Listening - the quiet strength

A number of different incidents recently have made me aware of the importance of listening. Oddly enough, the brighter and more competent the person, the more likely they are to believe they are right and don’t need to listen to other views. Yet in so many cases, being right isn’t what gets results. What gets results is ensuring that everyone is in agreement with the plan: even if it’s not the very best possible plan.

The reason for this will be obvious to anyone who has ever worked on a team. If only one member of the team doesn’t believe in what’s being done, they can stop or slow the whole process. Yet a team where everyone is agreed is pretty much unbeatable: even if they are not as talented as the divided team.

Jim Collins’ influential book “Good to Great” has much to say on how seemingly quiet, experienced leaders are more effective than their showy, high profile counterparts. Collins lists a number of qualities of a great leader, and among them are “confronting the brutal facts” because unless you know the extent of the problem, and the reasons for why things are as they are, nothing can be changed. It is seemingly obvious, yet we can be strangely reluctant in wanting to know the truth. Humility is also listed by Collins as desirable in an effective leader.

Whilst Collins’ research was not statistically valid – I’m sure there are exceptions to every “rule” – his observations are interesting. Putting people first, being humble enough to know when you are wrong, and having the patience to listen what is actually going on, instead of what you think is going on, are foundation stones to making things happen.

Five Criteria for Greatness

This is not my list, but paraphrased from someone else’s blog post. She had read about James Dewey Watson, who discovered the structure of DNA with Francis Crick. Ruby's original post appeared on Zen Habits and is well worth a read: Why Discovering Your Obsession Can Lead to Your Greatness.

The list apparently came from a speech Watson made on why he deserved to discover the structure of DNA.

1. Go for broke - if you are going to do something important, do it.
2. Have a way to get the answer – if you haven’t a clue, you’re going to waste time.
3. Be obsessive – think about it night and day.
4. Be part of a team – have a partner to bounce ideas off and support you.
5. Talk to your opponents – share your ideas, cooperate and talk to others.
6. Never be the brightest person in the room; so you can always learn something.

I was so impressed with the list that I keep a copy in my notebook. I hope you get something useful from it too.

The vision thing

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather
wood, divide the work and give orders.

Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”

Antoine de Saint Exupery

Where is Business Intelligence Heading?

It seems that organisations are increasingly falling into one of two camps:

1. Those with a strong information-based culture of decision making
2. Those working to achieve an information-based culture

I guess there might be a third category of businesses who believe they are managing just fine as they are, but they are certainly swimming against the tide.

If Microsoft is correct in their predictions of the way the market is heading, BI and Performance Management will be in the hands of those who need the information before too long. In the same way that Excel democratized number crunching, BI tools are climbing down from their lofty positions above ordinary folk doing ordinary jobs making ordinary decisions. Ordinary folk want and need better information to make their not-so-ordinary decisions that make or break businesses every day.

I suspect information transparency and performance management will become the big issues of the decade within medium and large sized companies. And what the big boys are doing today, smaller businesses will be doing tomorrow. So the information-based culture is something that will affect everyone at some point.

Social media tools like wikis, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are the public and high profile tip of the iceberg. Under the surface there are many businesses working hard to ensure information flow gets better and more productive. Costs are coming down, and tools are getting better. It won’t be long before those without the right information to do their jobs well will be wanting to know why …

Making space for good ideas to grow

Over the weekend I stopped to talk to two gardeners thinning out a row of broad beans. As they threw strong and healthy broad bean plants into the bucket I said: “That’s too bad – throwing away those healthy young plants!” They agreed, but they worked at speed pulling out young plants and moving others so they were all the correct distance apart. I silently wondered if I would have been so disciplined if it had been my own garden. Behind them was a perfectly straight line of perfectly spaced healthy broad bean plants, all with enough room to grow into healthy specimens.

The processes and methods at this particular garden were influenced by one of Kew’s ex-Directors and it showed. I could see the discipline and attention to detail with my own eyes.

The business of business has more than once been compared to gardening or sowing and reaping. As spring is beginning to show its sunny face between the rain drops, it seems a fitting reminder that we need to do what needs to be done. Weeding, filing, sorting, choosing, and getting rid of things that will slow down growth, even though we find some things difficult or unpleasant.

Tom Peters talks of leaders only scheduling 50% of their time so they have space to think, reflect and make sure the important things are being done, rather than just the busy work. It’s the space between the broad beans that makes sure the good ideas have enough space to grow.

