Adrian Malpass

Networking Made Easy!

2011-10-05T14:31:00.016+01:00

I wonder....

How many people attend regular 'networking' events, but struggle to get the best out of them?

It would appear around 80% of these people are unsatisfied with what they get out of networking.

Crazy isn't it?

So, here are a few

simple tips to help your networking do that little bit more for you:

Always take with you:

Business cards
A pen
You do not need to take any 'marketing materials
Remember to make sure your name badge clearly shows your first name, and wear it high up on your right side

Networking events are all about:

Big Fish (seek out the people who are potential regular customers, great value suppliers or reliable referrers), and
Coffee (all you have to do it arrange to have a coffee with them another ti
me)

Two things you already have that are great for networking:

Good manners
The ability to talk

It's just like getting to know anyone - the 5 steps in a networking conversation:

Get into the conversation smoothly - develop a simple intro. e.g.: "Hi, I'm Bob."
Talk about them (first!) - ask lots of questions and be interested
Talk about you when they ask - remember your AFTERs
Chat - business interests, current affairs, sport, hobbies, local topics, etc
Leave the conversation politely! Remember to ask who is their 'ideal' client, and who could you refer to them (and vice versa)

About YOU:

Remember your AFTERs - the benefits clients are left with after they have worked with you
Tell people what you do, not your job title - have an impact!
Describe what sort of clients you work with or are looking for
facts tell, stories sell - give real examples of your successes and explainthe need for what you do
Differentiate yourself from your competitors and others in your industry
It's always better to say too little than too much - keep them coming back for more
Don't waffle!

What you are:

You're not an accountant - you help people pay less tax!
You're not an estate agent - you help people find their dream home!
You're not a web designer - you help businesses be more successful online!

Where networking is concerned, it's only as difficult as you want to make it.

Give these easy tips a try, and let meknow how you get on.

2% Is All it Takes

2011-02-17T17:09:00.006Z

Being 'World Class'.

Often heard, but what does it actually mean?

Or, more importantly, what does it cost?

If you were setting out to create a 'World Class' organisation, what would you say are the additional costs to get there?

10% of your sales?

40%?

80%?

Even more than that?

If I said it was just 2%, what would you say?

If I then said I don't mean 2% of your sales, I just mean 2% of your total staff costs, then what would you say?

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Well, I have news for you!

It really could take just 2% of your total staff costs to transform your organisation into one that can genuinely compete on the world stage.

The first and most important thing to remember is that you don't have to be big to be World Class. In fact, far from it. I have been fortunate to work with many World Class organisations, some of which were single person businesses.

Being 'World Class' is fundamentally about the Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills and Habits (behaviours) - or K.A.S.H. - of your workforce. Whether that workforce is just you or numbers in the thousands, the route to excellence is just the same.

Remember the Pareto principle? Better known as the '80/20 Rule'?

Well, it is estimated that around 80% of the benefits your personnel bring to your organisation are down to their 'soft' skills - K.A.S.H.!

Yet around 80% of UK organisations develop their personnel's 'soft' skills through just 2 days of training per year or less!

Crazy isn't it? And they wonder why progress is so slow or even non existent or, worse, that they are getting left behind by the competition!

The reason most often cited for doing so little? You guessed it - cost! Please bear in mind that a day's training to a high quality need only cost around £100-£150 per person.

So the message being sent out is effectively that something that brings 80% of the benefits to an organisation isn't worth investing in.

Just where is the sense in that?

You look at any World Class organisations, of any size, in any sector, and you will see one thing in common - they continuously invest in developing their people.

So, back to this '2%' then.

If developing the things that bring 80% of the benefits to your organisation were to cost you just 2% of your total staff costs, that's a pretty good return on your investment, isn't it?

So what makes so many organisations cut corners when it comes to developing their people, especially if all it takes is just 2%? Goodness knows!

Let me show you a simple calculation as an example:

An organisation pays an average annual salary (taking into account everyone in the organisation, including the Directors) of £30,000

Additional costs directly associated with employing each person, employer's National Insurance, benefits and so on, typically equate to around 40% of their salary.

So total average annual employment costs per employee (in this example) is:
£30,000 + 40% = £30,000 + £12,000 = £42,000

Now take this amount and calculate just 2% of it as a budget for learning and development = £840/yr

So the annual average budget per employee for developing their skills is £840.

Or to put it into training days, that's somewhere around 6 to 8 training days per year, every year.

Just imagine the impact on your orgainsation if every employee had (on average) 6 to 8 training days every year?

If the training plans are properly developed (and most training companies worth anything can easily help you do this), your organisation could easily achieve World Class standards within 5 years.

And all for just a measly 2% of your total staff costs!!

Amazing isn't it?

So what are you waiting for?

Get in touch!

Snow and Ice Saves YOU ££££ - Honestly!

2010-12-06T16:03:00.001Z

Had any snow and ice your way?

Well, if you've been in the UK during the last week the chances are you're saying you have.

Sadly, many parts of the country have been very seriously disrupted, and hence the reason for this blog entry.

Because of the weather, a client's key team development programme, due for delivery this week, has had to be re-scheduled.

Thankfully, this has resulted in an opportunity to re-organise key parts of the diary over the next couple of months, freeing-up 2 days in mid/late January.

So, if you and/or your team are looking for great value training, coaching, or mentoring, or you'd like to share the day(s) with another organisation, here's what you can get in this very special package:

Award Winning coaching and mentoring with a fully qualified and highly experienced coach/mentor or
Interactive and highly effective soft skills personal or team development
Skills development uniquely built around the core principles of advanced 2nd generation emotional intelligence and accelerated learning
Great fun programmes with skills development that you can apply straightaway
Bespoke programme development, for these 2 days only, included
Delivered at a location in the Cheltenham area
Choose 1 day or 2 days. separately or consecutively
Due to client re-scheduling, this package is available at a cost that is never to be repeated, saving ££££

Interested?

Then please get in touch - this is strictly on a first come, first served basis and cannot be repeated.

Contact me by leaving a comment below or click here for the website.

Thanks.

Champagne Breakfast, Great Company and Procrastination! Get Your Fix here!

2010-11-04T15:32:00.002Z

OK!

You know when the Universe is telling you to do something about, err, something?

Hands-up everyone who has been putting off a particular task for hours, or days, or weeks, or even years?

Yes, yes, alright! Stupid question, I know. You can all put your hands down now.

Procrastination!

We all do it, don't we?

And, what is more, we all wish we didn't!

Over the last couple of weeks, the word 'procrastination' has come up so often in my conversations with friends, family, clients, and various articles and books I have read, that I thought it's about time I stopped just thinking about it and got on with writing about it (see what I did there?).

After all, many people, be they friends or clients, come to me, as a coach (and also a trusted friend I would hope), to help them resolve their individual experiences with procrastination.

Interestingly, a quick Google search finds many tips for overcoming procrastination based on time management - as if time management were the cause, not the effect of procrastination. Curious, to say the least!

So far, I am yet to work with anybody in resolving their procrastination where the causes and solutions have even the slightest thing to do with time management.

Let me give you an example of my own almost instantaneous procrastination that happened recently. The names have been omitted to protect the guilty!! :)

A few Saturdays ago, I arranged to meet a friend for coffee before we both went to a mutual friend's Champagne Birthday Breakfast.

I was planning to make a load of pickles and chutneys that afternoon, so the plans, such as they were, all fitted together pretty well.

But you know what they say about the best laid plans!

With the wonderful benefit of hindsight, I should have known that the day would turn out rather differently when just meeting my friend for a simple coffee, for various reasons, didn't exactly go to plan. However, I am very pleased to say we managed to get our caffeine fix in good time and weren't late for the Breakfast either.

The Champagne Birthday Breakfast was great, and the 'owner' of said birthday had really pushed the boat out!

As the Breakfast rolled on, my friend and I decided to go for a pint afterwards. Fair enough - my intended plans for the afternoon could easily accommodate that!

Enter procrastination!

To cut a long story short, you know what it's like when you're enjoying the company, with good beer, chatting away, and generally having a great time? Take it from me, 6.30pm, yes 6.30pm (!), creeps up on you pretty quickly! Then, of course, you get dragged (under protest, of course ;) ) to a bar, and...

Suffice to say, I didn't return home until well into the evening, by which time I had lost all intention of pickles and chutneys! Although, I did have a lot more fun! And that's what friends are for!

In this case, my procrastination (putting off sticking to my plans and going home to make the pickles and chutneys) came about as a result of my priorities changing - one of the most common causes of procrastination. My priorities for the day simply changed, or perhaps 'melted away' is more appropriate, as a result of the unexpected way the day turned out. I just preferred to spend time with my friend instead of the smelly, sticky mess that usually results when making chutneys etc. Not exactly the most difficult decision I've ever made!

