Shock horror it’s snowing outside! by Paul Cook

The soft filter Nikon lens had been exquisitely positioned to capture the lithe, but athletic rear profile.  The female athlete in full running stride was enveloped in a snow landscape where the sheer white had taken over everything in her path: the icy hue of her breath, the vivid indication of her extreme physical effort.  The strapline of this compelling image, ‘if you wait for perfect conditions you will never achieve anything’.
 
The not so athletic comedian Billy Connolly famously said ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing’.

Humans are multifaceted, genetic machines evolved to operate at the most incredible levels; we can design complex machines, control environmental encounters, communicate multiple compound messages over vast distances (teenage boys are excused this section) and survive in all, or any areas of our planet.  Nevertheless with this prodigious blueprint comes a real human trait, FEAR! Fear of the unknown, of the climate, of pain, of rejection, of failure!  So do we transfer this sometimes in business?  We know hesitation through fear comes from experience; we also know we can transfer ours to others.  How many times have you heard a concerned adult say to their fearless toddler ‘don’t fall’? The consequences thereafter are of course obvious.

Richard Bandler and John Grindler asked the important question ‘’What is the difference that makes the difference?’’  Leaders throughout history may have had a slightly different epithet had they made the big decisions based on climate and fear.

On hearing that Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, was camped in the Bay of Whales with

his expedition party: "One thing only fixes itself in my mind.  The proper, as well as the wiser, course is for us to go back inside and keep warm".

After a poor first business start Henry Ford declared ‘’Failure is a good reason to stop’’

Julius Caesar ‘’I came, I saw, I went home it was a bit parky’’

So what happens when your leaders worry about the business weather?  What do they need to step outside in the extreme conditions?

http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/zest_services.php

Some years ago I was at a leadership conference where a very senior lecturer explained that collective research has shown that the top two fears are 1) fear of dying, 2) fear of public speaking! There is of course a third as far as I am concerned, the fear of dying whilst speaking publicly.  So instead I am off out to run in the snow where the soft filter Nikon lens will be exquisitely positioned to capture the slightly sad looking figure in a constant battle against middle age, whilst continuously slipping over.

Compelling strapline:

Nike ‘just do it’ (not you Cook)

Christmas is not just for Christmas

Who is your favourite member of the Royal family?  Well I can tell you who mine isn’t; Prince Albert of Sax-Coburg (Queen Victoria's husband).  History attributes him for the introduction of the Christmas tree to the UK.  This Pagan tradition was already known to the Royals in Germany and Victoria was already aware of this before she met Albert so she has some part in the blame!  The, sorry, my, Christmas tree is unlike many other modern ‘bolt ons’ to the original Christian celebrations;  a red robed red faced Santa introduced as a marketing campaign by Coca Cola in the 1930’s, stuffing socks full of gifts replicated from a Dutch philanthropist in 1200, Christmas cards first seen in 1843 after Sir Henry Cole created the idea to help young boys practice their writing skills.  Even the ancient Celts believed mistletoe to have magical healing powers and it is said that among Romans, enemies who met under mistletoe would lay down their weapons and embrace.  None of these symbols of our year end marker of personal meaning have the destructive influence of the tree!

Every year I engage my dexterity, influence, assertiveness, patience and emotional intelligence in a ritualistic contest against an artificial Christmas tree.  The tournament usually commences in mid-December with an eye to berry across the loft encounter followed by a flurry of activity down the step ladder chased by cardboard boxes, stems, branches, colour coded inserts, plastic decorations and exploding dust bombs of synthetic snow; this does not of course include the wondrous fairy lights which baffle the art of electric circuitry.  Hours later I emerge triumphant, tree intact, house empty; note from family explaining they will be back when I’m in a better mood.

This is however a pattern.  By the sheer consistency of my toil every year( for the past eight years), I have the forecast; let’s face facts, I can be be assured when Christmas is coming.  I know the data set, I know the logistics, I know the challenges, I can predict the problems and I can identify the root cause (no pun).  And if I am perfectly mapped and planned, in January I could adjust my projections and problem solve it.

We all run patterns in our lives, some helpful some not so; equally your business will run patterns with the same equality of balance and yes of course there are some chaotic theories and capricious intervals, but these will be matched by equivalent predictable events.  Ask yourself, what you know about your business in twelve months’ time that you already know now?  When is your busiest period? When is the lowest resource time?  When is the quietest?  Where are your critical calendar times?  Throw yourself twelve months into the future and tackle it from there.  Future solutions focused business coaching is here and available.

http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/team_business_coaching.php

What is your business Christmas tree?