Edit your way to success

Editing is the most important activity for a writer. Writers need ideas, structure, and to make their prose sing, but all that hard work is wasted without editing. How do I know? Because too often I’m a lousy editor! Editing always improves my writing and my thinking.

It’s just as true in business. What we exclude is more important than what we include. Here’s why:

1. It's difficult to serve a defined customer niche exceptionally well. But it’s much more difficult to serve many markets. The Virgin Group try to make their brand elastic, but the failures of Virgin Cola, Virgin Brides, Virgin Cosmetics and Virgin Vodka demonstrate that it ain’t so easy. Define which markets to exclude, so as to improve the message to your chosen market(s).
2. Too many priorities means nothing gets done well, important stuff gets missed, and half-finished jobs tug at your attention. To Do lists should be edited ruthlessly: Delete, Automate, or Delegate. Doing is a last resort but it means that important stuff gets done well.
3. Cluttered filing systems (paper and electronic), full in-boxes, unread books and magazines are a constant distraction if left unattended. Keeping things “just in case” seems to be in my genes, but when I force myself to shed the junk my mind is clearer and more focused.
4. Exclude “nice to have” objectives from your business plan so as to free resources and thinking time for essentials. It’s more motivating at the end of the year to see that all objectives were achieved, rather than a long list that gets quietly forgotten.

Editing, excluding and choosing are easier to write about than to do, but are hugely effective as a business tool. So if in doubt: edit, edit, edit!

What business are you in?

Ever struggled to answer when someone asks you what you do? It's one of the most common difficulties for smaller businesses.

As a photographer, it would be easy to answer “I’m a photographer”. But is that what you do? Yes, you take photographs. But it may not be why people buy from you.

After all, I take photographs (very bad ones), but I'm not suggesting you trust your wedding day, corporate, or special event photographs to me. If you hire me, I can almost guarantee that every single one of them will be dreadful. I don’t own any professional photographic kit, my eyesight isn’t so great, and I have a habit of taking photographs directly into the light - by accident rather than for artistic effect. That’s not to say I haven’t taken some nice photographs, I have, mostly of my cats. But you begin to get the idea. I’m no dead cert when it comes to creating a visual record of something that isn’t likely to be repeated in a hurry. In fact, it’s a dead cert I will fluff it up.

Which is why I don’t run a restaurant. Although I rate myself as a pretty decent cook, I’m what you might call patchy. I’m not a great one for recipes. Sometimes my cooking is brilliant, and sometimes it’s terrible. Dinner at my house and is a culinary lottery. So if you have a sense of adventure, as well as a healthy sense of humour, you could consider coming round Chez Moi for your Golden Wedding, special birthday, or I’m Terribly Sorry I Forgot Our Anniversary dinner. But probably not.

So are photographers in the photography business? Or are they in the business of creating perfect memories, capturing the real you, or taking the worry out of your important day? Of course, it depends on the photographer, just as different restaurants will come up with different answers depending on their market niche.

Figuring out what business you are in is all about taking your customers' perspective. There is no right or wrong answer, but thinking it through could inform much of how you run your business.

You have to believe to achieve

Having a clear, SMART goal is a prerequisite if you want to achieve something; whether you are a business, a team or an individual. It’s hard to argue with – unless you know what you are trying to achieve, the odds of achieving it are not high. The goal in itself is not enough, though. Figuring out how to achieve it is a close second. But what about those crystal clear goals, with plans, that are still not happening? What’s going wrong?

Could it be that deep down inside, you don’t think it’s achievable? So despite revising targets year after year and promising to “try harder” and “do better” still nothing happens. Simply because at some level you don’t think you have it in you.

Henry Ford famously quipped: “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Could changing your mind change the outcome? I think so. But sometimes self-doubt goes deep, so we have to dig deep to do the changing. Figuring out that change is needed is the first step, though, because once we know what the problem is it's much easier to start finding solutions. So despite its annoying symmetry, you do have to believe to achieve.

Because all the measurement and KPIs in the world are not going to make up for self-sabotage.

Learning organisation or measuring organisation?

The Sunday Times’ article yesterday about the failings of the NHS performance management system was disturbing: Labour hid ugly truth about National Health Service.

