One thing that I have noticed is that enterprising people come in all shapes and sizes and from no one particular place. They can burst suddenly onto the scene from relative obscurity, dominating the media and the stock traders’ tittle-tattle. Or, they amass vast empires by working away diligently, carefully avoiding the limelight, more concerned with substance than style; value rather than their vanity. This raises the question of whether someone becomes an entrepreneur through choice and deliberate action, or are they simply fulfilling a destiny for which they have been fully equipped?

Whatever the answer to that question might be the fact remains that our current global society likes entrepreneurs, wants more of them and is prepared to reward them. From post-communist Russia to reforming China; from Silicon Valley in California USA to Silicon Fen in Cambridge UK; and now in Qatar, entrepreneurs are encouraged and celebrated. The issue is therefore, what should be done to create favourable conditions and by whom, to achieve the right outcome.

There is some logic in the argument that the people who are destined to become successful entrepreneurs need no assistance. The fact that these people have conquered, where others have failed proves their capability. However, this quasi- Darwinian attitude of survival of the fittest might be too harsh for economies which are struggling for growth. Ignoring the talents of all but a few may be a waste of potential.

One aspect of entrepreneurship which has become accepted over the last decade is that entrepreneurs are not restricted to the commercial private sector. In what can be seen as a reaction against global business trends, “localisation” is creating thousands of social enterprises developed and run by individuals with social capital, rather than shareholder profit, as the driving motive. Entrepreneurs are exceptionally valuable in NGOs and employed “intrepreneurs” are recognised as key players working for a knowledge-based organisation.

Is it therefore more pertinent to consider who an entrepreneur is, rather than what they do? In fact, until their occupation (or, more typically, multiple occupations) has been determined, referring to these individuals as enterprising people, gives one the freedom to focus on generic competences which define the person.

It also helps us to avoid stereotypical portrayals or believe that all entrepreneurs are clones or aspirants of famous biographers. It is this examination of the “who” rather than the “what” which is the subject of Qatar Skills Academy’s “Understanding Enterprise”, a development programme running from the Bedaya Centre with the support of Qatar Development Bank and  Silatech.

An enterprising person demonstrates many different qualities, some even conflicting, which go on to determine a career path. One of the most important and guiding capabilities, is to possess a sufficient level of self-awareness to be able to control the use of one’s abilities and develop them according to the situation. This self-awareness is the protection between confidence and determination or arrogance and delusion.

I refer to risk. Attitude to risk is often identified as one of the defining characteristics of an enterprising person. Entrepreneurs are frequently depicted as high-risk individuals. In reality, as Richard Branson said, they often never risk more than they can afford. Therefore, risk-aware is a more accurate definition.

Developing a strong sense of personal identity is critical to an enterprising person’s make-up. Identity can be formed through any combination of factors, such as family influence, national culture, religion, childhood upbringing and experience of education. If any of these inputs are overtly negative to the concept of enterprising behaviour, they are likely to leave a lasting impression. On the other hand, charismatic role models and a value-driven lifestyle is likely to prove central to the inner compass of an individual and define their outlook to life situations.

The ability to use and control one’s talents (and disguise or hide one’s limitations) is a skill acquired through observation and practice. Exposure to real situations where control of one’s self is at issue, either as an observer or an active participant is essential in the learning process of an enterprising person.

Enjoyment and satisfaction in the conscious ability of this control of one’s self-knowledge is the renewable power that fuels the engine driving the enterprising person. It is partly this love of fluid situations and constantly developing scenarios which characterises the enterprising person as a lifelong learner, although they would not usually think of applying this term to themselves as it is such a natural habit.

An enterprising person’s perspective on a situation, either existing or potential, is hard-wired to their self image. Decision making is framed by this central locus of control, which is why progress is swift, non-followers are dropped and clarity of the end result is maintained. Articulation and description of the end result is a particular quality of most enterprising people.

Ian White

The dream which they possess becomes less of a figment of imagination, less of a conceptual idea and more of a reality each time it is verbalised, modelled, prototyped and presented. This ability to form a highly detailed vision of the intended outcome is another of the central qualities of the enterprising person. They will have delved deep into their subconscious to root the vision in a matrix of principles and values, as well as opportunities and rewards. The strength of the vision is what will ultimately determine the quality of the outcome.

In addition to the cerebral activity, enterprising people adore action. Achieving the first stage of action is often through the use of a closely knit group of trusted followers or supporters. The ability to discuss and present ideas is another essential skill of the enterprising person. Communication in all forms, in all situations and in all contexts is usually something which an enterprising person relishes and handles personally. In cases where this task is delegated (because the self-awareness check recognises this is a deficiency) the attention to detail and micro management of the messenger is often so over-powering that the flavour is lost. So even when convention may dictate that a person should not be a public face, the credibility they possess as the custodian of the idea should overrule everything.

We must therefore approach the successful breeding of entrepreneurs as a combination of nature and nurture. After all, if everything was a certainty, life would be very boring.

About

Ian White is a British entrepreneur and specialist in vocational education. His first business after university in the UK was in television production, a venture which earned him the ACE UK Entrepreneur of the Year award. During the mid ‘90s Ian developed businesses in the vocational education and SME development sector whilst also working for the UK Government and the European Commission. He was created a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2002 for his work on enterprise education. Ian arrived in Doha in 2010 and created Qatar Skills Academy to meet the need for organisations to improve quality and productivity through investment in people.

A typical statement from employees about their leaders can often go a little something like this: “If they don’t say anything, I must be doing alright.” As much as we have heard this statement, the reality is that a lot of employees know very little about what their manager is really thinking. What management must understand is that in its basic form, workers want to know if they are doing well so they can keep doing it; they want to know when they are not doing so well, so they can change it.

On the other hand, leaders sometimes complain about their employees, “I tell them what to do, but they don’t do it.” While many causes may underlie this statement, one critical component is that employees frequently do not receive enough feedback to deliver on their goals. Hence, they don’t know whether they are doing the right thing or not.

A contemporary definition of feedback is: “A two-way communication that provides information about performance and instils feelings of fulfilment or satisfaction.” An effective leader must utilise feedback and dialogue to:

- Reinforce factors that are helping the employee achieve his or her goal

- Redirect employees when they do not meet objectives, for example support or coach them

- Renegotiate the goal itself or the methods used to achieve it, if the goal seems to be set too high

Leaders should prepare for feedback dialogue and have a general sense of tactics to recommend, but then have the flexibility to change tactics if the dialogue indicates other, more appropriate solutions. The greatest productivity comes from using a consistent approach or process to providing feedback. In addition, not giving feedback is simply not fair to employees.

