I am currently working in a 42 storey tower housing something like 9,000 people in a single company. Being only 12 weeks in I am still learning and meeting people. Being something of an extrovert I am not averse to speaking with strangers, but this week I had a surprise.
I am used to people identifying with their business function eg I work in accounts, or maybe by skill eg I am a trader, so when the man I met on the lifts said "I work on the 19th" it seemed strange. I had to ask what was on the "19th" admitting that I had probably only been to 7 of the 42 floors since arriving. I then received a largely incomprehensible list of acronyms and something muttered about being "in healthcare".
Maybe this mouthful of letters was why relating to the 19th was easier?
I wonder how anyone else answers the question "where do you work" when asked by a member of the same company?
Saturday 28 May 2011
Sunday 15 May 2011
Another piece of good advice and a practical acronym
I came across this today and wanted to capture and share it.
"
P.E.O.P.L.E
Posted on 15. May, 2011 by Lindsey Davies in http://www.opencomms.co.uk/blog/p-e-o-p-l-e/
I’ve often said that people buy people and truly believe this to be the case, particularly in industries where you sell a commodity product or the services you offer are like for like with others in the market.
At a networking event recently this belief was reiterated during a presentation which I found really useful and thought others may too. In order to ‘sell’ your products and services effectively the idea is that you take ‘people’ and analyse it. Write the word down and remember what each letter refers to.
P – Posture, don’t slouch when talking to a business contact or prospect
E – Eye contact, always make eye contact. Not ‘death stares’ but look the person in the eye.
O – Organisation, be prepared for meetings and questions that you may be asked.
P – Proximity, remember that people have personal space. Being over friendly can be detrimental.
L – Looks, always be presentable. It can pay to be different but not to be under or overdressed.
E – Expression, get excited about what you do. Passion equals performance and can be contagious.
It’s a simple and quirky way of remembering the basics. It certainly makes you think and particularly for those of us who are meeting people on a daily basis, it allows us to take a step back and review how we really do come across to those we want to influence and engage with.
"
I hope you find it useful.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
"
P.E.O.P.L.E
Posted on 15. May, 2011 by Lindsey Davies in http://www.opencomms.co.uk/blog/p-e-o-p-l-e/
I’ve often said that people buy people and truly believe this to be the case, particularly in industries where you sell a commodity product or the services you offer are like for like with others in the market.
At a networking event recently this belief was reiterated during a presentation which I found really useful and thought others may too. In order to ‘sell’ your products and services effectively the idea is that you take ‘people’ and analyse it. Write the word down and remember what each letter refers to.
P – Posture, don’t slouch when talking to a business contact or prospect
E – Eye contact, always make eye contact. Not ‘death stares’ but look the person in the eye.
O – Organisation, be prepared for meetings and questions that you may be asked.
P – Proximity, remember that people have personal space. Being over friendly can be detrimental.
L – Looks, always be presentable. It can pay to be different but not to be under or overdressed.
E – Expression, get excited about what you do. Passion equals performance and can be contagious.
It’s a simple and quirky way of remembering the basics. It certainly makes you think and particularly for those of us who are meeting people on a daily basis, it allows us to take a step back and review how we really do come across to those we want to influence and engage with.
"
I hope you find it useful.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Good advice is good advice - no matter where it is found
This was posted on efinancial careers today under the heading of ten things to say during an investment banking interview.
Having read it I think the aqdvice is good for any interview so I have reproduced it with attribution here. Replace any reference to Bankers with the profession of your choice and see if it works for you
Please note these suggestions are thematic and not literal. The key to all good interviews is being natural. Naturalness won’t happen if you simply read through our list, but if you slip these sorts of things into the interview somewhere, you will be on the right track.
1) “Great artwork”
Interview success is all about establishing a rapport with your interviewer. Try hard to connect on a human level.