Any organisation that gives higher priority to performance measures, rather than to its core business, needs to ask some harsh questions. In this instance it will be the country asking the questions – not only of the NHS but also of the government.

Since the days of Florence Nightingale we have understood the need for basic hygiene in order to prevent infection. It seems that performance measures were able to wipe away 250 years of performance improvement by not following the most basic of health procedures.

So when results like this are achieved from a performance measurement system that we can only presume was meant well, where does the blame lie?

It would be both true and too easy to say the blame lies with the leadership. Fish rot from the head down, and those in positions of leadership must shoulder the greatest share of the responsibility. But when a trained nurse does not pay attention to basics such as washing hands, or disinfecting areas where patients are cared for, there is either a massive culture problem, or a problem with basic training. My money would be on the issues of culture, many of which have been well documented.

However, those who devised and rolled out the targets must be feeling uncomfortable now the results of their performance management exercise have been revelealed:

“Most targets and standards appear to be defined in professional, organisational and political terms, not in patients’ experience of care.”

Maybe that’s easy to say with hindsight, but for the rest of us it is a chilling reminder that performance measures must be appropriate, tested, and constantly reviewed to ensure the organisation is achieving the results it needs. And not dysfunctional results it doesn’t want.

Performance measures are a way to understand and learn what works and what doesn’t. We all make mistakes, and performance measures are not easy to get right. But what is unforgiveable is to let such a bad situation go on so long. Performance measures should be a tool for the learning organisation, not a control mechanism for the measuring organisation.

K&H: Metrics to make accountants happy

Key performance indicators have a dramatic effect on one professional services firm

Kirkpatrick and Hope was, until 2003, a very traditional sort of accountancy firm. They could do your accounts or handle your tax affairs as well as the next accountants. Which is a problem for many professional services firms – how do you differentiate yourself from your competitors and resist pressure on pricing? In this case it took a ruptured Achilles tendon and extended leave from the office to give time for strategic planning. Kirkpatrick and Hope was reborn as K & H with a new identity, a new affiliation to the AVN network, and a new enthusiasm for the future.

In 2005 a group of partners led a management buy-out after the last founding partner decided to sell. They had new ideas and a new vision. After years of lacklustre results, low morale and disagreements, they had a new strategy and a new way of doing business.

Andrew Gray, Chairman of K&H, explained to me how they implemented their new strategy.

“Our mission is to improve the lives of small business owners. Many entrepreneurs work incredibly hard for their customers and don’t have time to step back and consider their own business. Important issues such as pricing, marketing, or increasing profitability don’t get much of a look in. Whilst accountancy is still the heart of our service, we take every opportunity to encourage owners to think about their results, and how they can improve their businesses.

The culture change within our own firm has been dramatic. Advising on planning, profitability, pricing, and business development are now a core part of our service, not an add-on. And internally we had to learn to walk the talk, which meant putting in place new processes and performance metrics to measure how we are doing.”

When I asked Andrew what was the single most important measure, he smiled.

“That has to be our happiness score - when you have a team that works well together, so much else falls into place. Every month we ask everyone to complete a 360 degree feedback form, and score their happiness at work on a scale from 0 to 10. We have seen a dramatic shift from the early days, when the average was around 5. Now we consistently score a happier 8 or 8.5. We are not romantics though – it is still work and there will always be some parts of everyone’s workday which isn’t particularly enjoyable. We don’t aim to protect people from that. We frequently challenge people to push outside of what they might feel comfortable with. But as a management team we are now agreed on values, we have clear objectives, and consistently measure our performance using key performance indicators. It really does have a big impact on people’s happiness at work, and their performance. It has made more of a difference to our overall business performance than I would have guessed.

It hasn’t been plain sailing, of course, and I’ve learnt that you can’t change people. If they don’t agree with your values and direction, then it’s best just to part company. That’s a lesson I wish I had learnt a lot earlier.

On the plus side, however, our “one page plan” has really helped focus everyone on what is important. We use it to report results each month and whilst it wasn’t easy agreeing what to measure, it has played a major part in turning things around. I couldn’t imagine running the business without it now. Whereas before we would focus 100% on financial measures, now more than 50% of our metrics are non-financial: staff happiness, lead generation, and what type of services our clients buy from us, etc.

We have seen the difference that good metrics make to the business, and are now prepared to invest in new systems to cut down on the time we spend collating them.”

I asked Andrew if he thought other businesses make good use of metrics.

