At 82, my Mom just taught me a Lesson...

We live in France, my Mom lives in England- and since Dad died four years ago, we have encouraged her to travel, explore and try new things...

So far this has included a number of firsts for her travelling with us, including...

• Flying in a plane...

• Going on the Channel Tunnel...

• Riding a Motorbike...

• Visiting France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Czech Republic and even  Lichtenstein...

• Regaining confidence in Driving - and how to fill up with Petrol..

• Using a mobile 'phone...

• Accessing the Internet...

When we get to the UK, every three our four months we make sure we see her, stay over and get out for dinner...

This time, as we are sat in the kitchen reading the papers over Tea and Toast, Mom asks me a strange question...

"Is it possible to learn how to fly a plane...?"

I replied that it was...

Turns out that she had spoken to some of her friends about the possibility of learning how to fly and they had all talked her out of it. She was too old, it's dangerous, expensive , noisy and cold...

She knew that if she asked me, I will encourage her to go for it...

So within a few minutes we had found Halfpenny Green Airfield, where flying lessons and trial lessons can be booked - and her initial "Trial Lesson" has been booked...

Here is the LINK to the Airfield she will be flying from..

So what was the lesson...?

Well, she made me think; I hope that when I'm 82 I'm still thinking about learning new things and doing what others say that I shouldn't. She also made me realise that;

1. We are as old as we feel - not how others treat us...

2. Why Not - go for something; if it excites you, do it...

3. Empowerment - the fact that I said "go for it" helped - sometimes people need permission to live their dreams, and we have a responsibility to give it to them...

4. Never Assume - that age, gender or background is a barrier to achieving anything.

5. Pride - she continues to make me proud. The fact that I felt compelled to share the story is testament to this, and also that I need to keep up with her to...

So, well done Mom, thanks for the lessons and I'm looking forward to seeing you fly your plane real soon...

PS - I will check the Life Policy first....

Dangerous Excuses...

We all have them; little voices that talk us out of doing what we know we should...

The most dangerous excuses are not the ones we give when something has gone wrong, or we messed up; the most dangerous ones are the ones that prevent us from making the decision, keeping the promise or taking the risk...

Retrospective Excuses - Danger level 1...

The Retrospective Excuse is the "got stuck in traffic..." or the "alarm didn't go off..." type...

Used when an objective or target hasn't been met - there are loads of these and you can make your own list of favourites...

They also include;

"we tried it before and it didn't work..."

"we've always done it this way..."

"it wasn't me it was him / her / you / them..."

These excuses are irritating at best and destructive at worst; they destroy your reputation and damage your prospects; but they are not as bad as...

Predictive Excuses - Danger level 2...

These are the most dangerous - because they are hidden; no one really knows about them except ourselves, they are inside our heads and only show up to the outside world as a lack of action, movement or achievement...

Used best to talk ourselves out of things before they happen, the include;

"I don't have the money..."

"I had a tough childhood..."

"I'm a man / woman..."

"I'm too old / young / tall / short..."

"I can't..."

They prevent us from recognising and capitalising on the opportunities that come our way, or connecting with the people who can support us on the journey...

So how do we deal with them...?

First, lets deal with the Retrospective Excuses.

We need to live in the GREEN Zone...

GREEN behaviour means we take full responsibility for our results and outcomes, we are determined to achieve and are energetic and enthusiastic about our work; it also means we take people with us and nurture their development along the way, seeking a Win:Win with all those we engage with...

RED behaviour means we find reasons (adult versions of excuses...) for why things go wrong - usually Retrospective in nature - they include blaming others, or situations for poor performance and achievement.

Here is where we find evidence to support our behaviour that validates our performance - at least to ourselves,we also doubt ourselves and others regarding the level of achievements that can be made...

Now, lets deal with the Retrospective Excuses.

These are the most dangerous and debilitating, and there are a range of tactics that can be employed to get rid of them - in addition to living in the GREEN Zone...

