People Don’t Leave Companies – They Leave People

This must mean that there are a high proportion of unsuitable bosses.  So here are a few questions that you might like to consider on your next job interview to prevent getting a lousy boss.

1.  How long have you been in your current position?

2. What were you doing before?

3. What qualifications do you have in leadership or management?

4. What would you say is your main strength that makes you a good manager?

5. How do you manage your work – life balance?

6. When one of your direct reports makes a mistake, what do you do?

7. Do your direct reports trust you?  Why?

8. Do they respect you?  Why?

9. Do you consider yourself a good communicator?

10. Do you have references from your colleagues and direct reports?

11. Do you prefer to communicate via email or the spoken word?

12. What track record do you have for keeping good people?

13. Have you been trained in motivational management?

14. What is your biggest weakness?

15. Do your direct reports appraise you yearly?

16. What hobbies and interests do you have?

So, how about this as the approach to interviewing your prospective new boss?

“Mr/Mrs/Ms whatever.....you obviously want to try to eliminate taking on the wrong person.  I also don’t want to take a job with an unsuitable boss.  We both know the consequences, in either situation the candidate eventually leaves and apart from being miserable this is a very expensive exercise.  So I am sure you don’t mind me finding out a little bit about you!”

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www.richarddenny.co.uk

Customers Rule OK!

Please don’t kid yourself, 2013 is going to be a challenging year, while at the same time some massive opportunities for growth are staring us in the face by taking market share.  Customers are now in charge and RULE OK...  

There is nothing to fear if you are part of or powered to influence behavioural change. The challenge here is to be truly customer led.  Very few business models even understand what customer led means, let alone practicing this culture.  I think everybody knows that in order to get behavioural change you firstly have to get attitudinal change and this starts with the leaders, managers and executives then to cascade through every part of a business.

I am now old enough, wise enough and fortunate enough to have learnt from cleverer people than me how to win in a stagnant or recessional marketplace.  Simple really, if your industry, products and services are mature and there is little or no growth ‘nick business from your competitors. What do you need? Desire, determination and the courage to invest just a little in your people (£500 per person will do nicely) and see a 20 times return.

Unleash the power of your people in up-skilling, training and learning, helping them to deliver what your customers want but will not get from your competition.

1.    Value for money products or services (customer led)

2.    Excellent customer experiences

3.    Supported by motivated, positive people

Yes of course I have a vested interest here, but I guarantee everyone of you reading this know in your heart of hearts that it’s right and just downright commonsense and do you know -  a bit of commonsense is always a winner.

 

It’s so blindingly obvious that only a very few will actually do it!  

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The year of the customer

Richard Denny's Thought for the Day on January 2nd said "2013 is the year of the customer"

Is this a threat or an opportunity?  For some a threat that will manifest itself in eventual liquidation, others will just muddle on and experience a decline in turnover and profit, while some businesses will grow by taking market share from the former. These companies will be customer led

• Operating referral marketing
• Demonstrating thought leadership
• Fearful of satisfied customers

and the distinguishing factor in the companies taking market share will be in the little investment they have made in their people to upskill with the latest communication and operational techniques, demonstrating a real customer care culture. Organisations that you and I really want to do business with.