“I think people often measure some aspects very well, but are blind to other areas. Many people don’t have the time to think about what results they really want, and how to get there. Some people are specialists in their own business, but don’t know where to start in putting a measurement system together.”

So to finish, I asked Andrew what his advice to business owners would be on performance metrics.

“Start small – just choose one or two measures and report on them consistently. Don’t be too ambitious in changing things.” He smiled again. “Which is funny really, because we dived in and introduced more than 20 measures all at the same time!”

Andrew Gray, Chairman of K&H,heads up a team of 19 happy accountants, tax advisors and business advisors all of whom are passionate about helping ambitious business owners/managers create a better future for both business and for their families.

BOOM!

If you are a small business owner looking for inspiration then Emma Wimhurst’s new book “BOOM!” could be just what you are looking for. It is like no other business book I have seen before.

Beautifully presented in more than full colour (you will see what I mean when you open it) Emma writes with authority about the principles that built her own successful business in four very short years. In addition to running her own business, she also worked for Revlon for 12 years, so has corporate credentials.

Like a business version of Mary Poppins, she won’t stand for any nonsense – business requires discipline, and woe betides anyone who thinks they can just wing it. A clear strategy, a written business plan, exceptional marketing and keeping control of costs are all required to build an excellent business. And so they are, but in BOOM! they are presented in a clear and practical way with lots of real-life examples. Emma gives a fascinating insight into how she managed her business, from the spreadsheets she used to how she recruited.

BOOM! makes compelling reading – from the details to the bigger picture. It didn’t take me long to read, but much of the advice takes time to assimilate, and because it’s so beautifully presented, it is a pleasure to dip into as and when needed. My copy arrived on Friday and I devoured it over the weekend. Part case study, part business mentor, BOOM! is both fun and useful. Recommended.

BOOM! by Emma Wimhurst, published by DIVA Publishing.

Data Centred Decision Making

Making decisions can be tough: so many choices and no guarantees of making the right one. I’ve recently seen the decision-making process behind two decisions and both were instructive.

The first was for a social group where an interesting ethical question came up. The question and replies batted backwards and forwards. There was no right or wrong answers, but plenty of indignation and lots of opinion. Then someone sent a simple email containing the data relating to the problem. They had gone to the archives and dug up the relevant history and presented it clearly and dispassionately in an email. It was strong stuff and illustrated beautifully the uncomfortable feelings that everyone had about the dilemma. Getting the information took a bit of time but the effect was convincing and helped the group enormously.

The second was a decision at work where again feelings ran high. My co-Director had one opinion and I a different one. We discussed and argued the point but couldn’t get agreement. We decided to break the meeting to go do some research and analysis. When we came back together the decision was obvious – the data spoke volumes. We went away with a clear decision and no hard feelings.

Data centred decision making takes more effort because you have to go and get the data. Sometimes that takes quite a long time, but better decisions come out of the process. When you look at the two examples above, I think both were solved faster and more amicably by having good data.

Not all decisions lend themselves to data-centred decision making, but it’s worth asking “what data is available?” even if it only contributes to the process. Sometimes the results are surprising.

What makes a great leader?

I’ve been mulling over the findings from my analysis of Top American CEOs. Statistics are always interesting; learning from facts rather than prejudices. But of course statistics can be highlighted in whatever way the author wants. I know someone who was looking at the exact same data from the point of view of college drop-outs rather than post-graduate qualifications which was where I started. The way you twist and turn data can change the way you see things.

But one of the numbers that has stuck in my mind since looking at the data is the length of service that these people have with their organisations. About 80% have been with their companies longer than 10 years. The Japanese famously reward employees through length of service rather than merit, which seems very strange to western ways. Yet clearly there is something to be said for learning a business inside out.

The one thing it is difficult to see from statistics is the personalities of these people. Perhaps what they have in common is their determination to succeed, whether or not they stayed on at university and regardless of where they did their MBA.

Jim Collins is inspirational about leadership in his book Good to Great which I am rereading at the moment. He talks of Level 5 leaders who are humble, self-effacing and steely in their determination that their organisations succeed. He describes the way they don’t take personal credit for successes, but attribute the good stuff to the efforts of their team. He also describes the way they are always prepared to take the blame for problems.

