Dealing with difficult people

Every individual and every business is unique. As are the people you deal with regularly - customers, suppliers, officials, professionals - the list is endless.

Most people are easy to deal with; some are not. So how do you handle that small number who seem ready, willing and able to give you a hard time?

The first thing is to take a good look at yourself. Make sure you know what makes you tick. Be honest about your own strengths and weaknesses. Before you can successfully tackle difficult people you need to make sure you are on solid ground.

Do you make your views known readily? Do others know your prejudices? Are you a good listener? How would those who know you describe your personality? Would there be any surprises?

These are just some of the questions you might ask yourself. They are also at the heart of coaching and feature strongly in the development of emotional competence.

Emotional competence (EQ) is the 'people skills' equivalent of IQ. Most of us can think of someone we have dealt with who has great knowledge or expertise; but lacks the ability to make you feel really comfortable in their presence.

Maybe you have been given information by someone but felt unable to ask questions. Or told something you did not understand and just did not feel you could ask again.

People who are 'emotionally competent' do not make people feel like that. They are aware of the impact they have on others. They adapt their communication style to make sure they get their message across.

Click here to contact me and find out more about dealing with difficult people.

The business benefits of coaching

Coaching focuses on the development needs of teams and individuals. It is not based on a syllabus of business theory. The specific needs of the individual are taken as the starting point.

By concentrating on critical issues, coaching develops the skills and confidence needed to boost performance. This makes coaching a highly cost effective solution for developing excellent managers and leaders.

Coaching delivers -

• flexibility - scheduled around the work demands of each individual
• motivation - investing in people capitalises on their strengths and skills
• loyalty - your commitment to an individual's development reaps rewards
• measured outcomes - performance is benchmarked at the outset; milestone reviews measure progress and outcomes are mesured against original SMART objectives

Above all, those taking part become excellent planners, decision makers, problem solvers and communicators. They will practice what they preach and use coaching techniques to get the most out of people.

Coaching is now the most popular method used by business to develop their managers and leaders. It is very cost effective and its flexibilty means minimum work interruptions.

Coaching a winning sales team

I was asked to run a sales workshop for a national company with business units around the UK. It was day one of their annual conference.

Some of the sales team I had met briefly over dinner on arriving. A few had joined the company with previous sales experience, while others had grown with the business and 'somehow' found themselves in sales.

The good times had been really good. But, as enquiries slowed and closing became more challenging, some were disheartened. It looked like being a challenging workshop.

Day one and I am introduced by the Chairman. He then went through the gloomy figures since their last annual conference. Targets were announced for the following year which, he stressed, were 'vital for the business to survive and thrive'. Having 'inspired' everyone the Chairman was called away to deal with other matters.

I removed all sharp objects from the room and our workshop began. People introduced themselves and it became clear small teams, often just two or three people, worked in isolation. Some had never met face to face.

I abandoned my planned programme and switched to Business Coach mode. The workshop started in earnest.

The company specialised in 'big ticket' sales, often well into six figures. The chasm between the expectations of the company and the sales team's perception of their ability to deliver was huge - and had just got wider.

We began by reviewing the glossy brochures that had been delivered to the annual conference. The photographers and copywriters had had a field day. Unfortunately, while the brochures looked good, they did not answer the questions most prospective buyers put to the sales people.

Added to this, each business unit had its own unique features and benefits. None of this was addressed in the new company brochure.

We drew up an action plan, capitalising on the strengths and skills of each member of the team. We agreed that more communication was needed between the teams. This would provide support and enable the exchange of best practice.

Sales teams from each business unit analysed their own unique features and benefits. Other sales teams gave constructive critique. Things were starting to buzz.

Great ideas started to flow as the workshop picked up momentum. The team ditched the attitude of 'how on earth are we ever going to cope?' and decided 'we're smart people, we can do this'.

Once that corner was turned, an action plan was agreed which would see the company's goals achieved. Milestone reviews were put in place so that, should slippage occur, everyone would pull out the stops and get the plan back on track.

The team took the Chairman's depressing report and targets for the next year on the chin and turned a negative into a positive. All it took was some coaching from me and my firm belief that people can - and do - move mountains.

Did they move mountains? The Chairman is now a tax exile. Go figure.......

Solving people problems - case studies

These case studies feature in my recent Newsletter. To sign up for my newsletter, please visit my website. You can contact me here.

