Are you ready for Fantastic?

It's been an exciting start to the week here at Deliverers Consultancy.  In partnership with Alan Austin-Smith, motivational speaker and author of the Fantastic Hairdresser and the Fantastic Boss, we have published a new book Fantastic – When Good is Not Enough. Copies arrived on Friday and we are excited about starting our Fantastic Revolution!

Did you know...

50% of what makes you fantastic at what you do is the other stuff

Communication, attitude, confidence, motivation, self management etc. It’s this other stuff that enables you to do the things you have to do in your job or life and do them well. 

The Fantastic Revolution

Why is it a revolution? Because evolution is too slow today and if you want to stay ahead, you have to be changing and moving just as fast as the world around you.

That’s really what this book is about – understanding how those seven characteristics work and how you can use them yourself in all areas of your life, not just at work.

The book’s message is simple. Be fantastic! It doesn’t matter what you want to be fantastic at – being a leader, a team member, a parent or a friend. Fantastic – When Good is Not Enough will take you through an easy to follow, interactive workbook style of learning, detailing seven characteristics of fantastic – passion, creativity, delight, perform, alive inside, always learning and have fun!

Ordering info: Contact Sarah Morgan at Deliverers Consultancy at 0208 996 2970 or email info@thefantasticrevolution.com to order your copy

Who's responsible for your job security?

I found this article on the web recently and it sparked some questions in my head. As an employer, I am always thinking about my employees and in these difficult times looking at all the ways to make sure that our business is secure, stable and can meet all our obligations.

The question is how do employees see it? Who comes first themselves or the organisation? Would they stay to help the organization succeed? Or would they jump ship?

James is an MBA graduate his marks were in the top quartile of his class. Not only is he intelligent, he is ambitious and proud of the fact that he is the first in his family to qualify with a degree/s. He had been working at a medium sized enterprise as a Statistical Analyst since he completed his Honours Undergraduate Degree. Having recently completed his MBA from a reputable institution, he wanted to now really make his mark in the world. He wanted to work for a reputable large company. He wanted to move now!

It was not that James did not enjoy where he currently worked. He thought the people were great, even though everyone worked hard. The business itself was exciting to work for as they were thought leaders in the industry in terms of what they did with data. He felt with the uncertainty in the economy that was not subsiding, his job security would be better off in a company which is larger and the brand more widely known. He thought that it would be better for his career.

James is not alone in this school of thought. People often have a perception that bigger is better and that during uncertain economic times, the bigger companies that have been around for longer survive during harder times. What is not factored in with that theory is that the companies survive, but not all its employees’ jobs do! James was an employee at a company which was small if you measured headcount. He was surrounded by intelligent people, who performed as a team resulting in the business doing well.

His fear and beliefs were real though. You can’t be optimal in your performance as a person if you, for whatever reason, fear losing your job. James as an individual had the right temperament for his job, the right skills, he worked in a company that was doing well in an economic sector that was not distressed as compared to most of the other industries. So then with the job, what job security could he possibly have wanted? What more was he looking for from his employer?

You are the sole provider of your own security. You can’t put your job security on the company or the economy. You can’t control other people, but you can influence them. So for you to influence your job security, you not only have to constantly work on your skills and your attitude, you need to use them and deliver performance that will be valued by those around you. You are accountable to deliver the performance and outcome expected of your job. You are responsible for managing the expectations of the people you serve. If you are adding value, and it is perceived as such, the probability of you securing your job is increased. It may not be 100%, but it gets further away from having no chance!

Look to be more effective by focusing on who you can count on rather than looking to see who you can blame when things don’t work out as you would like. If you are looking to work for someone who will give you the assurance of gainful employment continuously, think again! The answer is not big corporate. You are responsible for your job security, not your employer!

As I mentioned in a previous post, it's our attitude, skills and ability  that creates our job security and we have to realise that just being good is not enough anymore.

It's not just about having skills - it's about attitude!

I booked into a hotel last Thursday in Langkawi, Malaysia and got chatting to the manager (who of course spoke English) and I asked him “what is it like to manage the staff at the hotel”? I was particularly interested in getting this insight as I have just been working with a major hotel group ondeveloping a customer service programme.  His response was “It’s easy”!

He went on to explain how they employed their staff not based on their previous hospitality experience but their employment criteria was largely based on the attitude of the applicant.  He said "I prefer them not to have  any experience at all, and invest in their development up front, because training someone a new skill is so much easier than trying to change an individual’s attitude”.
,

At his hotel new employees get 6-weeks training and are assessed before they can be customer facing.  They are also encouraged to never stop learning and have regular training events.

 I know that this is not going to work in every role, but if you had two people in for an interview who would you choose?  Someone with a good attitude or someone with a Fantastic one?

Monday Mornings with the Managing Director: Self-service Training

Who’s responsible for developing you?

In a world of mass competition for employment who is responsible to improve your capabilities to make you successful in your career, is it your employer or is it you?

 In the current employment market - good is not good enough anymore. With higher education becoming more and more accessible, virtually everyone has a degree, but does that make you good or great at your job? 

Some employers would say that they employ on the individuals attitudes and could train the skill needed to be successful, but how many people individually would pay to develop themselves, by going on a course, buying books, downloading an eLearning programme or doing a distance learning programme?

The myth of “once I have finished my degree, learning stops” has to change.  The responsibility of learning has to be with the individual. Self-service training couldn’t be easier today. With the accessibility of technology, all the content is available for you to continue to learn and develop in any aspect of your life.  