1. Education - knowledge releases potential and access to opportunities. It is a great way of building self confidence and proving to ourself that are actually capable of more than we think. I spent 12 years at Night School working my way to my MBA; mainly to prove a few people wrong - namely my English Teacher at High School...

2. Network - associate with people who are where you want to be and don't dismiss them as lucky or fortunate; find out how they achieved success and you'll discover there is no magic, just application and hard work. This may mean that some people are left out of your network too..

3. Small Goals - start with these, make sure you get into a mode of achievement and then set bigger goals as you proceed. Ignore the BHAG - ridiculous poppycock promoted by those who have themselves probably achieved nothing. When you know what you are doing - nothing appears Big or Audacious, just another objective on the journey.

4. Ego - get used to success and don't allow your Ego to convince you that you "deserve" it and that the world owes you - it doesn't; you simply owe it to yourself to be the best you can be..

5. Say YES - to opportunities and take the risk of doing something different, living in another town, starting a new career or building a new relationship. Then show up and do your very best all the time...

For more BLOG's from David Holland MBA click HERE to take a look...

Business Coaching and Training designed to deliver great Results...

If you'd like to find out how working with David will enable you to grow your Business, Your Team and Your Results - just drop him a note to davidholland@resultsrulesok.com

Management vs Leadership...

...who do we need the most...?

These two traits are easily misunderstood in my experience... 

First Leadership...

Think of great Leaders- who springs to mind...?

There are the classics including Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill. Any such list could arguably also include Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot...

Leadership, unfortunately, doesn't necessarily distinguish between what is right and wrong; it is simply an effective means of engaging people in a common philosophy towards a vision or shared goal...

There are so many books on Leadership - I would guess none of which have been read by anyone who became a great leader..

I don't think that Hitler had access to the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership before he went insane and took Europe into WWII.

I can't imagine that Winston Churchill learned his craft from a book; the fact that people feel the need to buy a book on Leadership suggests that they are not and will not become a Leader...

Fundamentally - leaders shine when there is a fight to be had...

Leaders emerge when there are times of oppression and desperation. The treaty of Versailles at the end of WWI created the environment for Hitler to come to power; rightly or wrongly he rose to power in the 1930's partially as a consequence of the allies attitude, in particular the French.

When times are good, and times are easy - leaders are not required...

Only in times of austerity and oppression do the greatest leaders emerge -  for good and for bad.

There aren't too many books out there that will tell you that in order to be a great leader you have to be in a situation of threat, persecution and oppression.

Wouldn't sell many books...

Management...

When times are good we need Managers - these are the people who keep things running, who maintain the status-quo and keep everything on track...

Management is not Leadership and Leadership is not Management...

How many great Managers spring to mind...?

With the exception of Football Managers, there are very few candidates. 

This is because Management is carried out in the background, it is the day to day activity that keeps an organisation running; there are no medals or statues for great Managers, just a salary and a promotion at the annual review if they are lucky...

Management is about making things happen and taking responsibility for the efficiency and productivity achieved in the process...

It is about Gross Profit, Net Profit and Cash, it's about team-building, morale and ratios. A great manager is someone who gets the best from people and resources; they are not necessarily the people to be the Leader of the company...

And here is the problem...

Managers can be trained, the skills are quantifiable and the disciplines and techniques well proven. Good Managers can manage anything, anytime and anywhere...

Leaders are forged by fire. They emerge when the situation and circumstances allow, without the Treaty of Versailles Hitler would have simply been a failed revolutionary who spent time in jail and wrote a book..

We need both, but we shouldn't confuse the two...

I see discussions and events about Leadership and how to refine the skills and attributes of people such that they become one; if you want to become a true Leader, find a cause and give up everything that you own, know and cherish in order to achieve it...

An unpalatable message for Executives in Western Europe, but everything else is just Management, not Leadership...