Consistency is key

Feedback is the main mechanism for leaders to redirect, reinforce or renegotiate employee behaviours and goals. For many leaders, this is the most difficult aspect of their job. Learning and using a consistent feedback process guides dialogue to increase comfort and ensure results are achieved.

Test yourself by answering the following question: “Do you feel you are receiving enough and regular feedback from your employees?” Feedback can be translated into a simple process with a high impact:

Step 1: Reinforce positive intent

Open the conversation by demonstrating positive intent through adopting and conveying a win-win approach:

- Begin with an opening statement that explains the overall goal of the meeting

- Show interest in what the employee wants

- Ask the employee pertinent questions to draw out his or her point of view

- Volunteer information about your own point of view

- Work with the employee to find mutually satisfying solutions

- Demonstrate honesty and integrity

Step 2:  Explore performance with fulfilment

- Ask questions to elicit the employee’s own perception of his or her performance in the situation

- Ask questions to elicit the employee’s perception of his or her level of fulfilment or satisfaction in the situation

- Share your own perception of the employee’s performance and fulfilment and agree on both your viewpoints

For example, if an employee constantly fails to give powerful presentations, but you find out he/she feels awful giving presentations, you first need to work on the motivation, and then tackle performance.

Step 3:  Assess the environment

- Determine factors that are helping the employee achieve the goal

- Determine factors that are getting in the way of goal achievement

Step 4:  Decide on actions

- Given the degree of performance with fulfilment and the current environment, decide what to reinforce, redirect, or renegotiate

- Identify what processes, resources, tasks, and behaviours may need to be continued or changed

Step 5:  Seek an expression of confidence

- Ensure that the employee is confident about his or her ability to commit to the action plan.

- Add your own statements of confidence as appropriate

- If he or she is not confident, discuss concerns and identify what is getting in the way; explore ways to remove the barriers

- End the feedback dialogue on a positive note

Effective feedback is compassionate, timely and accurate

A frequent excuse for avoiding initiating feedback dialogue is fear of hurting a person’s feelings. Yet, without feedback, people are hurt more.

An all-too-common situation is when the whole work unit has difficulty with one person and no one will tell him or her that there is a problem. How would you feel if you were that person? In which way are the employee’s feelings best protected – by ignoring the situation or by providing effective feedback?

It is important to consider feedback from the recipient’s viewpoint prior to providing it. The leader should imagine how it would feel to receive the feedback and the consequences if the feedback is not given. This will help guide a more compassionate approach.

Timely feedback is important because things happen so fast in business today. Providing feedback on something that was done even two weeks earlier loses its power to influence change. The most effective leaders develop a habit of giving feedback frequently, which creates comfort with feedback among employees.

Feedback is not an annual event; it is continuously provided and sought by the leader as goals are being implemented.  Waiting until the goal is completed is too late to develop the employee’s skills and approach to goal execution.

The need for accurate feedback cannot be understated. There are eight errors that leaders frequently make when observing employee behaviour, which result in providing inaccurate feedback to employees:

1) Accuracy of recall

If you rely on memory alone, and keep no records, you may distort the actual event or behaviour

2) Halo effect

One very outstanding characteristic may determine your perception of an employee’s performance. Your feedback on less prominent aspects of the employee’s performance may be distorted in a positive or negative way.

3) Contrast

You compare the employee with someone else, instead of seeing an employee’s own merits.  You may provide feedback that is better or worse than reality.

4) Stereotyping

In stereotyping, the individuality of a person is ignored, and he or she is seen as behaving in a way that is supposed to be characteristic of a particular group.

Stephan Melchior

5) Differences in standards

The standards you use may be unique to you and different from those commonly accepted by other leaders in your organisation, or you may apply standards differently to different employees.  This lack of uniformity will result in employee resistance to feedback and feedback to be unsupportable.

6) Fixed impression

An earlier observation or impression of your employee may remain fixed in your mind and colour all of your later observations. In effect, you will continue to see the employee as he or she was rather than as he or she is now.

7) Projection

You see your own characteristics in others and perceive them accordingly to your feelings about those characteristics. The employee may actually be very different from you.

8) Inference

You draw conclusions about an employee’s behaviours, which are based on limited behavioural observations or hearsay.

Building a balance between following the five-step process and avoiding the eight points above helps creating and maintaining a common and consistent approach to giving feedback.

About

Stephan Melchior has been working in the learning and development field for more than 15 years; designing and delivering training programmes in more than 20 countries. He is well known for the graphic facilitation approach he uses in his courses. Today, Stephan is Managing Partner at the Middle East office of Wilson Learning Worldwide, based in Dubai Knowledge Village. As a global organisation, Wilson Learning is the founder of the Performance and Fulfillment concept, and was rated among the Top 20 Leadership and Sales Training companies in 2010 and 2011 (www.trainingindustry.com). Wilson Learning Middle East was also recently ranked among the TOP100 SMEs in Dubai.

Wilson Learning Middle East can be contacted at info@wilsonlearning-me.com, or at +971 50 7553800.

Team-playing skills were found to be second most important when hiring. In fact, 22.1% of managers will choose a candidate who knows how to work in a team over character (14.7%), general success (11.4%), technical skills (10.7%), communication skills (6.6%), leadership (5.5%) and academic success (4.7%).

The poll also showed that 79.7% of managers have no issues hiring colleagues who are more qualified than themselves. The majority (62.9%) would hire a qualified candidate who is ‘very different’ – only 10.6% say that they will not do so. Mid-career employees are considered to be hardest to manage by 37.2% of respondents, though a close 34.4% believe that those at entry level are harder.

Most managers (29.9%) claim that the most difficult aspect of their job is managing multicultural teams, though building trust and loyalty is also considered challenging by 24.8%. According to the poll, the other areas that managers find challenging are motivating and inspiring teams (18.6%), encouraging open communications (16.2%), training and coaching (5.7%), as well as delegating adequately (4.8%).

“As is shown by the results of our poll, the diverse nationalities that make up the typical working environment in the Middle East can prove to be as challenging as it is culturally enriching,” said Amer Zureikat, VP Sales at Bayt.com. “Bayt.com offers a comprehensive selection of employment resources, guides and articles, all tailored for the MENA work culture. We also offer extensive listings for jobseekers and employers alike.”