So with employment rates sinking faster than the Titanic, ask yourself: What is going to make you stand out at that interview or in your current role? What is going to make you look fantastic?

Did you Know?

 Deliverers is going live!

From Tuesday 24^th to Friday 27^th May we will be at The Future Gallery in Central London showcasing our capabilities and you will be able to experience first-hand live demos from our team

Tuesday 24^th May

4pm – 10pm

Freelancer day

Deliverers is on a recruitment drive and we need you!

Video production? Graphic design? Medical writing? Coach? ……..

Come and talk to us about your skills and how we could work together in the future.

Wednesday 25^th May

10am-6pm

Partner day

Deliverers is developing its partnership network! 

We’ve partnered with a number of management consultancies, training and IT companies to deliver bespoke learning programs. Would you like to know more about our capabilities?

Come and talk with our team members about how we can work together to provide our clients with the tools to implement change within their organisations.

Thursday 26^th May

12pm – 8pm

Client day

Discover our capabilities!

We are a different type of learning organisation and have worked with clients in over 15 different industry sectors helping them change through learning. Come and understand what we can do for you in some of the following areas: eLearning, Social Learning platforms, Communications Strategies, Knowledge sharing events, Value interactions, Video production

Deliverers 7 capabilities:

Learning Innovation

Leadership and learning are indispensible to each other.

Transformational Learning

Change is inevitable.

Optimal Sales Performance

You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.

Best Practice Management

Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.

Knowledge Share Communications

Knowledge is power.

Inspired Smarter Execution

It’s all in the delivery…

Communications Tool Kits

Communication is key

Friday 27^th May

10am – 4pm

Distributor day

Discover our new products!

Come and talk with our team members about how we can work together to provide our clients with the tools to implement change within their organisations.

Please RSVP at didyouknow@deliverers.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

www.deliverers.com

The Future Gallery

5 Great Newport Street

London

WC2H 7HY

www.futuregallery.co.uk

Tips from Deliverers

Training employees doesn’t always have to be a mundane task for either party. At Deliverers Consultancy Ltd, we pride ourselves in finding creative and innovative learning methods so that employees are not only learning the necessary material, but are being engaged and enjoying learning as well.

Some tips to make training (and learning, coaching, mentoring) more enjoyable and effective:

• keep instructions positive ('do this' rather than 'don't do this')
• avoid jargon - or if you can't then explain them and better still provide a written glossary
• you must tailor training to the individual, so you need to be prepared to adapt the pace according to the performance once training has begun
• encourage, and be kind and thoughtful - be accepting of mistakes, and treak them as an opportunity for you both to learn from them
•  focus on accomplishment and progress - recognition is the fuel of development
• offer praise generously
• be enthusiastic - if you show you care you can expect your trainee to care too
• check progress regularly and give feedback
• invite questions and discussion
• be patient and keep a sense of humour

As a manager, supervisor, or an organisation, helping your people to develop is the greatest contribution you can make to their well-being. Do it to your utmost and you will be rewarded many times over through greater productivity, efficiency, environment and all-round job-satisfaction.

Allow me to introduce myself...

Deliverers is a global learning consultancy. We create impact and change through learning.

We work on global brands and global projects to bring innovation and smarter execution with a difference.

We take an inspired, creative approach to everything we do. We are passionate about business and our learning solutions are always designed to be aligned to our clients commercial goals and strategy. 

Deliverers specialises in learning solutions for major corporations, which include change programmes, sales performance capabilities and transformational, best practice management. Our multi-disciplined, talented and professional teams have skills that cover every aspect of internal and external communications, learning events, eLearning, blended learning development programmes and award-winning video filmmaking.

Our projects are international and cover key markets in the USA, Europe and parts of Asia. Our learning and execution programmes are produced in over 30 languages.

In this day and age we live and work in a changing world. New ideas and approaches emerge, while new problems arise and new solutions are sought. Therefore, the world of work is continuously evolving and constantly moving. What this means then is that if we are not constantly learning as we go about our day-to-day business, then each day we are getting further and further out of touch with the demands of the modern working world.

I can’t imagine there being anything more important then continuous professional development (or CPD for short).

CPD does not simply mean constantly going on training courses; it is much broader then this. It involves being clear about what is required of us in our job to ensure high-quality practice. It also involves making sure that we have, as far as possible, the knowledge and skills required to carry out our duties and responsibilities – filling in any gaps in our knowledge base and skills repertoire as these become identified.

In addition to knowledge and skills, there is also the question of values. We need to make sure that our work is consistent with the value base on which it is based.

Learning is not just important to ensure that we keep up-to-date with developments in our particular field. It is also an important source of motivation, stimulation and job satisfaction. For example, somebody who works in a particular place for three years and during that time continues to learn, grow and develop is likely to experience far greater job satisfaction than someone who stays in the same post for three years, simply repeating the basic tasks in the same way without any growth or development over that time. Learning should therefore be seen as something positive and worthwhile in its own right, not just something that we have to do to meet other people's expectations of us.

Learning helps us to keep in tune with trends and developments in our own field. It provides stimulation and job satisfaction and also helps to keep us on our toes to make sure that we do not become blasé and thus more likely to make mistakes. Learning should therefore not be seen as an additional burden on top of what is already perhaps a heavy workload, but rather something to be welcomed as a means of dealing as effectively as possible with that heavy workload.

What do you think?