There is a vacuum in the World at the moment; a vacuum that is being filled with MBA's, Politicians and Executives with salaries and company cars. 

It is also being filled by the radical religious fundamentalists who challenge our very existence...

Out of the Vacuum we need Leaders to be created, not the easy slide towards UKIP in the UK or the right wing Front National in France - but a Leader of vision, fight and conviction...

Leaders we await your emergence - now is the time we need you the most...

Danger - White Collar Fraud Ahead...

...how Fraud shows up in all shapes and sizes...

I remember being given a principle of Management to research when I was doing my Post Graduate studies at what is now the University of Central England...

The concept I was given was;

"White Collar Fraud..."

The concept was first defined in 1939 by Edwin Sutherland and defined as a crime committed by a person of reputation in the course of his or her profession...

While the obvious things such as nicking a few pens and paperclips were included, there were a few other bigger issues that became apparent.

Doing what I do working with Entrepreneurs, Executives and their Teams, there are a few situations that crop up from time to time that should be looked out for and quashed at the first opportunity...

Fraud of Time

If anyone is spending time that should be spent doing their job, then this is a fraud. This includes more than just playing on Face Book, it includes being late, absent without permission, being "lost in transit", taking extended lunches and leaving early.

A Manager of a company was supposed to be in Manchester with the team for a 09.00 meeting. AT 09.30 one of the team 'phoned and asked where she was - turns out that she went to see her Mother on the way and didn't think anyone would notice.

It is not the actual time that is the Fraud; it's the opportunity cost to the company of the lost time that should have been expended in pursuit of Sales, Profit and cash...

Fraud of Expenses

Of course, some expenses are allowed, but others are not. Taking friends and family out for dinner when they are not associated with the business, eating and drinking at top restaurants when a sandwich would suffice.

Before you give company credit cards and expense account until you know that they will treat the money not as their own but as YOURS; much more important...

Then of course, there are the personal expenses that are made into business ones; financial advice, holiday travel and insurance for example.

Inflated, unnecessary expenses can be easily monitored, but is not the Money, it's the attitude that will show up elsewhere that is most damaging.

Fraud of Attitude

If someone is employed and they are not happy in their job, or they moan and complain about the business, the people and the customers, then taking a salary is fraud too...

I hear CEO's and Directors moaning about their jobs, bosses and salary; I simply say to them - "if it is that bad, I'm surprised you don't leave and let someone else have a go..."

People have the opportunity to be successful wherever they work, sometimes they need to be encouraged to successful somewhere else...

This is a tough one, but if you compare the performance of a motivated and engaged employee with one that is moaning and negative, then the decision is easy to see. It's not just their performance in the business that is a worry, it's their attitude and behavior outside that is of equal concern...

Fraud of Behaviour...

Entering into "dodgy" agreements, not providing excellent customer service and damaging your brand and reputation are really expensive.

Your reputation is all you have, and a member of the team can destroy it in an instant if you are not careful.

The "rules of the game" need to be clearly laid out for everyone, including the standards of performance with relation to how customers, team members and the public are to be treated..

Not behaving according to the standards expected is Fraud on a grand scale and can be hugely expensive in terms of moral, client relationships, sales and profits..

Fraud of Integrity

Trust is paramount in just about any business. If an employee cannot be trusted then they are toxic to the organisation and their salary or wage is the least of your concerns.

Talking with competitors, not keeping promises and office gossip and bullying are all examples of this type of fraud.

I remember as a young Technical Manager in Dudley, I saw one of the Salesman's cars parked in the car-park of our biggest competitor. I reported this to the Managing Director who fired him on the spot when he arrived at the office.

As he walked out of the office he looked at me and said..

"I thought you were a mate..."

I was his mate but his actions threatened my job and those of others in the company; my loyalty to my employer was greater than my friendship with him...

Remember - you hire people on their Experience and Background - but you fire them on their Attitude...