Case study – 1

The conversation with the MD went something like this: ‘We’ve tried training courses, beefed up our appraisal procedures and been down the disciplinary route. Nothing has worked, we’ve still got problems. Then someone suggested we talk to you.’

The working relationship between management and staff had broken down. The supervisors themselves did not work as a team. One supervisor had been threatened, both at work and outside. His car had been vandalised. Even his young children had suffered; bullied at school by the children of employees who held a grudge.

It was extreme, highly charged and causing massive problems for the company.

Like most things, it had to begin with listening. With a guarantee of confidentiality, my 1:1 conversations built a picture of a total breakdown in communication. Trust and respect, on either side, had completely disappeared. Added to all this there were rumours of changes in working practices which might lead to cutbacks.

The same questions were put to everyone, management and staff alike. What do you want? Where do you want the business to go? What needs to change? What do you need to see happening to convince you things have changed? How long have we got? What is your role in bringing about the changes needed? How much are you prepared to give to put things back on track?

The picture was encouraging. Both sides of the divide wanted similar things and seemed willing to make the effort to bring about change.

The results of conversations were shared with small groups of supervisors, line leaders and colleagues. There was surprise and some scepticism that top of the list was a need to work for a successful company and be happy at work.

Going through the anonymous responses to the questions the groups realised they were on the same side and that change was essential.

A couple of short workshops were held and examples of best practice shared with the groups. Very quickly it became apparent to the supervisors that line leaders and colleagues were quite able to understand and embrace the ideas put forward.

Soon respect for the views and ideas of others became a feature of workshops. Action plans and a timetable were agreed, with regular reviews to make sure everything stayed on track and obstacles removed.

Of course there were a few problems along the way, but goals were achieved. Some startling figures include:

• A 190% (not a typo!) annual staff turnover was halved in 16 weeks and continued to reduce.
• A six figure annual recruitment budget also halved in the same 16 week period.
• Team briefings became constructive sessions with ideas going both ways.
• Working practices were changed and staff levels reduced, BUT the trust and respect built up during the ‘change programme’ was not affected and continued to grow.

A key part of this was inviting me in to drive the process. A Business and Management Coach takes the view that everyone has strengths and skills which can be focused to achieve personal fulfilment and success for the business. Confidentiality is crucial. Equally crucial is commitment on the part of the top person in the business to make change happen. People can - and do - change.

Contact me to discuss how coaching will develop your business. Visit my website for more.

Case study – 2

‘We are one big happy family’ the owner manager proudly told me. But we were having the conversation because productivity had stagnated, problems with quality were not going away and he feared there were some passengers on board.

All this was costing time and money and, with a key customer audit deadline looming, it was time for action. No way could the business afford to lose a key account. But, at the same time, upsetting people was not the way to keep everyone happy; and goodwill was important.

Conversations with colleagues revealed few were aware of any problems. It was a nice place to work; some had been there many years and had introduced family members to the business. Of course some felt the reward for their effort had stood still for too long and a few admitted they were ‘looking around’.

The picture was one of a business waking up to the realisation that things needed to change; but unsure about what should change and how.

This is typical of many long established businesses. It is especially the case with many family owned businesses. But change affects everyone sooner or later. The way it is managed ensures a smooth transition to a higher gear.

Relationships and communication were fine; always a good sign. But interestingly, members of the top team did not share the same goals for the business. Meetings were frequent and much valuable information was exchanged. But vital conversations about future goals and ambitions were rarely on the agenda.

When asked what their goals were for the next 12 months and how they would know if they had achieved them, there were mixed responses; even some confusion. It was as if simply doing more of the same would see them through until the good times returned.

In order to give some focus to the top team’s effort the question was put to the MD of a business plan. It seemed a plan had been put together to take to the bank. (The first hint that money was getting tight and the bank was showing some concerns.) Their accountant had put the plan together for them and it had kept the bank happy – for now.

How was the top team working the business plan? It turned out the top team’s knowledge of the business plan was patchy. Some didn’t know it existed and others remembered it being put together.

Forgetting the jargon loaded words ‘business plan’, we looked at identifying what the business needed to do differently in order to achieve its goals. A short list of goals and priorities was agreed. The top team became focused and energised. Their enthusiasm was contagious and was soon shared by their colleagues. Previously untapped talent came to the fore and was put to good use.

Of course there were some who resisted. But coaching the top team on Performance Management brought about the changes needed. Colleagues felt more valued. They did not earn more but their efforts were recognised which boosted morale. They trusted the company well enough to know that financial rewards would be forthcoming when the time was right.