In my experience, the fundamental causes of procrastination can mostly (and I emphasise mostly) be found in four areas.

Fear/Dislike
Much procrastinating occurs as a result of people's fear or concern over carrying out the task, or just because it's a task they really dislike. How often have you come across people who don't like working with numbers, who keep putting off sorting out their personal or business banking or bill paying? This can also be one of the reasons writers and other creative people get 'blocks' or keep on delaying getting on with a particular project - they get worried about the 'block' returning, or just not being able to get the creative 'juices' flowing.

Change of Priorities/Circumstances
As in the example I have given above, a simple change in priorities can cause procrastination. If you allow your priorities to change, as I did (and it often happens at short notice), something usually has to 'give' and get delayed.

Confusion/Lack of Clarity
If you're confused about what you want to do next, or for the rest of the day/week/month/etc, then it makes it very much more difficult to take action because there is no clarity. Achieving clarity in your life can be a major step forward, and often materialises once you understand your Core Values.

Responsibility
Taking ownership for all that you do and all you have done can represent significant progress in eliminating procrastination from your life. Most of us only half-heartedly take on or accept responsibility, sometimes even begrudgingly. If your 'buy-in' to responsibility for your own thoughts, behaviours, attitudes and actions is less than complete, it will be reflected in what you experience.

Which leads me on to something, in my view, which is the most important bit.....

CORE VALUES
Experience tells me that by far the main cause of procrastination is not understanding your Core Values - the most fundamental building blocks that make you the person you are.

In case you're wondering, your Core Values are typically established in you by the time you are just 3 years old. They stay with you for the whole of your life, although their priority changes according to your experiences at the time.

If you are not aware of your Core Values, and most people aren't, and especially if you are not aware of their priority at this point in your life, procrastination is one of the classic signs that you are not living your life according to your Core Values. Other typical signs of going against your Core Values can include stress, illness, a general feeling of uneasiness or tension, mood swings, poor productivity and focus, and unhappiness (among others). Ring any bells?

Please, please, please do not underestimate the importance of understanding your Core Values as it really could, quite literally, change your life for the better. The benefits of understanding and fully supporting your Values are many and varied and, from personal experience, it's a great thing to do.

How do you get to find out your Core Values?

Much as I hate to turn this blog entry into a shameless plug for Coaching, all you have to do is track down a very experienced, and preferably fully qualified, Coach to elicit your Core Values for you.

Most people find it a revelation, and the elicitation can usually be carried face to face or over the phone - so how about giving it a try?

You know you're worth it!

It might just change your life, AND help you to reduce or even eliminate that procrastination!

P.S.: friends, if you're interested in eliciting your Core Values just let me know. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink!

Spooky Swarm Time!

2010-10-29T21:10:00.011+01:00

Hi Everyone,

Yes, yes, I know it's incredibly short notice - but isn't that part of the fun and part of the essence of a 'swarm'?

Foursquare have launched the Spooky Swarm badge - 50+ people checked-in at one location after dark.

I'm not sure, but I believe this badge to be time limited around this year's Halloween. It's certainly ultra-rare in Foursquare terms!

On the evening of Saturday 30th October, 2010, do you want to say you did what you usually do every Saturday, OR do want to say, "We went to The King's Head and grabbed ourselves an ultra-rare Spooky Swarm badge."?

To qualify, all we need is just 50+ people checking-in at one place in a 3 hour period after dark (i.e.: a Swarm!).

There's a huge Halloween Party taking pace at The King's Head in Bishop's Cleeve on Saturday evening, which is FREE, so why not come all dressed up and make it extra special?

You'll get an extra hour in bed, so it doesn't matter if it's a late one! (The clocks go back 2am Sunday morning).

BONUS - everyone who shouts 'Halloween' when they check-in on Foursquare will also pick up a 'Halloween 2010' badge as well!

OK, here's the important bits:
Time - from 7pm
Date - Saturday 30 October, 2010
Place - The King's Head, Cheltenham Road, Bishop's Cleeve. GL52 8LU map

TRAVEL: JUST 12 minutes each way!
The D bus leaves from Clarence Street, Cheltenham (just up from the Bank House pub) regularly - when you get to the middle of Bishop's Cleeve (i.e.: where the shops are), stand with your back to the chip shop, and The King's Head is in front of you just to the right
The same D bus can be caught just a few yards from The King's Head regularly until 11.30pm - so there's no problem in getting home to Cheltenham!

There's also a 24 hour taxi service a few yards from the pub.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
Re-tweet the link to this page as much as you can.
RSVP to me to let me know you're up for it - by all means contact me via Twitter (@AdrianEXG) or add comments below. Those that have my mobile number, please feel free to call or text if you wish.

Come on, let's do it!

'Tip' Your Business....Towards Success!

2010-10-20T16:02:00.000+01:00

Ever noticed how sometimes, just sometimes, something takes off?

And I mean really takes off?

Such as Twitter or Foursquare or Hush Puppies or Sesame Street or Air Travel and so on, and on, and on?

But what makes these, generally unlikely products or services 'tip' into a position of such popularity and success?

What do they all have in common?

What qualities brought about their dramatic rise to popular use and acceptance?

Strangely enough, they really do all have some common characteristics.

If ever you have read the classic book The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, you will already be making the connections.

Consider these three characteristics and see if you can identify them in the examples I have given above:

The original idea was contagious - it was 'catchy', something new or distinctly different in its market place, or it created a whole new market or area of interest by itself, such that it caught on with many, even if those interested parties were originally in the minority in terms of their interests, habits or activities
Small changes have huge effects - if the Wright Brothers' original single-seater design for an aeroplane had stayed as it was, would air travel ever have taken off? (No pun intended). Unlikely! What if the originators of Sesame Street hadn't carried out lots of research to find out how kids liked to be entertained (their early attempts at the programme were nowhere near as successful as they are today)? In all the examples above, somebody, somewhere had the awareness to make the small changes that took the 'good' idea and turned it into a 'great' one
Change happens in one dramatic moment - where, after years and even centuries of happily doing without any of the examples above, they suddenly become incredibly popular. They become desirable to many, many people through their benefits being easily understood and discussed, spreading the 'word'

So, how can you apply this to your business?

Ask yourself these questions and see where you get to:

Of all the things that my business delivers, which one gets the most interest and is most talked about (by people outside the business)?
How can I develop it to make it more appealing to more people?
How, where and when could I test it to see how the development is going?
What is my plan for letting the world know about it and how practical and achievable is that plan?

That little lot should keep you busy for a while!

However, if you're interested in taking it further, let me know.

Good luck!

#SuperSwarmUK...That's A Wrap! (Or is it?)

2010-10-14T17:53:00.004+01:00

So, Saturday 9 October 2010 was the day!

The day of #SuperSwarmUK - a very serious attempt at achieveing a Foursquare SuperSwarm badge (250+ people concurrently checked-in at the same venue within a 3 hour period) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

After a simply vast amount of effort from the SuperSwarmUK Team, as well as considerable help and contributions on the day from many other people (see below), the event was upon us.

Only 2 days before, a team in London had handsomely pulled off the very first UK SuperSwarm, achieving over 320 check-ins in less than 90 minutes - oh, the benefits of having 7.5 million peple to choose from eh?

Here in our meduim-sized Cotswold town, we knew it was going to be a very tough 'ask' to gather 250+ people for the attempt. But, thankfully, all 6 members of the team have one great quality in common - there was never any doubt that we should give it a go. Sort of a 'because it's there' mentality. Also, it sems that all successful SuperSwarms so far have only occurred in major cities with populations of millions (Cheltenham's population, by comparison, is just 112,000).

In the end though, we only managed around 115 check-ins which left us considerably short of our target.

However, achieving that number is actually a simply staggering achievement! It works out as 1 in every 1000 of Cheltenham's population checked-in at our event.

To give you a comparison, that's equivalent to 7,500 people in London!

But the team wasn't too downhearted, We all managed a smile (and a few beers).

Thankfully, there's plenty to learn from this project for future projects.

And what will those projects be?

As yet, who knows? But I get the distinct impression that the Team will be back together before too long in an attempt to give another crazy project a go.

So, fellow member of the Team, don't be too suprised if you get a message from me (almost) quoting The Blues Brothers along the lines of, "We're putting the team back together".

There we are then. That's a wrap for SuperSwarmUK.

Or is it?

The UK's (and possibly the World's) first SuperSwarm outside of a major city is still definitely up for grabs.

