Listen or Anticipate?

I was strolling downtown on 9th Avenue in New York yesterday, catching up on all the change since I last made this great little island my home. I noticed how much things have changed; the stores are trendy and everyone on the street is staring at their phone! Despite all the gentrification in the Meat Packing District, I was delighted to see an old store sign from my youth. Wandering into the Italian deli where my best High School buddy and I would go to 'pack on some pasta' after a busy day at the stores, I was disappointed. This was not the 'deli with Formica tables' I remembered, but an upscale sandwich shop. There was no 'old world' vibe. I couldn't smell the garlic, or even a hint of that marinara my pal Meri had loved.




After being stared down by the counter staff (no one asked if they could help or said 'Hello'), I opted to forego any purchase. My trip down memory lane had been thwarted. Imagine my delight then, when I saw the deli I remembered right next door. I pulled the door ajar and was greeted by the lovely aroma of olive oil, garlic and parmesan; exactly as I remembered. Like the store of the same name next door, there was not a customer in sight, but, I reasoned, it was three in the afternoon; too early for dinner and too late for lunch. I approached the counter in anticipation; would they have fresh mozzarella for me to take home? Was the eggplant parmesan as wonderful as I remembered?



The lady behind the counter looked up, and I said “Oh, I hope you’re not closing this side. The other side is so fancy now!”



I am still stunned by the storm this unleashed! “Get out of here. How dare you insult me like that? I know exactly what you are up to, the whole lot of you! Get out of here. You think you are cute, eh?” As she made her way around the counter toward me, screaming and holding a large ...ladle? ...knife? I explained that I meant no insult; that I was just trying to buy some mozzarella; that she had mis-understood as I was complimenting her store. It was no use, though, she was livid and loud and a bit threatening so I just kept backing away until I reached the street.



After calls to a few friends, I learned that the two stores are competing, under the same name; the legacy of a falling-out between two brothers. They don’t talk, they do fight for business and, I am told, they do send people to taunt each other with some regularity. It’s likely I was mistaken for an emissary of the enemy!



I feel bad about what happened; my reminiscence was thwarted and there’s a good chance the lack of customers in either establishment reflected their surly vibe rather than the time of day! The remainder of my journey offered a chance to think about ‘anticipation’. Clearly, the lady in the store anticipated a jibe and therefore failed to listen; she not only misinterpreted my words but she ignored all the other signals (body language, big smile). She chased off a customer (to be honest, she was pretty threatening) because she was over-prepared. On reflection, she wasn’t the only ‘over-prepared’ salesperson I’d encountered:

• The car salesman entirely ignored my requirements description, asking me to tell him what model I currently drive. He then suggested a high-end car with sports traction even though I’d said I was looking for a basic commuter car that would be good for potholes and city parking.

• The bartender at the restaurant failed to offer me a food menu and instead handed me a cocktail list at noon, even though he’d seen the hostess seat me at the bar apologizing as they had no tables available for me to dine at solo.

We are told to anticipate customer needs; to forecast the customer’s requirements, plan for and produce against them. What happens, however, when ‘anticipation’ becomes formulaic and we forget to watch for clues? I called the car salesman and asked him about our meeting. I wanted to know why he’d asked me about the car I drive instead of responding to the requirements I listed. What he told me may not surprise, but it is a cautionary tale. He told me that he’d learned that most customers don’t actually want, and even less frequently buy, the car they describe. He said he’d seen statistics in his training, and had been shown that leading a prospect to a car that was very much like or very different from their current vehicle was the most effective way to sell a car. Does he listen to what his customers tell him? “Honestly, not when they first come in. I spend most of that time sizing them up based on their clothes and the way they talk. The only thing I really pay attention to is who they say will drive the car. Then I ask what they drive and whether they like it, and I go from there.”



Of course, the other thing I noted on my walk was the huge number of people about to trip as they focused on their phone screens. Today’s smart phones have almost eliminated the need to call anyone; you can text a meeting place, send a photo, even ‘group vote’ on which restaurant is most convenient for dinner. Listening is fast becoming an antiquated skill. The car salesman is fairly successful skipping over listening, though he does note there are several ‘unspoken clues’ he garners from his customers. The lady at the deli is clearly neither listening nor watching for clues; her anticipation is clearly driving customers away.



Is there a future for listening to anticipate customer needs? Hope so. Maybe they’ll create ‘an app for that’.

