby.&nbsp;</span></p><h3>The Zone of the Living Dead</h3><p><span>You’re a poor performer and each day lasts forever.&nbsp; I am told there are two phases of sea-sickness. Phase 1 is where you are so sick you are frightened you are going to die. Phase 2 is where you are so sick you are frightened you are </span><span>not</span><span> going to die. This Zone is permanent phase 2.&nbsp; You’re anchored in the part of the performance evaluation curve that makes the top 75% possible. You are less Zorro, and more Zombie. </span></p><p><span>Action: Leave. Quickly. Move as soon as you can. Formulate the transition any way you want but you have to escape. You are draining yourself faster than an iPhone streaming video at full volume and connected to every wifi and bluetooth device in the office. If you can’t go, build a lot (I mean a lot) of interests and distractions outside of the working environment.</span></p><h3><span>The Zone of Perpetual Energy</span></h3><p><span>This is the sweet spot. You have skills which you’re motivated to develop and deploy, and opportunities to utilise them effectively.&nbsp; It is a virtuous circle.&nbsp; The consequences of success (time, recognition, pride, self-esteem, self-confidence, money) are reinvested in skill development, capacity to take on bigger challenges, time and independence to pursue your motivations and interests.</span></p><p><span>In the Zone of Perpetual Energy you become more successful at lower stress thus giving you more independence to become more successful at lower stress, thus giving you more independence to become more successful at lower stress….</span></p><p><span>Perhaps, as Amanda suggested, we should call it the Zone of Self-Perpetuating Energy.</span></p><p><span>She agreed to share her journey below. The steps&nbsp;she followed were&nbsp;simple.</span></p><ol><li>Where am I now and what evidence (personal performance reviews etc) support this position?</li><li>&nbsp;Where would I like to be? (Not as obvious an answer as might seem.)</li><li>What obstacles are preventing me from making the move? (Opportunities, family commitments, lack of skills)</li><li>What are the various ways I can overcome them (safely)?</li><li>How can I test the possible routes quickly and safely?</li><li>How will I know I am making progress?</li></ol><p> </p><h3>Amanda's journey</h3>
  1002. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Amanda's journey.004.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/528beb95e4b04aa0e206932a/1384901529401/Amanda%27s+journey.004.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1920x1080" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="528beb95e4b04aa0e206932a" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/528beb95e4b04aa0e206932a/1384901529401/Amanda%27s+journey.004.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1003.  
  1004.  
  1005.  
  1006. ]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/528be983e4b0c2ddaef1fcbf/1471687926016/1500w/Zone%2Bof%2BPerpetual%2BEnergy.003.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="844"><media:title type="plain">The Career Triad; plotting the route to Perpetual Success</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Why should I work for you?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 21 Oct 2013 19:41:08 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/10/21/why-should-i-work-for-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5265804be4b01fdfdbb4f8ac</guid><description>A previous post on the ‘5P’s of a buyer’ has been quite popular, and I’ve
  1007. been asked to explain its origin.
  1008.  
  1009. Their roots lie in the fundamentals of problem-solving leadership; how can
  1010. we work together to solve an issue profitably and to mutual benefit?  
  1011.  
  1012. Let me illustrate.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1013. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Why should I work for you (colour).jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52658056e4b01fdfdbb4f8d5/1382383706583/Why+should+I+work+for+you+%28colour%29.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1694x1133" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52658056e4b01fdfdbb4f8d5" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52658056e4b01fdfdbb4f8d5/1382383706583/Why+should+I+work+for+you+%28colour%29.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1014.  
  1015.  
  1016.  
  1017. <p>A previous post on the ‘5P’s of a buyer’ has been quite popular, and I’ve been asked to explain its origin.</p><p>Their roots lie in the fundamentals of problem-solving leadership; how can we work together to solve an issue profitably and to mutual benefit? &nbsp;</p><p>Let me illustrate.</p><p>I am sometimes asked to be a third party participant in the debriefing process of a departing senior manager.&nbsp; The requirement for a debrief is obvious.&nbsp; Out-standing problem-solving leaders are rare. A friend of mine, David Bodmer, founded EMR, one of the most successful marketing recruitment agencies in the UK.&nbsp; He would tell me, frequently, that, in even a recession, “the problem is never a shortage of good jobs, it’s always a shortage of good people.”</p><p>So, if you have good people, keep them. But if you can’t, you need to know whether the departure a one-off or the first drip of a deluge.</p><p>The reasons for going are illuminating, and cast some light on the multitude of reasons why people go—and how you might entice them to stay. Spoiler alert: the pursuit of lucre is not in the top 3.</p><p>Senior executives are the director of problem-solving resources. They identify and prioritise the problems to be solved, and corral the corporations problem-solving resources to solve the problem quickly, to the greatest benefit of all, and at the lowest physical and psychological cost.&nbsp;</p><p>Preventing, interfering or not acknowledging these activities fuels departure.</p><p><strong>People don’t leave organisations. People leave other people.</strong></p><p>When your brightest and best wave good-bye, it is because they don’t want to stay. Fruitful recruiters sense this, and the most productive push at an open door.</p><p>So in the final days, without (or with!) axes to grind, what reasons do exiting executive give for leaving? The responses fall into four broad categories and in order of importance they are;</p><p>1. I am a problem-solving hero.&nbsp; Top executives are like professional athletes. They may not say it but their body language screams, “pick me, pick me,” when the CEO is announcing the team for the big game. They want to be with the best players and thrown against the toughest opposition. It is away they test themselves. With success and the passage of time they seek respect and some independence.&nbsp; If any of this is absent, they are happy to be traded.</p><p>2. Pleasure. Being in the business has to be fun. I should feel a portion of the enjoyment coming from my hobby of cycling, or fishing or bee-keeping etc. If you want to encourage your people to leave take the joy out of their day.&nbsp; Be either ditheringly indecisive, or aggressively micro-manage. Either of these behaviours will have your top tier doing emailed resumé blasts to LinkedIn buddies or Facebook friends.</p><p>3. Pride. Executives might be top-tier team players but they still want to say, “I did this.” They want to praise their team and they want peer recognition. They want some time in the sun and not just in the shadow. Any line manager that prevents this will see their stars climbing on a podium elsewhere.</p><p>4. Pay. In 90% of the exit interviews I have performed, money is mentioned last. It only becomes important in the absence of the first 3 factors.&nbsp; If your top team is there only for the pay check you’ve lost the game. They are playing for themselves. Not you, not the team. &nbsp;</p><h3>Why should I work for you?</h3><p>Naturally, as a team leader, you would hope your team members would be giving of their best, with enjoyment and pride in what they achieve. You would hope too that they feel compensated appropriately for what they do.</p><p> </p><p> </p><h2>Exercise.</h2>
  1018. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Why should I work for you.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5265839ce4b012649263fcb6/1382384542202/Why+should+I+work+for+you.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1199x721" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5265839ce4b012649263fcb6" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5265839ce4b012649263fcb6/1382384542202/Why+should+I+work+for+you.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1019.  
  1020.  
  1021.  
  1022. <p>Are you strong enough to take the test?</p><p>At your next team meeting, hand out the <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/s/Why-should-I-work-for-you.pdf">audit tool </a>and ask your team members to complete the table. Place their responses on the wall and review the output.&nbsp; What improvements can you make collectively?</p><p><span>&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5265804be4b01fdfdbb4f8ac/1471687974514/1500w/Why%2Bshould%2BI%2Bwork%2Bfor%2Byou%2B%28colour%29.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1003"><media:title type="plain">Why should I work for you?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>You vs the competition: Same profits equals same products</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 18 Oct 2013 01:08:27 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/10/17/you-v-the-competition-same-profits-same-products</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:52608a1ee4b07d26e414be2d</guid><description>Like most of you I have participated in workshops where the opening
  1023. question is, "why are we in business?" Depending on the group
  1024. (profit/non-profit), function, time of day and the latest sports scores the
  1025. answers are variously stupid, prudent, sycophantic or vanilla.  
  1026.  
  1027. Some regurgitate the latest corporate consumption ("to create shareholder
  1028. value") while others are more thoughtful ("to relieve stress on pet owners
  1029. at a difficult time" - a company helping families re-locate their pets to
  1030. the new home overseas.)</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1031. <img class="thumb-image" alt="same profits, same products.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5260920ae4b0166b5caad517/1382060555398/same+profits%2C+same+products.jpg" data-image-dimensions="982x609" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5260920ae4b0166b5caad517" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5260920ae4b0166b5caad517/1382060555398/same+profits%2C+same+products.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1032.  
  1033.  
  1034.  
  1035. <p>Like most of you I have participated in workshops where the opening question is, "why are we in business?" Depending on the group (profit/non-profit), function, time of day and the latest sports scores the answers are variously stupid, prudent, sycophantic or vanilla. &nbsp;</p><p>Some regurgitate the latest corporate consumption ("to create shareholder value") while others are more thoughtful ("to relieve stress on pet owners at a difficult time" - a company helping families re-locate their pets to the new home overseas.)</p><p>Inevitably "to make more profit" is mentioned and this one is often given a Silver to the Gold of "creating shareholder value" in the Award of Cringeable Comments.</p><p>But this is doing profit (or at least gross profit) a disservice.&nbsp;</p><h3>Distinctiveness in profits = distinctiveness in products</h3><p>You see, if your profit margins are the same as your competitors, it is likely your product offers are too.</p><p>
  1036. </p><p>
  1037. </p><p>Profits are a proxy for the difference you make the lives of your customers.&nbsp; If you make a bigger impact on their activities, well being or emotions than your competitors, it will be reflected as a differential in your profits.</p><p>
  1038. </p><p>
  1039. </p><p>I know, I know, there will be issues on differences in costs and some operational models give&nbsp; you some extra margin, but these pale in comparison the margins of B&amp;D (better and different)</p><p>
  1040. </p><p>
  1041. </p><p>If you have an edge, if you’re close to the market and if you have the confidence to price appropriately, the law stands.</p><p>Look at the phone market below. You have a product that is better and different than the competition, price it accordingly (slide 1), then scale it and, bingo—big margins (slide 2).&nbsp;</p><p>Quite simple really, it is applied customer R&amp;D® at its best.&nbsp;</p><p>
  1042. </p><p>
  1043. </p><p>The market speaks. If your profit margins are the same as your competitors you’ve got some customer feedback—without spending a penny on market research.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>&nbsp;</p>
  1044. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Mobile-industry-operating-margins--2007-2011.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52608dc5e4b007d91986664f/1382059464603/Mobile-industry-operating-margins--2007-2011.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1339x719" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52608dc5e4b007d91986664f" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52608dc5e4b007d91986664f/1382059464603/Mobile-industry-operating-margins--2007-2011.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1045.  
  1046.  
  1047.  
  1048.  
  1049. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Mobile-industry-operating-profits-2007-2011.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52608de4e4b007d919866693/1382059497103/Mobile-industry-operating-profits-2007-2011.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1331x750" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52608de4e4b007d919866693" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52608de4e4b007d919866693/1382059497103/Mobile-industry-operating-profits-2007-2011.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1050.  
  1051.  
  1052.  
  1053. <p>Data source: phone area</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/52608a1ee4b07d26e414be2d/1471688024019/1500w/same%2Bprofits%2C%2Bsame%2Bproducts.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="982" height="609"><media:title type="plain">You vs the competition: Same profits equals same products</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Happy Thanksgiving from Canada</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 14 Oct 2013 19:31:38 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/10/14/happy-thanksgiving-from-canada</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:525c46a5e4b0cbea8c370f02</guid><description>As I write this, I hear children playing hockey in the road.
  1054.  
  1055. Growing up in the UK we did not celebrate Thanksgiving but in our school
  1056. assemblies and church services we did celebrate Harvest Festival,  a
  1057. communal acknowledgment of the earth’s bounteous gifts. The hymns and rural
  1058. gatherings marked the end of the most active time of the year in
  1059. agricultural communities, with anticipation (and hopes) that stocks will be
  1060. sufficient to survive the winter.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1061. <img class="thumb-image" alt="boys playing road hockey.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/525c4f93e4b00d5abbb96a03/1381781450596/boys+playing+road+hockey.jpg" data-image-dimensions="620x400" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="525c4f93e4b00d5abbb96a03" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/525c4f93e4b00d5abbb96a03/1381781450596/boys+playing+road+hockey.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1062.  
  1063.  
  1064.  
  1065. <p>As I write this, I hear children playing hockey in the road.</p><p>Growing up in the UK we did not celebrate Thanksgiving but in our school assemblies and church services we did celebrate Harvest Festival,&nbsp; a communal acknowledgment of the earth’s bounteous gifts. The hymns and rural gatherings marked the end of the most active time of the year in agricultural communities, with anticipation (and hopes) that stocks will be sufficient to survive the winter.</p><p>Sophisticated logistics ensure that the urban shopper is isolated from the calendar of crop selection. Everything is always in season. Our visceral link to the land is diluted and our appreciation of the Harvest diminished. Or so I believe.</p><p>In North America we have Thanksgiving. Broader than an agricultural punctuation mark, it marks the busiest travel time of the year as families come together.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>For some of my neighbours though, the reasons behind their Thanksgiving celebration are closer to the earlier settlers.</p><p>You see my neighbours come from Colombia, the Philippines, Syria and Venezuela. They come from guarded compounds, Cochrane razor wire, and barred windows.&nbsp; They come from physical threats in the workplace, kidnappings and extortion by the neighbour drug pushers.&nbsp; Their children played indoors or in guarded court yards watched over by poorly paid guards, bribable in support of their own families or in fear of their well being.</p><p>Every day was lived in fear. So they came to Canada, and left that fear behind.</p><p>And now, while they are preparing their Thanksgiving turkey, the windows are open, the Cumbia music is playing (blasting)—and their children are playing hockey in the road.</p><p>Happy Thanksgiving</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/525c46a5e4b0cbea8c370f02/1471688155134/1500w/boys%2Bplaying%2Broad%2Bhockey.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="620" height="400"><media:title type="plain">Happy Thanksgiving from Canada</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>The Bridge of Sighs&#x2014;and 5P's that attract a buyer</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Oct 2013 16:35:56 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/10/4/the-bridge-of-sighsand-the-5ps-of-a-buyer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:524ee896e4b0e606f32ddaa9</guid><description>For those who have not visited Venice, the “Bridge of Sighs” may conjure up
  1066. visions of cooing lovers gazing dreamily into each others eyes. The reason
  1067. behind the name is, however, distinctly unromantic.
  1068.  
  1069.  </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1070. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Bridge of Sighs.JPG" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/524eea31e4b0a76bc0a12b18/1431488560309/Bridge+of+Sighs.JPG" data-image-dimensions="2500x1406" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="524eea31e4b0a76bc0a12b18" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/524eea31e4b0a76bc0a12b18/1431488560309/Bridge+of+Sighs.JPG?format=1000w" />
  1071.  
  1072.  
  1073.  
  1074. <p>For those who have not visited Venice, the “Bridge of Sighs” may conjure up visions of cooing lovers gazing dreamily into each others eyes. The reason behind the name is, however, distinctly unromantic.</p><p>The bridge links the Justice Courts of the Doges Palace to the New Prison and was the &nbsp;route by which the convicted were led from sentencing to sentence. The Sighs in the epithet are said to be the final ‘souffles’ of the prisoner as they stole a (perhaps final) view of their beloved Venice through the latticed walls.</p><p>In 2013, the duration of our stays may be shorter, the accommodation may be plusher and the gaolers may wear suits, but some executives still think wistfully of other ways of spending their time, as they swipe their cards, and fiscally and emotionally shackle themselves to their work environment.</p><p> </p><p>I do not refer here to boisterous youths harbouring dreams of life on the football field. This is the perspective given to me by my 8 dinner companions, all successful executives who have, collectively</p><p>1. $2.5bn assets under their control</p><p>2. a total income exceeding $3m in 2012</p><p>2. 170 man-years of work experience</p><h3>Control of your diary is real wealth</h3><p>Yet, despite their successes, full vacation entitlement was only taken in 8 of the 170 man-years, and 1 member&nbsp;was taking a two-week vacation for the first time in 30 years</p><p>Using the definition of wealth as ‘control over your discretionary time’, I asked the group if they considered themselves wealthy? &nbsp;</p><p>Each answered no, each considered him or herself, ‘cash rich, time poor.’ The reasons behind this were various (weak direct reports, decision-making processes), all were surmountable. It’s not that they couldn’t take time off, it’s that they felt unable too.&nbsp;</p><p>And therein lies an opportunity.</p><p>The dinner discussion reminded of story from a client.&nbsp; Their customer worked in the fine fragrance industry, a notoriously fast-moving and fickle market.&nbsp; My client has developed a new fragrance for a baby lotion. In response, their customer, Head of Research for ‘Baby’ responded, “The feedback from the focus group was amazing.&nbsp; It allowed me to take my first vacation in 5 years.”&nbsp; Apparently, so frustrated was she about the lack of progress on discovering a fragrance acceptable to babies with ‘cradle cap,’ she had refused herself vacation.&nbsp; As she was also the economic buyer, this psychological release was perceived to provide a 2% price premium.</p><h3>Behind every business need lies a personal need.</h3><p>It is clear: behind every business need lies a personal need. If you can address both, you’ve created huge value.</p><p>Which brings me to the buyers 5P’s. These are applicable to all buyers—industrial, FMCG, financial services, public, private or personal.&nbsp;</p><p>The 5P’s of the buyer are:</p><p>1. Profit</p><p>2. Pain free</p><p>3. Pride</p><p>4. Pleasure&nbsp;</p><p>5. Problem-solving hero</p><h3>Provable <strong>Profit</strong></h3><p>Is your product and service having a quantitative financial impact on my operation? It is easy to measure, easy to communicate—and easy to beat. Your position is fragile if this is the only ‘P’ you hit.</p><h3>Make the <strong>Pain</strong> go away&nbsp;</h3><p>Are you removing distractions and inefficiencies that are preventing me from doing my job or living my life? Remember though that pain, once eased, is soon forgotten.</p><h3>Let me shine with <strong>Pride</strong></h3><p>Is what you are doing for going to allow me to stand proud in front of my peers, competitors, friends and family? Will your offer enable me to stand back and see the positive impact I’ve had on others? Will your product build my self-esteem?</p><h3><strong>Where's the Pleasure in this?</strong></h3><p>Does your offer excite me? Don’t think this one is important? Look at some of the world’s biggest brand leaders; Disney, Apple, Harley-Davidson, Mercedes, BMW, Louis Vuitton.</p><h3>I'm a Problem-solving hero</h3><p>Have I improved my problem-solving capability as result of what you have given me? Have you given me skills, capabilities or experiences that allow me to give more value to my organisation—and demand more value in return? Have you made me the problem-solving hero who is in high demand?</p><h2>Take the Quiz</h2><p>Which ‘P ‘ gets you in the door—but not much further?</p><p>Which ‘P’s get you premiums, customer referrals, customer retention, and the opportunity to be better and different than the competition?</p><p>On a score of 1-10, how well do you score against each ‘P’?</p><p>How do you fare against the competition?</p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/524ee896e4b0e606f32ddaa9/1471688250157/1500w/Bridge%2Bof%2BSighs.JPG" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="844"><media:title type="plain">The Bridge of Sighs&#x2014;and 5P's that attract a buyer</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Dawn breaking in Tuscany</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 03 Oct 2013 14:49:43 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/10/3/dawn-breaking-in-tuscany</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:524d8415e4b09484086efd98</guid><description>A shift in the work schedule allowed me to take a short break in southern
  1075. Tuscany with some friends. 
  1076.  
  1077. To my mind, late September is the best time to visit this part of Italy.
  1078. The majority of the tourists are gone, and the slopping valleys are quiet.
  1079.  
  1080. Mostly. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1081. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Dawn over Tuscany" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/524d867de4b00ef074cfb165/1431488568483/Dawn+over+Tuscany" data-image-dimensions="2500x1406" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="524d867de4b00ef074cfb165" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/524d867de4b00ef074cfb165/1431488568483/Dawn+over+Tuscany?format=1000w" />
  1082.  
  1083.  
  1084.  
  1085. <p>A shift in the work schedule allowed me to take a short break in southern Tuscany with some friends.&nbsp;</p><p>To my mind, late September is the best time to visit this part of Italy. The majority of the tourists are gone, and the slopping valleys are quiet.</p><p>Mostly.&nbsp;</p><p>The hunters are actively seeking 'cingiale', the grapes and the olives are starting to be harvested, which means you can relax while others endeavour to source your evening meal.</p><p>Difficult to beat.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/524d8415e4b09484086efd98/1471688308084/1500w/Dawn%2Bover%2BTuscany.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="844"><media:title type="plain">Dawn breaking in Tuscany</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Net Promoter Score Abuse&#x2014;and how to prevent it</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 20 Sep 2013 17:59:06 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/9/20/btvh6pxtwskyuh6h8kurgmlcpew3g7</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:523c8cf9e4b090b43d3616c3</guid><description>One of the benefits of working with great clients in great businesses is
  1086. the occasional opportunity to stay in great places. This week past was no
  1087. exception.
  1088.  
  1089. Boston is one of my favourite cities in the USA; the density of teaching
  1090. establishments, the sprouting of new money, the foundation of old money,
  1091. the legacy of European immigration and the energy of the  recent Hispanic
  1092. influx provides the City with a culture which challenges the brain and
  1093. tingles the tongue.  Only New York can compete.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1094. <img class="thumb-image" alt="View from Boston Hyatt.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/523c8d90e4b032ff8b3b33a6/1431488565292/View+from+Boston+Hyatt.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x1875" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="523c8d90e4b032ff8b3b33a6" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/523c8d90e4b032ff8b3b33a6/1431488565292/View+from+Boston+Hyatt.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1095.  
  1096.  
  1097.  
  1098. <p>One of the benefits of working with great clients in great businesses is the occasional opportunity to stay in great places. This week past was no exception.</p><p>Boston is one of my favourite cities in the USA; the density of teaching establishments, the sprouting of new money, the foundation of old money, the legacy of European immigration and the energy of the&nbsp; recent Hispanic influx provides the City with a culture which challenges the brain and tingles the tongue.&nbsp; Only New York can compete.</p><h3>Boston beats New York</h3><p>But Boston does beat New York in its choice of airport hotels, and my bedroom view provides proof. I had a view of Boston Harbour and I breakfasted enveloped in the tang of salt air—and the airport terminals a 5 minute shuttle ride away.&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The benefits of the location don’t end there.&nbsp; A 10 minute ride by water taxi takes you to Little Italy in the North End, and 10 minute walk on the harbour front path leads to some of outstanding Latino restaurants in East Boston.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In most other respects, the hotel is reasonable but not outstanding. It is the location that makes it worthy of recommendation. For me at least.&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After checking out I received a link to an online survey in which I was asked to rate my hotel experience, and I was inadvertently provided with an excellent example of a rapidly spreading, menacing disorder—NPSA (Net Promoter Score Abuse.) &nbsp;</p><p> </p><p> </p><h3>Value creation requires insight, value capture requires courage</h3><p>I had just completed a workshop entitled, “Value Creation, Value Capture,” in which I cover the various approaches to developing offers that are better and different than the competition.&nbsp; And then, once value is created, how to do price appropriately to capture a portion of that value.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I find a lot of organisations are reasonably good at testing new offers in the market, but fail short in valuing it and capturing it. &nbsp;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Value capture requires testing the upper limits of pricing, and probing the boundary of these upper limits requires, inevitably, pricing to failure—safely. And while most companies understand the conceptual aspects of price elasticity, few actually have the courage (culture) to test the full range.</p><p> </p><p> </p><h3>NPS and its link to price sensitivity</h3><p>At the workshop, I introduced a method by which Net Promoter Score can act as a proxy for price elasticity. Broadly speaking, if your customers provide a score 1-6 in response to the products or service provided, you are likely to have limited price elasticity. &nbsp;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Conversely if your customers are ‘wowed’ by the experience they have with you, not only are they likely to recommend you to others, but they will be less price sensitive to your services—as will their ‘recommendees.’ In my experience, clients with Net Promoter Scores have the courage, culture and confidence to test their pricing. &nbsp;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The standard NPS tool is comprised of two parts.&nbsp; Part 1 asks the customer to indicate on a scale of 0-10 how likely they are to recommend the product or service to a friend, family member or colleague. Part 2 requires (my emphasis) to provide supporting evidence for the score, usually in the form of some narrative.</p><p> </p><p> </p><h3>Why did you buy?</h3><p>The narrative tells you why people buy; the score tells you how well you are doing it. The first is messy, loosely coherent, and often contradictory.&nbsp; It requires judgement to exploit and interpret its meaning.&nbsp; It is, though, actionable. The second part is easy to measure and rapidly digestible. It is also easy to massage and non-actionable.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Using the measure in the absence of the supporting narrative is akin to driving a car while only being able to use the rear view mirror.&nbsp; Casualties and expenses will mount as you randomly adjust the steering wheel in hopes making forward motion on your NPS. &nbsp;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sales figures and NPS may record your success or failure, but they don’t reveal its source.&nbsp;</p><p> </p>
  1099. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Hyatt NPS.PNG" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/523c8e47e4b00d02bb96ddf7/1379700898240/Hyatt+NPS.PNG" data-image-dimensions="500x750" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="523c8e47e4b00d02bb96ddf7" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/523c8e47e4b00d02bb96ddf7/1379700898240/Hyatt+NPS.PNG?format=1000w" />
  1100.  