It is the introduction of a Business and Management Coach as a catalyst that breaks the mould. Contact me to talk about your business goals. It will cost noting but a little of your time and will be time well invested.

Visit my website for more.

Managing performance

From the moment the decision is made to recruit an employee, the process of Performance Management (PM) has begun. Getting the job and person specification right is the first step. All too often recruitment can become a 'beauty parade'; the best candidate gets offered the job.

But what if the best candidate isn't the right candidate? Let me explain. The right candidate will be a person who meets the job and person spec. The best candidate may not meet all the criteria, but was the best person who applied.

If you select someone who doesn't quite meet all your specifications; you are setting off with a potentially flawed plan. This is precisely why it is so vital to get the job and person spec right at the outset.

And don't just look for qualifications, skills and experience. The 'successful candidate' will be working with people. Stop and think for a moment: what is the root cause of most problems at work? Most have their roots in relationships between people. From an inability to grasp an issue - to an unwillingness to understand. From a style of communication that leaves others dumbfounded, frustrated or confused. Or from an apparent inability to cooperate with, or get the most out of others.

No recruiter gets it right all the time. So learning how to work together and get the most out of a new working relationship will take some effort. How you develop people and help them achieve great performance and job satisfaction is what Performance Management is all about.

If you have effective PM policies and processes, everyone approaches appraisals in the knowledge that outcomes will be positive. If your PM is inadequate, any mention of appraisal will be met with dismay; even fear and maybe hostility.

Good PM helps create the kind of culture where everyone shares the ambitions of the business. Everyone strives to improve their own performance and that of every colleague.

Good PM means communication is not an issue and, if problems do arise, the culture is such that they are resolved in a mature and constructive way. There is no finger pointing; the 'blame game' is not played and everyone gains from the problem solving process.

On the subject of problem solving. If you want to know more about using Critical Incident Analysis (CIA) as a management tool, please get in touch.

PM is a vital tool for achieving great performance and creating enthusiastic, motivated people. Here are some pointers, contact me for more information. Find out more on my website

• Individuals and teams at every level within a business are focused on improving performance. This is a continuous process and, while Performance Appraisal has its place, progress should not be something that 'stop-starts'. It should be continuous and jointly owned by those involved.
• Your PM policies and processes must deliver fair and consistent management of performance. This is a key factor in the event of any tribunal. Systems that are not 'fair and consistent' can automatically result in a lost tribunal and an increase of any award made.
• A key objective of PM should be to create a culture where people communicate on an adult and mature basis. Behaviour is a key culture indicator; good interpersonal and working relationships are essential for continuous improvement of personal and business performance.

Some really great ideas come from inside your business..........

Whether you sell a product or service, all your colleagues are experienced customers. Maybe they don’t buy what you sell. But they are pretty clued up about Value For Money (VFM) and what constitutes quality service.

Involving them stimulates their commitment and loyalty to your business. Plus, motivated people enjoy a challenge and relish the chance to get their teeth into something different at work. So it makes sense to encourage colleagues to find out what the end user of their daily endeavours really thinks.

 

Your business pays them for their work and (hopefully) management praise them for their efforts. But imagine how pride in their work grows by opening up communications with your customers or consumers? And consider the possible rewards........

The MD of a UK engineering company was spitting feathers because they had lost a major sale to foreign competition. It had seemed their offers were very similar and loyalty to them as a home supplier was rather expected.

What clinched the deal it seems was an invitation to visit the competitor’s factory where the equipment would be manufactured and a chance to meet the people who would make it.

When they visited they found the staff at the overseas company were so enthusiastic about winning the work they were learning to speak English. Oh yes; they were doing this in their own time and their employer was paying for the training.

To cap it all, the prospective customer’s engineering staff agreed to set up a phone directly to the engineers manufacturing the equipment so they could resolve any issues.

And where did all these great innovations come from? A lunchtime team 'brain storming' session in an overseas factory aimed at trying to get new business.

If your business needs an injection of innovation please contact me barry@barryelliott.biz. There’s more on my website at www.thebusinessandmanagementcoach.co.uk

The dangers of delay

A spot of good weather puts people in a better frame of mind. Or so you would think. But for some, the storm clouds are gathering.

The hassle of putting in place contracts, handbooks and a performance management (appraisal) system seemed like a waste of time and money to the owner of one small business. So it was for years; until big changes were needed.