Almost half of respondents (44%) believe that micromanagement is essential, with only 14.4% thinking that it is a ‘very bad idea’. Interestingly, 53.4% of managers believe that their delegation skills are just right. When it comes to underperformance, 47.9% state that they will fire an employee after several warnings, while 37.3% will dismiss after just one warning.

In terms of relationships, 71.5% of managers describe their relationships with their team as friendly; almost a quarter claim a more formal relationship, while 3.9% chose ‘fearful’ to describe their team interactions. Complementary to these figures, 68.2% of managers claim that they enjoy their position to a large extent.

As far as employees are concerned, the conduct they seek most from their manager is ‘open, respectful communications’, with 35.1% choosing this over other options. Also, 20% place stock in a good work environment; 16.6% want rewards and career progression; 13.4% want training and learning; 9.9% want a good work-life balance and only 5% value long-term security.

Of those who responded to the poll, 42.1% believe that they have an ‘excellent’ manager – however, 31.1% describe their manager as having ‘poor management skills’.

Data for the Bayt.com Management Challenges in the MENA poll was collected online from November 10 – December 30, 2011, with 10,754 respondents from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, KSA and the UAE.

When leaders learn the dynamics of communication, and build the skill of versatility to get their messages across to a wide range of personalities, the effectiveness and productivity of everybody in the team rises.

Recent research confirms that versatility is one of the most important skills for creating a high performance organisation. It influences all the interactions that occur within organisations and between an organisation and its customers

Leaders with high versatility have employees who exhibit greater work satisfaction and higher performance. Versatility improves global relationships. A study of over 150,000 people from 20 different countries showed that organisations with higher levels of versatility had more effective relationships with global partners. In sales organisations, high levels of versatility create higher revenues, greater market share, and better client relationships.

What is versatility?

In any business relationship there are two primary sources of tension; task tension and relationship tension. Task tension is useful; it motivates work. It is the need to solve a problem or reach a decision. Relationship tension is not useful as it is the result of lack of information or miscommunication and causes discomfort in a relationship, leading to business inefficiencies.

When time and energy are directed toward relationship tension, less energy is available to address the task tension. That is, the more effort people have to put into the relationship because of different communication styles, preferences, or expectations, the less effort goes toward accomplishing the business objective.

How to be more versatile

A person’s style tends to be very stable over time. In contrast, versatility is a skill that you can learn and improve. Versatility is the ability to temporarily adapt one’s behaviours in order to reduce relationship tension to make interactions with others more productive. In a recent study Wilson Learning interviewed leaders and their employees about effective leadership. The results show that leaders need to pay attention to a number of factors to increase their versatility.

So what defines a good leader?

You may think you know what makes a good leader, and you are looking from the perspective of your own style.  Different styles focus on different characteristics to define a good leader.  While all styles agree that good leaders give clear objectives and the autonomy to carry them out, there are important differences.

- Drivers value a leader with a direct approach; be prepared with desired outcomes and timelines.

- Expressive want a leader who is open and trusting, and shows empathy for others’ feelings; be prepared with a big picture vision of what you want accomplished.

- Amiable want a leader who shows confidence in them; be prepared with how you will support him or her.

- Analytical value a leader who is knowledgeable about the business and shares information freely; be prepared with specific goals and resources for getting the job done.

To be an effective leader, you need to be aware of the styles of your employees and how they perceive effective leadership.  For example, an analytical leader, who does not express empathy and openly share feelings, may not be seen as a good leader by everyone.

What are leaders’ greatest weaknesses?

While all employees expressed that micro-managing is a common weakness, each style described specific characteristics that they also consider weaknesses in a leader.

- Drivers dislike leaders who give too much or too little direction. Too little makes the task vague; too much and the employee loses the ability to use his or her personal discretion.

- Expressives do not like leaders who are closed-minded, who see only one way to approach an issue and are closed to discussing other options.

- For Amiables, not expressing personal concern and interest in employees is one of the most common weaknesses in a leader.

- Analyticals dislike leaders who provide too much or too little information.  Analyticals don’t what to be told irrelevant things, but also dislike information gaps.

An effective leader needs to match the amount of information, direction, and expression of concern to the style of individual employees.  Or, you run the risk of being seen as a weak leader.

How do leaders support employees?

All employees need support from their leaders and all agreed that receiving advice and removing organisational barriers is critical.  But the specific support employees need and expect varies by their style.

- Give advice to Drivers, but do not do the task for them directly.  Drivers need the freedom to solve problems themselves and they resent direct intervention.

- Expressives need a sounding board; someone who is open to discussion and is non-judgmental. They want a leader who supports and backs up their ideas.

- Amiables want a leader who acts as a guide; who points them down the right path, expresses confidence in their choices, and suggests small course corrections along the way.

- Analyticals value clear and full acceptance of their decisions and direct feedback when they go off track.

Stephan Melchior

When are employees ready for more responsibility?

One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is not recognising when employees are ready to step up to new challenges and greater responsibility. Leaders often make assumptions about when employees are ready, based on their own style.

- Driver and Analytical leaders tend to think employees are ready for more responsibility when employees repeatedly exceed expectations on current tasks.  They often give high performers more responsibility without checking to see if the employee agrees that he or she is ready.

- Expressive and Amiable leaders rely on employees to tell them that they are ready for additional responsibilities. Thus, employees who perform well and ask for more responsibility are more likely to get promotions and advancement than those who just perform well.

- Leaders need to involve employees in this decision. Analytical employees may repeatedly exceed expectations and expect a promotion, but will not receive it because their Expressive leader is waiting for them to ask for more responsibility.  As a result, that leader may lose a high performer.

Conclusion

Effective communication is critical, both for the success of the organisation and the success and satisfaction of employees. The most common reason people give for leaving a job is, poor communication with their manager.  The most common reason customers leave suppliers is, poor communication with the sales force. And the most common reason global negotiations fail is the lack of sensitivity to global diversity—communication.

While versatility is a skill that can be learned, it is also a reflection of a leader’s values and principles.  Low-versatile leaders take the perspective that others must adapt to them, that it is ‘my way or no way.’  They surround themselves with people who think the same, act the same, and communicate in the same way.

In contrast, highly-versatile leaders embrace diversity in all its forms – they surround themselves with people who are different; who bring different perspectives, different ideas, and different ways of expressing themselves.  Versatile leaders use this diversity to grow their organisations and themselves.  Versatility is critical to effective leadership performance; and leaders would do well to mentor it in their organisations.