Now, let me think about this......................... ;)

Considerable and immeasurable thanks to the SuperSwarmUK Team:

Adrian Malpass (@AdrianEXG) of the Experience Group, a business coach, mentor and trainer, responsible for project strategy and planning (that's me...sorry!)
Jonathan Pollinger (@JonnoP) of Intranet Future, a social media specialist, responsible for social media strategy and implementation
Holly Knowlman (@DirtyEnid) of DirtyEnid Promotions, a public relations specialist, responsible for all things PR and media
Chris Roberts (@SolutionMania) of Firehoop, a web application developer, responsible for search engine optimisation and digital marketing
Andy Thorne (@JealousDesign) of Jealous Design, a web design and branding specialist, responsible for design and branding
Andy Burgess (@Glos365) of ImGloucestershire365, a sales and marketing specialist, responsible for marketing

Also, thanks to the following for assistance during the project:
J D Wetherspoon PLC
Quorum Print Services
10 Yetis PR Agency
Expertise On Tap (official videographers)
Tammy Lynn Photography (official photgrapher)
Photoglow (official photographer)

Also, special thanks for their considerable help on the day to:
Emily Davis
Craigi Love

Here's Emily's Video Blog of the event:

Most of all, indescribable thanks to each and every one of you who took part in the event. It would never have been the fun that it was without you.

Team Pic!

From left to right: Adrian, Andy T, Chris, Holly, Jonathan and Andy B

#SuperSwarmUK - I Blame Beer!

2010-09-24T14:15:00.010+01:00

Ever had one of one of those penny-dropping moments that seem just crazy enough to work?

I did, back in August!

I'm very new to social media - only really been in circulation since about April of this year - but through it, I have met a huge number of terrific and interesting people already.

One of those people is Chris Roberts (@SolutionMania), top man at Firehoop, Cheltenham's leading web applications developers.

Chris and I had a pre-arranged meeting on 5th August, after which we were both due to attend Cheltenham's Meet140 social media get-together.

As is so often the case, over a pint at Meet140 Chris and I started chatting about many things - one of which turned out to be the relatively new location-based social media that is Foursquare. Chris explained that although the Foursquare Swarm badge (50 people checked-in at one location within 3 hours) had already been unlocked a few times in the UK, the SuperSwarm badge (250 people checked-in at one location within 3 hours) hadn't and that several attempts around this country, and others, had failed.

This conversation kept going around in my head - you know, one of those incidences when you get the impression you're being told something?

And so it began!

Thankfully, and I must have been having one of my more lucid moments, I realised that over the previous few weeks I had been fortunate enough to meet the people with the knowledge, experience, and talent to build a hugely powerful project team to make an attempt on the UK's first SuperSwarm a success.

All I had to do was bring them together....well, more or less!

I approached them, and thankfully they all agreed to take part.

On 27 August, the SuperSwarmUK project team met for the first time:
Adrian Malpass (@AdrianEXG) of the Experience Group, a business coach and mentor, responsible for project strategy and planning (that's me...shameless plug!)
Jonathan Pollinger (@JonnoP) of Intranet Future, a social media specialist, responsible for social media strategy and implementation
Holly Knowlman (@DirtyEnid) of DirtyEnid Promotions, a public relations specialist, responsible for all things PR and media
Chris Roberts (@SolutionMania) of Firehoop, a web application developer, responsible for search engine optimisation and digital marketing
Andy Thorne (@JealousDesign) of Jealous Design, a web design and branding specialist, responsible for design and branding
Andy Burgess (@Glos365) of ImGloucestershire365, a sales and marketing specialist, responsible for marketing

Since then, the team has met more or less weekly, and a very great deal has happened, not least our collective use of social and conventional media to spread the word!

Special Announcements

We now have exclusive corporate support from J. D. Wetherspoon pubs and bars.
Our PR specialist, Hollow Knowlman, is now being supported by the might of the 10 Yetis PR Agency

And they are only the announcements we've made so far!

There's still two weeks to go until the event, and we're looking for as many people as possible to attend and potentially make history!

So, if you're interested in having a party, or Foursquare, or social media, or Cheltenham, or whatever, come along, have a great time and help us achieve a UK first! You'll get a badge through Foursquare that really will be very special!

The event is free and there will be plenty of, shall we say, 'incentives' for every participant on the day.

All you need is a smartphone, a Foursquare account, and a free Foursquare app on your phone (many are avaiable from your favourite app store) - that's it!

There'll also be plenty of help on-hand on the day to help with technical queries, so you'll be in safe hands!

Here are the event details:
Date: Saturday 9 October, 2010
Time: 1300-1600hrs
Location: The Bank House (pub), Clarence Street, Cheltenham. GL50 3JL (map)

To keep right up to date with information on this amazing event:
Team Foursquarestival website: click here Twitter: @4squarestival
Facebook page: click here
Facebook event: click here
Follow the Twitter hashtag: #SuperSwarmUK
Or follow the team mebers on Twitter (see above)

Hope to see you all there and, fingers crossed, we'll unlock the SuperSwarm badge!

Coaching: The Coming Credibility Crisis?

2010-09-02T12:09:00.006+01:00

Coaching has a credibility issue!

All too often, I get new clients coming to me having already had a bad experince with coaching (which usually hasn't actually been 'coaching' at all).

Over the last 18 months or so, I have noticed a substantial increase in the number of people calling themselves 'coaches'.

Having been closely involved in coaching for several years, it's good to see (hopefully demand driven) growth in the sector - but at what cost?

The exact reasons for this growth in numbers I am not too sure about, but they could include:

the economic circumstances - people looking for something new to do, or to supplement their income, or as a new career after being made redundant
an on-going increased interest in coaching and coaching skills development in the workplace
a perceived 'trendiness' associated with being a coach of some decription

Consquently, there are now many, many coaches around. Some are completely untrained and unqualified and are brilliant. Others seem to have been on every training programme available and are, quite frankly, dreadful! Then, of course, there is every combination in between those two extremes. Very, very few, in the grand scheme of things, are genuinely 'qualified'.

This, in fairness, quite accurately maps the training available for coaching skills - it varies from great to terrible. from nationally recognised qualifications to flaky courses.

Most training programmes are also self-certified or self-accredited by the training provider. They are not qualifications. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as some of the coaching training available is very, very good indeed, but is does considerably hinder the assurance of quality among all coaches.

However, there are a very, very few training programmes available that actually represent a recognised qualification, and perhaps therein lies the issue.

Proper, recognised qualifications, love them or hate them, do help to support and develop a common base for standards - something which coaching, at present, lacks.

In coaching, plainly and simply, quality is everything, and those coaches of quality generally shine through.

Sadly, many people still associate 'coaching' with 'life coaches'. Because of the prevalence of 'life coaches' of variable quality, this isn't always a good association as there appears to be a fairly widespread and increasingly negative view of them: remember the old adage about smoke and fire?

Coaches who consistently deliver quality in their chosen field of coaching build a reputation that will draw more demand in their direction - after all, there is nothing as great as word of mouth recommendation, is there?

And, most experienced coaches have clearly identified areas in which they choose to specialise.

So, with this vast and variable mix present in the coaching supply arena, how do we collectively ensure standards and quality?

Thankfully, the increase in the number of coaches is driving an increase in awareness of what makes a good coach and how to choose one.

Increasingly, to demonstrate my credibility, I get asked to:

deliver a brief 'live' demonstration
provide a list of recent coaching clients who would be willing to give a (usually verbal) reference
be interviewed by at least two client representatives (remembering almost all of my clients are businesses, and I generally coach at executive level)

Rarely, if ever, do I get asked for proof of my qualification!

So there we are - developing and maintaining quality and credibility in coaching, and as a coach, is good for you and will help drive up standards and recognition in the industry. More importantly, it will help provide clarity to the client, or potential client, in understanding coaching and choosing a coach with confidence.

Unfortunately, because the quality of coaches out there is so variable, and until such time as proof of standards and qualifications are demanded by the clients, we'll just have to rely on the coaching 'cloud' (sorry to use a computing term, but I'm sure you know what I mean?) to re-fresh, re-new, and re-focus where our industry is going.

This is a truly great industry to be involved in, but the threat to all of our credibility is clear and present and if we let our guard down it will rapidly be in crisis.

In my humble experience, and for the reasons above, the crisis could be just around the corner.

Let's keep it there!

The Unlikely Tale of #GlosBiz

2010-08-16T17:32:00.001+01:00

The very nature of Twitter, not least as it is already four years old, is that most word combinations have already been aired at some point - very, very, very little is likely to be genuinely new.

So when I typed the hashtag #GlosBiz in a tweet around a week ago, it was hardly likely to be ground-breaking in the slightest. The term had just come about in my mind as a straighforward way of highlighting local business.

My tweet went something like this, "If we all spend just £1 per week with a local #GlosBiz instead of a supermarket, imagine the difference it would make".

After a bit of reflection, I then followed it with (more or less), "Use the #GlosBiz tag to raise awareness of local business. Pls RT".