If Collins were doing his research today I wonder how many of these Top American leaders would qualify as Level 5 Leaders …

The other common characteristic amongst the 100 top CEOs is that they are all men - without exception, 100%. It is perhaps the starkest statistic of all yet I was so immersed in business schools and length of service that I missed it. Oddly enough, all Jim Collins’ Level 5 Leaders were men too. What does that say about women in business today?

Getting to know me

Being a good leader has many facets. The ability to set out a vision, create a strategy, and keep everyone on course throughout the inevitable difficulties are all components of leadership. One less commonly discussed aspect of leadership is the ability to know oneself.

We all have strengths and weaknesses, whatever our role or purpose in business or in life. The key is to understand oneself well enough to know when and what to delegate, and how to manage ourselves so that we can best facilitate the work that needs to be done. Whether you work in a micro business or a multi-national conglomerate, the better you understand yourself the better you will be able to work with others.

One interesting aspect of getting to know oneself is that of becoming a role model. It is all too easy to issue instructions to others for this or the other to be done, it is much more difficult to lead from the front – to show rather than tell. It is also a great deal more effective.

Working on being a role model has the great benefit of showing up our strengths and weaknesses, highlighting with horrible ease what needs to be worked on – both within the organisation and within ourselves. Because isn’t it always true that the most difficult work to be done is inevitably within ourselves?

Are you an Imagineer?

Walt Disney once famously said “If you can imagine it, you can do it.”

Disney was certainly not the first to realise that before anything of value can be created it must first be envisioned. Someone has to imagine what the world would be like with their idea.

Walt Disney did not employ engineers, he employed Imagineers: people whose job it was to make dreams come true.

It is tempting to think we are best employed doing things; after all there is always a myriad of things to be getting on with. Day dreamers are, on the whole, not highly thought of. What’s required is action – getting on with things and getting things done. Of course that’s true, things do need to be done, otherwise no one would realise their dreams.

By all accounts Walt Disney was a persistent chap – by the age of 22 he had failed in business already. He didn’t let it stop him, though, he just started over again, even more determined to succeed.

It’s worth taking a leaf out of Disney’s book – and letting our imaginations have the time and space to think about what the world would be like if our dreams were realised. And perhaps asking whether enough determination is going in to make those dreams come true.

Disregard. Plough your own furrow

We live in a world where communication and teamwork is considered beneficial, which it mostly is. I say mostly because there are occasions when solitary work is important, times when disregarding the outside world is more important than studying it.

There have been times during my career when my betters encouraged total disregard for others’ pricing, marketing activities, or system design. Back then this was confusing – surely more information is better than less information? Well sometimes, but not always.

The rationale is that with too much information we get swamped and are unable to move. Comparisons become stifling and all creativity is gone. Whereas starting with a blank sheet of paper and asking elementary questions can produce startling new revelations.

As I was working on a systems problem yesterday, I did exactly that. I went back to basics and asked “what’s really the problem here?” It produced some interesting, and different answers. The technique is not without its dangers – others could have come up with different or better answers. But maybe that is a great deal less dangerous that coming up with me-too ideas and solutions.

The physicist Richard Feynman went through a period from 1961 to 1967 when he was remarkably unproductive. It seemed as if his genius was used up and he was fresh out of ideas. It took a conversation with James Watson, who together with Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, to awaken his creativity. After having read Watson’s book “The Double Helix” he fretted over it for some time.

His conclusion was scribbled on a notepad, surrounded by jottings and doodles. In the centre of the page Feynman had written “DISREGARD.” He realised that this was what he had been missing; this was why his work had been poor. He realised he had to get curious again, go back to disregarding others’ work and asking his own questions of why things worked as they did.

Reading of Watson & Crick’s discovery enabled him to uncover the reasons for his own lack of productivity.

It is similar to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ideas encapsulated in his marvellous essay “Self Reliance.” Taking too much note of what others think does not always pay.

I realise now that this is fundamental to my work as a systems analyst –I have to disregard the accepted “truth” that others offer. Because a problem is just that – a difficulty that has yet to be overcome – and disregarding the accepted wisdom is one way of approaching a problem.

"Disregard" and "Plough Your Own Furrow" are useful concepts for many problems, not just physics or designing software.

6 tips for meeting deadlines

Deadlines focus the mind.

Going on holiday, sitting an exam, or a key client meeting are all examples immovable deadlines that result in higher than normal performance. By the time I’ve finished getting ready for a holiday, I absolutely need one, and strangely enough I’ve never missed a flight. Amazingly teams work to get everything together for an important meeting that somehow wouldn’t happen in the normal course of events.

