Bring back Face 2 Face meeting

Get trust in any relationship and watch it grow...

2011-09-19T13:20:00.003Z

Bizzwork is just about to use its proprietary rotation method for a women in business partner in Amsterdam.

This business body is very committed to helping its members understand the complexities of the concept of "trust" in business. As we have said many times here, we are not against online relationship building and fostering of contacts, but we are positive that the only way to create, manage and perpetuate a healthy business relationship is face to face!

We say that with the utmost conviction because through our experience of doing business over many years we have come to understand the absolute and imperative importance of "trust" in the business equation.

Trust that can only and forever will be forged in and through continuous face to face contact.

So, at the Amsterdam event there will be two lots of seven tables at which a successful business woman will talk about one particular aspect of trust. We will then rotate over 90 participants in two separate groups around these 14 tables, do it in just over an hour and ensure that nobody meets the same person twice!

There will be someone talking about 'credibility', another about 'behaviour', a third talking about 'reputation' another covering 'authenticity'. Further table hosts will handle areas like 'business alignment' and the importance of 'contribution' and finally how to restore trust once it has been lost.

We are really looking forward not only to the rotation event but also to the outcome which will surely enhance the business success of these women in business.

We can do the same for your business too. We would like to speak to you, so just contact brian@bizzwork.com to discuss how you can benefit from our approach.

And in the red corner...we have concensus!

2011-08-30T11:26:00.004Z

It continues to be a very tough business environment out there and it requires all of the resourcefulness and management tenacity to keep moving forwards.

One aspect that is most often forgotten about as a really flexible asset is the workforce. But sometimes it seems like a boxing match with a red corner and a blue corner and a fight in between! In tough times there is even more pressure put on employees to perform and be at the top of their game.

In Bizzwork's experience it is all too easy for employers to forget the nurturing of employees at times like these. Nurturing comes from listening and understanding concerns and issues and then being able to work toward practical and realistic solutions.

However, this listening can only effectively come about through face to face sessions. There are many names for such open communication sessions and we have all been through them...town meetings, open forums, air your views, communications exchange etc. But the real value of these is only when you can sit down, look an employee in the eye and influence the heart and the mind!

Yes, it is the battle for hearts and minds which will decide whether your business is firing on all cylinders or whether it is spluttering just to keep going.

At Bizzwork we are the experts in handling face to face meeting sessions for anything from 25 to 125 participants. So if your workforce is in need of some serious nurturing through meeting engaging and connecting, then get in touch with brian@bizzwork.com and we will see how our flexible meeting solution can help your business.

Lets get face to face to sort out the social issues behind this unrest!

2011-08-10T11:27:00.006Z

The scenes of the last couple of days of looting and rioting have been absolutely horrendous. The mindless acts of vandalism and destruction in our streets leaves us all feeling vulnerable and largely impotent.

So it is with a positive spirit that I write this blog, as in the aftermath of such carnage and anarchy the social media, which had been used for all the wrong reasons, has been turned into a very positive medium to galvanise a response from all decent and honest hardworking people. It has been a wonderful sight to see armies of volunteers with their symbolic brooms going to streets, gathering and helping to put right what a senseless minority have wreaked. They have come out in numbers to regain those same streets and send a loud and clear message for law and order in our society.

The thing that has been amazing from a face to face point of view has been the sense of community spirit which has been garnered by these collections of volunteers. They are out there, meeting face to face with other like minded people to engage in a collective act and to make the connection to strike a note for the common decency of the majority.

New relationships have been established and new senses of purpose found to help in these troubled times. This is exactly what is needed and it needs to happen in many more places. These times are creating an anonymous society where people find it hard to feel a sense of collective common purpose and communal spirit.

Of course most of us have grievances. Of course we do not like the stringent budget cuts. Of course we do not like the rising tide of price increases. But violence and anarchy are not the right course of action to mend these issues. Talking them out face to face is what is needed now more than ever before.

If you think Bizzwork, with its special meeting method of getting people together quickly and efficiently can help, then we would like to put ourselves forward in the spirit of community to do this and play our own part in bringing about the changes necessary to once more make our country a pleasant and peaceful one.

Just get in touch with me at brian@bizzwork.com and I will be pleased to discuss how we can help.

Don't let face to face careers advice die!

2011-07-29T10:59:00.005Z

It was with some dismay that Bizzwork has learned of the demise of some of the Connexions branches. This entity was put in place to be the vital link between education and the workplace. It was a mechanism for face to face meeting and engaging so that new connections for jobs, advice, training courses, apprenticeships and mentoring could be forged.

It is being forced to close some of its branches in the near future and of course this is all due, we are told, to "budget cuts". This is the catch all excuse used for all bad news these days. Unfortunately, it is rather too convenient a term to be used in such a generic way, as it obviously sometimes hides and clouds a host of business shortcomings which are then all neatly blamed on cuts! Careers Advice will now be restricted to online guidance!!!

Bizzwork is in the business of face to face marketing...helping people to meet, engage and connect and we would like to help in this particular case.

We shall be in touch with some of the education authorities which are now the sole source of face to face career guidance for young people wanting to transition from education to work to offer our specialised face to face marketing expertise. Our proven method of rotating people quickly and easily is ideally suited to this face to face need of potential employer and potential employee.

We can run very efficient sessions at which employers can explain their "career" opportunity to those who might otherwise have passed them by and discounted their particular business or sector

So if you are either an educator who now has the responsibility for career advice, or a potential far sighted employer who wishes to get out and meet the next workforce, then get in touch with brian@bizzwork.com for a discussion about how we could help you.

The elevator pitch comes into its own on national television!

2011-07-18T08:27:00.005Z

Well, the annual dose of TV reality show, The Apprentice, has now finished after a gruelling 12 week run. For all those who do not watch this fanciful piece of human drama, it is a search of young business people to find a suitable apprentice for Lord Alan Sugar, the Business Guru. The only difference this year is that the apprentice has been replaced by the need for a business partner to start a business supported by Lord Sugar to the tune of £250,000!

It is always an entertaining and light hearted whimsy through various "business" tasks which are adroitly filmed and edited for television fodder. As the series progresses, it throws up many TV moment gems which are mercilessly pounced on by all and sundry.

From a face to face business perspective however, there was however a business gem in the final of the programme.

Here is the set up. The four final candidates were asked to prepare their "business plan" and it was given to a panel of high level interviewers who aid Lord Sugar with their opinions of the candidates.

In this particular case a young entrepreneur interviewing the candidates asked each of them, before he even allowed them into the room, to stand and give him an "elevator pitch" of their business idea.

As you can imagine, this really put the candidates on the spot and forced them to try and be succinct and compelling about their particular business idea in just 30 seconds. In this way it was relatively easy to find out who had internalised the business plan and who was just a master of 'BS'. A highly revealing business tool used in a great context.

So now is your chance to get your very own business elevator pitch, free of charge, by using our proprietary tool, the Bizzpitch. It is your chance to put together your very own professional introductory pitch. It will be incredibly useful as a tool to get you to condense down your introduction and format it so it becomes a powerful and compelling weapon in making a distinctive first impression.

If you need to talk about your pitch or you would like to talk to us about any aspect of face to face marketing then just get in touch with brian@bizzwork.com.

Discussions and negotiations need face to face!

2011-06-30T09:12:00.003Z

We are entering a very difficult phase in the social framework of our economically challenged society. We have been spending more than we have earned. We need to pay down the debt and we all need to suffer the pain.

Sounds simple doesn't it? It is, when you ' say' it. But when the cuts actually hit and we all see our standards of living being eroded, then we are hurt and angry about the situation. We try to find somebody to blame.

But actually the blame is with us all.

In this kind of emotionally charged atmosphere, the main thing to keep going is face to face communication and open channels of dialogue. It is only possible to do this face to face because any other way is open to misrepresentation and miscommunication. This is the well known "sides" hardening and entrenching in any dispute. Every dispute deserves a face to face dialogue.

We have many national strikes today and many ordinary people will suffer as a result.

At Bizzwork we specialise in getting people to meet, engage and connect and do this in a spirit of friendly collaboration. If you think this kind of method and meeting process could help you open up a dialogue and get to a 'different place' then just get in touch with us at info@bizzwork.com . We will be glad to explore how we can help.

Face to face with neighbours is the only way!

2011-06-22T11:48:00.003Z

The debate has recently been raging over what to do about noisy and disruptive neighbours.

There is little doubt that living next to neighbours who are continuously loud and insensitive to those around them must be a living hell.

So what to do about it? This is the question. Do you confront these neighbours and try and reason with them to find a compromise or do you as seems to be the case today, go to another authority, like environmental pollution , the police, the council or the courts.

Our camp is firmly on the side of face to face meeting. It must be right to get in front of your neighbour and talk through the issue which is upsetting you. After all the vast majority of people do want to live in harmony and peace with those around them. By giving them a chance to explain their actions and to tell you about the incidents there is a better chance that a mutually acceptable arrangement can be established instead of an entrenched division.

The key to living peaceably with your neighbours is relationship. You have to nurture and develop a relationship over a period of time and this is made up of a number of small incidences, maybe of small kindnesses done , of small considerations made...over time.

Why is this important? Well it is the paying bank of good deeds credit. We should all pay into this kind of account each and every day.

The reason is that when it comes, at some future stage, to making a withdrawal, in other words when there is going to be some incidence of potential disagreement like a fence, a tree, a noisy party etc, then the relationship will be able to withstand that withdrawal and there will still be credit in the account!

Once something has been escalated and in the hands of some kind of authority, then it is very difficult to get face to face and sort things out in a civilised way.

Suspicion should not be the default setting for today's life!

2011-06-14T08:00:00.004Z

I have just had a very interesting if not very uplifting experience this morning. I live in a small village and have taken my car for a service to a local garage. The garage is about a half mile outside the village along a now very busy and very fast rural road with no pavement.

As the day is a brilliant one, full of glorious sunshine and the promise of warmth and happiness I decided to walk back into the village. This is obviously not the "normal" thing to do. No-one it would seem voluntarily walks along this very busy road.

So as I was walking slowly along I was aware that I was getting a lot of suspicious looks from the passing motorists. A police car came past and also slowed down as if to make its own point of challenge as to why a stranger should be walking here!

To top it all I got chased by a snarling dog from one of the farms which backs on to the main road. Incredibly this dog was not chained up and not kept into the boundary of the premises.

Fortunately I had crossed the road at the point of hearing the warning barking and if it had not been for the width of the road the dog would have physically attacked me. I hurried on shocked and dismayed. The dog had obviously been trained to go ofter any "stranger".

My point here is something Bizzwork truly believes in...the speed of trust! Trust is a missing ingredient in our society. There are so many non PC rules and socially inhibiting regulations that are forcing us all to treat "strangers" i.e. anyone we don't know, as a bad thing, a pariah, a thing from another planet. All situations as a for instance, of where a man alone walking fills others with fear and suspicion.

It is a sad indictment of us all and I am saddened to the core by it . What would it be like if people started to have trust as their default? If we were to treat everyone with love, kindness and consideration? Don't you also wonder what that would be like?

Let us see the light instead of living in a progressive darkness of mistrust!

Give the first impression a second chance!

2011-06-07T08:48:00.004Z

One of the most interesting things about the face to face networking world is the element of initial impression...the very first look a person gets of another person and the split second it takes for that person rightly or wrongly to form a viewpoint!

I have myself been guilty of being 'wrong' on the first impression. I am in the networking business with bizzwork and you would have thought of the hundreds of people I have met over my networking time that I would have a surefire way of getting the first impression right! Wrong.
I now have to follow a very disciplined procedure when I first meet a new contact and start to engage with them.

I remember once, when I was green behind the ears in business and my then boss, who was a wise old manager (I think he was all of 40+ at the time!) gave me a piece of paper to keep with me at all times in my top pocket...it said" remember the other person might just be right".

Although I do not still have that paper, I still hold that thought very much in my head . Whenever I meet a new person I of course form my first impression. It is a very strong human impulse and it cannot be ignored, but I then force myself to take a small mental step back and give that person the" benefit of doubt ".

The 'innocent until proven guilty' is still a very laudable element in our justice system and I think it must also apply to our human relationships. We all deserve a second chance. We all deserve to be able to let our actions speak for us, instead of just an "impression".

We have covered all the ways in which it is possible to create a good first impression and we have a free tool on our website, the Bizzpitch, which helps anyone who needs it to give themselves a good personal 30 second introduction. So here it is just a plea going out there to not be so judgemental on the first impression!

When face to face simply isn't going to cut it!

2011-05-31T17:10:00.001Z

Michelle Obama's recent visit to London to see the Queen was a real triumph for face to face meeting. Michelle is certainly a charismatic role model and she is determined to create her own agenda to get involved with the things that really interest her, no matter what her husband is doing.

One of these is clearly the education of disadvantaged girls. When she was here in London a couple of years ago she made time to visit a certain group of girls at their school and inspired them with her own story of battling in childhood to get a good education and eventually, against the odds, graduating from the top US College.

On this recent trip she wanted to take this process a step further by seeing the same girls face to face again...but this time meeting them in the emotionally charged educational institution of a top Girls College in Oxford.

There she exhorted the same girls to yet again do better than they might try for...to attain the heady heights of an Oxford education. It was all compelling stuff and a wonderful photo opp into the bargain.

But here is my point...
At the end of her inspiring talk, Michelle Obama was not content just to say a simple goodbye. No, she took the opportunity to give each and every girl there a physical hug. It was a dramatic sealing of the face to face ritual and cemented everything, all the messages of hard work and commitment, that had gone before. Do you think every girl there will go away and redouble their efforts to succeed and not let Michelle down? You bet they will. Can they do it. Yes they can.

So sometimes just face to face is not actually good enough. Sometimes you need to reach out and break the imaginary barrier. You have to reach out and take hold of someone or something and make the bond physical as well as mental.

The innovation process is now easier than ever...

2011-05-18T08:56:00.004Z

We all know in an economic downturn that continuous business innovation is one of the keys to growth and profit. You only have to look at Apple, with it's iPod, iPhone and iPad to know how true this is.

But if you are not an 'Apple', if you do not have enormous R&D resources and if you are a smaller scale operation, then just how can you continuously innovate?

Well, one of the major resources in any business is it's people. They can also be the source of continuous innovation. Innovation can come in the form of products, services or indeed and less often understood, in the business process itself!

Bizzwork has in the past helped businesses to harness and 'tease out' some of this internal innovation. After all, the people closest to the business are often the ones who can identify gaps or opportunities for line extensions, or even just see a way of working smarter and at this time anyone of these innovations can be a game changer for the business.

We use our proprietary rotation method to get a group of internal people, no more than 20, together and in one fun filled hour they can produce a huge number of ideas surrounding a business problem, opportunity or initiative. It works on the basis of having 5 separate tables and each person having a passport to guide them around these tables. They will meet everyone at these tables in a series of 5 rotations, but the beauty is they will never meet the same person twice.

What's more they will experience the richness of working with different groups of people and therefore be able to spark off others as they work on idea generation.

Each table might have a separate problem or idea on it to begin with and then as the rotations start, the people at each table examine the problem and use post it notes to generate ideas about it. There are no bad ideas and this is a free flow of input without any analysis.

After a certain period, lets say 10 minutes, at that table we ring a bell and the participants, using their special passport, move on to the next table where they are faced with new people, new issues and a lot of the post it notes from the people before them. They either then make up new post its or develop an idea already there with an addition. In this way the whole process is entirely collaborative and additive. After 5 rounds the post its are all collected to grouped sorted and worked upon.

So the process is easy, fun and motivating for all the participants. If you would like to take advantage of this unique process then just email us info@bizzwork.com and we will be in touch to talk details and specifics!

Is the CV system fair for screening applicants?

2011-05-09T09:53:00.004Z

We do not think so. In fact here at Bizzwork we are so sure that it is not the optimal method of screening that we have developed our own!

Our system of applicant screening works on the basis that each AND EVERY applicant for any role deserves the chance to pitch themselves, face to face, to the interested parties at the employer.

We know that there are a couple of issues here. This will be expensive to see every one face to face and also it will be very time consuming. Well the answer to both those questions is NO.

Here's why...

The cost of screening if you use an agency is relatively high. They are spending the time and effort on the selection process, working to your criteria. This is not cheap.

On the question of time our method can screen 20+ applicants in just one hour!

Each person who applies for a position at your company is by definition, interested in you. They are looking for a "positive" outcome from their experience. What better way to reward them than by giving them the opportunity to at least pitch themselves to you for two minutes in one of our rotation sessions? To see every one in person and be able to judge them Face to Face has got to be a better method and a more reliable one than the CV screening method, where no-one gets a chance to impress their personality on the very people who have to job vacancy to fill.

If you want a new way of screening applicants which will leave all of them happy to have been given at the very least a "chance", then contact us on info@bizzwork.com and we will be pleased to talk without obligation about your tailor made needs!

A unique addition to the Wedding Ceremony...

2011-05-03T09:39:00.006Z

On the subject of weddings, Bizzwork has been busy working on a special application of its unique rotation method to help the wedding day be even more successful. Our idea is that at every wedding the two sides of the event, the Bride's side and the Groom's side do not really know each other. Furthermore, the friends of each side are also usually strangers to each other.

Wouldn't it be a good idea therefore if at the wedding ceremony everyone could meet each other quickly and efficiently and for just a small amount of time, to break the ice!

The 'Mixer Plan' is simple. Each wedding guest, either singly or in couples, is given a unique passport which will rotate them from table to table to meet other guests, but without meeting the same people twice.

The whole event, which takes just one hour and can be slotted in usually before the wedding breakfast takes place, is professionally managed and we ring the bells to change the table rotations giving the participants just two minutes to introduce themselves and explain how they are connected to the Bride and Groom. In this way there are usually some great stories which come out of these interchanges and everyone gets to meet everyone else without the embarrassment of being stuck with people they do not want to talk to!

