DRAFT
STAR Professionals
Achieving stardom in the new world
of professional services
Innovation
Specialist Guru
Client Team
Leader
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Trusted
Adviser
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Practice
Group
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Unique Client
Solutions
Provider
Project / Initiative
Leader
By Phil Gott
Comments on this draft would be welcomed and
should be sent to philgott@peopleism.co.uk
© Peopleism 2005
1
STAR Professionals
Achieving stardom in the new world of professional services
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 6
About this book ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
STAR Professionals Tool Kit ..................................................................................................................... 7
Your feedback ............................................................................................................................................. 7
A NEW MODEL FOR SUCCESS IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ............................................. 8
What do you mean, success? ...................................................................................................................... 8
Start with your future .............................................................................................................................. 8
Do you want to be rich and famous…really? ......................................................................................... 8
Success is not something you save up for ............................................................................................... 9
So what is professional success?............................................................................................................. 9
Achieving success in the changing world of professional services .......................................................... 13
The changing world of careers .............................................................................................................. 13
The changing world of professional services........................................................................................ 15
Jump aboard a vehicle that’s going your way....................................................................................... 18
STAR Professionals .................................................................................................................................. 19
There’s more to it than Finders, Minders & Grinders .......................................................................... 19
The myth of the well-rounded professional .......................................................................................... 20
The STAR model for success in professional services ......................................................................... 20
Three success dimensions and six professional roles to choose from .................................................. 22
Take control .............................................................................................................................................. 24
What’s your passion? ............................................................................................................................ 24
Setting a course; vision and goals ......................................................................................................... 26
Start from where you are....................................................................................................................... 27
Motivation and commitment ................................................................................................................. 27
What’s stopping you? ........................................................................................................................... 28
TWO INESCAPABLE PROFESSIONAL INTELLIGENCES AND HOW TO BUILD THEM ......... 32
A commitment to learning ........................................................................................................................ 32
Seek out learning opportunities ............................................................................................................ 32
Hone your talents .................................................................................................................................. 33
How to maximise your learning ............................................................................................................ 33
Acquiring new knowledge .................................................................................................................... 33
Develop new skills ................................................................................................................................ 34
Changing your beliefs ........................................................................................................................... 36
Recognising and dealing with change................................................................................................... 37
Lifelong learning ................................................................................................................................... 38
Emotional intelligence .............................................................................................................................. 39
Taking the reins..................................................................................................................................... 39
Self confidence...................................................................................................................................... 39
Self control ............................................................................................................................................ 39
Self image ............................................................................................................................................. 40
Understanding others ............................................................................................................................ 41
Getting your point across ...................................................................................................................... 42
Using the tools of influence .................................................................................................................. 43
Build successful relationships with people ........................................................................................... 45
Dealing with different types of people.................................................................................................. 46
Relationships matter.............................................................................................................................. 48
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7 STEPS TO STARDOM THROUGH WINNING AND DEVELOPING CLIENTS ........................ 49
1 Put clients first ....................................................................................................................................... 49
2 Sell professional services professionally ............................................................................................... 50
The selling process ................................................................................................................................ 52
Using written proposals ........................................................................................................................ 53
3 Find out what clients really want ........................................................................................................... 54
What clients want .................................................................................................................................. 54
Recognising needs and wants ............................................................................................................... 54
Orientation meetings ............................................................................................................................. 55
4 Use sales triads to persuade clients you can help them ......................................................................... 56
Persuading clients that you can benefit them ........................................................................................ 56
Sales triads ............................................................................................................................................ 56
5 Delight your clients by “icing the cake” ................................................................................................ 59
Why service matters so much ............................................................................................................... 59
Winning repeat business and referrals from clients .............................................................................. 59
Client-centred cross selling ................................................................................................................... 60
Delighting your clients .......................................................................................................................... 60
Dealing with dissatisfied clients ........................................................................................................... 61
Client service leadership ....................................................................................................................... 62
6 Ask clients for feedback......................................................................................................................... 62
7 Shake-off the hourly billing mindset and guarantee excellent value ..................................................... 63
Commanding higher prices for your professional services ................................................................... 65
Who knows best? .................................................................................................................................. 66
Guarantee your work............................................................................................................................. 66
7 STEPS TO STARDOM THROUGH LEADERSHIP .................................................................. 68
1 Put people first ....................................................................................................................................... 68
Why leadership matters......................................................................................................................... 68
Leadership starts here ........................................................................................................................... 68
Appealing to the emerging new professional........................................................................................ 69
Organising professional firms ............................................................................................................... 70
2 Apply the right balance of leadership and management ........................................................................ 71
What leadership is ................................................................................................................................. 71
Leadership vs management ................................................................................................................... 72
3 Build teams around a shared sense of purpose, or vision ...................................................................... 73
Types of teams ...................................................................................................................................... 73
What true teamwork is and how to develop it ...................................................................................... 73
A shared sense of purpose, or vision .................................................................................................... 77
Shared values and team identity ........................................................................................................... 78
Playing to team members’ strengths ..................................................................................................... 79
Open communication & involvement ................................................................................................... 81
4 Encourage and enforce a culture of high performance .......................................................................... 82
5 Help your people get what they want .................................................................................................... 82
Plugging into your people’s dreams ..................................................................................................... 82
Becoming a talent magnet ..................................................................................................................... 84
6 Insist that people be the best they can be ............................................................................................... 86
Farming your own talent ....................................................................................................................... 86
Delegating ............................................................................................................................................. 86
Giving feedback .................................................................................................................................... 87
Recognising and rewarding performance ............................................................................................. 88
7 Become a great coach ............................................................................................................................ 90
What great coaches do .......................................................................................................................... 90
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How to coach ........................................................................................................................................ 91
7 STEPS TO STARDOM THROUGH PIONEERING .................................................................. 92
1 Put ideas first.......................................................................................................................................... 92
Innovation comes of age ....................................................................................................................... 92
The benefits of innovation .................................................................................................................... 93
2 Go to the edge, and beyond.................................................................................................................... 93
Creativity is all in the mind ................................................................................................................... 94
3 Collaborate within and beyond your organisation ................................................................................. 95
Working with colleagues to generate ideas .......................................................................................... 95
Collaborating beyond your organisational boundaries ......................................................................... 96
4 Add sparkle and substance to products and services ............................................................................. 96
Developing new products and services ................................................................................................. 96
Different services for every client......................................................................................................... 97
5 Choose a theme and make it your own .................................................................................................. 98
Focus ..................................................................................................................................................... 98
Develop a compelling message or interesting angle ............................................................................. 99
Entering guru territory .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
6 Foster creativity ................................................................................................................................... 100
First create the culture ......................................................................................................................... 100
Countering the resistance .................................................................................................................... 101
7 Get yourself known .............................................................................................................................. 101
Raising profile ......................................................................................................................................... 101
Why do it? ........................................................................................................................................... 101
How to go about it............................................................................................................................... 101
Writing articles that get published ...................................................................................................... 102
Writing news releases that get noticed................................................................................................ 102
Getting on TV and radio, and come out well ...................................................................................... 103
The conference circuit......................................................................................................................... 103
Milking it ............................................................................................................................................ 103
Conclusion ?............................................................................................................................................ 103
RESOURCE KIT ....................................................................................................................... 104
Check out your success drive .................................................................................................................. 104
Trends shaping the future of professional services ................................................................................. 105
Tips on clarifying your career vision and goals ...................................................................................... 107
So you think you don’t need a career plan? ............................................................................................ 108
Strategies to help you follow through on goals ...................................................................................... 109
A checklist of development opportunities .............................................................................................. 110
Understanding your preferred learning style .......................................................................................... 112
Fast tips on listening ............................................................................................................................... 113
Fast tips on questioning .......................................................................................................................... 114
Fast tips on reading body language ......................................................................................................... 116
Communicating effectively in writing .................................................................................................... 117
Communicating effectively by telephone ............................................................................................... 120
Face to face presentations and meetings ................................................................................................. 121
Dealing with different types of people.................................................................................................... 124
DRIVERS ........................................................................................................................................... 124
ANALYSTS ........................................................................................................................................ 125
AMIABLES ........................................................................................................................................ 126
EXPRESSIVES................................................................................................................................... 127
Marketing tools and how to use them ..................................................................................................... 128
Attending networking events: a three-stage process ........................................................................... 128
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Internal seminars ................................................................................................................................. 128
Speaking at external conferences ........................................................................................................ 129
Writing articles.................................................................................................................................... 129
Getting media coverage ...................................................................................................................... 129
Telemarketing ..................................................................................................................................... 130
Permission marketing.......................................................................................................................... 130
Adverts ................................................................................................................................................ 130
Brochures ............................................................................................................................................ 130
Business cards ..................................................................................................................................... 131
Personal barriers to selling & how to overcome them ............................................................................ 132
What clients want .................................................................................................................................... 133
Spurious arguments against orientation meetings................................................................................... 134
Setting up an orientation meeting ........................................................................................................... 136
Orientation meeting – tips and a checklist .............................................................................................. 138
Decision-makers and how to spot them .................................................................................................. 141
Economic decision maker ....................................................................................................................... 141
Users ....................................................................................................................................................... 141
Influencers............................................................................................................................................... 141
Gatekeepers ............................................................................................................................................. 141
Coach ...................................................................................................................................................... 141
Proposal documents; what to include and what to leave out .................................................................. 141
Ten steps to a successful client care review............................................................................................ 142
Five steps to construct “sales triads” to convince a client you can help them ........................................ 144
Ask your client ........................................................................................................................................ 146
Value Agreements ................................................................................................................................... 147
Dealing with fee pressure........................................................................................................................ 148
Steps to create your team’s common purpose......................................................................................... 150
Steps to create your team’s norms .......................................................................................................... 151
Team role preferences ............................................................................................................................. 152
Fast tips on delegating ............................................................................................................................ 154
Giving feedback ...................................................................................................................................... 155
Fast tips on coaching ............................................................................................................................... 156
Four steps to innovation .......................................................................................................................... 158
Tips for running a prolific brainstorming session ................................................................................... 160
Six thinking hats ..................................................................................................................................... 162
Preface:
 Free download (whole or chapters)
 How to use the e-book – links, hovers etc
 Encouraged to forward to friends and colleagues, or links so that they can download
 If prefer traditional book style can purchase
© Peopleism 2005
5
INTRODUCTION
About this book
This is a book about you, your future, and how you can succeed in the changing world of
professional services. Whether you are a youngish partner looking to energise your career, or a
recently qualified professional moving beyond the initial horizon of qualification, this is a book for
you. Here you will find guidance to help you chart your career; you will be shown how to develop
the essential skills every successful professional needs; and you will find tips and techniques to
help you win in your chosen professional role.
Success is within the reach of anyone committed to finding it. The
professions certainly offer unlimited scope. Indeed, opportunities
abound. But they will not be offered up to you. You will have to seek
them out and be ready to grasp them. Professional services are the new
future of wealth creation, and you (and professionals like you) are the
new future of professional services.
“Professional
services are
the new future
of wealth
creation”
The professional landscape is changing as a newer breed of knowledge
workers joins the traditional professions. Because the professional
world is changing dramatically, there are no proven role models. The
factors that brought people to success today are unlikely to do so tomorrow. (Indeed, those
considered successful today might be in need of most change if they are to cling on to their
success.) This book will introduce you to a new model for success in professional services.
With change afoot, this book should be seen as both a success guide and a survival guide
because professional careers of the future promise a roller-coaster ride. There is ample scope
for anyone to win, but the unwary will mainly lose.
This is not a book about professional service organisations (PSOs)i or firms. No “organisation”
can read this book, only people can. And only people can change organisations. Individuals are
becoming the prime force, tipping the balance of power away from the organisation. The
language we use and the paradigms we apply need to recognise that organisations serve their
people, not the other way around. At the end of the day, PSOs will only succeed if the people
within them, including those leading them, are successful.
This is therefore a book written for individuals – written for you. Because only when individuals
are passionately pursuing a purpose – their professional goals – will their organisation get the
best from them. Individual success is not achieved at the expense of their organisation. It is
achieved to the benefit of their organisation. It is a win-win situation. PSOs win when their people
win.
This book will show you how you can win and, by doing so, will help your organisation to win too.
Overview
What made professionals successful in the past, will not necessarily do so in the future. This
book will introduce you to a new model for achieving success in professional services. The core
is to locate and passionately commit yourself to some purposeful goals. The changing nature of
professional organisations puts you in control of your career. It’s a formidable responsibility. You
can no longer expect an employer to provide stability or direction for you; you must find it from
© Peopleism 2005
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within yourself by creating and pursuing a compelling ambition. Achieving success will mean
facing some big questions.
We shall then examine some of the essential skills you will need as a foundation for your
success. To get ahead you will need to pursue a one-person learning campaign and you will
need to hone your emotional intelligence (in other words your skills of communication, building
relationships, self image etc.).
From this foundation we will look at three dimensions - client service, leadership and pioneering
– that all professionals need to be good at. However, being good is not enough to lead to
success. You will need to be excellent at something. The notion of a well-rounded professional is
no longer appropriate in developing a professional success model. High achievers are rarely
well-rounded. They are sharp, honing their talents to precision. That’s what you will need to do
and this book will show you how.
STAR Professionals Tool Kit
A book like this can include only limited information. So to give you access to further practical
guidance, whilst avoiding swamping you with information here, a special companion web site
provides a free “tool kit”. Look out for the  symbol throughout the book for links to the web site.
Your feedback
Later in this book you will read about the importance of getting feedback from your clients. I too
appreciate feedback so please let me know what you think about this book. Tell me what you like
and tell me if your experience has taught you different lessons about success. I would love to
hear from you.
Wishing you success.
Phil Gott
philgott@peopleism.co.uk
© Peopleism 2005
7
A NEW MODEL FOR SUCCESS IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
What do you mean, success?
Start with your future
This book is about success. Your success. But what does success mean? It’s a big question,
and one that few people pursuing success ever take the trouble to ask, let alone find an answer
to. Yet unless you plan for it or, even more basically, unless you know what success really is,
you are most unlikely ever to achieve it. You are more likely to join a growing band of
professionals who devote themselves to an uninspiring and unfulfilling “career” driven by billing
targets rather than by a personal drive to achieve something genuinely worthwhile. It doesn’t
have to be so.
Do you want to be rich and famous…really?
Does success to you mean making lots of money? There are countless “successful” people
making money who are dissatisfied with their lives. Some have pursued satisfying careers at the
expense of other parts of their lives – broken marriages, lost children, neglected friendships –
which they only later realise are important to them. Even worse, others suffer these woes
devoting themselves to careers that give them little real reward other than a fat salary and a
prestigious job title. Can this really be regarded as success? It doesn’t bear too much scrutiny.
Does success to you mean becoming famous. Again, fame does not necessarily bring happiness
– tabloid newspapers abound with stories of icons who lead miserable lives. Is this success? Not
really.
If success is framed in the context of fame and fortune, it is clearly a state that will elude the
masses. That’s not to say that there is anything morally wrong with making money. Lots of it. So
long as it is made ethically in exchange for value, it can even be argued that making money is
positively virtuousii.
The difficulty is in somehow equating money with success. The two are very different things. You
can be successful without making any money at all. Try arguing that Mother Theresa was
unsuccessful because of her lack of wealth. Conversely you can gain lots of money and still not
be successful. Otherwise every lottery winner and wealthy heir would be heralded as great
successes.
Yet still people embark on a career driven by all kinds of forces, only later reflecting on what they
really want to get from it. I know I did.
It wasn’t until I was about to be made a partner at a top accountancy firm that I really looked at
what that would entail and decided I didn’t like what I saw. My sponsoring partner tried to
persuade me to stick with it: “It doesn’t have to be a life-long commitment Phil” he explained
helpfully. “Just so long as you stay for ten years..”
That sealed it for me. Ten years was a lifetime. So I left, still very unsure of what I wanted to do,
but at least knowing one more thing that I didn’t want to do. And so for me started a journey that
led me to my first big failure, that skirted the fringes of personal bankruptcy, and that seemingly
only accidentally brought me onto a path that I believe will not merely lead me to success, but is
© Peopleism 2005
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success itself. For I am now sure that success is not a destination at all, but a rich and exciting
journey.
What dismays me is that many people in the professions are still motoring headlong towards
some undefined goal while life races past them unnoticed. If you are one of those people, may
your mid-life crisis come soon so you have time to benefit from a more considered career choice.
It’s never too late to stop, take stock, change direction and find your success.
Success is not something you save up for
As a kid I used to help out at our local grocery shop. Mr & Mrs Foster toiled 12 or more hours a
day, at least six days a week. They lived cheaply above the shop, they boasted and bemoaned
that they hadn’t had a holiday in 22 years, and they drove a car that drew looks because it had
gradually become a classic. But they were working for their retirement you see. Looking forward
to the day when they could start to enjoy what they had earned. And when they sold up they
bought a comfortable bungalow, a brand new car and the best their money could buy. Forty
years of hard graft to fund their ten years or so of contented retirement.
It’s been called the “deferred life plan” and it has become a tragedy of our times. It’s not just
shopkeepers, small business owners and pensionable employees who have fallen into the trap.
Many a professional is counting away the years, even the decades, to retirement. Yet retirement,
as we have known it, may no longer exist by the time you reach it.iii
Retirement has to change. We all need to start re-defining how we will live
after the age of 65. This need to redefine work and retirement can be seen as
bad news. It should not. The end of retirement can become the beginning of
life fulfilment as we design our work not only to deliver the means for life, but
also the point of it.
The impending reinvention of retirement may therefore be a blessing. It may
force more people to see that there is another way. Position yourself for a
long and fulfilling career. Chase your passion, not your pension.
“Chase
your
passion,
not your
pension”
Refreshingly, in professional services, age can mean growth rather than decay. Terence Conran
is approaching 70 but his ideas merely get more ambitious. Michael Young who has started 49
institutions in his time, including the forerunner of Britain’s Open University, is in his 80s and
three years ago founded his most ambitious project yet, a school for social entrepreneurs.iv
Check these facts
See T Peters on age
Professional firms that expect their partners to move on when they reach 55 or 60 years of age
are missing out.
So what is professional success?
© Peopleism 2005
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So let’s take a look at what success really is. Of course, success means different things to
different people, and so it should. The important thing is: what does it mean to you?
Soon we will look at how you can answer that question, or at least check out the answer that is
currently providing your touchstone. First though, here is my working definition of professional
success:
“Professional success is a state of immense personal satisfaction that
results from passionately developing and using intellectual talents
to give value to others and receive meaningful rewards in return.”
Now, before you willingly sign up to this seemingly harmless definition, there are some
controversial points lurking in there that you should be aware of. In particular:
Success is a state of mind: Because success is a state of mind, it is therefore very personal.
No one can really judge whether another person is successful without knowing more about them,
what drives them, and the extent to which they are achieving their aspirations. What we can say
is that if success has anything to do with fame and fortune it is only indirectly so. For these
things are outcomes, by-products, results of doing something. But what is your something? And
does it give you immense personal satisfaction?
So if success is a positive state of mind, again it is more of a journey, or even an expedition,
than a destination. By all means shoot for the stars, if that’s what you want, but choose a route
that will give you personal satisfaction along the way.
Success is a pathway, not a pedestal on which to perch.
Succeeding means passionately pursuing a purpose: What’s your purpose? What do you
want to achieve in your career? What mark do you want to make (it doesn’t have to be a big
mark. But it does have to be yours!). At an early stage in your career you may not know the
answer to that. And you don’t need to. But you do need to keep asking the question. v
There is ample scope in the professions today to make your mark. You are not limited by the
opportunities; only by your own willingness to recognise and seize them. They are all around
you. But it’s not about just doing a job and earning pots of money – that’s shallow.
Again, what constitutes a worthy purpose will be different for each of us. For some people it
involves helping society’s disadvantaged. For others it means making new discoveries. Many
professionals take immense pleasure from stretching their intellectual and creative capacities.
Many entrepreneurs commit themselves to building successful businesses, not driven to make
money (though that may be both a reward and a measure of their success), but for the pleasure
and fulfilment of building a business and seeing a dream turned into reality.
There is an abundance of opportunities which, if pursued with commitment and passion, will
bring success. Yet in other hands, they can be just jobs carried out adequately in return for a
day’s or a lifetime’s pay.
For those of us who choose a professional career, our purpose has to involve giving value to
others; our chosen clients. (If you are in the business of fleecing your clients, then this book is
not for you and I hope it won’t help you). The more value you give, the more you can expect to
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10
be rewarded through fame (or perhaps reputation is a better word), fortune and, so importantly,
fulfilment. It is therefore essential that you choose to work with clients you enjoy working with
and care about, and that you choose to work in a discipline that you not only enjoy, but can
pursue with a passion.
Once when providing career coaching for a consultant, he was a little reticent about discussing
his career goals. Eventually, after a lot of talking around the point, he blurted out that he really
wanted to set up a golfing centre. Clearly this thought had been gnawing at him for some time
and he didn’t know whether or how to pursue it. He couldn’t talk to anyone in the organisation
because… well… one doesn’t do that.
Having encouraged him to talk to his director about his goals, he was able to arrange a sixmonth wind down working initially four days, three days, then two days a week for the
organisation, at the same time allowing him to set up his golfing centre. It was a solution that
suited him and the organisation well. Soon his golf centre was up and running and he was
realising his dream.
Eighteen months later he returned to his original employer. Having done what he wanted, he
was ready to move back into the mainstream. What better organisation to join than one that had
given him the freedom to pursue his dreams.
That is not to say that the professions of accountancy, law, marketing, human resources and
every other professional field cannot be pursued with passion. They can. But sadly they rarely
are.
“The professions
seem to be
amongst the worst
in extracting all
emotion from
work”
Incidentally, passion is a word many people find out of place in a
business setting. This is a reflection not on the misuse of the
word but on what business has come to mean. And the
professions seem to be amongst the worst in extracting all
emotion from work, which has all too frequently become a clinical
process bereft of enjoyment. I see the expression on the faces of
many a lawyer and accountant when asked if they enjoy their
work. It tells me not to even ask about passion!
So let’s be clear; if you are not enjoying your work; if you are not passionate about its purpose; if
you are not committed to your clients…you are not, and will not be, successful. It is time to
recharge your career and your life. This book will help you to do so.
Professional success means developing & using your intellectual talents: Unless you are
constantly operating at the frontier of your own capability, you are unlikely to be developing and
growing, but more likely to be stagnating. There is the apocryphal story of the unsuccessful job
interviewee who pleaded with the employer that he had twenty years’ experience. “No” said the
employer “you have one year’s experience, twenty times”.
A couple of years ago I set about researching what it takes to be successful in professional
firms, interviewing several senior partners and managing partners in major professional firms.
One of the themes that emerged was that throughout their careers those high achievers had
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11
successively put themselves outside their comfort zone. Engaging in challenging activities that
stretched them yet further. Growing up and moving up.
So when was the last time you enjoyed the enlightenment of new knowledge? When was the last
time you felt the buzz of operating beyond your previous capability? When was the last time you
experienced the wonderment of a startling new discovery?
Last week? Last month? Last year?
If you are not breaking new ground, gaining new knowledge and finding new ways, your
success, if you find it, will be short-lived.
Even if you are successful today, tomorrow’s success lies somewhere else and you will need to
keep moving to find or create it.
Success holds its own rewards: If being successful is not (just) about earning lots of money, is
there a relationship between money and success and, if so, what is it? Here are some
possibilities:

Money can be an extra bonus that accompanies success, though it will not be sufficient
reward in itself. Pursuing a professional career that is intrinsically uninspiring is not success,
it’s prostitution.
Bill Gates didn’t become wealthy by trying to be wealthy. He made it by pursuing his vision of
putting a PC on every desk and in every home. Think of business owners you know who are
rich or famous. Did they set out with that aim? Or did they, more likely, pursue an interest and
reap the financial rewards indirectly?
When I turned my back on a partnership in one of the big accountancy firms, I was pursuing a
vague notion of building a consultancy business that I might eventually sell. Yes, I was a slave to
the deferred life plan. I put together a five-year forecast, raised capital, leased impressive
premises and set about making some real money. After four years of hard toil the business failed
and I was left penniless.
I had been pursuing the wrong thing, in the wrong way, and for the wrong reasons.
I decided to put out of my mind the prospect of ever being wealthy and instead return to what I
really enjoyed – training and developing people. That was the real turning point. Only when I
invested my energies into something about which I am passionate did I really start to become
successful. Paradoxically, only once I had decided that money was less important, did I start to
make money.
Edit this
Overlaps with a box below

Money can be a partial measure of success, but again, it will not tell the whole story. Too
soon the measure becomes a goal in itself and the race is on for the next pay rise, the share
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12
options, the bigger car, the executive benefits that can be flaunted in social circles, and the
other trappings of material “success”.
When your self worth is bound up with your net worth, you are condemned to a shallow life
and can value yourself only according to how others value your material success. You have
lost control. You have become a slave to material rewards.

Money may help on the route to success. For example, some careers or projects may not
provide financial rewards themselves, or may even absorb funds.
Money can also be used to help reduce some of the short term inertia that holds us back
from achieving our long term goals. It can oil our wheels. More about that later in following
through on goals. Suffice to say here that it can aid your path to success to negotiate a
package that helps you overcome your own short term resistance.

Money can help to bring balance to your life: The word is “can”. Yet very often the chase
for money causes imbalances.
There is increasing debate these days about work-life balance. It’s a valid debate but much of
it is in danger of missing the real issue. If you are like most successful professional people,
work is a substantial feature of your life. And why not, if it is purposeful and you are
passionate about it?
It’s not so much a question of balance as of recognising and making choices. Someone who
single-mindedly pursues an ambitious career, leaving a broken marriage in its wake, has not
necessarily got it wrong, even though it’s a sacrifice many would not choose to make. The
real issue is that many people never recognise their choices.vi
A successful female lawyer told me she has for years felt guilty about puruing her demanding
professional career and has often considered giving up to become a full time mother. Having
reflected on this more thoughtfully, she realises that would be wrong. It is just not her. She
loves her work too much and the children have their own lives. She will simply dedicate a
little more weekend and holiday time with them.
You need to be honest, at the very least with yourself, about where
you want your career to fit within your life. Then make sure this is
reflected in your day-to-day actions.
 Click here for some
questions you should
ask yourself to check
your success drive.
Achieving success in the changing world of professional services
The changing world of careers
In a traditionally organised and managed business, "advancement" meant "promotion". Assistants
became executives who went on to become supervisors. Supervisors were promoted to managers,
and managers strove to become partners or directors. To create more opportunities for
advancement, many firms responded by introducing intermediate grades. The assistant managers
and associate partners added to the layers of an already hierarchical business.
Competitive pressures have forced organisations to become much more nimble footed to respond
to the changing needs of the fickle customer, stripping out unnecessary layers of management.
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13
The resulting flat structure certainly serves the business and its customers
better, but it leaves fewer opportunities for advancement in the traditional sense.
(Oh, and if you are tempted to think of moving to an organisation that can offer
"more of a career path", think again. Most professional service organisations
and businesses have been through a period of restructuring, downsizing and
de-layering. And those that haven't have only delayed the change. Their day of
reckoning has yet to come).
“The
traditional
concept of
career was
flawed”
Yet these organisational changes have merely exposed a problem that existed anyway. The
traditional concept of career was flawed.
When I first joined an accountancy firm as an assistant (grade A2). The graduate recruitment
brochure boasted a chart showing how we could expect to progress through the grades. After a
couple of years we could expect to be audit seniors. Several years and grades later we could
expect to be promoted to managers and we would then be on a seven-year path to partnership.
The chart was actually laid out as a career ladder. Alongside the ladder were all the training
courses we would be sheep-dipped through, dictated by time-served and grade rather than whether
or not we might need some training.
I was on a “career path”.
The old hierarchical structure provided an easy but imperfect avenue for the ambitious. The
easiness is illustrated by metaphors which speak of a career path or career ladder, through which
the next logical step is made obvious. The imperfection is illustrated by the large numbers of people
who are dissatisfied with their lot; who regard themselves as in a rat race or treadmill; who have
become too specialised, lacking the broader skills to take them where they really want to go; or who
get to the top of the tree early, only to find that they are in the wrong tree.
So whilst the attractiveness of the hierarchy is understandable, in truth it merely helps avoid difficult
career decisions, which you should really be making for yourself.
For those who were less ambitious the problem was a different one. "Getting on" was traditionally
the name of the game and those who were less keen to enter the
race felt like lesser beings, guilty for being satisfied with what they
“We all have to
were doing, or driven on by their preset ideas about what they
take more
should be doing, or by the expectations of others. For example,
responsibility for
many people move into management roles when it is not really
what they want, and probably not what they are good at either. But
our own careers
it is an "expected" career step. It is damaging for them, for those
and development”
they manage and for their organisation.
Those who are ambitious can feel exasperated at the lack of promotion opportunities and cannot
recognise the other avenues for advancement. Those who are not seeking career promotions, but
do want to get satisfaction from their jobs, can feel threatened by the change around them and do
not know how best to respond.
The concept of career is now changing, and rightly so, although many vestiges of the old structures
still remain. However, the main change needed is this: we all have to take more responsibility for
© Peopleism 2005
14
our own careers and development. If you leave it to others to plan your future, expect to be
disappointed.
The emerging world of careers will be very different in a number of ways:

You will be in charge. You will need to map your career, decide what you want and where
you can best contribute value. You will need to set a course that will deliver your meaning of
success, not abdicating decisions about your future to an employer with their own agenda.

The career ladders of old will be torn away, replaced by career “climbing frames” or “career
adventure worlds”, allowing you to move around an organisation (perhaps even spending
part of your time outside the organisation on secondments and projects) contributing to
projects that will use and develop your talents to the full, at the same time propelling you on
to greater personal growth and success.

Your status will be determined not by your job title, length of service, number of staff, size of
desk, etc, but by the value you contribute and the personal reputation you build.

You won’t respond to opportunities, either within or outside your organisation, you will create
those opportunities.
If you feel uncomfortable with the ambiguity this creates, you will need to brace yourself! The
alternative is worse.
The good news is, if you are in a professional service organisation you are not entirely on your
own. Leading organisations will help you face this as a firm, a partnership. vii Firms must,
however, see this as a mutual challenge, not simply sharing a mutual cosiness. There is no real
comfort in sinking together!
The changing world of professional services
New game, new rules
There is no point in preparing for success tomorrow based on today’s world because that world
will no longer exist. Whatever made professionals successful in the past, won’t in the future. The
clean-nose, high billing, time-serving success formula that created many a wealthy equity
partner in the past, is likely to lead only to the professional wastelands of the more demanding
future. The future is both bright and bleak, and you make your choice in the present.
“Whatever made
professionals
successful in the
past, won’t in the
future”
In chasing success, you are chasing a moving target and you
have to move with it. Wayne Gretsky, often described as the
worlds best hockey player, says “When everyone else on the
ice is trying to get where the puck is, I try to get to where the
puck is going to be.” So let’s try to determine where the
professional services puck is heading.
The current professional services landscape
Mention “the professions” and most people still conjure up an image (probably a rather dull one)
of studious lawyers, accountants, and such others engaged in esoteric activities at the fringes of
economic activity. Certainly not part of the “real world”.
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15
The professions can seem worthy but dull; an image that the professions themselves have done
little to dispel, steeped as they are in tradition, shrouded in mysterious protocols and jargon, and
making little attempt to make their world accessible to people from outside. Indeed, frequently
doing their utmost to maintain their distance and uphold their barriers.
The centuries-old professions of the law, medicine, and accountancy have, in recent decades,
been joined by the newer “professions”; marketing, management consultancy, HR, advertising,
etc. These are still viewed by some as second rate, lacking the standards and rigour of the
traditional professions. (Surprisingly it is often those within these newer disciplines who berate
their own professionalism, longing for the esteem supposedly bestowed on members of the
traditional professions.)
The traditional professionals have, in the main, operated through professional firms. Members
operating outside public practice are in the minority. Notwithstanding the shift to outsourcing, the
newer professions have turned the tables, with a substantial proportion of their members
operating through professional service units within other types of business. Most corporations
have well staffed marketing departments and HR teams, for example.
Now add to these a loose band of IT or “knowledge-workers” – a relatively new term for which
read “new professionals” – and the professional landscape starts to change dramatically. The
relationship between the new and traditional professionals is like that between members of a
new religious cult alongside an ancient order of monks; both devout about their religions, but
with little else to connect them.
These new professionals are for the most part highly mobile free-agents, using their talents
where they can and quickly seeking out new challenges. They are not so much members of a
professional body as “networked”. They collaborate but are not constrained by organisational
boundaries. They stay at the forefront by blogging and participating in on-line discussion forums,
rather than relying on the Continuing Professional Development schemes institutionalised by the
traditional professions.
Can these disparate groupings be regarded singly as “the professions”? The reality is that they
must be. They have at least as much in common (creating value through applying knowledge) as
the disparate organisations that fall, for example, within the recognised sectors of “retailing”
(creating value through bringing products and services to end users) or “manufacturing” (creating
value through making products).
Furthermore, the distinction between the groupings will increasingly blur. They serve overlapping
markets, they depend on each other, and the expectations and demands of their mutual clients
will force a convergence in the way they operate. This is already happening:

more fastness, flexibility, commercialism, client care, pro-activity, creativity, humanism, value,
and less professional arrogance, is being demanded of the traditional professions

more “professionalism”, trust, reliability, robustness and less “flightiness”, is being sought
from the newer professions and the free-agent “knowledge workers”

more “treat us like clients not colleagues” and “help us, don’t hamper us” is the call to internal
professional service units.
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A stealthy giant
Reading the financial and business pages you could be forgiven for thinking that the professions
are a relatively insignificant sector, or merely an adjunct to the real economy.
Yet the reality is startlingly different. The professions are enormous creators of value. They are
growing more rapidly than most other sectors. They are absorbing the best talent. And they are
increasingly “where it’s at”.viii
“The sector is not
only starting to
be recognised as
part of the real
economy; it really
is the new
economy”
So why the low profile? Perhaps the media find it more
newsworthy to report on companies that are publicly traded (which
most professional firms are not), with their reporting deadlines and
volatile share prices. Or perhaps they are entranced by the
charismatic figures that lead the more entrepreneurial private
companies. Or perhaps the low profile is a direct result of the
secretiveness with which professional firms conduct themselves.
With no legal requirement to publish their financial results, the
partnerships that dominate the professions reveal little about their
organisations.ix Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that
professional services are a stealthy giant.x
The good news for those of us in professional services is that the sector is not only starting to be
recognised as part of the real economy; it really is the new economy.
The reason for the emergence of professional firms from the shadows is clear. We are living in a
new economic order, post-industrial, where knowledge and talent (facilitated by technology) is
the real muscle. Even in manufactured goods the real value lies in the tangibilised knowledge;
the professional worker’s contribution. The decline of the manufacturing base, like the decline of
agriculture before it, is both inevitable and irrelevant. Professional services will inherit the future.
So much for the good news. The bad news is that not all professionals and PSOs will benefit.
Not, that is, unless they are prepared to overcome some of their failings. Many (maybe most)
PSOs can seem almost backward in the way they are managed. The urge to merge has
provided an all too easy first resort, obviating the need for any real strategy. The partnership
culture that pervades professional services can act as an anchor on visionary thinking. Few
professional firm leaders have really learned to manage talented people, failing even to
recognise their responsibility to do so. The easy pickings, with partners earning substantial 6 and
7 figure financial packages, whilst a success story in itself, has created a further resistance to
necessary change.
The changes afoot will threaten this flabby and cosy existence. There will be winners (those who
move with the changes) and losers (those who don’t). Each and every professional will make
their own choices and together these will define the professional services landscape of the
future; incremental decay and neglect alongside renewal and growth. The choices you make, or
fail to make, today will define your career tomorrow. Choose, and choose wisely. For those who
do, professional services will certainly offer ample scope to develop a successful and rewarding
career. All in all, it’s an exciting place to be.
Where is the future taking us?
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17
Trend spotting is less about peering into the future, and more about looking carefully at the
present. By their very nature, trends are long term. Those that will most shape the next decade
or two are already with us, and already starting to have their effect. Because they are slowmoving, creating a creeping kind of change, they can easily surprise the unwary. Yet if you take
the trouble to look for them, their encroaching trail will be all too visible. Click here for my
personal take on some of the trends shaping the future of professional services.
You will have your own views on the trends influencing your future – at least you will if you take
the time to think about it, which you should. The winners of the future will be those who move
with and embrace change, not those who cling on to the familiar structures and practices of
today.
Jump aboard a vehicle that’s going your way
The pre-eminence of you
The traditional view would see PSOs existing to provide profit to their owners (their shareholders
or equity partners) by providing professional services to clients. Their employees, along with
their infrastructure, would be seen as part of the resources they use to do so.
That people are an increasingly important factor in this equation is recognised. But this still
misses the point. We have all heard many times that a firm’s people are its most valuable asset.
Not only has this become a cliché, it has become a cliché to say that it’s a cliché. But it’s wrong!
You are not an asset of any organisation; you are an independent agent, with your own needs
and aspirations. And the balance of significance is tipping irreversibly in your favour.
A more helpful and increasingly realistic view of PSOs is that they are vehicles through which
one or more professional people, with some support infrastructure, deliver professional services
to clients. The organisation serves you and others within it, not the other way around!
Perhaps the most basic PSO is a service company set up by an individual professional. It would
never enter the individual’s head that she was a resource of the company. Quite the opposite,
she set up the company to help meet her needs. And should it ever cease to do so, she would
disband it.
Life is seemingly less simple as PSO’s grow beyond a single individual, into a team, several
teams, departments, divisions, offices, regions, etc. Then PSOs can seem to take on a life of
their own. Certainly they have a corporate identity, but their ideas, their passions, their
commitment, their relationships, their leadership, and their real value exists within their people.xi
So if you are in a position of leadership within a PSO you serve two masters; your clients and
your people. You have the challenging job of bringing the two together and balancing the needs
of both for mutual benefit. This challenge, and the benefits that PSOs have to hold out to
professionals, is explored more fully on page .
Types of PSO
In choosing the right organisation for you - whether to stay or to move on to - there are two key
questions that you should not overlook:

Does the firm’s culture match your own values?
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18

Is there a shared sense of purpose through which the organisation can help you achieve your
goals?
Clearly there will be many other issues for you to consider too, but don’t allow them to
overshadow these crucial questions. Unless your interests are aligned with those of the
organisation you will not find yourself in a healthy win-win situation.
The choice of organisation facing you may be bewildering. The main characteristics to look out
for when comparing professional service organisations are:






the obvious one - size – both of the organisation and of the office or team you will mainly be a
part of. Some people are happier working in a small entrepreneurial firm. Others like access
to the resources of a large firm, perhaps working in a small team within the firm
the perhaps not-so-obvious one - types of service offered. These range from commodity-type
services where the emphasis should be on delivering consistently excellent value in large
volumes at low cost, through to intellectually intensive services creating unique solutions for
individual clients. The way these services are marketed, managed and delivered should be
very different, though strangely many firms seem unaware of these differences
“full service” firms through to specialist boutiques. In full service firms you are likely to be
working as part of multidisciplinary client service teams and will be exhorted to “cross sell”
the firm’s full range of services. In boutiques you might have more opportunity to enrich your
specialism and lead your field
service departments within corporates. Internal service departments are increasingly starting
to think and act like internal professional service firms, with some even selling their services
externally too
perhaps a model that has not yet found its footing – though it holds promise - virtual
professional service organisations that use the internet to bring together service providers
and clientsxii
going it alone, perhaps sharing facilities with other independents, and possibly making use of
some kind of business manager or agent. For self-motivated people who value their
independence this holds attractions, but it is certainly not for everyone.
You need to be clear about your own career goals first, then move with organisations that can
help move you in that direction.
STAR Professionals
There’s more to it than Finders, Minders & Grinders
For many years an approach to career development has been to categorise professionals
between:



Finders: the “rainmakers” with the ability and inclination to win new clients
Minders: professionals who lack the hard-nose of the finders but who are good at
maintaining and building relationships with clients brought in by the finders
Grinders: fee earners who can just “grind out” large amounts of work behind the scenes
but who lack the ability or willingness skills to win or develop client relationships.
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Accolades have traditionally been bestowed mainly on the finders and, to a lesser extent on the
minders. The grinders, whilst valued for their contribution, have been seen as third class citizens
who might never make it to equity or even partnership.
This approach, whilst pragmatically appealing, seems to me too simplistic. It focuses exclusively
on the client dimension of professional work. Whilst this is certainly important, it is not the whole
story and the approach risks under-valuing other forms of contribution to the well-being of a
professional service organisation.
The myth of the well-rounded professional
Perhaps recognising that there is more to professional life than finding,
minding and grinding, many professional firms have established lists of
competencies that their partners and fee earners are all expected to possess.
As well as developing their technical knowledge, they are expected to pick up
skills in marketing, client service, leadership, etc. In essence, they are
expected to become “well rounded” professionals.
“Stars are
not wellrounded,
they are
sharp”
I have come to believe that this approach is way off mark. Stars are not well-rounded, they are
sharp. They are excellent, even best, at something. And this excellence more than compensates
for being just OK in some other respects.
So, for example:

One professional might be excellent at building strong relationships with clients and bringing
in new work for the firm. Yet she may not be the greatest in leading a team. Does that mean
she cannot be successful? Only if she is unwisely thrust into leading a practice group.

Another professional might be excellent at leading a team and bringing out the best in people
such that his practice area is the most successful in a firm. Does it matter that his technical
skills are merely acceptable? Not so long as he can readily call on experts when needed.

Yet another professional might be at the forefront in his chosen field, having “written the
book” and being in great demand on the conference circuit, so raising his firm’s profile. How
important is it that he is less effective in front of clients where his technical purity lacks a
certain pragmatic edge? Not very, so long as he is not expected to front a client service team.
The fact is that professional success has many guises. There is no single recipe, but a rich
variety to meet individual tastes.
Each individual must search for a role that plays to his or her strengths and into which they can
commit themselves with a passion that will carry them through to success. Their firms would do
well to support them rather than attempting to force them into some standard mould.
Each role will have its own additional skill set to acquire on the way and its own body of best
practice from which to learn. But each will be very different.
The STAR model for success in professional services
© Peopleism 2005
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The way to achieve success in this new world of professional services will be different from the
old ways. Significantly different. So what do you need to do to take control of your career and to
chart a course for your future success?
Here is a new model for pursuing a successful career in professional services, recognising the
changing and more challenging demands placed on professionals:
Pioneering
Specialist Guru
se
rv
ic
Client Team
Leader
ie
nt
Trusted
Adviser
Cl
p
hi
s
er
ad
Le
Practice
Area
Leader
e
Unique Client
Solutions
Provider
Project / Initiative
Leader
STAR Professionals: a new model for success in professional services
Change client service to client focus or other word?? – too soft
SG to thought leader
Add in the additional point of:
Internal
External
Ideas
Relationships
Use as x & y scales
At the core of the model is a having a passion; you will need to love what you do because if you
don’t you are in for an uncomfortable or tedious ride. To be successful you will have to push
yourself to the very limits of your capability, with total commitment and focus. You can really only
do this if you are enjoying it. And if you are not, how can it be called success? So finding and
following your heart is essential to provide the energy and motivation to keep you going.
The second element of this model consists of two essential intelligences that will be necessary
for any successful career in professional services. These are:
© Peopleism 2005
21

a commitment to learning: because the world of professional services is ever-changing and
you need to be at the leading edge. What you are likely to find yourself doing at the end of
your career will be very different from what you are doing now. So throughout your career
you will have to keep re-equipping yourself with new knowledge, new skills and a fresh
outlook. Learning could be the most important skill of all.

emotional intelligence: because all significant roles in professional services will require good
skills of communication, influence and relationship building. These skills can be learned.
Indeed, they can only be learned.
Three success dimensions and six professional roles to choose from
Beyond the essential attributes that any professional will need in order to
achieve success, you will need to be equipped with the skills necessary
to help you perform your role to an excellent level. Good is not good
enough. To be successful you will need to be excellent.
“Good is not
good enough.
To be successful
you will need to
be excellent”
Yet the various roles expected of professionals are varied and broad.
Professionals are expected to bring in clients, deliver services to those
clients (and in the process bill huge numbers of hours), manage client service teams, take on
part of the responsibility for managing the firm, perhaps by spearheading some initiative or
leading a practice group.
The reality is that the skill sets required to fulfil each of these roles are unlikely ever to be found
in a single individual. (Some of the attributes required in these roles even conflict with each
other.)
There are three principal dimensions to the roles expected of professional people. These are:

client service: making contacts, bringing in new clients, building client relationships, and
managing service delivery

leadership: attracting talented people, building a high performance team, developing an
inspiring vision, and being an ambassador

pioneering: developing new ideas for services, to solve unique client problems, or for
projects and initiatives, and promoting and winning support for those ideas.
To succeed as a professional you will need to be good enough in all of these dimensions and
excellent in one or two. Remember, you need to be “best at something” and it is unrealistic to
expect to be best at everything.
Those excellent in client focus might become “Trusted Advisers” to clients; outstanding at
winning the trust of clients and potential clients, bringing in new work and building deep
relationships. Indeed, they may seem closer to their clients than to their own firms.
The Trusted Adviser’s clients see him as part of their inner circle, consulting him on important
matters even outside his area of expertise. He probably socialises with clients and their families,
not as a cheap way to get new business, but because there is an underlying bond of
professional friendship. He gives excellent perceived value to his clients and they reward him in
© Peopleism 2005
22
return, not only financially but with their loyalty. He is likely to gain much of his new business
through referrals from his existing followership of clients.
Achieving Trusted Adviser status depends entirely on your clients and the way they see you,
unlike the Practice Area Leader role, which will usually be bestowed upon you with a title to
match.
Achieving this elevated status in the eyes of clients is not easy in today’s commercially driven
professional world where every hour has to be accounted for and there is unwholesome
pressure to put profiteering before clients’ interests. In the long term the two need not conflict –
the trusted adviser is rewarded for the excellent value he provides. But in the short term, the
aspirant trusted adviser risks being pulled in two different directions.
Those excellent in leadership might become “Practice Area Leaders” running a practice group;
using their leadership skills to bring out the best in their team and focusing their team’s energies
to achieve outstanding results. They put the interests of their team to the fore.
All professionals need to have a good level of competence in leadership skills because at some
stage in their careers they are likely to have some leadership responsibility. Even if you do not
take on a specific leadership role you should be exercising leadership skills to advance your
career and your firm.
Yet if you are seeking to achieve success through a leadership role, mere competence is not
enough. Nothing less than excellence will do. You will need to master the skills and techniques
and consistently put them into practice.
Historically, many Practice Area Leaders have been appointed to their role not because of any
outstanding leadership qualities, but because of success in a different role (such as winning new
business). Presumably it is thought that their success will rub off on members of their team. This
is misguided. To be successful, practice area leaders need to be excellent at leadership. They
might also be good at other things, like bringing in new business, but that should be a secondary
quality.
So if you are asked to take up a practice area leader’s role, make sure it is what you want and
that you are willing to equip yourself with the skills you will need to make an excellent job of it.
Do not accept it because it is a step up. If it’s not right for you it’s a step down!
Those excellent in pioneering might rise to become “Thought Leaders”; pushing back the
frontiers of knowledge and breaking new ground for others to follow. Building on an in-depth
understanding of their field, they take great delight in manipulating arcane concepts, playing with
ideas, and searching out new possibilities.
True Thought Leaders are not back room people though. They network with others who share
their interests and they are well known and widely respected for their expertise. They are likely to
have “written the book”, be regular contributors of articles to journals, and may well be in
demand on the conference circuit.
Though they certainly become absorbed in their chosen area of specialism, this role goes well
beyond just being a specialist.
Between each of these pure roles is a role that combines two of the excellence dimensions.
© Peopleism 2005
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“Project Leaders” who are leading a project or new initiative in a firm should have a high
standard in both pioneering and leadership. A Project Leader might have a role as marketing
partner, training partner, industry sector leader, etc. These are often part-time roles and can take
a back seat to client serving. However, in the right hands, projects can provide a powerful
vehicle for ambitious professionals to advance and might provide a useful stepping stone for
those wishing to become a practice area leader.
“Unique Client Solutions Providers” who work on high value projects for clients to develop
innovative solutions should have a high standard in both client service and pioneering. They are
likely to be highly specialised people and share with thought leaders an absorbing interest in
their field. However, whereas thought leaders take delight in intellectualising for its own sake, the
focus of the Unique Client Solutions Provider is very much on solving challenging practical client
problems.
“Client Service Team Leaders” who lead client service teams to provide excellent service for
clients require a high standard in both client service and leadership. Whereas Trusted Advisers
often work largely alone and closely guard their client relationships, Client Service Team
Leaders see their role as to orchestrate the full resources of their organisation for the benefit of
the client. They will open doors for members of their organisation to establish direct relationships
with clients.
Implications of the STAR professionals model
The STAR professionals model implies a progression working out from the centre:

You may have excellent professional skills but without a clear sense of direction, and the
determination to follow a course, success is unlikely. On pages…. to …. we will look at
how you can find a sense of direction and the motivation to follow it through with passion.

You may be a highly tuned specialist, but if you lack the delicate skills of inter-personal
communication or if you are unwilling to learn you will be holding yourself back. On pages
…. to …. we will explore the two essential intelligences: a commitment to learning and
emotional intelligence.

You may be a well rounded professional but unless you are excellent – best at something
– you are likely to be indistinguishable from thousands of others. In later sections of the
book we will examine some of the skills and techniques underlying each of the three
dimensions and the six roles.
The conclusion from this is that having technical knowledge alone is unlikely to lead to success.
To be successful you will need to be focused and you will need to become excellent in a range
of professional skills beyond those of your chosen discipline. For those who shirk this challenge;
yes, there may always be a role for you, but don’t expect it to lead on to greatness.
Take control
What’s your passion?
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The starting point for planning the future of your career is to look at where you could invest your
passions. Where could you channel your energies? You are going to spend a large proportion of
your life working and you will need to do so with total commitment and persistence if you are to
realise your potential. Look therefore to what you enjoy and have an affinity with, not what will
make you the most money.
That’s not to say there is only one right direction for your career. It’s a bit like marriage. There
are probably many potential partners with whom you could fall in love and have a happy
relationship. So it is with careers. There are probably several different directions in which you
could go, and each would bring success and fulfilment. Yet with both marriage and careers, to
achieve success you need to make a choice and then commit yourself to it with passion and
single-mindedness. By trying to have everything we invariably end up with nothing.
The secret is to find and follow your heart. It’s not necessarily easy, but it’s never too late to do
so.
When I walked away from the safe sanctuary and the offer of a partnership, I had a sense that I
wanted to get into people development, but I really didn’t know what I meant by that. Frankly I
wandered aimlessly for a while, feeling my way, experimenting, and moving on. But only by
looking did I find the satisfaction I now so value.
This overlaps with a box above
Unfortunately we are often led blindly into pursuing a career by what is expected of us (or what
we think is expected of us).
Look at what you enjoy doing; what you find yourself getting absorbed in; what you keep coming
back to in your work and in your hobbies. What have been called our “Deeply embedded life
interests”xiii; long-held, emotionally driven passions for certain kinds of activities. Your interests
were probably formed in your early twenties; by that time there is a discernable pattern and the
contours of that pattern have a remarkable stability.
These interests do not necessarily determine what you are good at (though you may become
good at them) but they drive the kinds of activities that make you happy. At work, that happiness
will often translate into commitment, keeping you engaged and keeping you from quitting.
A UK studyxiv filmed by the BBC, first entitled 7-up (and later 14-up, 21-up, 28-up and most
recently 35-up) followed a group of children into adulthood. They eventually engaged in a
profession or pursuit related to the interests they had when they were 7 to 14 years of age.
Although most had strayed from those interests during adolescence and
“Until
early adulthood, virtually all found their way back towards their childhood
impulses, even if only in their hobbies, by the age of 35.
something
turns into a
passion
don’t make
it the centre
of your life”
© Peopleism 2005
Finding your passion does not necessarily mean making major career
shifts, or even moving firms. When coaching people on their career
planning I often get them to design their ideal job; one that would give
them all the fulfilment, challenge and enjoyment they yearn. It is
illuminating then to compare that with their current job. The differences
are very often minor. With a few changes, the role they are seeking is the
25
one they already have, or could easily progress into. Their embedded life interests probably
guided them into this career in the first place although very often that initial drive is lost or
overtaken by corporate pressures. Their organisation takes over the reins of their career from
them. Ironically this not only does them a disservice, it is not in the best interests of their
organisation either.
So experiment, particularly in the early stages of your career. Try different roles and activities.
But until something turns into a passion don’t make it the centre of your life, because it won’t
last.
Setting a course; vision and goals
Most successful businesses have a vision and goals. They know where they want to get to and
they have a plan to get there. You probably wouldn't think much of a business that didn't have. Yet
relatively few people have a plan for their careers. Most people put more time into planning their
holidays than their careers. Little wonder they get buffeted by the changes around them.
You need to know what you want from life and your career if you are to give yourself the best
chance of achieving it. If you are not working towards your goals you are probably working towards
someone else's.
Having a vision and goals is important for another reason too. Our subconscious mind filters out
most of the information with which we are constantly bombarded. We would be unable to operate
effectively otherwise. But our subconscious will allow through matters of known interest to us. This
effect is illustrated by what is known as “the cocktail party phenomenon”. You could be standing in
a crowded room with hubbub all around. But if someone uttered your name on the other side of the
room you would hear them and tune in. It’s a bit like registering with an on-line news update
service; you specify your interests and you receive messages related to those, without all the
irrelevancies.
If you consciously set goals for yourself, your subconscious mind will get to work to sift information
that will help you. The opportunities around you are like radio waves, constantly bombarding you.
But unless you are tuned into them, they will go unnoticed. Your vision and your goals set the
frequency of your opportunity receiver.
For several years I had the privilege of reporting to a senior partner in an accountancy firm who
taught me an enormous amount. Whilst in his 30s, he had set three career goals for himself. One
was to become chairman of his firm; one of the worlds largest professional firms. The second was
to reach the pinnacle of his profession by becoming president of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants. And the third was to become Lord Mayor of London. Now this was an ambitious
series of goals by anyone’s standards. So how did he fair? Well, he achieved two out of the three.
He did become president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and he did become Lord Mayor
of London, earning a knighthood in the process. He did not go through to be elected as chairman
of his firm but he did become one of the firm’s most senior and respected partners. Would he have
achieved such success had he not set himself such a course? No-one can say for sure, but I
seriously doubt it.
Whilst at Oxford University, a young undergraduate set out an ambitious plan for his career. He
would become a millionaire in his 20s, a Member of Parliament in his 30s, a Cabinet Minister in his
© Peopleism 2005
26
40s, and Prime Minister in his 50s. Michael Heseltine achieved every one of these milestones
except the very final one, having to settle for the role of Deputy Prime Minister. Great
achievements made possible through vision and goals.
Vision is bigger and broader than goals. A vision may encompass goals, but goals do not
necessarily add up to a vision. Vision has a life of its own. It defines a reason for being. It may be a
picture of a preferred future or it may describe a clear sense of direction.
Whether or not they choose to make it public, indeed whether or not they choose to articulate it at
all, most successful people have some kind of career vision.
Long ago Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple computers, set out to “make a dent in the universe”.
That’s a great challenge for any individual, to make a dent in the universe, to make a meaningful
mark. He had vision.xv
If vision shows you the direction, goals give you the stepping stones to move forwards. Basketball
icon Michael Jordan, says, “I approach everything step by step using short term goals. When I
meet one goal, I set another reasonable goal I can achieve if I work hard. Each success leads to
the next one”. xvi
 Click below for:
But you can't change the world….. or can you? As a professional you
must. That is what being a professional is about; changing the world.
You can only start by changing your world.
So create your vision and write down your goals. It’s not easy, but it is
essential.
Tips on clarifying your
career vision & goals
So you think you don’t
need a career plan?
Start from where you are