Content, Context and Awards

With a daughter studying to be an actress, it is no surprise that the Kelly household is keenly focused on all the televised 'arts awards'. Recently, a ridiculous amount of column ink has been devoted to an “Americans just don't get Brit humour” defence of Ricky Gervais' turn as Golden Globes' host. Some people found Mr. Gervais' comments funny. Others, presumably all American, thought they 'went too far'. My opinion doesn't hold any consequence, but I thought what he said was funny but out-of-place; it wasn't the content but the context that I found offensive as he was host of the show.




Here in London, the Golden Globes was telecast with a panel providing commentary while the US commercials ran. One member was a comedian who sat crocheting in her stocking feet. As the show was coming to a close, she tucked into her shoes and laced them up. In my living room, I'd assume she would put her shoes on while chatting about the show, especially at 3 am, but on TV I thought she should have waited until off camera (or perhaps even worn them throughout the show). No issue with someone lacing her shoes, just not sure that it was the right move in the context of a televised commentary.



This balance of content and context is familiar to consultants, be they external experts or internal advisors. HR professionals are continually challenged to provide content expertise within a defined context. Does this rule apply in these circumstances? If we want to create this new organization, how will it impact this salary structure? Do we need to provide life insurance benefits akin to our US offering in Croatia? What title can we use in the UK that will align to the market and still fit our hierarchy? The business of Human Resources is to structure content into context.



Yet HR professionals are often hesitant, even challenged, to apply their HR expertise in the broader context of their business. A client recently shared concern about the communication dynamics of her firm's leadership team. The group is not only physically distributed, but is frequently dispersed in opinion, values and ideology. Rather than a 'common core vision', they form, break and re-form topical alliances. This 'push and pull' dynamic is generally encouraged by the firm's culture, but, as they approach a major acquisition, she fears it will disrupt focus and retard momentum. Despite being deeply concerned, "I just don't think they'd accept this input from me", she shared, "I don't know that I can challenge the effectiveness of the leadership team to lead the business as an HR professional." Another client, tackling compensation structure and cost, lacked visibility to product pricing and cost. They told us "these are business decisions not in our domain".



Was Ricky Gervais funny or not? That's a matter of opinion. What is clear, however, is that your assessment will reflect the content of his routine in the context presented. Similarly, an HR leader may not feel it is appropriate to challenge the exec team on style in every situation, but, in the context of stewarding a successful acquisition, this discussion content is entirely appropriate and necessary. Should HR direct or even opine on product pricing? Generally, I'd be inclined to say "no", but in the context of assuring there is sufficient business support for competitive compensation, this is absolutely essential.

Building Your Table

Ever been to a dinner party or a family meal? Sure you have! Ever been seated next to someone who has absolutely nothing to say? You know the type. You offer an amusing anecdote from the paper and they smile. You share a rich story about the host and they chuckle or nod. You comment on the quality of the meal and they agree the food is good. Then you check your watch, wonder how you will manage for another hour, then turn to the person on your right and pray they are a bit more engaging!

Recently, we've been talking with HR leaders about 'Strategic HR Capability'. Yes, indeed! Now that the business world has accepted that things will not 'return to normal', there is increasing recognition that HR needs to partner with core business leadership to focus on the landscape ahead.  The good news is that this means HR, more and more, has 'a seat at the table'. It's refreshing that HR is less focused on getting an invitation, but what HR leaders, and their core business partners, are telling us is that their HR teams are too busy with operations or not strategically skilled.

What do you do if HR is too busy with operations or doesn't have the skills to focus strategically? What if your HR is a boring dinner guest?

Most companies would focus immediately on skill-building programs, and, certainly, this can have an impact. Building HR's knowledge of the business, honing consultative skills and tooling the team with techniques can enhance HR's dialogue with core business leaders, and, with the right coaching and sustained focus, HR can become more strategic over time. Skill building will get you a more entertaining dinner guest.

Trouble is, most companies don't have the time to nurture and develop HR's impact. Most companies are looking for strategic HR impact NOW (if not last month). They don't want an entertaining dinner guest, they want a keynote speaker.

Have you ever noticed how a university student, or a recent MBA graduate will, without hesitation or humility, tell you exactly what should be done, and. what's more, exactly why you are doing it wrong? Can you even count the number of sites and blogs (yes, I see the irony) that are focused on critiquing the action (or lack of action) of major companies?  Thinking about this, it occurs to me that the MOST strategic, effective, smart and impactful HR people I have encountered (and I've worked with quite a few) weren't always 'well prepared' for the task at hand. They didn't necessarily 'have the skills'. What they did have was a requirement to take action. Isn't innovation born of necessity?

So what if HR didn't stop at building skills (which is rarely a bad thing to do) but extended further. What if HR didn't only contribute at the table? What if HR built their own table?