“Every interview has a, ‘How did you get here, nice day’ section says Adrian Furnham, a professor of organisational behaviour at UCL. “Often interviewees are rather passive about this. You could take a more active approach and say, ‘That’s a nice painting,” he suggests.
“The journey from reception to the interview room is really key,” says financial services-focused career coach Sital Ruperalia. “During that time, you’re not selling yourself, but you’re building rapport. It’s about having something small to say.”
2) “I can make/save you lots of money”
“Every interview is going to have the, ‘tell me about yourself’ section,” says Peter Evans, a veteran investment banking headhunter and executive coach.
“You need to have thought hard about this in advance. What they are really looking for is for you explain why you’re there. You don’t need to talk about your past, but to produce a forward looking statement explaining why they should pay good money for you,” Evans adds.
3) “In my spare time I’m involved in improvisational comedy/I am retracing the path of the Tour de France”
“The key test is whether, when you leave the room, someone will remember you the next day,” says Evans. “You need to tell strong, distinctive non-clichéd stories, which prove your suitability for the role.”
“Distinctiveness is incredibly important,” says Sital. “In my spare time, I do some comedy improvisation as a hobby and that’s what people always want to talk about.
“I’ve been headhunted on the back of it,” he adds.
4) “What’s your biggest challenge right now?”
Do not save all your questions until the end of the interview; ask them as you go along.
“The best way to think about an interview is to avoid seeing it as an inquisition and to start seeing it as a discussion, says Ceri Roderick, author of ‘You’re Hired!’ and a partner at occupational psychologists Pearn Kandola. “Two people are trying to find out about each other.”
“Senior interviews often won’t be structured,” says Ruparelia. “It’s more like a peer-level conversation. Try phrasing the kinds of questions you’d ask if you were a consultant going in to help improve the business. That way, you can understand their challenges and position yourself as a problem solver.”
5) “What was the background of the person who filled this role before me?”
This could be followed with:
On a scale of 1-10 how good a fit was that person in the team?
This will help you work out what they’re looking for an enable to shape your answers accordingly, suggests Sital.
6) “I genuinely like you (to be said internally)”
“If you honestly like being with someone, they will often respond to that and you will find that you automatically ask questions which express a genuine interest,” says Nick Smallman, managing director of communications consultancy Working Voices.
7) “This is an exciting, rather than an intimidating, experience (to be said internally)
“You need to think positive outcomes, and you need to be relaxed,” says Smallman. “Channel the adrenaline appropriately. Remind yourself that this is an exciting rather than a scary thing.”
8) “I completely understand what you’re saying…”
Sometimes, an interviewer will give you negative feedback. Do not be defensive or awkward.
“Employers want people who are balanced, easy going and amenable,” says Sital. “They don’t want people who’ve got an attitude.”
If someone gives you negative feedback, you should therefore go with it but point out politely why you still think you’re appropriate for the role.
9) “Based upon the interview so far, do you have any reservations about my suitability for the role?”
Only to be asked when things don’t look too good and you want to get issues out in the open.
10) “Thank you very, very much for your time.”
Bankers are busy. Acknowledging this may help your cause.
Find the original article here
Having read it I think the aqdvice is good for any interview so I have reproduced it with attribution here. Replace any reference to Bankers with the profession of your choice and see if it works for you
Ten things to say during an investment banking interview
10 May 2011
It’s interview season. If you haven’t had an interview for a while, you may be feeling a little apprehensive. To ease the tremors, we have some conversational suggestions below.Please note these suggestions are thematic and not literal. The key to all good interviews is being natural. Naturalness won’t happen if you simply read through our list, but if you slip these sorts of things into the interview somewhere, you will be on the right track.
1) “Great artwork”
Interview success is all about establishing a rapport with your interviewer. Try hard to connect on a human level.
“Every interview has a, ‘How did you get here, nice day’ section says Adrian Furnham, a professor of organisational behaviour at UCL. “Often interviewees are rather passive about this. You could take a more active approach and say, ‘That’s a nice painting,” he suggests.
