Tag Archives: X Factor

3 Comments

Never Mind The ” X Factor “, Does your business have the “E” Factor?

  By Christina Lattimer • November 8, 2012 - 8:40 pm
x factorWhat is the mysterious X Factor ingredient which makes your business great?

That mysterious elusive quality of “the X Factor” existed before the popular shows.  The Oxford Dictionary describes the “X Factor” as ” a special quality, especially one that is essential for success and is difficult to describe”.  In the past I’ve asked the question “Does your business have the X Factor?”  Of course we all want to be in the category of having the “X Factor”, but if your business is going to be successful, then that intangible essence must be identified.

Having seen and heard about successful leadership and businesses.  I now believe that the “X Factor” for business, and indeed for most people or organisations or situation is actually the “E” Factor.

There are many “E” elements which can make a business successful.  Think about Engagement, Excellence, Extra mile, Extraordinary, Empowerment… and I’m sure you can think of a lot more.  But what I think is the biggest factor, the one which sets a business out from the rest is something which the majority of people relate to.

A few months ago, I read a blog post; entitled “101 Short Stories that Will Leave You Smiling, Crying and Thinking” you can find them here.   It is a post from  Marc and Angel Hack Life, a great blog.  Of course I enjoyed the stories  enormously, and mostly they brought tears to my eyes.  (Go on read them and see how long it takes you!). It is one of the few blogs I subscribe to, and one when I share,  attracts by far the most readers, shares and re-tweets across social media.

A few weeks ago I was at a seminar where a guy called Steve Trister of   entertained by teaching delegates how to  engage with an audience using this factor when presenting.  Delegates  found his presentation  funny and enlightening, he had a throng of people around him when he’d finished wanting to know more.

Last week in the UK, we were entertained with  “The Pride of Britain Awards”.  If you haven’t come across this now national event, the programme celebrates stories of heroic acts of bravery and contribution.  On the awards site the introduction states “Selfless, courageous, caring . . . our amazing winners make the world a better place”

Indeed I have recognised that what makes an “X Factor”  contestant successful, is in fact this magic ingredient.  (A TV singing competition for those uninitiated)

Yes, you have of course realised the magic ingredient I am talking about it is…

 Emotion!

Putting all of those fairly recent experiences into context made me realise sharply that the things in life we really like, and really want more of engage us emotionally.  So what?  you might be saying… we’ve always known that successful businesses engage their customers emotionally.  After all we are surrounded by a raft of advertising and marketing, which is intended to do just that, isn’t it?

I know it’s obvious, but then I got to thinking about what I spend my money on, and how emotionally engaged to the products or services I receive I am.   And I realised it was very little.  Of course we all have different personality types and because of that, we buy through different paradigms.  Some organisations sell to people because “It’s all about you”, or others sell because, the target customers “will have no less than the best”.  And some sell because they “like the tried and tested”, for example.

But what is the intangible emotional element which we all seem to share at some level?   When we see the young people on X Factor doing well, despite the odds; when we see the young girl who saved her mum; or the soldier who risked his life, we feel something about it.   When we read the stories about caring about one another, or significant people in our lives, we feel something about it.  When we receive praise for something we’ve done brilliantly, or we are forgiven for a big mistake we’ve made.  We recognise that at the core of  who we are, we care about each other and we will sometimes move heaven and earth to demonstrate it.

I am a big Oprah Winfrey fan.  If any of you watched her daily show, you know what I mean. If you don’t watch her, you might label her 25 year run  as a female dominated magazine show.  But actually it is much more than that.  The majority of her employees at Harpo, her production company, were at the time the show was running,  some of the most enthused, committed people I have seen.  They told stories of working long hours, dedication and going the extra mile.  They truly believed they were part of something much bigger than themselves.   They were emotionally engaged.  According to CNN in September 2011, Oprah was the 8th richest woman in the world. Undoubtedly, her employees’ dedication and commitment have helped her reach that enviable status. Not only that, her audience were hugely emotionally engaged with what Oprah had to offer.  What Oprah had to offer was the “E” Factor.  She helped people see the good inside of themselves.  She helped them touch positive emotions which made people want more.  She came from the paradigm that people cared about each other and recognised this was who they were at their core.

So how does this affect all of us “ordinary” people, going to our desks, maybe nipping out for a sandwich, and thinking about the routine tasks we might have to get through, or when we are facing the tough realities of our world of work right now?  Well you can happily be a spectator, celebrate other people’s success, and there is nothing wrong with that.  Or alternatively, you  could show the world you have the “E” Factor.

Businesses who have the “E” Factor have the following qualities about them.

  • They have a vision, or a dream and they are passionate about it
  • They make sure that what they do, they do extraordinarily well
  • They are purposeful and they believe in what they do
  • They want to make a sincere difference and have stories to tell about how they do.
  • They realise that they are part of something bigger than themselves
  • Their people are emotionally engaged, they have attached real meaning to what they do
  • Whatever it is they do, they help people get in touch with the very best of who they are at their core.

What about you?  Does your business have the “E” Factor, if so I would love to hear from you.