Is it time to call time on all aspects of Fraud in your company..?

The Secret to Growing any Business..

...that gets missed by way too many people...

At a recent Workshop, I asked the audience a simple question..

"What business are you in..?"

The answers include..

Financial Services, Tax Planning, Banking and Accounting...

WRONG...!!

We are all in the Customer Service Business; or at least we should be...

It doesn't matter whether you are in the Service or Manufacturing sector; the product or service you deliver will be judged not only on it's merits but the context in which it is experienced...

A Tale of Two Hotels...

First Banbury...

Travelling as much as we do we get to experience lots of hotels, restaurants and travel related industries with varying degrees of success...

First rule for travelling is..

Be a good Customer - play by the rules, be courteous and polite and don't be a primadonna...

In Banbury, UK we stayed at chain hotel in the centre of the town - a lovely looking manor house, so far so good..

The room was lovely, clean spacious and well designed, reception was easy and friendly; everything seemed to be going well..

Then we went to the bar for a pre-dinner drink; and it went down hill fast...

There was no one behind the bar, one of the locals said that we had to wave at the security motion sensor to get the attention of the staff...

After a few minutes a flustered girl appeared and took the order...

One glass of Champagne and a Gin & Tonic...

After another few minutes and some stamping around I was informed that they didn't have any Champagne, and asked if Prosecco would do instead...

I said that it would be fine - in the UK Champagne is clearly an exotic drink...

Another few minutes went by and the drinks were brought to our table.

The Prosecco was room temperature and flat, so Lynn asked for a replacement.

"We don't have any chilled; would you like some ice in it...?"

Errrrr - No...!

A bland, room temperature Chardonnay turned up as replacement - the supervisor started to roll her eyes, shake her head and stamp around huffing and puffing...

The Chardonnay was warm too and was slammed onto the table without a word being spoken, then she stormed off mumbling something about the bloody French...

Now...

Having no Champagne, and warm Prosecco is no cause for alarm. Even warm Chardonnay can be termed a "first world problem" even in Banbury...

Things go wrong in hotels and as seasoned campaigners we know that; it wasn't the warm Prosecco, it was the manner in which it was handled that was wrong...

Next Hotel - Macedonia.

The restaurant this time was not part of the actual hotel, we had to walk through a thunderstorm about 500 m to get there...

The restaurant didn't take credit cards so the hotel owner phoned ahead and arranged that she would pay for the meal and then we could pay her back as we checked out the day after..

The restaurant was lively; people chatting, drinking and playing cards. The locals were intrigued by us and everyone wanted to know where we were from and where we were going...

The staff were really friendly and nothing seemed like too much bother..

We ordered Filet Steak with all the trimmings, a bottle of local red wine and some local beer too; at those prices we could afford it...!

When the meal turned up - we actually got a Pork Chop with a square of Burger Cheese, and a Fried Egg on top...

When I said - "This is not Filet Steak..."

The Owner simply replied...

"My friend, you are in Macedonia and in Macedonia, this is Filet Steak..."

He then gave us some local vodka to celebrate and some home made apple pie by way of an an apology...

We smiled and had a great evening...

The Difference...?

It's not just the quality of the product, but the context in which it the product is delivered that makes the difference - both locations screwed up, but because the team in Macedonia did it with a smile, and good grace; plus they offered us apple pie and vodka too...

They won hands down...

We need to focus on both the Relationship we develop with the customer, and the quality of the Result the product or service itself delivers....


Here's the rule...

In order to deliver high levels of Service, both the Results and the Relationship need to be taken into account...

If there is Zero Relationship but a good Result - the service will score Zero...

If there is Zero Result but a great Relationship - the service will score Zero...

Customer Service is by far the best way to grow any business, all it takes is a little imagination, training and implementation; and yet so many people ignore it...

If you'd like to find out how David could help you and your team develop their Customer Service standards, create happy clients and make more money...