About

Stephan Melchior has been working in the learning and development field for more than 15 years; designing and delivering training programmes in more than 20 countries. He is well known for the graphic facilitation approach he uses in his courses. Today, Stephan is Managing Partner at the Middle East office of Wilson Learning Worldwide, based in Dubai Knowledge Village. As a global organisation, Wilson Learning is the founder of the Performance and Fulfillment concept, and was rated among the Top 20 Leadership and Sales Training companies in 2010 and 2011 (www.trainingindustry.com). Wilson Learning Middle East was also recently ranked among the TOP100 SMEs in Dubai.

Wilson Learning Middle East can be contacted at info@wilsonlearning-me.com, or at +971 50 7553800.

We have witnessed enormous jumps and leaps in the way businesses are managed and run. We live in a global village and function in a globalised market place that has imposed fierce competition on companies everywhere. More recently we have witnessed the economic slowdown and all the difficulties faced by companies to stay in business. All these happenings make it a must for any company to have a leader rather than a manager to keep afloat.

Are leaders born to be leaders or can anyone learn to be a leader? Maybe yes, but let’s start by seeing what the difference between a leader and a manager is.

Managers can control risks, and they react to problems, enforce organisational rules, seek and follow direction and they coordinate their team. Leaders on the other hand take risks, seek opportunities, change organisational rules, provide something to believe in and inspire achievement.

Before you rush into deciding to learn the skills and behaviours required from you to become a leader, I believe you should find out whether you want to be a leader or you would rather be a manager. Please visit www.lifeinharmony.me and take the online test and score it yourself and decide if you prefer to be a manager or a leader based on your current behaviour.

Is it easy to define a “leader?” I don’t think so – we all know that people everywhere need a leader to follow and many times we find individuals and groups of people following someone in authority even if he or she does not want them to. This starts with children and parents; children will follow the example of their parents regardless whether it is a good example or bad.

So can we define leadership by saying that you are a leader when you get people to do things they never thought they will do or want to do? Or is it the ability to get the best out of people and employees and make them perform at their best? Or you will only become a confirmed leader when people see consequences of your leadership, as in the case of Dubai as an organisation; the results achieved by Dubai would tell you that there is a leader behind this city and that leader played a key role to get the people to achieve success.

So if the leader’s mission is to make people move out of their comfort zone and do new things and makes them see opportunities that they did not see before, then the leader has to concentrate on five critical areas according to Paul Taffinder in his book “The Leadership Crash Course”:

- Clarify what is important. A leader will make everything clear; he explains what the goals are. He is clear about the present and the past and has a vision for the future and is clear about the values to be followed in alignment with the values of the organisation. In other words the leader should put a framework for people to work with, since in many cases people know what they want in the future but it is very difficult for them to envision how to get there.

- Make and take risks: Leaders look for opportunities in every corner, giving people the freedom to try new things, without losing direction and without compromising discipline. A leader helps people around him to develop.

- Challenge and change: The most feared thing in any situation is change. People like to stick to what they know even if what they know is less than good and painful, and does not give them any satisfaction.  Leaders challenge their people and encourage change.

- Have deep conviction: Leaders believe in what they are doing and show their deep belief to others enthusiastically. Yet it does not mean that leaders do not change their mind when necessary.

- Make things happen: Leader have the ability to make people start an initiative and keep the momentum  until they finish the job in a coordinated way

On the other hand what is the definition of the manager? A Manager is the person responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals, monitoring their work, and taking corrective action when necessary. Managers may direct workers directly or they may direct several supervisors who direct the workers.

Sahar Moussly

Managers must be familiar with the work of all the groups they supervise, but does not need to be the best in any or all of the areas. It is more important for the manager to know how to manage the workers than to know how to do their work well.

To summarise the characteristics of managers, we may enlist the following traits:

- A manager is self-motivated, understands the basic goals of the business and develops the strategies to achieve these goals

- Has good customer skills

- Is a team player, who is interested in growing the business, and is the go between the top management or owner and the employees

- Has the ability to deal with conflicts

- Has good communication skills

- A manager is a trustworthy individual

- Has to be calm, deal with situation wisely and keep optimistic attitude

- Has to have the skills of time management to get things done

In conclusion to become a leader you should understand what leadership is and what the difference between a manager and a leader is. I recommend that you do the exercise that I pointed to earlier to decide whether you are behaving as a manager or as a leader. Be honest with yourself; recognise your strengths points as opposed to your weaknesses. Work on improving your skills and most importantly turn words into actions and that is how you become a great leader.

About

Sahar Haffar Moussly is a Dubai based UK-certified Life Coach and NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) practitioner. Today she runs two businesses. Alongside her life coaching practice, Life in Harmony, Sahar is also Executive Director of Trans Gulf Management Consultancy (TGMC), a firm specialising in conference interpretation and translations service, which was established in 1997.

TGMC was listed as a finalist in the SME Advisor Stars of Business Awards, 2010, in the category of Professional Services.

With over 25 years experience in the corporate world, Sahar holds a BA in English Language and Translation gained from Damascus University, and an MA in International Diplomacy gained at the University of Washington. She went on to become a qualified interpreter and translator, gaining a diploma in simultaneous translation and interpretation from the UK and became a member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

In 2010 Sahar published a research and guidebook in Arabic entitled, Welcome to Tomorrow, which introduces the topic of life coaching and self development to Arab audiences. The book was launched in Damascus in January 2010.

For more information about Life in Harmony visit www.lifeinharmony.me

Rarely in modern times has the global workforce been required to demonstrate such high levels of resilience as it has to today. The global recession plunged advanced economies into crisis, with widespread closures, cutbacks and redundancies. Home repossessions, foreclosures and the drying up of once abundant credit placed acute pressure on households throughout previously prosperous economies and sent shock waves through global consumer markets.

In 2010 and 2011 growth has remained sluggish and unemployment rates in western economies have remained stubbornly high, creating downward pressure on consumer markets and dampening opportunities for international investment. With slow growth continuing, workers are required to be as or more productive with less support, less training, greater uncertainty and higher levels of workplace stress and conflict, as pressures continue to bear down and take their toll on morale.

In these conditions, resilience has emerged as a sought after quality in employees but more importantly in managers, who are required to remain positive, optimistic, solution-focused and motivated to overcome the many challenges they face, equipped with ever fewer tools to tackle these challenges. So what is resilience? How is it identified? What creates it and can it be grown? These are all critical questions that this article seeks to explore.