  1101.  
  1102.  
  1103. <h3>NPSA—and how to spot it</h3><p>Which brings me to the Hyatt survey.&nbsp; As you can see they used Part 1 of the Net Promoter Score, the score. The survey then proceeds to ask for a rating of ‘hygiene’ factors (cleanliness of room, ease of check-in, friendless of website) and provided no opportunity to provide the story behind the score.&nbsp; Thus, they never knew</p><p>- my score of 9 was due to the proximity of salt water</p><p>- one participants score of 6 was due to the poor sound insulation between rooms (external noise was no problem)</p><p>- One participants score of 10 was due to the singer in the bar playing a request for his wife on her birthday</p><p>- One participants score was 5 because her room was not ready upon arrival after a long haul flight.</p><p>The group gave the hotel an NPS of 65%. This is healthy score but Hyatt group does not know why. They have the cost and overhead of the survey, but none of the insight.</p><h3>End NPSA today</h3><p>Don’t make the same mistake. Stop the spread of NPSA.</p><p>Any customer survey which doesn’t address the question, “why did you buy?” is flawed.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/523c8cf9e4b090b43d3616c3/1471688465526/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Net Promoter Score Abuse&#x2014;and how to prevent it</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>What is digital marketing? And why the answer should bother you</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 26 Aug 2013 15:47:29 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/8/26/what-is-digital-marketing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:521b7740e4b06116fb784abf</guid><description>In conventional marketing, you provide the recommendation. You broadcast
  1104. the signal to buy. Peer-to-peer chatter is distracting noise. 
  1105.  
  1106. Digital marketing is the reverse. Peer-to-peer referral is the signal to
  1107. buy and your broadcast is distracting, even annoying, noise.
  1108.  
  1109. And there you have it. The thrill and the threat, the opportunity and the
  1110. danger of digital marketing.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1111. <img class="thumb-image" alt="iStock_000006493638Small.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/521b77cae4b000bbb353421f/1377531852308/iStock_000006493638Small.jpg" data-image-dimensions="837x573" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="521b77cae4b000bbb353421f" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/521b77cae4b000bbb353421f/1377531852308/iStock_000006493638Small.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1112.  
  1113.  
  1114.  
  1115. <p>If you are, like me, in professional services, a referral is a recommendation to hire you (or me.)</p><p>If you manufacture widgets, a referral is a recommendation to buy your product.</p><p>In conventional marketing, you provide the recommendation. You broadcast the signal to buy. Peer-to-peer chatter is distracting noise.&nbsp;</p><p>Digital marketing is the reverse. Peer-to-peer referral is the signal to buy and your broadcast is distracting, even annoying, noise.</p><p>And there you have it. The thrill and the threat, the opportunity and the danger of digital marketing.</p><h3>In digital marketing, you are either great or you are not.&nbsp;</h3><p>Digital marketing bifurcates the market.&nbsp; There is no gentle spectrum ranging from poor to excellent and passing through mediocre along the route.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>If you are better and different than the competition, people will talk.&nbsp;</p><p>If not. There is silence. If you are lucky.</p><h3>Digital whispers are big dollars. More or less.</h3><p></p><p>In Digital Marketing for the C-Suite we will cover the essences of digital marketing, the trends, the tools, what is it, how to use it, and how not to use. We will show you how to find the pots of digital marketing gold, and how to avoid the potholes.</p><p>This is an online course commencing in November 2013. Content details will be provided in October.</p><p>To sign up for automatic notification please contact us here, using the promotion code DigiC</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/521b7740e4b06116fb784abf/1377533336021/1500w/iStock_000006493638Small.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="837" height="573"><media:title type="plain">What is digital marketing? And why the answer should bother you</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Which is greater? Passion to win&#x2014;or desire not to lose?</title><category>Leadership</category><category>Problem-solving</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 25 Aug 2013 23:00:43 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/8/25/losses-loom-larger-than-gains</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:521a8924e4b0576a596a0411</guid><description>You are offered a gamble on the toss of a coin.
  1116.  
  1117. If the coin shows tails you lose $100
  1118.  
  1119. If the coin shows heads you win $120
  1120.  
  1121. Is the gamble attractive? Would you take it?
  1122.  
  1123. Your answer gives powerful insight in how best to manage organisational
  1124. change.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1125. <img class="thumb-image" alt="coin toss.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/521a8c1de4b03a3ebe2a503f/1431488577526/coin+toss.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x1430" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="521a8c1de4b03a3ebe2a503f" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/521a8c1de4b03a3ebe2a503f/1431488577526/coin+toss.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1126.  
  1127.  
  1128.  
  1129. <p><a href="#"></a>You are offered a gamble on the toss of a coin.</p><p>If the coin shows tails you lose $100</p><p>If the coin shows heads you win $120</p><p>Is the gamble attractive? Would you take it?</p><p>Your answer gives powerful insight into how best to manage organisational change.</p><p>In 1974 Kahneman and Tversky published a paper in which the results of these questions were examined. Their conclusions lead to the development of Prospect Theory.</p><p>The data suggests we have aversion to losing, and the premium required to overcome this aversion is in the range of 1.5 − 2.5. In other words, in order put $100 at risk, most people need the opportunity to win at least $150-$250.&nbsp;</p><p>In summary, for the general population “losses loom larger than gains” and most humans are loss averse.</p><h3>Losers fight harder than winners in change management</h3><p>This insight has been heavily applied in behavioural economics but lightly applied (if at all) in change management. But there is much we can learn from its utilisation.</p><p>When introducing change into an organisation, those who will lose out will fight more tenaciously for the status quo than those who would gain the most. Yet, most of those who constitute the “Guiding Coalition” &nbsp; (Kotter, HBR, March, 1995) are often those most likely to be in the winning circle.&nbsp; This might give a clue as to why most change initiatives fail.</p><p>As Executives leading change programmes we have improved. We are better at communicating why change is necessary (the problem), and how it (the solution) will be implemented.</p><p>But this shines the spotlight on the upside, and leaves the downside in the shade and thus avoids the reality of how people view change. We would be better to recall that Diminishing the downside can be more important than promoting the upside.&nbsp;</p><h3>Reduce potential loss, and you lower the barrier to change</h3><p>For Executives this means modifying their current change management checklist.</p><p>It should now read:</p><p>1. Who is likely to be affected by the change management programme?</p><p>2. What is the likely downside (as well as upside) to this community?</p><p>3. Can I recruit representatives of that community to help me build the upside and, more importantly, find a route to minimising the downside.</p><p>4. Agree jointly measures of change management success.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/521a8924e4b0576a596a0411/1377806409605/1500w/coin+toss.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="858"><media:title type="plain">Which is greater? Passion to win&#x2014;or desire not to lose?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>In praise of the 2-hour lunch</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:20:33 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/8/6/in-praise-of-the-2-hour-lunch.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071506</guid><description>There’s a line that can be drawn from Calais in the North-West to Athens in
  1130. the South-East which neatly divides to contrasting cultures. Excepting
  1131. Switzerland, it is not unusual for a communal lunch to extend to two hours
  1132. in these southern cultures. Now I realise that some will suggest that line
  1133. also demonstrates an inverse correlation between economic health and
  1134. lunchtime length, but you have to look at the bigger picture in which the
  1135. time line conceived stretches to millennia rather than decades.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1136. <img class="thumb-image" alt="2 hour lunch.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715cd/1377085160097/2+hour+lunch.jpg" data-image-dimensions="700x274" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715cd" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715cd/1377085160097/2+hour+lunch.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1137.  
  1138.  
  1139.  
  1140. <p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2887">There’s a line that can be drawn from Calais in the North-West to Athens in the South-East which neatly divides two contrasting cultures. Excepting Switzerland, it is not unusual for a communal lunch to extend to two hours in the South.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2890">Now I realise that some will suggest this line also demonstrates an inverse correlation between economic health and lunchtime length, but you have to look at the bigger picture. View a time line that stretches for millennia rather than decades and regard the impact the Southern cultures have had.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2893">Lunchtime discussions need not always flow randomly. Indeed, some of the most powerful meetings-over-meals have a deliberate aim, a problem to solve, and bring together a diverse range of perspectives placed into a social setting.&nbsp; Social settings are important for human as it is in this context when we share our narrative in the most comfortable settings. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2896">So why can a two-hour lunch be powerfully effective?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2899">Because it is an efficient method for seeking solutions to complex problems obliquely.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2902">Let me put it another way.&nbsp; Senior leaders you will spend proportions of your day in the following activities;&nbsp; Communication of business issues, Consumption of materials on business issues, or Creating solutions to business issues.</p>
  1141. <img class="thumb-image" alt="3 c-1.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715ce/1431488561681/3+c-1.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x1691" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715ce" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715ce/1431488561681/3+c-1.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1142.  
  1143.  
  1144.  
  1145. <p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2908">In the experience of most executives their diary is disproportionately skewed toward Consumption; the ingestion of hundreds of emails and over-cooked slide presentations leads to mental dyspepsia. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2911">Todays managers are force fed calorie-heavy, nutritionally-light data diets.&nbsp; This is where the occasional two-hour Mediterranean diet can be a welcome change</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2914">Like most people I have grabbed a sandwich and eaten it over the keyboard.&nbsp; The emphasis in on Consumption of information. You look at a screen and can do little else. Creatively it is a dry creek bed compared to the river of ideas that can flow widely and deeply over lunch with a diverse group.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2917">The lunch table above provides an example. Present were a noted French economist, the former head of communications for one of the world’s largest FMCG companies, an established film maker, a professional historian, a polymath—and me.&nbsp; (I practice what I preach; self-improvement occurs naturally when you surround yourself with successful people)&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2920">The conversation meanders widely (and deeply) across Europe and Globalisation, art, metaphor, branding, the abilities of Tallyrand, rugby (naturally) and the psychology of decision-making.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2923">Abstract? Certainly. Practical implications? Most definitely. Strong social bonding with new acceptances,&nbsp; a more diverse group of business contacts, and some new material of investing the link between branding and decision-making.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2926">Todays environment makes it difficult to carve out time to be creative. If your diary has fenced you to tightly into the Consumption corner of the triad, perhaps a 2 hour ‘meeting-over-meal’ is something you might experiment with.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2929">The ingredients are:&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2932">1. 2 hours in the diary.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2935">2. A loose agenda focussed on one grand theme</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2938">3. A (very) diverse group of diners.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_57_1471628969396_2941">Bon appétit&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071506/1471688567344/1500w/2+hour+lunch.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="700" height="274"><media:title type="plain">In praise of the 2-hour lunch</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Are you living off your interest?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 03 Aug 2013 09:41:15 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/8/3/are-you-living-off-your-interest.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071508</guid><description>Now, it may not be obvious from the snapshot, but the two ‘cats’ in the
  1146. picture revolutionised the Jazz scene (which was THE scene) in the 1950’s.
  1147. The first large wave of Jewish émigrés to flee Nazi Germany arrived in the
  1148. USA and, according to data from the US patent office, drove up invention
  1149. rates by 33%. The primary areas of innovation were chemistry, physics and
  1150. aeronautics. But despite their sapient, bookish, dress and demeanour,
  1151. Francis Wolff and Alfred Lion did not patent a novel route for synthesising
  1152. haloanthraquinones, or indeed anything remotely of technological
  1153. significance. They did, though, change the face of music through their
  1154. record label, Blue Note records. Their tale is a successful conflation of
  1155. interests.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1156. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Blue Note 2.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715b3/1431488561097/Blue+Note+2.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x572" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715b3" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715b3/1431488561097/Blue+Note+2.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1157.  
  1158.  
  1159.  
  1160. <p id="yui_3_17_2_58_1471628969396_2833">Now, it may not be obvious from the snapshot, but the two ‘cats’ in the picture revolutionised the Jazz scene (which was THE scene) in the 1950’s.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_58_1471628969396_2836">The first large wave of Jewish émigrés to flee Nazi Germany arrived in the USA and, according to data from the US patent office, drove up invention rates by 33%. The primary areas of innovation were chemistry, physics and aeronautics.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_58_1471628969396_2839">But despite their sapient, bookish dress and demeanour, Francis Wolff and Alfred Lion did not patent a novel route for synthesising haloanthraquinones, or indeed anything remotely of technological significance.&nbsp; They did, though, change the face of music through their record label, Blue Note records.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_58_1471628969396_2842">Their tale is a successful conflation of interests. Diverse backgrounds uniting around solving a uniting problem; how to make outstanding Jazz music.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_58_1471628969396_2845">Capital was provided by a Communist, Max Margulis, and diverse ethnic groups collaborated to make and produce jazz. The recording engineer, Rudy Van Gelder, was a New Jersey based optometrist and remained so for the first 7 years at Blue Note.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_58_1471628969396_2848">Each, in their own way, was able to make a living out of their interest. As a result, they were able to pursue their daily activities with energy, ambition, and minimal stress—all of which resulted in high quality work that evolved over time. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_58_1471628969396_2851">This is the antithesis of grudgingly exchanging labour for payment, mentally scratching off each hour as a countdown to day's end. This is the waiting room for numbess.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_58_1471628969396_2854">Ironically, the best way to accumulate capital may be to make a living off your interest. &nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071508/1471688613966/1500w/Blue+Note+2.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="229"><media:title type="plain">Are you living off your interest?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>More signal, less noise: the quest for differentiation</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jul 2013 10:28:04 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/7/30/more-signal-less-noise-the-quest-for-differentiation.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071509</guid><description>For the next few weeks, a restored Abbaye in the Dordogne is acting
  1161. temporary HQ for the Riot Point. We are bringing certain projects to a
  1162. close, and commencing others.
  1163.  
  1164. Constant renewal based on past successes (and tolerated failures) is a
  1165. constant theme, all fuelled, of course, by a motivation to provide value to
  1166. others and while receiving improvements in self. And we’re making progress.
  1167. The beams emanating from the library in the photo above reflect the
  1168. brilliance of some of the new material!</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1169. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Brilliance at the Abbaye-1.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715f0/1377085160168/Brilliance+at+the+Abbaye-1.jpg" data-image-dimensions="700x267" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715f0" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715f0/1377085160168/Brilliance+at+the+Abbaye-1.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1170.  
  1171.  
  1172.  
  1173. <p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10680">For the next few weeks, a restored Abbaye in the Dordogne is acting as temporary HQ for the Riot Point.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10683">We are bringing certain projects to a close, and commencing others.&nbsp; Constant renewal based on past successes (and tolerated failures) is a constant theme, all fuelled, of course, by a motivation to provide value to others and while receiving improvements in self.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10686">And we’re making progress. The beams emanating from the library in the photo above reflect the brilliance of some of the new material!</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10689">At this location, the medieval and the modern blend perfectly. The thick walls and high ceilings prevent the need for air conditioning, despite temperatures of &gt; 30°C, while access to the latest communication technologies allow us to participate fully in all aspects of modern business.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10692">Well not quite.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10695">As with the Italians in design, so with the French with infrastructure. They do it perfectly. Almost.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10698">The population of the village is around 400 and the location relatively remote. However, this being France, fibre-optic cable has been put in place at the Mairie, whose employees enjoy download speeds of 100 Mbps. However, this being France, politics around budgets have prevented full deployment within the village, so we move abruptly from thick glass to skinny, skinny twisted-pair copper very quickly. As a result, I’m enjoying download speeds of 2Mbps, and upload speeds of 0.05 Mbps.&nbsp; Acceptable for email, but Skype and multi-media files are a no-go.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10701">The local telecom engineer tells me that my connection will never improve until the copper wires are replaced. The current method has too much noise and not enough signal.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10704">And so with our businesses.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10707">Products choices are so amorphous and managers are too timid to make their offers stand out. You can’t be in the pack and be noticed. You have to be one or the other. But if you’re going to stand out from the crowd, you need to look good standing there.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10710">Getting there need not be expensive and doesn't need a culture of arrogant self-importance.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10713">You will need though an understanding of why customers buy from you (and your competitors), and the confidence to experiment with a range of responses on your ‘road to differentiation’.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10716">Yet, even this is not a minor issue. We spend much time and resource recording how much we sell, to which segment, at what price, and when. This is tangible and easy—which is why, in part, we do it. We spend far less time addressing the ‘why’ question. It is messy and may lack coherence. Yet its answer is the route to offer distinctive brands—and better margins.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1391626222332_10719">Where would your customers place your business?</p>
  1174. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Low signal high noise.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715f1/1431488561772/Low+signal+high+noise.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x536" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715f1" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715f1/1431488561772/Low+signal+high+noise.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1175.  
  1176.  
  1177.  
  1178. ]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071509/1471688653375/1500w/Brilliance%2Bat%2Bthe%2BAbbaye-1.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="700" height="267"><media:title type="plain">More signal, less noise: the quest for differentiation</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Making our whole life bloom: 3 components of leadership</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:31:24 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/7/26/making-our-whole-life-bloom-3-components-of-leadership.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5214a6e6e4b03a9b5707150b</guid><description>My best clients make a big difference quickly—with resultant improvement in
  1179. the business performance and the capability of their organisation. This
  1180. segment of clients share 3 characteristics. They are: 1. Desire
  1181. improvement. Whether the motivation is positive or negative, they are
  1182. dissatisfied by the status quo. 2. Have passion for the topic. Whether its
  1183. their organisation, the industry, or their profession, they love what they
  1184. are doing; and this gives them the motivation to tolerate the bumps and
  1185. collisions that happen on the journey 3. "Recruit the best to deliver the
  1186. best." They select the team who are the best available in their respective
  1187. fields; employees, suppliers, colleagues.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1188. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Woody Allen.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071597/1431488563418/Woody+Allen.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x808" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071597" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071597/1431488563418/Woody+Allen.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1189.  
  1190.  
  1191.  
  1192. <p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2854">Last night I watched a film biography on Woody Allen, and like his movies or not, the body of work he has generated is impressive.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2857">In 40 years he has made 40 films, has earned a lot of money for his backers, and garnered many awards for his actors. With the exception of the first film, “What’s Up Pussycat,” he has written, directed, and produced (and often acted in) each movie. I don’t know of other individual who can exceed this account.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2860">He has longevity; which means he has talent but has allowed it to evolve. This is a useful lesson.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2863">This prompted me to reflect on a question I’d been asked earlier this week—“What makes a great leader?”&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2866">Well there is a plethora of definitions and context is crucial, so whatever the given response, it would be too limiting. However, I can say what makes a great client and I think this gives an oblique perspective on good leadership.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2869">My best clients make a big difference quickly—with resultant improvement in the business performance and the capability of their organisation.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2872">This segment of clients share 3 characteristics. They are:</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2875">1. Desire improvement. Whether the motivation is positive or negative, they are dissatisfied by the status quo.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2878">2. Have passion for the topic. Whether its their organisation, the industry, or their profession, they love what they are doing; and this gives them the motivation to tolerate the bumps and collisions that happen on the journey</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2881">3. "Recruit the best to deliver the best." They select the team who are the best available in their respective fields; employees, suppliers, colleagues.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2884">Woody Allen exemplifies all of these aspects in the way he generates and delivers his work.&nbsp; Each film has to be better than the film before. He loves the business, “I couldn’t think of doing anything else. When one film ends, the other begins,” and he recruits the best actors, cameramen, and associated professionals.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2887">All of which should make us think, “where am I?” Am I in a job/location/environment for which I have a passion, in which desire for improvement comes naturally and easily, and where I can work with others so that your whole life blooms.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_60_1471628969396_2890">If you’re not giving of your best, what has to change?</p>
  1193. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Improvement triad.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071598/1377085160232/Improvement+triad.jpg" data-image-dimensions="600x323" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071598" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b57071598/1377085160232/Improvement+triad.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1194.  
  1195.  
  1196.  
  1197. ]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b5707150b/1471688715817/1500w/Woody+Allen.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="323"><media:title type="plain">Making our whole life bloom: 3 components of leadership</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Me. Retire? Never!</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Jul 2013 18:49:42 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/7/16/me-retire-never.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5214a6e6e4b03a9b5707150d</guid><description>It is 5:30 am. The sky is gun-metal grey and the humid air drapes heavily
  1198. over the hilly, densely-wooded country of Northern Ontario. It’s the wrong
  1199. day to be wearing black nylon. The ‘breathable fabric’ promise on the label
  1200. fails to deliver. Jason P. is about to put this executive team through
  1201. their paces. It is the second day of the strategy retreat, and during the
  1202. next hour we will walk or run through a review of yesterday’s discussion.
  1203. By the time we reached the finish line, big decisions had been made.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1204. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b8308bb3db2bfb2043b4b7/1471688848168/" data-image-dimensions="2500x2500" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="57b8308bb3db2bfb2043b4b7" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b8308bb3db2bfb2043b4b7/1471688848168/?format=1000w" />
  1205.  
  1206.  
  1207.  
  1208. <p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2909">It is 5:30 am.&nbsp; The sky is gun-metal grey and the humid air drapes heavily over the hilly, densely-wooded country of Northern Ontario. It’s the wrong day to be wearing black nylon.&nbsp; The ‘breathable fabric’ promise on the label fails to deliver.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2912">Jason P. is about to put this executive team through their paces. It is the second day of the strategy retreat, and during the next hour we will walk or run through a review of yesterday<strong>’</strong>s discussion.&nbsp; By the time we reached the finish line, big decisions had been made.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2918">Jason is a member of a small but growing and increasingly influential segment; the over-60 healthy and wealthy, movers and shakers.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2921">Jason started a high-end kitchen fitment business 30 years ago.&nbsp; Through a mixture of organic growth and acquisition he built one of the foremost brands in North America with gross margins 50% higher than the nearest rival. But a downturn in housing starts, malaise in the US economy and imports from China are putting great pressure on business performance.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2924">But Jason is not retreating.&nbsp; As he presses through the dampness at a 7 minute mile pace, the focus is on the next 30 years, not the past. He lays out an exciting, energetic series of strategic options though at this stage we’re too breathless to respond.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2927">He is passionate about making a difference in the lives of customers, employees and his family. He eats modestly but well. He is physical and competitive, and wants to improve his personal performance—in all aspects of his life. He is atypical of his age group.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2930">In North America, 40% of those over 60 take 5 medications per day or more. Over-60’s are 14% of the population, but account for more than 50% of the health care costs.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2933">The attached graph* lays out the facts in the barest form. Human beings fall off the Cliff of Health in the absence of fulfilling work. We withdraw at a time when our problem-solving bank is richest.&nbsp;</p>
  1209. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Lifetime Energy Expenditure.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715df/1431488571682/Lifetime+Energy+Expenditure.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2500x1041" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715df" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715df/1431488571682/Lifetime+Energy+Expenditure.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1210.  