After much procrastination, finally the business owner has accepted the inevitability of the need to act. He has finally ‘done the deed’

Now there’s a situation which nobody wanted. The now ex-employees of many years standing are stunned. Those still employed in the business are also stunned. But being stunned doesn’t last long. Soon a different set of emotions kick in.

Advice for the ex-employees comes from all quarters; most of it anecdotal; and most of it incorrect. How it will end is anyone’s guess. In all probability some solicitors will have a field day; on both sides. And could it have been avoided? Without a doubt; yes.

You couldn’t play a game of football or golf; or even hide-and-seek without rules. And these are things we have done for fun throughout our lives! So why do some owners and MDs allow their business, their very bread and butter, to wander along in the hope the sun will never stop shining?

My best guess (because I’ve never really fathomed it out) is a natural desire to follow the path of least resistance. ‘We don’t need a ‘rile-book’ - we use common sense and goodwill. We’ll never fall out. We’re all one big happy family here you know’. I’ve been told something like that more times than I can count. Often by a boss with a confused, almost hurt, look on his or her face.

But agreeing how you are all going to work together to achieve your business’ goals is the sensible thing to do. How else can you be sure that everyone is on your wavelength? How else can you be sure the business will be in good fettle in years to come, when you might want to sell or pass it on to your family?

Don’t leave things to chance; there’s just too much that go wrong. And you probably won’t know the wheels are coming off until a crash is unavoidable.

If you’re not sure where to start, or don’t fancy having maybe difficult conversations without some expert advice, then get in touch. Email me barry@barryelliott.biz  Find out more by visiting my website www.thebusinessandmanagementcoach.co.uk

Poisoned chalice or chance of a lifetime?

The early 90s saw huge delayering of management by organisations. At that time part of my work involved advising executives and mature graduates on their career options and job search. The majority were 50+ and talked openly about their careers and personal experiences. Many had occupied very senior positions with major national companies.

Yet, all too often, redundancy was, with the benefit of hindsight, seen as a blessing in disguise. Some felt they were out of their depth and lacked the skills of modern management. Many had simply risen through the ranks and admitted ‘management’ had become something of a poisoned chalice.

Selecting the right people—and that doesn't just mean recruitment, it includes promotion, transfer and role change—requires objective and experienced handling.

It is essential to analyse exactly what the position will demand, both now and in the future, and what will be required from the successful candidate. Not always easy in businesses where owner managers are often not experienced recruiters and the speed of change breathtaking.

Being objective in dealings with people we work with day after day is hard. Often selecting people for, say, new opportunities or promotion can be clouded by both positive and negative personal experiences

Success means having the right people; doing the job right. My business is making that happen. But a key part of my role is helping select the right people in the first place.

The guide How to Manage Performance, published by ACAS, acknowledges that Performance Management systems cannot change one irrefutable fact. Some people should not have been put in their job in the first place.

It is no good appointing someone just because they seem OK and have the right kind of experience and/or qualifications. If they are going to be managers and leaders they must have the proven and potential talent to carry out that role now and in the future.

All too often business bosses want managers to up their game. But the reality is - some can't. They’d love to; but they don't have what it takes. And what makes the situation even more difficult is that their boss is loathe to try and work out a solution.

To the detriment of the business, the underperforming manager's colleagues and, very probably, the manager's family, the whole sorry saga drags on interminably. Relationships at work and at home are affected, work:life balance becomes impossible and, all too often, health becomes an issue.

All because a situation has developed and no one knows how to start unpicking the problem. It is so common, especially in close-knit businesses with long serving colleagues.

Of course it can usually be resolved, with a bit of delicate negotiation and support. But all too often such situations are simply left; maybe in the hope they will get better.

These are the precisely the kind of problems in which I specialise. That is why I believe Business and Management Coaching are both sides of the same coin.

The need for success in business is both professional and personal. It is as important for the business as those who depend on it for their livelihood.

Visit my website for more information www.thebusinessandmanagementcoach.co.uk you can also email me barry@barryelliott.biz

It seems to have fallen on deaf ears......

ACAS has given a stark warning that removing the retirement age has many implications for employers. Little wonder businesses pleaded with government to delay implementation and allow more time to plan and think it through.


No such luck! And it’s not just older workers that are affected. The management of every employee's performance — let’s face it; that’s a major part of management — must be felt by all to be fair and consistent.

The BBC has been quoted as saying that employment law solicitors expect 'business to pick up'.