 

 

Join us on this amazing journey!

This great article is from the our 6 months themed series based on the Centre for Creative Leaderships Report of 2013, in which they identified the 6 top challenges for leaders across the globe:   Don't Miss Out! Sign up here to be notified of subsequent issues and posts

121242255

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.

   
No comments

Underperformance – The Does and Don’t of Managing it

  By Christina Lattimer • January 18, 2012 - 10:25 am
The Do’s and Don’ts of Managing UnderperformanceManaging underperforance

The extension from one year to two years for right to file unfair dismissal claims in April is a welcome change for most employers.  There is a lurking fear that where employment is terminated, that disgruntled employees will resort to including other elements in a claim for example under the Equalities Act.  This should not daunt or deter you.

The extension of rights should not affect your approach to managing underperformance.  I’m sure you would agree, if it took you two years to identify and manage underperformance, there is something wrong.  Your people management skills will make sure that even though there is no recourse to tribunal, your termination processes and practices are fair.  This is especially important when you are managing underperformance.

Managing underperformance can be the most time-consuming task you have to undertake.  It takes a skilled and experienced manager to be expert and slick when it comes to raising individual performance.  One of the most frustrating experiences for a team is when they feel they are carrying a member who is not pulling their weight.

The respondents in the CIPD Report entitled “Performance management in action” which can be found “confirm that performance management is an enduring tool that has a pivotal role to play in the management of people”. Whilst this is an excellent way to bring on talent and drive up results, the downside for any manager is managing underperformance.

Underperformance can appear at any stage in the employment lifecycle.  Obviously you need to be extra vigilant in any trial period.  I have seen many managers give people the benefit of the doubt and live to rue the day they confirmed a permanent appointment, when they really had niggling doubts.   This is a time when you need to have a zero tolerance approach.  Either someone cuts it or they don’t.

So what are the do’s and don’ts of managing underperformance?

Don’t

  • Miss the telling signs in the trial period.  Follow up on any issues which arise during that time.
  • Wait until the next performance review. Deal with any emerging problems as soon as they become apparent.
  • Develop an attitude or fixed view of the employee, there may be many reasons for underperformance
  • Ignore what other people are saying about someone’s underperformance; subtly check it out, if you don’t at first agree
  • Wait until a major incident or disaster occurs
  • Wait until everyone else in the workplace is totally fed up because of the underperformance.
  • Confuse a performance issue with a conduct issue.  Misconduct of course impacts on performance, but they are two totally different issues.
  • Wait until the underperformer goes off on sick leave.

Do

  • Have a fair and equitable way of measuring performance for all employees
  • Use your internal policies and procedures for managing underperformance.  Your policies should be designed to assist you to get it right.  If they don’t then you should raise it with whoever develops them.
  • Identify the precise areas of underperformance.  Exactly what element of performance is the employee not achieving? Performance can be lack of productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, or under developed skill set, to name a few.
  • Have clear examples and facts about the underperformance. Do not rely on hearsay, because your boss told you to do it, or gut feelings.
  • Keep an open mind about the reasons for underperformance.  You do not know what is going on in the employee’s life.  Don’t assume they are underperforming and they just can’t hack it.
  • Talk to the underperformer as soon as possible, and listen to what they have to say. Let them know you are concerned, not accusing.
  • Ask them about external factors, their own views about their performance, and what they think the expectations of them are.  Ask them about training and skill sets.
  • Develop a clear and SMART action plan.  The outcomes of the action plan must actually prove to you that the employee is capable and willing to bridge the performance gap, and be able to sustain it without constant supervision.
  • Meet regularly and give honest accurate feedback about their progress.  Listen to how they perceive it and amend the action plan if there are credible reasons for lack of progress.   Use your judgement about how often you might do this though!
  • Give them every support in terms of training, mentoring, materials and guidance they might need.
  • Be kind.  The majority of people want to do well at work and it can be a nightmare experience for them if for some reason their performance isn’t up to scratch. Genuinely wish them well and hope that they succeed.
  • Be confident.  You know how you want your team to work.  Don’t settle for anything less, and expect great not mediocre results for your team.

If you’re managing underperformance and actually manage to raise performance, then this not only instils a sense of achievement for the employee, but also gives a great message out to other staff that you are fair and tuned in to what is happening.   Your team might not know when underperformance is being successfully tackled.  But they certainly do if it is not being addressed at all.

What do you think?  Do you have your own Do’s and Don’ts when managing underperformance?  I’d love to hear from you.

Managing Underperformance

 

Join us on this amazing journey!

This great article is from the our 6 months themed series based on the Centre for Creative Leaderships Report of 2013, in which they identified the 6 top challenges for leaders across the globe:   Don't Miss Out! Sign up here to be notified of subsequent issues and posts

121242255

If you are a leader, you are continually developing and "Sharpening the Saw".  If you lead and manage teams, then you must read about our Inspirational New Leadership Programme.  Sign up now to find out more details when we launch in July 2014.  There is no obligation to undertake the programme, if you sign up today, you will simply be sent more information about the programme.  You can unsubscribe at any time!  Click below to register for further information.