“The journey from reception to the interview room is really key,” says financial services-focused career coach Sital Ruperalia. “During that time, you’re not selling yourself, but you’re building rapport. It’s about having something small to say.”
2) “I can make/save you lots of money”
“Every interview is going to have the, ‘tell me about yourself’ section,” says Peter Evans, a veteran investment banking headhunter and executive coach.
“You need to have thought hard about this in advance. What they are really looking for is for you explain why you’re there. You don’t need to talk about your past, but to produce a forward looking statement explaining why they should pay good money for you,” Evans adds.
3) “In my spare time I’m involved in improvisational comedy/I am retracing the path of the Tour de France”
“The key test is whether, when you leave the room, someone will remember you the next day,” says Evans. “You need to tell strong, distinctive non-clichéd stories, which prove your suitability for the role.”
“Distinctiveness is incredibly important,” says Sital. “In my spare time, I do some comedy improvisation as a hobby and that’s what people always want to talk about.
“I’ve been headhunted on the back of it,” he adds.
4) “What’s your biggest challenge right now?”
Do not save all your questions until the end of the interview; ask them as you go along.
“The best way to think about an interview is to avoid seeing it as an inquisition and to start seeing it as a discussion, says Ceri Roderick, author of ‘You’re Hired!’ and a partner at occupational psychologists Pearn Kandola. “Two people are trying to find out about each other.”
“Senior interviews often won’t be structured,” says Ruparelia. “It’s more like a peer-level conversation. Try phrasing the kinds of questions you’d ask if you were a consultant going in to help improve the business. That way, you can understand their challenges and position yourself as a problem solver.”
5) “What was the background of the person who filled this role before me?”
This could be followed with:
On a scale of 1-10 how good a fit was that person in the team?
This will help you work out what they’re looking for an enable to shape your answers accordingly, suggests Sital.
6) “I genuinely like you (to be said internally)”
“If you honestly like being with someone, they will often respond to that and you will find that you automatically ask questions which express a genuine interest,” says Nick Smallman, managing director of communications consultancy Working Voices.
7) “This is an exciting, rather than an intimidating, experience (to be said internally)
“You need to think positive outcomes, and you need to be relaxed,” says Smallman. “Channel the adrenaline appropriately. Remind yourself that this is an exciting rather than a scary thing.”
8) “I completely understand what you’re saying…”
Sometimes, an interviewer will give you negative feedback. Do not be defensive or awkward.
“Employers want people who are balanced, easy going and amenable,” says Sital. “They don’t want people who’ve got an attitude.”
If someone gives you negative feedback, you should therefore go with it but point out politely why you still think you’re appropriate for the role.
9) “Based upon the interview so far, do you have any reservations about my suitability for the role?”
Only to be asked when things don’t look too good and you want to get issues out in the open.
10) “Thank you very, very much for your time.”
Bankers are busy. Acknowledging this may help your cause.
Find the original article here
Dynamic Tension And The Search For High Performance
Last week I had lunch with two ex-colleagues, well an ex-boss and a peer. As is often the case in such circumstances there was a degree of nostalgic remininisence. To be fair, the three years we worked together were good. I think we realised that at the time, but hindsight makes it clearer. Personally and professionally, individually and together we did a lot of good work and improved practices within our team as well as delivering a lot of change and having a fair bit of fun.
Unfortunately succeeding management has managed to undo much of what we put in place, a view supported by recent comments from other old colleagues. So much so, that many have forgotten or are just unaware of how good the experience of working in a high performing team can be.
That lunch set me thinking about the best teams I have been part of and indeed what made them special. I would say that I have been in three really strong teams, one in sports and two in work. That does not mean that other teams have been no good, just that they failed, in my opinion, to deliver anywhere near the top of their potential.
One could say that it is sad that I only identify three periods of my life when I was in high performing teams, but I would disagree; that is three times more than many people can claim.