I mentioned earlier the test of my emotional intelligence.  Here at Zest we are deeply involved with many organisations in Emotional Quotient profiling for senior leaders and therefore increasing performance capability.

http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/emotional_intelligence_profiling.php

The profiling asks you a series of questions based on your emotional reaction against certain circumstances.  Having completed one such EQi 2 profile myself, I am very proud to say that I have a higher than the norm score.  The reason for this, I now suspect, is that the new process has omitted a key question-  ‘How do you feel after construction of an artificial Christmas Tree?’

Tune in next year for ‘How to put a tree back in a box’.

Communicating (through my letter box)

Ever been shouted at, or shouted at someone; by e mail?  It’s remarkably easy YOU JUST DO, IT OK!

Or, ever seen something remarkably simple that stuck in your mind?  Yesterday I was driving home and took the usual route which ends with me stuck in traffic on a small down gradient hill expectantly waiting to transverse the final roundabout before home.  Here I saw it; a poster, a photograph of the saddest looking white cat with black face.  This feline had a small multi coloured tie around its slightly scrawny almost underfed neck and one of this moggy’s eyes was slightly offset down to the left as if indicating a sad outlook on life.  The poster strapline ‘Have you seen Blackie?’

I am writing this blog from a West London suburb traffic queue.  It has got my overactive activist brain pondering a matter which has perplexed me recently.  In fact such enigmas require audience participation through the medium of blogging.

Here it is…

Question 1: What do the following subjects have in common?- Pete and Maureen’s dog grooming, Akan Tandoori, Wooden Blinds Cars.  Yes, correct, they all have a major role in the destruction of South American rain forestry because they are a regular feature of my door mat.  And I wonder what the communication policy of these companies is; imagine a small dimly lit room, a consultant facilitator and the Directors of each organisation participating in a well versed model which reaches its mission statement and values crescendo with the earth shattering delivery plan - ‘to dump leaflets in every house, each Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday until submission of the householder is gained’.  Now I have to be careful here!  Understanding as I do that marketing is crucial, (see previous blogs) sales are essential and constant visibility is enduring; but what do we actually see, hear, feel, taste or even smell?  What makes us be drawn and what draws you to an organisation (or a cat?).

Question 2: Close your eyes and think of the first organisation that comes to mind, so which one came up what made you do that?  Who was it and why?  I certainly didn’t see Pete, Maureen a curry or Nat West’s valeting service or whatever it was.  Stephen Hawking said ‘communication is the key’ and adversely George Bernard Shaw famously quotes ‘The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place’.  Which spectrum is your communication product, a Stephen Hawking or a George Bernard Shaw?

I recently worked with an MD from an engineering company and asked him what their Unique Selling Point is; he thought and pondered and squirmed a bit and then said, ‘well we are no worse than the others’.  Outstanding!  Imagine the leaflet on your doormat ‘JJ Engineering, no worse than the others’.

Certainly in Zest we use simply this - ‘The meaning of communication is the response you get’ - measure the response and you grasp the success.  Part two of the communication seminar in the dimly lit room would be the response plan; how do we stop all our expensive graphically exclusive colourful leaflets ending up in the blue recycle bin?

I am in a West London Suburb because my business partner Elaine sent me an e mail strongly urging Zest Business Coaching to get into action, but because of a typo I am here in Acton.  I’m looking forward to seeing Blackie on the way home.

After the summer, to infinity and beyond

I think if the famous Pixar designers  of Toy Story had a pragmatic catch phrase for their iconic space hero Buzz Lightyear to be  more recognisable in the real world, they would have him leaping off the bedroom lamp stand and forcefully hollering, ‘To Autumn, Winter, Christmas, Spring and our financial target policy’.  

In fact, why not consider a more realistic maxim for all our role models or significant life champions, whoever you choose them to be.  Arnold Schwarzenegger robotically pronouncing ‘I will return at some point with a stable plan which complements a new business model;’ Winston Churchill, stoic, ‘We will engage in a pugilist rule based combat system potentially on or near a sand centred saline fluid area’; Pepsi’s authentic description, ‘It’s a vegetable based fizzy beverage which is quite good’; British Airways stimulating ‘The Biosphere’s preferred aeronautical conveyance systemic enterprising purveyor of human commodity’ and Carlsberg’s mouth-watering ‘Almost a strong chance that this is close to a reasonable product if compared to global influential competitors of similar merchandise’.

