I need another rant! As an avid listener to BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service, I have been struck (again) by the overuse of what are now becoming clichés. In fact, it has become so intrusive, that I have retreated to my other haven, BBC Radio 2!
First of all is the widespread use of “basically” which seems to populate virtually every interview one can hear and what is more, it is making an appearance in overseas broadcasts. Add to that the incessant “at the end of the day” and perhaps you can understand the irritation.
Then there is the hyperbole. Why does everything need to be over-emphasised? Why, for example, does it seem necessary to use “absolutely” in answer to a question when “yes” is perfectly sufficient? Why is everything “fantastic” or “amazing” and, worst of all, “incredible”?
Just listen to any broadcast nowadays and count the number of clichés that you hear. It may just take your mind off the recession!
For further information contact us at
ivan.goldberg@maa-uk.co.uk website www.maa-uk.co.uk
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Vistage Open Day Last Friday
We held another successful Vistage Open Day last Friday at the amazing Gorton Monastery in rather wet Manchester, UK and we had over 110 people attending.
What is so good about these events? Firstly it gives members of several Vistage groups the opportunity to meet each other and even perhaps do a little networking. Secondly, members are encouraged to bring colleagues from their businesses to experience a top class speaker and to meet other colleagues, and finally, it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of Vistage membership to guests and potential members,
Malcolm Smith was the speaker, a most energetic and enthusiastic presenter of a session on Negotiation Skills, and everyone went away with take away tools, especially “go back to your businesses and put your prices up!!”.
Watch out for the announcement of the next Vistage Open Day in the New Year and be sure to book as soon as details are available.
Vistage is the world’s leading CEO and MD membership organisation and is very active here in the North West of the UK.
Membership of Vistage leads to better leaders, better decisions, better results.
If you would like further information give me a call – I will be pleased to discuss it with you.
For further information contact us at ivan.goldberg@vistage.co.uk
website www.vistage.co.uk
What is so good about these events? Firstly it gives members of several Vistage groups the opportunity to meet each other and even perhaps do a little networking. Secondly, members are encouraged to bring colleagues from their businesses to experience a top class speaker and to meet other colleagues, and finally, it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of Vistage membership to guests and potential members,
Malcolm Smith was the speaker, a most energetic and enthusiastic presenter of a session on Negotiation Skills, and everyone went away with take away tools, especially “go back to your businesses and put your prices up!!”.
Watch out for the announcement of the next Vistage Open Day in the New Year and be sure to book as soon as details are available.
Vistage is the world’s leading CEO and MD membership organisation and is very active here in the North West of the UK.
Membership of Vistage leads to better leaders, better decisions, better results.
If you would like further information give me a call – I will be pleased to discuss it with you.
For further information contact us at ivan.goldberg@vistage.co.uk
website www.vistage.co.uk
Monday, 2 November 2009
“L” Shaped, “W” Shaped, “V” Shaped, “U” Shaped?
I am beginning to be very bored by the many opinions as to the shape of the recession and with the many and varied views as to whether we are coming out of it (or not yet).
There is no doubt that, as managers, we can only react to the situation so it seems pretty sensible to have a view as to which way it is likely to go.
Whatever the shape of the recession, (and I favour the “L” shape), we are now in the New Normality where the economy fell of the cliff around August 2008 and since then has gradually flattened out with very slight signs of an upward movement.
That means that, if this is now a normal situation, then we need to shape (or re-shape) our businesses on that basis. If we can achieve that, then when the economy really does start to improve, we will be in a strong position to exploit the improvement.
Check out the “five line” P&L. Start with sales, minus cost of sales (usually materials and labour costs) equals gross profit, minus fixed costs equals net profit.
On that basis you can see which of the criteria you can affect. Sales can be predicted with some accuracy but not materially affected. Labour and materials can be directly affected so that the gross margin is maintained, and finally the fixed costs can be controlled. If you can get all these criteria in balance showing a net profit, then you will see the new shape that the business needs to take.
For further information contact us at ivan.goldberg@maa-uk.co.uk
website www.maa-uk.co.uk
There is no doubt that, as managers, we can only react to the situation so it seems pretty sensible to have a view as to which way it is likely to go.
Whatever the shape of the recession, (and I favour the “L” shape), we are now in the New Normality where the economy fell of the cliff around August 2008 and since then has gradually flattened out with very slight signs of an upward movement.
That means that, if this is now a normal situation, then we need to shape (or re-shape) our businesses on that basis. If we can achieve that, then when the economy really does start to improve, we will be in a strong position to exploit the improvement.