It is also a great way for the Bride and Groom to circulate and get to meet and exchange a few words with each of their guests. If you have a wedding coming up and would like to learn more about this new and exciting addition to the perfect wedding day, then just get in touch at

info@bizzwork.com and we will be pleased to discuss exact requirements with you.

Congratulations William and Kate!

2011-04-28T09:16:00.004Z

Why is it that so many thousands of people, probably in excess of 500, 000, will crowd into London tomorrow to witness the Royal Wedding? Surely they would be able to get a better view of all the proceedings and the minute by minute media frenzy if they were to sit in the comfort of their own homes and watch it all unfold on television?

The answer, of course, is face to face relationship! Yes, broadly put, all the people who have queued, camped, scrambled and elbowed themselves out to be 'there in person', on the streets of London wish to form some sort of relationship (albeit a distant one) with the happy couple. They cannot do this, in their estimation, by being removed from being there, being next to the couple, even if it is just for a fleeting moment as they pass them by.

It is a marvellous testimony to the power of face to face relationships that however distant the outcome, for some people it is the only thing to do. They simply cannot feel engaged in any other way!

It is a very powerful emotional pull. It is a very powerful and sometimes irrational force and it is a compelling consummation of the relationship contract that each of us as a part of "society" feels bound to enter into.

As to the relationship of Kate and William, I think it is plain to see in their face to face contact that the spark of true and lasting love is there for all to see, so good luck to them for a long and happy union.

The sins of face to face meeting continued...

2011-04-14T09:55:00.003Z

We were considering the cardinal sins of face to face meeting recently and so here we continue with them.

Not knowing what you want the outcome to be of any face to face situation is an error which a lot of people make. Too often the objective of the meeting is forgotten and so some other outcome is the result. This always leads to a feeling of frustration and disappointment.

In going to networking meetings where you will be able to meet new contacts, you need to clearly understand why you are going there. Do you want to meet new business contacts with a view to gaining some business advantage from the exchange? Are you looking to widen your circle of friends or business associates? Are you looking for sociable interaction, after all a lot of small business people these days rarely get outside of their own society and this can often be very limiting? Are you looking for a strategic alliance or business partnership?

There are all sorts of reasons for the face to face meeting but you must be clear before you get involved if you are to get the best out of them!

Another cardinal sin is not being passionate. It is one thing to be over the top and completely embarrassing in company but another to be the person nobody "sees or remembers". You need to make a favourable impression and this can be done usually by introducing a certain amount of gravity or passion into your personality...you become "larger than life" and the statement you make will be more memorable and therefore more effective!

Bizzwork networking method successfully rotates the business club...

2011-03-21T11:45:00.005Z

Last week we had a very successful networking event at the Van der Valk Hotel in Harderwijk in the Netherlands. The hosts were the Harderwijk Business Club and it is the third time they have chosen Bizzwork to help them meet, engage and connect their members on one of their club nights.

The 39 people who attended were each given a badge passport as they registered and with this badge they were able to navigate their way through the six rounds of rotations without meeting the same person twice.

The business Club love this method, which is called the Rotatathon, because it is fun, intriguing, very professionally run and a very efficient way for the members to catch up with each other's news.

In the past the club have used the method successfully to generate ideas and also to set agenda items for future meetings. This time it was a simple matter of enabling the 39 people to all meet each other in just one hour and do it with speed and enjoyment.

Boy Brantjes, who ran the session for Bizzwork, had this to say about the event... " I always like coming to the Harderwijk Business Club as the members are all so friendly and enthusiastic. Theirs is a real model for how all Business Clubs should be run and they consistently surprise and engage their members with innovations like the Rotatathon method".

If you would like us to talk to you about how we can help in your next face to face meeting and the method is so flexible it can be used in many different situations, then just get in touch at info@bizzwork.com

Thinking today of the people in Japan...

2011-03-14T17:40:00.004Z

The tragedy unfolding in Japan is an incredible reminder of the amazing forces of Nature. Amidst all the chaos and carnage though I think the overwhelming impression one gets and gets from many different reports and localities, is of a race of people who have been drilled with a true national stoicism.

It is very humbling to witness especially as these brave people in this disaster are beset by every kind of privation and loss. Yet they seem to bear it with the resignation of a race which understands that the natural elements have somehow turned against them and will force them once again to rebuild in the face of it.

But unlike other disasters of recent times the Japanese people betray no real anguish of hair rending and chest beating and even when they cry on camera as it all gets too much to bear, they do it with a dignity which is awesome.

It is such an amazing irony, that today with all our technology, gadgets, electronics and communications wizardry we are able to witness, almost at first hand through the lenses of the people on the ground, the incredible power of that Tsunami wave annihilating all before it. But as you watch in shock as it tears through all our pathetic buildings and human material possessions nature shows us still who is the real 'boss' in our world.

Our thoughts are with all those poor people in Japan and we hope they will be able to recover from this crisis.

The cardinal rules of face to face etiquette

2011-03-07T15:00:00.004Z

We have talked a lot about face to face as a means of creating the right environment for building a lasting business relationship, but we have talked little about the elements which go into face to face done in the right way!

Of course, if ever there were a way to strangle a relationship at the very begining it is by disregarding some of the basic elements of face to face etiquette. The problem is that if you are one of the people who disregards them, you will simply not know about the consequences until you find it harder and harder to engage people face to face anymore.

A cardinal sin in this respect is the person who in a face to face meeting does not listen. It is truly disconcerting to be making a new contact only to find that that contact is more interested in herself than in what you are saying. Being dominant in a conversation and I use the visual device of the giant Sumo here versus the little Sumo for illustration, does not mean being either more effective nor more penetrating with your conversation...it might just mean the other person has switched off and is looking for the exit a.s.a.p!

Another cardinal sin is in lack of conviction! It is a real turn off to find that a person that you are asking something of is finding it hard to be enthusiastic and passionate in what they are doing. This is infectious and you will not want to be anywhere near the infection...there are too many other problems to sort out, never mind lack of 'spirit'.

The tip here is to be a little bit "over the top". I do not mean in the Laurence Olivier way, expounded in a booming dramatic voice, but I do mean projecting in a way which portrays some animation. This is especially relevant if you have a weake(er) voice. Putting more effort into your vocal delivery will help you feel more confident and will leave those around you in no doubt that you are a person to be taken seriously.

I will look at some more cardinal sins another time.

Is face to face the ultimate 'element' in regime change?

2011-02-28T11:51:00.005Z

There has been a lot written about the role that new technologies have played in the massive wave of protest which has spread like a wild fire all across the Middle East. It is said that the fact the people have come together as a result of being"connected" via the Internet, mobile telephony and computers has certainly been a new catalyst.
If we take the metaphor of Emperor Penguins, who all huddle together for collective warmth and security to conquer the enemy of the frozen, biting Arctic winds, we see similar 'huddling' going on all across the countries of North Africa.

Unrest comes in many forms but clearly the sharp rise in food prices together with the economic stagnation and extreme authoritarian control in the regimes which have been toppled and are perhaps about to topple, has forced ordinary people to respond and in such a dramatic fashion.

From our perspective it is yet again evidence that the only way to create action which is effective is with face to face meeting. Yes, the online revolution has been the spark to light the fire of ordinary people coming together...but the ordinary people have to come together, face to face, before anything can really happen.

The fact that the forces of oppression are facing such unity and strength in numbers is a testimony to the awesome power of the face to face meeting in our world. The autocratic leaders always knew this and always forced people away from massing together to demonstrate and protest and be heard simply because they realised its potential effect.

Now the people have spoken with their bodies as well as with their voices and they have clearly asked for change. They have come together, face to face, all with different creeds and religions and political beliefs, but united in their desire for change. That is what is so irresistible about this Middle East situation and why this kind of rule is now going to be cast aside to make way for a different type of existence. Only time will tell what this will be but surely it must be better than what they have been coerced to accept.

Oh dear dear, what an email blunder...

2011-02-15T09:38:00.004Z

We need some Yoda type wisdom on this issue..." wrong are you to send word by electronic means the divulging of news from the dark side !" The appalling decision by the Military to give the bad news to some soldiers of losing their jobs by email has really stirred up the whole debate about what is acceptable face to face behaviour.

When is it ever right to use email to give all types of bad news? The answer is a resounding NEVER!

There is just no substitute for the face to face interview for all these types of bad news and there never should be. It is simply an act of cowardice to do it any other way especially as cold and clinically as in an email.

With all the negative focus on the issues of dodgy wars and soldier equipment and conditions you would have thought that common sense would have told whoever made this bad decision to be careful. It was fairly obvious that it was going to be extremely bad publicity and especially at times of cuts the people in charge need all the good publicity they can get.

In my working life I have had the unenviable task of making people redundant. It is one of the hardest and most unpleasant things that a manager has to do. But the personnel involved deserve the opportunity to have a face to face interview especially about something as potentially life changing as being made redundant.

In my own case I was told of my redundancy over the phone and it was a pathetic example of cowardice by the HR division. No-one wanted to face me, to look me in the eyes and deliver the cruel blow of redundancy. So from a personal point of view I know it is hard to give and hard to take...but in life some of these situations must always be faced up to. There are inevitably going to arise disagreements and conflicts, but these are best made open and transparent and this can only be done most effectively face to face.

The Military will have to overhaul all the ways these headline grabbing procedures are managed in future if they are to start to rebuild an already shoddy image in the eyes of the public whom they serve!

Let's hear it one more time for regeneration!

2011-02-14T10:17:00.005Z

I have been reading a fascinating article recently on how, in the not too distant future, we should be able to regenerate those parts of our body which in the natural aging process are letting us down.

Apparently, there will be no reason why we should not be able to extend our lifespan dramatically and at the same time enjoy regenerative qualities to ailing areas with the result that we feel "youthful" again. Just imagine, we have an ageing population and a growing problem of how to "care" for the elderly. But if we could eradicate a lot of the needs for care then older people would still continue to be sprightly contributors for many years!

In the area of face to face communications this "sprightly" characteristic is very important. There is no doubt that when you meet someone face to face who has the energy and enthusiasm of a "youngster" blended with the sensitivity and experience of an old and wise head, then it is a fascinating and compelling combination. It is a pleasure to be in the company of such a person.

As one grows older at this moment in time it is harder and harder to summon up those energies and "all conquering" spirit that one used to. The mind is perhaps willing but often the body is not!

It would be really appealing therefore to be able to take an area, lets say the back and through regeneration techniques make it supple and flexible and strong again. Gone would be the nagging pains and constant sapping of energy, the uncomfortable seating and the stiffness of gait that accompany many older people each and every day.

So I for one, although I may not be a recipient of it in my lifetime, am a staunch supporter of the attempts to regain some of the youthful elements in our lives and welcome the research that is currently being done in this very promising area.

Meet, engage and connect even when you are away!

2011-02-03T09:15:00.003Z

I am indebted to Springwise for this very interesting face to face development I read about in their latest ideas...

"New York City's Pod Hotel may give guests a way to connect online before their stay, but such capabilities are by no means ubiquitous. Aiming to bring similar functionality to the rest of the hospitality world, Israel-based IMGuest gives guests at virtually any hotel around the globe a way to find each other and hook up while they're away from home.

Similar in many ways to airline-focused social networks such as Planely, IMGuest works much the way location-based services like Foursquare do. Users of the service begin by registering with the free service, either directly or through Facebook or Twitter. Then, each time they arrive at a hotel as part of their journeys, they check in virtually on the site and indicate the purpose of their stay along with who they'd be interested in meeting there. IMGuest’s database currently includes more than 140,000 hotels worldwide. From there, users can browse for like-minded guests in their hotel, connect by sending a message and set up face-to-face meetings. The service even informs users in real time when new users check in at the same or a nearby hotel, or when someone checks out their profile. In fact, users can also reportedly elect to “follow” their favorite fellow guests to get alerts when their paths cross again.

For participating hotels, IMGuest offers guest statistics and analytics along with confidential survey capabilities and a way to reward guests with special benefits and activities. Hoteliers around the globe: how about you? (Related: Trip-planning site helps find others to travel the world with — Connecting airline travellers for a shared cab.)

Website: www.imguest.com
Contact: team@IMGuest.com "

So if you want some business company whilst away on business there is an answer right here!

The spoken word is very powerful...

2011-01-31T14:44:00.004Z

The King's Speech has certainly woken up the Cinema world and has proven to be a big box office hit...much to the surprise of the producers who felt it would only scratch the surface of greatness.

The underlying pull of the film is the triumph of hope over adversity. The affliction is painfully obvious to all of us...that of a speech impediment.

There is nothing quite so helpless than being present around someone who suffers from this kind of impediment and being able to do nothing about it.

In the business of face to face this whole area of speaking and the impact it can have is not to be underestimated.

We have all been present for example with the person who feels the need to shout loudly and drown out anyone else who is in the near vicinity. They will speak over anyone and listening is their weakness.

We have all suffered from the ever so quietly spoken person who can never quite seem to command respect as their speaking voice betrays what all consider to be an inherent weakness...that of conviction. This may not be the case in reality, but in perception it is how the other person is "classified".

We have all agonised with the person who will insist on using long words at the wrong time and with no obvious understanding of their real meaning! How can you get involved in business with this person? Just as equally we have all been turned off by the person who will always insist on using 'jargon' instead of plain English. When we reflect on these types the only person who doesn't see through them is themselves.

So in face to face communication the word of mouth is not to be treated lightly and a good personal introduction or elevator speech which comes naturally from you in clear and concise language is always impressive. We at Bizzwork understand this and that is why we have a free BizzPitch elevator tool on our website. If you want to go through this very simple step process then just go to http://www.bizzwork.com/ and make your own BizzPitch now!

Keep investing in ideas...

2011-01-24T14:52:00.004Z

The turbulent business times have thrown up the age old problem of continuous investment in innovation. When the business is tough it is all too easy to lose sight of the need to adapt and change.

Most often a business will keep doing the same thing it has always done and in effect keep making the same mistakes it has been making, instead of looking inside for some ways to change the old ways and create something new and fresh!

There is a new TV show called Secret Shopper where Mary Portas is on a crusade to bring back true customer service in the High street. She, like many today, is appalled at the lack of service in our shops and the poor standards of customer care which we all put up with. She visits several "famous" shops and secretly films the shoddy treatment she receives at the hands of so called 'assistants', most of whom completely ignore her and carry on with their non customer conversations. Then she comes forward to try and mend the broken situation and she uses symbolic innovations in customer service to herald in some better state of service in those outlets. It is "dramatic makeover" TV.

Of course, it is not rocket science and the lessons to be learned are largely common sense, but still those who run retail businesses seem incapable of creating an environment which embraces truly good customer service.

Customer service is important in any type of service or product environment and there is always room for improvement. It may be improvement to a manufacturing process, or improvement to an element of the service given, a new product or a new brand extension.

Whatever it is the idea has to start somewhere and that is where tapping into the experience and understanding of your current employees can really pay dividends. If only they could be somehow coaxed and enabled to come forward with small or large improvements, then this might have a significant business impact.

We have successfully used our proprietary table rotation method to create a new kind of brainstorming technique. One which is additive and which utilises all the participants as they work on ideas to improve the situation. It is collaborative and a fun experience and the session, which lasts for little more than an hour, can really bring forward a rich stream of material which can be used to make the changes that could help the business move forwards.

This face to face idea generation session can be run practically anywhere and if you are interested in talking to us about it then just email info@bizzwork.com and we will be delighted to discuss it with you.

Tenacity in the tennis arena shows us the way...

2011-01-19T16:05:00.004Z

Now that the Australian Open Tennis has begun I am reminded of one special attribute which is necessary in all successful face to face encounters. The attribute is tenacity.

I was watching a first round match between Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian and it was a 5 set classic. It had all the hallmarks of being so, right from the off. Here were two of the games' most experienced pros and they did not disappoint.

They both exhibited the kind of belief and faith in their own abilities that 'never said die'. They both refused to allow dominance to the other and fought tooth and nail over every last point.

It was thrilling to watch and I was entranced. But it did also get me thinking about the high pressure world of the tennis pro.

Are they motivated by money? Well, I think at this level the rewards are exceptional, but I do not believe money to be the main motivator for either of them.

Is it crowd adulation then? I do not think either again are that hero worshipped, although Hewitt is a legend in Australia and before a home crowd he did have an audible advantage.

No, I think it is the element of 'winning' that drives them inexorably onwards and dulls all the cramps and aches and pains out of their tired bodies so that they keep pushing and pushing and give it their all.

If we could just bottle some of that tenacity of spirit in our everyday encounters face to face it would serve us very well. We would not so often be bowed down with feelings of underachievement and cowed by the business bullying tactics employed by so many in the business world today.

We would be able to keep confirming our faith and belief in our own abilities and so achieve more of our true and full potential!

Speaking in positive tongue...

2011-01-17T10:31:00.003Z

We concentrate our attention mainly on face to face meeting as that is the area we specialise in. Within the face to face discipline, there are a whole host of potential issues which can either help or hinder the process.

One of the most important of these issues is speaking. The language we all choose to use is a very distinctive element of meeting with someone and the language we 'hear' coming from people helps us determine the total personality of the person we are meeting.

So, it makes a lot of sense then to always use positive language when we are in conversation.

I am sure we all have a friend or acquaintance who, when you ask how she is, begins a very negative flow of conversation...this is wrong, that is bad, I feel low, I have a real problem, the world is against me. It does not take very long before you too are listening to this and going "down" with it! Negative language does bring you down. It makes it very difficult to get your self into a positive frame of mind.

But we all need positive self affirmation and we all need it to a greater or lesser degree depending on our personality. So the language we choose to use can be positive if we decide to make it like that and if we continue to look for the best, express the best and learn to appreciate the positive in everything, it will be very good for our self value and self belief.