In an effort to recognise, define and measure the capacity of the individual to endure and develop in the context of adverse conditions and to understand the individual’s ability to recover from adversity, the behavioural sciences have developed the construct of resilience. It encompasses different variables, including personal characteristics, coping processes, the advancement of other related constructs, like hardiness and facilitators such as protective factors. Ostensibly, resilience has become an umbrella term for overcoming adversity and adapting to one’s environment.

Unfortunately efforts to increase resilience levels within the workforce are frequently undermined by poor line management. The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development in the UK found that people management capability is extremely poor; just 37% of employees believe their manager helps to improve their performance and poor people management remains one of the biggest causes of stress and conflict at work, which in turn erodes levels of resilience within the workforce.

Paul Vella

This trend is expected to be found at similar levels in other countries. According to John Taylor of ACAS UK (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service), “Line management behaviour is central to the degree to which people learn and develop at work, their wellbeing, resilience and ultimately their commitment and productivity. These people management skills are more critical than ever as the global economy emerges from recession and positions itself for recovery.”

This suggests that organisations have at least some control of the resilience capability within their collective workforce, through the development of their leadership pool to create a culture which fosters, and as a minimum does not erode the resilience of their human capital. In addition to building high quality leadership capability, organisations can develop resilience in their people through targeted coaching interventions.

Corporate coaching as we know it today has its foundation in the world of professional sport. Sports psychologists and coaches have for decades searched for the key ingredients of sporting excellence and attempted to target them in their work to increase the performance levels of their clients.

This work has resulted in the recognition and acceptance that sustained sporting excellence is rarely achieved through a narrow focus on technical skills or physical fitness alone. Cognitive, emotional and value-based factors have been found to be at least equally important areas for athlete performance, and those who have consistently performed at the highest levels for sustained periods of their careers have placed significant developmental focus on these areas.

Having established the core components of athletic performance, psychologists began to apply this work in the business arena and corporate coaching has now become widespread. Just as it has become accepted that for elite athletes to perform at their best, they need to focus on developing a range of personal and interpersonal qualities, it is also acknowledged that the same is true for corporate professionals.

In fact it could be argued, that given the demands placed upon modern business, development of these factors is even more important for business people than for athletes. Athletes are required to perform, at most for one or two hours per day and spend rest of their time practicing or resting.

Corporate professionals however, are expected to perform for at least eight hours per day, often more and devote a very small proportion of their time to practice (development). The term “corporate athlete” (Loehr, 2001) has been used to describe the way in which organisations are now required to look upon their people and to guide them on how they develop their skills for optimal performance.

Loehr suggests individuals should focus on a number of key areas; these include personal, behavioural, cognitive, emotional and value-based factors. When combined these enable individuals to sustain the highest levels of performance possible. The development of these factors is most effectively achieved through coaching, whereby individuals can be supported in the setting of personal goals and sustained, targeted development.

A critical aspect of achieving the “Ideal Performance State” includes developing resilience, mental toughness and hardiness. Mental toughness refers to “the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to cope better with many demands, and be more consistent and better in remaining determined, focused, confident and in control under pressure (Jones, 2002).”

While this definition refers directly to professional sports competitors, clearly it carries equal resonance when applied to “corporate athletes”. Individuals possessing higher levels of “hardiness” were found to be significantly more resilient to stress and illness, showing higher levels of performance at work and significantly reduced work related absences. Personal characteristics directly underpinning resilience, mental toughness and hardiness include physical aspects (diet, fitness, lifestyle), cognitive skills (ability to focus, problem solve), emotional intelligence (ability to manage or influence one’s own and others emotional states) and personal values and motivators (deep sense of meaning and purpose).

Through targeted coaching interventions, organisations can invest in this critical commodity within their workforce. This can be delivered cost effectively through a combination of external and internal expertise. There is much evidence to support the utility of developing the coaching capability of business leaders. The primary role of a coach is that of an agent of change.Leaders, who coach, help their teams to improve their renewal capacity and resilience levels, which in turn positively influences them to succeed in achieving their collective objectives.

Coaching includes the ability to question the status quo, approach situations from new perspectives, and allows others to make mistakes and learn from them. In addition, coaching inspires others to be at their best, remain future-oriented, optimistic and invest in productive alliances that enhance cooperation and achieve positive results.

Coaching allows managers the opportunity to better serve their employees in implementing change and innovation activities. Utilising effective coaching techniques to lead their teams, leaders can lay out their expectations for team functioning, clarify goals, identify and maintain norms of behaviour and set out defining ground rules. They will also learn how and when to coach at group and individual levels to raise collective and individual performance and reinforce desirable team behaviours.

Blended coaching programmes can be delivered, to both increase personal resilience and hardiness in leaders, while simultaneously developing the leader’s coaching capability so that development can be cascaded down through the organisation, efficiently and cost effectively with the end goal of increasing resilience in leaders and their teams, thus increasing productivity, reducing absenteeism, minimising turnover and sharpening the performance focus.

About

Paul is an organisational psychologist, member of the British Psychological Society, Association of Business Psychologists and the Association for Coaching. Paul has over ten years experience in management and consultancy in both the private and public sectors, delivering assessment, training, coaching and consultancy solutions right up to executive leadership positions.

As a former UK head of a global test publisher specialising in emotional intelligence, Paul has particular insight and understanding in this area and is considered a leading expert in the field.

The decision to recruit is usually a positive one. It indicates growth, expansion, and the desire to hire talent to manage positive objectives. It can also represent a feeling of panic, as management agrees to accept the new personality of one that is not their own – and the higher the role in the corporate structure, the more essential it becomes for the right person to fit with the right crowd and make the right decisions in the best interest of the company.

Recruiting can be interpreted in many different ways; and typically, on the basis of what impact the specific role has on the organisation or where it sits in the organisational structure. The recruitment process encompasses several steps depending on the complexity of the role and the experience a potential candidate must have in order to be considered a match for the company’s needs. Add to that the multitude of different recruitment methods, and it becomes a complicated decision for any human resources team.

Role and repercussions

The task of the recruitment officer responsible for hiring 300 sales reps is as complex a task as recruiting mid-management or senior executives. The role of the recruiter is to hire staff that can embrace the vision and mission of organisation; and that happens at all levels. However, as we move up to the management ranks, recruiters begin dealing with candidates’ engrained values and personality traits that must be carefully screened in order for the “fit” to happen.