The sports team was the 1st XV in my lower sixth (year 12) at school. It was successful, it was diverse and it had a spirit and a comradeship that lifted the experience above the norm. We were not unbeaten, but we were strong on and off the field.
My next two are more pertinent, being change teams. Interestingly the two are 20 years apart.
The first was in the 1980s with a Canadian Bank where we had a business change team of around 8, serving an operation of around 130. This was the first time I encountered structured change and had a operating model that tackled multiple changes, through virtual teams. In practice this could mean that I was project manager on one project, but providing business analysis on another and was a test resource on a third. While sounding complicated this worked as it built respect, trust and familiarity across the team, kept up a stream of personal challenges and created considerable resilience. This was headed by a quiet, experienced, relatively hands-off Welshman who could as easily roll is sleeves up and perform a detailed reconciliation as buy the late night pizzas. He was equally driver, counsellor, supporter and, when appropriate, deaf and blind too.
The second was more recent and with a British organisation, where a change team of around 60 served a business of 600-700. With the size there was more structure, but with a considerable co-operation between members and an appetite to improve and demonstrate value. It was here that I was introduced to "dynamic tension" in the context that if everyone was happy with everything I was doing, then my boss considered I was not doing my job. To push for best practice, to challenge effectively and to deliver efficiently one cannot satisfy everyone all of the time. The key was the boss not only recognised this, but supported his team throughout.
Again the boss was business savvy, relatively hands off, yet demanding in a quiet way. He too accepted and embraced diversity in and around his team.
Apart from the obvious similarities I would also say that both leaders were operators rather than mechanics. By this I mean they looked for outcomes through the application and support of there various resources, however that was best achieved, rather than being caught unnecessarily in process and documentation.
Using an engineering analogy, there are some very skilled people who can take an automotive engine and tune and modify it to be the best engine there is, but....... to win a F1 race takes a lot more than just the best engine. Instead it is a combination of driver, tyres, support team, etc. The leader of the best team has it all covered, not just the engine.
Both of the leaders came from a business rather than IT background and it showed. Both were comfortable in their own skin too.
Just writing this has brought back good feelings and reminded me that I want to be part of such a team again. More than that, I hope I will have the opportunity to build and lead such a team. It has helped refresh my understanding of the encouraging signs, the green shoots of high performance if you like.
When I give up on that I guess I will start retiring.
Unfortunately succeeding management has managed to undo much of what we put in place, a view supported by recent comments from other old colleagues. So much so, that many have forgotten or are just unaware of how good the experience of working in a high performing team can be.
That lunch set me thinking about the best teams I have been part of and indeed what made them special. I would say that I have been in three really strong teams, one in sports and two in work. That does not mean that other teams have been no good, just that they failed, in my opinion, to deliver anywhere near the top of their potential.
One could say that it is sad that I only identify three periods of my life when I was in high performing teams, but I would disagree; that is three times more than many people can claim.
The sports team was the 1st XV in my lower sixth (year 12) at school. It was successful, it was diverse and it had a spirit and a comradeship that lifted the experience above the norm. We were not unbeaten, but we were strong on and off the field.
My next two are more pertinent, being change teams. Interestingly the two are 20 years apart.
The first was in the 1980s with a Canadian Bank where we had a business change team of around 8, serving an operation of around 130. This was the first time I encountered structured change and had a operating model that tackled multiple changes, through virtual teams. In practice this could mean that I was project manager on one project, but providing business analysis on another and was a test resource on a third. While sounding complicated this worked as it built respect, trust and familiarity across the team, kept up a stream of personal challenges and created considerable resilience. This was headed by a quiet, experienced, relatively hands-off Welshman who could as easily roll is sleeves up and perform a detailed reconciliation as buy the late night pizzas. He was equally driver, counsellor, supporter and, when appropriate, deaf and blind too.