  1211.  
  1212.  
  1213. <p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2939">Not Jason. Work, diet and exercise are combining to ensure his contribution to society increases—at diminishing cost.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2942">And he’s not alone. Dave Snowden is at the forefront of complexity thinking and narrative research.&nbsp; Next year his birthday cake will bear 60 candles and he will celebrate the occasion by building more businesses and developing more novel material. He will also <a href="http://cognitive-edge.com/blog/entry/5647/val-de-ri-val-de-ra">walk</a>&nbsp;every one of the 1030 miles around Wales.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2948">Some of my peers are spending more time looking back than looking forward. Not me. The future is more exciting than ever. In the past 12 months I have added more value to more people in less time using IP that didn’t exist 2 years ago—I look forward to saying the same in a year<strong>’</strong>s time. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2954">We should be building and maintaining the functionality of our problem-solving capability; and seeking to maximise a return on it.&nbsp; We putrefy if we don’t exploit our problem-solving capability.&nbsp; It has to flow from one person to another in order to have value.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2957">We should be clever enough to learn from our past mistakes, and wise enough to make new ones.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2960">It’s a sign of living.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2965">"He who seeks rest finds boredom, he who seeks work finds rest" Dylan Thomas</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2970">* C Ratzlaff&nbsp;Br J Sports Med&nbsp;2012;46:699–701&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_61_1471628969396_2973">Thanks to Drs P Davies and A Jethwa for provision of original article.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b5707150d/1471688869645/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Me. Retire? Never!</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>How wealthy are you?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 27 Jun 2013 12:06:34 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/6/27/how-wealthy-are-you.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5214a6e6e4b03a9b5707150e</guid><description>For reasons still to be understood, the wrist-watch industry refuses to
  1214. die. In fact, the business is doing more than ticking over. Movement, be it
  1215. mechanical or quartz, continues to be youthfully energetic. The global
  1216. watch grew by nearly 20% in 2010, and is expected to be reach $45bn in
  1217. value by 2017. Exports of Swiss watches reached $21bn in the first 11
  1218. months of 2012 (source:WSJ) But despite the increasing ability to pay for
  1219. more expensive watches, the ability to decide what we do with our time is
  1220. decreasing. More money in the absence of discretion over how we use our
  1221. time is, in fact, value destruction. How can we address this?</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1222. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Seiko 007 watch with JB strap.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715dc/1377085160035/Seiko+007+watch+with+JB+strap.jpg" data-image-dimensions="500x147" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715dc" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b570715dc/1377085160035/Seiko+007+watch+with+JB+strap.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1223.  
  1224.  
  1225.  
  1226. <p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2828">For reasons still to be understood, the wrist-watch industry refuses to die. In fact, the business is doing more than ticking over. Movement, be it mechanical or quartz, continues to be youthfully energetic.&nbsp; The global watch grew by nearly 20% in 2010, and is expected to be reach $45bn in value by 2017. Exports of Swiss watches reached $21bn in the first 11 months of 2012 (source:WSJ)</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2831">Claims that these modestly accurate time-keepers will be supplanted by the omnipresent, ever-accurate smartphone have not been fulfilled. One, it seems, does not replace the other, and the young Italian male provides proof. The country holds the European record for per capita mobile phone ownership with the average 18-27 year old male owning (at least) 2 mobile phones. This segment is also the largest per capita European consumer of large face (&gt; 40mm) mid-range wrist watches.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2834">It seems the hunger for bigger watches at higher prices is still to be satiated.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2837">In contrast to the current trend, I am a cautious buyer of watches. Eroded lugs or ill-fitting straps resulted in too many of my watches finding eternal peace on the coastal floor of UK inshore waters. If you pile those memories on top of my present lifestyle of heavy travel and some physical activity, it is natural for me to be wary&nbsp; of investing in a watch that is both highly priced and heavily branded. So when the requirement for a new watch arose, my trusted advisors suggested a Seiko 007 (pictured). Robust and resilient without being a ‘mugger magnet.’</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2840">But if I am cautious buyer of watches, I have become an even more cautious vendor of time.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2843">In recent years I have come to acknowledge that real wealth is the ability to decide on what to do with your time. After all, you can always make more money, but you can never make more time.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2846">This perspective also has practical implications. My clients want to generate more value, more quickly and at lower labour intensity—and I want to do the same.&nbsp; We all have other things we wish to do, and making a big difference in less time and with less effort allows us to do this.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2849">And for that reason I never sell units of time. If I charged by the hour, day or the week, it would be in my interest to delay value generation for the client.&nbsp; The longer the job takes, the more I earn.&nbsp; From this perspective, daily rate schedules verge on the unethical, but it’s stunning how many Purchasing Departments still insist on the method of fee calculation.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2852">Sadly this mindset is a chronic condition at senior levels. Too often I have seen senior executives mistakenly correlate value generated with volume (of hours) in the office or on the road.&nbsp; This cause-and-effect might be relevant for piece work, but not in the resolution of complex problems.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2855">What benefit are we to our family if we’re never able to be with them? What’s the point of money in the bank if we’ve no time to spend the rewards of our endeavours on ourself, family and friends?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_62_1471628969396_2858">If control over calendar and not your bank account were used to record your riches, how wealthy would you be?</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5214a6e6e4b03a9b5707150e/1471688932064/1500w/Seiko+007+watch+with+JB+strap.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="500" height="147"><media:title type="plain">How wealthy are you?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>I want more stories like this, and fewer stories like that: part I</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:24:39 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/4/24/i-want-more-stories-like-this-and-fewer-stories-like-that-pa.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1cf5</guid><description>I want to enter the world of narrative research obliquely. In this short
  1227. note we avoid the theory and go straight to practice. We apply the tools
  1228. for interpreting narrative research immediately on an important topic—your
  1229. health. We'll get to strategy and leadership in due course. But first,
  1230. let's concentrate on getting you stronger, faster and leaner.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3020">I wanted to enter the world of narrative research obliquely.&nbsp; We’ll get to the theory in due course but we’re kicking off with some practiced application on your current state of physical health.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3023">But first, a refresher on some basic biology and a quick review on how we humans are short-changed by evolution—and what we can do about it.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3026">Improved sanitation, developments in medicine and easy access to volumes of cheap calories have allowed life expectancy to double in the past 300 years. We have seen an increase in expected lifespans too, and we now share approximately the same expected life span as existing hunter-gathers.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3029">But, there is one sharp difference between the two populations. In hunter-gather groups, the distinction between ‘functional life span’ and ‘actual life span’ is small. If a tribe member has survived childhood and avoided serious injury, they are typically involved, physically and socially, with their family and tribe until a short time before their death.&nbsp; Decline is precipitous.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3032">In contrast, though modern world inhabitants are living longer, they are spending more time in a debilitated, disabled or medicated state than any previous generation.&nbsp; And it’s an increasing trend. Once we have passes our reproduction sell-by date, evolution no longer cares for us, and our current lifestyle exacerbates the worst of the consequences.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3035">Between the ages of 16-30 the physiology of men and women is amenable to the build-up of lean muscle and the accompaniment of a modest amount of fat.&nbsp; These are the prime conditions for reproduction. Post prime reproduction, from the age of 31-50, lean muscle build-up is still relatively easy to achieve but fat build-up is increasingly easy to achieve too. From 50-70, fat layers build up and lean tissue is more difficult to maintain. From 70+, loss of both lean muscle and fat is a pre-cursor to death.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3038">The combination of lean muscle loss and fat build-up brings you to the starting line for health decline. The race toward inflammatory diseases, type II diabetes and ailments arising from loss in bone density begins. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3041">But it need not be so. While we cannot prevent our eventual demise, it does seem we are capable of extending, significantly, our functional lifespan. Contemporary hunter-gathers (as well as those laid to rest in the fossil record) seem to have largely avoided the chronic maladies above by maintaining power? lean muscle mass until the very last stages of life.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3044">So let’s see how we might use narrative research to improve our current condition.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3047">To dampen the whiplash resulting from passing through our reproductive prime, we need to have plenty of lean muscle mass, limited amounts of fat, and&nbsp; the muscle type to be primarily ‘fast-twitch’ rather than ‘slow-twitch.’ We’re looking to be sprinters rather than long-distance athletes.&nbsp; Our genes are more attuned to the former. This means we are looking for a lifestyle (diet + physical activity + work) that allows us to be lean, strong and fast—regardless of our age and sex.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3050">So, if you agree with the logic, let’s take it a stage further.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3053">You’re coming to the end of a long business trip. You meet your London-based nephew to enjoy a final curry near Heathrow before taking the last flight home to Chicago. Your belt is a little tighter after two weeks of ‘meetings’ and your back has a little twinge from putting your suitcase into the taxi earlier—even though it is comfortably below the maximum allowable weight.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3056">Your nephew is tanned and taut. He is 25, windsurfs (you taught him), and is taking a PhD in quantitative finance. He believes he’s going to live forever and has the equations to prove it. He loves your company and wants to spend more time windsurfing with you. He wants to know about your lifestyle.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3059">What anecdote would you tell him, and where would you place it on the triad (figure 1). You can download it&nbsp;<a href="https://static.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/51c4350be4b0c476171e1c9e/51c4350ce4b0c476171e1d78/1366825695657/Triads%20from%20The%20Riot%20Point.pdf">here</a>.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3068">Now let’s say you are dissatisfied with your current condition.&nbsp; Place where you’d like to be. (Figure 2) Note: the motivation for change is irrelevant.&nbsp; You may be driven to improve for improvement’s sake, or you may simply wish to stack the odds for future health in your favour.&nbsp; The tool is neutral.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3074">The next step is to reflect on how you wish to move from one location to the other.&nbsp; As in life, there are multiple paths forward.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3077">You may wish to follow a number forward (different exercise regimes, a variety of diets) until you find one that gives the best return on the time (and potential discomfort) invested.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3080">For those, like your nephew, who are uncomfortable without measurement (figure 3), you can always quantify a triad, but do so with caution.&nbsp; This only works when the tool is for personal use.&nbsp; It is less effective at a management level.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3086">I tested this triad out over the weekend with a group of professional rugby players and some who have retired. I attach the data (figure 4.) and the coache's comment, “I want more stories like this, and fewer stories like that.” It is a phrase I have heard from Dave Snowden, and by Leaders who have adopted this method.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3094">So, in summary, we now have the essence of how narrative research can aid decision-making.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3097">Once we have established the general issue we need to address, we have a decision-aid in which:-</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3100">1. The starting point is where we are now—not where we wish we were, nor where we’d like to be.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3103">2. It gives us the option to test a number of paths forward, and for us to check progress using both quantitative and qualitative methods.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3106">3. We can focus on the desired output but be free to choose the best method (for us, the organisation) on how that output can be generated.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_63_1471628969396_3109">&nbsp;In the next series, we ramp up the approach and see how it can be expanded to give unique insight into Customer R&amp;D™.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1cf5/1471688973152/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">I want more stories like this, and fewer stories like that: part I</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>An introduction to narrative research; upcoming series</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:02:45 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/4/24/an-introduction-to-narrative-research-upcoming-series.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1cf4</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>I am sometimes asked by staff functions to describe the difference between self-signified narrative research versus other forms of more conventional quantitative and qualitative research methods. And while I happy to provide the relevant discourse (those interested should make a request in writing <a href="mailto:[email protected]">here</a>) , line managers are far more interested in determining which method brings the most value, most quickly.&nbsp;</p>
  1231. <p>In that spirit and over the next 3 weeks, I am providing a three-part series on how narrative research can provide</p>
  1232. <ul>
  1233. <li>customer-based ideas for corporate strategy,&nbsp;</li>
  1234. <li>insight on which strategic options offer the highest return at the lowest risk</li>
  1235. <li>feedback from customers, employees and stakeholders on the effectiveness of implemented strategies</li>
  1236. </ul>
  1237. <p>I am not commencing with a discussion and description of research methods. That will come soon enough. We're going straight to, "what can this do for me?"</p>
  1238. <p>In Part I we jump straight into a practical application on personal health. This will demonstrate data capture, self-signification and the link between method and strategy.</p>
  1239. <p>In Part II you will see a full signification framework in which we capture data for a strategy project, and the use of the method to monitor the effectiveness of the chosen strategy as part of Customer R&amp;D&trade; project.&nbsp;</p>
  1240. <p>Finally, in Part III, I will supply a mini-case study how the method can use a Leadership audit tool as part of a Culture R&amp;D&trade; project.</p>]]></description><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1cf4/1471689167409/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">An introduction to narrative research; upcoming series</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Who benefits from your dissatisfaction?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:46:46 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/4/2/who-benefits-from-your-dissatisfaction.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1cf2</guid><description>I participated in privately sponsored symposium over the Easter Weekend.
  1241. The 50 participants were brought together to address the topic, “the
  1242. Challenges of being a Leader in the C21st.” The headily diverse group of
  1243. executives from the private and public sector ensured the topic was
  1244. whacked, pulled, pummelled and prodded from a variety of perspectives.
  1245. During the panel discussion at the end of the day, I was asked whether, in
  1246. my experience, one positive attribute of leadership stood above all others.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1247. <img class="thumb-image" alt="wales_rugby_slambusters_tshirt__74503.1363527529.1280.1280.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52e13435e4b03a175e26442a/1390490678723/wales_rugby_slambusters_tshirt__74503.1363527529.1280.1280.jpg" data-image-dimensions="750x813" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="52e13435e4b03a175e26442a" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/52e13435e4b03a175e26442a/1390490678723/wales_rugby_slambusters_tshirt__74503.1363527529.1280.1280.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1248.  
  1249.  
  1250.  
  1251. <p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8801">I participated in a privately sponsored symposium on Leadership over the Easter Weekend.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8804">The 50 participants were brought together to address the topic, “the Challenges of being a Leader in the C21st.” The headily diverse group of executives from the private and public sector ensured the topic was whacked, pulled, pummelled and prodded from a variety of perspectives.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8807">During the panel discussion at the end of the day, I was asked whether, in my experience, one positive attribute of leadership stood above all others.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8810">I took little time to reflect on the answer, for earlier in the week I had been bowled over by the impact of the absence of one essential ingredient—a dissatisfaction with the status quo. &nbsp;Others may have responded with a cautious "No," clothed in caveats, but me for the answer was crystal clear.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8813">I had engaged in strategy generation sessions with both leaders 18 months ago. They were of similar backgrounds culturally, and each faced similar market and organisational challenges. &nbsp;But the similarity between the two ended there.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8816">One had built a magnetic organisation, recruiting the best talent and customers (and suppliers), and had driven business growth at a rate 3 times faster than the market—his colleague's business had treaded water.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8819">In reviewing the leaders diaries, and in discussion with their respective management teams, it was clear that one leader wanted to make a difference to customers, employees and himself, the other leader wanted to avoid making mistakes. One management team was dynamic and confident, they spoke of their desire for improvement of personal and business performance. The other team was timid and stagnant—and bored.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8822">While working with both leaders, I found one to be engaging and invigorating, the other distracting and sapping. After 6 months, supporting the latter became an obligation rather than a desire.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8825">When working with a client, it is exponentially easier to make a successful executive even more successful, than to make the mediocre magnificent.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8828">Of course, the desire to improve comes in many colours.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8831">Improving ones own condition without improving the condition of others is the playground of Corporate politics.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8834">Improving ones own condition but at the cost of others is ultimately destructive and not sustainable, as seen by the public perception of the Finance profession.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8837">No. The better leaders are dissatisfied with the status quo. They want to improve, but do so to the benefit of the widest community possible; customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8840">In the next 12 months, who really benefits from your actions? The wider the beneficiaries are, the bolder the actions can be, the greater the fortification of your conviction.</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8843">Quote</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8846">“If you can't fly then run. If you can't run then walk. If you can't walk then crawl. But whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8851">Martin Luther King</p><p id="yui_3_10_1_1_1390490644354_8856">PS Sorry about yet another reference to Welsh rugby but I had to think of a picture than encapsulated the desire to improve for the benefit of the widest constituancy...One leader, 15 Executives and 3 million happy beneficiaries</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1cf2/1471689205286/1500w/wales_rugby_slambusters_tshirt__74503.1363527529.1280.1280.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="750" height="813"><media:title type="plain">Who benefits from your dissatisfaction?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Will you break the gain line this week?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:40:01 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/3/18/will-you-break-the-gain-line-this-week.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1cf0</guid><description>The Six Nations Rugby Championship ended in Europe this weekend past.
  1252. Natural order was restored with Wales beating England to win the
  1253. Championship—again. This is the second year in a row where Wales have been
  1254. winners. It is always good for smaller adjacent nations to be superior to
  1255. their larger neighbours in at least one aspect of physical, culture or
  1256. economic endeavour. It provides balance in their mutual dependency, and
  1257. diminishes the need to display ‘small-man’ aggression.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1258. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b83218b3db2bfb2043b8d7/1471689244292/" data-image-dimensions="2500x2500" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="57b83218b3db2bfb2043b8d7" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b83218b3db2bfb2043b8d7/1471689244292/?format=1000w" />
  1259.  
  1260.  
  1261.  
  1262. <p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2859">The Six Nations Rugby Championship ended in Europe this weekend past. &nbsp;Natural order was restored with Wales beating England to win the Championship—again.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2862">This is the second year in a row where Wales have been winners. It is always good for smaller adjacent nations to be superior to their larger neighbours in at least one aspect of physical, culture or economic endeavour. It provides balance in their mutual dependency, and diminishes the need to display ‘small-man’ aggression.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2865">But I want to focus on a key statistic from the match on Saturday; success in crossing the gain line.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2869">I have <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2013/2/10/rugby-the-new-mba-strategy-module.html">written previously</a> about the obsession by rugby coaches and media pundits on ‘possession of ball’ or ‘territory’ statistics.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2875">This is akin to the market share obsession by some marketing managers and CEO’s. High market share is useful but not sufficient (or even necessary) for commercial triumph.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2878">What you do with what you have is all that counts.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2881">In rugby, like American Football, forward motion is everything.&nbsp; But probing a path forward brings with it exposure. You may lose the ball in contact; you may lose some market share or face some customer rejection but they are necessary dangers to which we have to expose ourselves.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2884">What’s true for a sports team and corporation is also relevant to their respective leaders. You can’t progress by trying to keep (your) possession(s).</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2887">In the week ahead, what are you going to do to break your gain line?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2890">Quote</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2893">"An army that stays in its fortification will always lose."</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_67_1471628969396_2896">Napoleon</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1cf0/1471689269257/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Will you break the gain line this week?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Does your strategy method build muscle or bend spoons?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:16:14 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/3/13/does-your-strategy-method-build-muscle-or-bend-spoons.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1cef</guid><description>It is always good to present your research findings to an experienced and
  1263. expert group, particularly if the material is set to challenge their
  1264. current thinking. Robust debate is an excellent method for material
  1265. development; but the dialectic dines best on meaty issues and in the
  1266. absence of frail personalities. I’d been asked by the CEO of a financial
  1267. services retail unit to critique the approach to strategy taken by his
  1268. strategy planning group. Such an assignment often takes on the air of a
  1269. “tell me which of my children is the ugliest?” inquisition. However you
  1270. address it, you know it will end in tears.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1271. <img class="thumb-image" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b8325a1b631bd959b515b8/1471689309765/" data-image-dimensions="2500x2500" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="57b8325a1b631bd959b515b8" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/57b8325a1b631bd959b515b8/1471689309765/?format=1000w" />
  1272.  
  1273.  
  1274.  
  1275. <p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2910">It is always good to present your research findings to an experienced and expert group, particularly if the material is set to challenge their current thinking.&nbsp; Robust debate is an excellent method for material development; but the dialectic dines best on meaty issues and in the absence of frail personalities.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2913">I’d been asked by the CEO of a financial services retail unit to critique the approach to strategy taken by his strategy planning group.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2916">Such an assignment often takes on the air of a “tell me which of my children is the ugliest?” inquisition. However you address it, you know it will end in tears.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2919">&nbsp;Deeper digging unearthed the real concern. Unforeseen macro-forces had dented the group’s performance and confidence. As a consequence, discretionary budgets had been cut, so the group had diminished latitude with which to cope with unplanned market swings. He really wanted to have a “more accurate picture of the future so we can plan more effectively.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2922">Sixty minutes of scouring through the planning department’s documentation in the late morning was awe inspiring. These were blue-blooded planners. The power-point presentations, with their serif font on a white background, gave a clue to the planners heritage; these folks were Royalty. But they were also mostly wrong. Or, according the CEO, entirely wrong, in the areas that mattered. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2925">&nbsp;“We have the right strategy but for the wrong market,” was how he summed up the planning department’s performance. “In fact, I believe we have a Titanic of strategy, but we’re really bad about predicting the location, size, and preponderance of the icebergs. Thank goodness we had enough lifeboats in 2012.”&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2928">&nbsp;“And here’s the crux of the issue,” he continued. “If we can’t be better at forecasting, how can we build a stronger Titanic?”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2931">&nbsp;“We’ve been ‘shocking’ our plans using some pretty sophisticated software. So we know what will happens if certain changes occur.&nbsp; The problem is, none of the changes <em>they </em>predict (his emphasis are he stared at his planners) actually occur in the way <em>they</em> (even more penetrating this time) predict.”&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2940">The discussion continued, becoming increasingly internecine. Now these being economists and planners the arguments were passionate but measured (in 6 different ways!) However, even their tempers began to crack. When the Titanic analogy was stretched to “the Captain doing the honourable thing,” I knew it was time for us to jump the metaphorical ship.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2943">I intervened and stated that their poor strategic performance was a direct outcome of their preferred planning process.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2946">There.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2949">For the first time in twenty minutes we had silence.&nbsp; It appeared I’d just said “not just one of your children is ugly—they all are!”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2952">I needed my own metaphor and possibly some physical protection. It was a working lunch so I took what was to hand. Given the client was Financial Services rather Insurance, I opted for spoon over knife. Not that economists are less fierce than actuaries, but Financial Services generally carry lower liability coverage. I wanted to limit my claim.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2955">I held the spoon and starting bending it back and forth at the neck. This, I explained, represented their mechanical (collective) approach to strategy. They were trying to build a business plan that could withstand any conceivable assault. I went on to explain that this approach has two fundamental flaws.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2958">Firstly, like each bend of the spoon, each successive failure of the strategy weakened it, and the effect was cumulative. The strategy, like the spoon, would eventually break.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2961">Secondly, it is impossible to predict the timing and size of shocks and assaults on any strategy.&nbsp; No spoon could cope with any range of assault, and no planning department could conceive of every scenario—let alone the likelihood and timing of every scenario.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2964">What is needed, I suggested, is the reverse.&nbsp; We need an approach to strategy that feeds on shock and uncertainty.&nbsp; What weakens others, should strengthen us.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2967">For example.&nbsp; When you lift weights in the gym, you assault your body. The stress and strain you place on the muscle creates micro-tears which eventually repairs if given sufficient time and nourishment. With continued exposure to stress-bearing activity, the body strengthens, builds a higher metabolic headroom, and is able to deal with a wider and deeper range of unpredicted events; shortage of food and water, bacterial and viral invasion for example.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2970">Our approach to strategy should be closer to building muscle, not building spoons.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2973">The session ended with some exercises on the practical application of this approach and the contrast with their current method.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2976">1. We listed the challenges facing the business with the help of the <a href="https://static.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/51c4350be4b0c476171e1c9e/51c4350ce4b0c476171e1d58/1340035099767/The%20Strategy%20Coherency%20Test%20from%20The%20Riot%20Point.pdf">GOSH template.</a></p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2981">2. The group then proposed to run some ‘muscle-building’ activities on product offers in order to build confidence in method.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2984">3. The session ended with the Forecasters planning to test a process for scanning market changes rapidly. They grasped immediately the concept of detecting weak signals of change as being a more accurate predictor of market shift. Rightly though, this pilot process will run in parallel with the current forecasting model.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_68_1471628969396_2987">Finally, they let me leave with the bent spoon.&nbsp; Bent spoons, like broken strategies, are useful teaching aids.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1cef/1471689361100/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Does your strategy method build muscle or bend spoons?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>When the complicated becomes complex and is treated simply`</title><category>Leadership</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:09:19 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/3/2/when-the-complicated-becomes-complex-and-is-treated-simply.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1ced</guid><description>Here is a minor but amusing example of what happens when some event
  1276. disruptes a complicated process and makes it complex.  