So deadlines are an important aspect of performance management. But how do we make them work in our favour? Going on holiday, sitting exams and crucial client meetings are all deadlines that work wonders without too much additional management effort. They are external, often imposed on us (apart from the holiday!) and everyone understands their importance. Yes, one has to be organised, yes, one has to plan ahead, and yes, knowing exactly what needs to be done are all important. But the bigger the deadline, the more focused the mind.

What about the internal project planning deadlines? What about those deadlines that would massively improve our overall performance if we could raise performance to the same level as the pre-exam focus level? Here are 6 ways to ensure interim targets and deadlines are always met:

1. Meet smaller deadlines. Be on time for meetings. Get weekly reports in on time. When the smaller deadlines slip it sends out a clear message that deadlines are unimportant. The army stresses the importance of being punctual, because lives can be lost when people are not. Not all civilians have that discipline, even though projects are often lost through missed deadlines. Practice meeting all deadlines, no matter how small.
2. Communicate the importance. If no one thinks the deadline important, then no one will bother to meet it. It is, after all, hard work to meet deadlines and extra hours are often involved. The importance of a milestone needs to be communicated so everyone understands what the impact will be if it slips.
3. Don’t set trivial deadlines. The opposite of ensuring a deadline is communicated, is not crying wolf when deadlines are not important. Save your thunder for the key things that do really matter, and ensure those deadlines are met. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Have fewer, but more important deadlines.
4. Follow up. Follow up whether a deadline has been missed or met. Praise for a job well done and investigation when milestones are missed. Just never let a deadline pass with no acknowledgement of it.
5. Work together to solve problems. Any deadline of any importance will likely have difficulties. So get together with other team members, or another colleague, to talk through the difficult stuff and find new answers. Sometimes just articulating where you are stuck can free things up.
6. Communicate the vision. There are no magic answers to making things happen. Deadlines are a key tool in performance management but they need everyone to believe in what is being aimed for. Communicate the big picture and get everyone committed to the vision.

Use Your Talents

I wrote yesterday about the genius next door: someone you know socially but have no idea about the contribution they have made to their field. It was inspired by a lovely comment from a reader who pointed out that geniuses have to live next door to someone, and sometimes we need to look up and see who is around us.

The unknown genius next door is one thing, but what if you get introduced to an acknowledged major talent? The word genius is perhaps a bit strong as we tend to think of geniuses such as Leonardo da Vinci or Einstein, and so no on else measures up. But there are many more who have been blessed with a talent and have diligently used it to make a real contribution in their work and to humanity.

The other evening I found myself sitting opposite such an individual. Well practiced in the art of small talk I invited him to tell me about his work – expecting a short explanation of his field. Not normally a high-risk question - except if you are sitting opposite a theoretical mathematician. Obviously.

I was introduced to the complexities of ring theory and matrices, although the explanation was dumbed down for my benefit. As the explanation progressed (at reasonable speed) he occasionally looked up and asked “do you recognise this equation?” or “you have heard of this?” or some other such question. As I failed to live up to the most basic expectation comments such as “I’m surprised you’ve not seen this before” were thrown in. If this is making it sound like a maths lesson, I’m doing him a grave injustice. It was a fascinating and friendly insight into a different world, a rarefied place where those who make genuine breakthroughs in algebra live.

He has a mathematical matrix named after him. Awesome.

On the way home I thought about Radio 4’s “Thought for the Day” when The Rev. Rosemary Lain-Priestley spoke of the Parable of Talents. Use Your Talents wisely, Jesus preached. Those who do not were judged harshly by Jesus, but those who do use their talents to generate wealth were praised. It was a fitting thought for the drive in to work.

It seems to me that we are all blessed with talents, but not everyone uses them wisely. I know I go about my day without a thought of any talents I might have, or how they manifest themselves in my work.

As individuals, managers and parents, however, we need to be aware of our own, and others’ talents. We need to encourage the best out of ourselves and those around us. Most of us won’t have some major breakthrough carrying our name, but that doesn’t matter. What the Parable of the Talents teaches is that we should not squander the talents we have. All contributions matter.