The second was more recent and with a British organisation, where a change team of around 60 served a business of 600-700. With the size there was more structure, but with a considerable co-operation between members and an appetite to improve and demonstrate value. It was here that I was introduced to "dynamic tension" in the context that if everyone was happy with everything I was doing, then my boss considered I was not doing my job. To push for best practice, to challenge effectively and to deliver efficiently one cannot satisfy everyone all of the time. The key was the boss not only recognised this, but supported his team throughout.
Again the boss was business savvy, relatively hands off, yet demanding in a quiet way. He too accepted and embraced diversity in and around his team.
Apart from the obvious similarities I would also say that both leaders were operators rather than mechanics. By this I mean they looked for outcomes through the application and support of there various resources, however that was best achieved, rather than being caught unnecessarily in process and documentation.
Using an engineering analogy, there are some very skilled people who can take an automotive engine and tune and modify it to be the best engine there is, but....... to win a F1 race takes a lot more than just the best engine. Instead it is a combination of driver, tyres, support team, etc. The leader of the best team has it all covered, not just the engine.
Both of the leaders came from a business rather than IT background and it showed. Both were comfortable in their own skin too.
Just writing this has brought back good feelings and reminded me that I want to be part of such a team again. More than that, I hope I will have the opportunity to build and lead such a team. It has helped refresh my understanding of the encouraging signs, the green shoots of high performance if you like.
When I give up on that I guess I will start retiring.
Monday 9 May 2011
Happy Blogday and still writing.
I have just realised that I have now been blogging for a year and still going. I guess it is time to reflect on the experience, but for now I will just note the event and return later.
Many thanks to those who have taken the time to read any of the entries and even more thanks to those who have commented. I do hope I can interest you with future posts too.
Thursday 5 May 2011
The significance of alternative votes and the importance of trifles
At the weekend we had a family gathering for my father's 80th birthday. A suggestion from my youngest brother was that each family unit in attendance should make a bring a trifle (I will explain this quintessentially English dessert in a minute) to be entered into a tasting competition. This was just a bit of fun, but my father has long loved trifle and it gave us a chance to play with voting.
Before I go on I will explain trifle to any who are unfamiliar with it.
Usually this is a layered dessert. At the bottom is a sponge cake layer that has some alcohol soaked into it, usually sherry. Over this bottom layer is one or more layers of fruit jelly, with fruit pieces. This jelly infuses the cake too and sets as a whole. On top of this is a layer of (egg) custard or creme anglais - this too sets firm. The last and top layer is usually whipped cream and is often decorated with more fruit, sugar sprinkles, chocolate or indeed anything that comes to mind.
I am sure it sounds strange to many, but it has long been a staple in the UK and a good trifle is hard to beat.
So back to the story. We ended up with six trifles. There was some imagination used, as reflected in the names. My youngest brother produced a "Gloucester Meteor" - my father was in the Royal Air Force - and this came decorated with an RAF roundel maybe or arranged fruit. The challenge had been to create blue - he tried making blue custard, but found that to get the right blue it tasted of food colouring AND dyed everything it touched blue. In the end he arranged blue berries in a circle.
We had a familiar strawberry trifle and one laced with alcohol sodden cherries.
For my part I went experimental, producing an original rhubarb and ginger trifle. This had a Jamaica Ginger cake base with some whisky (whisky and ginger!), covered by a compute or rhubarb that was set with gelatine. This was all topped off with simple custard and cream. Fortunately it turned out all right - much to the surprise of my wife.
Anyway back to voting.
After everyone had tasted each trifle we were each asked to award points to our favourites; three to the best, two to the next and one to our third choice - and no voting for your own!
OK this was not truly AV, but something of a proxy. We announced the results as they would on a TV cooking show and while close we did have a winner - not rhubarb and ginger :(
As a contrast we then considered what would have been the outcome of a first past the post vote. In this instance the top three trifles were still the top three, but would have been tied. Of course with such a small voting population a tied vote was more likely.
So.......the unscientific conclusion is that our "AV" did not materially change the outcome, but did allow a determination in a close race.