My approach to Business and Management Development helps deliver fair and consistent performance management. Driven by common sense and experience, my work is underpinned by a belief that people perform best when they know what is expected of them and have 'bought in' to the goals of the organisation.

It is not rocket science but it does need the kind of expertise that takes decades to refine.

Visit my website www.thebusinessandmanagementcoach.co.uk or email me barry@barryelliott.biz

Business challenges for 2011

Now is the time for taking stock and looking at the year ahead. Early signs are 2011 will be just as challenging as previous years - if not even more so - no surprises there then!


Phasing out the default retirement age will make many business leaders reflect on the consequences of this huge change which, to some, does seem hasty. I highlighted some of the issues in my blog last September. Visit my website www.thebusinessandmanagementcoach.co.uk or email me barry@barryelliott.biz



Managing performance

Never has the performance of teams and individuals been more critical. Excellent communication and inspirational motivation are just two aspects of performance that will define success.

Both make demands of the individual which go way beyond the scope of management textbooks. We now know developing an individual’s people skills is as important - if not more important - than simply making sure they understand the role of management.



Goal setting:goal getting

Experience shows that a key reason for underperformance is a lack of understanding exactly what is expected of an individual. But the word itself fails to illustrate the often significant financial costs when performance drops.

Clearly set goals, with agreed systems for reviewing progress and agreement just how success will be defined, are essential.

Failure is tangible; the financial impact of productivity or quality problems is immediate. But other failures can be less tangible. Lower team morale, poor attendance and increased staff turnover all have a delayed, yet equally damaging, financial impact.

Asked what’s wrong, ‘communication’ is often blamed. But over and over again that just isn't the case. A failure to plan, implement and review is the underlying cause. Poor communication is only the symptom.

Oh yes; and a failure to involve the team. Hey! Not my words: theirs.

IIP is now under UKCES. What now in the world of acronyms?

Barry Elliott is a Business and Management Coach with many years experience. To find out more visit his website www.thebusinessandmanagementcoach.co.uk or email Barry barry@barryelliott.biz



Investors in People appears to have survived the quango cull and now sits under the protective umbrella of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. The basic principles of IIP are fundamental good business practice. So why are there so many critics and why have so many organisations failed to maintain their registration?

Despite the claims made by IIP that it’s all about outcomes, there is still the perception that it involves a lot of paperwork. This may be due to the need to have written policies and evidence that performance is being managed and reviewed.

When visiting organisations displaying an IIP plaque I ask front line staff what it’s for; I am usually told ‘it’s something to do with HR’. If I dig a little further I often find that the big push to get the award has not been sustained.

If I ask ‘how are things now?’ I’m given the kind of look my teenagers give me when I ask if they’ve had a nice day at school. Those who express an opinion all too often tell me it was another ‘flavour of the month’.

What a shame that the initiative, which started 20 years ago, now has a ‘curates egg’ reputation. Maybe it is the fate of UK organisations to be forever subjected to initiatives which enjoy a one or two decade existence and then - it’s time to reinvent the wheel!

Given the stop-start policies that seem to prevail in our quango dominated culture, it seems to me that it’s down to the heads of organisations to decide if they want to invest in their people. It’s not really about badges, if they invest then fail to measure the return on that investment, then no surprise when they cut back when the going gets tough.

To paraphrase W. Edwards Deming, ’you don’t improve what you don’t measure’. All too often investment in management development is measured by the ‘spend’ on training courses. Asked to evaluate a course far too many managers give feedback on the accommodation, food , even golf course, but are at a loss to explain what they have gained and how they intend to embed their newly acquired skills back at the coal face.

The UK mentality is to stop investing in training and development every time there’s a recession. As a consequence, every time we come out of recession, our competitors – who kept up the investment – move slowly ahead of us yet again. We slide gently down the international league tables but seem unable or unwilling to change the way we do things.

Of course some training survives, where there is a H&S related risk or training is mandatory, then the money has to be found. But training and development of managers and leaders is readily axed. Yet it’s those very managers and leaders the organisation will rely on when the upturn comes.

If you head an organisation, make a New Year resolution to take a look at your top teams and ask yourself how well equipped are they to take the lead when called? Do they inspire others? Do they communicate your goals in a way that will deliver success? Are they applying that simplest of three step processes which is the cornerstone of Investors in People – Plan Do Review?

And if you have any doubt, even an inkling, seek an independent opinion. You deserve it and your staff deserve it.

Please contact me barry@barryelliott.biz