  1277.  
  1278. A healthy confident organisation responds appropriately. It
  1279. relaxes,delegates and trusts teams that 'do'. The focus is doing the right
  1280. thing.
  1281.  
  1282. Frightened organisations focus on avoiding mistakes internally. Their
  1283. response is to tense the corporate body. They become  rigid and more
  1284. restrictive when they should be doing the reverse—loosening the boundaries
  1285. (within restrictions), and delegating the capability to front line problem
  1286. solver.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can't make this stuff up.</p><p>My wife orders an item for rush delivery, and one which requires a signature to confirm delivery. &nbsp;The company provided a UPS tracking number on completion of the transcation.</p><p>All good.</p><p>But when nothing arrives within a couple of days, she goes onto the UPS website. It contains just one entry:"10:28 am—Emergency Conditions beyond UPS' control." And nothing else.</p><p>We had had a heavy snowstorm in Southern Ontario, so the lack of delivery was not too surprising but my wife was curious as to what happens next, so she called UPS.</p><p>The representative told her that UPS &nbsp;makes 3 attempts to deliver packages on 3 consecutive days, so they will be attempting to deliver for the second time today.</p><p>My wife, ever curious, couldn’t contain herself.</p><p>She: "Are you telling me that you are considering this a 2<span><span>nd</span></span>&nbsp;attempt when you never made a 1<span><span>st</span></span>&nbsp;attempt?"</p><p>They: "Yes."</p><p>Silence.</p><p>They: "But even though we didn't, we did (pause) for the record."</p><p>This a minor but amusing example of what happens when some event disruptes a complicated process and makes it complex. &nbsp;</p><p>A healthy confident organisation responds appropriately. It relaxes,delegates and trusts teams that 'do'. The focus is doing the right thing.</p><p>Frightened organisations focus on avoiding mistakes internally. Their response is to tense the corporate body. They become &nbsp;rigid and more restrictive when they should be doing the reverse—loosening the boundaries (within restrictions), and delegating the capability to front line problem solver.</p><p>But this mentality is becoming ever more enedemic in senior leadership positions—where the costs and consequences are far more dramatic. &nbsp;</p><p>Its presence is a sure indicators of a stressed and fearful leader.&nbsp;Stressed because he has has over-promised a financial performance to owners, and fearful because she recognises the offer to the market is not distinctive enough to deliver.</p><p><br />In response they bind and denude their best executives when they should be liberating them with guidance.&nbsp;</p><p>They are not.</p><p>The Mummification of Management is returning.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1ced/1471689421885/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">When the complicated becomes complex and is treated simply`</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>How the French butcher saved the working horse. Why the solution to a spin-off problem might be under your nose!</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:54:03 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/2/19/how-the-french-butcher-saved-the-working-horse-why-the-solut.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1ce8</guid><description>For every solution there is a spin off-problem. Horses were once effective
  1287. work animals. But they were expensive, labour-intensive and prone to
  1288. sickness. The tractor avoided these problems. But overtime, the tractor too
  1289. has produced spin-off problems. Tractors have compacted land, are unable to
  1290. tackle challenging terrain, and issue discharge which compromises
  1291. environmental legislation on certain crops. Working horses have come to the
  1292. rescue. Now equipped with GPS, horses do, in certain circumstances, yield
  1293. higher returns on the land versus tractors. But these breds of working
  1294. horses would have died out had it not been for the butcher. What are the
  1295. spin-off problems arising from your success, and how can you manage them,
  1296. before they manage you?</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/59984009?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;wmode=opaque" width="500" data-embed="true" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" id="yui_3_17_2_72_1471628969396_2756" height="281"></iframe><p id="yui_3_17_2_72_1471628969396_2783">For every solution there is a spin off-problem.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_72_1471628969396_2786">Horses were once effective work animals. But they were expensive, labour-intensive and prone to sickness. The tractor avoided these problems. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_72_1471628969396_2789">But overtime, the tractor too has produced spin-off problems. Tractors have compacted land, are unable to tackle challenging terrain, and issue discharge which compromises environmental legislation on certain crops.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_72_1471628969396_2792">Working horses have come to the rescue. Now equipped with GPS, horses do, in certain circumstances, yield higher returns on the land versus tractors. But these breds of working horses would have died out had it not been for the butcher.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_72_1471628969396_2795">What are the spin-off problems arising from your success, and how can you manage them, before they manage you?</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1ce8/1471689451876/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">How the French butcher saved the working horse. Why the solution to a spin-off problem might be under your nose!</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Every solution has a spin off problem</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:53:34 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/2/18/every-solution-has-a-spin-off-problem</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:5122e834e4b08a761596d436</guid><description><![CDATA[<iframe mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/59984009?wmode=opaque&amp;api=1" width="1280" webkitallowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="720"></iframe><p>For every solution there is a spin off-problem.</p><p>Horses were once effective work animals. But they were expensive, labour-intensive and prone to sickness. The tractor avoided these problems. &nbsp;</p><p>But overtime, the tractor too has produced spin-off problems. Tractors have compacted land, are unable to tackle challenging terrain, and issue discharge which compromises environmental legislation on certain crops.</p><p>Working horses have come to the rescue. Now equipped with GPS, horses do, in certain circumstances, yield higher returns on the land versus tractors. But these breds of working horses would have died out had it not been for the butcher.</p><p>What are the spin-off problems arising from your success, and how can you manage them, before they manage you?</p>]]></description><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/5122e834e4b08a761596d436/1471690107249/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Every solution has a spin off problem</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Rugby: the new MBA strategy module?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:22:54 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/2/10/rugby-the-new-mba-strategy-module.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1ce3</guid><description>I was recently invited to be part of a small international group of
  1297. strategy and leadership consultants whose aim was to construct a scalable,
  1298. naturalised method of strategy generation. That is, a strategy method that
  1299. makes use of the way humans think and act and hence should be accessible.
  1300. However, any method should also exploit computing technology to ease data
  1301. gathering and analysis—making the best of carbon and silicon as it were.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2847">The full stop on a fun-filled Saturday was watching Wales beat France. I couldn't be in Paris but I enjoyed the next best thing. Watching the game with an avid fellow Welsh supporter, and two Dutchmen, newly converted fans of Welsh-rugby. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2850">I had been invited to spend the earlier part of the day with a small international group of strategy and leadership consultants. The aim of the seminar was to construct a scalable, naturalised method of strategy generation. That is, a strategy method that exploits the preferred modes by which humans &nbsp;think and act and therefore should be more accessible and have greater utility than current determinstic approaches. However, any method should also exploit computing technology to ease data gathering and analysis—making the best of carbon and silicon as it were.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2853">You will hear more of this in due course, but back to the rugby. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2856">Both teams came to the game bearing heavy expectations. Armchair coaches, whose BMI scores resemble the high-scoring matches, lambasted both teams.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2859">International rugby players are more susceptible to media pressure than their footballing counterparts; they don't have the buffer of the gated house, Bentley, and bank accountant. When not on international duty, rugby players represent local clubs whose fan base falls within a tight geographic area and broad demographic range. &nbsp;The players eat, sleep and shop within the community. With a string of eight international losses, they encounter disappointing looks and comments daily.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2862">For most of the game, the standard of play mirrored this burden; neither team wanted to lose, and played accordingly. But, as stated before, <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2013/2/2/you-cant-win-by-playing-not-to-lose.html">you can't win a game by playing not to lose.</a> And the game turned on the introduction of one capable player who was determined to win.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2868">The player, Lloyd Williams, understood how to solve a complex problem.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2871">1. Detect a change; in this particular case, by following the Welsh ball carrier player closely, Williams was able to detect quickly that a tactic was failing ie the player was tackled!</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2874">2. Speed of response; once the ball-carrier was tackled, Williams retrieved the ball quickly and passed to another player, and thereby initiated an new safe-to-fail tactic. (Note: Williams passes the ball in half the time taken by other players)</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2877">3. Appropriate excess of resources; because Williams is constantly surveying the opposition, and maximising the learning from the safe-to-fail experimentation, he is able to minimise the resource requirement in the area of predictable contact, and thereby free up resources to probe in the plausable. &nbsp;That is, he is able to deploy his players into parts of the field where the opposition are weakest, and so maximise the chances of scoring. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2880">4. Motivation; the key driver. &nbsp;With practiced deployment of complex problem-solving skills comes success. &nbsp;With success comes positive affirmation and confirmation, and so the virtuous cycle commences.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2883">Note: this analyis is in sharp contrast with the current coaching methods in international rugby. &nbsp;Most measures focus on time in terriority and time with possession—all output measures. Easy to measure—nothing actionable. The above focuses on impact—improvement is actionable. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2886">Clearly the 4 items above are ingredients for success, not a checklist. And, like ingredients, some will be available in more quantities and at better quality than others. &nbsp;Hence the need for a chef as the leader and not a receipe-follower.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2889">A leader has to respond to events in order to drive them.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_78_1471628969396_2892">So there you have it. The essence of an MBA strategy module on the rugby pitch.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1ce3/1471690159321/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Rugby: the new MBA strategy module?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Where do you start? The end or the beginning?</title><category>Strategy</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 09 Feb 2013 13:03:16 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/2/9/where-do-you-start-the-end-or-the-beginning.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1ce2</guid><description>I was asked yesterday to summarise my approach to strategy how it compares
  1302. to that of others. Using the graphic above I explained about the two
  1303. extremes of the strategy generation spectrum and the placement of my
  1304. approach. By far the common strategy approach commences with construction
  1305. of an idealised future proceeded by reverse engineered a plan laying out a
  1306. path to the 'broad sunlight uplands.'</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p id="yui_3_17_2_79_1471628969396_2812">I was asked yesterday to summarise my approach to strategy how it compares to that of others. &nbsp;Using the graphic above I explained about the two extremes of the strategy generation spectrum and the placement of my approach.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_79_1471628969396_2815">By far the common strategy approach commences with construction of an idealised future proceeded by reverse engineered a plan laying out a path to the 'broad sunlight uplands.'</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_79_1471628969396_2818">At the other extreme, and by far less common, is the exclusively evolutionary approach (the 'Richard Dawkins' approach). We are where we are and if we experiment sufficiently, we will be successful—as long as we have enough resources. &nbsp;By throwing enough darts we will eventually hit a bulls eye or, given sufficient time, a dozen monkeys with a dozen typewriters will eventually the complete works of Shakespeare. Choose your own analogy.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_79_1471628969396_2821">I take the best of both extremes. &nbsp;A sense of end point (sense, not definition) provides guidelines for decision making, but an accurate of understanding of your starting point is absolutely critical.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_79_1471628969396_2825">If you aim is to win a 5000m race, you'd better know, accurately, whether you have a physiology of a marathon runner, or the physique of a defensive linesman.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1ce2/1471690203158/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Where do you start? The end or the beginning?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>You can't win by playing not to lose</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 02 Feb 2013 23:29:16 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2013/2/2/you-cant-win-by-playing-not-to-lose.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:51c4350be4b0c476171e1ce1</guid><description>No trip back to the UK at this time of year is complete without a visit to
  1307. Cardiff. February marks the commencement of Six Nations rugby tournament,
  1308. and this years kicks of with Wales playing Ireland. This year's blood and
  1309. thunder clash between the Celtic Dragon and the Celtic Tiger was predicted
  1310. to be tight.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2879">On Sunday I commence a two week mini-sabbatical in Europe and the link between leadership and culture will be my focus. &nbsp;My bags are bulging with literature to review, and my calendar is lightly peppered with interviews with the great and the good.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2882">But that is tomorrow, and today is….well today is time to visit ‘home.’</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2885">No trip back to the UK at this time of year is complete without a visit to Cardiff. February marks the commencement of Six Nations rugby tournament, and this years kicks of with Wales playing Ireland.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2888">The blood and thunder clash between the Celtic Dragon and the Celtic Tiger was predicted to be tight.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2891">But when your companions include spouse and three generations of immediate friends and relations, well, life seems pretty much complete, regardless of the product of the pitch.&nbsp; Which is just as well. The product was lousy.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2894">Watching Wales play in the first half was reminiscent of Russian literature; the odd ember of hope occasionally puncturing long periods of despair—all of which destines to go on without end.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2897">Half time: Wales 3, Ireland 23.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2900">Oh dear. We watched the lily livered Welsh supporters, born in Ely but now living in Esher, turn up their sheepskin collars and head back to Paddington.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2903">But the Jenkins', Davies' and Snowden clans stayed on.&nbsp; Besides, we’d bought cheap non-refundable train tickets so we couldn’t leave for another three hours anyway.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2906">And what a treat was served those who remained faithful. If the first half was Tolstoyian, the second half was the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bm0RIs-VJU">fight scene</a> from the Quiet Man.&nbsp; No quarter given, no quarter sought—but played with a ferver and form unique to this specific fixture.&nbsp; Battle bruisers on field, comrades-in-arms on the final whistle.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2912">For a Welshman, the match had no fairy tale ending, alas. But it was close. Very close.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2915">But there was some upside. The performance supplied more self-belief to take forward to France next week, and the players have seven days to address the burning question, “why didn’t we play like that from the beginning?”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2918">Here’s the answer.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2921">You can win by playing not to lose.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2924">You cannot be tentative.&nbsp; You cannot be cautious. You can be prudent, you can be decisive. But you can't move forward by standing still.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2927">You have to be purposeful, probing and confident; you have to be advancing in some way all of the time. Otherwise, stay off the park. (Note to NFL fans: Defence only wins championships if you score more points than the opposition.)</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2930">Recall the American Ryder Cup team entering the final day of the competition.&nbsp; Standing at 10-6, they only needed 41/2 points to win.&nbsp; The combined tour wins by the individuals representing the USA was superior to those playing for Europe.&nbsp; The American captain said the strategy of the day was to ‘secure the win,’—and thus started the erosion.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2933">Advancement and development of individuals, organisations or countries requires confidence and conviction—and a recognition that this puts some of current successes at risk. But if you want move forward, you have no choice. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2936">Big companies wither when they play not to lose. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_80_1471628969396_2939">Remember. It's great to visit a museum, but you shouldn’t want to live there.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/51c4350be4b0c476171e1ce1/1471690343546/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">You can't win by playing not to lose</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Deer, Snow Storms and Weak Signal Detection</title><category>Leadership</category><category>Strategy</category><category>Complexity</category><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 31 Dec 2012 23:41:58 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/12/31/deer-snow-storms-and-weak-signal-detection.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af5a</guid><description>Vegetarians need read no further.
  1311.  
  1312. We are expecting snow this afternoon which means a high possibility of
  1313. venison for dinner on New Year’s Day.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1314. <img class="thumb-image" alt="618016-bigthumbnail.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af84/1471699161517/618016-bigthumbnail.jpg" data-image-dimensions="225x127" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af84" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af84/1471699161517/618016-bigthumbnail.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1315.  
  1316.  
  1317.  
  1318. <p><strong>Vegetarians need read no further.</strong></p><p>We are expecting snow this afternoon which means a high possibility of venison for dinner on New Year’s Day.</p><p>You see, my brother-in-law is a keen and successful hunter. He tells me that deer can sense an approaching snow storm and, in response, a herd will gorge heavily upon all available food sources even if this requires breaking cover. And while this action may expose one or two individuals to predators, the herd’s resilience will be greatly increased as a result of the newly acquired fat deposits.</p><p>In other words, sensing a weak signal of a possible shift in the environment, the deer build up an excess of resources to cope. This allows them to, literally, weather the storm and, having done so, emerge with sufficient energy and capability to recover quickly and exploit the new situation—often at the expense of competing grazers and to frustration of predators anticipating debilitated prey. &nbsp;</p><p><strong>This is a perfect example of how to solve a complex emerging problem.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>In contrast, there are no records of the dominant buck holding quarterly review updates of his 5-year Calorie Consumption Plan. No doubt such a plan would have forecasted the herd population expansion at a steady 2% annual compounded growth rate, all of which would have been based on the “just-in-time-fat-reserves™” re-engineering workflow.&nbsp; Nor is there evidence of a managerial buck losing ‘points’ as a result of mis-predicting the depth of fallen snow, and consequently giving up ‘calorie share’ to another herd.&nbsp;</p><p>Here’s the key takeaway; individuals and organisations need to build up a slight excess of resources in order to be resilient, and the poorer they are at picking up weak signals, the deeper these relevant reserves have to be.</p><p>In other words, you can only run lean if you satisfy two conditions:</p><p><strong>1. You have excellent weak signal detection; and </strong></p><p><strong>2. You are able to build up appropriate resources at sufficient levels rapidly.</strong></p><p>If can’t satisfy either&nbsp; or both of these conditions, you need to carry an excess of resources constantly.</p><p>How can tell whether an organisation suffers from poor weak signal detection?</p><p>Firstly, senior managers spend an excessive amount of time on improving ordered internal processes, and insufficient time engaged in the more complex market.&nbsp; That’s too much time shielded in the forest rather than being on the boundary, sniffing for changes in the wind even if it does expose you to danger.</p><p>Secondly, the future direction of the company lays too much reliance on the small strategic planning group. Instead this group should support leaders in engaging a broader array of actors from all parts of the customer activity cycle, and so gain a broader understanding of the landscape and how to influence it.</p><p>Finally, these organisations tend to treat complex problems as if they were ordered problems and thereby believe (wrongly) they have tight control over their destiny. Thus they are captured in Mark Twain’s maxim, “"It's not what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."&nbsp;</p><p>Businesses with poor weak signal detection should carry large resources reserves, but I often observe the reverse. Financial markets push companies to distribute closing cash balances out as dividends, and those retaining cash are chastised as being “unimaginative.” Apple provides but one high profile example.</p><p>This is entirely the wrong message.&nbsp;</p><p>Applying a “just-in-time” mindset to a complex business problem leads to collapse into debt. At least “just-in-case”gives you a fighting chance. I have seen more desperate and bad decisions made by businesses drowning in debt, than I have seen by those swimming in cash.&nbsp;</p><p>And what’s true for businesses can also be extended to individuals. For example, imagine you have take a decision about your career. Under which circumstances would you make a more emboldened, vigorous, confident (but not desperate or fatalistic) decision?</p><p><strong>A. With sufficient liquidity to cover one month’s living expenses;</strong></p><p><strong>B. With sufficient liquidity to cover twelve months’ living expenses.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>If you chose B, start building reserves for you and your business.</p><p>If you chose A, I have a “just-in-time-fat-reserves™” franchise available if you’re interested.</p><p><a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af85/1356999314092/On%20Deer%20Snow%20Storm%20and%20Weak%20Signal%20Detection.mp3">Deer, Snow Storms and Weak Signal Detection</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af5a/1471699173432/1500w/618016-bigthumbnail.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="225" height="127"><media:title type="plain">Deer, Snow Storms and Weak Signal Detection</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>How do you overcome corporate vertigo? Think Big, Spend Small, Quick Wins</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 14 Nov 2012 22:04:52 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/11/14/how-do-you-overcome-corporate-vertigo-think-big-spend-small.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af58</guid><description>It seems the higher we climb up the corporate mountain, the more
  1319. susceptible we become to vertigo. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1320. <img class="thumb-image" alt="crib-goch.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af96/1357549459324/crib-goch.jpg" data-image-dimensions="300x225" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af96" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af96/1357549459324/crib-goch.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1321.  
  1322.  
  1323.  
  1324. <p>It seems the higher we climb up the corporate mountain, the more susceptible we become to vertigo.&nbsp;</p><p>When we first join an organisation we are given tasks which expose us to the mechanics of the organisation. The corporate culture is revealed through these activities (‘the way things are done around here’ to quote Snowden), and we participate in the core activities required to delivered profit.</p><p>Individuals identified as having potential become ‘apprentices’ though they may be labelled ‘management trainee.’ Regardless of the title, the teaching philosophy remains the same. The apprentice is given increasingly Complex tasks, learning through (tolerated) mistakes a long the way. Improved practice and confidence follow, and those who respond appropriately climb the corporate mountain, and the scope of their responsibilities expands commensurately. &nbsp;</p><p>With the increase in altitude comes extra exertion—and extra exposure. The pastured foothills are long gone, the pathway is narrower, the drop steeper; the implications of a misplaced step on the wet granite are constantly plays out in our mind.&nbsp; We lift our head to look forward and see an increasingly treacherous ascent into cloud. Going back would result in a loss of face, going forward is increasingly scary, risky and uncertain.</p><p>Some of us freeze. &nbsp;</p><p>Should this occur in the outdoors, the outcome would be one of two ways; calm resolution by placing trust in other members in the group, or a spreading panic with potential loss of life.&nbsp;</p><p>My family is from Snowdonia, North Wales, and when the weather was too poor to dive off Anglesey, I would volunteer with the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team. A typical mountain rescue call-out would occur when groups with little cumulative hill climbing experience overran their capabilities. &nbsp;</p><p>The highest density of calls arose when ‘gaggles of city folk’ would tackle a walk that would move quickly from a protected broad path to a narrow one with obvious exposure, and Crib Goch (pictured) seemed to have magical powers of attraction. After traversing the first 50 m, bravado was replaced by doubt and with the slightest updraft, doubt was soon deposed by panic.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;Arrival of the rescuers was often the time of the greatest danger. It was not unusual for the panicked to initially rebuff instructions from the rescue team, only to spring forward and cling to a rescuer moments later. Not even the sturdiest of mountain men can defy the laws of physics so, with more experience, techniques and equipment were developed in order to aid the distressed without endangering the rescuers.</p><p>The corporate equivalent is nothing new of course.&nbsp; For sometime we have been aware that, as one steps up the organisation ladder, there seems to be an accompanying desire to seek less and less uncertainty about the corporate future.&nbsp;</p><p>Paradoxically, all of our experience and training has been for in preparation for this moment. We have been given the opportunity to resolve the business' most Complex intractable problems. However, for some reason, we freeze, and seek a world that is more ordered, certain and predictable. This manifests in an expectation for our direct reports to provide budgets which are not forecasts, but predictions of guaranteed outcomes.</p><p>&nbsp;In my experience, corporate vertigo kicks in when we have no confidence that our customer offer is better and different than the competition. We then cling to the rock face of cost reduction and increased controls, flinging our arms around the first trend that promises rescue. The result can be calamitous.&nbsp; Companies that trusted “Creating Shareholder Value” at the detriment of customer satisfaction joined the list of fatalities.</p><p>Being better and different than the competition cannot be achieved with certainty.&nbsp; It requires constant, considered experimentation undertaken quickly and with a modest excess of resources. It is neither reckless nor anarchic.</p><p>You cannot build a <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2012/10/30/magnetic-businesses-attract-the-best-customers-and-most-effe.html">magnetic organisation</a> while sitting in a crag with neither the confidence to go up nor the fortitude to back down.</p><p>You developed through cautious experimentation. Stick to the method but apply it on a grander scale.&nbsp;</p><p>Think Big. Spend Small. Quick Wins.</p><p>A small case study on how this can be practically applied will be published next week.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af58/1471699150266/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">How do you overcome corporate vertigo? Think Big, Spend Small, Quick Wins</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>You can't win by playing not to lose</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 10 Nov 2012 17:31:20 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/11/10/you-cant-win-by-playing-not-to-lose.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af54</guid><description>
  1325. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1326. <img class="thumb-image" alt="_44162473_argentina.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7a/1357549458247/_44162473_argentina.jpg" data-image-dimensions="150x108" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7a" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7a/1357549458247/_44162473_argentina.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1327.  