Check out the “five line” P&L. Start with sales, minus cost of sales (usually materials and labour costs) equals gross profit, minus fixed costs equals net profit.
On that basis you can see which of the criteria you can affect. Sales can be predicted with some accuracy but not materially affected. Labour and materials can be directly affected so that the gross margin is maintained, and finally the fixed costs can be controlled. If you can get all these criteria in balance showing a net profit, then you will see the new shape that the business needs to take.
For further information contact us at ivan.goldberg@maa-uk.co.uk
website www.maa-uk.co.uk
Monday, 3 August 2009
What We Need is Focus
It seems to me that we waste a great deal of time, energy and emotion on what my friend, Will Kintish, calls "stuff", that is, the noise that ebbs and flows around the really important things in a business.
Conventional wisdom has it that we have discretion over no more than 20% of our time in a working day. Telephone calls, people "popping in", the coffee arrives, the dreaded ping from the email, the desperate need to check on text messages on the mobile and so on, all contribute to the 80% of the day over which we have little or no control.
A great story was told about President Reagan when he said that he intended to achieve two great objectives during an eight year period in office; he was going to take out the Russians and give America its pride back. Everything else he would delegate, always taking responsibility if anything went wrong. And what happened? He achieved his two great objectives through absolute focus.
One of the Williams sisters said that she always used to visualise holding up the trophy at Wimbledon. It was not, you notice, about playing tennis which was merely a route by which she could achieve her objective.
It is said that the availability of knowledge is doubling every two years so is it any wonder that we can become submerged in information, coming at us from every conceivable direction.
An answer to the conundrum is FOCUS - make sure that you know precisely what you are going to achieve on a short (hour, day) term, medium (week, month) term and longer term and do not let anything get in the way. It takes some courage to delegate the "stuff" but in the end it is vital that you do, even if in your own mind it will never be done as well or as quickly as you would do it!
Conventional wisdom has it that we have discretion over no more than 20% of our time in a working day. Telephone calls, people "popping in", the coffee arrives, the dreaded ping from the email, the desperate need to check on text messages on the mobile and so on, all contribute to the 80% of the day over which we have little or no control.
A great story was told about President Reagan when he said that he intended to achieve two great objectives during an eight year period in office; he was going to take out the Russians and give America its pride back. Everything else he would delegate, always taking responsibility if anything went wrong. And what happened? He achieved his two great objectives through absolute focus.
One of the Williams sisters said that she always used to visualise holding up the trophy at Wimbledon. It was not, you notice, about playing tennis which was merely a route by which she could achieve her objective.
It is said that the availability of knowledge is doubling every two years so is it any wonder that we can become submerged in information, coming at us from every conceivable direction.
An answer to the conundrum is FOCUS - make sure that you know precisely what you are going to achieve on a short (hour, day) term, medium (week, month) term and longer term and do not let anything get in the way. It takes some courage to delegate the "stuff" but in the end it is vital that you do, even if in your own mind it will never be done as well or as quickly as you would do it!
For further information contact us at ivan@maa-uk.co.uk
website www.maa-uk.co.uk
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Extraordinary Times Call For “Outside-In” Thinking
This changing world is in a time of crisis, but shifting priorities mean that it is also a time of new opportunities. It requires us to reset our dials, to rethink our business, and open our eyes to the new business world, to the New Normality.
This is called “outside-in” thinking. It enables us to make sense of change, and seize the best insights and ideas to drive innovation and profitable growth.
Here are the ten “outside-in” principles that will help you to thrive in the new business world normality.
1. Find the best markets for growth. Growth is no longer about selling more of what you have, or making your existing assets work harder. It is about finding the markets with most potential. Look across continents and sectors. Don’t be limited by what is comfortable or close.
2. Explore the new business landscape. Business can no longer be parochial. We all operate in global inter-connected and inter-dependent markets. Power has shifted from West to East, from big to small, from business to customer. New priorities like social and environmental issues drive out agendas too.
3. Live in the customer’s world. Thinking like a customer is liberating. Take off your business blinkers and see what matters to customers. Talk to them about their dreams and priorities, rather than products and prices. They will be more engaged too.
4. Treat customers as individuals not averages. We often seek to create average solutions for average customers. No wonder nobody is really delighted. Think about your customer as a real person. Learn about what drives him or her deeply.
5. Don’t sell products, deliver experiences! We see the sales transaction as the culmination of our efforts; for the customer it’s just the beginning. Go beyond that little bit of after-sales support to deliver experiences that are personal in solutions and style, that will endure over time.