What happened next was, in my view, just one of those 'right place, right time' moments.

Within hours, literally, the tag had spread across Gloucestershire and was being used by businesses of all sizes, customers of businesses, fans, even potential customers. Within 24 hours it had reached New York and was indexing on Google, and within 48 hours local PR people were picking it up, other 'Biz' tags had been created for other areas across the UK, and the whole idea of a Biz tag to highlight local businesses had taken on a life of its own.

By now, one week on, there are many, many people using and watching the #GlosBiz tag, with many more tags being created.

So far, the tags I know of are:
#GlosBiz
#SomBiz (Somerset)

#EastMidsBiz

#HfdBiz (Herefordshire)

#BrisBiz (Bristol)

#StaffsBiz (Staffordshire)

#WorcsBiz (Worcestershire)

#MKBiz (Milton Keynes)

#HantsBiz (Hampshire)

#BerksBiz (Berkshire)

Update (26 Nov 2010), also now includes:
#WalesBiz (Wales)
#NorthantsBiz (Northamptonshire)
#OxonBix (Oxfordshire)
#LonBiz (London)
#YorksBiz (Yorkshire)
#SussBiz (Sussex)
#SurBiz (Surrey)
#BrumBiz (Birmingham)
#LincsBiz (Lincolnshire)
#McrBiz (Manchester)
#ChesBiz (Cheshire)
#WiltsBiz (Wiltshire)

...among others!

The #GlosBiz tag is now being used creatively to:

attract new customers, mostly local
let people know what a business does
promote offers
connect businesses and other interested parties
provide a mini directory of local businesses
help people find a local business that does specific things
help local job hunters find out more about local businesses
help local employers raise their profile
promote a business, often in conjuncion with other local Biz tags

and that's just for starters!

How the #GlosBiz tag took off, and the exact reasons for it could be, I'm sure, debated for hours on end.

But the reality is that it satisfied the 3 key elements to take it beyond its 'tipping point', namely:

the idea is contagious - it appeals to many people in one place (Twitter), and is easy to use and remember
little causes have large effects - a few tweets from me, then a few re-tweets, and a few very brief explanations of what the tag could be used for, and it exploded
the change happens in one short, dramatic moment - from a single tweet to international use and indexing on Google in less that 24 hours

So there you are - a brief history of how a chance, random phrase turned into something with the potential to influence lots of people, lots of businesses, and hopefully improve all of their fortunes.

If you know of a local/regional Biz tag in your area, please add it below to help creat a full list - thank you.

I'll add updates of how the tag is spreading as and when I can - in the meantime, if you're a local business, or have any interest in local business, however spurious, in Gloucestershire, then please, please use the #GlosBiz tag in your tweets - it really can make a difference!

They're Flat On The Bottom For A Reason!

2010-08-10T14:21:00.000+01:00

Staying 'grounded'.

Most of us have an understanding of what it means, but how many of us actually make the effort to work out just how 'grounded' we really are?

For me, working in the fields of coaching, mentoring and training is one continuous learning experience (no pun intended). It also tends to pull you in all sort of different directions, often at the same time. Occasionally, perhaps after a particularly crazy month or two, I am left with a sensation of 'looseness' - that my 'gounding' has come unstuck.

In coaching, a coach has a responsibility to the client to retain neutrality and I have found that the better my 'grounding', the easier it is to maintain and deliver that neutrality to the highest quality.

As for how I keep my 'grounding' or even 're-ground' myself, I find that asking myself some reflective, challenging questions works for me (I guess it's the coach in me coming out).

So, below are some of the questions that I make sure I answer - if you have some, please feel free to add a comment.

Here we go (not in any particular order):

What is the likely outcome of my current focus?
How am I?
What am I doing to support my core values?
What, within my power, should I change and how?
What am I responsible for and to whom?
How open am I being to the questions the universe is asking of me, and how am I responding?
What positive contribution(s) have I made today/this week/etc?
If I re-ran today/this week/etc, what would I change?
What have I learnt from today/this week/etc?
How do I know (for sure) who I really am?

Obviously, there could be many, many more!

So, you see it's not just those things on the end of your legs that help keep you grounded.

Although, your feet really are flat on the bottom for a reason!

Tune-Up Your Thinking - 5 Books

2010-08-09T10:31:00.000+01:00

If you work anywhere near the fields of coaching and mentoring, or even if you just have a passing interest in them, then you probably appreciate the importance of not just facilitating developing your client's thinking, but also your own.

Here are five books that have had interesting influences on my own thinking - and they're not necessarily about thinking!

If you decide to give any of these a go, please let me know what you think.

As always, this is just a list of some of the books that have helped my thinking - there are many, many others, and if you have any favourites, please feel free to add them through the comments box below.

Happy reading!

Think! Before It's Too Late - Edward de Bono, this book helps you to think about thinking, particularly how historical influences have guided our thinking today, and what we can learn about how to change it
Wikinomics - Don Tapscott, Anthony D. Williams, in this social media world, this helps us to consider and understand the influence and changes that mass collaboration can have.
How To Have Creative Ideas - Edward de Bono, a great fun book, full of exercises to develop how your creativity works, and, importantly, how to make it effective
How To Be Brilliant - Michael Heppell, this book is another and, in many ways, different view on changing your ways (or when you are working with clients to change theirs). Particularly, it focusses on how to do these quickly, economically and with fun
How To Have A Beautiful Mind - Edward de Bono, yes, I know, de Bono yet again! This is one of my favourite books of his. It closely works on how to develop your thinking to be 'irresistible' - a great 'rapport building' contribution

Roasted Aubergine with Saffron Yoghurt (Recipe)

2010-08-06T18:04:00.001+01:00

One of my favourite starters!

Ingredients:

3 Aubergines cut diagonally into 2cm thick slices, 2 slices per person, or wedges
Olive oil for brushing
2 tablespoons of toasted Pine Nuts
Handful of Pomegranate seeds
20 fresh Basil leaves
Coarse sea salt and black pepper

For the saffron Yoghurt:

A pinch of Saffron strands soaked in a dessert spoon of hot water for 5 minutes
180g Greek Yoghurt
1 Garlic clove, crushed
2 1/2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons Olive oil

Put the lemon juice, yoghurt, crushed garlic, olive oil and a little salt into a bowl, add the saffron water and whisk well until smooth. Adjust the salt as required, then stick it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Place the aubergine slices on a baking tray, brush with oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and place in a preheated oven (220degC) until lightly browned (usually between 20 and 35 minutes). Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

To serve, either put all of the aubergine slices on a large plate, or serve on individual plates, slightly overlaping, drizzle over the yoghurt mixture, sprinkle with the pine nuts and pomegranate seeds, and put the basil leaves over the whole lot!

Bingo - one very tasty, and healthy, starter that people will really remember!

10 Books for Improving Your Coaching Skills

2010-08-04T14:32:00.001+01:00

As you may well be aware, there are many, many books that profess to be useful to coaches, or those interested in coaching, and help develop or polish-up their skills.

Some are good, a (very) few are excellent, but sadly most aren't!

I have lost count of how many I have read over the years - my shelves are absolutely stacked with them. So here is a list of 10 coaching skills related books that I would recommend - sort of trying to sort the wheat from the chaff.

If you have read any of them, it would be great to hear your views of them too.

What Metters Most, Hyrum W. Smith - still probably the best book I have read on the topic of values and beliefs (sadly, I believe this is currently out of print)
Co-Active Coaching, Laura Whitworth et al - rather more of a textbook, and so not covering all aspects of coaching, but probably the best of its type
Time to Think, Nancy Kline - all about giving people space and developing your listening. Highly valuable stuff, presented in an easy-to-read style
Finding Your Own North Star, Martha Beck - helping you to understand the power of clear direction and focus, and how to establish it
The Tao of Coaching, Max Landsberg - a simple, story-based explanation of the benefits of using a model in coaching when combined with key basic skills
Coaching for Performance, Sir John Whitworth - a great, solid book by one of the business world's clearest thinkers. Especially useful in a business/organisational context
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Susan Jeffers - an absolute classic about identifying and overcoming limiting beliefs. Particularly useful for getting over/through 'barriers'
Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman - emotional intelligence, I believe, will be one of the most valuable developments in the corporate world for managing and developing their people. Although EI has moved on, this is still a good place to start
The Power of Your Sub-conscious Mind, Joseph Murphy - whether we realise it or not, our sub-conscious has a massive influence on all of us. This book helps to explain the god and bad bits of working with your sub-conscious
Taming Your Gremlin, Rick Carson - you know that little voice that undermines you at times? In coaching terms, it's what we call a Gremlin. Tame it and enjoy the difference!