  1328.  
  1329.  
  1330. <p>I sat down earlier today to watch Wales play rugby against Argentina at the kick-off the ‘Autumn series’.</p><p>The Autumn Series is, perhaps, the highlight of the annual rugby calendar. It is the time when Southern hemisphere teams come North to do battle, and it is, outside of the quadrennial World Cup, the only true indicator of pecking order within the rugby playing nations. This particular series has extra spice, as the results will inform seeding for the next World Cup. &nbsp;</p><p>In an established ritual I donned my Welsh shirt, refilled my cup with<a href="http://www.caffemoak.com/"> Sicilian espresso</a>, and opened up a skype link with my Father.&nbsp; Thanks to modern technology, we continue a tradition of being together for rugby internationals despite being 3000 miles apart.</p><p>Hopes for a win were high. The Welsh team has been the best performing of the Northern hemisphere teams of late (in all senses of the word), and it has been eleven years since Argentina have last won at Cardiff.&nbsp; The from book and omens were favourable for a Welsh win—but the display and final result were disappointing.</p><p>Despite being blessed with a pedigree to play sparkling rugby, the Welsh team performed like flat champagne.&nbsp; They were outclassed and outplayed by an Argentinian team which demonstrated initiative and inventiveness. The Welsh team had played not to lose and were outmuscled and outrun by an Argentinian team who played to win. &nbsp;</p><p>If you have the basics to participate, the real competitive advantage is in the head. The recent win by Europe in the Ryder Cup is one recent example. Heavily behind on the Saturday night, the European team came back to win, Lazurus-like, on the Sunday. They playied attacking golf and by taking the initiative, they built momentum and confidence. NB: attacking does not mean reckless.</p><p>Too often we turn down the wick on the activities that have brought us success. Frightened that we might lose what we have gained, we bind our safe-to-fail mentality and thus mummify initiative and ambition. Yet, paradoxically, it is during the time of plenty when we are best positioned to be probing and pushing and testing. &nbsp;</p><p>This is the time when have the resources to amplify successful experiments. This is the time when we have the ability to survive failure. It is also the time when we were maximally developing ourselves and others—including our customers.</p><p>If we don’t ‘go forward’ we atrophy and decline.&nbsp; We then resort to desperate throws of the dice, resorting to ‘big bets’ at a time when we have the least resilience. Look at RIM/ Blackberry as an example. Companies who are heavily in debt typically display this type of behaviour as do, sadly, individuals shackled with similar obligations.</p><p>If you’re ahead, be the leaders and keep the initiative. You can't win by playing not to lose. &nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af54/1471699205063/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">You can't win by playing not to lose</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>If you're a leader directing talent, be careful what you wish for</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:48:49 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/11/9/if-youre-a-leader-directing-talent-be-careful-what-you-wish.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af53</guid><description>Recruiting your brightest and best to solve the more intractable challenges
  1331. facing your business is the right thing to do.  But proceed with
  1332. forethought. Failing to act upon their recommendations doesn’t develop your
  1333. team, it opens up Pandora’s box. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recruiting your brightest and best to solve the more intractable challenges facing your business is the right thing to do.&nbsp; But proceed with forethought. Failing to act upon their recommendations doesn’t develop your team, it opens up Pandora’s box.&nbsp;</p>
  1334. <p>Here is an example of what not to do.</p>
  1335. <p>Company A has annual revenues of $700m.&nbsp; It has an average market share of 36% in selected sectors of the Aerospace and Transport industries. The business is growing at market rates or below—to the dissatisfaction of the Board.&nbsp;</p>
  1336. <p>The company has ambitions to grow but has limited resources. Cash flow is healthy but provisions for pension and historical product liabilities drain much of this. Consequently, capital programmes would have to be funded by external sources and the owners, a venture capital consortia, are reluctant to extend their commitments.</p>
  1337. <p>However, despite their desires for enhanced prosperity, the fundamentals of the business are rocky. Profitability is declining and set to fall further without radical intervention.&nbsp; The company provides logistical support to government agencies in five countries and these contracts generate 53% of the total sales, and 40% of the profit. Each government contract contains annual cost reduction targets, and missing these targets for two successive years triggers a re-bidding contest.&nbsp; The company has held these contracts from six to eight years, and has failed to hit cost saving targets for three agencies in the past two years.</p>
  1338. <p>With 30% of the business in peril, and with pressure from the Board, the CEO delegated a three month strategy review to selected direct reports<span><strong>,</strong></span><span> </span>supported by a (flattered) select group of the company’s high-potential talent.</p>
  1339. <p>The team, headed by the global marketing director, presented their recommendations;&nbsp;</p>
  1340. <p>1. Concentrate short-term activity to drive out costs on the contracts in jeopardy<span>—</span>even if these costs were re-allocated to other units in the short term.</p>
  1341. <p>2. Aggressively shift the business portfolio into (identified) adjacent markets.&nbsp; This has to be done within twelve months as the business has to reduce dependency on governments contracts.&nbsp; The contracts were badly negotiated and long-term profitable growth is unlikely.</p>
  1342. <p>3. Consolidate the eight business units into five, and reallocate the unit heads to Business Development, Commercial Technology, and Efficiency Driver. Their respective roles would be to develop opportunities in adjacent markets, to modify existing technical competencies to meet market needs but with minimal investment, and to drive down operational costs quickly.</p>
  1343. <p>&nbsp;All very sensible, of course, and an outcome that could have been predicted, but the CEO rejected all recommendations but the first.</p>
  1344. <p>&nbsp;The CEO was fearful of failure.&nbsp; Uncertain on how to manage Complex problems appropriately, he associated Business Development with ‘betting money we can’t afford to lose on horses whose form we don’t know.’ Fear prevented him from recognising that business development can be done with little exposure. He failed to accept that you can grow your business by thinking big, spending small, and getting quick wins.&nbsp;</p>
  1345. <p>&nbsp;Fear forced him to cling to the one activity he knew he could control; cost reduction.</p>
  1346. <p>&nbsp;As a result, the business received a short term profit boost, retained the contracts for a further two years, and was forced to make an acquisition in order to sustain profitable top-line growth.&nbsp;</p>
  1347. <p>&nbsp;But the repercussions of rejecting his teams recommendations went much deeper. By participating in the exercise, the organisations highest performers were now cognisant of the enormity of the business challenge ahead, and fully aware of the CEO’s lack of courage in dealing with the critical issue.</p>
  1348. <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;The outcome could have been quite different. The brightest and best were aware of the challenges and highly motivated to overcome them.&nbsp; Had they been allowed to do so, both they and the business would have been improved. But because of the fearfulness of the CEO, the business declined until decisions were made in desperation, and the disillusioned talent either left or waited to hone their skills in managing Chaos. Within three months of rejecting their recommendations, the global marketing director, the head of the largest business unit and two of the six high-talent potential talent had left the company.</p>
  1349. <p>&nbsp;So what should you do?&nbsp;</p>
  1350. <p>&nbsp;1. Be fearful of hurricanes, earthquakes, physical violence and poisonous spiders. Do not fear bosses, peers, customers, suppliers or making business decisions. Success in the Complex domain arises through involvement, thinking big, spending small and getting quick wins.&nbsp;</p>
  1351. <p>2. Be prepared. Before starting a strategy review and engaging<span> </span>others, place your challenges (and possible responses) onto the <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/the_factory/2012/1/11/problem-solving-leadership-and-the-cynefin-framework.html">Cynefin framework</a>.&nbsp; If you’re not prepared to provide the climate and mechanisms to solve the problems appropriately, do not engage others.&nbsp; If you cannot deploy their energy for good, don’t <span>involve them </span>at all<span><strong>,</strong></span> for the energy of expectation it releases<span><strong>,</strong></span> cannot be restrained, constrained or reversed.</p>
  1352. <p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af53/1471696695772/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">If you're a leader directing talent, be careful what you wish for</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Magnetic businesses attract the best customers and most effective talent</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Oct 2012 08:36:12 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/10/30/magnetic-businesses-attract-the-best-customers-and-most-effe.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af50</guid><description>
  1353. </description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1354. <img class="thumb-image" alt="18-magnetic-field-iron-filings.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af8c/1471699225896/18-magnetic-field-iron-filings.jpg" data-image-dimensions="250x286" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af8c" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af8c/1471699225896/18-magnetic-field-iron-filings.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1355.  
  1356.  
  1357.  
  1358. <p>In strategy sessions, recruiting top talent is one of the most mentioned obstacles to achieving the corporate goal. Sieving for the best customers and searching for the most supportive suppliers follow closely behind. Getting more advantageous terms for funding from the investment community is also a popular bullet point.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;For middle performing companies, these are the clouds that lour a longer term perspective.</p><p>&nbsp;However, the sky is bluer in businesses that are exciting and growing and for good reason. Organisations that make a difference in the lives of their customers, employees and suppliers have an energy that draws people to them.&nbsp; Talent, customers, and suppliers come to them—not the other way around.</p><p>&nbsp;Exciting and growing businesses are magnetic. Highly magnetic organisations attract the best customers and the best talent. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;If you’re not convinced, undertake this 10 minute exercise at your next team meeting. Tell your senior leaders that they have a (fictitious) opportunity for a 12 month secondment in a company of their choice, and record their nominations. Most times the names of desirable brands (Apple, Harley Davidson) emerge, but smaller businesses with outstanding offers and passion for their work are also listed.</p><p>&nbsp;Second, repeat the question but now ask for names of organisations where they would least like to spend time. This list is often longer than the first and is typically populated by utility companies, most airlines (there are exceptions) and some financial institutions.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;Customers are attracted to magnetic organisations in which they are captivated, not captured. Look at the output from the exercise above for examples of each.&nbsp; The former list captivates, the latter captures, and shackles build resentment.</p><p>&nbsp;Why is talent drawn to a magnetic organisation?&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;Talent is constantly depreciating.&nbsp; If not developed it withers. The resultant impact is reflected in the spirit and demeanour of its owner and unhappy employees do not lead to happy customers. If you need evidence, visit companies who put shareholders before customers, or ones who believe they can cut themselves to growth.</p><p>&nbsp;Conversely, talent in magnetic organisations develops naturally and positively as a result of delivering business activities.&nbsp; People are energised when the positive difference they make to others also makes a difference to themselves.&nbsp; Working for mutual benefit need not be about money.&nbsp; Suppliers are interested in showcasing their capabilities, investors are enthusiastic about the potential and will price accordingly.</p><p>&nbsp;So, the next time you try to address your ‘talent’ or customer problem, don’t treat the symptoms. Address the systemic cause. Drive for a growing, exciting organisation that is better and different than the competiton.</p><p>&nbsp;Build a magnetic business. &nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af50/1471699238475/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Magnetic businesses attract the best customers and most effective talent</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>What's the story? Tell me more...</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:56:53 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/10/23/whats-the-story-tell-me-more.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4f</guid><description>Every business has a story to tell. How your business tells its story will
  1359. have a critical impact on the success of your company. But what is even
  1360. more important is discovering what that story will be. This can seem very
  1361. obvious but I am astounded by the number of companies who did not know what
  1362. their company’s story is. They tell us in our meetings that they know what
  1363. their story is and they just want to get on with telling it but usually
  1364. they completely miss the essence of the story and thus miss an important
  1365. opportunity to connect deeply with their customers.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1366. <img class="thumb-image" alt="tell me more.jpeg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb9/1357549459315/tell+me+more.jpeg" data-image-dimensions="225x224" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb9" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb9/1357549459315/tell+me+more.jpeg?format=1000w" />
  1367.  
  1368.  
  1369.  
  1370. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_22243">Every business has a story to tell. How your business tells its story will have a critical impact on the success of your company. But what is even more important is discovering what that story will be. This can seem very obvious but I am astounded by the number of companies who did not know what their company’s story is. They tell us in our meetings that they know what their story is and they just want to get on with telling it but usually they completely miss the essence of the story and thus miss an important opportunity to connect deeply with their customers.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_22246">A company’s story is not made up of product names, past successes and corporate colours. The story is or should be more visceral, more emotional, more customer-focused. The company story should answer the question “What can this company and its products and services do to make the customer’s day easier?” It’s as simple as that.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_22249">Why do companies make this common mistake? It’s usually because they are not seeing the world through their customers’ eyes. They don’t see the problems that their customers see every day, at least not in the detail that the customer encounters them. They are not under the same pressures that their customers are and never will be. They might be having their own issues but they will not be the same issues.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_22252">So how can you find out what kinds of challenges your customers are facing? You can ask them. As simple as that sounds it is not done often enough and not in the way that delivers deep insights. We use a method called “Customer R&amp;D” where we go out and videotape candid conversations with customers on their own turf and at their convenience. We are good listeners but more importantly good questioners and we have no preconceived opinions or axes to grind. We are third party gatherers who often uncover surprising nuggets of customer insight. We then bring the video back to the boardroom where we watch the video with the goal of getting a much deeper understanding of what the customer wants from us. This understanding then becomes the beginning of our company story. It’s powerful because it speaks directly to the customer and it resonates because it speaks the customers’ language and reflects their reality.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_22255">Even a well-established company with a mature product line can benefit from refreshing the company story. It will make the marketplace look at them in a new and hopefully more relevant way. It will make the company look responsive and forward-looking. And of course it can be the foundation for a new direction, a new product line or an initiative. And it will highlight the concerns of the customer because that’s where the story will start, with the customer.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_22258">So, talk to your customers, listen well and think about what your company really does for your customers. Then tell your story and if you tell it well you will create the demand to participate. </p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_22261">And that’s the holy grail of customer relations in my opinion. &nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4f/1471697230331/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">What's the story? Tell me more...</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>The Mathematics of Self-Belief</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:00:32 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/9/14/the-mathematics-of-self-belief.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4e</guid><description>I am always taken aback by the unprompted readiness of successful leaders
  1371. to identity others whom they admire and have acted as a source of
  1372. aspiration. When these venerated have been accessible, (that is, neither
  1373. dead (Jobs) nor remote (Mandela)), I have conducted a short research
  1374. interview. Reviewing the data recently, a pattern linking these nominees
  1375. emerged. They all have an abundance of self-belief.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1376. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Mathematics of SB.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afbd/1357549459522/Mathematics+of+SB.jpg" data-image-dimensions="314x190" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afbd" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afbd/1357549459522/Mathematics+of+SB.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1377.  
  1378.  
  1379.  
  1380. <p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2859">I am always taken aback by the unprompted readiness of successful leaders to identity others whom they admire and have acted as a source of inpiration. When these venerated  have been accessible, (that is, neither dead (Jobs) nor remote (Mandela)), I have conducted a short research interview. Reviewing the data recently, a pattern linking these nominees emerged.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2862">They all have an abundance of self-belief.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2865">Now, of course, I do not discount luck, experience or skill as major contributors to success, but I do believe that the depth of self-belief has a huge influence on shaping the range of our possible futures.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2868">I have seen strong, self-confident people fall short of their potential. They spend their lives isolated from a supporting network so are surrounded by individuals who deconstruct or denigrate their attempts at good works. This results in spasms of extreme behaviour when interacting with others which oscillates wildly between dismissive arrogance and combative engagement.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2871">Likewise I have seen highly-capable, gifted individuals fall short of their potential because self-confidence is absent—despite the tangible, enveloping support of family, friends and peers.  This results in withdrawn behaviour, a failure to take initiative, and frustration in colleagues.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2874">I have been interviewing successful leaders and their direct reports in preparation for the launch of the Foundry.  In response to the question, “what attribute do you see in others that you most like to have yourself,” the most common response was, “self-belief”. Further digging revealed self-belief is a function of self-confidence and affirmation of those whom you respect.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2877">Mathematically the relationship may look like this.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2880">SB = log (SC)A </p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2883">Where SB = Self-Belief, SC = Self-Confidence and A = affirmation from those you respect.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2886">Now while the equation may appear playful, the relationship is borne out in empirical observation.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2889">So how do you address any imbalance?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2892">In many ways, lack of affirmation is easier to resolve.  If self-confidence is in place, the individual needs to seek an environment in which to flourish. If you’re in this situation, dismiss unsolicited feedback. If it is foisted upon you from a source you don’t respect, rebuff it.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2895">Resolving low self-confidence is a longer journey.  It requires the individual to build a record of small successes so that, eventually, tolerated failure is not only accepted but sought. Only then can substantial leaps forward take place.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2898">When working with this group,  you can provide the supporting conditions necessary for development, you can’t do it for them. We all have to set realistic standards. We can’t catch ever error (yes, it was deliberate) and we can’t avoid every mistake—nor should we. No one has infinite capacity or capability. As Will Rogers said, “everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2901">Seeking perfection will lead to failure attended by pain and frustration along the way.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_87_1471628969396_2904">Remember, the best way to improve the lives of your customers, colleagues, family and friends is to seek success—not perfection.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4e/1471696781076/1500w/1000w.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="314" height="190"><media:title type="plain">The Mathematics of Self-Belief</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>My experience with Amazon&#x2014;how a bad product can lead to a good experience</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:03:10 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/7/30/my-experience-with-amazonhow-a-bad-product-can-lead-to-a-goo.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4d</guid><description>A poor product performance needn’t dent your net promoter score. In fact,
  1381. if you react appropriately, it may enhance it. Last week I purchased a
  1382. window mount for a GPS device via Amazon. The product arrived in good
  1383. condition and functioned effectively for a few hours. It then fell from the
  1384. window having suffered a catastrophic failure; a rip in the rubber grommet
  1385. resulted in the suction pad no longer sucking. This ensured a modicum of
  1386. inconvenience as I was guided through the back roads of New Jersey with the
  1387. GPS held in place by Blu-Tack—well consultants do have to be resourceful.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1388. <img class="thumb-image" alt="IMG_0085.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb4/1357549464831/IMG_0085.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2448x3264" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb4" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb4/1357549464831/IMG_0085.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1389.  
  1390.  
  1391.  
  1392. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_30811">A poor product performance needn’t dent your net promoter score.&nbsp; In fact, if you react appropriately, it may enhance it.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_30814">&nbsp;Last week I purchased a window mount for a GPS device via Amazon. The product arrived in good condition and functioned effectively for a few hours.&nbsp; It then fell from the window having suffered a catastrophic failure; a rip in the rubber grommet resulted in the suction pad no longer sucking. This ensured a modicum of inconvenience as I was guided through the back roads of New Jersey with the GPS held in place by Blu-Tack—well consultants do have to be resourceful.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_30817">&nbsp;That evening I added a comment to the vendor’s product page, then investigated how I might return my $12 non-sucking suction pad. The process, it seems, is incredibly simple.&nbsp; You complete a return form, paste the provided return label onto the package containing your item and take to any FedEx, UPS or Post Office.&nbsp; And here’s the unexpected pleasant surprise—as soon as the item is scanned, your payment is refunded to your credit card.&nbsp; Let me write that again.&nbsp; As soon as your item is scanned, your payment is refunded to your credit card.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_30820">&nbsp;What an excellent feedback loop.&nbsp; I had a problem but I received restitution quickly and conveniently.&nbsp; This defuses the negative product experience, and brings me back for more. It even got me writing about it. Someone in Amazon has reviewed the Customer Activity Cycle (complaints section!), they have located the pain points and then applied the balm. &nbsp;Rapid relief without the side effects of queuing at the Post Office or waiting 2 weeks for a credit.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_30823">&nbsp;Mistakes happen and products fail, and therein lies the opportunity. How can you can enhance the customer experience even when things go wrong?&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_30826">&nbsp;Now, if only the airlines applied this thinking….</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4d/1471697285035/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">My experience with Amazon&#x2014;how a bad product can lead to a good experience</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Great businesses are built by great leaders&#x2014;not prophets (part 3 of 3): Steve Jobs</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:10:52 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/7/13/great-businesses-are-built-by-great-leadersnot-prophets-part.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4c</guid><description>On the evening of Friday, 24 May 1985, the Board fired the Company founder.
  1393. Steve Jobs left the Apple campus weeping and wealthy. He was done. He had
  1394. been thrown under vehicle he believed would deliver his twin ambitions</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1395. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Apple top team covers Cynefin.pdf" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5578cd6fe4b0278f825d4cb2/1433980273480/Apple+top+team+covers+Cynefin.pdf" data-image-dimensions="2398x1376" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="5578cd6fe4b0278f825d4cb2" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/t/5578cd6fe4b0278f825d4cb2/1433980273480/Apple+top+team+covers+Cynefin.pdf?format=1000w" />
  1396.  
  1397.  
  1398.  