When a company identifies a need to recruit an executive, it has one of two approaches at their disposal; it can use the internal human resource function to recruit candidates, or it seeks support from a recruitment firm. With the latter, the decision to outsource the process can become a daunting task.

There is a multitude of different firms that offer recruitment services and as in any industry, the quality of the service ranges dramatically. Key elements that influence the decision of which firm to use are cost, quality of deliverables, and time lines. Considering that no solution offers all three elements, a company must decide which of these are the most important.

The objective when recruiting an executive into a company is to hire the right person who will quickly and seamlessly integrate into the organisational structure and deliver results. The cost of a bad hire goes beyond just the fees and salary paid; and therefore, it’s critical for a company to ensure that the recruitment process is thorough. Furthermore, when a company seeks to recruit an executive, they are looking to obtain the best candidate available at that point in time in the market. With this in mind, the number of recruitment firms that offer suitable recruitment services greatly diminishes.

The role of recruiters – in house or within your company – is to act as ambassadors while interacting with the candidate market. They will essentially sell the opportunity to individuals and thus need to be equipped with the right information about the company and the position. It is, therefore, essential to have a consultative relationship between clients (internal or external) and recruiters or HR departments. The more passionate recruiters are about the business, the more impactful they will be when selling the opportunity to potential candidates; and the higher the success of attracting top talent.

Where companies fail during their recruitment process is typically when they have given an assignment to the wrong person. Executive recruitment or executive search is a complex process that must be done correctly in order to guarantee a successful placement. Organisations that choose to use multiple recruiters at a time for executive positions will only cheat themselves. The service rendered by firms that agree to non-exclusive/success-based terms is only a fraction of what an organisation would require to get the best person for the role.

When a project is given to several firms at once, it becomes a race against time and the quality of deliverables is the last priority. There is no formal research and recruitment process and, in fact, these firms will typically rely on a database of CVs which they will match with the requirements of the role. The firm will then send several CVs which they think could be suitable and that is the extent of the process. There is limited interaction with the client and usually a basic conversation with a potential candidate to obtain their current salary and notice period.

The search process

When a company hires an executive, they seek to attract someone who will ultimately have a strategic impact on the business. It is in the best interest of the company to make sure that the search process is methodical, and that the potential candidate market is scrutinised. A company should not be content with a short list of active job seekers who are either out of a job or desperately trying to leave their current one. The true talent lies in the passive job seeker, and in order to get to those, the recruitment process must be thorough.

As previously mentioned, the relationship between a client or business head and a recruiter is critical to the success of a project. Armed with a strong understanding of the company, the industry, and the current market dynamics, a recruiter will work with a client to develop a list of target organisations which will be researched to identify who in these will have the required experience for the role. This target list of individuals is the basic research that any good recruiter will use, and it typically takes seven to ten days to acquire this information.

Once the research is complete, the recruiter will then actively recruit these individuals and propose the opportunity to them. In tandem, a recruiter will also source with industry experts to assist in identifying who the “stars” are. It is at this point in the search process where constant communication between the client and the recruiter is essential. A client must be kept informed regularly, primarily to ensure that the recruiter is on the right track, and for any necessary course corrections.

Timelines will vary significantly during a recruitment project. Several variables affect the time it takes to get to the short list stage. These include the geographic scope of recruitment efforts, time of year when the project is being done, and availability of client for feedback. A standard search assignment should take approximately three to five weeks to get to the short list stage. Companies that expect results within a week or two cannot expect the same level of quality in the candidates as the process will be rushed and the research incomplete.

At the short list stage, the recruiter will have interviewed several potential candidates and is now in a position to make recommendations. Some organisations believe in the maxim “the more, the merrier” but, in fact, it is the role of the recruiter to properly screen and minimise the amount of candidates to the perfect few – usually three or four.

The recruiter will typically meet with their client to discuss these candidates and share their views on each. It is also an opportune time to raise any concerns that could be delved into deeper during the client interviews.

Seal the deal

It is also at the short list stage that the typical search assignment drags on. It is critical to the success of the search process that clients remain responsive and engaged. While it is the role of the recruiter to present a strong short list, it is the clients’ responsibility to keep the process moving forward internally. This means scheduling interviews with all the stakeholders and sharing feedback regularly with the recruiter. Many searches derail at this stage because as interviews get postponed or rescheduled, candidates disengage from the process and their perception of the client company is distorted.

As the process moves towards a successful close, it is the recruiter’s role to assist their client with compensation negotiations. It is typically advised that the recruiter act as middleman during these discussions as it guarantees a continued and healthy rapport between candidate and hiring manager.

Philip Lefebvre

It is also recommended that the recruiter be aware of candidates’ compensation expectations. It helps to avoid situations where a client and candidate get to the offer stage to only find out that the candidate’s expectations are well beyond what the company is looking to pay.

The recruitment process described is essentially what a client should expect from its search provider. Beyond this, a recruiter must be a credible and trustworthy consultant to clients. The two key measures of a successful recruiter are the success rate in placing candidates, and the percentage of work that is repeat business.

There will always be a need for inexpensive recruitment solutions, and there are many of those available. However, when an organisation makes the decision to hire someone that will have a multi-million dollar impact on its operations, it is more prudent and warranted to spend more to ensure the search for that individual is done well.

About

Philip Lefebvre combines more than 15 years of executive search experience between Korn/Ferry International, and Heidrick & Struggles. He subsequently moved to Dubai in 2008 to participate in the growth of a regionally-based executive search firm.

Philip began his career in Montreal, Canada, assisting companies across the telecommunications and natural resources sectors. He then moved to Toronto, where he broadened his experience and worked closely with clients in the pharmaceutical, FMCG and financial services sectors. Prior to moving to the UAE, Philip was the Canadian Practice Head for the life sciences industry sector for Korn/Ferry International. Since his arrival to the region, Philip has had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of clients. He has successfully closed searches in sectors such as industrial, oil & gas, real estate, hospitality and pharmaceuticals. He has also worked across several key geographies including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

Philip is Canadian but spent the first eight years of his life in Saudi Arabia. He holds a Bachelor of Finance degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and is fluently bilingual in English and French.

What is it that is important whilst you are transitioning from business idea to business entity? Look at the latest idea you dreamt, you designed, you implemented and now you wonder why it may not have reaped the benefits you expected. One word remains dominant in that thought – you!

There quite often is an emotional attachment to an idea, unlikely and unwilling to become detached easily. Your eyes have considered it from every conceivable angle; your ears have heard it over and over again. It makes such great sense to you and possibly you alone.