Then just drop him a note to davidholland@resultsrulesok.com 

Getting Screwed shouldn't be this Expensive...

...and why the French way is better....

When we visit the UK, we tend to notice the subtle differences in culture and lifestyles between there and where we live in France..

Some things are best avoided; UK TV is pretty awful and depressing, full of anesthetising
Soap Operas, reality shows and gritty (depressing..) dramas...

Other things such as general courtesy, levels of customer service and the best Indian and Chinese food on the planet are to be applauded..

The Brit's have a tendency to behave like Marvin the Paranoid Android, there seems to be a broad acceptance that although the economy is sparkling and growing, generally life is pretty miserable and the weather is never as good as it was in 1976...

Why does Marvin show up so often..?

On our last trip, something jumped out at us from the Plasma Screen TV in the hotel room, and it all began to make sense...

We discovered the Pay Day Loan, Personal Injury Claims industry, and Weekly Payment Stores...

The we understood why Marvin the Paranoid Android is so prevalent in the UK..

1. Pay Day Loans - is it a business or a Scam..?

One advert from the "Sunny - Good Today, Better Tomorrow..." finance company was offering short term loans to people with an APR of 1971%

Yes that's 1971%...

Wonga on the other hand charge a much more reasonable 5853% APR...

The letters WTF - or Wow That's Fierce, spring to mind...

How have these outfits been allowed to prey on the poorest and most vulnerable in society, and why have the British people allowed it...?

2. No Win No Fee Injury Claims - ambulance chasers...

On this subject we have the inside track - our "source" has alleged that, in fact this business is simply a way of making money from the "apparent" misfortune of others. Ambulance chasing and "creative" applications are rife and the costs of the payouts are simply added to the premiums of future insurance policies...

Another parasitic and malevolent business sector that adds nothing of value to anyone and simply adds to the costs of doing business...

Not surprised that Marvin is so prevalent in the UK; if the Brits are not being depressed by their TV, they are being screwed by loan companies and then hounded by Lawyers that make their car insurance so expensive they need a payday loan to pay for it...

3. The weekly Payment Shop.

Then to add insult to the protracted injury, we found a "Weekly Payment" store in the local shopping Centre - called "BrightHouse"...

This is where people can buy household products at inflated prices and pay for them in easy weekly installments - providing they are OK with the 64.7% APR that is charged...

When I challenged the assistant about the high charges - he simply said..

"It's the way of the World..."

So in summary, people are encouraged to claim for "accidents" which puts up the price of products and services such that they can't afford them. Then they are encouraged to take out a Loan to buy these services and products they don't need and pay 64.7% interest for the privilege...

The Financial Services Sector, Corporate Greed and Banks are still in control...

Getting screwed in the UK is really expensive...

Across the Channel...

Meanwhile in France, we have the Jeltz the Vogon behaviour with a passion for bureaucracy, form filling and bizarre socialist style systems that make it look like we have traveled back in time to the UK in the 1970's...

The French attitude to life is different than in the UK. Whilst on the outside there seems to be a "rudeness" and selfish arrogance - at least they don't seem to screw each other with quite the same enthusiasm as the Brits seem to tolerate...

If there is a rule, they find a way round it. If Air France want to introduce a Low Cost Airline, the Pilots go on strike until the plan is scrapped...

The French buy French cars, they holiday in France and they are protective over their language, culture and way of life - if you don't like it; leave...

When the Gypsy Roma Camps arrive, there are no appeals for planning permission, human rights or discussion. The Police turn up in force, the people are repatriated and anything left is burned down...

The French make the rules and know how to work them to their benefit. This defensive a proud attitude means that things are different here, there is a sense of community, alliance and pride.

When Gantry's were installed on the Autoroute to apply Taxes and Tolls to vehicles, they were burned down...

When the local tax office wanted impose a new tax on locals - they burned it down...