  1399. <p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3937">On the evening of Friday, 24 May 1985, the Board fired the Company founder. Steve Jobs left the Apple campus weeping and wealthy.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3940">&nbsp;He was done.&nbsp; He had been thrown under the vehicle he believed would deliver his twin ambitions:</p><ol id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3943"><li>To make brilliant, beautiful products and</li><li>To emulate his heroes Bill Hewlett and David Packard, and “build a great company with a great legacy.” &nbsp;</li></ol><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3949">&nbsp;But Jobs wasn’t fired because his Vision was diminishing nor were his marketing powers&nbsp; waning or his communication skills no longer potent. In fact, according to his 2011 authorised biography, his colleagues complained that these talents were so vigorous and overwhelming that they often hindered the surfacing of other critical business issues.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3952">&nbsp;Jobs was sacked because he couldn’t lead a business operation.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3955">&nbsp;Whether consciously or not, Jobs redressed this deficiency. In the intervening 10 years between leaving Apple and returning, Jobs’ improvement in leadership was nothing short of spectacular. He provides outstanding proof that:</p><ol id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3958"><li>Every individual’s ability to lead others can be improved and</li><li>An individual who manages a diverse range of problem-solving resources well is now able to solve a wide range of problems well.</li></ol><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3964">&nbsp;After the burst of excitement that accompanied the release of Macintosh in January 1984, its sales began to taper off in the second half. But Jobs, who was heading both the Macintosh and Lisa Division, failed to manage the consequences.&nbsp; Clearly, there was no shortage of promise in the Apple technology, but no spin or reality distortion field could mask its shortcomings.&nbsp; The Macintosh was woefully underpowered compared to its competitors and thus incapable of delivering the promise hinted at by the revolutionary user-interface.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3967">&nbsp;Underemployed and unable to lead the life he wished to, Jobs dabbled in a number of ventures. Nevertheless, he always returned to the locus of his fascination: the intersection of technology and liberal arts. With his immense personal wealth, he could indulge in ’safe-to-fail’ experimentation on a huge scale. And, while his NeXT venture into high-end personal computing drained his bank balance and his ego, his net worth and self confidence were restored when he was allocated $3bn of Disney stock on their purchase of Pixar. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3970">&nbsp;Based on his evolving track record of successfully running creative technology companies, Jobs was invited back to Apple in 1997 to rescue a business in crisis. The company had 90 days worth of cash reserves and poor operational management. As an example, the business held nearly $500m of inventory on hand, or the equivalent of nearly two months of sales.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3973">&nbsp;Desperate for the company to survive, the Board gave Jobs the latitude to act swiftly.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3976">&nbsp;He did.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3979">&nbsp;Jobs applied the three lessons he had learnt since his previous tenure.</p><ol id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3982"><li>Be clear on what you want, and focus.</li><li>“Operations (is the life blood that) gives you the oxygen to do amazing things.”&nbsp;</li><li>“No bozo’s. You need to recruit the best to deliver the best. I only want people who ‘get it.’”&nbsp;</li></ol><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3990">&nbsp;Jobs acted immediately by addressing operations. This was previously the location of his erstwhile Achilles heel—but no longer. As observed by Fortune magazine a year after his return, “When you consider the changes in sum, they testify to a fact most observers have never noticed: Jobs is a savvy manager.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3993">&nbsp;This revelation is a reinforced by Walter Isaacson in his official autobiography of Jobs.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3996">“When Steve Job’s returned to Apple and produced the Think Different Ad, and the iMac in the first year, it confirmed what most people already knew; he could be a creative and a visionary.&nbsp; He had shown that during his first round at Apple.&nbsp; What was less clear was whether he could run a&nbsp; company.&nbsp; He had definitely not shown that during his first round.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_3999">&nbsp;So the wonder of this story is not about Jobs the Visionary.&nbsp; That came easily. The real insight is about Jobs the Business Leader who exploited his hard learnt skills of how to work with others. It is this successful management of problem solving diversity that eventually allowed Jobs the Visionary to bloom.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4002">&nbsp;What did Jobs do to broaden and then exploit problem solving diversity?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4005">&nbsp;Jobs excelled in the Complex and Chaotic domain. He was never short of ideas (at his death he held 323 patents), but he failed to make these ideas deliverable.&nbsp; In 1984, both the Macintosh and the Lisa computer teams were set stretching technical aspirations, but crucial aspects of each computer fell beyond the grasp of the Apple engineers—but this did not prevent the product launch.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4008">&nbsp;In 1997, Jobs was thinking differently. He promoted Jony Ives, an Apple design engineer on the verge of leaving.&nbsp; Though Ives has been assigned the reputation of being a ‘creative’, he is, in fact, a very-detailed, very-precise engineer, gifted with the ability to interpret Jobs’ Vision and convert it into reality.&nbsp; In Cynefin terms, Ives bridged the Complex Jobs with the Complicated Engineers.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4011">&nbsp;As Jobs said of him,” He (Jony) gets the big picture as well as the most infinitesimal details about each product. And he understands that Apple is a product company. He’s not just a designer.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4014">&nbsp;During his first tenure at Apple, Jobs shrugged off the importance of the link between Vision and Operations. He avoided that mistake the second time around by recruiting Tim Cook as his Senior VP of Operations in early 1998.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4017">&nbsp;Jobs said of Cook, “ Tim Cook came out of procurement, which is just the right background for what we needed. I realised that he and I saw things exactly the same way.&nbsp; I knew what I wanted, and I met Tim, and he wanted the same thing. So we started to work together, and before long I trusted him to know exactly what to do. He had the same vision I did, and we could interact at a high strategic level, and I could just forget about a lot of things unless he came and pinged me.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4020">&nbsp;Based on achieving a common agreed goal, Jobs delegated the resolution of operational problems in the Complicated/Simple domain to Cook.&nbsp; And it worked.&nbsp; Inventory on hand, previously held at a 2 month level, was reduced to 6 days within 6 months of Cook’s recruitment.&nbsp; By the following September, inventory on hand was at 2 days. In addition, Cook lowered&nbsp; production times for making an Apple computer from 4 months to 2. All of this not only saved money, it also allowed each new computer to have the very latest components available.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4023">&nbsp;So what can you learn from Steve Jobs?</p><ol id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4026"><li>Are you clear on the <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2012/5/21/the-best-leaders-focus-on-problem-a-and-minimise-problem-b.html">Problem A </a>goal and vision that motivates you?</li><li>Are you are aware of your problem-solving strengths and weaknesses?</li><li>Are you recruiting the best problem-solving resources to balance your weaknesses?</li><li>Are you working with those resources to maximum mutual benefit whilst minimising the <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2012/5/21/the-best-leaders-focus-on-problem-a-and-minimise-problem-b.html">Problem B</a> cost of diversity?</li></ol><p id="yui_3_17_2_2_1433980162847_4044">&nbsp;Like the former Apple top team, do you have Cynefin covered?</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4c/1471697359759/1500w/Apple%2Btop%2Bteam%2Bcovers%2BCynefin.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="861"><media:title type="plain">Great businesses are built by great leaders&#x2014;not prophets (part 3 of 3): Steve Jobs</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>"Are the benefits greater than the cost of the spin-off problem?”</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2012 21:41:32 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/7/3/are-the-benefits-greater-than-the-cost-of-the-spin-off-probl.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4b</guid><description>If you resolve a problem successfully, then you generate a spin-off as a
  1400. consequence of your success. However, the skills and talent necessary for
  1401. the former may not be the most appropriate for the resolution of the
  1402. latter. For example, reducing global high overhead costs by consolidating
  1403. the back office operations may reduce fixed expenses, but it produces the
  1404. spin-off problem of reduced flexibility in response to local pricing and
  1405. product opportunities.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you resolve a problem successfully, then you generate a spin-off as a consequence of your success. However, the skills and talent necessary for the former may not be the most appropriate for the resolution of the latter.</p>
  1406. <p>For example, reducing global high overhead costs by consolidating the back office operations may reduce fixed expenses, but it produces the spin-off problem of reduced flexibility in response to local pricing and product opportunities. &nbsp;</p>
  1407. <p>Or the obverse.&nbsp; To overcome the inertia of centralised decision making, you may delegate the majority of operational decision making to a country level.&nbsp; The spin-off problem may be the absence of a centrally co-ordinated research strategy. This will lead to a reduced return on R&amp;D investment as long-term R&amp;D resources are re-directed to short-term tech support.</p>
  1408. <p>It is part of the human condition to underestimate the spin-off problems to the solutions we generate.&nbsp; We've hurled our intellectual muscle at the problem, examined it from a variety of angles, consulted with experts and those with experience, and considered all the downsides.&nbsp; We then marshall our confidence and make the big decision.</p>
  1409. <p>We think we have conquered the problem but in reality we are still in the foothills.</p>
  1410. <p>The larger and more complex the problem, the greater will be the spin off problem&mdash;and the more substantial the cost of its dismissal.&nbsp;</p>
  1411. <p>But we have a weakness.&nbsp; When trying to spot the spin-off problems to our brilliant plans, we are handicapped by our biases and preferences.&nbsp; If we generate an innovative solution, we typically underestimate the adaptive operational challenges of implementation.&nbsp; If our solution is more adaptive in nature, we typically focus on the efficiency of our solution, and underestimate its diminishing efficiency as it is replaced by alternative technology over time.&nbsp;</p>
  1412. <p>CEO's and senior managers are more vulnerable than most. They are expected to be outstanding all-rounders without deficiency or imperfection.&nbsp; This forces some to display behaviours which hamper the reporting of bad news until it is of a size that can be no longer hidden.&nbsp;</p>
  1413. <p>How do CEO&rsquo;s typically deal with the consequences of their success?</p>
  1414. <p>According to David Nadler, the CEO lists four choices;</p>
  1415. <p>1. They can refuse to change&mdash;and eventually be replaced;</p>
  1416. <p>2. They can find a successor who&rsquo;s skills better match the newly arising problems;</p>
  1417. <p>3. They can reduce their role to reflect their skills and bring in additional better qualified support (ie remain within their problem-solving domain preference); or<span> </span></p>
  1418. <p>4. Develop their personal leadership skills and widen the pool of problem-solving resource to better reflect the new challenges.</p>
  1419. <p>According this report, the number of CEO&rsquo;s choosing option 1 is increasing.&nbsp; In 2011, nearly 14.2% of Fortunes top 2500 CEO&rsquo;s were turfed out.&nbsp; If you were a CEO of a top 250 company operating in turbulent markets (such as Electronics and Utilities), there was a 1 in 5 chance you&rsquo;d not make a full year&rsquo;s employment.</p>
  1420. <p>Option 4 requires the most development, the highest motivation, the greatest introspection, self-awareness, self-belief&mdash;and yields the greatest return. It is the essence of the transition from good to great leadership.</p>
  1421. <p>So what can CEO&rsquo;s and Senior Executives do to minimise the impact of spin-off problems.&nbsp;</p>
  1422. <p>1. Recruit input from the widest feasible array of perspectives when defining and solving important problems.</p>
  1423. <p>2. Test aggressively and robustly for consequences of the solution with processes such as Devil&rsquo;s Advocate or Ritual Dissent. Update the solution accordingly.</p>
  1424. <p>3. Engage a network of colleagues and peers with different but trusted perspectives and interact regularly with &lsquo;nay-sayers&rsquo; during implementation.&nbsp; They will inform you of the spin-off problems before anyone else. &nbsp;</p>
  1425. <p>4. Ask yourself constantly, &ldquo;are the benefits of the solution greater than the cost of the spin-off problem?&rdquo;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4b/1471697389992/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">"Are the benefits greater than the cost of the spin-off problem?”</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Great businesses are built by great leaders&#x2014;not prophets (part 2 of 3)</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 20 Jun 2012 20:46:57 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/6/20/great-businesses-are-built-by-great-leadersnot-prophets-part.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4a</guid><description>In an earlier posting, I reviewed whether mental illness was a
  1426. pre-requisite for great leadership, and concluded that this was not the
  1427. case. However, occasionally these far-reaching perspectives do match
  1428. reality and, assuming the requisite knowledge, intellectual capacity and
  1429. motivation are also in place, then the triumph of these problem-solvers can
  1430. be spectacular; Winston Churchill provides but one example. But whilst
  1431. excelling in a crisis is worthy and admirable, is it the definition of
  1432. great leadership? I would argue not.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1433. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Churchill and Cynefin.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afad/1357549459834/Churchill+and+Cynefin.jpg" data-image-dimensions="722x470" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afad" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afad/1357549459834/Churchill+and+Cynefin.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1434.  
  1435.  
  1436.  
  1437. <p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2884">&nbsp;In an <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2012/5/10/great-businesses-are-built-by-great-leaders-not-prophets-par.html">earlier posting</a>, I reviewed whether mental illness was a pre-requisite for great leadership, and concluded that this was not the case.&nbsp; However, occasionally these far-reaching perspectives do match reality and, assuming the requisite knowledge, intellectual capacity and motivation are also in place, then the triumph of these problem-solvers can be spectacular; Winston Churchill provides but one example.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2890">&nbsp;But whilst excelling in a crisis is worthy and admirable, is it the definition of great leadership?&nbsp; I would argue not.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2893">&nbsp;Surely great leadership is about resolving big problems from a wide array of domains, and doing so for the benefit of a broad population.&nbsp; In my view, it is scope and scale not speciality that defines greatness.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2896">&nbsp;With reference to the <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_factory/2012/1/11/problem-solving-leadership-and-the-cynefin-framework.html">Cynefin framework</a>, I would suggest that an individual who excels in one problem domain is a good leader.&nbsp; A great leader is one who is able to solve problems across all domains with the greatest mutual benefit to all of those involved.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2902">&nbsp;Good leaders excel when the problem domain and their preferred problem-solving style resonate. In this situation they come across as&nbsp; comfortable, relaxed, and high-performing.&nbsp; They appear to be at the top of their game.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2905">&nbsp;For example, Operations Managers tell me they spend most their working day solving problems in the Complicated and Simple Domains.&nbsp; This population is comfortable with structure and processes, and has a strong disposition to solve known or knowable problem. But cracks start to show when problems arise whose solutions are unpredictable or unknowable. In these situations, expertise or precedence can provide only the most general of guideposts. Adhering too tightly to lessons from history builds misplaced confidence and leads to poor decisions. In these circumstances, the better leaders recognise the limits of their expertise and work with others better suited to that problem.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2908">&nbsp;Good leaders are able to respond to their environment and adjust their behaviours accordingly. As a result they develop and improve.&nbsp; They grow toward greatness.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2911">&nbsp;When leaders encounter chaos, they act to stabilise the situation, try to make sense of the disruption and respond rapidly and decisively.&nbsp; The leaders exert command and control, but recognise that chaos is transitory, and try to move from this state to more stable domains as quickly as possible.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2914">&nbsp;Some, such as Churchill, thrive in Chaos. They have a dominant view of the problem and how it should be resolved. They are able to act rapidly and decisively, and when they do so successfully, the results can be spectacular.&nbsp; They make the front page and case studies are written on ‘the “Churchill” Way.’ Some become revered.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2917">&nbsp;But their success has a potential dark side. Recognising that their power and profile will diminish as the Problem transitions from Chaos to the other domains, some leaders will maintain the chaotic state. They will manage the environment so that they always excel. I call these types of leaders, “Prophets.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2920">&nbsp;Prophets thrive in chaos. They promise stability. They give confident proclamation to an eager audience about their ability to give safety, security and predicability. But this is illusionary. Their prescriptive vision is often flawed but is clouded by the chaos.&nbsp; Transition out of Chaos to other domains would unmask the flaws so for Prophets extended residency in chaos is necessary for maintenance of power. In democracies, enlightened voters remove their Prophets when the job is done.&nbsp; Churchill tried to maintain a sense of chaos (”(Labour) would have to fall back on some form of Gestapo, no doubt very humanely directed in the first instance”) but this did not prevent his exit in a landslide Labour victory in July 1945.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2923">&nbsp;Great leaders are able to engage others in resolving problems from all domains.&nbsp; They neither overly-focus on their disposition, nor do they deliberately maintain a transitionary Chaotic or Disorder state in order to maintain a corporate dependency.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2926">&nbsp;Great leadership can be learnt. It requires a framework and experience to identify the context of the issues to be resolved.&nbsp; It also requires access to a wide range of networked problem-solving diversity, maintained at a low cost when not required.&nbsp; Finally, it requires motivation to move to areas outside of one’s pre-disposition in order to really drive up business performance.&nbsp; But all of this is attainable.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2929">&nbsp;Where are you, and where do you wish to be?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2932">- Prophets seek and receive their oxygen in Chaos.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2935">- Good leaders excel in limited domains and principally rely on their expertise.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2938">- Great leaders excel in all domains, but rely on the support of others to do so and for clear mutual benefit.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_10_1471697155506_2941">In the final part of this series, we review how Steve Jobs when from Prophet to Great Leader</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af4a/1471697441457/1500w/1000w.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="722" height="470"><media:title type="plain">Great businesses are built by great leaders&#x2014;not prophets (part 2 of 3)</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Improvement Benefits Everyone - a tool for driving up your return on development</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:31:43 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/6/14/improvement-benefits-everyone-a-tool-for-driving-up-your-ret.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af49</guid><description>Are you sure you're getting the best return on your talent development
  1438. investment? Use the Improvement Benefits Everyone (IBE) diagnostic to test
  1439. the preparedness of Line Management ahead of investment in talent
  1440. development. Here is how the test should be deployed.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1441. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Improvement benefits everyone schema-4.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af90/1357549460584/Improvement+benefits+everyone+schema-4.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1581x1163" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af90" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af90/1357549460584/Improvement+benefits+everyone+schema-4.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1442.  
  1443.  
  1444.  
  1445. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_64116">We use the Improvement Benefits Everyone (IBE) diagnostic to test the preparedness of Line Management ahead of investment in talent development.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_64119">&nbsp;Here is how the test should be deployed.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_64122">Part 1</p><ul id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_64125"><li>Place your recent talent development investments on the grid and review the findings. &nbsp;If programmes have been in the Distraction category stop any further investment in the absence of significant change.</li><li>Indulgent programmes that give individual benefit but no obvious business improvement should be stopped, made more business oriented, or recognised as a reward or thank you for your personnel.</li><li>Programmes that yield Compliance will be of limited impact.&nbsp; Individual performance in delivering against these programmes will be high initially but will decay rapidly.&nbsp; Sustaining any business performance that yields low mutual benefit is too expensive psychologically to maintain.</li><li>Programmes that are exciting to the individual and generate an immediate business benefit in which the individual participates create high levels of Commitment—and the highest levels of sustained ROI.&nbsp;</li><li>There is no other route to optimialy high ROI other than focussing highly motivated individual development on overcoming business performance obstacles.</li></ul><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_64139">Part 2</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_64142">&nbsp;To improve your upcoming talent investments answer do the following:</p><ol id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_64145"><li>Set yourself an expectation of a ten-fold return on investment within a two year period.&nbsp; This is the minimum standard we set ourselves when we engage with clients. This target will force you to be clear on your measurements of success and expectations of progress.</li><li>Be clear on the obstacles preventing you achieving the business goal over the next 12-36 months?&nbsp;<a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2012/5/1/strategy-is-about-why-and-what-dont-waste-time-on-mission-vi.html">This</a>&nbsp;template should help.</li><li>Identify the specific development gaps in your talent which, if addressed, would help overcome these obstacles.</li><li>Review the curriculum of programmes identified to address the development gap. Are you convinced they are practical, relevant and beneficial?</li><li>Put plans in place for the individual to demonstrate the business benefit of the developed capability within a month of returning to the organisation.</li></ol>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af49/1471697499187/1500w/1000w-1.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1000" height="736"><media:title type="plain">Improvement Benefits Everyone - a tool for driving up your return on development</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Make them practice: improving your return on talent development</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:25:59 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/6/14/make-them-practice-improving-your-return-on-talent-developme.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af48</guid><description>In a recent conversation, an Executive VP of a global pharmaceutical
  1446. company bemoaned the poor rate of return from one of her biggest
  1447. investments, talent development. In the past two years she had sent three
  1448. of her direct reports to an advanced executive development programme at a
  1449. prestigious business school south-west of Paris, each placement costing
  1450. £35,000 and requiring four weeks absence from work. Now, as someone who is
  1451. a graduate of one of the school and has helped designed and present one of
  1452. their programmes, it is naturally that I leap to the defence of the
  1453. Faculty. And I do. Not because I believe they are faultless, but because I
  1454. believe establishing the conditions and expectations for a high rate of
  1455. return are the responsibility of the sponsoring line manager.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1456. <img class="thumb-image" alt="tennis coach.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af89/1357549459998/tennis+coach.jpg" data-image-dimensions="650x440" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af89" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af89/1357549459998/tennis+coach.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1457.  
  1458.  
  1459.  
  1460. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_72950">In a recent conversation, an Executive VP of a global pharmaceutical company bemoaned the poor rate of return from one of her biggest investments, talent development. In the past two years she has sent three of her direct reports to an advanced executive development programme at a prestigious business school south-west of Paris, each placement costing £35,000 and requiring four weeks absence from work.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_72953">&nbsp;Now as someone who is a graduate of the school and has helped design and present one of their programmes, it is natural that I leap to the defence of the Faculty. And I do. Not because I believe they are faultless and without parallel, but because I believe establishing the conditions and expectations for a high rate of return are the responsibility of the sponsoring line manager—not the participant, not HR, nor the teaching institution.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_72956">&nbsp;Over the years I have seen many development programmes fail to hit the mark.&nbsp; Poor teaching, mis-matched expectations and inadequate participant preparation have been contributing factors but the biggest influencer on yielding high rates of return on development spend is the line manager. &nbsp;It is they who determine the strength of the link between development gap and business need.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_72959">&nbsp;Line managers are like coaches who delegate some component of their athletes' development to a specialist trainer. The process commences when the coach gauges the athlete's shortcomings in the context of desired performance against the competition. Next, in selecting the specialist trainer, the coach has to have confidence that the trainer will develop capabilities quickly and efficiently so that they are immediately usable and relevant. Finally, the best Coaches give athletes opportunities to apply their acquired knowledge and skills within a short time of returning.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_72962">&nbsp;What tennis, golf or football coach would give advice on improvement to their top performers but then deny them an opportunity for its practiced application for 12 months?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_72965">&nbsp;Reinforcing learning through practiced application early and safely is crucial to sustained improvement.&nbsp; It is the biggest contributor to generating a return on investment—but, in businesses, it is the component most frequently ignored. In this sense, executives should follow an apprenticeship model if they want the highest return for effective talent development.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_72968">To test the preparedness of the line manager ahead of investment in talent development, use the <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2012/6/14/improvement-benefits-everyone-a-tool-for-driving-up-your-ret.html">Improvement Benefits Everyone (IBE) diagnostic</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af48/1471697529803/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Make them practice: improving your return on talent development</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Inside the tube and the importance of feedback</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 25 May 2012 20:10:21 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/5/25/inside-the-tube-and-the-importance-of-feedback.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af47</guid><description>Failing to give feedback when it is expected or desired builds stress and
  1461. resentment in the recipient. The consequences for the problem solving
  1462. leader may include lack of support in future projects, destruction of good
  1463. will in current activities or, in the case of agencies such as the
  1464. Samaritans, a potential harming of an individual if promised contact does
  1465. not materialise. Human beings are devoid of instinct. We develop ourselves
  1466. exclusively through learning, either directly or via the experience of
  1467. others (parents, teachers, friends). This is why we spend more time than
  1468. any other species being taught, shepherded and learning from others. We
  1469. measure the effectiveness of our applied learning exclusively through
  1470. feedback loops. The absence of feedback after dispensing our (problem
  1471. solving) expertise severely curtails our motivation to help the requester
  1472. in the future. This is an important learning point for the problem solving
  1473. leader.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1474. <img class="thumb-image" alt="MRI Machine.JPG" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afc2/1471697866598/MRI+Machine.JPG" data-image-dimensions="500x375" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afc2" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afc2/1471697866598/MRI+Machine.JPG?format=1000w" />
  1475.  
  1476.  
  1477.  
  1478. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81553">Failure to give feedback when it is expected or desired builds stress and resentment in the recipient.&nbsp; The consequences for the problem solving leader may include lack of support in future projects, destruction of goodwill in current activities or, in the case of agencies such as the Samaritans, a potential harming of an individual if promised contact does not materialise.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81556">Human beings are devoid of instinct. We develop ourselves exclusively through learning, either directly or via the experience of others (parents, teachers, friends).&nbsp; That is why we spend more time than any other species being taught, shepherded and learning from others.&nbsp; We measure the effectiveness of our applied learning exclusively through feedback loops.&nbsp; The absence of feedback after dispensing our (problem solving) expertise severely curtails our motivation to help the requester in the future. This is an important learning point for the problem solving leader.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81559">I was reminded of the power of feedback loops this week as I spent 40 minutes in the tight, noisy confines of an MRI machine. Many will suggest that sanitation, anaesthetics or penicillin have yielded the biggest advance in human health, but non-invasive imaging technology is also a worthy candidate. The data from this equipment gives great certainty and comfort to patients and clinicians alike and, for some, avoids the trauma and danger of exploratory neurosurgery.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81562">However, having an MRI scan is not a pleasant experience. The patient is placed within a long narrow tube whose span always seems to be 2” less than shoulder width. The head is tightly held within a 3-sided box, and caged on top by a plastic grill that lies 1” above the nose. The roof of the tube lies 1” above this. The patient, now securely constrained, remains enclosed in the machine for a series of scans each lasting between 2—10 mins. The whole routine takes 40 minutes on average.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81565">Between each scan, the MRI technician gives feedback over a speaker on the scan just completed and details the type of scan to be initiated; its duration and the likely sound of the magnets as they whirl around the machine.&nbsp; Thus informed, patients can now adopt the appropriate coping strategies; humming hymns, reliving great moments in sports or rehearsing an upcoming strategy presentation for example.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81568">But on this occasion the feedback loop broke.&nbsp; I had come to the end of a scan and was awaiting the next set of instructions that typically follow. Silence. I wait for 30 seconds. Silence. I wait for another 30 seconds. More silence. I try to fidget but I’m held rigidly within this 4 tonne magnet.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81571">I lay there for 7 minutes. I know this because I sing the Changeling (the Doors, 4:17), Calon Lan (full version by Llanelli Male Voice Choir, 2:10) and I was 2 minutes into Glenn Gould’s version of the Goldberg Variations when I heard the scratch of the speaker coming to life. The voice of the technician apologising for having to step away from her desk.&nbsp; The absence of feedback contributed to a distinctly uncomfortable experience over which I felt no sense of control.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81574">So, whether you interact with customers, suppliers or colleagues, giving feedback is critical to their development and independence—particularly if that feedback relates to the core expertise by which that person defines their most value adding problem solving contribution.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81577">&nbsp;Likewise, while good leaders may give feedback appropriately, the seniority of their position may hinder others from giving useful developmental feedback. This needs to be addressed because feedback is the route to improvement.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81580">&nbsp;The importance to leadership of giving and receiving feedback will be an important section in the updated Foundry programme.&nbsp; This section will be lead by Marcus Wynne. Marcus is a former US Paratrooper, diplomatic bodyguard and US Air Marshall.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81583">Marcus is a specialist in stress inoculation and accelerated learning under stressful conditions, and has direct experience on the importance of feedback loops—and the repercussions of their absence.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81586">&nbsp;For further information on this programme look for an announcement on 1st July 2012</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81589"><strong>UPDATE 9 June 2012</strong></p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697155506_81593">In an earlier version of this posting I stated that Marcus Wynne had served as a US Army Ranger. This is incorrect. &nbsp;Marcus had formerly served as a US Paratrooper, and the posting has been updated to reflect this fact.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af47/1471697871204/1500w/MRI%2BMachine.JPG" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="500" height="375"><media:title type="plain">Inside the tube and the importance of feedback</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>The best Leaders focus on Problem A  and minimise Problem B</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 19:31:17 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/5/21/the-best-leaders-focus-on-problem-a-and-minimise-problem-b.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af46</guid><description>The range of literature on strategy is perhaps only surpassed by the volume
  1479. of literature on leadership. Though one may be a task, and the other an
  1480. action, both share a dizzying range of definitions, many contradictory and
  1481. most of no utility. I was once told that, “Getting a definition of
  1482. leadership is like nailing jelly to the wall.” This amusing nod to the
  1483. struggle in tying down an understanding of leadership might be acceptable
  1484. in literary and academic circles, but Executives need something solid and
  1485. useful. They need a practical approach to understanding leadership, one
  1486. that opens up opportunities to personal and organizational improvement. We
  1487. define leadership as the two-fold activity of identifying the problem to be
  1488. solved and corralling the problem-solving resources to solve it—all for
  1489. mutual benefit. Thus, problem solving is the key of life.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1490. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Problem Solving Leadership Standard Deck.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afc7/1471697934350/Problem+Solving+Leadership+Standard+Deck.jpg" data-image-dimensions="725x412" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afc7" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afc7/1471697934350/Problem+Solving+Leadership+Standard+Deck.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1491.  