6. Do business on their terms, not yours. Why should I want to read a random piece of irrelevant mail from you? Why should I come to you? Learn to engage and interact on customers terms – what, when, where and how they want – to make their life easier, not just yours.
7. Enable customers to achieve their dreams. Customers have ambitions, or at least problems to solve. That’s what they’re really interested in. Your products and even your services are just a means to address these. Enable them to do things faster, better and bigger than they ever thought possible.
8. Embrace networks and partners. Physical and virtual networks are prime opportunities to connect with customers, embrace and build communities, connect with partners who have difference capabilities and relationships, and reach new places.
9. Be more emotional and energising. Business is about people engaging with others. People are inspired by those who have a vision, those who can make sense of complexity and those who understand them best. Find ways as a leader and as a business to engage your staff and customers in more emotional and energising ways.
10. Don’t be the biggest - be the best. In a changing business world, the emphasis has shifted from scale and volume to relevance and difference. The profits are to be found in niches. Loyalty lies in personalisation. Embrace new opportunities first, new marketing techniques and new technologies. Leverage the power of the web.
For more information, contact us at ivan@maa-uk.co.uk or ivan.goldberg@vistage.co.uk and check out our websites at
This is called “outside-in” thinking. It enables us to make sense of change, and seize the best insights and ideas to drive innovation and profitable growth.
Here are the ten “outside-in” principles that will help you to thrive in the new business world normality.
1. Find the best markets for growth. Growth is no longer about selling more of what you have, or making your existing assets work harder. It is about finding the markets with most potential. Look across continents and sectors. Don’t be limited by what is comfortable or close.
2. Explore the new business landscape. Business can no longer be parochial. We all operate in global inter-connected and inter-dependent markets. Power has shifted from West to East, from big to small, from business to customer. New priorities like social and environmental issues drive out agendas too.
3. Live in the customer’s world. Thinking like a customer is liberating. Take off your business blinkers and see what matters to customers. Talk to them about their dreams and priorities, rather than products and prices. They will be more engaged too.
4. Treat customers as individuals not averages. We often seek to create average solutions for average customers. No wonder nobody is really delighted. Think about your customer as a real person. Learn about what drives him or her deeply.
5. Don’t sell products, deliver experiences! We see the sales transaction as the culmination of our efforts; for the customer it’s just the beginning. Go beyond that little bit of after-sales support to deliver experiences that are personal in solutions and style, that will endure over time.
6. Do business on their terms, not yours. Why should I want to read a random piece of irrelevant mail from you? Why should I come to you? Learn to engage and interact on customers terms – what, when, where and how they want – to make their life easier, not just yours.
7. Enable customers to achieve their dreams. Customers have ambitions, or at least problems to solve. That’s what they’re really interested in. Your products and even your services are just a means to address these. Enable them to do things faster, better and bigger than they ever thought possible.
8. Embrace networks and partners. Physical and virtual networks are prime opportunities to connect with customers, embrace and build communities, connect with partners who have difference capabilities and relationships, and reach new places.
9. Be more emotional and energising. Business is about people engaging with others. People are inspired by those who have a vision, those who can make sense of complexity and those who understand them best. Find ways as a leader and as a business to engage your staff and customers in more emotional and energising ways.
10. Don’t be the biggest - be the best. In a changing business world, the emphasis has shifted from scale and volume to relevance and difference. The profits are to be found in niches. Loyalty lies in personalisation. Embrace new opportunities first, new marketing techniques and new technologies. Leverage the power of the web.
For more information, contact us at ivan@maa-uk.co.uk or ivan.goldberg@vistage.co.uk and check out our websites at
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
The Anatomy of a Coach
Perhaps the question to ask is - what is a coach? My view is that a coach should be a support system, a point for accountability, a facilitator, a challenger, an honest commentator and a totally confidential advocate.
There are other aspects but perhaps the most important factor is what a coach is NOT and that is an advisor, a consultant or a crutch.
In more than 3,000 coaching sessions over the past sixteen or so years, I have learnt that there can be no prescriptive format or a formal process which takes the coach and the coachee (if that is the right word!) to the Promised Land.
Rather the coach must remain open minded and trawl very carefully to discover the real issue in the mind of the client. Too often, the initial statement of issue is one which masks the real issue and this can only be uncovered by sensitive questioning.
In order to “peel the onion”, the use of the “what else” question can be valuable but essentially, the coach must ask the question and then, vitally, listen to the answer. Remember that an anagram of “listen” is “SILENT” and silence will help the client to marshal their resources and thoughts so as to come to an eventual conclusion.