to do
route guide for newly qual
route guide for ..........
route guide for ...
PALS & leaders
internal service functions
seasoned professionals
an individual professional pursuing ambitious career
Motivation and commitment
Of course, it’s no good just having an idea of what you want to achieve. You have to take the
action necessary to move you towards your vision and goals. To do that, you have to be
motivated. And the bigger your ambitions, the more motivated you will need to be.
We are all motivated. It is in of our nature to be motivated and without it we could achieve
nothing. Motivation theory, expounded by Maslow in his hierarchy of needsxvii, decrees that we
progress through a series of needs, starting with basic human needs such as food and security,
© Peopleism 2005
27
and moving onto higher level needs such as esteem and self actualisation. We will only focus on
higher level needs once the lower level needs have been satisfied. For professionals, most of us
are reasonably secure and well fed (apart from the occasional crisis caused by ill health, job
insecurity, family problems etc) and we are aiming at the higher levels of the motivation tree. Or
as Robert Louis Stevenson expressed it “To become what we are capable of becoming is the
only end in life”.xviii
Whilst everyone has motivation, not everyone channels that motivation towards a worthy goal
and therefore most fail to achieve their potential. So focus your motivation as quickly as possible
by deciding on your future direction. The word “decide” derives from the Latin root “caedo”
meaning to “cut off”. It means cutting off options and making a commitment to a single,
purposeful direction. The decision switch has two positions: yes and no. There is no in between.
You can no more have half decided than you can be half pregnant. Once you have decided, you
are well on your way.
Your vision should provide the power as well as the direction. It should act as a motivator because
it is compelling, and the more distinct your vision is, the more motivational it is likely to be.
But motivation comes from another source too, and I am indebted to motivational speaker Zig Ziglar
for the following insight, for it has certainly helped me:
“Motivation follows from purposeful action”.
Yes, “follows”. When first hearing this I remember thinking, now hang on, surely you need to be
motivated before you do something? But Zig is right, the feeling of elation, the sense of buzz, the
sheer satisfaction of taking purposeful action (ie action that moves you towards your vision and
goals) is motivational. The lesson is clear. Don’t wait for motivation to arrive before you start taking
action to move you towards your goals. Take action and you will feel positively motivated.
What’s stopping you?
Now even though you may have a clear vision, well defined goals, and a commitment to action,
you may experience resisting forces holding you back. Here are some of them:

Insufficient time and other limp excuses……: Time management is a waste of time. You and I
have the same amount of time as presidents, captains of industry and best-selling authors. It
is simply not question of time, but of priorities. Think about it. Imagine yourself in your daily
routine, at your desk, in back to back meetings, closeted with an important client, or engaged
in whatever else it is that absorbs your time. Then in the midst of this busy schedule you
receive a message telling you that a loved one, a child, parent or partner, has been the victim
of an accident and is critically ill in hospital. What would you do? It’s a virtual certainty that
you would quickly make your excuses and get to that hospital as swiftly as possible. Your
priorities would be crystal clear and there would be no two ways about it.
Unfortunately for many people in their careers, not only do they fail to give the appropriate
degree of commitment to their priorities, they don’t even recognize what their priorities are.
Ask yourself, how much of what you spent your time on today has moved you closer to your
goals? Do you know what your goals are? Do you dare to set goals or are you, like many
people, scared that if you do you may fall short?
© Peopleism 2005
28
Now is never, and always, the right time for change. Take action for a change.

I’m not good enough / I’m too old / I’m too young / I’m too this / I’m too that*….(*delete as
appropriate)……: It was Henry Ford who said “If you think you can or think you can’t you’re
usually right”.xix If you know at the outset that your goals are easily achievable then it is most
likely that your goals are insufficiently stretching and will not help you realise your potential.
So don’t worry. It is not about being good enough. It is about being committed enough. If you
are pursuing something you can feel passionate about, you will pick up the skills as you go.
A study in America showed that 96% of four year olds had high self esteem and a strong self
image. These children believed the world was at their feet. They could become astronauts,
ballerinas, doctors, cowboys, pilots, whatever they wanted. The shocking part of the study
was that by the time they reached eighteen, less than 5% had a good self image. xx Maybe
our schooling system knocks our hopes out of us. Perhaps as we grow older some distorted
sense of reality sets in. Whatever the reason, when we lower our sights, when we make
excuses for ourselves, when we entertain the notion that we are just ordinary, we are
sabotaging our own futures and condemning ourselves to mediocrity. The choices are our
own.
Success should be just as much part of your expectation of life as getting married and having
children.

I might fail…..: If your goals are ambitious, as they should be, one of your blockages is likely
to be fear. Oh we may not feel scared….it’s just that we find more urgent things to do; we
don’t have the time, we’ll start it next week or next month.
Fear is perfectly normal and natural. It is a biological reaction to danger and for the most part
it serves us well, protecting us from harm. However, when it comes to achieving our long
term ambitions, the fear of making mistakes can hold us back. Rather than making a career
move that will take us forwards we stay put, making excuses for our inaction…..better to wait
until the time is right, until we have more security, until the children have started (or left)
school.
The sad thing is that the dangers of staying put can be all the more real, if seemingly less
threatening. We all know people who have devoted large parts of their life to an organization
only to be cast onto the career scrap heap because they have outlived their usefulness to
their employer. Often they have neglected their development making it difficult to move
elsewhere.
“The real
tragedy in life
is not in
failing to
achieve ones
goals, but in
failing to
have goals to
achieve.”
© Peopleism 2005
Some well-meaning people offer comfort by saying that FEAR stands
for “false evidence appearing real” and that there is really no danger.
It’s true that we often do exaggerate the dangers out of proportion,
assuming the worst. However, there is no doubt that in tackling
ambitious goals there is a risk we won’t achieve them. But unless we
have a go, there is a virtual certainty that we won’t achieve them.
Thomas Edison made over 700 attempts before finding the right
material for the perfect filament. When asked how it felt to fail so
many times he replied, “I Haven’t failed, I’ve just found 700 ways that
didn’t work”. Harlan Saunders, the man who founded fast food
business KFC, consistently failed in his business ventures until the
29
age of 63.xxi
PG story?
Warren Bennis interviewed leaders in the public, private and the non-profit sectors for his
book, Leaders. Reference He found that these great men and women had only three or four
traits in common. One was that each had made severe mistakes and bounced back from
them. Mistakes are not to be avoided. Mistakes are not even to be tolerated. Mistakes are to
be expected and even encouraged. For without them success, real success, is unattainable.
Joey Green’s book “The Road to Success is Paved with Failure”xxii catalogues hundreds of
successful people who triumphed over inauspicious beginnings.
In successful people, the anxieties seem to be propellant rather than retardant. The anxieties
push the entrepreneur forward rather than hold her back. There does not seem to be a
search for the easy way or security as such. It seems that successful people like doing things
that involve risk but do not like the risk itself, so they take action to reduce this. xxiii
The real tragedy in life is not in failing to achieve ones goals, but in failing to have goals to
achieve.

They won’t let me…..: When working with groups of managers in change programmes, it
seems the barrier to change is remarkably always at the next level upwards. And at the next
level upwards the barrier is always, again, one level higher up.
Once when running a training programme for team leaders, one of them stopped me and
said, ‘Yes, yes, we agree with all this, it all sounds great, if only our managers would let us
get on and do these things’. The other team leaders agreed. I suggested they should tell their
managers what they had told me. Their initial reaction was, perhaps understandably,
lukewarm. They didn’t think their managers would listen, and feared recriminations.
Nonetheless, to their credit, they appointed three from amongst them to talk to their
management team. This organisation had recently introduced customer service standards, so
they put together a presentation based around what they called ‘Management Service
Standards’: the service they expected from their managers. Quite bold.
They opened by summarising what the management team could reasonably expect from
them, their team leaders; 100% commitment, all promises followed through, etc. The
managers were impressed. Then came the crunch. They said that, to do these things, this is
what we expect from you the management team, and out came the Management Service
Standards. These included points such as ‘When we ask you for a decision, we expect that
decision within 24 hours.’ and ‘If you call us into your office, we expect your total attention.
We do not expect you to take telephone calls or otherwise waste our valuable time.’ This was
heavy stuff for these team leaders to be demanding from their management team. But after
they had finished their presentation, the managers sheepishly looked at each other and
agreed that all of these things they should be doing. They signed up there and then.
Never accept that you cannot manage upwards. “They won’t let me” is really “I won’t let
myself”.
© Peopleism 2005
30
During a three day team building exercise for a business unit, everything seemed to be going
incredibly well. Then, on the morning of the third day, the business unit manager came to me
and said he had received details from Head Office outlining the new bonus scheme and
could he announce the details. It transpired that the new bonus scheme rewarded managers
with a bonus based on 40% of their salary, most other staff based on 25% of salary and
administrators based on 10% of salary. The news went down like a bomb. We had spent two
days talking about everyone’s role being important. Yet the company’s new bonus scheme
implied exactly the opposite. Tempers ran high, the air was thick, and all the good team
building we had been doing seemed wasted.
I suggested the team treat this as their first major problem and should look at how they could
deal with it. After a thirty minute break to cool down they constructively set about looking for a
solution to the problem. And a solution they found. They decided there was little point trying
to change the company’s new bonus scheme; they would not have the influence to do so.
They therefore needed to live within it. Yet they also recognised they had some freedom too.
They decided they would receive bonuses based on the company bonus scheme, but would
put them into a pot and reallocate on what they deemed to be a fairer team-based bonus
system. On the face of it this would have meant that those more senior within the team might
have taken a cut. However, they were more than willing to agree to this because they
genuinely believed that they and the whole team would benefit in the long term through more
effective team work.
Never accept there is nothing you can do. There usually is.

I don’t have the will power…..: Every New Year, millions of people set resolutions for
themselves. And by February – or sooner – millions of people are feeling bad because they
have failed to follow-through on the promises they made to themselves. Well if you are one of
those people, here’s some good news for you:
it’s not your fault!
The human mind is beautifully designed. It is more sophisticated than the most powerful
computer on earth. Yet it suffers from a major design flaw; one that prevents most people
from achieving their long-term goals. We are motivated both by long term goals (to build a
career, to be fit and healthy, to write a novel) and short term ones (to avoid risks, to give in to
our hunger pangs, to surrender to an escapist TV programme). So long as the two are in
conflict, the shorter-term goals are almost certain to win. Result: we fail to
get what we want and we beat ourselves up for not having sufficient will
 Click below for:
power.
Until you get your short term drives in synch with your long term goals you
will battle to achieve what is really important to you.
© Peopleism 2005
Strategies to help you
follow through on
goals
31
TWO INESCAPABLE PROFESSIONAL INTELLIGENCES AND HOW TO BUILD THEM
A commitment to learning
Seek out learning opportunities
If you are not learning faster than the rate of change then you are falling behind. In these rapidly
changing times we all need to be learning fast.
When first recruited by a large organisation, Lynn knew nothing of the world of work. But what
she lacked in experience, she made up for in enthusiasm and personal drive. She quickly
learned the ropes and helped her colleagues along the way too.
Within 18 months she was appointed as a team leader, despite her honest admission that she
knew nothing about team leadership. She booked herself onto leadership training courses, and
she asked other successful team leaders what they did. Very soon Lynn’s team became the
most successful team in that organisation.
The firm won a prestigious award for client service excellence. When visitors came to see how
they had achieved it they were not shown to the Client Service Director, they were introduced to
Lynn who said, ‘Come into one of our Team Meetings and see what we do’. They left impressed.
Soon Lynn was asked to take on responsibility for training other teams in teamwork, and team
leaders in leadership. Again she protested that she knew nothing of leadership, and again she
committed herself to learning new skills and took on this new responsibility.
Within another year, Lynn was head-hunted by a major bank to spearhead a change programme
introducing teamwork. What distinguished Lynn and led to her success was not her skills but her
positive commitment to learning.
But learning does not mean going on training courses – not necessarily anyway. Sometimes in
seminars with senior professionals I ask the question “how did you get you where you are
today…what did you really learn from?” Now as someone who has spent a lot of time running
training courses it would be gratifying if people responded by saying “I once went on a training
course…it really changed my life.” But that is not what they say. They say “I was once thrown in
at the deep end with a project…”, “I was given a chance to prove myself…”, “I once screwed up,
big time…but I learnt a lot from it”. We learn our most valuable lessons from our experiences.
Realistically, most of your learning will take place as you go about your work; through your
interactions with clients and colleagues. Training can and should support this process but to do
so it needs to be closely aligned to your role. Learning is not something that is done to you, it is
something that happens within you. So don’t wait to be sent on a training course. Instead, seek
out learning opportunities.
That’s not to say that training does not serve an important purpose. It does…or at least it can.
But you can learn without training courses and you can go on training courses and not learn.
Training can give rise to learning. Nothing more.
© Peopleism 2005
32
As well as learning from life’s daily experiences, make sure you are maximising your
opportunities to learn from others:



Pick up the phone and talk to someone who has already done what you are about to do
for the first time (most people will happily help you)
Invite someone you respect to be your mentor, or ask to shadow them (they will be
flattered)
 Click below for:
Collaborate on-line with people who have similar interests (they will
welcome it).
A checklist of
development
opportunities
The point is that there are many different routes to development. Make
sure you use them. (Click here for more development opportunities and
their advantages and disadvantages.)
Hone your talents
When we think about learning, we frequently focus on overcoming
areas of weakness. Yet the reality is that each person’s greatest room
for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strengths.xxiv
This turns on its head much of the training and development
approaches in organisations, which tend to be weakness-driven. Yet to
succeed you need to become excellent at something, not merely good
at many things.
“Each person’s
greatest room
for growth is in
the areas of his
or her greatest
strengths”
Honing your talents is more likely to lead to success than is overcoming your weaknesses.
How to maximise your learning
So if learning is an essential skill, and if most learning happens as a result of day-to-day
experiences, how can you maximise your learning?
Recognising your own preferred learning style is an important start. Are you mainly an activist
who likes to learn by doing things? Or perhaps you learn best as a reflector; thinking through
what has happened and why. Maybe you are a theorist learner who likes to understand the
conceptual underpinning before taking any action. Or possibly you are more the pragmatist,
learning best by seeking out practical applications and deciding on a course of action.
Understanding which of these learning styles you tend to favour can help
both because this shows how you will learn most easily, and also because it
highlights other ways in which you can learn too, so broadening your
capacity to learn.
 Click below for:
Understanding your
preferred learning
style
Learning can be of three different types:



acquiring new knowledge
honing your skills
adjusting your beliefs.
Acquiring new knowledge
© Peopleism 2005
33
In most professional fields there is a body of knowledge that is constantly changing and
expanding. You are expected to stay up to date, though this is increasingly more difficult to do.
Added to this, you may be expected to keep abreast of development in the client industries you
serve, and in the latest management theories and techniques, as well as knowing what is
happening in your own firm and in the world at large. It’s a big challenge.
There is no shortage of information available. Quite the reverse, we are all swamped with it. The
difficulty is in easily finding the bits that are relevant and assimilating them. If you were to read all
the newspapers and journals relevant to your required knowledge base you would have little
time to do anything else.
Technology is your ally here, if you take the trouble to make the most of it, and you should. Most
good journals and newspapers now have their on-line cousins. Go to their web sites and get
yourself registered to receive regular e-mail updates. Most also have their own searchable
archives.
Alternatively, use a “news aggregator”xxv to pull together updates from all your chosen web
sources. You will soon find the ones most suited to your needs. The value of using technology in
this way is that it allows you to filter information and gives you a regular pithy digest with links to
more detail if you need it.
Using technology to keep you updated in this way also has another benefit. It often results in
repetition, which is so powerful in learning. Think of all those advertising slogans and jingles that
have found a resting place in your mind. You didn’t try to learn them. But you heard or saw them
so many times that they lodged themselves, never to be forgotten. The power of repetition is
very powerful indeed. So don’t be too concerned if some of your information sources overlap. If
you see something once you are likely to forget it; but if the information comes to you more than
once, particularly from different sources, you are more likely to retain it.
Develop new skills
How People Develop
To maximise your ability to learn you have to know how it happens. In learning new skills, people
usually go through four key stages:

Unconscious
Conscious

Unconscious
Incompetence
Unconscious
Competence








Conscious   Conscious
Incompetence
Competence
 Unskilled
Skilled 
Peopleism
Your start point is that you lack a desired skill, but you may be blissfully unaware that you are
unskilled, or not realise what those more skilled than you are doing differently. The first stage of
learning is to become aware, or to become “consciously incompetent” as the unkind jargon has
© Peopleism 2005
34
it. Perhaps you receive some feedback or some effective coaching, or a 360o appraisal. Perhaps
you observe someone doing something differently from the way you would do it. Perhaps you
see yourself on video. How ever you become aware of your inadequacies, and though it can
seem uncomfortable, self-awareness is an important stage of learning.
My first firm had instituted a process of giving written and face-to-face feedback to staff after
every assignment, which meant every two to three weeks. Though not always joyous occasions,
those feedback sessions were great learning devices. Most appraisal systems give feedback
every 6 or 12 months. It’s just too long a period to bring about rapid development. You also need
feedback from clients and, if you are in a leadership position, from staff who report to you.
If you are blessed with clients, colleagues and a line manager who are good at giving frequent
feedback, great. If not, you will have to ask for it. To develop and excel at a skill you need
feedback.
The next stage of learning is to start to put new skills into practice at a conscious level. Force
yourself to do something until it becomes a natural part of your behaviour. Or in other words
“fake it ‘til you make it…” This “consciously competent” stage can be very uncomfortable. It feels
strange and unnatural…. and so it is, because you will be changing your behaviour. But it is an
important and necessary stage of learning new skills.
Soon you find yourself exercising new skills without having to think about it at all. You have
reached the unconsciously competent stage.
Many of the skills you learned in childhood – such as walking and riding a bike - were acquired
through experimentation. No-one told you how to do it. You just tried it out. Feedback was
instant (and physically painful) but it didn’t put you off. You tried again until you got it right. And
now you walk and ride a bike without thinking about it. Indeed, if you were to think about it you
might well fall!
Learning through experimentation means getting outside your normal comfort zone and taking
some controlled risks. As adults there is a natural reluctance to stray beyond the familiar
because of the discomfort caused. But it is natural and necessary.
So be sure to take some risks today! Only by doing so will you extend your comfort zone and
grow. If approached in a controlled way, development poses no real danger. By identifying
activities and learning experiences that will take you beyond your comfort zone into your “stretch
zone” you can control your development in a safe way.
Even experiences that take you into a “panic zone” can sometimes stretch you and bring about
rapid development. Other activities that take us into our panic zone might stretch us too far and
create lasting damage as we seek to avoid any such situation again.
© Peopleism 2005
35
Peopleism
“The door to
development
is locked with
the key on
the inside”
Only by experimenting and consciously putting new skills into play will
you ever move to the final stage of skill development in which you have
the new skills at an unconscious level – you will have changed your
normal behaviour.
In helping professional people to learn, I find that the biggest barrier is
often their own resistance to it (and the more senior they are, the greater
the resistance). Yet once they open themselves up to learning, they learn very quickly. As
development expert Peter Honey says “the door to development is locked with the key on the
inside”.xxvi
Find or create opportunities to learn and hone your skills. You can do that in your daily routines
and it need take up no time at all. Simply reflecting on your day’s experiences and asking
yourself what you can learn from the things you have done, the people you have met, and the
places you have been. Just this can give rise to effective learning.
One of the great benefits of professional work is that it’s like healthy exercise; doing it builds you
up, rather than wearing you out. So long as you take on new challenges and experience new
things you will learn. If you are simply repeating the same tasks, the repetition is likely to be
draining rather than developing.
So ask yourself; what did you learn today?
Changing your beliefs
We all have a set of beliefs; values or principles that filter our view of the world, that guide our
decisions, and that determine our judgements about what is right and wrong. Without our belief
system, many of our daily actions would become unmanageable; we would have to carefully
consider each and every experience and work out how to deal with it. Our beliefs give us
shortcuts and, as such, they generally serve us well. But often our beliefs, which are largely
established early in our lives, outlive their usefulness and can hold us back.
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Many a lawyer and accountant operates unquestioningly on the assumption that fees should be
based on time spent. Why? It doesn’t have to be so. Some professionals see being successful
as meaning becoming a partner, or moving up to equity. Why? There are other ways of defining
success.
Question your own beliefs. Write down all the assumptions that guide your working life. Then ask
yourself whether they serve you well and what evidence you have to support them (or are they
just based on “received wisdom”). Identify a more appropriate belief and adopt it. There is rarely
a single right answer. You can choose to adopt beliefs that will support you in achieving your
goals.
Of course, identifying your beliefs is not always easy. You are so close to them that you will have
blind spots. It may take someone to tug on your sleeve and help you to step back. Having
someone coach you can certainly be helpful here.
Recognising and dealing with change
Another aspect of learning is learning to deal with change. If you haven’t recently been
restructured, reassigned or reorganised, watch out; the chances are you’re just about to be.
Change has become a fact of organisational life. (Indeed, change management has become a
profession all of its own).
When directly affected by it, organisational change can be dramatic. You may lose your job.
Even if you don’t, many of your best colleagues will. Yet when you stand back from the close-up
turmoil, in the aggregate most organisations change relatively slowly. They carry on selling
broadly the same kind of service, to broadly the same kind of clients, delivered with broadly the
same kind of processes, by broadly the same kind of people, who are organised in broadly the
same kind of way.
The successive changes that do take place are usually caused by one, or a combination, of
three types of influence:

Cyclical changes (leading to lay offs and the demise of some organisations in downturns;
heavy investment and recruiting in the up-swings)xxvii
The way to deal with the business cycle is to expect it. Be resilient. If you are made
redundant, or if your business fails, it doesn’t mean that you are failure. Protect your self
esteem, use the time wisely to prepare for a new future. Then, when the boom comes, use it
to propel yourself, but don’t expect it to last for ever. Even an Indian Summer must end,
giving way to darker times. Yet every season has its virtues and the wisest people adapt to
take the best from each stage of the cycle.

Extraordinary and unpredictable events (for example, September 11th 2001 came out of
the blue for most of us, but so much has changed as a result. At a business level, the events
caused by the collapse of Enron caused ripples across the accounting and auditing
profession and beyond, and are likely to lead to irreversible changes in the way business
conducts itself).
By their nature you don’t know where they are coming from nor when; but expect something
to whack you on the side of the head at some time, because it will. When an unpredictable
© Peopleism 2005
37
event does come along, it will usually leave both losers and winners in its wake. Which, is
likely to depend more on you than on the event itself. Use change and turn it to your
advantage.

Long term trends whose effects become noticeable not over months, or even years, but
over decades.

Look at where they are going, and get there first. Even better, be a change-maker yourself,
leading the trends in your field. You don’t have to have supernatural powers to spot these
trends. They are here with us now. (See page 17). By their very nature they do not have an
immediate impact but instead have an increasing effect, which can force step-change
reactions from individuals and organisations.
As for many urban phenomena, there are parallels in nature:



Cyclical changes: affected by the seasons, plants die back in winter and bloom in summer,
storing energy for the next lean season.
Extraordinary and unpredictable events: apparently devastated by heavy pruning or burning,
new growth looks as though it may never resume, but it does, and often all the better and
stronger for it.
Long term trends: subjected to moderate but consistent forces, such as a prevailing off-sea
breeze, even the strongest tree will yield and take on a surreal shape in harmony with its
habitat.
Lifelong learning
The message from all this is that to become (or remain) successful in the changing world of
professional services, you need to change too. You need to constantly build your knowledge,
extract learning from your day-to-day work, seek out opportunities to learn new skills, and
vigilantly question beliefs that no longer serve you well.
Successful professionals need to believe in themselves. But should that self confidence turn into
professional arrogance or an inflated ego they are doomed. Truly successful professionals
recognise that they are on a lifelong learning crusade. Indeed, learning may be the most
important skill of all.
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Emotional intelligence
Taking the reins
Emotional intelligence is a newish phrase that wraps up such essential inter-personal skills as
communicating, listening, influencing, building relationships, and self image. Since professional
work is built around relationships, emotional intelligence is essential for professional success,
regardless of your particular profession or job role.
Let’s take a look at each of these abilities, starting with your self.
Self confidence
It has been said that no-one believes in someone who doesn’t believe in themselves. Yet how
can you approach an ambitious vision without some sense of foreboding and doubt in your own
abilities. Unless you have doubts your ambitions are probably insufficiently challenging. If you
always feel confident and fully in control, you are probably not pushing to realise your full
potential. To be successful you have to get outside your comfort zone and face the unknown,
with its risks as well as rewards.
We all have a voice inside our heads that talks to us. Too often it tells us we are not up to it, that
we are about to fail, that we are accident prone, careless, stupid…..compile your own list! This
inner voice is very powerful and through it we are unwittingly programming ourselves to fail. If we
allow our doubts to consume us, we have little hope of triumphing. We have to go confidently. In
short, when we feel daunted by something (talking in front of an audience, meeting someone
important, facing a new challenge, etc) we have to create our own self-confidence.
“Don’t model
yourself on
anyone else.
Model yourself
on you at your
most
confident”
The lever to turn on self-confidence is action. There is a very direct link
between inner feelings of confidence (or lack of confidence) and body
language. If we are not feeling very confident it tends to show. But the
good news is that the link works in reverse too. If we are not feeling
very confident but we force ourselves to do self-confident things, the
feeling of confidence comes flooding back. It is quite an amazing
experience.
And the confident things you need to do? Check what you do when at
your most confident; perhaps chatting with a group of friends or family,
telling them about something that happened to you. If you are like
most people you probably have upright posture, you are making eye contact, using gestures and
facial expressions, and your voice is loud and expressive. It is these very same things you need
to force yourself to do when you feel like crawling into a corner because you are daunted by a
situation. By doing so you will immediately start to feel more confident. So don’t model yourself
on anyone else. Model yourself on you at your most confident.
Self control
When faced with day-to-day interactions we mainly react automatically. Our reactions are
programmed based on earlier similar experiences. However, we do have an ability to exercise
more self-control over our reactions. This has been termed “response–ability”xxviii; our ability to
choose how we respond to situations. Sometimes we may say things like “he makes me so
mad…” or “she always makes me feel small..”. Yet in reality no-one can make you feel angry, or
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39
inferior, or anything else, without your co-operation. We see a person or a situation and allow
ourselves to get angry or to feel inferior. We are doing it to ourselves, prompted by some
external trigger.
The key is to spot what it is about another person's behaviour that prompts a certain reaction in
you. Then re-programme yourself to take a different course of action (often involving switching
on your self-confidence). Similarly, you might also want to ask yourself if anything about your own
behaviour may be prompting undesirable reactions in someone else.
The triggers for our less than ideal reactions are not only other people. Once when chatting to an
accountant about newspaper headlines warning of an impending recession he replied “you know
Phil, if there is a recession I refuse to play any part in it.” He was refusing to allow the gloom to
affect his own thinking, instead objectively seeing what was happening and choosing a reaction
that would serve him well. Quite right.
Sometimes when asked why they didn’t win a proposal for new business, professionals will reply
that it was lost on price, or that the result was already sewn up. Yet potential clients are virtually
always open to persuasion by a proposal that will bring them real benefits. The excuses reflect a
failure to take responsibility and to learn from the outcome. That’s not to say you can expect to
win every proposal. But you can expect to increase your success rate if you are willing to learn
from the ones that you don’t win.
The key is to take control. To assume there is something you can do to achieve positive
outcomes and then plan your actions accordingly.
Self image
There are three aspects to image presentation:

your true self

your projected image (ie the way you think or hope you are seen by others)

your image (ie the way others really see you).
Some people resist image improvement because they think it means pretending to be something
they are not. Yet the opposite is true; image presentation is about trying to communicate to others
what you really are. By changing one or two things to align your image with your true self you will
feel more at ease with yourself and with others, and will be creating a rich and genuine impression.
The starting point for self-improvement is self-analysis. Getting feedback from others can help too.
It can be uncomfortable, but it is always worthwhile.
Most people have several roles in life, and so have several images; all different, but all valid. A
senior executive may also be a wife, a mother, a member of a sports team, an active member of
her local community, etc. In each role she presents a different “side” of herself. But they are all
her true self.
Don't try to be like someone else; instead project a positive image of your true self, with your own
strengths and individuality; even frailty. You may admire others for what they are, but everyone is
different. What’s different about you?
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Understanding others
Good communication is a two-way street, and it begins with understanding others. Seek to
understand before seeking to be understood.
The main tools to help us understand others are the skills of listening and questioning, yet they
are rarely taught and they remain under-used.
When two people are engaged in conversation, each speaking for roughly half the time, it could
be assumed that each is also listening for half the time. But this is unlikely. For much of the time,
rather than actively listening, each will be thinking about what they will say next.
The result is that good listening is in short supply, and those who are good
listeners have an important edge in this relationship game. It is important not
only to listen, but to show that you are listening too. These are skills that
certainly can be learned and if you take the trouble to do so you will certainly be
giving yourself a valuable advantage.
“Good
listening is
in short
supply.”
Restating or summing up from time to time is one powerful but under-used technique, both to check
your understanding and to show you have understood. It is particularly useful when someone is
angry or otherwise emotional. Repeating their point of view back to them shows you have
understood them (even though not necessarily that you agree with them) and so takes the heat out
of an exchange.
Questioning is important in selling professional services (much more so than having the “gift of
the gab” as the stereotypical salesman is expected to have). Questioning is important in
understanding professional problems before finding solutions. And it is important in the
leadership skill of coaching. Yet questions are woefully under-used and badly used.
The popular TV programme “Whose line is it anyway?” includes a game in which skilled
improvisers hold a conversation composed entirely of questions. Try it some time. It is incredibly
difficult to keep up before someone lapses into making statements rather than asking questions.
When running training exercises to develop questioning skills, it is evident that the questioning
skills of many professionals are significantly under-developed. Little wonder clients bemoan that
they haven’t been understood. Little wonder professional staff complain that their superiors don’t
care. How much more effectively these professionals could operate with just a little attention to
developing the key tool that will help them unlock others.
The main potential for improvement comes in being able to deploy the right kind of question at
the right time.
In professional work, open questions tend to be under-used, and specific questions are overused. Other types of questions (reflective, comparative and benchmark questions) are hardly
used at all. The result can be a rather stilted interrogation, rather than a more natural
conversational style. Get used to using a broad range of questions to give you a full
understanding.
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The chief executive of an accountancy firm told me he is expected to attend meetings of
departments or project groups where others have been deeply immersed in the detail. He, on the
other hand, is flitting from one matter to another yet is expected to be fully up to speed on each. I
suggested he might best make a contribution, not by having answers to problems, but by asking
powerful questions. From his broader perspective he should be in a position to see things
differently. Lack of detailed knowledge need not be a drawback. It can in fact be turned to a
strength.
“Our “gut feel”
or intuition
about someone
may be created
through their
non-verbal
communication”
We are all well experienced at reading body language. A frown, raised
eyebrows, folded arms, avoidance of eye contact. We automatically
interpret these signals all the time and have done so from a very early
age. Our “gut feel” or intuition about someone may be created through
their non-verbal communication, without us even knowing why. Some
people are better at tuning into this rich communication and yet it is a
skill that anyone can develop.
As we explored in the section on learning, to
develop a higher skill level in such an area, you
need to do so at a conscious level. Choose a time and place to safely observe
other people. Airports and train stations are ideal for this. Then watch and ask
yourself what emotions others are experiencing and what observable clues give
this away.
You should also be aware of your own body language and the messages you
may inadvertently be shouting to others.
 Click below for:
Tips on effective
listening
Questioning techniques
Reading body
language
Getting your point across
The other side of communication is getting your point across to others. This is a crucial skill for
professionals because the results of your work have to be communicated in some form.
The three elements that make up the communication mix are:
W
o
7% rds
Voice
42%
Visual
51%
Peopleism
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42
Each of these will have an impact on the way the communication is received and each will be
important. Some of the most mis-quoted research statistics relate to this communication mix. A
TV advert for a major credit card makes the bold statement: “93% of all communication is nonverbal”. Striking, but untrue. If it were true then we would be able to observe a conversation in an
unknown foreign language and understand 93% of the meaning. I don’t think so.
The claim is based on ground-breaking but oft-misused research conducted by Albert
Mehrabian, a professor at UCLA. He made clear that his statistics hold true only when emotions
are being expressed and only when there is inconsistency between the various elements of the
communication.
You will have witnessed this yourself if you have ever said to someone “What’s wrong?” and
they reply “nothing” in a tone of voice that tells you that something is clearly very wrong. You will
have instantly discounted the words they used and formed your judgement on the more reliable
tone of voice.
The main forms of professional communication are:



written (words only): reports, letters, emails, proposals, etc
spoken (words and voice): telephone
face-to-face (words, voice and visual): presentations, meetings, video/web conferencing, etc
Note that in telephone communication we lose the visual element, and in written communication
we lose both the visual and the vocal elements. Little wonder there is such opportunity for
misunderstanding. Clearly it is important to handle sensitive communication face to face.
Often it is best to use a combination; preparing a report as a basis for a
face-to-face discussion, or following up a telephone call with a letter or email.
Many clients complain that their professional advisers resort too much to
written communication. Written communication is often very much overused internally too. Make sure you are choosing and using the right mix of
communication.
 Click below for:
Written communication
Telephone
communication
Face-to-face
presentations and
meetings
Using the tools of influence
In much of your communication, you will not simply be conveying information, but trying to
persuade others to change their beliefs or behaviours. The starting point for doing so is to
choose the right influencing style:
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43
Tell
Persuasive
sell
Dominant
Consultative
sell
Empower
Passive
show degree of commitment
At one extreme is empowering where you leave it to someone else to decide what to do, with
Peopleism
no influencing
or interference. If someone knows what needs to be done, is motivated to take
action, and has the ability to do so, empowering is likely to be the best approach. Just let them
get on with it. Many managers could benefit from stepping back and empowering their staff
more.
At the opposite extreme is telling where you dictate what someone else should do with little or
no involvement from them. Using this style is likely to have a relatively short-term effect because
there is little real commitment from the person being told. They may do something “because I
was told to do it” but with little genuine enthusiasm. And next time they are faced with a similar
situation they are unlikely to take action until told to do so.
In between these extremes is selling, and there are two different types: the persuasive sell and
the consultative sell.
In using persuasive selling, look at the situation from the other’s point of view and show them
how they would benefit from your proposal. As Aristotle said, “The fool tells me his reasons, the
wise man persuades me with my own”. Or in the words of Dale Carnegie: “The only way to
influence someone is to find out what they want, and show them how to get it.”xxix To identify how
another person might benefit, it can be helpful to consider six key drivers that seem to motivate
most people involved in business:
 making money
 saving money
 finding new opportunities
 avoiding risk
 saving time or hassle
 looking and feeling good.
If you can convince your clients that you can help them achieve these benefits, you will have
little difficulty in selling.
Consultative selling adopts the same approach, but involves more initial questioning to
uncover what motivates the person you are trying to influence. This then allows you to “push the
right buttons” as you choose ways to persuade.
None of these styles of influencing is right or wrong; but each has its place. If used in the wrong
circumstances it will be less effective.
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Incidentally “asking” or “suggesting” that someone does something are not separate influencing
styles at all. They could just as easily be interpreted as either “telling” or “empowering”.
Surprisingly, which, will depend more on the recipient than on the influencer.
For example, a manager might “ask” two of her staff to prepare a detailed action plan. One of
them “does as he was told” and submits a list of various actions, even though he doesn’t see the
real value of it. The other interprets the manager’s request as a helpful prompt to do some
planning and decides that the best way to do this would be to involve some members of his team
in a planning session. The very same “request” has been interpreted by one person as “being
told what to do” and by another as being “empowered to decide what to do”.
Here are some examples showing when it might be appropriate to use each style…..with a
client:


to do
….and with a member of staff:

to do
Cover Cialdini’s 6 weapons of influence (as addn tips once chosen influencing style)
Build successful relationships with people
Professional services are based upon relationships, both with clients and within a professional
service organisation. Some people – those more people orientated – find it easy to build
relationships. Others have to work at it.
Do you wish you were more of a conversationalist?
People who talk easily tend not to censor as rigorously their thoughts before speaking. Few of us
are short of thoughts. Be ready to give voice to them instead of automatically dismissing them as
likely to be boring or irrelevant. And even if you are not naturally an outgoing type, you can hold
your own in a conversation by:
 asking a question
 carefully listening and showing an interest in the response
 responding briefly on a specific point raised by the other person and ending your response with
a further question.
This approach has two advantages:
 if you feel uncomfortable in taking the leading role in conversation it takes the pressure off you
 your conversation is more likely to be found interesting (because you will be conversing about
matters interesting to the other person).
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When two people meet each other for the first time, each tends to keep up their defences rather
than showing their true feelings and thoughts. Gradually as they get to know each other, each will
lower their guard. To accelerate this process, you can start to lower your own guard and share your
thoughts and feelings more quickly than you might otherwise. The other person will usually also
respond at an accelerated pace.
To quickly build a relationship with someone