I now have a napkin covered in algebra. I’m hoping its similarities with the napkin Picasso signed are recognised. In the meantime, though, I will be using my talents just in case theoretical mathematics never gets to hang in The Tate.

Leadership - the Toastmasters' way

“If you cheat yourself in the preparation, it will show up in your presentation.”

Jonas Gadson, DTM

Toastmasters International is an organisation for developing public speaking and leadership capabilities. Different from the red coat Master of Ceremonies Toastmasters, it started in the USA and is now in 106 countries with over 12,000 active clubs and more than 250,000 members.

I have been a member of my local club for over 4 years now and the longer I work with Toastmasters, the more I get out of it. We have a meeting tonight and I have been assigned the role of General Evaluator. I have to find evaluators for the prepared speeches and give an overall summary of the meeting. My preparation work is just about done so I am all set for tonight.

However, I already have a few things that I know I will say in my summing up. That’s because a Toastmasters meeting is no different from many other organised presentations or work meetings. The preparation starts long before the meeting – and it is the preparation that determines how well the meeting goes.

The person responsible for the overall meeting is called the Toastmaster for the Evening. The Toastmaster tonight is a very experienced speaker and a good organiser, so I know the meeting will be run well. However, he has had to cope with quite a lot of behind the scenes confusion: uncertainty about who will speak, changes of roles, etc. Not particularly unusual, but nor does it reflect particularly well on those involved.

Toastmasters have always had a strong focus on leadership – and this is their checklist on how to be a good leader. I think it is a solid checklist.

• Give more than you expect others to give.
• Combine optimism and perseverance.
• See everyone as a diamond in the rough.
• Express appreciation; accept responsibility.
• Keep your ego in check.
• Show respect for the people around you.
• Treat team members as family.
• Be a source of inspiration.
• Stress cooperation, not competition.
• Maintain a sense of humour.

It is a useful reminder for me tonight in accepting change as inevitable, whilst striving for high standards in a club that is already renowned for its leadership abilities.

It is highly likely that in a meeting involving 15 or more different roles there will be changes to the original plan and last minute drop outs. But the two-pronged approach of Preparation and Positive Leadership help all meetings run well – not just Toastmasters’ evenings.

Valuable reminders for participants as well as leaders.

Churchill, the energy crisis, and inspiring action. What a day!

Three things happened to me yesterday that made me think about great leaders. Or more specifically, what it takes to inspire action when it’s needed.

Firstly I found myself sitting in the sunshine next to London’s Churchill Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms. I’ve never visited and couldn’t yesterday because I was too late. With half an hour to spare I simply watched the world go about its business. Tourists, civil servants taking a quick smoking-break and security guards watching over H M Treasury are an eclectic lot. But it was Churchill’s achievements that occupied my mind: how he galvanised not just the government and the military, but the whole country into doing what was necessary to win the war.

Musings on Churchill were not reducing CO2 emissions, however, which was the focus of the debate I was due to attend across the road at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

Livewire Isabel Dedring from the Mayor’s office kicked off the evening stressing the importance of reducing emissions, and the leading role that London sees itself playing. She went through the variety of initiatives that were needed from managing waste, insulating homes and making City Hall more environmentally acceptable. Despite massive political will from this clearly capable lady and her boss, progress appears to be agonisingly slow. The difficulty of convincing people to make the simplest changes like insulating their lofts, even though grants are available and it will save them money, is indicative of how big a mountain there is to climb. But Boris with his electric car, and Isabel with her brains, are clearly a team to watch.

My evening ended with Churchill, though. Driving home I was listening to Dr Peter Sandman talking about panic and the swine flu pandemic. He talked about how leaders often get it wrong when trying to avert panic. Denying the problem, or pacifying people can create panic instead of action.

He also talked about Churchill and how he got the tone just right. He did not say: “don’t worry – its all going to be fine – I’ve got it under control.” Whilst that might have averted panic it would certainly not have inspired action. What he did was send out a message of deep concern. He managed to convey the severity of the situation whilst inspiring confidence in this plans. He also made it clear that everyone’s efforts would be needed.

The UK is putting some of their best scientific, engineering and political brains to work on the problems of CO2 emissions and global warming, yet many of us routinely leave lights on and don’t think about our energy usage.

What struck me was that the principals of inspiring action are common: whether you are trying to win a war, lower CO2 emissions, survive the recession, change a business’s strategy, or inspire a project team. The difficulty is that they are not that prevalent.