Foster the kind of reputation as someone that is spoken about as being a bubbly and sparkling person and do that by always being positive in everything you say!

Make yours happy meetings in 2011!

2011-01-13T14:27:00.004Z

Well this is our 500th post! To celebrate it I thought I would take out my frustration on bad meeting behaviour!

We all go to meetings. Some have to attend more often than others but all should be aware of proper meeting etiquette. Is there some, I hear you ask? Yes, of course there is!

First on the agenda...is an agenda. Yes, a meeting without a proper agenda is doomed to failure because the meeting will be unstructured and will descend into a free for all without topic direction.

Another thing is the number of items on the agenda. There should be a maximum of 7 and usually not more than 5. We are only human and there are limits to how effective a meeting can be.

The next thing is topic order. This is incredibly important. Always, always put the "easiest" topics first and leave the harder ones till last. A meeting is like a living thing, it can breathe and survive or it can die on its feet. Get some items ticked off the list quickly and efficiently and this will give the meeting a feeling of success and pace, which is needed for tackling the more difficult things.

'BlackBerryitus' is another creeping sickness in modern day meetings. We all know the symptoms. Someone is only half paying attention whilst fiddling with something under the table. How rude is this treatment of your fellow workers. It is like saying that I think other people and what they have to say is much more important than what you all have to say. Do not think this goes unnoticed. Your erratic behaviour and non participation is a dead give away!

Are you really SO important that you cannot be out of contact with others for just this meeting time? The answer is No you are not...nobody is.

Finally, don't forget that action items and timescales for who does what by when are critical for any meeting as are the follow up minutes so each attendee is clear on the next steps.

Happy meetings are productive meetings.

Which direction are you going in this year?

2011-01-10T11:23:00.003Z

Alan Sugar was recently writing in the Telegraph in his capacity as business guru and he had some really interesting advice to give to small and medium sized businesses. Of course, in his usual cavalier style he was not afraid of being contentious and one of the points he made was at the expense of "networking". I quote...

"I am sick and tired of hearing people asking what to do, going to networking meetings and seminars expecting to glean some gems of wisdom. These events are money-making exercises and benefit one party and one party only: the organiser.

They have become an escape for people to justify sitting around wasting a day bullshitting with each other while they should be working. You will learn nothing other than that there are another load of people in the same boat as you."

For the SME the issue of where to get new business from is a constant and perplexing one. It is not so easy to actually put your head above the parapet, that is get out of your daily business routine, to go and meet new potential prospects.
In fact one of the hardest jobs for those of us in the face to face business is actually persuading SME's to get out and meet real people and to look outwards from the narrow confines of their enterprise.

Yes, it is also true that there are 'serial networkers' for whom it would seem the networking is the only element they are bothered about. But in Bizzwork's experience the people who go along to face to face events with the correct approach, that of developing new relationships and helping others first and foremost, will always be rewarded, at some stage by their decency, honesty and commitment. It is a long term commitment, have no doubt about that, but being 'well networked' will be of great benefit in achieving your business goals, as I am sure Lord Sugar would have to agree.

Let's be responsible managers out there in 2011!

2011-01-06T15:11:00.003Z

It's amazing isn't it how sometimes you are looking for one thing and another comes up which you thought you had previously lost. So it is with this article here which I found, just by chance buried away in a deep file and which I re-read with interest.

The thing is that in the past 12 months there has been an increasing management tendency to jump in to the business and "take over" roles from their employees. Of course, it is only natural that in times of difficulty and especially with the mounting pressures on performance, that the manager feels more responsible than ever. But as this 'managing monkeys' article from Ken Blanchard illustrates, a manager does this at her peril.

The Art of Managing Monkeys or How To Get People To Solve Their Own Problems
By Dr. Ken Blanchard

Do you ever go home feeling that you've spent the whole day doing jobs on other people's "to do" lists instead of your own? Do you feel that you're doing more but accomplishing less? Your management may seem out of control, but it doesn't have to be if you learn the art of monkey management. A "monkey" is the next move after two individuals meet.

Say you meet an employee in the hallway. He says, "Can I see you for a minute? We have a problem." He explains; you listen; time flies. Twenty minutes later you know enough about the problem to realize you'll have to be involved, but you don't know enough to make a decision. So you say, "This is very important, but I don't have time to discuss it now. Let me think about it and I'll get back to you."

The detached observer understands what just happened, but when you're in the middle, it's harder to see the big picture. Before you met your employee in that hall, the monkey was on his back. While you were talking, the matter was undergoing consideration, so the monkey had one leg on each of your backs. But when you said, "Let me think about it and I'll get back to you," the monkey moved squarely onto your back.

The problem may have been part of your staff member's job, and he may have been perfectly capable of proposing a solution. But when you allowed that monkey to leap onto your back, you volunteered to do two things that a person working for you is generally expected to do as part of his or her job. (1) You accepted the responsibility for the problem, and (2) you promised him a progress report. Just to be sure it's clear who's in charge now, your staff member will stop in on you several times the next day to say, "Hi! How's it coming?" If you haven't resolved the matter to your staff member's satisfaction, he'll begin to pressure you to do what is actually his job. To avoid this travesty, you must learn the art of monkey management.

I had a chance to work with the leading expert of monkey management, Bill Oncken Jr., who authored (with Don Wass) one of the all-time best-selling articles published by the Harvard Business Review entitled Managing Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey? Here are a few lessons I learned about Monkey Management.

Managers must be careful not to pick up other people's monkeys. When they do, they broadcast the message that the employees lack the skills to care for and feed the monkeys themselves. Managers who grab monkeys off their people's backs often kill employee initiative, and leave everyone waiting for the boss to make the next move.

Nobody wins when you take care of other people's monkeys. You become a hassled manager and don't feel very good about yourself. You have workers who look to satisfy their needs elsewhere, because they feel underutilized and unappreciated. They often become dependent upon the boss. The care and feeding of other people's monkeys is the ultimate lose-lose deal.

Bill Oncken Jr. developed these four rules of monkey management to help managers give back monkeys without being accused of buckpassing:

1. Describe the monkey.
The dialogue between a manager and a staff member must not end until appropriate next moves have been identified and clearly specified.

2. Assign the monkey.
All monkeys shall be owned and handled at the lowest organizational level possible.

3. Insure the monkey.
Every monkey leaving you on the back of one of your people must be covered by one of two insurance policies: recommend, then act; or act, then advise.

4. Check on the monkey.
Proper follow up means healthier monkeys. Every monkey should have a check-up appointment.

If you follow Oncken's rules, you'll stop viewing your people as the major source of your problems and will soon start seeing them as major solutions, because each of their backs can be a depository for several monkeys. Try monkey management -- it works!

Happy New Year and a prosperous 2011!

2010-12-31T13:23:00.003Z

As this is the last post of this year I thought I would talk about the snow we have just endured in the UK for the last two weeks. In some ways it has made life extremely difficult and indeed it has messed up all sorts of plans we had with our eldest son who is over here visiting from Malaysia.

But in some other ways it has also helped to foster some great face to face meeting moments and in a strange way has helped bring some people closer together.

As we were quite cut off by the snows for some days it meant that we were a village that was isolated and yet there were people out and about having a good time in the snow. We had enough food to eat and enough warmth and so were able to "enjoy" the stranded nature of our existence.

In going out in the snow it was great to meet and chance upon other people who we knew and

also some we did not. With both friends and strangers the adversity gave us an immediate kind of bond and the weather an immediate talking point of common interest. We had some enjoyable conversation and went on our way feeling encouraged by the camaraderie and the positive nature of the villagers.

Of course we all wanted the snow to go away and sadly I suppose when it does we will revert to our dashing here and there and not bonding with other villagers until the next drama!

Here's to 2011 and I wish you all the best face to face meetings in the world.

Chaotic communication is worse than no communication!

2010-12-20T10:12:00.004Z

The last few days of unprecedented severe weather have left an indelible mark on our country and its reaction to situations of extreme adversity. On the one hand there is the usual "keep calm and carry on" mentality which sees people suffering incredible hardship and privation and still managing to keep a positive frame of mind despite all that is thrown at them.

Then there is the other side of the coin...the inability to keep infrastructure going in the face of a relatively light winter situation(?).

Take our airports at this frozen moment in time, they are a classic example of these two sides of the coin. Here we are again following on from the Terminal 5 debacle and the Icelandic Volcano situation having learned no real lessons about the art of communication. One thing is certain in these face to face situations of conflict, with irate passengers and defensive airport staff colliding there are no winners if the basic rules of communication are not followed.

Firstly in the absence of communication, people will make it up and the vacuum will just create a hole to be filled usually with rumour, gossip and conjecture! The upshot of this is that a general feeling of non communication prevails and leaves everyone feeling frustrated and apprehensive.

The second basic rule is that if you have something to say it must come from the heart and be the "truth". Now this represents a real problem for all the "authority" figures at say a snowed in airport. Your audience is angry, frustrated, irritable, afraid, panicked, tired, hungry etc, etc.

They are not functioning like "reasonable" people because their current situation is not reasonable! They need information. They need detail. They need reassurance. They need to feel that someone else is going to look after their best interests. In short they are highly demanding!

You, a person of authority on the other hand, have been briefed with the slimmest of information because the situation is a fluid and ever changing one. There are no hard and fast answers. A plane might be able to take off or it could be iced in and not going anywhere. Can you say for sure? Can you tell the unpalatable truth that there is nothing happening in their particular circumstance? Do you give them a stark picture or a picture of hope? Perhaps we all would err on the side of hope, because after all that is what you sincerely want to happen in this particular instance.

What is certain is that poor communication will again be blamed after a long and expensive enquiry. Authority will say it needs to learn lessons so that all this chaos will never happen again. They will apologise and cite a set of unprecedented and unplanned for circumstances as the cause and we will all shake our heads and know in our heart of hearts that nothing will ever change. We will still go on using the basic communication process badly or worse in a misleading way. It is no wonder that more and more of us are turning to technology and impersonal forms of communication for the answer!

Oh dear, that does not bode well for our crusade to bring back face to face communication, but that is easy for me to say as I sit here safe and secure in my warm and cosy office and look out at the chaos all around me.

It all starts with the children!

2010-12-13T14:37:00.004Z

There has been a debate recently about the importance of "play" in the family unit. It is apparent that parents are not spending as much time and indeed 'quality time' in innocent "play" with their children.

Of a large survey of parents which was carried out, it appears that modern parents find the pressures of living in a 'full-on society' are taking their toll on both the desire to spend time playing with their children and in the expectations they themselves have for child inclusive play.

It is a massive pity that this trend is growing. Face to face time in the area of play is incredibly important in the development of healthy children.

Through games there are many areas of development that are nurtured and fulfilled. The idea of competition for a start and what is healthy involvement in competitive activity, is a key element of being able to survive, grow and prosper in this intense world. Winning and losing should not be alien concepts but our nanny state has banned all aspects of winners and losers from the lexicon of child development.

All children are not equal! They will all too soon learn this and if it comes as a surprise then it is going to be a rude awakening at some later stage. It is much better to have the examples of keen competition and winning and losing and the behaviour of good grace in each of these states in the family play situation than it is to come at them in the daily competition of school life where cruel as it is there is no quarter given and no one there to balance the outcomes!

Games and playing games is beneficial in all sorts of ways. There are the skills of numeracy, co-ordination, timing, tactical deployment, bluffing, collaborating, team participation and so on.

There are the development of social skills that go with the rituals and rules associated with fair and honest play and the understanding of the concept of cheating and how it makes one feel.

We get to look each other in the eye, face to face and to negotiate and see how body language is a key element of social interaction. We also learn new skills and challenges for grasping new concepts as we play new games.

Sadly the School Nursery now seems to be the place where a lot of this kind of behavioral development is forced to be learned and again sadly the parents are abnegating their own responsibility and leaving the welfare of their children to the caprices of others.

We all understand stress. We all understand the strain of running a household. We all understand the pressures of both parents working in order to attain a certain level of living standard. But if this is allowed to intrude into the quality of 'child time' then in years to come the mistakes will be compounded and they can never be recovered! Once those years are gone, they are gone.

Wouldn't it be a good idea if we all meet and talk?

2010-11-25T16:22:00.004Z

The student riots are a pretty crazy situation and it seems that both sides as time goes by are only going to be further and further entrenched in their positions.

I wonder what has happened to the good old method of sitting face to face with someone and debating an issue through to resolution?

Of course it is simplistic (not to say naive)to think that this particular issue, that of increased student fees is an easy problem to overcome. There are huge gulfs in the expectations of the many affected sections of our society and huge financial implications for all of us in this matter. But could there not have been a better method or way of getting students and politicians face to face so they could at least discuss the issues and put forward arguments on both sides?

I recently did a Rotatathon for a District Council which wanted to bring together older Councillors and younger members of the community so they could meet, engage and discuss the topics relevant to them. It worked exceptionally well for both "sides" as it were.

On the Councillors side it meant that they could spend a concerted hour of quality time in the presence of youth in their community. They could meet them face to face, look them in the eye and listen to what was on their minds! On the other hand they as elected officers of the community could also get across their points to a group of individuals who will one day be voting members of their constituencies.

For the young people it meant a chance to have the ear of a senior member of a local council. The young people were able to put questions to the Councillors and get their own opinions of services and facilities across to these members and there was no embarrassment in doing it, as they were able to meet each other in a collaborative atmosphere around tables and never had to meet the same person twice.

So all in all, this kind of meeting, engaging and connecting session of a Rotatathon could be just what is needed to bring groups of students and politicians together for constructive talks , not destructive demonstrations!

What's the pot of gold at the end of your rainbow?

2010-11-11T10:18:00.004Z

I think I have always been a dreamer. I think I have always understood the term "think about it". I am the kind of person who comes to any problem and issue with an open mind and who can then understand the elements of the issue , analyse them and finally move forward with a well thought through plan of action.

It seems to me that in today's business there is precious little credence given to those employees who spend quality time thinking about things before they move into the action part of the issue.

Why should this be? Surely action that has been considered and analysed is better than seat of the pants reaction type action?

In this it would appear that modern business has fallen into its own trap...that of activity for activities sake. It is easy to be busy. It is easy to be "overworked". It is easy to complain and moan about fewer people doing more and having less resources. It is much harder unfortunately to actually consider a problem, think it through to its ROOT CAUSE and then take the appropriate action!

In a funny kind of way only deep thinkers can force themselves into the discipline of this kind of approach and for the younger people today the attention span and the discipline of concerted focus may well be an alien concept(gross generalisation, for which I apologise). After all there is the 'in box' to think about! After all there are the many meetings to attend and after all there is never enough time to read around the industry you find yourself in!

So until we start to applaud and downright encourage the dreamers in our midst and to listen to their considered voices we will go on making activity and calling it progress. For as Tom Peters has said, " A fantasy pursued is a win 100% of the time". I've thought about this and I agree!

Ganging up to meet can be a good thing!

2010-11-05T12:28:00.002Z

Half term was fun this year. Why? Well we decided to take some time off and go for a 'staycation' in the UK with some friends. The weather forecast was benign (always a big plus at this time of year) and we all packed our hiking gear to do some much needed power walking to get the muscles moving.

What is interesting about a party of six is that in any face to face situation there is a kind of "team" effort that develops. A good example of this was that we were visiting a National Trust property and it was a beautiful day and as we were walking around we fell easily into conversation with quite a few different groups of people.

This was spontaneous and not at all planned. Someone was particularly interested in a certain plant and turned to strike up a conversation with the stranger next to them about it, this then turned into a general discussion about gardening and from there to a discussion about each other as the larger group joined in! Whilst looking around the house one of our party happened to start playing billiards and this prompted a complete stranger to pick up a cue and have a few shots, this then led to a conversation between those playing and the watching groups who were with them.

All of this is just to prove that being "not alone" perhaps one is more daring in starting conversations with strangers than if one were alone. Perhaps the moral here is that we ought to take more of these spontaneous opportunities for face to face meeting whether we are in a group or not!

Language teaching and networking - a perfect partnership!

2010-10-22T11:39:00.004Z

I was talking to a psychologist and language teacher yesterday about the difficulties of those who are trying to learn English as a second language.

She has worked extensively with foreign students of all ages and she has come to the conclusion that more face to face time conversing and exchanging conversation with native English speakers is one of the best ways to get the student to be much more confident in their language efforts.

Not surprisingly she point out all the non verbal signals that go with any language when you are talking it face to face. She says that eye contact is an essential feature of getting to learn a language and body positioning is also relevant.

The interesting thing here, to a proponent of face to face networking like myself, is that it fits in with a lot of the things we have already come to understand about the human psyche during our many years of networking experience.

That is why we build into the Bizzwork proposition the non threatening table networking method of the Rotatathon. It is like having mini chats or conversations with friends across a table. It is good for facilitators to be able to be static and have all their audience rotated around them. It is also good for keeping things to time as the whole experience is managed to strict schedules that the client agrees to in advance.

I am sure we will be able to report back on some of our student language experiences in the near future and we are excited by this new area of activity for the Bizzwork method.

Do not let mobiles intrude!

2010-10-18T08:57:00.004Z

Over the past couple of months I have seen a worrying trend: that of people in face to face situations interrupted by their mobile phones.

Take a look next time you are in a cafe or restaurant. You will see people at tables with mobiles seemingly glued to their ears!

What has gone wrong with the art of face to face communication? Why is answering a phone more satisfying than actually talking during a face to face encounter?

What is it about the mobile phone which makes it seemingly impossible to ignore?

These are good questions because it would appear from a cursory (and not scientific) study of those around me that we are giving in to a new form of social ignorance. Can there be anything worse than being sat at a table with someone conversing when the phone goes and they answer it? You are left high and dry with nothing else to do except stare vacantly into space and listen in on a one-sided conversation, which is probably a) not essential b) a complete waste of breath or c) of such earth-shattering importance that all the world should know about it...not!