Talk about what is important and interesting to them, showing interest; ask about them, and be
genuinely interested in what they have to say
Be agreeable. Agreement gives a sense of friendship and common ground. Even if you
disagree with another person it is possible to see their point of view and acknowledge it. You
can disagree without being disagreeable
Be aware of your own body language - look pleased to meet them. A warm smile, good eye
contact, and a confident hand shake can help to build a lasting bond
Address a person by their name; there is no sweeter sound
Pay sincere compliments. Help people to feel good about themselves.
People who are the most popular or influential members of a group are generally more sensitive to
the differences between people. They can easily locate the other person’s wavelength and get onto
it. While emotional meanings are interpreted more accurately from facial expressions than from
speech, the same people are generally best at interpreting both, suggesting a general factor of
sensitivity.
Dealing with different types of people
The chart below shows one way of thinking about the way people behave. On the vertical axis is
their task or people orientation. Some people are concerned about projects, task lists,
information and getting things done, and pay less attention to relationships. Others are less
concerned with tasks and more concerned about developing and maintaining relationships - they
care about people and what people think about them. On the horizontal axis is their
assertiveness, ranging from passive to dominant.
TASK PRIORITY

ANALYSTS
“Get things right”
PASSIVE
AMIABLES
“Get along”
© Peopleism 2005
DRIVERS
“Get things done”
DOMINANT
EXPRESSIVES
“Get noticed”
46

PEOPLE PRIORITY
In each of the resulting quadrants is a distinct behaviour type: Drivers,
Analysts, Amiables, and Expressives. No one style is better than any other;
there are good points and bad points about all of these types.
 Click on the labels
for tips on how to spot
each type, how they
might act under
pressure, and how to
deal with them.
Unfortunately we can all too easily see the differences between ourselves
and other people negatively. Does the driver observe the analyst and
remark kindly on their ability to analyse data and spot inconsistencies? They are much more
likely to castigate them for being a nit-picker or a pedant. Conversely, is the analyst impressed
by the driver’s ability to get so much done? More probably they will bemoan that the driver just
goes off and does things without considering the consequences.
You are more likely to hit it off with people who think and act much as you do. If you are finding it
difficult to build a constructive relationship with someone ask yourself if they operate in a
different quadrant from you and so have a different outlook. To forge relationships with people
who are different from you, spot those differences and adapt your own behaviour in order to deal
with them as they prefer to be dealt with.
Whilst we can all play each of these roles if we have to, we tend to have a preference for one or
two of these styles in a given situation. So at work someone might be part driver/part analyst or
part driver/part expressive. Rarely will they be a mix of diagonally opposite quadrants because
these are very different styles.
A person might adopt significantly different behavioural type in different facets of their life. So an
expressive in the office might be quite amiable at home. An amiable might suffer a high pressure
meeting with a driver, only to be invited for a social drink afterwards at which time the driver, in
this different setting, is transformed into the perfect amiable, leading his companion to conclude
that “Perhaps he’s not so bad after all”.
Ask yourself which style you mostly adopt. You may quite easily identify friends and colleagues
of each type, but have more difficulty in placing yourself. This is quite normal. We tend to see the
world from our own vantage point, which we assume as the norm. We therefore place ourselves
fairly close to the cross hairs.
It might be instructive to ask others how they see you, but in reality it is the relative differences
between yourself and others that matter. These you can usually spot without too much difficulty.
Ask yourself if someone is more or less dominant than you in a given setting; more of a task
person, or more of a people person. Then you can plot them in relation to yourself.
Dealing with people in other quadrants is most likely to cause you difficulties. Aim to become
sufficiently flexible to deal with all types of people. You should:


Think positively about an encounter. Don’t allow bad past experiences with a person to preempt the current outcome.
Listen and pay close attention. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.
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
Adapt your behaviour to reduce the differences between you. This doesn’t mean changing
who you are, or being false. It simply means changing the way you deal with people for the
benefit of you both.
An accountancy firm client used this model to assess many of their people. They found they
were mainly recruiting “analysts” and yet the people they wanted to progress through to
partnership were “drivers”. Whilst people do become more assertive as they progress through
their careers, the analysis gave the firm a very clear indication of why they felt they were short of
partnership material.
As part of team building exercises I often get members of a team to assess themselves against a
series of team skills and then to say whether they feel each of their team colleagues is either
better than they are, the same as they are, or not so good as they are in each of these team
skills. The results are then compiled in such a way that if everyone had a perfect perception of
themselves and of each other, the “better thans” would all cancel out against all the “worse
thans” to give an aggregate score of zero. But does the total ever result in a zero? Never. The
result is almost always a massive negative score, indicating that team members are not seeing
the best in their colleagues.
So look for the best in others and avoid making negative judgements.
Relationships matter
In the past, many a high-flying partner has adopted the attitude that so long as they continue to
bill huge numbers of hours they remain untouchable and can act independently, treating
colleagues - even fellow partners - with contempt. This approach is unlikely to lead to success
today. Increasingly firms are realising that such attitudes, though perhaps delivering short-term
results, do untold damage to firms in the longer term. I can think of several recent cases in which
high-billing partners have been displaced because their behaviours towards their colleagues
were unacceptable.
So whatever your chosen professional field, and whether your future lies in client focus,
leadership or pioneering, you need to be good at working with other people. If, hand on heart,
you have some failings in this respect you should address them now before they hold back your
success.
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7 STEPS TO STARDOM THROUGH WINNING AND DEVELOPING CLIENTS
Need an intro here to remind about the need to be good at and for some to be excellent at.
Emphasis needs to be more on the individual – you - & development?
 virtually all professionals deliver services to clients – some internal
 all therefore need to be good at client service
 if you are seeking to achieve success through….being good will not be enough - excellence
(need to refer to hybrids in all intros)
1 Put clients first
As a true professional, underlying everything you do should be an unswerving principle of putting
clients' interests first. In the long term this will generate higher rewards for you and your firm.
Short-term profit taking damages long-term profit making. Putting clients first also results in a
win-win situation. Clearly the client will benefit, but so will you, and over a long period.
As Dale Carnegie said in How to Win Friends and Influence People: “You’ll have more fun and
success when you stop trying to get what you want, and start helping other people get what they
want.”
“Short-term
profit taking
damages
long-term
profit making”
Putting clients first does not mean "giving away the store". Quite the
reverse; unless you charge a reasonable fee the client is unlikely to feel
they are getting real value. The perception of the value they have
received will to some degree at least be based on how much they paid.
The principle of putting clients’ interests first should start at the selling
stage. Don’t sell unless you’re convinced you can do a better job for
your client than anyone else could. If you can’t, say so. If you believe
you can, put yourself in a position to do so by listening to their needs and carefully meeting
them.
Few professionals seem to have difficulty in agreeing with the principle of putting clients’
interests first. However, when it emerges that this may mean passing clients to other
organisations better placed to meet a client’s needs the reaction is predictable. Yes, it is easy to
see that this follows, and that it makes sense, but many people think it would just not be
acceptable within their firm to turn work away. Yet there is no doubt in my mind that it is the right
thing to do if the client would be better served.
The Marketing Director of an accountancy firm phoned me and explained they were introducing
a client feedback system and, cautious to do this carefully at first, they wanted me to help by
obtaining feedback from a selection of their clients. I said I could, and had done so for other
clients where specifically asked, but emphasised that other people make this their business and
who could probably do a better job of it.
The Marketing Director thanked me and said she would contact the person I had recommended.
Yes, I had turned work away, but I had lived by my principle of putting clients’ interests first and
only accepting work where I can do a better job for that client than anyone else could.
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Maybe it’s a coincidence that an office Managing Partner from the same firm called me just a
week later asking me to speak at their annual conference. Being right up my street, I readily
accepted.
On another occasion I received a different reaction when telling a client they might be better
served by going elsewhere. They thanked me for my honesty but said they were used to working
with me and would rather I did the work. Under these circumstances, I was willing to do so.
The demise of my former firm Arthur Andersen highlights the extent to which a professional firm
depends upon the fragile quality of trust. Take that away and the whole organisation can tumble.
It is certainly not only the accountancy profession that should be worried. A survey by the
American Bar Association found lawyers among the lowest regarded professionals, with only
19% of Americans surveyed “extremely” or “very” confident in lawyers and the legal profession.
Respondents described lawyers as greedy, manipulative and corrupt, and those who had used a
lawyer complained of excessive fees not clearly explained upfront, lengthy delays and poor
communication.xxx
It might sound rather old-fashioned but the message is "do a really good job for your clients and
you will benefit". Some professional firms, in their attempts to become more commercial, have
mistakenly put their own fee-generating motives before the interests of clients. Not only is that
morally wrong, in the long term it’s also bad for business.
2 Sell professional services professionally
It is one of the peculiarities of professional services that the best people to do the marketing and
selling are the professionals who will be delivering the services. Clients are resistant to having a
star salesman wheeled in to do the deal, when they know that they will never see them again.
Clients want to meet the people they will be dealing with. So you need to be good not only at
serving clients, but at winning them too.
If you choose to go beyond “good” to become excellent at winning new clients and new work you
can expect to be very highly valued indeed. It’s an ability worth developing. And not withstanding
the myth of the “born salesman”, just about anyone can become excellent at selling if they want
to do so.
 Click below for:
Many professionals avoid selling, usually because they have
misunderstandings about what it really entails. Yet when approached
professionally, selling professional services is merely a matter of helping
clients to buy and can be highly professional.
Personal barriers to
selling & how to
overcome them
The following diagram illustrates the process of attracting and selling professional services. The
process usually involves several stages and can take time. Indeed, several professionals have
told me stories of how it has taken years to win a particular new client. Usually the higher the
value of the service (or greater importance to the client), the longer the process.
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“I’ve never heard of you”
Web site
Telemarketing
Selling
Seminars
No-risk
service
Adverts
PR
Networking
Beauty
parade
“You are my chosen provider”
Pilot
Brochures
Peopleism
Click below (eventually on the diagram) for a closer look at some of the ways in which you can
use the various marketing tools to set up those selling opportunities.
Attending networking events
Internal seminars
Speaking at external conferences
Writing articles
Getting media coverage
Telemarketing
Permission marketing
Adverts
Brochures
Business cards
Viral marketing To do
The starting point might be that a prospective client has never heard of you or your firm. Your
challenge - to persuade them to become a client - is a daunting one. It will involve building a
relationship, winning trust, and understanding a client’s needs before being able to show how
you can serve them. Selling professional services is like courtship – you
have to take it step by step. If you attempt to go too fast too soon, you are
“Selling
likely to be rejected.
professional
services is like
courtship”
To help you in this challenge you and your firm have an array of marketing
tools at your disposal. At the left hand side of the diagram are the colder,
impersonal tools such as advertising, brochures, mailings, etc. These can
help to raise awareness of you, your firm and its services. However, for all but the very simplest
of commoditised professional services, you are unlikely ever to make a sale using only these
tools. Few prospective clients are going to see an advert for your firm and tear off a reply slip
confirming that they would like you to become their accountants, or management consultants, or
lawyers. Sadly it just doesn’t work that way.
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To sell professional services you need face-to-face contact. The aim of the earlier stages of
selling should therefore be to set up those all-important face-to-face selling opportunities.
So, for example, a prospect might see an advert or receive a mailing about a forthcoming
seminar being sponsored by a professional firm. She attends the seminar and is impressed by
what she hears from the firm’s high quality presenters. Not only do they seem to be experts in
their subject, but it is clear they understand the kind of issues she is facing. Afterwards there is a
drinks reception and the prospect has an opportunity to meet some of the firm’s partners and
staff who show a genuine interest in her business. They offer to send some information that they
suggest might be of value to her in dealing with some specific problems she is facing. Having
subsequently sent this, one of the partners follows up to see if he can explain anything. Through
discussion he asks if it would be helpful to meet and talk about how he might be able to help her
achieve her aims. She readily agrees and, through this process, the professional has
successfully set up an opportunity to sell. And despite all the stages involved so far, that is all he
has done; set up an opportunity to sell.
The selling process
Having set up a selling opportunity, the selling process itself might well involve several stages
too:
Orientation
First
Presentation
Second
Presentation
No-risk
service
“You are my chosen provider”
Pilot
Peopleism
change the diagram – advance and make the pilot etc clearer – brief description and ref to later
on hover
Initially you will need an orientation stage, usually involving a meeting with the client to help fully
understand their requirements. This is the most important element of selling professional
services and you will need to give it the commitment it deserves.
You will need to follow this by at least one further meeting to show the client how you can help
them achieve what, through the orientation stage, you have identified is important to them. One
© Peopleism 2005
52
meeting may not be sufficient and you may need to progress step-by step, for example to get in
front of the real decision-makers. (I used to work with a sales-based organisation that had a
seven-stage selling process). Generally the more valuable the service being provided, the more
rigorous the buying and selling processes will be.
Think about offering a pilot service initially, as a lower commitment for a client to say “yes” to
(and therefore likely to be a more successful entry point). This would then give the client an
opportunity to experience your services before making a more significant commitment, and it
gives you an opportunity to prove yourself.
Using written proposals
Don’t expect written proposals to do your selling for you. They are too often given too much
emphasis by professionals. They can be useful and necessary (because clients often ask for
them) but realistically they will not do much to help you win a client. Worse, they can be the
cause of losing.
The important thing is to identify what you want the proposal document to do for you, and then to
design it for that purpose. Don’t take the easy option of having a boilerplate proposal that is
simply tailored for different clients. It is usually all too obvious. By all means draw from other
sources (such as previous proposals) but create a fresh document each time. This may seem
like the same thing approached in two different ways, but in reality the end result will be very
different.
The purpose of the proposal document depends on the stage at which it is deployed. A
document could be used at one or more of the following stages:
Orientation
First
Presentation
Second
Presentation
No-risk
service
Written
Proposal
“You are my chosen provider”
Pilot
Peopleism
Obviously every proposal document has to be different to meet the different
circumstances in which it used. However, in summary, the aim should be to
advance to the next stage – no more, no less.
 Click below for:
What to include (and
leave out) of written
proposals
Closing a sale
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53
You might come across books with titles like “101 closing techniques”. They describe dealclinching techniques such as the assumptive close and the alternative close. They might come in
useful if you ever find yourself selling cans of floor polish door-to-door, where the main motive of
your buyers will be to get you off their doorsteps. They do not work when selling professional
services.
If you have thoroughly identified your client’s requirements and convincingly shown how you can
be of real benefit, you will not need to resort to any cheap closing techniques. All you will need to
do is to help your client make the right buying decision.
With professional services it is not about “closing” sales. What really matters is opening sales
through the orientation stage to find out what client’s really want.
3 Find out what clients really want
What clients want
You will be successful as a professional when your chosen clients know you are helping them
get what they want. So what do clients want?
David Maister is right when he says, “One of the most dangerous sentences in any language is
one that begins, ‘What clients want is ……..’, no matter how you finish that statement you will be
wrong”.”xxxi Individual clients will each have their own drives and will act accordingly and you will
need to be good at finding out what is really driving them.
Recognising needs and wants
Incidentally, there is a big distinction between a need and a want. A need is a necessity; a want
is an inner urge that is strictly emotional. A client may need something (like an audit or
documented policies) but not really want it. Conversely, they may want something (like the latest
IT fad or a new corporate image) but not really need it. If the want is great enough, they will buy,
but only after they have justified, however spuriously, why they need it.
Wants may be consistent with needs (for example, a buyer may want to be seen to be making a
good purchasing decision). However, sometimes wants may conflict with needs (for example a
buyer may feel over-awed by a highly skilled professional and may therefore choose someone
they feel more comfortable with.)
They said it first…..
J P Morgan, the great financier, once said, "A person usually has two reasons for doing
something - one that sounds good and the real reason".
Dale Carnegie wisely said, "When dealing with people remember that you are not dealing
with creatures of logic but with creatures of emotion."
Henry Ford knew that "people have two reasons for doing things: the right reason and the
real reason."
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Charles Revson, creator of Revlon, famously said "when it leaves the factory, its lipstick.
But when it crosses the counter in the department store, it's hope".
Orientation meetings
Fact-finding, or what I call “orientation”, is by far the most important
stage of selling professional services. Why? Because in selling you
don't have to show that you are better than your competitors, but that
you are better able to meet your client's particular requirements. Put
another way, the key to competitive edge does not lie within you or
your firm, but within the hearts and minds of your clients. If you can
be better at uncovering a client's requirements, you will be far better
positioned to show how you can satisfy them.
“The key to
competitive edge
does not lie within
you or your firm,
but within the
hearts and minds
of your clients”
To attempt to "sell" without first understanding what a client is buying
is like throwing darts blindfolded - some may hit the target, but all too few. That is why the
orientation phase of the selling process is so important.
Since the most important information you will want will not be publicly available, nor will it be
included in an invitation to tender, you need to create an opportunity to find out. Orientation
meetings have their place with both prospective clients, to win them as clients, and with existing
clients, to identify new ways in which you could add value and so develop the business
relationship.
Yet many professionals avoid initiating orientation meetings because they would feel
uncomfortable doing so, and they do not want to look pushy. Others probably just overlook the
benefits, or leave it too late.
Along with six other organisations, I was once invited to take part in a competitive proposal to
provide a training programme for a professional firm. Following a written briefing, the next stage
of the process, defined by the firm, was to interview the two key decision-makers in depth about
their requirements. In effect, this potential client had recognised the value to them, as well as to
the potential providers, of an orientation phase. I used the opportunity to the full and from that
was able to win the assignment. Subsequently my new client told me they had to stop one of my
competitors part way through their initial meeting to remind them of its purpose and to ask them
to do less talking and more listening!
However, my reasons for being a strong advocate of orientation meetings are not all founded on
positive experiences. Some years ago I lost a competitive proposal, despite being well placed to
win. One of the reasons given was that the winning competitor had taken the trouble to go along
prior to the proposal meeting in order to question the client about their needs. In other words,
they had asked for an orientation meeting. That was my first practical introduction to orientation
meetings, and it has perhaps forged my rather strong feelings about them!
There may be circumstances in which an orientation meeting is
inappropriate or impractical, but these are relatively rare. In
© Peopleism 2005
 Click below for:
What’s stopping you from using
orientation meetings
How to set up an orientation
meeting
55
Successful orientation meetings
almost all circumstances professionals should do everything possible to engineer an orientation
meeting.
4 Use sales triads to persuade clients you can help them
Persuading clients that you can benefit them
Once you have thoroughly understood your client’s requirements you can then, and only then,
show how you can help them. Of course, if at this stage you realise you cannot help, or that the
client would be best served by going elsewhere, now is the time to tell them. You might have
wasted a little time going through the orientation phase but probably less time than if you had
ploughed on with a sales presentation and lost or, more dangerously, won an inappropriate
client!
So once you are convinced you can help your client, you need to persuade them of that. There’s
a really easy and professional way to do that, using what I call “sales triads”.
Sales triads
A sales triad is a few sentences that relate to an important client need or want and that together
incorporate a feature of your service, the benefit to the client, and some evidence, such as a
success story showing how you have helped a similar client.
Feature
Client
need or want
Benefit
Evidence
Together this combination of feature, benefit and evidence – which you
can use in any order - creates a very powerful and persuasive way to
convince clients that you can help them. Do this for all the main needs and
wants you identified through your orientation and you will have a very
effective sales presentation indeed.
 Click below for:
A 5-step process to
construct effective sales
triads
Identifying benefits
Professional firms often believe they are selling a service or a product to their clients. But this is
not what clients are buying. They want improved income, cost savings, new opportunities, less
risk, less hassle, solutions to problems, etc. These are benefits.
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Clients don't buy the features of a product or service. They buy the benefits it will give them. When
selling your products and services, always focus on the benefits rather than the features. Here are
some examples related to professional services:
Feature
 We use the latest technology
Possible benefits
 We can save you money
 We minimise inconvenience to you
 We can be sure of getting the best
result for you
 (You don’t need to worry about
whether we are up to date)