As a prepare to vote in the national referendum on AV today I do wonder if it is all a fuss over very little and suspect that despite the high hopes and positive words of many that it will make little difference to our political scene. Will my vote count more in future - I doubt it. Will it make people more interested in voting - again I doubt it, it is not the system, but the integrity of the candidates and parties that have damaged that aspect. Will the minority parties get to play a bigger part - well maybe, but I suspect only marginally.
So as Bruce Forsythe would have said on the Generation Game, "Good game, good game!" I think this too is largely about entertainment rather than determining our future.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Now, the trouble with work is.........
........that it gets in the way of other interesting things! Well that is the evidence of my last two months.
I am now a third of the way through a six month contract as an interim. My blog output has noticeably dropped in that time. This is not conscious, but, I believe, a reflection on how my days are filled with other activities.
This is something I intend to rectify, but I won't force blogs when they are not ready to be captured. Since started this as a way to practice writing, I have found that "a voice" is something that flows easily; when I struggle to lay something down it is usually an indication that it is not worth or not ready for print.
That said a few things caught my attention in recent days, so I will include them here.
The first was how stunning I thought Pippa Middleton was at THE wedding. A simple, elegant sheath dress that did all the right things. At almost any other wedding she would have stolen the show from the bride. In this instance she just added to her sister's big day. Congratulations to all concerned.
The second was the IT guy who unknowingly, at least at the start, Twittered news of the American raid on Osama Bin Laden as it happened. His following has grown from a few hundred to more than 25,000 overnight.
First we live pictures of the Japanese tsunami, then we have a Royal Wedding broadcast in YouTube and that would have been a big enough step forward for most of us. But then we have a covert raid covered on Twitter that was watched via live video link by the President of the United States. The power of technology, eh? What next?
The last was something my elderly uncle said at a family party. He is in his 80's having had a rewarding career as an engineer in the oil industry. He has long since retired and clearly has a comfortable pension.
On hearing that I an currently contracting in an interim role his comment was that a man of "your age"* should be in permanent employment. He did not mean it badly, but it just showed how this country is not joined up. I then had to break it to him that final-salary pension schemes are pretty much a thing of the past, at least in the private sector. This seemed to be a surprise to him - I wonder how many other people have missed this?
* For reference, I won't see 50 again.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I am now a third of the way through a six month contract as an interim. My blog output has noticeably dropped in that time. This is not conscious, but, I believe, a reflection on how my days are filled with other activities.
This is something I intend to rectify, but I won't force blogs when they are not ready to be captured. Since started this as a way to practice writing, I have found that "a voice" is something that flows easily; when I struggle to lay something down it is usually an indication that it is not worth or not ready for print.
That said a few things caught my attention in recent days, so I will include them here.
The first was how stunning I thought Pippa Middleton was at THE wedding. A simple, elegant sheath dress that did all the right things. At almost any other wedding she would have stolen the show from the bride. In this instance she just added to her sister's big day. Congratulations to all concerned.
The second was the IT guy who unknowingly, at least at the start, Twittered news of the American raid on Osama Bin Laden as it happened. His following has grown from a few hundred to more than 25,000 overnight.
First we live pictures of the Japanese tsunami, then we have a Royal Wedding broadcast in YouTube and that would have been a big enough step forward for most of us. But then we have a covert raid covered on Twitter that was watched via live video link by the President of the United States. The power of technology, eh? What next?
The last was something my elderly uncle said at a family party. He is in his 80's having had a rewarding career as an engineer in the oil industry. He has long since retired and clearly has a comfortable pension.
On hearing that I an currently contracting in an interim role his comment was that a man of "your age"* should be in permanent employment. He did not mean it badly, but it just showed how this country is not joined up. I then had to break it to him that final-salary pension schemes are pretty much a thing of the past, at least in the private sector. This seemed to be a surprise to him - I wonder how many other people have missed this?
* For reference, I won't see 50 again.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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