There's an old movie (1988 release) called Working Girl. Melanie Griffith  plays a secretary who desperately wants to get ahead but can't get anyone to take her seriously due to her position (and some really bad hair and wardrobe choices). She does, ultimately, advance an idea and make a career for herself with the help of Harrison Ford. A pivotal point in the plot is when she is accused of stealing the idea she has presented and she explains that she formed the idea on the basis of an article in a human interest magazine and a tidbit in a gossip column; she developed a great business plan on the basis of unlikely sources.

I was speaking with a group of HR leaders at a conference a few months ago about 'scanning the horizon'; using external clues to identify new directions and future impact on your business.As you've already guessed, I shared the 'Working Girl' anecdote and then I asked the group to tell me what they see for the future of their companies, their businesses. The very same HR professionals who had, just minutes before, told me that they didn't feel capable of advising their business partners on strategic matters could easily describe what forces were at work in their marketplace and industry. They could easily anticipate what the impact might be on their business and they could define the types of things they could be doing to prepare for that future. One HR Manager even shared that his business team was heading in the wrong direction, "We're already the low cost service provider. With competition increasing, we  need to be building our service quality  rather than putting all of our energy into cost containment. We ought to be building skills rather than slashing our training and development budgets."

Maybe HR should define an agenda while building its skills. Once defined, HR can test and advocate for that agenda; not only engaging in the dialogue, but defining it.

Not Recovery but Renewal: Looking Ahead: Triple A Tactics for the Abnormal Future

Looking Ahead: Triple A Tactics for the Abnormal Future



Last year my godson broke his knee in a 'scrum' (rugby). It was devastating. A candidate for the Olympic Team, he was taken to the best orthopaedists, but the surgeons could only repair the damage by taking tissue from his unbroken leg. Today he can run, he can jump, he can swim, but he can not play rugby; not for fun and most certainly not for competition. As one might imagine, there was a fair amount of woe, pity and whine until our boy discovered rowing. And now? Well, just last week he was scouted by the Olympic Team!



Over the past year, many businesses have been ‘holding it together’ while ‘watching and waiting’. This past month, signs of economic growth have been met with jubilation, as many believe we are ‘on the road to recovery’. Does that mean we can soon reclaim our post as captain of the rugby team? I think not.



Recovery demands a return to the way things were; it focuses on the past. Better, I say, to focus on the future. Looking ahead, we seek renewal, or, quite literally, starting-over. The marketplace of tomorrow is not yesterday’s market. What are you doing to prepare for this brave new world? Are you readying your company for the abnormal?





Attitude- It’s no surprise that Early Boomers (1946-1955), who experienced the invention of ‘the pill’ and the Cuban Missile Crisis are known for their social conscience and experimentation, while Late Boomers/Generation Jones (1956-1964) are cynical and distrust government (having experienced the oil embargo, Vietnam and the Cold War). Gen X and Millenials have been shaped by a reaction to the privilege of the late-boomers (Gen Me) and the proclivity of new media (Gen Net). So as we look ahead, we must recognize that underemployment, which represents as great, if not greater, a threat to worker attitude than unemployment, is likely to shape the attitudes of tomorrow’s worker. Stress related health issues, lack of personal balance and loss of culture, tradition and values have all been attributed to the ‘work-centric’ culture of the recent boon economy. Workers have accepted reduced schedules and pay in the name of cost reduction, but these patterns offer sustainable benefits for both business and its workforce. Helping your workforce adapt and leverage these new constructs to live and work more flexibly.





Anger- The young, the underemployed, the newly focused; they may all feel cheated. As the lustre returns to your bottom line, many of these workers will anticipate their recompense, and, when that doesn’t come, they may well flee or, perhaps worse, stay and fight. Managing expectations, carefully guiding your workforce toward the future and preparing for new, uncharted business conditions is key to sustaining your business ‘recovery’.



Adrenaline- Watson Wyatt reports a 9-23% drop in employee engagement, and says that 40% of ‘top performers’ attribute some or all of quality and service loss to cuts in pay, hours, workforce and benefits. Yet McKinsey shows (much like CLC did in 2007), that 3 non-monetary motivational levers have more impact than the top 3 compensation levers combined. Add data detail.....While investment in ‘soft skill’ training and leadership development has been curtailed at many companies, the data overwhelmingly supports that management and leadership skills, whether developed through formal classroom, distributed CBT or viral injection, are perhaps the highest impact /highest return investment that companies can make. What would a 9% increase in productivity and quality do for your bottom line? What percent of that return would you commit to delivering? How much would your leadership be willing to invest to reap that ROI?