If there is something to protest about, they take the tractors onto the road and bring the place to a standstill...

And Finally...

In the UK there has been a protest going on in Parliament Square - and no one is taking any notice, the British are all too concerned with the Weather, Coronation St, Emmerdale and East Enders to worry...

It's not covered by the BBC, or the mainstream Press...

Click on the LINK to see what is happening to the democracy that you are so proud of, that your fathers and grandfathers fought for - the French would not be so passive..

Can you get screwed in France...?

Yes of course you can, but it is not as expensive as it is in the UK..

Ghosts,Ghouls and Business Planning...

...is the Ouija Board a valid Management Tool...?

According to Tony Robbins we each have six basic Human Needs;

1. Certainty - predictability of the future

2. Uncertainty - need for variety

3. Significance - ego and respect from others

4. Love - both giving and receiving

5. Growth - personal development

6. Contribution - making a difference

In business we tend to want clarity and high degrees of certainty - and there is a "proven" technique that can be employed to enable us to achieve higher levels of certainty...

Business owners and Entrepreneurs all over the world are using different techniques in the pursuit of certainty and predictability; including...

• Hoping...
• Worrying...
• Visualisation...
• Incantations...
• Best Guessing...
• Copying Others...
• Crossing Fingers...

Do any of these strategies work...?

Probably not..

So this Halloween, I thought I'd introduce you to the world of the Occult and technique that is both dangerous and effective...

Welcome to the Ouija Board Technique of Business Strategy...

The name Ouija comes from joining the French and German words for Yes - Oui and Ja...

On Feb 10th 1891, a US Patent was issued to a Mr James Bond that confirmed and protected the Ouija name and the basic design of the actual board itself. The product was sold extensively as a novelty board game from 1901 to the 1960's.

The principle of the "talking board" is that messages and instructions can be derived by the movement of a cup that is touched by all the participants in the game, whilst asking the "spirits" for advice and guidance...

As the cup magically moves towards individual letters or symbols a message is described which gives people insights from the other side...

It is interesting to note that a lot of Religious Groups came out in protest at the use of a Ouija Board as a method of communication with spirits. In 2001, along with several copies of the Harry Potter series of books, Ouija Boards were burned as symbols of Witchcraft.

So should you run out and bring your Ouija Board to your next meeting - brings a whole new twist to the term "Board" meeting - and sit round chanting and connecting with spirits from the "other side" in pursuit of strategic insights and certainty..?

Well, if you are used to adopting any of the techniques listed above on a regular basis, then the answer is clearly YES...

If you use Hope and Best Guessing as a Strategy then the Ouija Board technique will be a valuable addition to your management armoury...

If, however, you prefer to plan your business on solid information, proven tactics and informed evidence - then the answer is NO...

Business almost by definition is uncertain; we cannot predict the future with any real degree of certainty - in fact the further ahead we look, the less certainty we are able to predict...

As you can see on this "Certainty Curve" predictability drops dramatically as we proceed into the future; unfortunately it picks up at the very end, death is almost guaranteed...

So if the only thing we can predict with absolute certainty about our future is that it will end - we need to give ourselves a competitive advantage in the meantime that will enable us to raise our levels of certainty over and above our competitors, and achieve a better result...

The Answer to this conundrum...?

Simple - SYSTEMS...

Edwards Deming famously stated that "if you can't describe what you are doing as a system, then you don't know what you are doing..."

Understanding Cause and Effect with regards to your Marketing, Sales and Customer Service tactics your financial, fiscal and cash flow performance will give you the ability to predict with higher levels of certainty what the future holds.

Once we have the levers of power under our control, and we understand how to positively influence then such that the outcomes can be manipulated in our favour, we have higher levels of certainty and performance.

We can never be 100% certain about what the future holds, but compared to Hope and Best Guessing, Systems represent our best opportunity for consistent success...

Or you could of course simply get the Ouija out at your next Board Meeting...