  1492.  
  1493.  
  1494. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36754">The range of literature on strategy is perhaps only surpassed by the volume of literature on leadership. Though one may be a task, and the other an action, both share a dizzying range of definitions, many contradictory and most of no utility.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36757">&nbsp;I was once told that, “Getting a definition of leadership is like nailing jelly to the wall.” &nbsp;This amusing nod to the struggle in tying down an understanding of leadership might be acceptable in literary and academic circles, but Executives need something solid and useful. They need a practical approach to understanding leadership, one that opens up opportunities to personal and organizational improvement. &nbsp;We define leadership as the two-fold activity of identifying the problem to be solved and corralling the problem-solving resources to solve it—all for mutual benefit.&nbsp; Thus,&nbsp;problem solving is the key of life.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36760">&nbsp;Human beings are the ultimate problem-solvers. &nbsp;We are the one species that have the capability of adapting our surroundings in order to survive; we do not rely on instinct or physical adaption. &nbsp;In the past 250,000 years, our bodies and brains have evolved modestly, yet the impact of our problem-solving capability has yielded astonishing progress. &nbsp;The same brain, eyes and hands that formed primitive arrow heads, have also put men on the moon and carried out organ transplants. &nbsp;But with this mounting sophistication comes the need for us to work ever closer with each other in order to manage the consequences of our success. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36763">No one individual can solve every complex problem. In response we form groups of wider problem-solving capability all fueled by the expectation of mutual benefit. &nbsp;Businesses are therefore problem-solving units that form to solve problems for profit. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36766">Yet, whenever one individual asks another for help and they agree, each is instantly faced with two problems: How do we solve Problem A, the prime reason we formed the group; and Problem B, how should we work with each other? &nbsp;Unsuccessful problem-solving teams spend more time trying to solve Problem B rather than Problem A.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36769">&nbsp;This perspective leads to further thoughts:</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36772">&nbsp;Better leaders can tackle a wide range of problem A’s if they have access to a wide range of motivated problem solving diversity. &nbsp;However, managing a wide range of diversity is challenging and expensive to maintain and, if not done well, leads to a large Problem B. &nbsp;Therefore, if one cannot manage diversity well, one cannot manage change widely and well.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36775">&nbsp;It follows, therefore, that one definition of great leaders is that they are able to tackle great problems (complex and critical Problem A’s) to the mutual benefit of the wide (and possibly very large) problem solving population (minimal problem B).</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36778">&nbsp;The benefit of this definition of leadership (Problem A, Problem B) is that is gives the opportunity for identifiable skill development.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36781">&nbsp;Two questions for leaders:</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36784">&nbsp;1. Is the range of Problem A’s &nbsp;you could tackle being limited by the problem solving resources to which you have access? &nbsp;If so, how will you increase your problem solving diversity?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36787">&nbsp;2. Is the difficulty of managing your Problem B such that you limit your Problem A? If so, how will you improve your leadership of the problem solving resources in order to resolve problem A?</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36792">The Riot Point conducts one day Problem Solving Leadership courses.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_36795">Details of the courses can be obtained <a href="https:[email protected]om">here</a></p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af46/1471697961478/1500w/1000w.jpeg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="725" height="412"><media:title type="plain">The best Leaders focus on Problem A  and minimise Problem B</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Great businesses are built by great leaders, not prophets (part 1 of 3)</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 19:44:13 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/5/10/great-businesses-are-built-by-great-leaders-not-prophets-par.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af45</guid><description>Great leaders are motivated to solve great problems. They achieve this by
  1495. accessing the problem-solving capability of others to the mutual benefit of
  1496. everyone involved. Great leaderships can resolve problems effectively and
  1497. efficiently from all domains of the Cynefin framework— to the mutual
  1498. benefit of everyone involved.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Great leaders are motivated to solve great problems.&nbsp; They achieve this by accessing the problem-solving capability of others to the mutual benefit of everyone involved. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />Great leaderships can resolve problems effectively and efficiently from all domains of the Cynefin framework&mdash; to the mutual benefit of everyone involved.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />Prophets can manage a narrow range of Chaotic problems effectively and efficiently. They promise benefit to others though the underlying reward is often self-serving. &nbsp;They prefer to keep the organisation in the transitionary state where their problem-solving preference is more appropriate. Successful Prophets are lucky and glamourised. Some find it difficult to refute these intoxicating narcotics,&nbsp;hence their desire to perpetuate the Chaotic state.<br /><br />Fortunately, great leadership is a skill that can be developed through practice. It needs motivation and opportunity to be fully displayed, but improvement in leadership is attaintable by all. We should not believe that great leadership is either pre-ordained or dependent on a malady.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />In a series of three short articles I will&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />~ Debunk the cause and effect basis of great leadership.&nbsp;<br />~ Supply a practical framework upon which you can assess areas for personal development.&nbsp;<br />~ Provide a short case on how Steve Jobs learned to move from Prophet to Great Leader&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />A colleague recently lent me a copy of&nbsp; &ldquo;First-Rate Madness,&rdquo; in which the author, Nassir Ghaemi, claims to have established a causal link between mental illness and great leadership.&nbsp; In support of his thesis, he cites the depressive slumps or manic episodes of various prominent personalities such as Churchill, Nixon, Ghandi and Ted Turner. After reviewing their clincal records, Ghaemi asserts that poor mental health is a prerequisite for greatness.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />I am not convinced. I have long believed that those who achieve positions of great influence are driven by a dissatisfaction with the status quo, but the engine for the motivation could be sourced externally as much as internally. Additionally, there have been many in power and influence who appear to be generally content and balanced. Many great women and men have never been stalked by Churchill&rsquo;s &lsquo;black dog&rsquo; of depression. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />We are trying too hard to find the wellspring of great leadership. In &ldquo;An Unquiet Mind,&rdquo; Kay Jamison, like Ghaemi, a well qualified psychiatrist, uses written records to diagnose Theodore Roosevelt, and concludes the President was a bi-polar manic depressive.&nbsp; However, Jamison writes that "he was one who always resided at one pole&rdquo;, &ldquo;never exhibited depression,&rdquo; and &ldquo;was always in love with life.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />Hmm.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />If some form of mental illness is a contributing factor to leadership luminosity, the requirement must be necessary but not sufficient. &nbsp;And in the end, so what.&nbsp; Do these findings help business leaders make better decisions or aid the development of others? I would say not.&nbsp;<br /><br />Belief in this relationship takes managers into dangerous territory. For example:&nbsp;<br /><br />- If you fortunate enough to be generally balanced and content, does this mean you are programmed to display mediocre leadership throughout your career?&nbsp;<br />- If you suffer from mental illness do you now carry the extra burden of being told you might 'loose your muse' if you try to get healthy.?&nbsp;<br /><br />Utter nonsense.&nbsp;</p>
  1499. <p>As far as I'm aware, neither Nelson Mendela nor Ronald Reagan had mental health problems in their early lives or the prime of their careers.&nbsp;<br /><br />Move on. Don't look for the silver 'great leadership' bullet. &nbsp;It does not exist. &nbsp;Great leadership is achieved through awareness, knowledge, motivation and opportunity.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />In the next article I will show that leadership is learned, and provide a framework for improving it.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af45/1471697990690/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Great businesses are built by great leaders, not prophets (part 1 of 3)</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Attention to Detail and Relentless Execution in B2B branding</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 19:16:12 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/5/7/attention-to-detail-and-relentless-execution-in-b2b-branding.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af44</guid><description>There can be a significant early challenge for B2B companies who do not
  1500. have a lot of experience in brand building. It is critical that a company
  1501. apply the same attention to detail in brand building that they do in their
  1502. core business areas like manufacturing, safety, quality control etc.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1503. <img class="thumb-image" alt="UBST.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afa6/1471698026771/UBST.jpg" data-image-dimensions="720x486" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afa6" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afa6/1471698026771/UBST.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1504.  
  1505.  
  1506.  
  1507. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62144">There can be a significant early challenge for B2B companies who do not have a lot of experience in brand building. It is critical that a company apply the same attention to detail in brand building that they do in their core business areas like manufacturing, safety, quality control etc.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62149">Several years ago The Riot Point team participated in a brand building initiative for a major explosives company. The company was introducing a new emulsion-based blasting agent to the mining and quarrying markets. The new explosive was technically superior to the explosive that it was intended to replace but it was also more expensive and required purpose-built equipment for transporting and loading. This was a big challenge in an industry considered to be conservative in its adoption of innovative products, and persistently focused on cost reduction.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62154">Our response was to create a unique brand around the new product. The new offering was called Underground Bulk System Technology or UBST for short. The offer replaced the conventional packaged ‘sausages’ of explosives with a large bulk delivery system.&nbsp; The new system increased the speed at which holes could be filled with blasting agent, and reduced the required number of crew by one third.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62159">We generated a list of brand attributes and created a colour scheme, distinctive logo and graphics to designate all of the elements of the UBST system. The UBST system consisted of storage tanks, loading vehicles and work apparel for the UBST team. We also designed hats, sweatshirts and leather jackets for UBST team members, both at the mine and at the explosive company.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62164">The UBST equipment and team members were easily recognized underground and it became quickly obvious that something new was happening. As the participating mines began to measure the results of using the new system, significant benefits were seen. There were big productivity gains across the whole mine process, not just in the blasting. UBST was creating a significant buzz underground.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62169">Enthusiasm began to grow not only in the mines but just as importantly in the explosive company itself. Just about everyone wanted to get on the UBST bandwagon. And this is where a critical misunderstanding occurred. As this eagerness grew, some of the UBST technical representatives took the initiative to expand the system to include components for which none of the brand attributes that had been identified. And so we saw a rusty, 100 gallon barrel and hand cranked pump emblazoned with the UBST logo and colours. The technical reps were just trying to expand the use of the new explosive into more areas but they did not understand that an old battered drum seriously weakened UBST. It was a well-meaning but misguided extension. Steps were taken to stop what we saw as a serious dilution of the brand.&nbsp; If a component did not meet the brand attributes of UBST it should not and could not be designated as part of UBST.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62174">There had been a lack of attention to detail in the brand building process. And this was in an industry where attention to detail is job one when it comes to safety, quality and productivity.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62179">This mis-alignment of brand requirement and execution is not unusual in corporations new to branding in the area of B2B. Enthusiasm for the new brand can lead to brand identification being slapped on anything and everything without regard to whether the identification is appropriate or whether these things should be branded as part of the brand in the first place.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62184">Building strong brands that connect with customers is rewarding but it’s also hard work. You’ve got to&nbsp;</p><ul id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62187"><li>know the brand attributes,&nbsp;</li><li>use only components that match the brand standards&nbsp;</li><li>most importantly pay attention to every detail of the brand rollout</li><li>be relentless in your execution on every level as you build your brand.&nbsp;</li></ul><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_62199">In the end there is almost nothing more satisfying.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af44/1471698040301/1500w/1000w-1.jpeg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="720" height="486"><media:title type="plain">Attention to Detail and Relentless Execution in B2B branding</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Strategy is about why and what. Don't waste time on mission, vision and values.</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 07:29:53 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/5/1/strategy-is-about-why-and-what-dont-waste-time-on-mission-vi.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af43</guid><description>Are you looking to improve the way you communicate strategy? If your
  1508. corporation is populated by human beings, don't fight with the way the
  1509. species is wired. Forgo the conversations on mission, visions, and values.
  1510. Your organisation is looking for one thing; brevity and clarity on what
  1511. needs to be done, and why.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are you looking to improve the way you communicate strategy?&nbsp;<br /><br />If your corporation is populated by human beings, don't fight with the way the species is wired. Forgo the conversations on mission, visions, and values. Your organisation is looking for one thing; brevity and clarity on what needs to be done, and why.&nbsp;<br /><br />I have seen senior managers waste more time agreeing on the sub-definitions of strategy then on any part of the strategy generation process. Arguing whether it is better to use the term &lsquo;values&rsquo; rather than &lsquo;culture&rsquo; in a strategy document is akin to running a marathon while wearing a weighted vest&mdash;a useless effort that doesn&rsquo;t add value. A small group may get satisfaction for overcoming a challenge, but this is done at the cost of performance. Is the improvement in intellectual satisfaction worth the reduction in business performance: I think not.&nbsp;<br /><br />Humans need clarity on what needs to be done and why. When this is done your audience can affirm the appropriateness of the strategy. They will also tolerate ambiguity as they too now recognise that some strategic questions cannot be answered with certainty.&nbsp;<br /><br />Humans need brevity. David Ogilvy, considered to be the father of modern advertising, pleaded with those passionate about their subject to, &ldquo;tell the audience what it needs to know, not everything that you know.&rdquo; You should be able to communicate your context-sensitive strategy in 1-4 slides.&nbsp;<br /><br />With clarity and brevity you should be able to state:&nbsp;<br /><br />1. The goal of the business;&nbsp;<br />2. The 1-5 obstacles preventing achievement of the goal;&nbsp;<br />3. The 3-5 coherent response aimed at eliminating obstacles (the strategy);&nbsp;<br />4. Some leading and lagging indicators measuring progress.&nbsp;<br /><br />If you do not describe the strategy in the context of the obstacles to be overcome, you strip your story of any potency. Naked descriptors of pressing activities are all that remain.&nbsp;<br /><br />The what and the why cannot live in isolation. The tradition of oral and written stories rely on one common model; the protagonist overcomes an obstacle. From Little Red Riding Hood to Rambo, we see the protagonist prevail over a setback (or many setbacks) in order to accomplish their goal. The hero&rsquo;s response to their mishaps and trials is mesmerising. The absence of impediment would leave a dull descriptor of delegated directives. It renders an organisation of followers, reliant on instruction and diminished motivation to exhibit problem-solving initiative.&nbsp;<br /><br />I have seen good strategy plans weakened in impact because of lack of context. The remedy is simple. Test yourself. At your next strategy communication, cover the GOSH with the minimum amount of material:&nbsp;<br /><br />G: The Goal you are aiming for.&nbsp;<br />O: The Obstacles preventing you from achieving it.&nbsp;<br />S: Your coherent Strategic responses to overcome the obstacles.&nbsp;<br />H: How do you know are making progress.</p>
  1512. <p>A downloadable GOSH template can be obtained <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afc5/1340035099767/The%20Strategy%20Coherency%20Test%20from%20The%20Riot%20Point.pdf">here</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af43/1471698105430/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Strategy is about why and what. Don't waste time on mission, vision and values.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Do you give your customers pain relief or a thrilling performance?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:11:35 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/4/9/do-you-give-your-customers-pain-relief-or-a-thrilling-perfor.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af42</guid><description>You have joint pain or a headache. You have a list of things to do but the
  1513. discomfort is distracting. You ingest the recommended levels (or slightly
  1514. above) of tylenol/paracetamol or aspirin, and as the fog lifts you move
  1515. down your check list of activities. But do you rush to discover what other
  1516. fine products and services are offered by the company that has relieved you
  1517. of this burden? Probably not. If you do reflect on your pain relief, you’re
  1518. probably grateful of its discovery, but thankful too that this malady
  1519. doesn’t strike too often, as the toxic pressure on your liver is
  1520. considerable.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1521. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Thrilling performance.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af9d/1357549460025/Thrilling+performance.jpg" data-image-dimensions="954x688" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af9d" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af9d/1357549460025/Thrilling+performance.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1522.  
  1523.  
  1524.  
  1525. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79775">You have joint pain or a headache.&nbsp; You have a list of things to do but the discomfort is distracting.&nbsp; You ingest the recommended levels (or slightly above) of tylenol/paracetamol or aspirin, and as the fog lifts you move down your check list of activities. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79778">&nbsp;But do you rush to discover what other fine products and services are offered by the company that has relieved you of this burden?&nbsp; Probably not. If you do reflect on your pain relief,&nbsp; you’re probably grateful of its discovery, but thankful too that this malady doesn’t strike too often, as the toxic pressure on your liver is considerable.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79781">&nbsp;You have just purchased your new Harley-Davidson or your new Sage fly-fishing rod. Or you have just completed your belly-dancing workshop with Rachel Brice, or attended your first Ring Cycle at Bayreuth.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79784">Do you rush to discover what other fine products and services are offered by the company that has thrilled you with this experience? Apparently we do, and we do so with our wallets wide open.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79787">Both extremes will attain distinctive positioning in the minds of the consumer, but only the ‘thrilling performance’ has the potential to lead to a more expansive, healthier and self-sustaining future.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79790">Let’s be clear. Pain relief is important.&nbsp; It can save businesses.&nbsp; By improving working capital management, new transactional software can give organisations time to readjust their marketing strategy, or invest more heavily to bring forward product launches.&nbsp; Providers of effective pain relief products can make significant profits if they target the right customer segment. Such a segment would have an immediate need that can be only be satisfied by products in scarce supply. At this stage, you have buyers with limited appetite to engage in a debate on value vs cost pricing.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79793">However, if your offer treats the symptoms but doesn’t remedy the underlying ailment,&nbsp; a relationship based on dependency will emerge.&nbsp; Dependency builds resentment and buyers will seek any opportunity, even vengefully, to terminate the relationship.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79796">In contrast, users who are thrilled by your offer feel “empowered” and “liberated”.&nbsp; They feel “ennobled” and “important,” “creative” and “energised.” And lest you feel these quotes come from some fancy heavily branded consumer goods market research, they are words supplied by front lines users in the construction, mineral and agricultural industry sector in response to some remarkable product experience.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79799">Recipients of thrilling performance want the relationship to continue. They, not you, seek the opportunities to extend and broaden contact. &nbsp; They tell others. People want to hear about thrill points, but even the willingness of the most attentive listeners soon wanes of hearing about your ills.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79802">Relief from pain keeps you going. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_79805">Thrilling performance is the well-spring for growth.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af42/1471698164431/1500w/1000w-2.jpeg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="954" height="688"><media:title type="plain">Do you give your customers pain relief or a thrilling performance?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Clarity and Simplicity: the essential requirements of strategy</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:29:06 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/4/1/clarity-and-simplicity-the-essential-requirements-of-strateg.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af41</guid><description>We have a statement to make.  
  1526.  
  1527. Over the past two weeks we have had a number of requests asking us to
  1528. provide our view on the distinction between, vision, values, mission,
  1529. intent etc.
  1530.  
  1531. We could provide the definitions.  We have a library of strategy books
  1532. written by well-informed, intellectually muscular writers, each giving
  1533. their shade on the rainbow of perspectives.
  1534.  
  1535. Here's the problem.  Folks want black and white.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We have a statement to make. &nbsp;</p>
  1536. <p>Over the past two weeks we have had a number of requests asking us to provide our view on the distinction between, vision, values, mission, intent etc.</p>
  1537. <p>We could provide the definitions. &nbsp;We have a library of strategy books written by well-informed, intellectually muscular writers, each giving their shade on the rainbow of perspectives.</p>
  1538. <p>Here's the problem. &nbsp;Folks want black and white.</p>
  1539. <p>That's not to say there aren't shades of grey, and it doesn't rule out the unknown. &nbsp;Quite the reverse. &nbsp;But good strategy expresses the borders of what we know, what we want, and what we don't, and does so with clarity and simplicity.</p>
  1540. <p>In the next month we will provide a practical approach to strategy thinking and communication. &nbsp;</p>
  1541. <p>Clarity and simplicity. &nbsp;These are the essential requirements of strategy.</p>
  1542. <p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af41/1471698206523/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Clarity and Simplicity: the essential requirements of strategy</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Dare to take the test? Is your team cohesive around the strategy?</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:11:48 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/3/29/dare-to-take-the-test-is-your-team-cohesive-around-the-strat.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af40</guid><description>The primary role of the problem-solving leader is to focus the depth and
  1543. diversity of the problem-solving team upon removing the obstacles
  1544. preventing achievement of the business goal. However, despite many hours of
  1545. well-intentioned discussions with colleagues, leaders are often frustrated
  1546. (or even exasperated), that senior members of business teams often drive
  1547. functional plans divergent to the core strategy, or miscommunicate the
  1548. strategy to subordinates.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1549. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Team test.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7f/1471698227578/Team+test.jpg" data-image-dimensions="199x145" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7f" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7f/1471698227578/Team+test.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1550.  
  1551.  
  1552.  
  1553. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96386">Is your problem-solving team fully involved in developing and delivering the business strategy? &nbsp;The output from the attached exercise will give you the answer.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96389">The primary role of the problem-solving leader is to focus the problem-solving team upon removing the obstacles preventing achievement of the business goal.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96392">However, despite many hours of well-intentioned discussions with colleagues, leaders are often frustrated (or even exasperated), that senior members of business teams often drive functional plans divergent to the core strategy, or miscommunicate the strategy to subordinates.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96395">In part, this is excusable.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96398">Communication of strategy is often one way. &nbsp;Peers rarely practice presentations with each other so consquently, subtle differences become exaggerated over time and distance. If there are no feedback loops along the way (and budgets often prevent this), the impact of miscommunication is felt only once large costs have been incurred.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96401">One approach to avoiding this issue is to take the Strategy Coherency test.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96404">I have written <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2012/3/5/what-is-strategy-a-coherent-response-to-a-motivating-problem.html">previously</a> about our pragmatic approach to strategy and won't repeat the detail here.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96410">Most businesses have an overriding goal, but typically between 3-5 obstacles prevent its achievement. &nbsp;We call the response to removing these obstacles 'the strategy.' The strategy may have several subcomponents, and each of these should inform and reinforce the other. &nbsp;Collectively they should be a coherent response to the obstacles.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96413">The Strategy Coherency test is a measure of the coherence of your team around the strategy.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96416">Instructions</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96419">The exercise should take 2 hours</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96422">1. Download the test <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af80/1333051087517/The%20Team%20Strategy%20Coherency%20Test.pdf">here</a> and&nbsp;issue to team members at least 7 days before the meeting. &nbsp;The test must be completed individually and without collusion.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96428">2. At the meeting, use masking tape to hold all the responses to Goals and Obstacles on one section of wall. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96431">3. As a team, stand back and look at the responses; the common components and the diverse answers.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96434">4. Discuss the implications and come to agreement on the implications and next steps.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96437">5. Tape up all the responses to the 'Obstacles', and collate where it makes sense.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96440">6. Choose the most appropriate responses in result of the conclusions from step 4.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96443">7. Discuss the implications and come to agreement on the implications and next steps.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96446">8. Update the strategy and communication documents as necessary</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96451">The Team Strategy Cohesiveness test is available <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af80/1333051087517/The%20Team%20Strategy%20Coherency%20Test.pdf">here</a>. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96457">Please feel free to share if it is useful but be kind enough to retain copyright acknowledgement.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_96460">Thank you</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af40/1471698260801/1500w/1000w-3.jpeg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="199" height="145"><media:title type="plain">Dare to take the test? Is your team cohesive around the strategy?</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>"You're paid to deliver." The burden of expectation upon leadership</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 25 Mar 2012 20:43:48 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/3/25/youre-paid-to-deliver-the-burden-of-expectation-upon-leaders.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af3b</guid><description>The necessity to review the science of management is held widely amongst
  1554. the complexity cognoscente, and for the majority, intellectual satiation
  1555. has become the terminus. Nonetheless leaders need practical support on how
  1556. to cope with these new prevailing conditions as they sail their
  1557. organisations between chaos and cosmos.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1558. <img class="thumb-image" alt="images.jpeg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afaf/1357549459232/images.jpeg" data-image-dimensions="265x190" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afaf" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afaf/1357549459232/images.jpeg?format=1000w" />
  1559.  