Lesson from Tiger's Tale

Lately, it seems that Tiger Woods' gal pals are all anyone can write about. That is, of course, unless you live here in the UK, where Joe McElderry's X Factor triumph is receiving almost as much press. Why such focus ? Is there nothing else worth writing about?

Well, yes, of course, there are a few things at least as newsworthy as Tiger and Joe, but not many as likely to compel the public to buy the paper or listen to the newscast. Why are we so fascinated, though, and what could possibly be similar about a young unknown winning a singing contest and the world's best known athlete cavorting with, it seems, a whole lot of people?

The answer is actually pretty simple. Tiger and Joe have both been branded as honest to goodness natural talents. They both have an uncommon capability in something we can understand and even appreciate. Joe McElderry can hit a note high and pure, while Tiger hits a drive high and long; both make you swoon and shake your head in wonder. Tiger is known for his no nonsense athleticism; he put the sport back into golf (though I'm not sure it was ever there before). Joe 's no gimmicks singing triumphed over the antics of the low talent/high appeal Jedward. Both are heroes, and they have our support not just for what they do, but for how we see them doing it. These are honest guys, who play by the rules and win out with hard work and dedication. They are identifiable role models; they prove that hard work and dedication pay off.

Or do they? While Joe is still up on his pedestal, Tiger has suffered a great fall. While I agree that there is a private matter that Mr. Woods needs to address with his family, there is a very viable public matter he needs to address with millions of adoring fans who have supported him, and all those great products he sponsors, with their hearts and their dollars. I have no real interest in how Tiger Woods spends his free time. I don't know that marital fidelity would make him a better golfer, and, from what I can see at this point, infidelity certainly hasn't hurt his game. So, in essence, I don't believe that Tiger's escapades have anything to do with his golf. I do, however, know that Tiger has made a name for himself not only by the way he plays golf, but by the standards he presents as his own. Wasn't it Tiger Woods who drove a Buick because he was their spokesperson? Didn't we see Tiger Woods pay his caddy more than anyone else on the tour because, as he said, it was the right thing to do? Didn't he claim he was as good as he is because he is dedicated to bettering himself. Isn't Tiger Woods' personal brand all about commitment?

Recently, George Michaels, an iconic pop star, was arrested, yet again, for public indecency. It was reported that, when asked what he had to say to his fans, he shared that he liked cruising for casual sex and it was how he lives his life. I don't think I'd like George as a personal friend, but I do love his voice and his songs remind me of my youth. I have to admit that I don't see anything wrong with what he said. He's a pop star. He never purported to be an icon of morality. He never asked us to buy his records because he was loyal to his partner,and he has never held his lifestyle up as a core element of what makes him a good singer. In essence, George Michaels personal brand has never had anything to do with being a moral compass, and so, like it or not, we've got no real qualms with his actions as a singer. I don't think Disney will sign him anytime soon, as his image wouldn't align with their brand, but then, that 's the point, isn't it? Mr. Michaels personal brand is not in conflict with his personal life. If only Tiger could say the same.

Let's take a sports example. My dad called, horrified, when Andre Agassi's book came out. Why, oh why, he lamented, did he need to share that he was a drug addict. Could he not have left it alone? Was it important for him to shatter the illusion of greatness? What of the many players who had fallen to his swift racket? They would now be forever tortured, wondering if they could have beaten him had he not been flying on whatever chemicals were fueling him. I wondered, myself, what drove Agassi, who managed to maintain the image of perfection, to share this information with his public. Then it occurred to me that his was a master stroke. Why risk being toppled from your pedestal when you can manage your brand pro-actively? Andre must have decided that he is best positioned in the driver's seat, and then taken the lead role in re-inventing himself.

Tiger, on the other hand, has worked to perpetuate a myth that is out-of-step with his reality. Had he let us see that he was a great golfer, a great athlete, and a driven man, we would have been amused or even shocked by the long line of ladies who are stepping forward to speak of his prowess off the course. We would not, however, have felt betrayed. Betrayal is the issue here, and with his betrayal Tiger has done more than hurt his family or himself;  he has hurt the entire PGA. Tiger's story has all the makings of a modern day fable, and the lesson is one to be heeded by every business and every professional.

Your personal brand is to be tended carefully. Just as product branding ( think Marmite) and employer branding (think Starbucks) rely on a core of truth, so too does your personal brand. Not everyone likes Marmite, but, not everyone likes marmalade either. Thr brillianc eof Marmite's brand is that it centers around a core truth; Marmite is odd tasting stuff. Honesty works! There is many a professional athlete who unabashedly cavorts with no risk to his field or endorsement popularity. These are athletes who are not pretending to be something other than who they are. When a person, or a company, or a product, presents a brand, that brand must be consistent with reality.