Well, there you go - by no means a complete list for anyone interested in coaching (could there ever be a 'complete' list?), but something to get you going and I have read them all.

The Universe Has A Problem - It's Dark Out There!

2010-08-03T17:05:00.016+01:00

There's something wrong with The Universe.

Once you escape the fragile atmosphere and gravitational pull of this Third Rock from The Sun, you're in, what is in reality, the vacuum of Outer Space.

There's around 93 million miles of it between us and The Sun, which is actually very, very interesting, and only goes to show that there really is something wrong with The Universe.

Bear with me here!

Our Sun, which is more than 100 times the size of Earth, and made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, blasts out light which travels across our Solar System and beyond. This clearly demonstrates (at least) one thing - light travels easily through a vacuum.

As a bit of trivia (pub quiz answer perhaps?), The Sun accounts for 99.86% of the total mass of our Solar System - just 0.14% is all of the planets, bits of rock that are floating about, and very small amounts of dust and gas. It's surface temperature is about 5500degC!

So, back to the issue in hand...

As Space is a vacuum, light emitted from a star, any star, should travel through it and brighten up the whole Universe. Any stars we cannot see yet, or where their light hasn't yet reached, is then purely due to the speed of light (around 186,000 miles per second) - in other words, light takes time to get places!

Although we're not sure just how big the Universe is, we're aware that it's huge, it's getting bigger, and it's getting bigger faster!

We also know that it's full, absulutely rammed, with galaxies, which, in turn, are full of stars. Estimates for the number of stars out there typically vary between 200 and 400 billion - that's 400,000,000,000, which is a lot! And an awful lot of light!

So, we have the vastness of The Universe, and all these stars giving out huge amounts of light, with effectively a vacuum in between each star, and the light being given out in all directions at huge speed.

Have you noticed what's wrong?

Theoretically, then, The Universe should be an incredibly bright and well illuminated place.

But it isn't, is it?

If you look into Outer Space, whether you do it from the surface of our planet, or from the Hubble Telepscope in orbit around The Earth, there's one over-riding characterisitc of it - it's dark!

And it shouldn't be, should it?

Something, somewhere is 'soaking up' the light.

With nothing in between all of those stars, our Universe should be flooded with light.

So what's making it so dark?

Well, one of the fundamental laws of physics is that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be changed from one type of energy into another (e.g.: when light energy becomes heat energy).

So, and this is just a theory (you're going to love this), something out there is turning light energy, quite literally, into 'dark' energy, and the particle that is doing this has been imaginatively called 'Dark Matter'!

As yet, the Dark Matter particle hasn't been found, but physicists here on Earth are on the hunt for it, buried very deep inside mountains, but no sign of it so far!

This is strange in itself, because with the Universe being so vast and most of it being so dark, there must be a huge amount of Dark Matter about, which should, in theory, make it relatively easy to find.

So where is it?

That, dear Reader, is a whole other blog post!

So next time you gaze up into the stars and see those little pin-pricks of light twinkling back at you, take a look at just how dark it is out there, and consider that it really shouldn't be!

Technology User Review - Nokia E72

2010-07-21T13:25:00.001+01:00

Technology!

Don't you just love it? Or maybe not?

I have a fairly simplistic view of the World of Gadg - as long as it helps me to do something quicker, easier, better, etc, etc, then I'm interested. If it doesn't, then I'm not.

Take mobile phones, for example. A few short years ago, you could make phone calls and send text messages. But that was really just about it.

Not now though - even your average mobile has web connection, e-mail, calendar, notes, full Office files compatibility, pdf file reader, GPS, maps, and goodness knows what else. Then there's the whole world of apps - little 'mini' software programmes that allow you to do all sorts of things with your mobile....with varying degrees of success!

At the end of last year, the time came for me to change my phone - the 'old' one, a Nokia E51, had been great in every respect and seeing as it had had quite a hard (but short) life, changing it seemed perfectly sensible.

Since the mobile world went digitasl back in the mid-90s, I have always had Nokia phones and they have always served me very well indeed. Reliable, durable, easy to use, long battery life, among other qualities - great products which I have happily recommended to many friends and colleagues.

I never have, and still don't 'get' the Apple thing. Several friends and colleagues with iPhones seem to have a long trail of 'issues' (ahem) with them. Also, have you noticed how people with iPhones are (a) always fiddling with them, and (b) always telling you that they've got one? Good luck to 'em - but it's not for me!

It seemed logical, therefore, to 'upgrade' and stick with Nokia and their (at the time) brand spanking new E72 'business' phone, which duly arrived and, initially, worked very well.

Note the important word 'initially'!

I think I managed about 6 weeks of trouble-free operation - and in the ensuing 8 months, that's been about it!

Since then there have been various incidences of data being lost, the phone (software) 'freezing', turning itself off randomly, very poor (and I do mean very poor) signal retention during calls/browsing, painfully slow at times for no particular reason, and various others. The buttons are also ridiculously small for someone with rather large hands making operation somehwat plodding.

Now, today, the phone has 'frozen' and will not re-boot - not even by removing the battery and SIM card and re-installing.

Software updates have been fastidiously installed as soon as they are available, and the only apps that have been installed have been from the Ovi Store, which is Nokia approved, so I would hope that they're not to blame.

Overall, then, my experience of using the Nokia E72 over the last 7-8 months hasn't been a good one to put it mildly.

Would I recommend it? No! Certainly not!

Does it have some good and easily usable features? You bet it does - lots of them....when the phone actually works!

Is it well made? Yes.

Does it have good battery life between charges? It's OK, but nowhere near as good as my 'old' Nokia E51, or my even older, and celebrated, Nokia 6310i (over a week between charges - fantastic!).

So, if you're a Nokia fan and are in need of an all-singing, all-dancing, business-friendly mobile phone, I would suggest that you don't bother with the E72 - if my experience is anything to go by, it wouldn't take too much to find a more reliable device.

Thankfully, my service provider is hot-footing a replacement phone to me straightaway - I get the distinct impression from their support team that the E72 seems to have quite a few 'issues'.

Forget Cloudy Bay!

2010-07-20T17:46:00.002+01:00

If you like your Sauvignon Blanc, the chances are you have heard of New Zealand’s famous, or should that be ‘infamous’, Cloudy Bay.

It’s good stuff! Some might even say it’s great stuff. However, at around £22-£25/bottle, pricey for a New World Sauvignon Blanc, it really should be very, very good indeed.

Yes, I have always found it to be good, although maybe not as good as I had expected.

(Did you know that Cloudy Bay’s first, and highly respected Sauvignon Blanc, produced in 1986, was produced with bought-in grapes and the wine was made under contract at another winery?)

For example, there are several better French Sauvignons that demonstrate more distinct varietal character, and a handful of New Zealand ones that run it close at around half the price.

If you do some digging in the world of Sauvignon Blanc, you start to find a whole host of new, exciting, young winemakers who are developing this tetchy grape into exceptionally revealing areas of taste, style, and clarity – some of the wines from the small boutique producers are simply stunning.

So, before you get tempted by Cloudy Bay, here are a couple of terrific Sauvignons at a better price.

Iona Sauvignon Blanc, 2009/2010, from Elgin, Western Cape, South Africa

Typically around £12-£14/bottle

Where do I start with this one? I’ll let you into a secret – if I’m dinking white, then this is the one I go for every single time!

In my humble opinion, this one knocks Cloudy Bay for six!

It’s a terrific wine from a small producer with that fabulous zing and mineral character that Sauvignon Blanc can, but so rarely displays. This wine has typical notes of gooseberry and green fruit with a long, dry finish, and is very, very able to stand out in the crowd of Sauvignons – wherever they’re from!

I struggle to recommend this wine highly enough – in the grand scheme of things, it is only made in small quantities. Thankfully, much of the production finds its way to the UK, so make the effort to hunt it out – you will be impressed!

Drink well chilled – great as an aperitif or with light salads, fish, or fruit desserts.

Domaine Franck Millet Sancerre, 2008/9, Loire region, France

Typically around £12-£15/bottle

Surprised to see a French wine? Well, this is a cracker! France has been pushing back the New World, in wine terms at least, for a few years now and the new batch of young winemakers is elbowing its way to the front.

Franck Millet and his wife, Betty, are among the region's most talented young winemakers – their sole aim is to extract the maximum fruit intensity for their wines, which they achieve with considerable aplomb!

This is very serious Sancerre indeed – dry, fantastic balanced acidity, fruity (mainly gooseberries with a hint of grapefruit), supple and rounded body, with a long smooth finish. If you like your Sancerre to be a bit of a maverick running against the plodding traditionalists of the region, then this is the one for you.

As always with a Sauvignon, drink well chilled – this one should be great with shellfish, or even goats cheese (try it!)!