Seriously though, it is a trend which, if not checked, will lead to an acceptance and a sort of social approval on the scale of the acceptance of bad language routinely on TV nowadays.

Mary Whitehouse may have had many faults but she was dead right in identifying the decline of standards in TV. Let us guard against this erosion of standards in face to face connection.

Let us leave face to face meetings for actually speaking face to face, uninterrupted with both or all parties concentrating on what is being said and not being more concerned with the next text message to go in and come out; please, please, please!

The miners now in face to face!

2010-10-13T10:15:00.004Z

I have been very moved by the incredible scenes we are all witnessing in the rescue of the trapped Chilean Miners. The live coverage of the successful extraction of each and every one is compelling and heart rending. Those agonising moments as the narrow rescue tube carries yet another of the trapped men back up to the surface and to the arms of the waiting mad world of modern media coverage are unbelievable.

How amazing to be back again, face to face, with the ones who love you most. Yes, during their ordeal they have at least been in contact, seen images of each other, had letters, souvenirs, mementos and food parcels...but yet again it is getting face to face that is the critically important fulfilment of all the hopes and dreams of these incarcerated miners.

To see each one treating the whole ordeal in their own individual way, some coping better than others, some ill, some ecstatic and exuberant, others calm and collected, is a real testament to the depth and strength of the human spirit in the most adverse of circumstances.

Believe me we have not heard the last of this episode. It will be the triumph of all that is amazing about our lives today- hype!

Each of these men should become wealthy beyond their widest dreams and it is to be hoped that as they tell their story, have a book made, T-shirts, films and all the other trappings of themedia frenzy, they are capably guided (not exploited) to be able to enjoy comfortable lives for the rest of the time they are on this earth. I for one will queue up to read all about it, see the film and marvel at this real life adventure.

The Local Council decides on networking...

2010-10-12T08:53:00.003Z

I have just got back from doing a super Rotatathon in Aylesbury at the spectacular Oculus Room in The Gateway Centre. It is the home of the local Council and I was asked to do a special speed networking session as part of what is called Local Democracy Week.

In Aylesbury they are trying to build bridges and open lines of communication between different age groups. The focus of this particular morning was involving young sixth form/AS level students who were interested in Politics and Economics to come and meet their local councillors and have a chance to talk face to face with them and help understand what it is that they do and how they spend the Public money.

The Rotatathon proved to be the perfect ice breaker for this session. At the start of the morning all the students came in to the room and sat, as you would expect, with their own school friends in little clusters. People will always gravitate to those they know in a room full of people!

Each Councillor was given a table to host and then we soon set about warming everyone up with the speed networking table rotations. The Councillors were really engaged and were keenly interested in hearing the views from the students who were rotated in front of them, so that nobody met the same person twice.

All of this was done in a very professionally managed way and in a very short one hour time frame to facilitate the rest of the packed agenda.

The feedback from the session has been really excellent and soon the room was buzzing as strangers were turned into acquaintances in a very small space of time.

The Rotatathon is ideal for Local Government uses for example in Receptions, official functions, meetings, banquets and in fact in any situation where it is important to put dignitaries in front of as many people as possible in a very timely well managed way! If you need more information on this just give me an email to brian@bizzwork.com and I will talk all the possibilities through with you.

Ryder Cup happiness

2010-10-06T09:12:00.003Z

Whilst Ms Bizz was fretting about some Festival or other I was totally engrossed by this weekend's Ryder Cup. I do not know why but my level of interest was almost feverish, in as much as I was watching the conflict constantly and was very affected by it. I tried to tell myself it was only a golf match, but each time I did, I found myself drawn to the unfolding spectacle and really engaged by it.

Engagement: it is an interesting concept. How do we find ourselves "engaged"? How do we find ourselves "not engaged"? Is it just a question of our attitude of mind?

I suppose you, like me have not looked forward to going to some face to face event in the past and when you get there the whole thing turns out to be really good... that is better than expected. When you examine your attitude towards it, it began as being apathetic or disengaged at best. Does this mean that prior expectation is also at play with forming our attitude and therefore our predilection to either like or dislike something?

In the case of the Ryder Cup, there was a huge amount of hype leading up to it. There always is. I like Golf. I admire the protagonists and I admire the spirit of the competition. I like the Ryder Cup. I have been present at two memorable previous events. So one could say that my attitude to the actual event was already "heightened" and engaged and I only needed putting into this same groove to be totally tuned in to it.

But I suppose there are all sorts of emotions at play. I love to watch sportspeople either energised or defeated by the pressure of performing. Armchair critics can never know the absolute emotional roller coaster of being out there and actually doing it! When one of our men was all that stood between victory and defeat and when all the world was watching and engrossed in that last piece of theatre as the holes were won, that is as good a definition of engagement as I can come up with. Oh, to be able to bottle it!

Wait in the line and then...nothing!

2010-10-04T17:09:00.003Z

Today I am madder than*****. Yes, I had a rather difficult weekend which culminated in spending a fruitless 4 hours trying to get my hands on those precious Glastonbury tickets!

I know, festival attendance is the latest in the face to face networking and is the new meeting 'black' and I have to say I am gutted not to be going there and meeting everyone face to face. I tried. I really did. I did everything I could possibly do.

I preregistered and got all my crew to give me their preregistration's ( I alone of all of us could muster the number of laptops and I got 5 separate Internet connections going onto the ticket site, refreshing all every minute or so. I was also of course juggling on the phone line again refreshing it every time and after twice getting onto the next level to register for tickets I got frozen out of the site...how very very frustrating.

I am distraught. Yes, I know its ridiculous. Yes, I know its only a (the) festival to attend and yes I know it will probably be another great wet weekend...but still! When you set your sights on something and then do not achieve the goal, well it is like being on the US Ryder Cup Team (I'm reliably informed) by my partner. The same loyal partner who watched my machinations on laptop juggling with increased amusement as he settled himself in front of the flat screen and shouted encouragement at a group of Europeans who were trying to hit a little white ball into a little hole somewhere.

He, of course is not a festival fan, in fact he is not a people fan truth be told. So its no skin off his nose. But well I am a fan and it will be sad to see us all "attending" Glastonbury in (lots of )spirit only next year.

Still there is always the refund possibility in Spring and I will have to alter my strategy for that exercise.

Belief is most critical of all.

2010-09-28T11:44:00.004Z

Have you ever been in that situation where you have a idea and you really believe in it. You can champion it, defend it, nurture it and forge it against everything. You will go way out of your comfort zone to pursue it and endure any amount of heaped indignities just to have a chance to prove your belief.

I am reminded of the strength of pure belief every time I watch the X Factor on TV. Yes it is a hackneyed truth that all the contestants trot out as they appear 'wannabe like' in front of the judges and go through their routine. They believe in themselves. Some, you can see, do not have true belief. They are there because vanity got in the way of harsh reality and they listened to the wrong voices telling them they were brilliant!

But some of them truly, truly, truly believe and for some they are defined by the journey of this talent process. They grow in their belief, grow in their resolution and grow in themselves. The Leona Lewis who started the journey is not the same one as sings her songs today.

But for all the people who put themselves through this "torture" in front of unsympathetic judgement, it can be a life changing experience and the optimist in me goes on to feel that each of those people who took the time and trouble to go out there and actually do something in their lives deserves our admiration.

Just listen and you will conquer...

2010-09-24T14:11:00.005Z

Isn't it wonderful when you have a face to face conversation with someone and they actually listen to you. It is entirely refreshing as far as I am concerned.

We have a new CFO at work and it was part of his request to have initial sessions with the key managers he will be working with. I was frankly looking forward to the session with as much enthusiasm as I would if I were to watch the next Manchester United football match...yes I know, as bad as that!

Nothing could have surprised me more then than his opening gambit, which was to ask me what my three biggest issues were with the finance department and what key concerns i needed addressing!

Wow. I was impressed. I was even more impressed when he actually looked at me (with interest) and made me feel as if I was the only person in the whole world that mattered to him at that moment. It's a rare gift in my experience and one I really warmed to.

He did not interrupt throughout and when he answered it was after a thoughtful moment or two and then he was able to play back to me my concerns and then make a few interim suggestions.

I am now a fan of his and consequently will look at the financial department with new found respect.

I know, its hardly rocket science, but then again in our place its pretty unique, more's the pity.

What's the best kind of networking?

2010-09-20T13:19:00.004Z

This was a question I was asked just this last week. I was tempted to answer Bizzwork and its Rotatathon, but instead I said, "the networking that is most effective for your particular needs".

It's funny but there are all kinds of ways to get to meet people face to face. We applaud all of them whatever they are and wherever they are from. WE believe in face to face meeting and the more ways there are to accomplish it, the better it will be for our society.

Anyway, some people are really nervous about meeting others and find themselves to be shy around new people. That is OK. Networking is not a right and wrong personality game.

It just means that if you are a shy person you need to find the right kind of networking which will suit your style. Not for you the 3 minute pitch session up there on your own at the front of the room with an audience you do not know!

But yes you can table network in a more chatty environment and meet a lot of people in a short space of time. The reason is that the meeting session, like the Rotatathon, is managed every step of the way for you. You are not embarrassed by getting stuck with someone you don't like. You are not forced to speak in public, but can learn how to do your very own Bizzpitch and refine it until it becomes a relaxed and polished introduction to yourself. Then you just deliver it to a few others around a table...several times!

Some people like the challenge of being set tasks and being"forced" to do something. A referral club is often good for people like this. They need the discipline of going out and positively collecting referrals. Some like unformulated mingling because they say it gives them a certain pace for relationship development.

Whatever you choose there is something available in networking terms near to you. There are breakfast clubs, lunch clubs, evening sessions, seminars, trades events, conferences and exhibitions and many more. The only thing you need to bring to all of them is a positive attitude and an open friendliness!

Be polite and put some money in your bank.

2010-09-14T09:30:00.004Z

I have recently been the unwilling respondent of some impolite behaviour and it got me thinking about the subject of politeness and common decency in meeting people face to face!

Here is a quote I like from Thomas Sowell, which says that "politeness and consideration for others is like investing pennies and getting dollars back."

We have talked many times about the impact of a smile when you meet someone. It costs nothing, is easy to do and pays back big time. The same is surely true of politeness. It costs nothing, is very easy to do and most of all it really pays off.

How is it that some people seem to go out of their way to be aggressive, insensitive and impolite? It's as if they have started their day with the express intention of offending everyone they meet that day or ensuring that they are rude and crass to all they come into contact with. The simple truth is that these people are easy to get along without and they get the reputation they deserve.

The only worse issue on this topic is having a boss who is this kind of person. Then the pressure is really on to remain impartial and unaffected by this specific attitude. One way of dealing with this, in my own personal and painful experience, is to keep telling yourself that this is not personal, but business and in this way you can at least compartmentalise it so that it does not adversely affect your personality.

Whatever you do, do not let it get to you and do not descend to their level, because that gives them a sense of satisfaction that is wholly undeserved.

Turning fear into motivation...

2010-09-10T08:56:00.003Z

Back at work and back to work with a bang! This week I attended a management course which in essence was all about how to turn fear into motivation.

Fear is a fascinating element of all our lives. Seth Godin has reminded us of our Lizard Brain, the one that quietly interacts with us inside our heads telling us why we shouldn't and how we can't and giving us reasons to put things off and shy away from confrontation.

This course was all about examining the fear factor in business and the negative stress or negative energy which has become an integral part of a results oriented society, in other words how to confront the Lizard and put it firmly in its place!

Incidentally one thing that did come out so clearly for me was the difference between attachment and gratitude. Just quickly this is all about thinking of those things you are "attached" to...your house, your car, your pet and understanding the heart of that attachment, which is a fear of losing it! When you let go of the fear of losing something and just love it for what it is, so in effect become grateful for it out of pure love, then you move out of attachment and into a state of gratitude! How cool is that?

So we did a lot of great exercises and mental and physical challenges to test our "fears". We then had to try and confront them so we could regain a positive mental attitude and bolster a positive self image in order to see through initial fears. This teaches you not to ignore fear but to actively work through any fears, rely upon inner strength and then move forwards to get a new level of motivation. I have to say it feels great!

Now all I have to do is put it into practise at work...

It's no longer a strange place to be!

2010-09-06T08:29:00.004Z

Well, it has been holiday time for the blog as the contributors decided that August would be the month we took our vacations this year. But we are now back in it and once more on the face to face trail.

We had a fantastic time in Malaysia and as we get to know this country more and more because my son lives and works there, we are getting rid of the "stranger" tag that goes with being "new" in any given situation. So it got me thinking about strangers and the whole concept of strangeness.

At Bizzwork we pride ourselves on turning strangers into friends and we can do this very quickly as we "manage" the whole process of introductions through our unique Rotatathon: a speed table networking method.

In most 'normal' situations however, the journey from stranger to friend or strangeness to familiarity, is a gradual one. It does rely upon contact and upon regular contact and we would always argue that the best kind of contact is face to face. But during this process we learn more about a person or a place. We begin to understand more of what makes the person tick or the place buzz and we begin to see it not in fact as threatening, but as something to be embraced and internalised as we pass from relative ignorance to relative understanding.

In Kuala Lumpur now we are no longer strangers. We know the places that we are visiting. We are familiar with the road layouts and the street life and the hum, noise, buzz and beat of this dynamic city, so we no longer look upon it as alien in any way. We have passed through to familiarity and to an acceptance of the KL way of life.

We need to keep our minds very much open if we are to always accept new things and new experiences. In fact we have to be 'ready to receive'. That is being flexible enough to comprehend others for what they are without judgement and without predetermined prejudice.

First Commandment: thou shalt go on holiday!

2010-08-05T13:45:00.003Z

It is coming to that critical time again...holidays! Do I go on one or do I duck it and stay at my work?

It's a good and relevant question, which can only be really understood by people who are in jobs with a high degree of pressure and whose jobs are not as stable as one would like. Yes, it is the trade in fear.

Fear of being left out of something: fear of returning to a "we don't need you anymore" envelope:fear of letting everything which you worked so hard to control slide for two weeks and finally fear of admitting to yourself that you have simply forgotten "how" to relax and enjoy yourself without any cares or worries.

It is also interesting that in finally relaxing it is quite normal to suffer then from some kind of infection. Yes you let down your guard and when you don't have to look after yourself to work hard, guess what...you get ill! Just what you need when you are finally on holiday.

So what's my advice and who cares about it anyway?

Well, you should and I'm giving it anyway. Go on holiday. Relax. Let it all go. Get ill. It will only be for a couple of days and besides its your body's way of telling you something.

Think about this. When you put your fist into a bucket of water and pull it out, you will see a pattern of rings which move out from the centre to the outside of the bucket. The length of time that takes (lets say 3 seconds) is the length of time you will be missed to the organisation if you are not there. So don't labour on under any misapprehensions! Enjoy getting away for a while and come back eager and hungry!

Get customers and retain them!

2010-07-30T11:43:00.005Z

I have just been on a great training course. It was entitled 'How to win customers AND KEEP THEM'. From the title you will guess it is all about making a new customer into a lifetime customer and how beneficial in terms of profit to any enterprise, that this can be.

Some of the stats trolled out to us were really scary and I suppose deliberately chosen to really, really make you think about the whole circle of prospecting for customers, winning them and retaining them!

It was a mixed business course and the organisers really missed a trick by not having something like the Bizzwork Rotatathon at the beginning so we could all have met each other quickly and efficiently! I hate that opening day don't you, where everyone is a stranger and you try and engage with other loners and it is all a bit difficult in the game of face to face connecting.

If only the organisers had taken an hour at the start to get all us strangers introducing ourselves with a two minute pitch like the bizzpitch offers then we could have kick started the whole thawing out thing which in reality took most of the first day before anyone was feeling even halfway comfortable to be interactive in the coursework!

However, be that as it may (I have left them details and hope they will mend the error of their ways in future courses to book Bizzwork) there was a very tasty bit about 'angry' customers.

It said you actually need angry customers who have a legitimate complaint, because if you rescue them and get them back on side, they become fanatical about your company and can be the best kind of referrer in the future!

Of course, to rescue someone like this you need empowered people (who can make timely, on the spot decisions) and you need funding to OVER compensate the customer so they feel their grievance has received the serious attention it deserves and you need great diplomatic skills to allow that customer to a) blow up and let off steam and b) then listen to the complaint and then c) to resolve to the over satisfaction of the customer.

Yeah, I know it all seems like common sense, but you like me know just how few and far between are the occasions when your complaints are handled well by almost all companies.

Do you really need to be doing what your are doing?

2010-07-27T11:39:00.003Z

A wise friend once told me that it was as important to decide on what not to do as it was to make a decision on what to do.

Over time the absolute wisdom of this piece of advice became apparent.

Consider a normal day. You have it all worked out in your mind before you get in to the office. You know exactly how the agenda looks and what you have built in for contingency and it all looks and feels great to you.

You sit down and get up your emails and there laying in apparent wait for you is an absolute bombshell. You cannot ignore it and it needs attention and urgently. Your day has started and as it goes on someone else lobs in a grenade and another office rings in with a minefield of activities.

So before long all your good intentions go out of the window and just surviving the day is your next hurdle.

But in the strategy reviews I have attended there has never been a focus on positively identifying and opening up the whole area of what not to do. Consequently, we are all pulled into places we can add no value in or we are at best involved because you need to be seen to be involved etc.

If all in the organisation knew those taboo areas and understood the reasoning behind the decision, then the organisation would have more clarity of focus and face to face meetings would be much more direct and beneficial to doing the things that ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO BE DONE.

Its easy for me to say these days. I don't not have a large organisation and am not at the heart of big strategy reviews, but I still cannot help but think that more time and effort is needed in what not to do!

