“How on earth do your employees put up with this?”
Do you intellectualise employee engagement?
…Your employees DON’T!
Here is the reality of what goes on…
“The main industrial project was due to be launched, yet much of the design still had not been verified.” £50m Industrial manufacturer
… The MD and Chairman of this business could not understand why they were so hands on in the business and why their 3 main projects were loss making and delivered late…
The interactions of this fast growth business we worked with started without a commercial plan, then the challenge was dumped on operations. Then the team had to deliver. The team was under resourced, didn’t raise any issues, and failure became the norm.
When the project manager created a realistic plan the MD said, “I have heard this all before” and the Chairman said this is OK, “we have been through much worse”. The last project manager left without another job to go to because the business had no interest in planning.
In terms of governance, the board completed none of the actions from their previous board review held 3 months earlier, and the FD’s job was not to get the financial structure and terms right, rather fund the unprofitable projects and “understate the losses. “
When things got tough the response was not to put the ownership back to the team and ask questions rather the leadership jumped in without checking and trash the teams plans. So, the team did not think and became dependent.
A few orchestrated this chaos, and one or 2 heroes’ firefight-ed the detail, but there was no oversight of the plan, contract, financials, timeline, or risk… so the project was 2 years late and £2M over budget and immediately due for launch.
The team were very competent but quiet and numb and dared not make decisions.
Furthermore, if they raised issues they faced a torrent of criticism that put their roles at risk, and another project manager was threatened when he challenged the recruitment strategy.
It’s difficult to recruit into this culture, but this is a very common culture that from the outside looks relatively sensible?
What really frustrates you?
The icebreaker team have developed the tools to get a clear view of the monumental emerging crisis, and HOW to address it, yet leaders lack the tools recognise the signs of trouble let alone how to respond.
In fact, the tougher things get the more flawed is the response.
Do these leaders have the skills to build an enduring business? Are you thinking you are OK?
PAH! and if you experienced the winningthinking process you would PAH with me too!
Do you search out the feel-good factor?
Maybe Simon Sinek’s lovely generalisations float your boat? Maybe a leadership coaches fluffy dream works for you? Or an interim management “legend in their lunchtime” selling more of the same ole…
So who is challenging the status quo or doing anything different?
Has the chicken roosted?
It’s an odd scenario: many having had it too easy for too long and yet the speed, challenge and uncertainty makes much too difficult all at the same time, putting aside preparing for global convergent business models that will rip apart these sleeping corporates and follow the likes of Nokia, Kodak, Woolworths etc?
Have any of these gurus sorted out business crises and understand how to maintain a switched-on team and deliver immediate results at a time of increased speed and uncertainty?
“ask yourself – if you cant deliver immediate results will you ever?”
Whats a common response?
The opposite investing in AI / tech mantra will wreck profits and further alienate your teams?
AI is a flawed mantra and roadshow being pedalled by a desperate big 4 – that shows just how vulnerable people are to stupid inputs and how they can sound tenable.
You should experience the winningthinking.uk process to understand why!
What does this look like? – here’s a reality check
“I honestly believe that without their input at a crucial stage in the project we may well still be thinking and planning today.” £200m Medical Devices manufacturer
How could the client be still thinking and planning today and how at the vehicle launch could the design still not have been finalised?
How do your employees put up with this?
If you are not listening or encouraging challenging input, are you addressing the issues and taking the right actions?
No wonder you are so busy, and projects are late? ?
So what do people turn to: when faced with Tough challenges, speed and uncertainty?
Flawed mantras are very attractive BUT they embed the failures of the past. Program management, sector specialists, interim management guess will do more of the same.
Engagement PAH!
Never do the same days work twice?
We spent 2 years developing our capability, trained 46 of the best and have refined the approach during 200 business critical programs, we never do the same days work twice.
What motivates us is to create great places to work where diverse teams and individuals thrive and creating breakthrough profit with far less effort.
“Winning Thinking ® converts your team’s diversity, knowledge and wisdom into value.”
We have run over 35 winningthinking.uk sessions now and opened up some exciting options: it’s beautifully simple and works…
This was project 2 of 200 and what good looked like for the client.
“The project that I brought Tom in for will increase the divisional profit annually by 10%. I honestly believe that without his input at a crucial stage in the project we may well still be thinking and planning today. Tom had three objectives, all of which were achieved. His contribution was excellent and even meant that he finished the assignment early – at his cost.” Medical Devices CEO
This was pre-winningthinking, so 200 projects later we have got far more effective:
“The most important investment you can make is in yourself” Warren Buffet
Too busy to Lose Wait?
If you would like to join our other clients on this exciting journey call us.
Some businesses may need to lose weight, but every business needs to lose ‘WAIT’.
Procrastination is a commercial disease that is threatening the health of our economy. With the speed at which the world is now changing, we all need to open our eyes to the bad habits we’ve fallen into and any bad decisions we’ve been making – and we need to do it today, before it’s too late!
Have a great day
Tom
Happy to help hands on in executive or interim executive roles.
You can reach us with questions, or help if you need it.
on 0207 193 5518 or tom@winningthinking.uk