So, there you go, two fabulous Sauvignon Blancs that really can give Cloudy Bay a run for its money – and at around half the price too! These wines might take a bit of searching out (if you ever cannot find any of the wines I review, get in touch), but they are really worth the effort.

Business Link – Is This Really Goodbye?

2010-07-19T15:51:00.002+01:00

Well, I guess by now that it’s no secret that the business ‘support’ organisation Business Link is for the axe.

My view is that this decision is several years too late as the current service is simply not up to the job.

I have worked with Business Links in various parts of the UK, and, despite them each saying how wonderful they are, they all have the same issues and, sadly, these issues have been there for at least 10 years. I can only think of one Business Link that is even 'good', but certainly no better. It’s a great shame because when the organisation was created back in late 1992, when Michael Heseltine was in charge of the Department of Trade and Industry (he was also President of The Board of Trade at the time), the first few years were a great success. I suppose, therefore, that it was only a matter of time before the public sector gremlins would undermine the ability and value of the service.

The issues that have consistently created the most problems, in my experience, are:

Too much focus on volume/numbers of people ‘helped’
Too little focus on the quality of that ‘help’
Overly complicated internal administrative systems (which they created themselves)
Substantially poor communication both internally and with their ‘customers’
Nowhere near enough staff of the right skill sets, experience, or ability
Too many members of staff that simply aren't up to the job
Much too much of the Business Link budget being spent on their own existence

Taking a quick check around the web, the decision to chop Business Link is generally well received.

Doug Richard, the former Dragon (Dragon’s Den), has blogged at length about his views of Business Link – he even advised the previous government of the problems within the service and that it just wasn’t up to the job.

I agree – it hasn’t been up to the job for many years, and British entrepreneurism has suffered because of it. In my humble opinion, I would suggest that around 80% of the people within Business Link are, to put it bluntly, no good! The few really good ones, and they are very few, are great but are continually being held back by the rest.

Please note that I am not saying the government shouldn't provide a business support service - it should. Just not this one!

The trouble is, is this really a ‘goodbye’ to the problems of Business Link and the people within it?

History clearly shows that governments of all colours are very, perhaps even too keen to cancel this, or axe that. In reality, all they do is change the name above the door – the people and processes and systems generally stay exactly as they were.

And therein lies the problem – and my greatest concern.

Our current government has announced that Business Link is to be replaced by Local Enterprise Partnerships. To make this ‘new’ organisation work, they must learn from the lessons of Business Link.

But will they? Will they do whatever they can to ensure it employs people of the right quality, has simplified processes and systems, and directs far more effort and support to the ‘customer’?

I’m far from convinced.

If it was down to me, I would abolish government run business ‘support’ services – if entrepreneurs are that committed to setting up and developing a business, then the chances are they’ll succeed if left to their own devices. It would help to ensure that the 'right' ones get through the 'system' rather than the 'anyone can do it' approach of Business Link. After all, there are plenty of very high quality private sector organisations that can and do provide business support and development services already – so how about leaving the job up to them? By all means have a government body that administers capital grants and the like, just leave the business people to what they do best.

So, is this really goodbye to Business Link or will the problems within it just be re-branded, re-marketed, and re-painted as something shiny and new, yet will, in reality, be just the same not-fit-for-purpose organisation?

I really, truly hope that's a 'yes' and 'no' (respectively).

But………

Law of Attraction (pt 1) - The Basics

2010-07-15T11:37:00.001+01:00

OK, hands up who's heard of the Law of Attraction!

Hands up if you have also heard of, or even better read a book called The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

Alright, alright, you can all put your hands down. Silly questions, I guess.

How many of you actually know what the Law is all about?

How many of you actually use it?

How does it work? (In case you're wondering, it's not all hocus-pocus...honestly!)

The principle is essentially based around the power of positive thinking, and bringing all of your thoughts and actions into a common focus and direction. Do this often enough and the decisions you make, and the actions you take will have a positive influence on you or your life (whichever you choose). As with so many things in life that make a positive difference, this is all about changing your habits.

Here we go then - here's how you can have a go at using the Law of Attraction for yourself.

In its most basic form, the Law has just three simple steps (in order):

Ask
Believe
Receive

Yes, it really is that simple!

I'll explain...

Step 1 - Ask:
Ever heard people say that whatever you send out, you will receive back? Well, that's the basic bit. The first step is to ask the Universe for what you really want to come into your life (whatever you want to have. be, or do) - it's entirely your choice as to what you ask for. But make it real, make it detailed, make it crystal clear, and most importantly make it in the present tense! Make it a habit and remember that you only need to ask once for each item. N.B.: if your request is unclear, lacking detail and all mixed up, that is what you will get!

Step 2 - Believe:
How much do you believe it will happen? I bet you've heard that a few times! The second step is to have complete and unshakeable belief that whatever you have asked for is already yours. Build a complete picture in your mind and focus intently on it - the sights, sounds, smells and feeleings associated with it actually being yours, here and now! Make sure you think, speak and act as if you are receiving it now.

Step 3 - Receive:
How good does it feel to get what you have asked for? New job, new house, new partner, better health, lose weight, etc, etc - it's a great feeling isn't it? The third step is to get yourself into that feeling of receiving all of the good things that you have asked for - and keep that feeling with you at all times. What you are doing is effectively opening the doors to allow the things you have asked for to come into your life.

Now, this is going to take some practice, so start with simple things - but be absolutely clear and unwavering in your focus, and it really will work for you too. If you send out fogginess and doubt, that's what you will receive.

The more you use it, the quicker it will become a habit.

Once it's a habit, who knows how your life could change?

One thing I would really like you to remember, though - sometimes the results come stratghtaway, other times they might take days, weeks, months or longer. Whatever you have asked for will only arrive in your life when you are truly ready to receive it, and not until.

As with so many things in the fields of changing your behaviours and attitudes, it takes practice, and with that practice you can get it to work for you.

N.B.: You are the only one who can get it to work for you - no-one else can do this for you!

Be confident, be patient, and be successful!

Positive Thinking - It's Easy! Really!

2010-07-13T15:26:00.002+01:00

OK, I know, I know.

I bang on and on about it, don’t I?

Endlessly even!

People who know me will no doubt agree, and be rolling their eyes skywards!

Yes, I’m often heard extolling the virtues of positive thinking.

But does it really work? Or is it mumbo-jumbo?

OK – here’s something to think about:

How many people do you know who take a positive attitude towards everything, or at least almost everything, they do? How often do they succeed in whatever they set out to do?

Have you noticed that whether they succeed or fail, they rarely become negative or indecisive or ‘down’ – or, if they do, it isn’t for long?

How many successful people do you know, or know of? How many of these show that they think positively?

How much do they all seem to enjoy life?

Positive thinking really does make a substantial contribution to how people conduct themselves, the decisions they make, and the way their lives turn out.

But how?

Surely it’s not just about ‘thinking’, is it?

How much effort does it take?

Thankfully, successful positive thinking is actually quite simple and takes just enough effort to change your thinking habits – it really is that easy! That’s all!

Firstly, let’s explain how it works….

If you have something you want or need to do, what is your attitude towards doing it? Good/positive/enthusiastic, or poor/negative/can’t be bothered/I’ll do it later?

Don’t worry, we all have our good days and not-so-good days!

When you set yourself a target, whatever it is, and however much you’re interested in it (or not!), you’re actually starting up the opportunity for your own positive thinking. How you choose to move forward from there is the simple key to a successful and satisfying outcome.

Even better, if you really, genuinely, completely ‘buy in’ to achieving a target, you’re already moving forward.

By being positive and committed towards something, you automatically start to change the way you think. The more positive/committed you are, the more substantial and, potentially, more permanent the change.

Because your focus has moved to a particular target, you automatically start to change what you do, the decisions you make and the information and people you seek out to move closer to that target.

The closer you get, the more you do it – simple! Importantly, the more you do it, the less effort it takes too!

But the first step is to change your thinking habits.

Try this exercise – for the next week, wear your watch on your other wrist. Next week change it back. The week after change it back again. After a few weeks, you’ll automatically look at whichever wrist has the watch on it automatically, and what you will have done is change your thinking.

So, in terms of creating and keeping a positive pattern in your thinking, try changing your thinking habits by asking yourself a few simple questions whenever you have a target to meet.

For example:

What will it be like as you take the steps towards your target?
Visualise this in as much detail as you can : How you will feel? What sights, sounds and smells will be part of getting there? What other people might think or say (if that’s important to you)?
How will you feel when you achieve the target?

(Obviously, you can add your own motivating/enquiring questions)

Be as detailed as you can – take particular note of all of the elements that energise you and return to these regularly, and especially important when you get moments of poor motivation.