Business can rarely work in isolation. The inclusion of others’ feedback is essential for future business success and could save you years of heartache. So how can you gain this feedback and apply it in the best possible way?

1. Surround yourself with trusted confidantes

Confidantes by definition will be trustworthy and interested parties, acting in a confidential manner, respecting the privacy of your idea, yet providing realistic feedback. The number is really up to you, generally being between one to three.

Select your confidantes from a broad cross-section of experience. They may differ in length of time in business, size of business, products and services or even the amount of local market knowledge they have to offer.

Screen carefully and choose those who are able and willing to be transparent and factual with you – if your business plan does not make sense, or has missed out crucial information, will they be willing to share this with you? If your business card’s design is not functional, will they open your mind to alternatives?

If your forecasts appear flawed, do they have the ability to pick up that detail?  Have they made mistakes in business and been able to turn them into opportunities? Are they able to relate to your circumstances? Will they have time, or make time, for in-depth conversations, and will you feel comfortable with their scrutiny?

2. Describe the concept verbally

This is the stage where you’ll discover if your plan is clear and tangible. Are you able to describe clearly, confidently and ‘on-demand’ your elevator pitch? Would someone walk away feeling informed and keen to re-connect after hearing it? Who is your target market? Why do they need you? Why would they buy from you rather than the competitor?

Describe the concept verbally, keeping your mind open to the feedback it attracts. It may not necessarily be what you want to hear, but may be what you need to hear.

3. Share your business’s representation

Share the name you are planning to apply to your business entity and watch the reaction it receives.  This may be harder than you think!

Ask for their honest opinion; how does that name feel to you; what do you envision when you hear those words; what might it remind you of; what could it be confused with; how does it fit with the concept; is there any hook in it that will excite the clientele; where have you seen anything like it before and what colours and experience does it make you think of?

If a logo design or plan exists then expose it too. What message do they receive from your intended representation?  Is it the one you desired?

Considering your business’s identity from another person’s perspective will encourage you to open to alternatives. Look for trends in the feedback. Always keep in mind that your opinion really doesn’t count in the pursuit of a name; it’s really up to the customer!

4. Invite questions from your confidante

Wouldn’t you rather know that something is forgotten before it is too late? Keep a log of the subject areas you could not answer. Use that log to revisit time and time again. Use it as a checklist to ensure that your business collateral leaves nothing unanswered. Construct a list of these questions with answers you would use should that question be asked again by a potential customer.

Debbie Nicol, aka the enablist, principal consultant and owner of business en motion

Review

A first-time SME can easily become over-excited and fall into the trap of “it’s all about me,” possibly displaying a blinkered expert mentality. How many times have we seen technologies built by budding engineers, only to find truth in the statement, “just because we build it, doesn’t mean they’ll come!” Seeking feedback is a proactive approach to ensuring your business will hit the target first time around!

Inception

- Who are your confidantes? How do they both complement and conflict with each other to provide you with an all-round perspective?

- What is it that you may not have yet gained feedback on that could potentially hinder your business?

- What else could be helpful to you whilst transitioning from business idea to business entity?

Case in point

A business card is proudly shared with a potential customer by a first-time SME business owner at a networking event. The business owner is proud of its shape, its colours and its unique design. The potential customer engages with the card for the first time, looks at it, turns it, considers it from all angles and then delivers a nail in the business’s coffin! “So what is it specifically that you do?”

The business owner is dismayed and asks “Why do you ask”. From there, each word from the customer simply drives the nail deeper into the business’s coffin. “Well, there’s no description on the card, or indication of services. I’m not sure what the picture is and I can’t feel what the business offers.”

Let’s rewrite this case in point!

The draft of the business card is released from the design company. The business owner is so proud of its shapes, colours and unique design.

The trusted confidantes are given the card and feedback is sought. The same question prevailed; what is it that you specifically do? The first-time SME realises that they need to rethink their business before launch.

About

Debbie Nicol, aka “the enablist”, principal consultant and owner of business en motion assists organisations and leaders to move ahead through change. She works with organisational development, change management, corporate cultures and learning strategies. For more information visit www.businessenmotion.com

Imagine taking advice from a shipping mogul in Bangladesh. Or getting tips for your upcoming meeting in Japan over a Web-cam crossing ten time zones? Ever think of co-authoring a book with someone you’ve never seen? The Internet along with e-mail, social networks and chats, is providing a new perspective on an age-old practice – mentoring.

Anybody who is somebody has a mentor, or so we’ve been told by popular press. Protégés progress faster, receive higher compensation and are more satisfied than employees without mentors. How else can you effectively navigate a business climate characterised by layoffs, worker mobility, boundary-less careers and increased work demands? Career experts even suggest that one mentor is not enough. Savvy professionals create a network of developmental relationships that includes individuals within and outside their organisation or industry.

Who needs a mentor?

Traditionally, those who needed mentors were young, inexperienced, new entrants in the work force. Because the employee of old might stay with a company for decades before changing jobs, the need for mentoring was relatively simple and short lived. Yet, as most of the world’s economies have shifted from industrial to knowledge work, the answer to this question is quite simply, everyone.

Today’s college student will find half or more of his or her knowledge outdated by the time the degree programme ends. And seasoned employees may witness their expertise being reset to zero as technology, demography, and globalisation evolve. With most developmental support from human resources departments at a minimum, individuals must rely on themselves, or more effectively, reach out to others, to learn and build necessary competencies.

The new age of mentoring

Mentoring works best when a mentor and protégé come together informally, through similar values and interests. However, if you think that a potential mentor knocks on your door (or sends you an unsolicited e-mail), you’ll be waiting a long time. Recent research shows that people who are extroverted, have high self esteem and are achievement oriented are more likely to initiate mentoring relationships than those who are not. So what are the shy and reserved to do? Enter the virtual world of mentoring…

In today’s fast-paced, 24/7, networked world, connecting with mentors virtually is not only possible, it’s necessary. If you e-mail, Facebook, Tweet or participate in Google groups, you already realise the power and facility of connecting with others. So, if the thought of approaching a stranger to be your potential mentor scares you, there are other, equally effective, possibilities.

E-mentoring or using virtual means (e-mail, phone, Webcam) to initiate and carry out critical developmental relationships, whether via formal organisational practice or informally, is a new age developmental practice that is growing exponentially. In fact, e-mentoring is now a staple at a handful of global companies such as HP, Xerox and IBM. These companies are able to connect employees with varied developmental needs with other employees near and far.