Well of course; “to infinity and beyond”, I’ll be back”, “We’ll fight them on the beaches”, “It’s the real thing”, “the world’s favourite airline” and “(probably) the best lager in the world”, are definitely more impactive and stimulating for which there is a very powerful reason.

The truth and undeniable certainty is that your people want to see, feel or hear a vision which will motivate them towards being their professional best, and of course, this is defined in an authentic mission statement based on values.  And why value?  If we don’t value, we don’t care too much; if we don’t care too much we don’t deliver; if we don’t deliver we don’t compete.  Compete! In business?

So please complete this simple and free questionnaire

Is your mission statement incredibly impactive?

·         Yes
·         No
·         What is a mission statement

Do your staff value your great business mission?

·         Yes
·         No
·         Erm

If yes to the above, how do you know?

What is built into your business world to completely understand what motivates your people?

This is a free text reply area.

 

Finally the end of summer for me is triggered by my annual negotiating cost with mechanics.  As I sit in the Saab garage waiting for the service cost to my reasonably modest estate car and having instructed them NOT to replace the cam belt, the sales guy leans over and says ‘You’ll be back’’, a great statement because I will be (probably).

Speeding in Business by Paul Cook

Yes, yes, yes, I know, this is highly embarrassing - look at my profile on the Zest web site and you will understand why! http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/business_coaching_consultant_profiles.php

Yesterday I was sat in a classroom, TLR Crowthorne speed awareness course, with 25 other dejected individuals.  Until a couple of months ago I was the proud owner of a Ford Galaxy people carrier, affectionately or sometimes mockingly referred to by my friends as ‘the van’ or ‘the brick on wheels’.  In the year two thousand with the arrival of child number 4 I forlornly handed the keys to my BMW 3 series in (my ultimate symbol of free will) and swapped said liberty for this 7 seven seater, economic, low carbon, environmentally efficient, reliable, benign transport.  Jeremy Clarkson reviewed this model in top gear magazine and I quote ‘people carriers are for people who have given up all hope’.  Should I buy the carpet slippers now?   Not so, over the forthcoming decade this miraculous piece of machinery conveyed 4 children, plus equipment, several tonnage in garden waste, dump runs,  golfing trips with six overweight friends and their expensive clubs; on one occasion this miraculous engineering phenomenon emptied  two bedrooms including two double beds and conveyed the contents to Berkshire from Kent.  Oh, and sometimes I would have to remind my trusty steed that it may need to consider drinking some fuel now and again.  So synonymous was I with this car that greetings would align as ‘Hi Paul how’s your van?’  Then one day, two months ago, tired of a long cart horse life my Galaxy said ‘sorry about this Paul but I am going to have to blow up now’ and in true Galaxy style kept its word and did.

Moving on, children now at that age (subject of another blog), space not needed etc. I found myself hurtling along the road in my new acquisition and of course new car equals test drive equals showing off to friend in passenger seat.  And, suddenly, camera, 47 in a 40, letter, speed awareness course. Welcome to your new liberation.

Here is the correlation.  I had a very strong belief about my future life in the ‘Galaxy’ world which was manifestly untrue once I had experienced the reality benefits.  I had very strong beliefs about speed cameras as did the majority of the class, in fact I was fervently struck by the strength of emotion expressed by a large group about something so straightforward.  Expressions of ‘revenue generation’  ‘persecution’, ‘oppressive government’, ‘police should catch real criminals’ - this wasn’t Stalag Luft 49B but TLR Crowthorne! A group of middle class middle England professionals being spoken to by a gentle experienced driving expert who simply explained that 10% over the speed limit you are 80% more likely to kill that child, speeding is on average only likely to get you to your destination between 5 and 8 minutes earlier, but guarantees you will be in a considerably more anxious state.  

So ask yourself these questions

·         Where do you ‘speed’ in business?

·         Where does it really get you?

·         What effect does your anxious state have on you and others?

·         Which parts of your business do you kill when you rush?

·         Does anyone want to sell me a Ford Galaxy?