Identify key milestones along the way – this is easier for bigger/more time consuming targets, but the principle is always the same – and give yourself a pat on the back for achieving each and every one.

Once you have been through this a few times, your thinking will automatically sort it all out for you without you having to think it through as a conscious effort.

Keep your thinking positive, understand where you’re going and what you’re aiming to achieve, and before long, no matter what those around you or the good old British weather is like, you’ll feel happier and achieve more – you may well even be healthier too!

Above all, remember that this is a choice.

Your choice!

To make your thinking more positive, achieve more, and enjoy your life more…….or not!

Good luck!

Having A Strategy - Yes, It Really Is THAT Important!

2010-07-12T17:12:00.003+01:00

Strategy!

Lots of people talk about it, lots of people are interested in it, and lots of people profess to have one.

Really?

UK government figures show that 80% of new businesses fail in the first 5 years of trading.

From our own experience and research, 95%+ of these businesses don't have a developed, fully understood strategy!

Even more interestingly, of the businesses that survive beyond their 5th birthday, we found that over 90% have an established, well understood and well communicated strategy that is formally reviewed at least every 6 months.

So, what links business success and having a clear strategy?

As is so often the case, it's mostly about clear thinking.

Whenever you decide to do something, how often, however briefly, do you imagine what it's like to complete it? How it will feel, what it will look like, what actions you will take to complete it, what others might say or think, or what sounds or smells may be associated with your achievement?

You do?

Well, in many respects, what you're actually doing is forming a modest strategy.

Probably the most important reason for developing a clear, detailed and well thought out, and achievable strategy is because of how it helps give you and your business clear direction. It provides a focus for all of the effort taking place within the business - much in the same way as you create your own focus when you decide to do something.

Don't get me wrong, a strategy isn't, nor should be, set in stone - in fact very few last more than a year without some amendments.

What causes so many businesses to miss out on having a strategy then?

This isn't so easy to establish - the main issues are that some cite a lack of time (you'll have plenty of time if your business doesn't make it!), some that that they don't understand how to put together a strategy (you don't have to!), some that it involves too many numbers (honestly!), and some that they don't see the point (yes, really!).

Remember when you needed advice about your tax or accounts? Who did you go to? An Accountant?

When you were ill, who did you go to? A Doctor?

When your car needed servicing, who did you take it to? A Mechanic?

My point is that when we need specialist help, we find that turning to someone who is a specialist in that field is usually the right thing to do. If we can find a specialist who's got a fair bit of experience, or even comes with a recommendation from a friend or business contact, all the better.

Also, when you have enlisted the help of a specialist, how valuable has it been to you and your business? That's right - the amount they charge is often less than expected, and certainly considerably less than the value they provide to your business.

There's the rub!

Having a clear business strategy makes your business 95% more likely to survive beyond its 5th birthday than if you don't
Turning to a specialist to help you create, monitor and communicate a strategy that is right for you is likely to be the right thing to do
Getting a strategy started, with the aid of a specialist, can take as little as just a couple of hours
The cost of a strategy specialist is likely to be less than you think and far less than the value provided to your business

Your success is in your own hands - but you don't have to do it all on your own!

What are you waiting for?

(If you're wondering about the importance of an Internet Strategy to your business, click here to see an enlightening blog entry by our friends at SolutionMania)

Customer Connected....Or Not!

2010-07-12T14:43:00.007+01:00

Soap box time! (Don't say I didn't warn you!)

How many organisations, especially the ones we all have to deal with (e.g.: utilities, local councils, etc), just can't wait to tell us how good their customer service is?

Or should that be how good they think their customer service is?

In reality, just how good is it?

Achieveing genuine execellence in the field of customer service is only as difficult as you want to make it.

It may be an old, and well-worn adage, but little things really do make the difference. Solid, simple, clear thinking is also vital to success - one of the easiest things to do, and yet is so often not done!

Remember K.I.S.S.? Keep It Simple (Stupid)!

Within the last few weeks, an associate and I have been spurred on to create a new attitudes, behaviours and skills development programme simply called 'Customer Connected' - driven by our collective, and frequent poor experiences, as customers, when dealing with all sorts of organisations.

Here's an example of poor service I received recently:

A year ago, I signed up for the best dual fuel energy deal I could find. At the time, the well known energy provider made it quite clear that the deal would expire on 31 July 2010. Fair enough.

Last week, I received a letter from said energy provider reminding me that my current deal was about to expire - thanks for the reminder, well done.

The same letter also advised me that my supply of gas and electricity was being moved to their standard, most expensive tariff - no details of what other deals are available whatsoever! Bad move on the customer service front! Very bad!

Important: the energy provider failed the simplicity test - as one deal runs out, letting the customer know of the best deal they can provide, rather than the worst deal they can provide, takes exactly the same amount of effort.

So, I checked the energy provider's website, only to find that there is a much better deal available (which actually turns out to be the best deal for me, whatever the provider) - by this time I, as a customer, am becoming increasingly unimpressed!

The website only allows new customers to sign up for the deal - the implication here is that it isn't available to existing customers. At this point, that little voice in my head says, "Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?". By now, again as a customer, I'm pretty miffed to put it mildly!

So I grab the phone. After 3 minutes of being bounced around in a telephonic abyss, I eventually get to speak to a real human being. Well, when I say 'real'....!

To cut this story short, it turns out that the 'best' deal is actually available to existing customers too!!! Great. Why doesn't your website and your letter say that?

Another addition to my poor customer experience!

Can it be organised there and then? Yes. Great! At last!

So, what infathomable reasons are there for me being forced to experience these instances of poor customer service when providing all of the information in the letter would have made me a happy customer straightaway?

Goodness knows what the real answers are to that question, but, in essence, they missed a major opportunity to deliever great service.

Somebody, somewhere in that organisation approved the letter, designed the website, purchased and configured the telephone system, and employed the myriad of customer 'service' personnel - all of which costs (more) money!

Or, to put it another way, adds cost to the business. These costs have to be recovered through the (higher) charges to customers.

So, if the original letter had simply advised me of being moved to their best deal, instead of their worst deal, some of those additional costs could be avoided, allowing lower charges for customers and, most importantly of all, very happy customers. (If they can move me to their worst deal by just writing to me, then they can just as easily move me to their best deal!)

The lesson from all this? Whatever the amount your customer spends with you, however much interaction you have with them, and however valuable they are to you and your business, keeping them happy really isn't that difficult!

For some reason, there has become a desire to take something simple and make it as complicated as we possibly can.

If you really value keeping your customers happy - please, please, please don't do it!

10 Albums - Ones That I'm Always Happy To Listen To

2010-07-08T16:56:00.001+01:00

You know those albums which, no matter when they were released, you always, always appreciate listening to?

Here are 10 of my favourites (not in any particular order):

Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club
Florence + The Machine - Lungs
Damien Rice - O
Daniel O'Halloran - Piano Solos Vol. 2
Stacey Kent - Dreamsville
Talking Heads - Little Creatures
Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
Andrea Bocelli - Viaggio Italiano
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Gurrumul
R.E.M. - Up

No psych evaluations please! :o)

A Few Thoughts on Life - 10 of them, in fact!

2010-07-08T16:00:00.006+01:00

Sometimes I just sits, and sometimes I sits and thinks!

On this occasion, and on rooting around in that old brain of mine, I found a few reflections on life I thought I might share:

Saying what you’re thinking tends to get different results from thinking what you’re saying

The race is long, and in the end it’s only with yourself

Testing your beliefs can have very surprising outcomes

A frustrating friend is still a friend

Be kind to your knees – you’ll miss them when they’re gone

A part of everything we do stays with us

The purpose of your middle name is to let you know when you’re really in trouble

Using the little words “yes” and “no” requires the most thought

Life is an experiment….take careful notes

Always make sure your text messages are going to the person you intend

Coaching & Mentoring - What's the Difference?

2010-07-07T16:46:00.009+01:00

Have you noticed how many people are involved in coaching and/or mentoring in one way or another?

I'm one of them.

The thing is, how many of the 'providers' and 'consumers' actually understand the difference betwen the two?

I've been involved with coaching for over 6 years now, and with mentoring for about 15 years. The difference between the two seems fairly straightforward to me, but then it would (or, at least, should), wouldn't it?

In reality, I find that many 'coaches' are actually 'mentors', and vice versa, and many coaching 'sessions' include an element of mentoring, and many mentoring 'sessions' include an element of coaching.

Confusing, isn't it?

So, how to go about differentiating between coaching and mentoring? I could waffle on about non-directive this, and collaborative that, but I can't help thinking there must be an easier way. Goodness knows, many have tried to explain the differences, and yet the more of them I read, the more confused I get (and I'm closely involved in the industry!).