Where have all the decent people gone?

2010-07-24T15:39:00.004Z

Henry Ford once said: " there is a most intimate connection between decency and good business". I believe it. What has happened to common decency these days? We are watched by CCTV cameras almost wherever we go and this makes for a kind of mistrustful approach to being decent. We will all soon be camera heads like this picture! Also, time was when you could walk down any street and pass people you did not know and say hello to them or good morning or good afternoon and they would respond with a smile and a cheery hello!

Now it seems any approach is heralded with a mistrustful downcast of the eyes and a deafening silence or perhaps a surly excuse for a hello.

A lot of this kind of response is the result of two things

media hype which has over egged the mixture against normal decent behaviour towards everyone being a villain and wanting to do some kind of harm to you

a breakdown of a moral code at home which is taught to children as they grow and becomes a code which they understand and apply in their own lives as they leave home.

These days it seems that a lot of parents just do not have the will power to live to a decent moral code and so find it difficult to pass one on to their offspring, leaving this task to a beleaguered education system. The problem is exacerbated by the rise of the 'dog eat dog' method of negotiation which a morally bereft government has left as its legacy.

Case in point...is there a dilemma (morally) now when a retail establishment charges the wrong price for a item and you "get away" with a lower price! Once of a day the majority of people would have brought this to the attention of the shopkeeper and paid the "right" price. But I venture to suggest that most people today would reason that this is the fault of the retail system and if they cannot get it right then that is there hard luck...they deserve what they get. Besides, we reason they are "ripping us off most of the time anyway, so on this occasion luck has favoured us and we are in the "right".

Steven Covey has a very good book called The Speed of Trust and it deals with this kind of societal breakdown of a trust system. We now have bureaucracy and layers of anti-trust methodology to help us along! The inevitable consequence of this is a slowing down of all ability to do business quickly and effortlessly.

It is sad that we have got to this because it need not be the case. We could find a new common decency and we could bypass lots of layers of checkers checking checkers...but it does depend on finding the moral code again which says treat others as you would expect to be treated!

What a great idea!

2010-07-19T10:41:00.003Z

My posse of special friends (as opposed to my normal friends) and I have agreed to look into an idea about social face to face networking in the 'retail environment'. After all, we got to thinking that we spend so much time and money in these areas that it makes sense to do some serious and not so serious networking there.

Here's the bones of the idea, put up here for online discussion (not ideal but hey we roll with it, right). We approach a large retail establishment in a large shopping centre and we propose to them that they host a regular shopping get together ("shopn'network" working title) and give us an exclusive area to meet in. We all gather there, lets say 25 of us and do one hours serious face to face networking with the table rotation method of Bizzwork, so that we can either a) quickly catch up with what's going on with people we already know or b)meet some new people and connect or c) give some nugget of information to the others in this kind of open forum.

The retailer then gets to present some of the wonderful offers they are currently running and perhaps offers a kind of 'get it now' discount. We are at this point sipping our skinny lattes and nibbling on a croissant, but then we are unleashed on the rest of the shopping centre and get to participate in the retail therapy bit either on our own or with our new acquaintances!

How good is that!

Sound like a plan to me.

Are you ready to mentor someone?

2010-07-15T13:17:00.004Z

Mentoring really has a lot going for it. My daughter, who has just recently moved from full time education into the workplace has been fortunate enough to have found a good mentor.

She is benefiting from all the wisdom and experience that a person who has "been there done that and got the T shirt" can impart. If she is willing to listen (and I say if, because it has not been one of her very strongest traits over the most recent past) then she will be very lucky indeed.

So what does it take to be a good mentor

empathy...the person has to be someone that one feels is with you despite all the things that can and do go on in business

emotional understanding... they have to know when is a good time and when isn't a good time to impart their pearls of wisdom

thoughtfulness...they are generally the type of thinking person who does not instantly jump in with both feet, but who has perspective and the ability to think deeply about issues before wading in

worldly wisdom...good mentoring is not an ageist thing. You can be both young and old and be a valuable mentor to someone else. But there needs to be a wealth of knowledge about "things" for that rare ability to take a detached view and see all the options.

desire to help... some people are born to help others. They simply cannot help it. In work situations these people are like gold dust. Cherish them whatever happens because they will bring on others as they go about their daily tasks and they will exude collaboration and teamwork.

good listening...above all else they are people who know that to get at the real truth of any given situation you need to be able to recognise the signals and allow it to come out. Once it is out there then half the battle is already won and suitable solutions can be found.

I have mentored a number of people in my past and I have been mentored and so I really believe in the power of it. So why not try it yourself and either help someone else and "take them under your wing" or attach yourself to someone who is giving the mentoring signals. Either way you are ultimately the winner!

It's so simple...so why don't we do it all the time?

2010-07-12T13:52:00.003Z

Saying "thank-you" is the simple thing I am talking about. It is incredibly powerful when it is delivered and given with meaning and sincerity.

I have had some pretty poor thank-yous in my time. I used to have a boss who had once obviously been on a course and come back with the idea about positive and negative reinforcement and it was a real hoot. That first couple of weeks back he went round (management by walking around) and was on the look out for any issue, no matter how small, that he could use to tick off his daily quota of "positive reinforcers" to his staff.

Problem was, he was normally a disingenuous piece of work and it was soooooo obveeus that it was b/s that we started taking bets on how quickly he could get into his 'thank you' stride from the first thing in the morning. Trouble was he did not stop doing what he had always done. He just kind of bolted the lame positives on top of his usual picking holes in everything. So as soon as he had said thank you with one hand he would wipe it all away with the other by asking why some project was behind schedule or some other such complaint and leave you feeling cheap and nasty.

But a real thank you said for the right reasons and said with feeling is a simple treasure and music to the ears of those who are singled out for it.

So I am definitely not against the enthusiastic use of it in the right place and as often as is merited. In fact I would go so far as to say that it should been seen as mandatory in a workplace because it will always help really get things done.

Meet and greet in the sunshine!

2010-07-09T14:44:00.003Z

Further to the good weather post...as we finally have a summer to talk about, then why not talk about it as much as you can?

With all this good weather it is a perfect time to get more face to face time with almost anybody. We have taken to walking along our village in the pleasant evening air and it is wonderful how many village connections we are rekindling. We are not alone and always meet other people (who we sometimes do not even know, as our village is a large one) and we have an immediate common topic of conversation...the wonderful weather and from there it is then easy to start talking about their life in our village etc, etc.

In this kind of weather business networking is also somewhat easier. The places where business contacts usually head after a tiring day in the office are the wine bars and eateries, pubs and clubs which are now really keen to get outdoor seating in place and encourage clientele to enjoy the fine weather.

There is a kind of camaraderie which is formed in this atmosphere and business connection can be achieved whilst people are in a generally convivial and more receptive mood. I am not advocating giving up on the more planned formal business networking, but just suggesting that a more casual type of networking at this moment might pay some unexpected dividends!

Don't take that break before you have kept in touch!

2010-07-06T10:59:00.003Z

The summer is racing away from us again and we are getting ready to enter the "funny season" where nothing gets done because everyone is "away on holiday"!

It makes sense then to make a list of all the important contacts you have and wish to keep and decide now to simply get in touch with them before the holidays. This keeping in touch and putting yourself (and your business) top of mind will be good for two reasons. The first is, you are not trying to "sell" them anything and so it makes the call into a pleasant one which can be all about relaxation, leisure time, taking it easy and having fun. These are all nice associations to be left with and you will be recalled in this positive way in the future.

Secondly by placing yourself on their radar screen you are subconsciously paving the way for a good reception the next time you call with a business proposition. You have not been out of touch for a long period and your details will be (relatively) fresh in their minds.

The final benefit is that it makes you feel good about the customers and contacts you have and will help you to remain very focused during this "down" period. Each call will solicit things and actions that you may have thought about but not actually got round to doing so it will keep you honest in your follow through!

He who laughs last...gets remembered!

2010-06-24T09:40:00.006Z

I want to talk today about impression management. In fact I want to talk mostly about last impression management or how long does your particular ripple last?

There have been a few studies conducted which state that the human consciousness remembers only the dramatic closing elements in any normal interaction. In a nutshell: how you close out an interaction can be truly important.

We have talked before about making a great first impression. That still stands. But it is also critically important to make a last lasting impression on the people you meet, as you leave them.

Most of us will have experienced some of these exceptional lasting moments. We, for example, go to an Indian restaurant and at the end of the evening as we leave, they simply give every lady a beautiful rose.

Whenever I suggest going for an Indian meal, my wife will always say (without fail)...lets go to that one that always gives me a flower at the end. I like getting flowers (hint, hint). This is no matter what the food is like, what the service is like, what the prices are like. She likes to get a flower and for her that is a dramatic lasting impression.

It will not cost the Restaurant much (in fact we pay for it in the food prices) but it has a tremendous impact for their great lasting impression way beyond its actual cost.

So how about you? What is your equivalent of the Indian flower? How can you always ensure that people remember you and that that memory is a positive one?

It is worth spending good thinking, planning and practising time on it, as it will be a very good investment in your personal brand. Now remember what I have just said!

Do you drive in flip flops?

2010-06-21T11:12:00.001Z

Yes, I know is seems to be a stupid question, but bear with me and I will explain. This weekend we suffered a miserable open air local festival event on Saturday and along with hundreds of others we shivered in the incredible freezing temperatures. Anyway one of our mates came to the 'do' wearing only flip flops and because it was so cold of course we all commented on this...in total mockery of him. He was wounded to say the least and quite defensive saying that he was ever the optimist! However, that's not the point of the story.

After we had taken the pxss for a while, someone asked if he had driven to the event in his flip flops, to which he replied that yes of course he had and why not!

There then ensued a pretty heated exchange about the possible dangers of driving in said type of footwear and that it was really a dangerous and risky thing to do because in flip flops you cannot really have full control of the pedals as your feet might slip in them!

This led on to another heated discussion about being a like really 'responsible driver' and being a possible danger to others on the road and this led on to being an impetuous type of character and having an overall don't give a txss attitude to life in general!

Wow, talk about an explosive opener. Anyway, as it threatened to get out of hand it was relieved by getting the bevvies in and everyone having a good old chuckle about driving in the right kind of footwear!

So if you drive in flip flops is it fair to say that you are an impetuous person? Answers on a postcard please...

'Love thy neighbour' has never been more true!

2010-06-18T16:11:00.004Z

Thanks Ms Bizz for the rather obvious response on the World Cup!

I have heard today that there is a movement called Big Lunch Parties which apparently organises informal get togethers so that neighbours can introduce themselves to neighbours and work to finally break down some of these isolationist imaginary walls which get built up even amongst people in their own locality.

The interview with this Lunch organisation was music to my ears because it was talking about all the ways in which our society today is making people much more anonymous. In their research and people experience they have found a fundamental breakdown of the basic state of relationship expectation that used to be a natural part of living next door to someone. There were unwritten rules about welcoming new neighbours into a new home and a type of friendliness and helpfulness, which has somehow broken down. It is not human nature to co exist in this way, but it seems that societal issues like mistrust, fear, secrecy and envy are all playing there part to create isolation.

So, go out today and if you have not met your neighbour, then be the one to take the initiative and do it. You will not be disappointed and it could be the start of a long and mutually rewarding relationship.

Rubbish...its world cup time again!

2010-06-15T11:22:00.003Z

Typical of Brian to be a huge fan of football. I suppose that is the last we will hear from him as he glues himself to some giant screen and overloads on grown men kicking a little white thing up and down a field. How ridiculous.

Well, I for one am not going to get excited by all the hooha of the World Cup. England will as usual it seems get so far and then fade away and we can all get back to normal.

So what do I propose whilst all this so called 'relationship building' is going on with like minded footie addicts? Yes, girls, I propose that we have a huge retail therapy fest and attack the shops like mad. As far as I can tell, there are a number of advantages beckoning...

a)The shops will be less crowded than usual because all the men who get dragged kicking and screaming into retail outlets will be doing the soccer thing and it will make a change going into a dressing room with stuff to try on and not having to face the corridor of hopelessness which is made up of henpecked men listlessly waiting for their female to come out and show them yet another dress!

b)It will be a lovely change not to have to queue up with bad tempered blokes who are clearly only there under sufferance and who seem determined to take out their bad mood on anyone who gets in their way.

c) we can stay out and about and meet our friends for a Chardonnay and a nice meal without anyone being on our case!

So in fact, I have just persuaded myself that this World Cup thing is not actually so bad and it may indeed end up being a godsend for some of us.

Come on whoever...

Brilliant..its world cup time again!

2010-06-14T12:42:00.003Z

Has it escaped any one's notice that the Football World Cup is once more with us? Well, certainly not in our house. How spoiled for choice is this summer going to be for sport...Wimbledon soon, England marching on to claim the Cup, The Brits in F1, bring on the Aussies for the Ashes!

In face to face meeting terms this latest sports extravaganza of the World Cup is really going to be great. Take the first England match on Saturday night. Rather than be a saddo all alone watching this game how good was it to retire to my local hostelry and share the oohs and aaahhhs with like minded soccer fans. For the entire World Cup my local has decided to put on a Beer Fest and imported no fewer than 13 different ales! It has also put a marquee up in the garden and attached a giant screen to it and so we have full visual stimulation for all our conversation.

What is so brilliant is that these games are going to be a fantastic opportunity to develop face to face relationships. Everyone suddenly becomes ultra friendly. Everyone suddenly has an opinion. Everyone suddenly has something in common and everyone is usually in a good mood of expectation and excitement. This, together with the barrier breaking alcoholic lubricant, ensures that new relationships will be made and old ones rekindled and all of this is great for the good of getting people back talking to each other again.

It does not matter that it is football which is the reason...the reason will soon be forgotten...hopefully the relationships will survive and prosper.

COME ON ENGERLAND!

Snap judgements and how you can influence them!

2010-06-10T09:17:00.004Z

How do people come to a quick decision about someone on meeting them face to face? How can they quickly make some kind of judgement about your intelligence, competence and presence in only a brief period of time? How is that critical first impression cemented in someone else's mind?

Well, some studies have been done on this important area and it would seem that others tend to judge you quickly on the level of your intelligence within the first couple of minutes. They do it, rightly or wrongly, by the following criteria apparently:

1.Your posture...the "presence" made by your body language in a positive or negative manner,
2.The clench or set of your jaw...
3.The steadiness of your eye contact;
4.Your handshake...is it firm or floppy,
5.Whether you hesitate, or stammer when you talk...and the modulation of your tone of voice,
6.Your ability to make brief references to important current events within the first few phrases you try to connect with...being on the pulse and informed with concerns about the current “BIG” issues.

People make snap decisions which determine whether or not they will engage with you. Time is short and as we all know, first impressions are critical.
It pays to concentrate some quality time on thinking about your first impression, because if you can alter it for the better then there is no doubt that making connections with others will prove to be a lot easier!

Can there ever be too much harmony at work?

2010-06-09T14:10:00.004Z

I have become aware of harmony lately. My partner and I are going through a really "close" time at the moment. I am suspicious as he is both more sensitive and more attentive to me! Why should I worry? Is it too good to last?

At work, I have just been to see a prospective supplier and I have to say the visit was just too gooey! The harmony was palpable. Hey it was even mushy enough to cut with a knife and it got me really wondering. I mean there is being in harmony and having a common goal and all bending together to work towards it and then there is harmony like "I hope no-one disagrees at work today"...the non conflict above all else.

I am not above using conflict to get some extra kick out of my people and I suppose that comes from my upbringing in a house full of females. You had to fight to be heard and get attention and the sibling rivalry was like way off the scale! So I am pretty used to heated arguments and a bit of tantrum, conflict and drama queen stuff.

In fact, if I'm honest (dear reader) then I quite like the conflict and perhaps I mistake conflict for passion and depth of feeling which to me is a key part of business. I would much rather work with people who are not afraid to challenge and question, than I would with those who always toady to the plan du jour and who break a sweat when someone mildly makes a slight criticism.

So I come down on the side of the fence which likes some healthy conflict with overall harmony of goal achievement. How about you?

The latest and greatest...R.O.I.R.!

2010-06-04T14:22:00.003Z

I was made aware of 'Return on Investment in Relationships' and how valid it is, even in today's wired society, by an incidence I had the other night. It so happened that we have had some plumbing problems at home recently. In the past, whenever I have needed a plumber, I have called upon Eric (not his real name) who is a genial, 50 something, grey haired Irishman.

We have used him for many small and medium sized jobs in the past and we have developed a sort of easy 'relationship' over the years. We have always been open and honest with him and never tried to bargain him down in his pricing, which although on the high side, is extremely good value for money. His jobs are always spot on and he seems to go that "extra mile". So we like him and we pay him quickly and we have therefore established a bond, a kind of connection which works well for both of us.

The other night was one of high drama in our flat! We were suddenly aware of a presence of water in our bathroom as it began seeping out under the door! Of course, I immediately blamed my partner and suggested in no uncertain terms that he had left the bath running and it was now flooding the place! Of course this was rubbish as a) he has never had a bath in the 3 years I've known him and b) the turning on of anything (except TV) is not his strong point! So he denied any wrong doing.

He was right. We found the sink tap had sprung a great leak and was spurting all over the place! We both have no idea about DIY so after running round like headless chickens and cursing like troopers for a minute, we both said "ERIC!" at exactly the same time.

Long story short...Eric came round asap and took total control of said problem and in just a feverish hour had it all under control!

Now I don't know about you, but I put this down to ROIR. We have a bond and as such in times of need we can rely on that bond working. It did in this case and it saved a lot of angst!

The point of this is that investing in relationships is real and solid and necessary and important and most of all , worthwhile. At work, at home the investment always in the long run pays off!

Windsor Castle networking!