Through virtual mentoring business leaders and organisations are able to offer insight and assistance critical to helping today’s professionals effectively navigate complex organisational changes, new field developments and career path issues. Even though the relationship between mentor and protégé is virtual, the benefits are real. In some cases, using virtual means to connect and carry out the relationship is more beneficial than using traditional means.

Real benefits

1. Avoiding gossip: While many organisational mentoring programmes arose out of a need to support diversity initiatives, the pairing of a young female with a high-ranking male can be the subject of coffee break conversations. Employees – especially those who feel they’ve been passed over for promotions and other opportunities – can’t help but gossip about their perceptions of what’s “really going on” between the mentor and protégé. Such gossip (“I know why she got the promotion…!”) is not only damaging to the reputation and credibility of the mentor and protégé, but also to the mentoring program. When protégé and mentor meet electronically, other employees have nothing to see and nothing to say.

2. Just the facts: When people meet face-to-face, they pay attention to visual cues, such as ethnicity, height, weight and fashion. Based on these characteristics, it is easy to make assumptions (perhaps even subconsciously) about someone’s values and goals. And, these characteristics may instantly create known differences in the relationship. Yet, research confirms that successful mentoring relationships are characterised by value similarity; demographic similarity does not enter into the equation. Put another way, when we converse over chat or e-mail, we are not distracted by the other’s appearance, but instead are tuned in directly to what is being communicated.

3. The whole truth: Research on computer-mediated communication (including that between virtual mentor and protégé), shows unequivocally that because relationships are free to develop without the distractions of gender and other demographic differences, trust forms more quickly than it does in face-to-face relationships. Protégés are more likely to share the whole truth, and not just “what they think their mentor wants to hear”. This is critical. What kind of advice – if any – could a mentor provide if all you tell him/her is that everything is perfect.

In online communications, there is a well-documented “electronic courage”. Those who are normally shy in person are fearless when they have the time to compose the perfect (written) confrontation or complaint. The same is true in virtual mentoring. Protégés are more willing to share openly and candidly their failures as well as their successes, and therefore stand to receive more and more useful advice from their e-mentors.

4. Managing impressions: Imagine meeting with your newly assigned mentor, the VP of Marketing, for the first time. You’ve heard she’s smart, no-nonsense, and highly regarded. You want to impress her but, in your efforts to do so, you get tongue tied and share things that put you in a less-than-positive light. Because several choices for engaging in conversations with an e-mentor are virtual (not face-to-face) and asynchronous, the e-protégé has a chance to think through and edit their communications, ensuring that all interactions – especially the early ones, crucial for building rapport and trust – are presented positively.

5. Balancing work and life: While not without its challenges, telecommuting – doing required work from home, on the road, or at a designated location – provides organisations who embrace it with greater access to employees. It also allows employees more flexibility in where and how they fulfil their multiple roles. The same is true for virtual mentoring. With an e-mentor, one need not spend time trying to schedule and reschedule meetings, activities and meals in order to have a conversation with one’s mentor. Virtual mentoring naturally gives freedom to the parties in deciding when, for how long, and how frequently they will connect – with little, if any, wasted time.

Professor Suzanne de Janasz

6. Getting access: There was a time when only the elite, high potential, or members of underrepresented groups were eligible for organisational mentoring programs. With one third of the world’s population now online, we are no longer so digitally divided. Children have access, retirees have access, even prisoners have access.

Moreover, the boundaries of time and geography are rendered irrelevant. If, as the opening paragraph suggests, a shipping mogul in Bangladesh is willing to share words of wisdom with you, you can learn from the interaction. And, over many conversations, the mogul will learn some things as well. Mentoring via virtual methods means that anyone, at any age, at any level, and in any part of the world, can connect with and share ideas with anyone else with access to a computer.

The benefits of virtual mentoring are real and the technology enabling it is readily available. There are even a handful of companies that help businesses set up mentoring systems. By taking advantage of e-mentoring practices, today’s business leaders can tap into a developmental process that extends far beyond traditional networks to enhance personal enrichment and career success. Yet for the savvy business practitioner, with or without an established corporate mentoring program, the virtual world is yours to explore.

About

Suzanne de Janasz is a professor of leadership and organisational development at IMD. She teaches in IMD’s Program for Executive Development (PED) and OWP along with many company-specific programs and publishes in a variety of outlets. Her latest book, Interpersonal Skills in Organizations (4th edition), 2011, provides leaders with the conceptual and practical tools needed for effectively leading oneself, one’s group, and one’s organisation.

What isn’t measured cannot be managed

This is especially true in sales but are you clear on which key selling activities are driving your business today? If not then you need to know immediately. Obviously, by increasing activities in these key areas you will almost always deliver significantly improved results.

Sales automation can ensure that you get visibility of sales activity and provide the information needed to make good decisions. It is critical that good salespeople and good sales managers understand what activity delivers the best results. Manage these activities well and you will never have to explain a missed target again.

Why are you missing targets in the first place?

The following are some common non sales skill related problems to watch out for:

· Insufficient active opportunities being worked on

· Too many non revenue generating calls are being made

· Excessive time is spent on low value opportunities

· Sales people are staying in their customer comfort zone

In our experience we regularly come across organisations that buy super sales systems complete with all the “bells and whistles” and who then use less than 10% of its functionality. Many others abandon the systems shortly after implementation, or, use only core functionality that normally isn’t about increasing sales efficiency and effectiveness.

You need to have a system in place to provide effective visibility on all sales activities and then managing these activities will drive your sales success. But make sure that implementing automation doesn’t become the project – it’s all about increasing sales.

Automating your sales team

- Understand what the issues are that you are trying to fix before you automate

- User acceptance can be an issue; discuss with and involve the sales team throughout

- Data entry must be minimal; sales people don’t like admin and you want them on the road – you want maximum input from minimum input

- Web based versus hosting on own server – our experience shows that keeping it simple is best. Server based is quicker, easier and can still be accessed over the Internet

- Align your automation with your own sales process (make sure that your process is effective)

- All key activities need to be readily visible, preferably in a dashboard for at for all to see all of the time

- Must provide effective management of the sales pipeline

About

Peter Heredia is the Managing Director of Max Sales Solutions. He has worked with sales teams around the globe for more than two decades and has worked in the Middle East for the last ten years.

If you would like to talk to Peter about your sales team then please contact him on peter@maxsalesolutions.com