Downturn Triggered Employment Trends -
Are you Ready?

“Sometimes not ready just means we’re not ready but other times it’s an alibi for we have no idea what to do” shares a corporate Human Resources leader who’d prefer to remain anonymous. Whether you are prepping for a corporate planning session with the Board or creating a personal Career Map, understanding the trends and defining a plan will help you to succeed in the years ahead.

Adding Years to Careers:Depleted pensions funds, shrunken retirement accounts, and underwater home values signal delayed retirement for the Baby-boomers, and perhaps, a shorter life-span. The implications extend well beyond tenure; as workers seek to extend their productive years and gain flexibility, employers will be able to construct fundamentally different and new approaches to employment and compensation.

Board Room: Analyze current workforce demographics. Assess the impact of delayed retirement or part time job sharing- will greater availability of experience support your business strategy? Deconstruct teams and roles- What tasks rely on experience vs. skill, cycle, volume? Can you cross train across ranks or re-structure to enhance impact and lower cost?

Career Map: Analyze your market value and flexibility. Are your skills transferable across industry and role? Do you have specialized expertise or experience that remains in short supply? Diversify your employment portfolio – what other lines of work interest you? Take advantage of company sponsored training courses and tuition assistance.A

Plethora of Personnel:Will the “War for Talent” be replaced by the ‘Campaign for Capability’? As the EU votes to protect mandatory retirement, there is recognition that the prophesied 2010 labor crisis is a “no show”. The downturn has triggered entitlement cuts and performance ranking, but the processes by which companies manage performance, incent loyalty and support career development are predicated on scarcity, and will require sweeping change.

Board Room: Evaluate short, middle and long term total rewards strategy. Can you be more creative in aligning pay with performance? What opportunities does the new skills market open for you? What obstacles to change and flexibility are embedded in your current operations? How will increased tenure impact processes and cycles for succession and progression?

Career Map: What skills and experience are important to continued growth in your career? What training, education and experience resources can you leverage to build your skills? What sets you apart from the rest? How can you do to increase your value in a plentiful talent market?

YUFE’s- Young Unemployed Forlorn & Educated:While Emily, Satish and Hemut were investing in an education, the jobs dried up. How will the young and educated manage and what happens when a generation feels gypped? Employers may enjoy the shift away from the “free agent” demands of the millennial worker, but will be challenged to incent innovation. Expect razor-sharp employer branding.

Board Room: What is your employer brand (not just its name)? Are you using up-to-the-minute technology, social networking or philanthropy? Just how transparent is your strategic agenda? Apply creativity to trigger an emotional connection. Communicate!

Career Map: Define your personal brand. What are you looking for in a job - pay, security, time-off? How can you build your skills? Aggressively volunteer. What employer is a “fit” for you? Hit the career office and alumni associations and network. Relocate for the right opportunity. Be passionate.

The Multi-Local: Business with Borders:Today’s business offers a “global footprint”, with cost-effective service support and an integrated supply chain. Technology speed, management focus and labor arbitrage supports the continued spread of outsourcing and globalization. But as expats are called home and travel reduced to save cost and carbon, companies and their leaders will be challenged to connect communication and vision. Expect the emergence of new approaches to leader development.

Board Room: Evaluate supply chain for quality and cost. Mandate efficiency, set measures and anticipate the implications. How will you provide leadership visibility and relevance across the organization? What mechanisms can be leveraged or developed to enhance communication and unify purpose?

Career Map: Expand your universe-identify what’s happening outside of your local market. Consider your “personal brand”. Define and develop your perspective as well as your skills. Open yourself to new opportunities. Travel.

The Moral Capitalist:Austerity may reduce Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending, and slow employers’ efforts to “go green”, but don’t expect these programs to die completely. A new ‘moral order’ is emerging, and this wholesale shift in values places greater emphasis on long-term sustainability. Both stylistic and substantive change to corporate tracking, reporting, communication and investment will accompany a shift away from “quarter-to-quarter” management, and with it, a change to the accepted criteria for individual success.

Board Room: Evaluate your culture. Does your culture embrace a long term vision of success or only celebrate periodic wins? What tools and patterns should be altered to support sustained growth? Are you doing enough for the community? What does ‘Go Green’ mean at your organization?

Career Map: How are you impacting your business, society, family and community? How long is your view / narrow is your focus? Broaden your perspective by considering your career impact, even across multiple organizations. Extend your reach- volunteer, network, teach, read. Get involved.