2010-06-03T12:30:00.004Z

Last night in Windsor we had a tremendous Rotatathon session with an international client of ours. It was a super day and a super evening too for some of the specially flown in customers of this large company. They have arranged a two day seminar at which they are going to reveal some major new plans and so they wanted to create something different and novel for their customers for this first evening. They chose Windsor for its location, beauty, history and river activities.

They decided to use our services to create a "getting-to-know-you-session" and by utilising the unique Rotatathon method, they were able to mix and match their guests to connect them with each other in just one frenetic and fun filled hour. The atmosphere was already relaxed as the guests had just enjoyed a fine wining and dining experience in the shadow of the beautiful and awe inspiring Windsor Castle.

They then moved through to the bar area where they were each given a passport to the networking event. It was their own unique route to go from table to table meeting new people at each and never meeting the same person twice. The session started very lively and got even livelier as the meeting, engaging and connecting got into serious swing!

The session was expertly managed so that over the six rotations the customers got to be introduced to our client hosts on each table and also more importantly got to know all the other customers. This is a key objective, as they will be with them for the next 48 hours and this kind of ice breaking session really creates a collaborative atmosphere right at the beginning to set it up for a successful seminar over the next days.

The client contact who set up the whole thing with Bizzwork was "overjoyed" by the customer response and now definitely intends to integrate the system into other customer meetings where it is applicable.

If you would like us to help your customer meeting go with some extra pizazz then get in touch via brian@bizzwork.com .

Networking hints and tips...

2010-05-28T09:03:00.004Z

I am an avid reader and linked to a number of blogs and newsletters. This information below comes courtesy of Dale Carnegie which usually has very credible information. So take these tips as a reminder...

"Networking events can seem very intimidating, but they can be a resource that will help propel your career to new heights. It is always important to go into a networking event with enthusiasm and a set goal in mind. Use these ideas to help make your next networking experience a successful one.

1. Arrive early - Treat the event like an important appointment. By arriving early, you get comfortable in a more intimate setting with the other early arrivals. It can be intimidating to walk into a room filled with people, so go early and let the room fill up around you.
2. Show confidence - Speak confidently, decisively, and with authority. If you are confident in your conversations and support your ideas with evidence, people will take notice and respect that you know what you are talking about and that you mean business.
3. Circulate - Don't just talk to the people that you know. Move around the room and network.
4. Meet with speakers - If there are speakers at the event, prepare ahead of time. Do some research on the individual(s) so that you are informed when you talk with them. Compliment them on their speech or talk to them about how the topic of their speech or their field relates to what you do.
5. Stay late - When you stay late, the smaller crowd also gives you the opportunity to circulate in a more intimate setting. It also provides you with an opportunity to connect with the event's coordinator. Thank him or her for hosting the event. The event coordinator can give you some additional insight about who attended the event and who might be at the next event. It's never too early to prepare for the next event".

Don't forget that Bizzwork has a unique networking method, the Rotatathon, in which you can meet more people in less time. If you need to find out more then get in touch at info@bizzwork.com

Storytelling is where it's at.

2010-05-25T13:24:00.003Z

You may come home from a meeting or a conference or a seminar and say, "today I met a really engaging person. She was able to completely hold my attention and make me, through just the force of her narrative, consider what she had to say.

The odds are that that person is accomplished in the art of storytelling. The history of storytelling is as old as cavemen communicating on walls and using art to tell the story. But in more modern times, before most ordinary people could read or write, the story tellers used to travel from village to village telling the news and events through the medium of stories. The more engaging and dramatic the better in order to keep the "masses" happy and entranced in the news that was being unfolded.

It is no different today. The people who can tell good, relevant stories are those who draw others to them like Moths to a candle. It is a gift to some, but to most, it takes a lot of practise and does not come easily. So developing the art of storytelling is even more important than developing say the art of creating a PowerPoint presentation, or a sales brochure.

Emotional engagement is what is needed to pitch and win or to successfully negotiate and that simply is more easily done through storytelling!

Why not go that extra mile?

2010-05-21T13:15:00.003Z

It always intrigues me that although we are all in the contact business, the connection with others, the warm body networking, the face to face engagement, there are a lot of people who fail to follow through on the consequences of being in this kind of business.

Who fail simply to go that extra mile!

It's odd really that if you go out of your way to make new acquaintances, to meet new people and meet, with a view to forming relationships (perhaps planning some future as yet unknown state) that you can go so far and then just simply stop. You collect all the cards, make a good first impression and then really spoil it all by not following through.

"There is no way to hold down people who spend their spare time preparing to render greater and better service for others. These persons go right to the top of their profession or calling as naturally as a cork rises to the top of water."

I do not know whose quote this is, but I know it has been true for me over the many years I have spent in business. Rendering greater and better service to others! Yes, powerful words and only in firm actions are these words found to be true. Delivery on promises, doing what you say you will, referring as you say you will and helping someone else in their need without looking for any kind of return, these are the things which separate so many of the people who are only good in intention and not in deed.

On the plus side, you certainly know one when you meet one as they are definitely out of the ordinary.

Coalition must use face to face...

2010-05-19T13:33:00.005Z

There is a saying " when Elephants fight, it is the grass which gets trampled!" I suppose in a way this new political situation is a bit like this metaphor. The elephants have fought and made up and now in that process it is the poor grass [roots supporter] which has to recover and settle down to grow again. (sorry, couldn't find two elephants but how cute is this...which ones D and which one N?)

How are they going to do this? Just how are Conservative die-hards and Liberal Democrat die-hards going to come together to 'grow again'? They cannot do it online. Nor can they do it theoretically!

No, the only way is face to face! Local constituencies need to create a series of meetings at which both sides of the coalition can come together face to face and looking each other in the eye, try to make the best compromise they can...at a local level.

Now obviously Bizzwork is up to the task. The Rotatathon is ideal in just these kinds of situations. You need a group of strangers to come together, meet, engage and connect and do it quickly and effectively and our speed networking method is great at doing just that.

So if there is anybody out there who a) thinks this is a good idea and b) has any kind of influence to pull this off, then just get in touch at info@bizzwork.com .

After all its a year for change!

Success is 'failure' in disguise.

2010-05-17T09:44:00.004Z

Most of us are afraid of failing. We fear fear itself and as we dwell on it the end effect is often a kind of paralysis or a giving up in what we might call defeat. This can be seen in both business and social life.

Winston Churchill, one of our most resilient and resourceful leaders once said, "success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm". He knew the secret to long term success and it was always to make actions , sometimes fail but always learn more in the long haul goal of being ultimately successful.

It is interesting that in business and usually in big business, we become risk averse. It is as if no-one is prepared to stick their heads above the parapet and try things! This is, however, the real road to failure, the very situation in fact which we have tried so hard to avoid.

We should get into the habit of rewarding failure and being ruthless in the learning's made from that so that we can move forwards. In face to face relationships we are not going to get on brilliantly with everyone we meet. We will have relationships which fail and we should not dwell on these, but take valuable lessons from them.

We are very adaptable as a species and we can and do change. But we have to meet more people face to face, not less people as a result of our failures. If we adopt the negative attitude that we have had a failed relationship so we shouldn't have any more relationships in case they also fail, well we will be in a poor state and fear of failure will have triumphed.

So have some more failures and feel good about what comes out of them in a positive not negative way.

Other people's dramas...I've had it up to here!

2010-05-14T11:49:00.005Z

I'm a drama queen. Yes, I admit it. I have been brought up to believe that if you don't shout in this world then you will never get heard. I remember my Dad once pointing out some graffiti to me and it said " The meek shall inherit the earth" and then underneath someone had scrawled..."if that's all right with the rest of you?". I didn't get the irony but my Dad told me then that being meek in this world was not going to get things done.

So I grew up a bit full of myself and believing I was god's gift etc. The business world has calmed me down (or maybe its being on the wrong side of 30?) but I do not throw my toys out of the pram as much as I used to.

But the point of all this babble is that I read a very enlightening piece about drama and its effects on those around you. Particularly it said this, "do you spend more time on other people's dramas than on your own career?"

It stopped me in my tracks because the answer at this precise moment seems to be YES!

I am propping up my aged parents in ways I never thought I would and incredibly, as I am getting a bit mature, they are certainly going backwards to immaturity and they are are so dramatic about all the stupidest things, it drives me nuts.

My boyfriend is a drama in himself and I feel as if I am the only one working on the relationship. Finally as if that were not enough...at work I am looking after a team of direct reports. I never thought I would say those words 'looking after', but that's exactly what I do and it is driving me insane. The petty squabbles, nastiness, backbiting, point winning, email abusing, loud talking, precocious one-upmanship is all very difficult to deal with.

But I am going to stop. You heard it here. I am going to get back to my own reality as the article says and I am simply not going to listen or give any kind of positive feedback to all this 'bickering and tittle tattle' (going back to my Dad again).

In any face to face relationship you need balance and it cannot just be about one person sucking all the life blood out of another. So no more other people's dramas for me!

Not so cynical anymore!

2010-05-12T14:08:00.003Z

Life is full of surprises and it is in the nature of man that we should be a constantly evolving species and a constantly adapting one too. I have been burned by mankind this week but I have also been lifted in spirit by mankind too!

Our face to face marketing is all about relationships and it is most often involved in human relationships. But I have just been listening to a TED lecture and one entitled How I fell in love with a fish, by Dan Barber is one of the best I have ever heard. It is about a subject close to the Bizzwork heart, sustainability.

We have done numerous networking events in and around this subject, indeed we have even helped the Dutch Fish Marketing Board (info@bizzwork.com for a case study) get it's sustainability message across to journalists. So this topic of just how we might feed the world and produce a radical new conception of agriculture is an enticing one.

In such a captivating and arresting way does Dan Barber tell his short story that we simply must start believing again in real honest to goodness natural relationships! Relationships which are witness to the fact that there is a food chain and there are predators and there are natural ways to find a self sustaining Eco system which feeds itself and as a by product produces food which actually tastes really good. No chemicals, additives, intensive farming methods.

No, it is all the way back to the ecological model that we must radically embrace and which obviuosly has some success in its history as it has been around for many thousands of years. That is the one we must get back to and see how symbiotic relationships are absolutely and inexorably key to that success.

Cynical, moi?

2010-05-10T16:23:00.004Z

It's been a difficult and trying day and now I am as sick as a dog! On the one hand I was off to a very positive start, having done my daily imprecations to myself and then the Plumber turned up.

He was here to do a routine service to my boiler. It is an older style boiler but every year we have had it serviced by the largest supplier of Gas in the UK and we have paid dearly for the contract privilege. Lately, say the last five years, they have been marking our worksheet with an *. This points out that they *'may not be able to service this boiler much longer' as they do not have spare parts for it, nor can they get them anymore!!!

This year I saw the renewal contract they sent through and I went ballistic at the inflated price they were asking. I started to read the small print and found out that this contract had more leaky holes in it than a Lib/lab pact. I rang up and cancelled the whole contract.

Recently, as our local friendly plumber was mending a sink he chanced to say that he was a qualified gas fitter too!

We therefore got him to come and service our boiler. Here we are at today.

He came and took the boiler apart...apparently the first time for a number of years! He could not believe the state it was in. The flu was choked, the filters were crudded up and our ignition had corroded away. "It's a miracle this thing is going at all guv!" he said.

Anyway, long story short...this is the matter with our relationships nowadays. Relationships which are effectively mini contracts between people who need each other to make a transaction or offer a service or conduct business of some sort. We cannot trust anyone. We simply cannot, because the moral high ground of a contract has somehow disappeared. It has become 'dog eat dog' and we are all damaged in that process.

Year after year I have been face to face with the successive gas boiler operatives as they have come to my home, into my garage and got on and errr serviced my boiler. Admittedly, they have never been here long...maybe 20 minutes, but they have been pleasant and enjoyed the tea with six sugars and signed a worksheet to say what good condition my boiler is in.

But they have been ripping me off...systematically. There is no way round it and today that awful truth has come to light. So has that made me flow with the milk of human kindness? Has it made me reach out and embrace my fellow man? Has it in fact done anything positive to my life? The answer is definitely no!

It has made me even more cynical and mistrusting of all in general and that is a sad thing which hopefully some act of unprompted kindness will go some way to alleviating. All I need now is that act of kindness.

Move into the statusphere!

2010-05-06T09:08:00.004Z

I've just been reading a trend report. Part of my responsibility is doing quarterly updates on significant consumer trends for the management so they can digest it and presumably file it along with every other piece of forward thinking advice given, in the nearest waste receptacle (oooh cynical me!)

Anyway, I like doing it because it is always interesting and challenging and informative from a good-at-oddball-facts-for-pub-quizzes kind of way!

A new buzzword is "statusphere" and how status will be defined in the new economy. For example, it leads one to believe that we will need to tell stories about our altruistic acts and demonstrate them to a much wider audience than ever before. We just had a bout of that here in UK with the comic relief good works, marathons run, channels skied (?) and bicycle relays ridden. These were fantastic achievements and all done for great reasons...but in the doing of them the personal profiles of those doing them were dramatically enhanced and that is, after all, a kind of pay off and recompense for celebrity types.

There is also something called 'unconsumption'. In other words you are at the opposite end of consumption and do not consume. You are therefore quite at liberty to tell 'status stories' about your planting of trees or DIY wind turbining (as the piccie shows) or carbon neutralising or giving up on some form of transport in return for killing yourself on a bike, etc.

It's also interesting that in the online world there is a huge 'visibility' payoff as all good works can be viewed, twittered, tweeted, youtubed and linkedin.

How much better then to do all your good works with face to face real people and gain all the knowledge that what you are doing altruistically is seen and reflected on the faces of those you meet up with and who directly benefit from your actions.

Of course, the one 'watch-out' with this is that you have to be genuine and authentic. It's highly unacceptable in today's society to be caught out being disingenuous. This crime, as one of our politicians found out to his heavy cost, gets its own reward!

"The CV is dead, long live face to face screening!"

2010-05-04T13:44:00.004Z

Have you ever worried that the method of sending in a CV application for a job is less than optimal? We at Bizzwork have and we think that our new CV+ method redresses that balance.

The reason: we have developed a completely new method which allows the person behind the CV to get their chance to pitch themselves in person and face to face with the relevant stakeholders of the advertised job!

You might say it sounds impractical...you might even say it sounds expensive. Well, you would be wrong on both counts and the cost/benefit analysis shows clearly that with our unique method there are huge positive advantages.

Lets take the first. Is it better to interview and see the whole person in the flesh, than it is to only see a single dimension of an individual, like a prepared CV? Its an obvious response and one you can only say yes to. Getting a fully rounded look at an individual early on in the screening process has got to be 100 times more valid than looking at a sterile bit of paper!

So, is it better to let a number of the key stakeholders also see the applicant in the flesh and have applicants do a pitch to them than it is to just see a CV? Again, its obvious that this is much more valuable. We only take one precious hour out of the whole day of the key stakeholders concerned so they can be involved in our process. The fact that with our method it only takes that one hour to screen up to 20 applicants and see all of them face to face and listen to them pitch to you, is one of its greatest advantages.

Does it put the applicant under undue pressure? Well, yes and no. Yes, because you are going to be making your pitch 5 times and in front of 4 different other applicants every time. This shows exactly how a person will respond under a certain amount of pressure . But no also, because it is a table rotation method and is quite informal and non-threatening in reality.

Can the stakeholders easily determine who the most suitable candidates are from the screening? Yes, again because with our proprietary weighted scoring method at the end of the one hour period you will end up with an objective assessment of the relative merits and scores of the candidates and you will be able to use this to take the interviews to the next level.

So if you would like to talk to us about this new and exciting approach to applicant screening, then just get in touch, info@bizzwork.com . There is no obligation and we will work with you to make our method fit your need.

Do teach your grandmother to suck eggs!

2010-04-30T08:34:00.006Z

There is a lot of debate at the moment about the education system in this country and how it may be failing to produce a fully rounded individual capable of moving into a productive role in society.

I happened to be reading a book which was dealing in general terms with the issue of passing on learning to younger people. It was curious because it made the distinction between teaching youngsters the value of saving per se versus creating more value with that same money. I was struck by this because my own mother had been a great one for saving. She had nagged and continuously reminded me of the error of my ways as I mercilessly spent everything I ever earned as a youth on fashionable clothes and in my case, guitars and amps, to fuel my abiding passion for Rock n roll.

Her mantra of "saving" was lost on me. I was enjoying the moment. I was relishing the feel of spending power and the incredible pull of desire to own the latest Fender.

So to the point. To teach a child to invest and use is better than teaching it to save! Had my mother just taught me this simple truth and taught me to use the money I had hard earned to create yet more wealth, then I would inevitably been able to afford even more Fenders! But I did not learn that lesson. It was not taught to me, but it should be taught in today's education system. You see, today a lot of young people have a false expectation. It goes like this...society owes you a living and all you have to do is demand of it and it will eventually pay up.

There is no real teaching about the concept of 'general responsibility'. Responsibility to work hard and put something back into society, something which is valuable and may help to create wealth and therefore jobs for others. I don't know where you would start but it may be in some kind of study of those who have successfully created value and wealth for others and try to learn serious lessons from them?

Lets get talking again, please.

2010-04-26T09:22:00.004Z

Tom Peters in his book, The Little Big Things, goes on at length about how it is often the small things in our lives, both business and social that can make the biggest difference. Our "logical" reasoning says that only 'big' actions and decisions can make the difference. But, in his experience Tom Peters goes back time and time again to the little things.

We all have some examples of these kinds of little things which make a big difference, but our local Indian Restaurant has the very powerful giving of one red rose to each female who leaves after a meal. It is a simple act and probably not so expensive (in relation to the investment of an Indian meal) and it is always, always commented on and hugely important in their delivery of above average service. That is why we go often!

But here is some Tom Peters :

"People whose offices are more than 100 feet apart might as well be 100 miles apart, in terms of frequency of direct communication."