  1560.  
  1561.  
  1562. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_106979">This blog is in response to comments on an <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2011/12/8/can-using-complicated-tools-to-solve-a-complex-problem-make.html">earlier entry</a> which warned of the dangers on mismatching problem types and problem solving tools.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_106985">The commentator, William Fisher, suggested that a more ordered (Complicated/Simple) approach to business management was prevalent&nbsp;for most of the previous century. William then proposed that this style was too narrow for contemporary challenges, and passage to a broader range of approaches is required to allow for management of the Complex and the Chaotic. &nbsp;Organisations unable to make this journey will fail. William then quotes data from Deloitte displaying the ever increasing mortality rates of businesses at depressingly youthful ages. Already many have&nbsp; already been unable to tack in response to the shifting wind.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_106988">The necessity to review the science of management is held widely amongst the complexity cognoscente, andfor the majority, intellectual satiation has become the terminus.&nbsp; Nonetheless leaders need practical support on how to cope with these new prevailing conditions as they sail their organisations between chaos and cosmos.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_106991">Little guidance exists on what leaders should do to make management of Complex Adaptive Systems manifest, but the starting point is admitting that not everything is knowable.&nbsp; To put it bluntly, business plans have bounded benefit, and recognising these limits will be painful—at least in the short term.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_106994">Perhaps the heaviest load modern leaders carry is the requirement to guarantee delivery of results. Driven by the historical backdrop of growing economies and consumer aspirations, boards of directors and shareholders have become use to stable and predictable growth in business performance.&nbsp; The expectations of consistently reliable performance has cascaded down to senior and middle management, all of whom are expected to deliver the bottom line.&nbsp; Guaranteed. No ifs, buts or maybes’. Believing we have an accurate picture of the future has led to casualties.&nbsp; Some of the best corporate swimmers, over-confident in their ability, have failed to cope with the rip-tide.&nbsp; Pragmatists who cling to the wreckage seem best able to survive.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_106997">The business media is moving on. Headlines announce the passing of the steady-state economy, and managing ambiguity is the latest fashion in the glossy magazines.&nbsp; It all looks rosy and enlightened—except if your a line managers.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_107000">Line manager know some of the theory, but what of the practice? What are the implications for a leader of a $500m business unit within a sophisticated, global, high-performing company who has budgets to organise and delivery on an annual basis?&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_107003">The recommendations on pragmatic practice are still emerging but it is increasingly clear that you:&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_107006">1. Have to be an outstanding leader of the Complex, without losing control of the Complicated and Simple. It is unlikely that you been trained for this, but you will need to learn quickly.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_107009">2. Must deliberately build a culture of tolerated failure where one has previously never existed.&nbsp; This new culture has to be&nbsp; supported by formal processes; The concept of safe-to-fail experimentation focuses on a shaping a desired result rather than predicting one. It recognises that the path to achieving this are varied, and many may be tried.&nbsp; There is no ‘one way.’ It is not anarchy. You are not striving to hit a bull’s-eye by throwing a limitless number of darts while wearing a blind fold. It is directing resources with deliberation, with certainty of purpose but uncertainty of outcome.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_107012">3. Acknowledge that progress on managing the Complex will be limited without the intellectual and practical support of your line managers. To develop their trust and build your confidence, you will need early wins of reasonable value. This means identifying small projects to practice upon yet whose resolution will lead to measurable and communicable business improvement.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_107015">A two-page starter pack for initiating a process for managing the Complex can be found here.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af3b/1471698283426/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">"You're paid to deliver." The burden of expectation upon leadership</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>How the Cynefin framework won Wales a Grand Slam</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:28:28 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/3/19/how-the-cynefin-framework-won-wales-a-grand-slam.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af3a</guid><description> “Gatland arrived in Wales in the opening weeks of 2008, when Wales were in
  1563. a state of chaos, … and the changing room echoing to the murmurs of mutiny.
  1564. The new coach imposed order and gave simple instructions and Wales
  1565. responded with a second grand slam of the 2000s.”</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1566. <img class="thumb-image" alt="_59143829_wales_trophy.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb1/1357549459885/_59143829_wales_trophy.jpg" data-image-dimensions="640x360" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb1" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afb1/1357549459885/_59143829_wales_trophy.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1567.  
  1568.  
  1569.  
  1570. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115234">Alright, the headline might seem a little facetious, but I am still giddy over the Grand Slam win by the Welsh rugby team this weekend past. Besides, there is some evidence from the literature that my assertion has merit. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115237">The research source is <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/mar/17/wales-france-six-nations">this</a> article by Eddie Butler in the Guardian newspaper.&nbsp; Now, lest you think that I misrepresent Mr Butler as a scholar, he does carry relevant credentials. He played for the Welsh rugby team, captained them 8 times and also played for the British Lions touring team. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115243">I <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_lab/2012/2/20/how-to-manage-chaos-appropriately-a-case-study.html">have written</a> previously about the importance of acting to give stability in a chaotic situation and the subsequent need to move as quickly as possible from this transitionary state once stability has been achieved.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115249">Butler records that the newly appointed Wales coach, Warren Gatland, arrived to find an organisation in chaos.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115252">“Gatland arrived in Wales in the opening weeks of 2008, when Wales were in a state of chaos, … and the changing room echoing to the murmurs of mutiny. The new coach imposed order and gave simple instructions and Wales responded with a second grand slam of the 2000s.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115255">The new coach inherited an organisation that was brimming with naïve talent but had a limited approach to solving the problem of winning a match. Their prescription for winning required them to play an expansive, fast flowing game, full of sparkling flair and gilded with romance—but were soon easily thwarted by gruff and sullen opposition who’d never been read fairy tales at bedtime.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115258">Gatland has re-written the script. He has built a team that can star in fantasy or film-noir.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115261">He moved the team quickly from Chaos to Complex.&nbsp; As Butler notes, Gatland set out semi-rigid boundaries ("The new coach imposed order and gave simple instructions" ) and then delegated some of tactical activities to the players, the agents most capable in shaping the emerging conditions.&nbsp; After tinkering safely, he eventually settled upon a captain, Sam Warburton who has since:</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115264">“...transformed the changing room. The players govern themselves, with Gatland providing prompts now, rather than barking orders through his rottweiller, Shaun Edwards, as in 2008.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115267">However, though some academic case studies might claim cause-and-effect retrospectively,&nbsp;not all of the success has been planned. Some of the biggest improvements in organisational performance have arisen from a fortutious response to failure.&nbsp; Most of the stars in the current squad have gained their place as a result of injuries to first team players.&nbsp; Gatland, against his publicised preference,&nbsp;was forced to play talented but inexperienced players in high pressure matches. &nbsp;The new players, matured in by the Rugby Union Academy system and schooled against the excesses of soccer stars, rose to the occasion and are now established.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115270">Perhaps the biggest impact by the coach has been the broadening of the organisations problem-solving capability. In rugby parlance, this team can now 'win ugly.’ They can vary tactics on the fly, respond to new patterns of play as they emerge and, more importantly, shape the style of play for short periods of the game to their benefit when opportunities arise.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_115273">The real test will be the longevity of their success, but with the diversity of problem-solving playing style in place, and access to a deeper pool of (problem-solving) players, the outlook is exciting.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af3a/1471698313011/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">How the Cynefin framework won Wales a Grand Slam</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>Business Functions have brains too</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:21:50 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/3/14/business-functions-have-brains-too.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af39</guid><description>Business Functions (IT, Legal, HR,Communications etc) sometimes feel like
  1571. poor second cousins to the Commercial Unit when asked to participate in the
  1572. corporate strategy process. This should not be the case. Functions should
  1573. be vigorous and confident when communicating the value they can bring to
  1574. business performance. But in so doing, they need to be clear on the impact
  1575. they have upon their clients, and their strategic thinking should be as
  1576. lucid and incisive as their commercial colleagues.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Business Functions (IT, Legal, HR, Communications etc) sometimes feel like poor second cousins to the Commercial Unit when asked to participate in the corporate strategy process.&nbsp; This should not be the case.&nbsp; Functions should be vigorous and confident when communicating the value they can bring to business performance. But in so doing, they need to be clear on the impact they have upon their clients, and their strategic thinking should be as lucid and incisive as that of their commercial colleagues.</p>
  1577. <p>In some ways, Functions have less defence should they develop a bad strategy.&nbsp; The opportunities are there for a deep diagnosis of the problems to be solved. Generally their customers are delighted to have conversations about their needs and issues, generally there is little direct competition, and generally the organisation is unified with some form of common culture. &nbsp;</p>
  1578. <p>So why the problem? Why do so many Functional strategies focus on &lsquo;Functional Excellence&rsquo; with foggy imprecise fantasies to be &ldquo;the department seen as the world class leader in transformational excellence for business process re-engagement&rdquo;? (This is a direct quote from the 2007 HR strategy document of a UK Financial Services provider.)</p>
  1579. <p>Functional leaders sometimes lack the confidence to stridently ask some difficult questions of their Commercial colleagues. Have courage.&nbsp; Support Business Units in the knowledge that, unlike some of your challenges, most of their issues reside in the Complex domain.&nbsp; Don&rsquo;t force them to give certainty when ambiguity is the reality, and take responsibility for the consequences this places upon you.&nbsp;</p>
  1580. <p>Dump the self-serving departmental goals.&nbsp; You are not running an independent professional services plc, you are part of the expertise that differentiates your entire organisation in the marketplace.&nbsp; If you build your reputation with your internal clients, your brand within your peer professional community will enhance naturally as consequence. Why blow your own trumpet when adding value to others will cause a brass band of clients to form spontaneously on your behalf?</p>
  1581. <p>Here are 7 steps that might help:</p>
  1582. <p>&nbsp;1. Talk with <span>your client</span> to understand their goal and the 1-5 obstacles or motivating problems preventing its achievement.&nbsp; No time spent in diagnosis is wasted.&nbsp; I repeat.&nbsp; No time in diagnosis is wasted.</p>
  1583. <p>2. Reflect with your team on how you can aid in the resolution of your clients motivating problems.&nbsp; Can you make their problems go away faster, cheaper, more safely, never to arise again. etc? &nbsp;</p>
  1584. <p>3. Crystallise your answers to step 2 as a goal.</p>
  1585. <p>4. List the 1-5 motivating problems preventing <span>you</span> from achieving your goal and thus preventing you from adding value quickly and frequently to your client.</p>
  1586. <p>5. Complete your What, Why, How, When, Where and Who response to step 4. This provides the core of your strategy.</p>
  1587. <p>6. Check that your core strategic response is Practicable, Feasible, Actionable and Coherent.</p>
  1588. <p>7. Record your strategy on 3 pages or fewer, and check with your client that its impact would deliver value early and often.</p>
  1589. <p>&nbsp;Should you wish to use a 'Strategy Coherence' template to aid your client discussion, one is available <a href="http://theriotpoint.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05afa4/1331760165203/The%20Strategy%20Coherency%20Test.pdf">here</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af39/1471698332226/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">Business Functions have brains too</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>What is strategy? A coherent response to a motivating problem.</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:11:38 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/3/5/what-is-strategy-a-coherent-response-to-a-motivating-problem.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af38</guid><description>The plethora of definitions of strategy is, quite simply, overwhelming. The
  1590. range of strategy books; the breadth of activities conventionally contained
  1591. within the strategy process; the inappropriate split between strategy
  1592. generation and strategy implementation; the checklist of vision, values,
  1593. mission, goals, objectives, initiatives, must-win, metrics; all of which
  1594. has ensured that “everything is strategy” and thus obfuscates the real
  1595. thrust behind the need for strategy in the first place.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130885">I am giving a keynote presentation in April entitled ‘What is strategy?' I was asked by the buyer to provide a practical answer to the question ahead of the session, and my response is summarmised below.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130888">The plethora of definitions of strategy is, quite simply, overwhelming. The range of strategy books; the breadth of activities conventionally contained within the strategy process; the inappropriate split between strategy generation and strategy implementation; the checklist of vision, values, mission, goals, objectives, initiatives, must-win, metrics; all of which has ensured that “everything is strategy” and thus obfuscates the real thrust behind the need for strategy in the first place. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130891">My answer to “what is strategy?” is straight forward. &nbsp;</p>
  1596. <img class="thumb-image" alt="What is strategy.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af87/1357549459515/What+is+strategy.jpg" data-image-dimensions="600x73" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af87" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af87/1357549459515/What+is+strategy.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1597.  
  1598.  
  1599.  
  1600. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130895">&nbsp;This approach has three components:</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130898">&nbsp;A. The goal.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130901">An ambition that focuses the process.&nbsp; The goal can be:</p><ul id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130904"><li>Self-generated and pragmatic: “We need to survive the next three years”</li><li>Self-generated and aspirational: “To bring accessable technology to the liberal arts” (Apple), “Bring plant potential to life” (Syngenta)</li><li>Delegated from above and internal: “To provide double-digit profit growth each year for the next 5 years.” (Professional&nbsp; Services company.)</li></ul><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130912">&nbsp;B. The motivating problem(s).</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130915">What are the 1-5 problems/blockages/issues that are preventing you from achieving your goal? They will be either external (losing market share, an imposing powerful competitor, highly turbulent market conditions) or internal (insufficient capability to exploit market opportunity, transactional costs too high to meet market expectations, quality processes too weak to scale up new product ideas). List them, agree to them and focus upon them.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130918">These problems have to be motivating.&nbsp; The impact of their resolution has to be important and interesting to the (problem-solving) leaders. Problems that are motivating will give energy for defining and resolving the problem, and will encourage the tolerance necessary for recruiting a diverse range of problem solving styles.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130921">You will kill your business by applying a cohesive response to a non-motivating problem.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130924">Plot the problems and their chief sub-components on the <a href="https://iwan-jenkins.squarespace.com/the_factory/2012/1/11/problem-solving-leadership-and-the-cynefin-framework.html">Cynefin framework</a>.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130930">C. The coherent response.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130933">A collection of co-ordinated activities whose impact is the resolution of the identified problems. This is where your solutions need to be broken down into actions that have collective logic.&nbsp; If you are improving activities in the Simple domain should be linked overtly to the probe-sense-respond activities in the Complex domain.&nbsp; Divorces between the responses are expensive and damaging.&nbsp; They indicate the absence of a motivating problem.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130936">Tips for leaders:</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130939">1. Do not start the process unless you are prepared to deliver the coherent response to the motivating problem. If you have the courage to ask the tough questions, you have to have the confidence to act upon the answers. Don’t hold back.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130942">2. Your job to is focus the team on the 1-5 problems that are preventing you from achieving the goal. If you have more than 5 problems then you have woolly thinking.&nbsp; Woolly thinking leads to woolly responses and everyone fails.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130945">3. Is your strategy coherent? Do the sum of all of your ‘strategic initiatives’ reflect 1+1=3? Is it cogent and communicable? If not, then you have just identified one of your motivating problems.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130948">4. This is an iterative complex process with gentle forward progression. Stay alert and stay involved. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_130951">5. Allocate your effort across the 3 components appropriately. For a good strategy, your A:B:C effort split should be 20:50:30.&nbsp; For a bad strategy your&nbsp; A:B:C split is closer to 30:10:60. Make your choice.</p>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af38/1471698356667/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">What is strategy? A coherent response to a motivating problem.</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>“He said that about us?"</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:09:27 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/3/1/he-said-that-about-us.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af37</guid><description>People are always knowledgeable and passionate about their craft and about
  1601. the tools they use. Many are flattered that we seek their opinions and thus
  1602. willingly give their time. Over 90% of respondents participate in
  1603. conversation, and more than 70% run over the allotted interview time—at
  1604. their request.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1605. <img class="thumb-image" alt="Bronzewing3.jpg" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7d/1471698385933/Bronzewing3.jpg" data-image-dimensions="720x480" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-load="false" data-image-id="50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7d" data-type="image" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af7d/1471698385933/Bronzewing3.jpg?format=1000w" />
  1606.  
  1607.  
  1608.  
  1609. <p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139769">I love doing what we call the Customer R&amp;D™ &nbsp;the process by which we capture honest conversation on video.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139772">We go into the workplace and have conversations about a wide range of topics with the people who are intimately familiar with the products and services of our client. I’ve talked to miners thousands of feet underground, steelworkers hundreds of feet in the air, and carpenters in the middle of the mud and chaos of a new housing subdivision.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139775">People are always knowledgeable and passionate about their craft and about the tools they use. Many are flattered that we seek their opinions and thus willingly give their time. Over 90% of respondents participate in conversation, and more than 70% run over the allotted interview time—at their request. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139778">People want to tell their stories and you let them be told. You never know what surprise information or insights might be gleaned from these unplanned detours.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139781">I first saw the value of the Customer R&amp;D™ process when we were interviewing miners across North America about their opinions of a radically new explosive.&nbsp; To make the most of the new technology, miners had to change work flows, but most were enthusiastic about the potential for improved efficiencies and costs savings. They could do their job more safely, with less mess, in a shorter time, and at lower cost. In other words, a better life with more job security.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139784">We reviewed the hours of videotape with our client. They were confident that the new product would deliver the performance that had been promised but they knew there are no guarantees when introducing a new product or technology to the market, particularly in an industry with a long history but also one with a subtle aversion to change.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139787">The miners talked about the pressures and demands when suddenly the Product Manager said, “What did he just say?” We rewound the tape and he scribbled furiously in his notebook. The Product Manager turned to the rest of the team and said,&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139790">“I knew that we had a good product and I knew that we could improve productivity underground but I never imagined that the miners would use our product like that and that they could make such huge productivity gains by doing it. We’ve got to add this to our story.”&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139793">This Product Manager knew his product inside out and he knew his customers well too. But the Customer R&amp;D™process delivered opportunities that even surprised the Product Manager.&nbsp; The opportunity for the product to drive down the cash cost of production, a key driver in a mining operation, was much bigger than had been previously realised. This new information was quickly added to the marketing material and it made the new offer even more effective and it made the Explosive Company look like they understood the mining business much better than their competitors.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139796">As we always say “It’s amazing what you learn when you listen.”</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139799">Here are some tips about getting the most out of conversations with your customers.</p><ol id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_139802"><li>Your customers are happy to share their opinions with you and they’ll be flattered that you asked.</li><li>Listen very carefully to those conversations. There are things in there that you need to know.</li><li>Take any “surprises” that you hear and make them part of your brand story. Focus on thrill points, not pain relief.&nbsp;</li></ol>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af37/1471698395344/1500w/1000w-4.jpeg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="720" height="480"><media:title type="plain">“He said that about us?"</media:title></media:content></item><item><title>How to manage Chaos appropriately - a case study</title><dc:creator>Iwan Jenkins</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:39:04 +0000</pubDate><link>http://theriotpoint.com/lab/2012/2/20/how-to-manage-chaos-appropriately-a-case-study.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17:50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af32</guid><description>I was asked recently to provide an example of how to deal with problems in
  1610. the Chaotic domain. The attached 12 minute documentary* provides a vivid
  1611. contemporary case study. The video focuses on the use of watercraft to aid
  1612. the removal of hundreds of thousands of people who were stranded on Lower
  1613. Manhattan at the time of the attack on the Twin Towers. Within less than an
  1614. hour of the attack, none of the common commuter escape routes were
  1615. available. The subways, bridges and tunnels had all been closed, and for
  1616. office workers pushed to the extreme edges of Manhattan by collapsing
  1617. buildings, escape by water seemed the only option.</description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150503">My thanks to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.maryboone.com/index.html">Mary Boone</a> for highlighting this documentary as a learning tool for the Cynefin framework.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150509">I was asked recently to provide an example of how to deal with problems in the Chaotic domain.&nbsp; The attached&nbsp; 12 minute documentary* provides a vivid contemporary case study.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150512">The video focuses on the use of watercraft to aid the removal of the hundreds of thousands of people stranded on Lower Manhattan at the time of the attack on the Twin Towers. Within less than an hour of the second plane crashing, none of the common commuter escape routes were available.&nbsp; The subways, bridges and tunnels had all been closed and for office workers pushed to the extreme edges of Manhattan by collapsing buildings. Escape by water seemed the only option.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150515">For the first time in over a century, boats were the only way in to and out of Manhattan. But neither the carrying capacity nor the logistics were in place to deal with an incident of this dimension.&nbsp; On a typical day, the Staten Island ferries, the largest commuting watercraft in the area, convey around 65,000 passengers. By 11:30hrs on Sept 11th, it was calculated that nearly 600,000 people were congregating around the waters edge of Lower Manhattan. &nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150518">The Cynefin framework suggests the response to a Chaotic situation is to Act, Sense and Respond. That is, the&nbsp; leader’ must first act<em></em>to establishorder, then sense where stability is present and where it is absent.&nbsp; In the documentary, this action was undertaken by the local coastguard (5:45mins) who issued strong command and control orders to local watercraft. The Coast Guard sought no input; one-way directive actions were issued.&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150523">Novel actions that break previous rules and conventions are sometimes required as part of the attempt to establish stability. The enforcers of rulers may temporarily become their breakers—“At that point, the Coast Guard asked, “not&nbsp;how many people are you allowed, but how many can you fit (7:45)?””</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150526">When the leader has sensed that some stability has been achieved, the next step is to respond by transforming the situation from chaos to complexity. During the enforced evacuation, the Coast Guard laid out broad guidelines on allocation of craft to the various embarking and debarking points. The participating boaters then started to self manage, broadcasting their destinations to potential passengers through the improvised use of bedsheets and spray cans (8:02).</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150529">The measure of this feat is quite extraordinary.&nbsp; On September 11, nearly 500,000 civilians were rescued from Manhattan by boat. The whole activity took less than 9 hours.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150532">As participants in the evacuation state, "none of this could have been planned for or practiced. (9:24mins)"&nbsp;</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150535">You may not be able to plan for chaos but you can respond appropriately when it occurs.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150538">1. Act to bring some stability quickly and decisively.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150541">2. Sense to see if your actions are bringing stability</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150544">3. If some stability arises, respond by moving those activities as quickly as possible to the Complex domain.</p><p id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150547">&nbsp;*This video is office friendly, but does contain some powerful images.</p><iframe allowfullscreen="" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MDOrzF7B2Kg?rel=0&amp;wmode=opaque" width="640" data-embed="true" frameborder="0" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1471697684255_150499" height="360"></iframe>]]></content:encoded><media:content type="image/jpeg" url="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5008873fe4b0779c48c8209a/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af17/50ea8f91e4b07f2bed05af32/1471698417915/1500w/riotpoint+3000.jpg" medium="image" isDefault="true" width="1500" height="1500"><media:title type="plain">How to manage Chaos appropriately - a case study</media:title></media:content></item></channel></rss>

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