Go beyond multi-tasking, its much safer and you achieve much more.

http://www.zestbusinesscoaching.co.uk/business_coaching_workshop_multi-tasking.php

Being 50 by Paul Cook

I resolved recently, that after due consideration and comparison with many other factors; world events, climate change, youth unemployment and general global unrest, that I must contribute a bit more. I decided therefore that I would be 50.  This decision luckily coincided with my 50^th birthday and so I wouldn’t be in trouble with the data police at The National Statistics office.  ‘It’s just a number’ the kinder of my friends and colleagues declared, ‘so you are officially old now’ the less compassionate (most of them) utter.  So what is in it for me?  Being 50 that is, The comedian Ricky Gervais described it as a time when you can now be grumpy about absolutely everything and  everyone will understand because you are 50.  Is that all there is?  An equation that unravels as
50/ - = Change of self-perception ability and belief.  Well of course it absolutely does not.

Although, I do find it interesting that such an insignificant change (after all, one second you are 49 the next 50) can drive a whole belief shift and outside perception; is it because that is the way our culture works?  Is it because the stigma attached to this says that in your 40’s you are capable of world domination, in your 50’s carpet slippers.  In his thought provoking book The Inner Game of Tennis, Timothy Gallway describes how we have a self-1 and self-2 and how due to self 1’s ‘judgement’ of self-2 (You are too old, to slow, not good enough etc.) we alter our own belief system.  Gallway explains a circumstance that is unchanging; imagine a tennis player serving a ball to the opponent the ball is called out by the umpire, self-1 immediately judges ‘you have done that again, what is the matter with you, you are not good at this’.  Take exactly the same circumstances and the umpire calls the ball in, self-1 and self-2 are now in harmony ‘we are great , fantastic, invincible’.

49 or 50 one second to the next, carpet slippers or world domination it’s up to you.  Surely the real equation is experience + belief= behaviour.

• Mary Dixon became a pilot at the age of 50, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
• Terri Tapper became the oldest female certified kiteboard instructor in the USA (and possibly the world)
• Larry Silverman of Ballston Lake, NY, achieved his 3rd-degree black belt in karate.

Etc.

So one of my closest and most trusted friends reassured me ‘It is only a number….. but quite a big one’!

Tune in this time next year for ‘ Being 51’.

Paul's Working Holiday

Want to improve your NLP skills?  Simple, go to Morocco!

My 82 year old Mother in Law is really 26; she has 82 years on planet Earth but they have not stopped her traveling like a Michael Palin on acid.  As an executive coach and NLP practitioner I am well versed with ‘well-formed outcomes’.  These fundamentally refer to a positive intention, evidenced by knowing what it would be like when you do it put into context, a reality check and then a positive first step.  When my Mother in Law says to my wife ‘’I’m going to Marrakech, will you come with me?’’ I think she hits all the ingredients.  What I hadn’t recognised and a new NLP model (I suggest) is what I now refer to as the ‘Third party well-formed outcome effect’ i.e. my wife to me- ‘’Paul will you come with us?  We would feel a lot safer.’’

Walking, no, fighting your way through the old Medina in aforementioned city as chief security/health and safety officer for elderly lady and pretty blonde woman brings many challenges; cobbled streets with many holes designed to trip elderly lady, moped riders who are hell bent on running over elderly lady should pot holes not succeed, middle aged Arabic gentlemen assertively staring at or touching hair of pretty blonde lady, unidentified persons looking for opportunities to relieve me of my wallet/camera/hat! And if one dares to make the audacious judgement to stop and view a map then this clearly is a signal to young boys to surround us and demand money.  Yes of course, as in NLP classes I would suggest this is the situation based on my own perception; what I needed to do was change that and see it from the Moroccan perspective.  This led me to also think about other presuppositions (of NLP) and how we can apply them in more challenging situations, after all the world is a challenging place, think of today’s economy and how you may need to do things differently in business:  Einstein said ‘in order to affect the world’s problems we need to think and act differently: that we won’t change the issues with the thinking that generated those issues in the first place’.

So my changed perspective linked to NLP presupposition tactics took the following forms;

The map is not the territory.  I now see what you see; it is ok for everything to be in disrepair, old and young to beg in the streets and people to be second best to mechanical transport.  It’s the way it is.

The meaning of communication is the response you get. Telling you that I don’t want to buy that old tat for extortionate prices if it was my last day on Earth is not clear enough, I just need to be more precise.

The person with the most flexibility in thinking and behaviour has the most influence on any interaction. After stealing my camera and demanding 50 Dirham to get it back can be easily addressed by me offering you half that amount.

There is a problem to every solution. Next year we are going to Blackpool, I hear the weather is lovely in April.

NB Morocco is a beautiful place with charming history.  It is also boot camp for NLP training.