Our business in Bizzwork is in connecting people and a lot of our work is in this kind of face to face internal communication issue. There are so many problems which arise from poor or non existent internal communications. This is never deliberate. Indeed most normal people are only too willing to communicate and will do it well.

However, in the pressure of our daily business lives sometimes simple communication goes by the wayside and we "get by" with the odd copied email. Then we wonder why the organisation is not all pulling in the same direction and is not achieving the results it should when all are collaborating regularly.

With our unique Rotatathon method we get people internally connecting once again and talking to each other. The system is very easy to implement and it is very time efficient as just one hour of concentrated connecting can add tremendous value to any and all business projects.

So if you are having some internal communications issues, then just get in touch ( info@bizzwork.com ) for a no obligation chat about your specific challenges and we will see if The Rotatathon can help you!

Are bean counters the answer in this current business climate?

2010-04-23T09:43:00.003Z

At the moment in our business we are inundated with financial types or as we like to refer to them, bean counters! They are everywhere and into everything. There is nothing that they feel they shouldn't come in and micro manage.

The problem is that our business has given up to 'cost cutting' in a big way because of the current recession and the very difficult business environment. But can we cut our way to growth?

It seems a bit weird that in these times when gaining extra business is absolutely essential that we are reigning in all the attempts to get our growth. Of course, I am not really qualified to comment on the wisdom of bean counters being in charge as I am a mere engineer. But it seems to me counter intuitive that we should be spending huge amounts of management hours, time, effort and daily focus on something that will not drive us forward. Here I am reminded of what Henry Ford said about the scourge of financiers,

"You will note that the financiers proposed to cure by lending money and not by bettering methods.
They did not suggest putting in an engineer; they wanted to put in a treasurer."

I don't just use this also in defence of engineers although we could do with some help in that direction(but that's another battle!) But it is in the essence of allowing another discipline(like financial types) to decide what is best for the business. Yes, they can cut and make savings and sift and find areas of spending to get their teeth into....but will they be able to 'better the methods of the business' as Ford says?

No, absolutely not! They live in a world of absolutes...find £1 pound to save and they can then justify their existence, but that is not the real answer to some of our business issues. We need to find inspiration, intuitive business building, creativity, bravery and investment!

Now, I think I will go and sit down in a quiet room for an hour after letting off steam about bean counters.

Calm in the centre of chaos theory!

2010-04-20T15:52:00.003Z

The erupting Icelandic volcano is certainly showing us that nature is really the most powerful force in our lives and the disruption it is causing is growing by the minute. There are some incredibly sad tales of people trapped in far flung places and the knock on impact of the whole phenomenon will be huge and far reaching!
I was reading something from The Secret in its daily "scrolls" and it seemed to strike an incredible chord with me at this particular time. Here is some of it transposed...

"Seek the beautiful things and count the blessings of where you are. Dissatisfaction will not bring the happier and the better into your life. Dissatisfaction roots you to the spot where you currently are, but appreciation for what you have attracts the happier and better to you."

Currently there are many misplaced people all over the world and they all have one overriding objective: to get back home at all costs!

What is amazing is that only a few days before, those same people (who chose of their own free will to go where they went) were exploring, visiting, discovering, enjoying, relaxing, chilling out in the adventurous place where they had chosen to be. They were content. They were happy. They were satisfied.

Then a natural disaster occurs and all the positive benefits of being "away" are suddenly swept aside by being now trapped. A prisoner. Abandoned. Left to fend for yourself.

Suddenly then the overriding feeling is one of being in the "wrong" place, out of the loop, out of the "normal" and the mindset then becomes one of desperation, frustration, disappointment and dissatisfaction!

Of course, it is really easy to write this as I sit in the safety of my own Prison cell (only kidding) home. But if only some of the stranded people were able to turn this current adversity on its head and see it as another "further" adventure and to find some good in the situation, then surely it would benefit everyone concerned?

If only they could 'count the blessings of where they are' it would help alleviate some of the worry and anxiety. If they looked positively on going out and making new contacts and embraced the local culture and then they might find a lot of new friendships in the local place because I am sure there are many people out there willing to help these misplaced persons to get through this crisis. Every ash cloud could have a silver lining...

It's just a thought!

Face to face debating...why it could never happen 'online'.

2010-04-16T10:32:00.005Z

So, we had the first historic parliamentary debate on TV last night here in the UK. The three main party leaders were brought together in a televised face to face confrontation and it was a fascinating spectacle watched by an audience of some 9.5 million viewers.

All the benefits of real face to face connection were there to be seen as we watched each leader respond to questions and debate with each other albeit in a rather half hearted way unfortunately as it turned out. There were none of the predicted explosive moments or grand put downs and it was as if all three were on their "best behaviour" and not willing to risk making a giant gaffe on this inaugural TV debate.

But, everything starts somewhere and the next ones will get increasingly tetchy as the opinion polls come together to point out flaws in the face to face exploits of each leader and they in turn decide what to risk as the TV debating comes to a head.

From our face to face perspective it was an enormous success. You simply cannot get insights like we gleaned in watching them with each nuance, facial expression, gesture, body positioning and the unspoken language of "bearing" with an online presence. It was very revealing and helpful in this personality politics world we now find ourselves in. It will become more and more important as we all inevitably tire of the unending 'soundbite politics' that gets trotted out every election time.

At least with this face to face confrontation we can see what kind of leader we hope to see looking after the country. It also makes a lot of extra and very lucrative work for any would be pollster, political analyst, media maker. Consequently we will now be inundated with all this detritus of facts and figures which will be brought out and pushed into our faces at any and every opportunity.

I can hardly wait. Oh well, it will all soon be over.

Yee-high and giddy-up!!!

2010-04-14T15:23:00.005Z

Did you know that the Pony Express in the USA in the 1860's only operated for just 18 months. In that time it never made any money and in fact lost a huge amount for its backers!

Do you really care?

Well there is no earthly reason why you should except for the number of lessons that may be learned because of this pioneering spirit. Today's pioneers look somewhat different to the "skinny youths" (weight reasons) who were specifically recruited to earn $100 per month for riding 75 to 100 miles a day from Missouri through some of the wildest Mid West territory imaginable to get to Sacramento. Today, those same youths will probably be "gamers" and software geeks who are programming the latest 'wild west' equivalent of online entertainment. I should think their rewards are appreciably higher than the Pony Express riders though.

But if progress is the name of the game then perhaps we can learn something. Going forever forwards and in that same spirit of pioneering...seeing danger, adversity and fear, recognising it and yet doing it anyway, that surely is a worthy lesson. The Pony Express was not, in itself, successful but it captured the imagination of a whole nation and galvanised it. It did also pave the way for the Telegraph system and of course the development of the railways across the Central Trail system which, up until this time, had been unproven.

But just think of the other lessons. Teamwork for a start. The Pony Express was a relay! There were 165 Stations which had to be set up, manned and run day and night. The logistics were impressive even then as the rider changed horses every 10 to 15 miles! The operators and riders had to handle extreme adversity and endure through any number of hostile circumstances and they also needed to be resourceful to make the most of what little they had.

Do we do that in modern business? Are we resourceful? Are we able to really endure? Hell,
when the vending machine breaks down for more than 24 hours there is a mutiny and all hell breaks loose if the ambient temperature ever goes over or under the regulation! No, we are getting soft and comfortable and pampered and spoon fed! OK we do spend most of our waking hours in a 'rabbit hutch' of regulation proportions and we never see the light of day, let alone come across a marauding band of Indians (except when Ethel for the mail room sweeps through looking for some hapless victim of under postage).

No, all in all, we need to free up a new pioneering spirit and I for one will lead it...tomorrow I will bring in my own packed lunch instead of going to Just Baguettes. There that's a start isn't it?

Are you working in a leaky bucket?

2010-04-12T08:53:00.005Z

Oh dear...we have just found out that we have had a small leak in our plumbing system which has been leaking water into our ceiling space for a long time apparently! Totally unaware of this accident waiting to happen, we have gone on with our daily business blissfully ignorant of a much greater problem just building up for us. Obviously the small leak has been weakening the pipe and suddenly the hole burst and a deluge of water cascaded into our ceiling and then into our dining room causing much damage.

I use this cautionary tale as a metaphor for the business world we are in. So often we find ourselves sitting in a situation where we are kind of aware that our brand, or our sales leads or our admin system or our customer prospecting is "leaking". It is simply not as robust as it once was, perhaps not as effective, perhaps not as efficient as before. We tend then to push this unwholesome thought out of our minds and "hope" things will right themselves. But this is the equivalent of our small water leak and it is doing a lot of unseen damage. It will inevitably lead to a worsening of the situation until it becomes a real crisis.

Had we been checking our pipes regularly or been more vigilant in looking for the signs of a leak (which were there) then our plumbing bill would have been insignificant relative to what we later had to spend to put it all right again.

I used to teach our executives about the 'credit and debit' account of a Brand Bank and I used to do this with the help of a bucket with a small hole in the bottom. There was a water level line around the three quarter point of the bucket and I labelled this the Brand line. Then I poured water into the bucket up to the level of the Brand line and we all watched as the drops of water escaped from the bottom of the bucket. As we talked, the visible Brand line level of real water went down and I then started to pour in more water at the top to make up for the leak at the bottom to keep the Brand line where it once was!

This showed them, in practical terms, the means of adding deposits (more water) to the Brand bank account which always has a stream of constant debits against it or "leaks " if you will and therefore needs constant attention. This was a graphic representation of how a small leak can have very damaging consequences over time.

So I hope you will regularly check for your "leaks" because believe me they are there!

Action and reaction...

2010-04-08T10:23:00.004Z

Every action has a reaction. It is a basic law. But in business networking it is one of the laws that is most often misunderstood.

When we go out to a networking event we should go with the expectation that we WANT to engage with others. That means taking responsibility for the consequences of engagement. It means following up with connections and trying where possible to help other people with their needs.

If you decide to participate, you should also decide to be responsible for the consequences of participation. So often I am struck by the difference between 'intention' and 'action'. A lot of people make empty promises, they are effusive in their eagerness to impress and dramatic in their show of these promises, which it seems they know (in their hearts) they will never keep.

So why set yourself up for the kind of consequences this will inevitably lead to in the first place? It is a waste of time both for you and those who come into contact with you.
Worse than that, it can give the name of networking an image which it does not need.

The new connections you make are always, always important. If not at this moment, then in the future at some time you cannot specify. Make it a habit of always contacting those new people you meet, soon after the meeting and start a discussion with them from the common ground of the event into some other area that might be fruitful to both parties. You will always get a positive reaction from this action!

The blessed generation...

2010-04-01T08:45:00.005Z

One of my old mentors was talking to me the other day and criticising the 'young' business people. He was bemoaning the fact that there was no creativity, resilience, resourcefulness and invention as well as commitment, passion and tenacity in 'young' people anymore!

Wow! As a younger person I was defensive for the young and was very quick to spring to 'our' defence! But as ever his real sense of humour about this kinda won me over as he went through this litany...

" According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 50's, 60's and 70's probably shouldn't have survived, because our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead based paint which was promptly chewed and licked.

We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.

When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just jelly sandals and spokey dokey's on our wheels. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags - riding in the passenger seat was a treat!

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted the same.

We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this.

We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and would play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded.

We did not have Play Stations, X-Boxes or Video Games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no DVDs or Ipods, IPhones, Surround sound, Note Books or books in electronic form! We had real friends and went outside and found them. We played elastics and street rounders and sometimes the ball really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones but there were no law suits.

We had full on fist fights but no prosecution followed from other parents. We played knock and run and were actually afraid of the owners catching us. We walked to our friends homes. We also, believe it or not, walked to school: we didn't rely on Mum or Dad to drive us to school. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls. We rode bikes in packs of seven and wore our coats (our one and only coat) only by the hoods.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law.

This generation produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever. "

Oh well, nostalgia's not what it used to be!

Are you a leader or a manager?

2010-03-26T10:36:00.004Z

Today, I am indebted to Mark Fritz of Procedor, who was a colleague of mine when we both worked for a previous organization and who now works as a management consultant. He has sent me some great material on leadership and one of the elements he talks about in his sessions is the difference between being a leader versus being a manager. For this he uses material from the veteran General, Bill Creech of the US Airforce. So he it is reprinted:

LEADER VERSUS MANAGER (BY GENERAL BILL CREECH)
• Leaders shape the outputs. Managers chase the inputs.
• Leaders focus on group deliverables. Managers focus on individual jobs.
• Leaders encourage new ideas. Managers enforce old ideas.
• Leaders stimulate right things. Managers monitor for wrong things.
• Leaders thrive on tough competition. Managers talk little of competition.
• Leaders prize comparisons with others. Managers see scant need for comparison.
• Leaders think of involvement programs. Managers think of suggestion programs.
• Leaders empower others to make decisions. Managers tightly control the decision process.
• Leaders see leading as animate & proactive. Managers see managing as inanimate & reactive.
• Leaders think of a dynamic, caring human system. Managers think of a business following a script.
• Leaders think of improving initiative and innovation. Managers think of improving compliance & conformance.
• Leaders shape organization character, culture, & climate. Managers assume it’s not a big deal – nor their job.
• Leaders provide the vision. Managers carry it out.
• Leaders make it better. Managers make it run.
• Leaders make it happen. Managers hope it happens.
• Leaders create more leaders. Managers create more managers.

It's all about finding the link...

2010-03-24T15:46:00.006Z

In the world of face to face one of the questions we get asked all the time is how do you begin to 'get on' with new contacts you meet? Now a lot of business people think it is small talk or insignificant chatter which is the key. In fact the key is much more than that, it is looking for and finding "the link".

This is the thing which you and they have in common. A link is the first stage of building empathy or as some call it rapport!

Why do you need a link? Well, it all comes down to the human ego. We are all actually quite interested in ourselves. If someone else therefore expresses an interest in us then it is only good manners to talk more about ourselves. By doing so we are actually giving permission for the 'tentative' relationship to move into a more friendly place, our kind of inner space.

There are a huge number of links available when trying to create empathy. It might be children, education, pets, hobbies or passions. With each subject the give away is usually the mementos, certificates, trophies, framed pictures etc, that one sees around the place of business or office. There might be a picture of the person proudly displaying a fish and so it might be good to start asking about the biggest fish the person ever caught. If you are into fishing then you can only answer this by expanding on your interest and developing the conversation around an obvious point of interest.

This is much better than say commenting on the weather, for example. Most people feel they need to start a conversation this way, but it is not "engaging" enough because it is not centered around the person you are there to meet. Idle chit chat is time wasted and will not help build a relationship. So, the next time you need to get some empathy going, do yourself a favour and first do a little research about the person you are to meet. Then you will know where to go to find the link!

Google vs Facebook

2010-03-22T10:08:00.004Z

There has been a fantastic weekend of reportage about the battle between these two great new digital age leviathans Google and Facebook. For the first time in the US last week more people connected to Facebook than did to Google. All the numbers are mega and mind blowing...soon Facebook's community will be larger than China!

So, of course, there are some lovely issues coming up as each tries to outdo the other and as this battle develops we will see some interesting facets to competition. One such example is that of the Google drive to be all things to everyone in the online search world. I recommend this quick read on Robot Exclusion Protocol by Paul Ford. It is a nicely penned sardonic critique of the exploding world of privacy issues with a futuristic look at the world of 'home indexing'.

On the Facebook side there are now presumptuous and intrusive ads appearing as soon as, for example, a status is changed. If one posts "engaged" as a new status it is more than likely that a whole host of local services, from Wedding photography, to bridal gowns to flower sellers all in your locale will infect your private space! We are in the early days of advertising on Facebook and so unregulated as they are they range from the weird and nonsensical to the playful and downright creepy. Some of them are even relevant!

It matters not to us in the face to face community. There is one thing for certain. The need to meet real people in real life and face to face will always override these online activities...in fact these will create more opportunities for face to face meeting to verify, test, explore and expand any tentative online relationships!

"Jungle management works..."

2010-03-19T09:34:00.003Z

I have always been a great believer in self help. I think a lot of the problems we currently face as a society is because people are far too reliant on someone else to solve their problems for them rather than looking at themselves and starting to fix the problem there. So in delving into some books on the subject I came across this by the eminently sensible Ken Blanchard...

"The Art of Managing Monkeys
How To Get People To Solve Their Own Problems
By Dr. Ken Blanchard

Do you ever go home feeling that you've spent the whole day doing jobs on other people's "to do" lists instead of your own? Do you feel that you're doing more but accomplishing less? Your management may seem out of control, but it doesn't have to be if you learn the art of monkey management. A "monkey" is the next move after two individuals meet.

Say you meet an employee in the hallway. He says, "Can I see you for a minute? We have a problem." He explains; you listen; time flies. Twenty minutes later you know enough about the problem to realize you'll have to be involved, but you don't know enough to make a decision. So you say, "This is very important, but I don't have time to discuss it now. Let me think about it and I'll get back to you."

The detached observer understands what just happened, but when you're in the middle, it's harder to see the big picture. Before you met your employee in that hall, the monkey was on his back. While you were talking, the matter was undergoing consideration, so the monkey had one leg on each of your backs. But when you said, "Let me think about it and I'll get back to you," the monkey moved squarely onto your back.

The problem may have been part of your staff member's job, and he may have been perfectly capable of proposing a solution. But when you allowed that monkey to leap onto your back, you volunteered to do two things that a person working for you is generally expected to do as part of his or her job. (1) You accepted the responsibility for the problem, and (2) you promised him a progress report. Just to be sure it's clear who's in charge now, your staff member will stop in on you several times the next day to say, "Hi! How's it coming?" If you haven't resolved the matter to your staff member's satisfaction, he'll begin to pressure you to do what is actually his job. To avoid this travesty, you must learn the art of monkey management.