Stay silent after the client finishes and continue to stay silent until they start again. That restart will take them to deeper thoughts and feelings which may well start to help them uncover the issue. Don’t be tempted to break the silence - the client is more important than your opinions!
There are one or two useful questions to ask - the use of “how does that make you feel?” as a supplementary is a great opener with someone who is prepared to dig into their subconscious, and never allow anyone to say “I don’t know”. That usually masks a reluctance to vocalise their feelings so go on digging deeper until the real answer starts to emerge.
As the client goes deeper into their thoughts and feelings, the true reason for help can emerge. Notice that I said “can” emerge. Because this is a free ranging process, unless the coach stays very alert for some indication in the client’s answers about the real issue, then the point can be lost. This requires great sensitivity and some sort of instinct for the right thing which comes perhaps with experience.
Consequently, a prescriptive approach can almost always be counter-productive. If a formalised approach is used there is a danger that important points can be missed in the perceived need to follow the prescribed format of questioning.
Most essentially, the coach is NOT a consultant so never dive in with prescriptive answers and opinions. That is not what the client needs (it may be what they want, of course) but until he/she comes to their own conclusion, then the session needs to continue.
Always try to use “open” questions (who, why, what, where, when and how) as they can’t be answered with a yes/no. Be careful with “why” as it can sometimes be seen to be aggressive but if it is used with sensitivity, it can be a most valuable tool in the coach’s armoury.
Remember to use the “what else?” question to enable your client to dig deeper each time.
Always summarise at the end of the session. A short paraphrase on the basis of “I have heard that you ……………” or “You said that……….” is best, together with a summary of what you will discuss at the next meeting. Give them something to take away and think about and always make yourself available, by telephone or email, between sessions. It can be a demand on your time but if your client needs it then you should always be there to give help and support.
Ivan J Goldberg is Managing Director of Michael Adam Associates Limited, a management consultancy specialising in strategic planning, marketing strategies and assisting companies through a process of change. He facilitates the management of companies in the strategic planning process and also acts as mentor to Chief Executives of many businesses. Besides running the Consultancy, he also operates as a Chairman of Vistage International (UK) in the North West UK and lectures widely on the process of change in organisations, behavioural and organisational modelling and strategic planning.
For further information, contact Ivan at ivan@maa-uk.co.uk or ivan.goldberg@vistage.co.uk and websites www.maa-uk.co.uk and www.vistage.co.uk
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Let's be More Positive!
Following on my last post, I recently had an email newsletter from an old acquaintance and Vistage speaker, Rick Houcek from Atlanta GA USA, and it really sparked me into thinking that sentiment is a very important function in helping defeating this economic gloom.
You can subscribe to Rick's newsletter at www.SoarWithEagles.com and the heading of this particular edition (no 0306) is "The Two Most Essential, Urgent, and High-Priority Activities of Your Business".
Rick says if you are asking "What can we do to survive this horrific global economic crisis and recession?" then you are asking the wrong question..
You should be asking " What can we do to THRIVE in this horrific global economic crisis and recession?"
What a difference! It takes your thinking on to a wholly different plane, from purely survival to genuine exploitation of opportunity and hence success. There is no reason why a business shouldn't be successful in a recession given the right opportunities and, essentially, the right and positive approach.
Rick says that he writes for leaders who say "I hear there's a recession going on, but I choose not to participate." I love it!
Take a look at the newsletter - it could change the whole way in which you look at your business and the current environment.
You can subscribe to Rick's newsletter at www.SoarWithEagles.com and the heading of this particular edition (no 0306) is "The Two Most Essential, Urgent, and High-Priority Activities of Your Business".
Rick says if you are asking "What can we do to survive this horrific global economic crisis and recession?" then you are asking the wrong question..
You should be asking " What can we do to THRIVE in this horrific global economic crisis and recession?"
What a difference! It takes your thinking on to a wholly different plane, from purely survival to genuine exploitation of opportunity and hence success. There is no reason why a business shouldn't be successful in a recession given the right opportunities and, essentially, the right and positive approach.
Rick says that he writes for leaders who say "I hear there's a recession going on, but I choose not to participate." I love it!
Take a look at the newsletter - it could change the whole way in which you look at your business and the current environment.
For more information take a look at www.maa-uk.co.uk and www.vistage.co.uk or contact me at ivan@maa-uk.co.uk or ivan.goldberg@vistage.co.uk
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