If you're not actively involved or interested in either coaching or mentoring, it's probably akin to working your way through a thick fog.

In reality, I very much doubt that I have definitive descriptions of either, but with the diversity of 'definitions' out there perhaps one more won't hurt?

So, here goes!:

Coaching:

Coaching is primarily non-directive. The coach’s role is only as a facilitator that allows the ‘coachee’ to expand their thinking to develop solutions that are more complete than they would otherwise have been. The coaching activity is very much client-focussed and delivers outcomes that are specific to the topic of the conversation, and the characteristics of the ‘coachee’. It is a neutral process, not being influenced one way or another by the coach, open-minded, usually structured, and action-oriented resulting in measurable tasks for the ‘coachee’.

Mentoring

Mentoring, on the other hand, is typically collaborative (two brains are better than one, in principle at least), jointly co-operational between mentor and ‘mentee’, guiding, progressive, based on shared, collective experiences, and supportive. Mentors tend to have considerable knowledge and expertise in specific fields, strategy for example. The outcomes or way forward delivered by mentoring tend to be based on knowledge and experience. A mentor can also offer insightful information that benefits the ‘mentee’.

Any help?

Because You're Worth It!

2010-06-21T14:50:00.001+01:00

Now. At the risk of repeating myself, I am an unashamed fan of Italian wines.

So, here are a couple of Italy's most revered wines (with price tags to match) that really are worth splashing out on.

Barolo DOCG Mariondino, 2001, Cantina Parusso, from Piemonte, north-west Italy

If you can find this vintage, expect to pay at least £45/bottle
The wines produced from the Nebbiolo grape in and around the village of Barolo in Italy's north-western Piemonte region (often called 'Piedmont' in English) are among the finest, most elegant, most costly and most misunderstood in the World.
They all undergo at least 21 months of ageing before release and can continue to develop for decades thereafter (although not as long lived as the infamous Brunello di Montalcino).
Barolo Mariondino, produced by the highly respected Cantina Parusso from vines in the famed Bussia district, is aged for 24 months in barrels, then another 12 months in bottle, before release.
2001 was a good vintage, and this wine is very drinkable now, although probably not quite yet at its peak.
Full to the brim with flavours of summer pudding, red- and black-berried fruit, chocolate and a hint of liquorice, with the slightest touch of smokiness and an elegant finish and length (the time the flavours stay in your palette) that allow it to compliment dark meats, particularly game, rich desserts, especially chocolate ones, truffles, and strong cheese.
Many people try Barolo and ask what all the fuss is about, but start to compare this with virtually anything from the 'New World' and you'll discover a wine that can be seriously addictive as you keep trying to uncover it's depth of mystery.
Highly, highly recommended, but please do some research before you buy - there's a lot of over-priced Barolo out there that is simply relying on the reputation of the name.
Enjoy it - I know you will!

Barbaresco Coste Rubin, 2001, Fontanafredda, from Piemonte, north-west Italy

OK, are you ready for this? This rare and highly sought-after vintage, if you can find it in the UK, will probably be at least £50/bottle!
Pay anything less than this and it may well not have been kept in a decent cellar or even may have been imported from America (these wines prefer to be left alone and not moved about).
What can I say? This wine is simply fabulous!
Smooth, delicate but with a fullness of flavour, this, along with Barolo and Brunello,is one of my most favourite wines. Add to that the history and skills of Fontanafredda and here you have an absolute cracker!
You'll pick up an intoxicating blend of violets, raspberries, prunes, chocolate, truffles, and liquorice - as is so often typical of wines from the Nebbiolo grape (like Barolo).
The district around Barbaresco tends to encourage the grapes to mature anything up to a month earlier than in Barolo (where in a cool year, the grapes may not even ripen fully at all), and this is reflected in the softer, lighter, and altogether 'younger' style wines produced there.
As with the Barolo above, this vintage is a very good one, and it's rare too. It still has plenty of ageing yet to do, but is very, very drinkable now, and should be so for at least another 5 years.
Buy, buy, buy!
As is typical of wines from the Nebbiolo grape, drink with dark meats, particularly game, rich desserts, especially chocolate ones, truffles, and strong cheese.

I know these two wines are very much at the price level that almost all of us will say is either too much, or a 'once in a blue moon' purchase.

But trust me, these really are some of the very best wines in the World, and if you buy one, even if it is a more recent vintage (in which case lay it down in a cool dark place until at least 5 years old), you're only doing it for one reason...

Because You're Worth It!

The Gong, Ben's PhD and THAT Question!

2010-06-14T14:55:00.024+01:00

Last Saturday, 6pm, Cheltenham Science Festival - recording of the first episode of the new series of Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage - a listener-friendly panel-based science programme. On stage: Robin Ince (more or less 'in the chair'), Professor Brian Cox OBE, Ben Miller, and Lord Robert 'This is the gong you really want' Winston.

The Prof, as it turned out, had been pinned a gong in HM's Birthday Honours List, pubished earlier in the day - nice going! Needless to say, much capital was made of this by certain members of the panel!

Ben Miller, another Physics-type-chap, was quizzed about his PhD thesis (about meso-somethings), not that he seemed that keen to discuss it, and Lord W remained as calm, thoughtful and serene as ever.

Rather than try and remember all the intricacies of the programme, there was one gob-stopping moment towards the end of the recording when, in time honoured fashion, the audience was given the chance to ask a few questions.

A few thoughtful questions were duly posed, in some cases by (very) young people - there is hope!

Enter one 11 year-old lad!

With all the air of 'I'm sure you'll find this too easy', he casually asked, "If a photon has no mass, how can it have energy?"

All at once about 300 people performed a sharp intake of breath!

Across the audience, amateur and professional physicists alike started changing the way they sat and broke into cold sweats.

Those 'in the know' gently leant back in their chairs, folded their arms and looked at the stage with that collective expression of 'Ha! Time to earn the money, Coxey Old Boy! Explain that one to an 11 year old!'.

Ben Miller's head span round so fast in a 'That'll be one for you then, Mr OBE' style that I thought it would come off its mounting.

A pause followed.

Closely followed by another pause.

The link between the two pauses was almost imperceptible.

The smiles from the panel started to look a little 'fixed' at this point - well, all except Prof Cox's!

Thinking we were all in for a mighty explanation of Einstein's classic Theory, he gave, in the best traditions of Physics, an answer that was part beauty, part science and part explanation of a welcome fudge in the Theory (Physics is brilliant in that if there isn't a theory to answer a question, one can be created! Fantastic eh?).

If you've ever heard a few hundred people breathe a collective sigh of relief, that's what followed.

Afterwards, my friend and I stopped for a quick half at the bar before heading home, and who should we end up sitting next to? No not the Professor! That same young lad, who by now was sporting Brian Cox's signature on his t-shirt, and his family. To say that one young man walked away from that event thinking ever more about a future in physics would be an understatement - the smile just never stopped.

(As this is going out before the episode is broadcast, I'm not going to give the answer to that question here and now, but if it doesn't make the edit, get in touch.)

But that's exactly the point - part of the UK's future has to be in the sciences, and unless science education and research is done well, is properly funded, and our economy provides the opportunities to encourage science, where will we be in a few short years' time?

Now there's one for the panel!

(The Infinite Monkey Cage from the Cheltenham Science Festival 1630hrs, Monday 14 June, 2010, BBC Radio 4, podcast or on iPlayer)

Rosé Wines - With A Difference

2010-06-11T16:43:00.005+01:00

Fed up with sickly sweet, strawberry-tasting, plasticky rosés?

If so, then give these two a try now that it's summer.

I'm an unashamed fan of Italian wines, so no surprises that these two are from Italy!

Villabella Chiaretto di Bardolino, from the Italian Lakes

You'll probably find this one for about £8-£10/bottle.
There are a few Chiarettos available in the UK market, but, in my view, the Villabella one is one of the best.
Drink well chilled and great with summer salads - lightly fruity with an elegant dry finish, this pale orangey-pink wine is also great as an aperitif. Yes, there are hints of berries, but also hints of citrus too, with a smooth, delicate body.
Give it a go, you might well be surprised by it - and it certainly makes a difference from the more mass market rosés! Chiarettos aren't often seen in the UK, but each year a few more are introduced to the market and with a little digging you'll soon find it!

Santadi Tre Torri, from Sardinia

Also probably around £8-£10/bottle
Here's a rosé with a bit more oomph!
From the Carignan grape with characteristic reddish/dark pink colouring, this is a great wine with summer BBQs, cooked meats, and ice cream (honestly!).
Of course you get the berry thing going on, but there is a smooth dryness and rounded flavour that many reds struggle to produce let alone rosés!
It may take a little tracking down in the UK, but it's worth it and very much a favourite with those 'in the know'! As with all rosés, drink well chilled.