I had a chance to work with the leading expert of monkey management, Bill Oncken Jr., who authored (with Don Wass) one of the all-time best-selling articles published by the Harvard Business Review entitled Managing Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey? Here are a few lessons I learned about Monkey Management.

Managers must be careful not to pick up other people's monkeys. When they do, they broadcast the message that the employees lack the skills to care for and feed the monkeys themselves. Managers who grab monkeys off their people's backs often kill employee initiative, and leave everyone waiting for the boss to make the next move.

Nobody wins when you take care of other people's monkeys. You become a hassled manager and don't feel very good about yourself. You have workers who look to satisfy their needs elsewhere, because they feel underutilized and unappreciated. They often become dependent upon the boss. The care and feeding of other people's monkeys is the ultimate lose-lose deal.

Bill Oncken Jr. developed these four rules of monkey management to help managers give back monkeys without being accused of buckpassing:

1. Describe the monkey.
The dialogue between a manager and a staff member must not end until appropriate next moves have been identified and clearly specified.

2. Assign the monkey.
All monkeys shall be owned and handled at the lowest organizational level possible.

3. Insure the monkey.
Every monkey leaving you on the back of one of your people must be covered by one of two insurance policies: recommend, then act; or act, then advise.

4. Check on the monkey.
Proper follow up means healthier monkeys. Every monkey should have a check-up appointment.

If you follow Oncken's rules, you'll stop viewing your people as the major source of your problems and will soon start seeing them as major solutions, because each of their backs can be a depository for several monkeys. Try monkey management -- it works!"

Have you got an "expressive" face?

2010-03-16T14:49:00.004Z

The answer is...we all have! We talk a lot about face to face marketing and often we forget the real and deeply ingrained significance of the meaning of 'face'. After all, we use 'face' so much in our ever day communication... people lose "face" if they do not take a particular action; you have to "face" up to it to resolve a given problem. Then there is a "facade" which can be used to cover up any unpleasant feelings and if you want to avoid some reality then you simply cannot "face" it.

The reason for this is that our face does show our emotional state at any given moment. We tense up the muscles in our face if we are concentrating or being angry or betraying negative emotions and our face is our outward portrayal of what is going on inside us. As an eminent neurologist once said "if the eyes are the window of the soul, the face is the bridge between one's inner emotional life and the outside world."

Because the face actually has a dozen separate muscles in it, then it really is our most expressive body part. We probably overwork these particular muscles more than any other. Think about it, every expression, nuance, look and activity is a play on this complex muscle structure!

Obviously, it both a good thing and a bad thing that our face is our key communicator. It can easily give you away and it can show your prevailing mood...even though you might think you are "hiding" what you truly feel. As humans we are able to adequately express all the high emotions like love, compassion, happiness and pleasure. In an instance we can then turn our face to other entirely different emotions like anger, frustration, suffering and pain.

So as our mission is to bring people together for meeting, engaging and connecting then the way we use our faces in these interactions is vital in the first impression that we give. Put on your "open" face next time you are networking and you will be surprised at the positive reactions.

So the next time someone asks you to give more than 100%...

2010-03-12T12:11:00.004Z

I had to smile at this one. Especially as in a previous meeting my boss had just exhorted me to give it 110%!

"From a strictly mathematical viewpoint it goes like this:

What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
and

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

and,

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Bullshit and Ass kissing that will put you over the top".

Challenge "expert" opinion.

2010-03-11T10:05:00.004Z

I am really enjoying reading the Life and Work of Henry Ford. I am reading it in daily installments which are sent to me, absolutely free, from http://www.dailylit.com/ . It is a tremendous service which i wholeheartedly endorse and I have read many business books, in daily chapters in this way and all of them free.

Each of us knows the value of wide reading because by reading we gain knowledge and with knowledge comes learning and learning is growing and growing is what life is all about! So why then do so few people make this simple step of daily reading? It is not time. You can always make time to do something twice! It is not intelligence because common sense says that the more information you filter and process the more benefit there will be to utilising such reservoirs of knowledge over time and this must make you a more rounded person!

Perhaps it is accessibility. If so, then having wisdom fed to you in small bite sized pieces daily at your desk is surely a good thing. Take today, for example and a simple quote from Henry Ford..." we get some of our best results from letting fools rush in where angels fear to tread!"

The context for this was that Ford never relied upon history or records of things which had been tried but which had failed in the past. Rather, he developed a whole new 'anything is possible' and a 'can-do attitude' throughout his business. This meant his people were always finding new ways to do old things...things which maybe had been tried and had previously failed, but which on applying some new intervention this time succeeded.

This thinking is not earth shattering, nor is it new, but for me on reading it, it made me think again about all the so called pearls of wisdom which get bandied about and which we ascribe to some expert or other and therefore take as a universal truth.

So the next time a so called 'expert' makes a pronouncement maybe you shouldn't take it for granted that it is right! Indeed you may even feel the need to challenge it.

Bigger is better!

2010-03-08T10:10:00.004Z

I was very excited at work last week. A small neatly wrapped box appeared on my desk with a small compliments note with it. The box and its contents was from an old mentor of mine, whose advice and guidance I really treasure.

So it was with eager anticipation that I opened the box to find a wonderful Russian Doll. It was beautifully painted and had that wonderful mirror like gloss so smooth to the touch. I loved it there and then. But it had even more surprises inside it.

As I took the largest doll and pulled the two halves apart to reveal a smaller hand painted doll inside a small piece of paper fell out. I read what was on it. It said: " If you employ people who are 'smaller' than you..." Wanting to find out more, I took the doll out and pulled this smaller one apart. Another note fell out of it. It said : "Then, over time, your company will itself get smaller and smaller". Wanting to find out more from this intriguing set of Russian Dolls, I took the next one and sure enough as I pulled it apart another note was there. This one said: "Until eventually you will have hardly any company left at all !"

Yeah, so what... I was saying to myself as I pulled apart the next doll and got to the very smallest one which was nestled inside. But here was another note right in the middle which said: " If , however, you always employ people who are 'Bigger' than you, then your company will grow and grow and grow. Put the dolls back together and you will see, if you follow this advice, just how big your company can be! Why not give one of these dolls to every new employee and see that this living philosophy is adopted in your company."

As ever, my mentor had known what was on my mind and given me some subtle advice about a personnel appointment I was just about to make. He was telling me to go for the "bigger" candidate. The one who would push me and who had the ability to, in future, do my job and would be making life more of a challenge for me because they would have an opinion and would not be shy of giving it!

I leave it up to you to decide which candidate I eventually chose!

Change brings opportunity...

2010-03-03T10:28:00.003Z

Is your business going through great change? Have you made an acquisition and are struggling to integrate the new company into your culture? Is your core business message getting through to the right target? Have you managed to breakdown the layers of employee interpretation to get the right business alignment? Can you ensure your internal communications are efficient as well as effective?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then we can help. Bizzwork specialises in face to face marketing to enable people to connect quickly and effectively. We have a unique connection method , which is called The Rotatathon and we can speed connect any number of people from 20 to 300. Usually all we have is just one hour to make as many connections as possible in that short time. The method is very flexible and can be tailored to very different business challenges.

We have made connections for many companies both large and small and the method has been effectively used for very different things. We have worked in innovation...helping to develop new ideas between a group of disparate businesses. We have worked in sustainability to ensure best practise is shared amongst the key stakeholders. Global corporations have used us to help the internal communications process where a change message needed to be shared between the senior management group. We have worked in PR as a unique new product announcement session for a very different kind of press briefing and there are many more examples of the system's flexibility.

So if you think we can help you then please just get in touch for a no obligation discussion at info@bizzwork.com .

You bet I'm grateful!

2010-03-01T14:57:00.004Z

Its the first day of March and at last Spring is in the air. There is a smell of hope and light and warmth (the sun is actually shining) and the end of a long, long winter is in sight. My bins have just been emptied. Not much to celebrate there you might think, but no, today I have decided to be grateful.

I think we could all do with becoming much more grateful and grateful about every (little) thing around us. So I am grateful that I have a nice car sitting on my drive that I can afford to run. I am grateful that all my rubbish, including cardboard boxes outside of said bin, was taken away and none left scattered on the surrounding area. I am grateful my daughter got into work safely because there was a very heavy frost last night and early this morning the roads were treacherous.

I am grateful for my daughter because she is such a lovely person and is turning into a really nice, kind and considerate adult. She actually talks to me and she helps me (all things digital). I am grateful for my health which is generally good and of course I have ups and downs but on the whole it is first class. There are so many things to be grateful for...

So you get the idea. Instead of starting the day whingeing and complaining, why not start it by being grateful for all the good things that you have to celebrate. When you then meet people face to face, you will have a smile on your face and you will make a difference to their lives, even if its only in a small way.

It's OK, but its not face to face!

2010-02-24T10:16:00.003Z

My boss came running in and looked like he was the cat who got the cream (those who know me know the phrase I would usually use here is about a dog with....). Anyway, he was pleased with himself! "Guess what I've done ? "he said. So playing dumb I said, "You've had a brain transplant and you are actually going to be good to your staff in future!"

Obviously he ignored this and went on..."no, I've just done an ace deal with this training group. Instead of getting everyone together, we are going to run a virtual (sneering, delighted emphasis here) training course. You know what virtual is don't you?" This from someone who is old enough to be my Dad. I let the sleight pass, despite the fact that I am the one he calls on every time he can't boot up successfully, split his email page, scratch his...etc, etc.

"Great", I said with all the enthusiasm of a Gordon Brown Cabinet Minister. He rambled on enthusiastically about all the benefits of this new way of doing things and finished by telling me when to be present and wanting my feedback afterwards, (he doesn't mean that he wants me to tell him anything bad, just reinforce all his pre-determined good things about what he has done!)

The course was very good. It was professionally delivered to 15 of us virtual individuals, it was convenient and it was a minimal interruption to normal working. Obviously, during the training I was doing my emails and checking Facebook, with the occasional grunt and affirmation to show I was still alive. Of course, it tried to be interactive, but what can you do when you are not all together in the same place!

So I fed back to my boss and told him all the things he wanted to hear (believe me I have searched my conscience on many occasions and even tried to be as honest as possible without telling an out and out lie...but well you know how it is. I want to get promoted.)

However, if you want my really honest answer it is just not the same experience as doing training in a face to face environment. The buzz, discussion, interaction and debate you get by all being together in the same place are just not able to be replicated in a virtual way. So in these straightened economic times it will do very well and I am sure for the trainers it is a dream come true, after all training would be good if only you didn't have trainees and this is probably very close to it!

But give me face to face every time. One day when I have had too much to drink I will tell my boss, I promise.

It's all about attitude!

2010-02-23T12:16:00.004Z

Not a new subject to discuss but nevertheless, as we all keep our own minds and attitude is a state of mind, then it is up to each and every one of us to make choices in our dominant and prevailing attitude.

Discussion about keeping a healthy and positive attitude usually begins with positive affirmations like, "if you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right! " or "what the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve". Even Shakespeare is quoted in one of his works as saying, "nothings ever good or bad, but thinking makes it so!"

At the beginning of the each day there have been those who preach looking in the mirror and saying to yourself, "something wonderful is going to happen to you today". Let's face it, we have all been there with bad attitude and good attitude. Sometimes you get up and the day feels lousy. You drag yourself up and cut yourself shaving and stub your toe on a drawer and find the shower is cold. All seems to be against you and then, surprise, surprise the day just gets worse and worse. On another day, you get the complete opposite and the day goes from strength to strength with everything going your way.

The real point is that having a good attitude is something that can be learned, practised and developed and that over time by creating a generally positive attitude then it is more than likely that your life will be much the better for it. I had two examples of great attitude recently. One was in having a great hand car wash and it was a pleasure to pay the people at the end of it and the other was the help I received in a shop which could not have been more sensitive, courteous and considerate.

They both lead me to believe that in the area of everyday training and teaching there should be a tremendous emphasis (much more than currently) given to this subject. Certainly in a face to face meeting it becomes obvious pretty quickly as to the attitude of the other person and it also becomes obvious just how much easier is it to deal with good attitude than bad.

Recommend someone today!

2010-02-19T11:45:00.002Z

As Bizzwork we have always preached the philosophy of 'giver's gain' and encouraged those important twin elements of trust and friendship. These really are the basic pillars of a strong and healthy relationship. We also believe in the adage of 'do something nice for someone today'.

It is surprising just how enervating and releasing it is to make someone else happy. I am reminded of this because of being recently involved in the process of making recommendations for work colleagues.

The great benefit of making a recommendation is that it really makes you think. If you do it properly it is a truly rewarding exercise because of the process you necessarily need to go through to capture, in a few words and choice phrases, the very essence of a person you have or are working with.

The great thing about this is that it is also a very positive experience. You put the person you are recommending into the frame of your focus and you do an inventory of their strengths. OK, it is difficult to do full justice to a complex personality in a couple of lines, but the amazing thing is that over a few different recommendations from various people, you begin to get a full picture of a dimensional personality.

Of course, there are very few 'critical' recommendations and you are seeing a 'biased' opinion but then again in our lives there are very few people who wake up everyday and decide they are going to deliberately do bad things at work that day.

Most of us wake up and go to work to try their best for the enterprise we are involved with. We actually want to work with others to do the best we can possibly do. We want the business to prosper and we want to do business in a trusting and healthy atmosphere. I know from bitter personal experience that a coerced workforce will never ever optimise it's full potential.

So go on and recommend someone you know today. It will be good for both of you!

Online requires offline meeting...

2010-02-17T17:47:00.005Z

It is very interesting to note the number of ways in which the online community is trying to tackle the difficult question of when and exactly how offline "warm body"contact of face to face meeting takes place.

I am an active reader of blog sites and new ideas forums and recently there was a headline which caught my attention. It stated that "Online network for tweens requires offline introductions". The piece then goes on to outline a new scheme which worried parents of tweens have come up with to enable their offspring to know who they are meeting by the giving of a chip which is preregistered online so they can safely meet offline!

It really seems to us in the face to face community that once you have met face to face then there is actually little need for all the attendant online stuff. After all, in meeting face to face one or other of the parties will quickly come to the decision as to whether they want to build an ongoing relationship with the other person.

That is the tried and tested human race formula for being a sociable species and essentially what has given us an "edge" against the other animal forms. We are all having to come to terms with the Internet and its impact on our daily lives and there are many who have heralded a new dawn in social interaction as a result of it.

The phenomenon is truly here and we are all a part of the 'live' experiment. The rise of social networking sites is indicative of huge interest and fascination with the online world, but it has yet to be proven that it can or will replace some very basic off line activities. The jury is still out but we know that it will take a fundamental shift in human behaviour to replace any kind of face to face interaction!

When exactly is good enough good enough?

2010-02-10T14:38:00.006Z

So here we are. Back in the land of good enough! It seems that with the onset of mobile Internet and access to all things whilst on the go, a new wave of 'making do' is upon us. You remember it from the first time around don't you? Well I do and I'm not that old.

When we bought our first washing machine it had so many programmes on it that just about the only thing it couldn't do was make the tea! Well, it soon went downhill from there. Sure it worked but the circuits and programmes and pre-programmes were so complicated that after trying out all the knobs and dials you reverted to one basic 40 degree cycle for all clothes.

Convenience winning out on selection.

The same was true of the dishwasher, the iron, the microwave and the Vac. In fact for a while we had so much augmented stuff that we thought we would go crazy. It all changed though when the built in obsolescence kicked in. As we replaced each item we got back to basics. What's its primary purpose...then lets get one that does just that. We had decided that 'good enough' was OK for our needs.

Well now it seems simple is ...well back! In the mobile area there is now a printer that only prints black and white and the resolution is just "good enough" to enable someone on the move to have a selected print out of what they need at that moment.

One interesting thing about all this and technology is comparing good enough for our gadgets to good enough for our relationships. Is the same thing happening there in our face to face connections? Are we expecting less from these relationships and building a kind of obsolescence into these too?

I don't know about you but recently I've begun to feel that the real depth has gone out of some of my relationships and I can't really put my finger on why that might be. It might be in the care and attention stakes that I feel its lacking or even in the committing part of the relationship.

Is this because we are using the 'good enough' rule and setting our expectations accordingly?

I hope it isn't the case but if it is I really don't know what to do about it.

Maybe we will just have to go back to basics and start over again!

Please save us from the 'wise'.

2010-02-08T10:44:00.004Z

I am reading Henry Ford's My Life and Work and it is proving to be very revealing. I must say that I am in tune with a lot of the philosophies he lived his life by.

One area I am in total agreement with him is in the benefit of "experts" or "wise people" in a business. To say he is sceptical about the value they bring is an understatement. Here is one section on experts:

"Wise people know just why something cannot be done: they always know the limitations. That is why I never employ an expert in full bloom. If I ever wanted to kill the opposition by unfair means I would endow the opposition with experts. They would have so much good advice that I could be sure they would do little work".

My own experience of business consultants or so called experts is largely to do with 30 years in a multi-national global business. Each couple of years we would have the new plan! The consultants would come in with their big plan and we would all march to the tune of it, until such time as it was found not to be working.

We had vertical markets and then we had business units. We had T teams and then we had core competencies. We had market back thinking and then we had diversification. After that came building customer focused swat teams and centralisation. Then we went into specialisation and selling off non core business!

All of this cost a huge amount of time effort and money and I have to say did not really alter the dynamics of the basic business. It was as if all the activity was an excuse for doing something. It usually got in the way of the day to day operation and had we only focused on this then we would probably, net net, have been much better off! But we had shareholders and stakeholders and we needed to package activity into a saleable story of dramatic effect.

Since then I have always believed in asking the 'so what' question. It is a good way of boiling any issue down to its root cause and can cut through a lot of window dressing which consultants excel at!

Now where did I put my manual on root cause analysis?