We provide a partner-led service


We are part of an international network




We have a sophisticated interactive
web-site




I have 20 years experience of…….


You get the best advice
immediately
(We make you feel important)
We can introduce you to potential
business opportunities overseas
You won’t have the hassle of
finding overseas advisers
(You can brag about us to your
friends)
You can effortlessly keep yourself
up to date on…….
You can instantly track the progress
of the project, so avoiding wasted
time and costs
(You don’t need to worry about
whether we are technologically up
to date)
I can help you achieve your aim of..
(I’m not a young whiz kid who will
make you wonder where you went
wrong)
When coaching professionals on selling their services, I find that most already know the
difference between features and benefits and that they should be emphasising the benefits. But
then when they talk about their services I have to drag the benefits out of them. Make sure you
are turning features into benefits. Repeatedly apply the “so what” test. Keep asking yourself
“which means that…..” until you come up with something that is of real benefit to your client.
Incidentally, the final benefit in each of the examples above (in brackets) relates to “wants” rather
than “needs”. Whilst these are often more important to prospects than needs, they may remain
unstated. They won’t admit to them. The benefits are therefore often better left unsaid. Instead,
lead the prospect to identify the benefit for themselves.
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Make your features distinctive
You cannot sell by talking about benefits alone. If you were to tell your client “we can help you
reduce your costs by 10%” you would certainly be emphasising a benefit. But it begs the
question “how?”. This is where features comes in. Describing the features of your service (ie
what you will do to deliver the benefits) helps to convince the client that you really can do what
you say.
Describe features as distinctively and tangibly as possible. For example, talk about a process, a
system, or a new piece of software your firm has developed. See if you can increase the product
element of the service: a report, a manual, a diagnostic tool, seminars, etc. Even though these
may seem to add little real benefit, their tangibility might add credence to the more substantial
but less tangible benefits.
Ideally, there should be powerful features of your service that are unique, making it distinctly
different from anything your competitors might offer (your unique selling points or USPs). It is
these that give you your real competitive edge. They might relate to:



the product or service itself
firm differences (location, size, etc)
personal differences (expertise, personality, etc).
Convincing evidence
Professional services generally have a significant intangible element to them. Indeed, most of
the value will come from the intangibles. Financial statements, tax returns, legal contracts and
glossy presentations are just the tangible manifestations of the professional’s work. The real
value to the client lies in feeling confident and reassured that their money is being well managed,
that their taxes have been minimised, that their estate plan is sound, etc. These intangibles are
much more difficult to prove and, to a large extent, the client takes them on trust.
In selling professional services you therefore have to offer evidence that you can deliver the
benefits you say you can. You can do this through:


examples of what you have achieved for other similar clients: tell them as stories, being as
specific as you can without breaching any confidentialities
third party validation: show articles, awards and anything else that builds credibility
You and your firm should be building up a record of this evidence so that you can readily draw
on it when putting together proposals. You cannot use canned proposals but neither should you
have to start from scratch each time.
At a business development seminar I asked for examples of achievements that could be used as
evidence in proposals. After some silence and a lot of thought one of the delegates recalled that
he had once helped a client by suggesting a change of accounting date to them. By doing so he
had been able to save them £600,000 in tax. What a great story to be able to tell other potential
clients, yet one that was unknown to his colleagues and almost forgotten by himself. Another
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twist on this story was that for making this substantial saving for his client he had charged them
no more than his usual hourly rates!
5 Delight your clients by “icing the cake”
Why service matters so much
Why should you take the trouble to provide excellent client service? Well, apart from the fact that
this is what you are being paid to doxxxii, there are some compelling reasons for taking the
responsibility very seriously:

Clients pay extra for good service: often much, much more than the cost of providing it.

Usually, correcting problems caused by poor service, costs more than providing good service in
the first place.

Good client service usually means better staff morale (because people would rather do a good
job for clients than a bad one).

Where there is relatively little differentiation between products and services in a market, good
customer service may be all that sets apart one firm from another.

Winning new clients is important. Keeping existing ones is even more important. The AICPA
discovered that it costs 11 times more to win a new customer than it does to retain an
existing customer.
It therefore makes good business sense to strive to give first-rate service.
Winning repeat business and referrals from clients
Should this be boxed?
When I first started out as an independent consultant I offered a free half-day’s training to a law
firm. That firm is still a client and over the years has generated over £100,000 in fees. But more
than that, through recommendations and through staff moving on to other firms that one client
led me to do work for eight other firms, together generating a further £400,000 in fees.
And that is not an isolated example. Some years ago following a £2,000 assignment for a public
relations consultancy, they introduced me to three of their clients. One of these led on to three
other clients. Over a period of several years that small assignment has given rise to more than
£0.5m in fees.
Now more than 90% of my work comes from repeat business and referrals. The key to this
seems to be to do a good job for clients. Then they are genuinely happy to pass on my name to
others. I don’t ask them to, they just do it. Indeed, on a couple of occasions when I have perhaps
clumsily attempted to suggest to clients that they might want to refer me to others, it hasn’t made
any noticeable difference.
That’s not to say you should not let clients know you welcome referrals, but be careful not to
impose any kind of pressure, or incentive, or reciprocal arrangement. It undermines the
credibility of the recommendation and it might even backfire.
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Client-centred cross selling
Many firms are starting to put increased emphasis on attempts to cross sell their services. They
(rightly) recognise there is great potential to build on their existing client relationships and
(wrongly) assume that cross selling provides the answer.
For a time, one of my old firms used to focus on certain products and services and attempt a
concerted effort at pushing them at clients: “This month we are pushing fraud reviews”, etc. On
reflection that was a misguided approach.
The problem with the whole idea of cross selling, as approached by many
firms, is that it views client development from the perspective of the
professional firm, rather than from the interests of the client. It falls foul of
the principle that should underlie all professional service work of putting
client interests first.
Your intention should therefore not be to cross sell your other services to
clients. Instead aim to fully understand a client’s aspirations and problems
and to search for ways to positively help them. Start with the client’s
requirements rather than with your own services.
“Start with the
client’s
requirements
rather than with
your own
services”
Adopting this client-centred approach you are much more likely to build a trusting relationship
with clients and, paradoxically, you are much more likely to cross sell your firm’s services!
Of course, you can only expect clients to buy additional services from you and your firm if they
are very satisfied with your existing levels of service. If not, you need to first take action You
need to make every effort to be sure they are before attempting to get new opportunities from
them. In short, you need to delight your clients.
Delighting your clients
A client’s satisfaction will depend on how their perception of the service received compares with
their expectations:
Only if the client’s perception of the service they received exceeds their expectations are you
likely to have a delighted client. Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, has a simple
philosophy: “bewitch, dazzle, delight, and fascinate the customer”. She knows that delivering
good customer service is not enough. Clients need to be delighted.
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Your clients may not necessarily use the term “delighted” but you need to get them more than
satisfied with you. It is only from this category of clients that you can rely on repeat work, new
work, and referrals.
If a client’s perception of your service matches, more or less, their expectations, then you will
have a satisfied client. Beware, satisfied clients have little loyalty. They view your service as just
OK. If another provider comes along – and they will – and says “we can do all that and more, or
for a lower fee” then your satisfied client is likely to listen carefully. With satisfied clients you
need to ask yourself what you could do to exceed their expectations, so moving them up into the
delighted category.xxxiii
Unfortunately clients’ expectations are ever-rising. You are chasing a moving target in trying to
exceed expectations. That does not mean you shouldn’t try. It means you need to try even
harder.
Clients’ expectations and perceptions will rarely relate to your technical work. Often they are not
qualified to judge this. Instead they are forming judgements on the basis of other things; the
things they see, hear, witness - the "moments of truth". Every time you or your firm come into the
minds of a client - a letter, e-mail, phone call, meeting, invoice, etc, - there is a moment of truth.
Identify all the “moments of truth” for your service, and critically ask yourself whether the client’s
judgment of service at that point is likely to be positive or negative (it will rarely be neutral). To
improve satisfaction you can:
 make sure that moments of truth are as positive as possible
 increase the number of (positive) moments of truth, so reinforcing an overall positive
impression
 “ice the cake” by adding additional minor benefits that go beyond the client’s expectations.
It is not only the service itself that matters, but the way it is delivered. In fact for professional
services the two are inseparable. The way a service should be delivered will depend on the
circumstances and the service being provided. What is appropriate for a fast food outlet (a sense of
urgency) or in a bar (creating an atmosphere of fun) may be quite wrong in a firm of lawyers. It will
also depend on the client.
A client of mine received very different feedback from two clients about their same-day turnaround
on requests for advice. One was impressed. The other was concerned that the issue might not
have been given as much thought as it merited.
Most people can recognise that good client service is a good thing. However, many regard it as
"someone else's job". Delivering good client service is everyone's job. Being devoted to clients can
mean having to reschedule priorities. Some firms are too bogged down by internal meetings and
administration to deal effectively with clients. Others mistakenly chase cold leads to win new clients,
whilst neglecting the clients they already have.
Dealing with dissatisfied clients
If a client’s perception of the service they received falls short of their expectations, then you will
have a dissatisfied client. Dissatisfied clients are bad news for you and your firm. They badmouth you, so damaging your reputation. It is possible to move a client from being dissatisfied to
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being delighted in a single swoop. So when something goes wrong (and there will always be some
instances of second rate service even in the best of firms) treat this as an opportunity to really
demonstrate your obsession with pleasing clients. Clients who have suffered bad service can, if it is
dealt with properly, be turned into your most devoted followersxxxiv.
If you cannot, or are not willing to, address their dissatisfaction, then you need to pass them on
to a firm that can better meet their requirements. My old firm Andersen’s used to ask each audit
manager to identify their three “worst” clients and then have them justify why those clients should
be retained. Generally there is insufficient client culling. Getting rid of poor clients makes way for
clients whose requirements you are better placed to meet. If it is done in a positive way, the
client will be grateful and you will have minimized any damaging word-of-mouth fallout.xxxv
Client service leadership
If you have a leadership responsibility, then your team will judge yours and the firm's
commitment to client service by the actions they see you taking (or failing to take). Every time
you overlook an example of poor service you will be sending a very powerful (and negative)
message to the team.
To be able to deal with clients effectively, all staff involved in servicing your client
need to understand what the client is really buying and how what they do fits
with the client’s expectations.
New ideas for improving client service are most likely to come from those closest
to the action; the front line service people. Create a culture that encourages all
staff to come forward with new ideas and improvements, however minor they
may appear. Recognise their contributions and reward them.
“Don’t
tolerate
poor
client
service”
Partners and senior fee earners cannot make all the day-to-day decisions on client service issues.
Those who are in direct contact with clients have to be empowered to do the right thing under the
circumstances. Give them the confidence to exercise their judgement and to know they are
expected to do so. Contrary to traditional belief, employees who are given this trust do not abuse it.
They actually take a greater responsibility for profitability.
What gets rewarded gets repeated. Good client service is important, so reward it.
Acknowledgement is a starting point. The reverse is also true. Don’t tolerate poor client service.
Recognise it for the damage it can do. In a firm that is committed to client service, people who
aren’t have no place.
6 Ask clients for feedback
need more here, and a couple of sub headings
You may well know which of your clients are delighted, which are satisfied and which are
dissatisfied. However, for most professional firms there is a large fourth category where you
simply do not know what their level of satisfaction is. For them you need to find out.
“If you want to
lead in client
service, start
using client
care reviews”
© Peopleism 2005
Don't judge your success by the number of letters of complaint you
receive. Every one is a cause for concern (as well as an opportunity to
put things to right by demonstrating real care). Instead, ask for feedback
from your clients. It’s the only way you can really know whether you are
62
achieving. Also, research shows that customers are more likely to buy again if they are given an
opportunity to voice their opinion on the service they have received.
Some professional firms use questionnaires following assignments to get
 Click below for:
feedback from clients. Though this may be appropriate for relatively low
value services, it is impersonal and may send just the wrong message.
10 steps to a successful
client care review
The ideal is a face to face “client care review” at which you go through a
structured process to find out what clients really think about your service.
If you want to lead in client service, start using client care reviews. Soon all serious firms will be
using them as a matter of course.
Some professionals avoid doing this because they do not want to put any idea of poor service into
the minds of clients. This fear is unjustified. If there is a concern in the back of a client’s mind you
would do well to draw it out and deal with it.
An additional (not alternative) route to getting valuable feedback from clients is to set up a “Client
Advisory Board”. This approach is becoming more common and usually involves drawing
representatives from several key clients and bringing them together to discuss aspects of your
service. It is best to have these meetings independently facilitated (and I have run them for my
clients) so those present feel they can speak freely, which they do (even though they know the
meeting is being recorded). The feedback that emerges can be invaluable in helping firms
develop their services to better meet clients’ requirements.
7 Shake-off the hourly billing mindset and guarantee excellent value
Charge by the year, not by the day
Many professionals charge by the hour (or by the day) for their time. Yet time is not really what
their clients are buying. Clients are buying the benefits the professional can deliver, regardless of
how long it takes. In fact usually the client would rather the benefits be delivered in less rather
than more time!
According to Paul Dunn (Founding Chairman of Results Accountants' Systems, famous for their
boot camps) "We've been face to face with literally thousands of A-class clients of accounting
firms. When you ask them about pricing they universally (and I do mean that literally) decry the
Rate x Time method."
It therefore makes more sense to base your fees on the perceived value to the client, rather than
how long the job takes. Put another way, charge by the years (of experience) rather than by the
hour.
When discussing value-based pricing with three Senior Partners in a
U.S. based law practice, they fully accepted that it made sense and
was the right way to go but were adamant that “we’ll never change the
culture of billable hours here”. Too bad.
It is certainly a culture that runs deep. Many, if not most, professional
firms have unwittingly institutionalised a method of pricing that results
in a lose-lose situation for clients and the firm alike. In an effort to
maximise fees and profitability, most firms meticulously monitor fee
© Peopleism 2005
“The main
factors that
drive long-term
profitability go
largely
unchecked!”
63
income, billable hours, and write-offs, etc. Partners and fee earners are then assessed and
rewarded on these metrics.
Meanwhile the main factors that drive long-term profitability go largely unchecked!
What are these factors? The first is delivering excellent perceived value to clients. This is the
source of sustained profitability since the higher the perceived value, the higher the fee income
that can be earned from it. Excellent perceived value also leads to repeat business and referrals.
Another factor is building the firm's future earning capacity. That means developing its people,
managing knowledge, investing in systems, building brands, etc.
These are the factors that lead to win-win client relationships and these are the factors that firms
should be monitoring and rewarding.
In his book True Professionalism David Maister asks the question "do you maximise or minimise
the bill?" and points out that firms that reward their people based on billable hours create
incentives for people to find ways to maximise fees to the client. The longer a job takes, the
higher the bill. How does that add to the client's perception of value? It doesn't.
That's not to say that minimising the fee to the client is always right either. A fee that is too low
may actually reduce the perceived value to the clientxxxvi.
A Tax Partner told me he was once telephoned by one of his clients who explained that she
needed a small project carrying out urgently and, having explained her needs, asked how much
it would cost. The Partner’s mind quickly calculated how many hours it would take to do the job
and applied his usual hourly rate, coming up with a fee around £1,200. He thought that perhaps
he could push this to £1,500 given the urgency of the matter.
Before he could speak, his client chipped in and said ‘Look before you tell me how much this is
going to cost, I ought to tell you that we have a fixed budget that we simply cannot go above for
this. The maximum we can pay is £5000’. The Tax Partner was able to please the client by
agreeing to do it for this figure.
I wonder what would have happened if he had said £1,500? Would the client have been
delighted or would she, more likely, have felt that perhaps she needed a higher quality provider?
The best approach seems to be to:



maximise the value you provide to your clients
charge fees that leave your clients feeling they paid a reasonable fee for the excellent
value they received (regardless of what your costs might be)
work to minimise the costs of delivering your services.
Now there's a route to long-term profitability!
Can you do anything about this in your firm? After all, no individual (not even the most senior
partner) can quickly change an ingrained culture and processes that have become
institutionalised. Yet anyone can start somewhere. Make a start with a single client, or a single
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64
assignment. That's the way to start a constructive process of change. If not you, who? If not now,
when?
Commanding higher prices for your professional services
Professional services can be plotted along a value curve. At the bottom end of the curve are
“commodity” services. Here the service is standard and the client doesn’t much care who
provides it. Subject perhaps to certain minimum quality standards, the client will buy from
whomever offers the lowest price. Tax compliance and payroll services offered by some
accountancy firms might fall into this category. Last time I bought a home I visited a web site that
searches for the lowest conveyancing quote. I was able to save 50% on the fee quoted by my
usual high street solicitor. Conveyancing has become a commodity.
Slightly higher up the curve are “commodity +” services. Again, the basic service offered could
be obtained from many providers, but some clients are willing to pay extra for additional
perceived value. The big-4 accountancy firms and “magic circle” US term? law firms are able to
command a premium for their commodity services because of their brand names. Other
providers find ways to differentiate the service to create a perception of additional value.
Price
Insensitive
Relative Value Added
Unique
Uniqueservices
services
Experiential
Experientialservices
services
Brand
Brandname
nameservices
services
Price
Sensitive
Commodity
Commodityservices
services
Volume of workavailable
Peopleism
change terminology on graph
Still further up the curve are “business-critical” services. These are services seen by a client as
absolutely crucial to their survival or achievement of their aspirations. If you were told you
needed brain surgery it is unlikely you would want to shop around to find a good deal. You would
be more likely to search out the very best, “whatever it costs”. So it is with business-critical
services. Clients will want a provider with a proven track record and, because of the high
perceived value, will be willing to pay.
At the top end of the curve are “pioneering” services. These are services that break new ground,
that enter unexplored territory, or that address entirely new needs (such as new ways of
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structuring deals, entering new markets, designing innovative systems, etc). Again, because of
the high perceived value, providers of pioneering services can command large fees.
All of these types of services can be profitable for professionals, but the way in which the
services are designed, marketed, delivered, managed, and priced will be very different.
If you experience severe pressure on your prices you may be guilty of attributing too much value
to services that are perceived by clients as commodities.
The answer to this is to choose one of the following strategies:

become more efficient at providing undifferentiated services, and lower your prices so you
become competitive and attract large volumes of work

add greater perceived value to your services in ways that match the needs of your clients,
so your service becomes the preferred choice for your clients, for which they will be
prepared to pay more

become a virtual monopoly in some corner of a market. This you can do by making your
service, or yourself, unique and sought after. And yes, you are unique. Certain barristers,
surgeons and management gurus have done this successfully. After all, there's only one
you!
Who knows best?
According to Ronald Baker in The Professional's Guide to Value Pricing "if you cannot identify
what your customers are willing and able to pay for a given service (and hourly billing will not
help you) you are leaving between 20 and 50 per cent of your gross
revenue on the table."
 Click below for:
To find out how you should price and bill your services, ask
questions. Find out what really matters to the client.
Talking to clients about money is no longer taboo, but some clients
will be less open than others and you may need to do some sensitive
probing to get the information you need.
Establishing a client’s attitude
to fees
Using “Value Agreements”
Dealing with fee pressure
Guarantee your work
Is your service good enough to guarantee? Offering service guarantees can benefit both your
client and your firm. Your client will benefit from service guarantees because the uncertainty, or
risk, will be lowered (and when a client buys professional services there is always an element of
risk involved). You will benefit because you will find it easier to win new business, since a
guarantee can be a powerful selling point. It may even make it possible for you to charge a
higher fee.
It's worth asking yourself what changes you would want to make to your service before feeling
sufficiently confident to guarantee client satisfaction.
In effect, most professional service firms already operate a service guarantee, of sorts. If clients
complained loudly enough, the firm would discount the bill. If you are prepared to do this
anyway, why not offer the guarantee up front and gain the many benefits associated with it.
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What should a service guarantee look like? Well here’s mine as an example:
“We would always expect the benefits from our services to be worth several times the investment.
However if we cannot demonstrate, to your genuine satisfaction, benefits well in excess of our fee,
we will adjust the fee accordingly. You will be the final judge so you have nothing to lose.”
In the ten years or so that I have included that guarantee in my terms and in proposals I have
never been asked to reduce my fee. There have however been two instances that I can recall
where I have offered to do additional work on a project because I was not totally satisfied that I
had given excellent value.
If you feel anxious about offering service guarantees, why? Don't you trust your service to deliver
the benefits promised? Or don't you trust your client to value the service? If it is the former then
you need to develop the service further, and tailor it to closely meet your clients' needs? If it is
the latter you need to involve your clients to ensure they fully understand your service and the
benefits it can provide.
If you simply do not trust your clients to pay, even though they recognise that value has been
given, you need to re-look at your client selection criteria.
Perhaps some clients will take advantage of you. But at least they will identify themselves as
problem clients and can be dealt with accordingly. However, in most instances in which a client
has a concern about the value delivered, this presents a great opportunity for the service
provider to take impressive action to delight that client.
If you have concerns about offering service guarantees to all your clients, start with some and
assess the success of this strategy.
A summary / conclusion to this section? & subsequent ones
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7 STEPS TO STARDOM THROUGH LEADERSHIP
need an intro as for client service section
(need to refer to hybrids in all intros)
1 Put people first
redo 1st section under leadership when done other sections – need more energy in this
Why leadership matters
If this book had been written a decade ago, this leadership dimension probably wouldn’t have
been mentioned. Managing in professional firms has often been seen as little more than an
irritating necessity to be squeezed in alongside the much more important client-serving activities.
Little wonder so many professional organisations are bereft of real leadership. xxxvii
But the world has moved on. Attracting and getting the best from great people is now one of the
main challenges that professional organisations face. If you can rise to that challenge you can
expect to be lionized.
You may have been told by well-meaning partners that people are your firm’s most valuable
asset. Bad news…. they lied!
If it were true would they…
 …put up with 35 or 40% annual wastage? Yet staff turnover rates of that order are common
when markets are buoyant and people can see greener grass
 …really overlook under-utilisation rates of 30 to 50%. Yet professional people regularly tell
me that they are operating this far beneath their true potential
 …seriously appoint part-time custodians, with little time to devote to the task, and often little
clue how to do it. Yet leaders in professional firms are rarely freed from their fee-earning
targets and are given scant support to fulfil their role.
Too often the “most valuable asset” cliché has a very hollow ring to it.
The reality is that people are not like assets anyway. If you want an
analogy, it would be more fruitful to think of them as being like clients. You
have to win them, help them get what they want, keep them delighted, ask
for their feedback, trust them, show them utmost respect, etc.
“People are not
like assets”
A professional firm can’t be great without great people. And it takes great leaders to attract and
get the best from great people.
Leadership starts here
Leadership is not just something for those at the higher echelons of a firm (although it most
certainly is a skill a firm’s top leaders should possess in abundance). Whatever your role you
can, indeed must, exercise leadership within your sphere of influence. Your firm, like every other
professional firm, needs to change. Yet in the best organisations, change doesn’t come about
because it is dictated from the top. It occurs because leaders throughout the organisation initiate
change within their office, their team, or their cubicle. They make a splash and the ripples
energise their organisation.
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So even if you don’t have your heart set on becoming a practice area leader, leadership skills
will be important for you in running projects, leading client service teams, getting the best from
junior professionals or your secretary, and in influencing your organisation. Frankly, if you are
going anywhere at all in professional services, you had better get yourself a healthy dose of
leadership skills.
Appealing to the emerging new professional
We have already explored some of the trends shaping the professions and on page we looked
at how these trends are likely to affect the client of the future. Let’s now look at how those very
same trends are having their effect on professionals and what you, with your leadership hat on,
will need to offer to appeal to the professionals in your care.
So what picture does this paint of tomorrow’s successful professional?xxxviii Probably something
along the following lines:
what will they seek from their career:
With a long career (or a series of careers) ahead of them, they will expect their career to
provide not only the means for life, but the purpose of life too (not so much a job for life,
as a life from their job). They will want advancement, not in the old hierarchical sense, but
in terms of new challenges consistent with their life purpose. They will want to stay
marketable and if they feel they are stagnating they will move quickly from job to job,
unwilling to serve time to qualify for career advancement. They will control their own
careers, insistent on a career plan to suit their unique aspirations. They will be driven less
by goals of partnership or equity sharing, attracted instead by the next new challenge that
will help them realise their personal goals.
how will they find work opportunities:
They will be tuned into on-line and personal networks to find work (not just long-term
employment, but any challenging opportunity to use their talents). They will have
immediate access to information about career opportunities, best practices, the worth of
their services, etc. They will be harder to reach by the traditional advertised vacancy.
They will draw stability not from secure employment but from a clear sense of purpose.
what organisations will they want to be part of:
They will want to jump into (and out of) any organisation that can help them achieve their
aims. Size will be less important than shared values. They will operate in small flexible
units, either independently or within larger organisations. They will not so much be looking
for a job as looking for an organisation that will provide a vehicle for pursuing their career.
Any organisation of which they are a part will have to support them in staying at the
forefront in their field. They will expect a say in what they do and how they do it, and will
fight their corner hard.
Of course, as with looking to the profile of the future clients, we have to recognise that every one
is different. The above analysis can only be a starting point and in reality we have to focus on
individuals and find out what drives them.
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Organising professional firms
Wearing your leadership hat, to justify your firm’s existence (and professional firm leaders will
have to do so daily under increasingly competitive conditions) you will need to demonstrate your
firm can add real value for both clients and the firm’s professionals:
 more value for your people than they could obtain from other organisations or from operating
independently
 more value for your clients than they could obtain from other organisations or by directly
approaching individual professionals.
In later chapters we will consider in more depth how you can achieve this, but let’s here take a
passing look at the main features of PSOs that bestow benefits upon their professionals and
their clients. It is these features and their associated benefits that you must work to enhance.
Offering these benefits is not an adjunct to what PSOs are about; this is what they are about.
This is why they exist. PSOs do not carryout any value-creating work for clients. The
professionals do that. The PSOs exist merely to facilitate the process.





















Benefit to professional talent
shared values (including social &
environmental)
eases the joining decision
prestige and an enhanced CV
an assurance that promises will
be delivered
a name that makes it easier to
attract new clients / work
(intolerant)
sense of purpose / realising
aspirations
benefits of a smaller team in a
larger whole
more opportunities to lead and
excel
leveraging talents & creativity
minimum low value work
training / coaching
(set ways, slow to change)
ready-made clients and
prospects
productive and social benefits of
teamwork
more challenging and rewarding
client work, by being able to
work as part of larger multidisciplinary team
next step career openings,
including PSO management
a safe harbour in uncertain
business or personal times
(impersonal)
work / life balance
high or at least sufficient
financial rewards
© Peopleism 2005
PSO features
Strong corporate brand / culture



Benefit to suitable clients
prestige
eases the buying process
matches own value culture
Specialist focus


a specialist pool of expertise
leading edge knowledge about
the industry/function/problem
Infrastructure / support /
methodologies

products and defined services
for known quality and lower
costs
project management to minimise
time and risks
supervision for assured quality
(higher cost base)
able to handle large and
complex projects
networks of contacts that realise
the benefits of interconnectedness
(impersonal)

Size / critical mass / conections





Flexible structures & “employment”
Financial



access to a wider pool of talent
high value for unique services
low cost for products and
standard services
70
This is not to suggest there is only one right answer in balancing this equation of matching the
needs of clients and professionals. Quite the opposite. There are a growing number of ways,
offering greater choice to clients and professionals alike. Each will find a PSO that most closely
matches their unique needs, and they will increasingly have easy access to information to help
them make informed decisions.
As a leader in a professional firm you must develop and project your firm to become first choice
for certain types of clients and certain types of professionals. The growing question is “best at
what?”
2 Apply the right balance of leadership and management
What leadership is
First, forget everything you know about managing people. It’s probably wrong. Most of us have
been subjected to role models of leadership that are simply inappropriate for the challenge
ahead.
Our earliest role models were probably our parents. They started out well when we were babies.
Unable to communicate with us except through overly exaggerated expressions of emotion, they
outrageously encouraged our first tentative efforts at walking, speaking, and potty training, and
they lovingly overlooked our obvious failings. But as we matured and learned to communicate,
language became our parents’ first resort for influencing our behaviour; they told us what to do
and they rebuked us when our playful experimentation was bad. And so began a negative cycle
that saw our self-belief plummet, that constrained our risk-taking, and that imprisoned our
freedom of expression.
“most people
are woefully
poor at getting
the best from
others”
Things didn’t improve much with our next role models; our teachers in
school. Here we learned of rules, authority, tests, and punishments.
These very same ways of controlling us probably carried through into
our early role models in the workplace too. And we may have been
guilty of perpetuating them in our own early attempts at managing
others.
Perhaps the point is laboured, but the reality is that most people are woefully poor at getting the
best from others.
Once when designing training to help partners in a major accountancy firm bring out the best in
their staff, it became obvious that the partners already had the necessary skills. Indeed they
were using these skills daily with their clients. However, on returning to the office they slipped
into a different mode where they relied on their “position power”, simply expecting their staff to
do as they were told. The training was therefore designed not to equip them with new skills but
to help them transfer the skills they already had to a different situation, i.e. dealing with their staff
as if they were clients.
Put more starkly, it can be worth thinking of staff as though they were volunteers. Yes,
volunteers. This analogy rankles with many people because most of these staff are being paid
substantial incomes to “compensate” them for their work. Yet the fact is that the most valuable
parts of their contribution they volunteer; they volunteer their creativity, they volunteer their
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commitment, they volunteer the smiles on their faces as they greet clients, they volunteer going
the extra mile. These things can’t be bought in return for cash. They will only be offered
voluntarily. And what leads people to volunteer these things? It probably boils down to pursuit of
a worthy goal and a sense of involvement.
And that’s what leadership is about; getting the best from people by involving them in committed
pursuit of a worthwhile goal.
Leadership vs management
The terms leadership and management are often used interchangeably. Yet they can be quite
different:
If management is about…..
Leadership is more about….
enforcing rules
setting objectives
instructing
pushing
telling
delegating
being supported
having ideas
demanding respect
processes
instilling values
offering a vision
coaching
pulling
involving
empowering
supporting
bringing out others’ ideas
showing respect
people
If anything, most professional organisations are under-led and over-managed (and an overdose
of management will not heal leadership anaemia).
Four different degrees of management/leadership can be identified along a hands-on – hands-off
continuum:
Management
Peopleism
Leadership
Peopleism
Peopleism
Peopleism
The boss
The hub
First among equals
The strategic leader
This is the traditional
management relationship.
A hierarchical authority
structure is in place.
Here the manager is the
centre-point of his team,
acting as a go-between,
allocating work and
resolving issues between
team members.
Here the manager is one
of the team, with additional
responsibility for facilitating
team activities. Direction is
provided by a common
sense of purpose and
shared values.
Here the leader is
detached, yet not remote
from the team. Team
members need no-one to
impose authority and make
decisions. The team’s
common purpose and
shared values have
become ingrained, so
Subordinates support and
are answerable to the
manager, implementing his
instructions.
© Peopleism 2005
Team members support
each other but are still
Team members are
72
The manager delegates,
directs, monitors and
controls.
largely answerable to the
manager who continues to
provide direction.
answerable to the team as
a whole. So is the
manager, and without the
co-operation of the team
his position would be
untenable.
everyone knows what is
expected.
The leader adopts a
longer-term view, planning
the team’s future direction,
providing inspiration, and
coaching team members
and the team as a whole to
achieve peak
performance.
It is no coincidence that these degrees of management/leadership correspond pretty much to the
influencing styles discussed earlier. The boss tends to do more telling, whereas the strategic
leader empowers her people.
None of these approaches is necessarily right or wrong. But each has its place, and is
inappropriate when applied in the wrong circumstances. Good leaders can adapt their style to
the circumstances.
3 Build teams around a shared sense of purpose, or vision
Types of teams
In reality, most organisations are now composed of a complex web of teams. You are likely to be
a member or leader of several client-serving teams. In addition you may be in a practice area, an
industry grouping and probably a handful of project teams. Some of these teams might include
clients, suppliers, alliance partners and others previously considered outsiders.
This jigsaw puzzle of teams has usurped the formal structures imposed by organisation charts.
The traditional hierarchy, and even the once-leading-edge matrix organisation, can no longer
cope when what is called for is not structure at all, but flexibility.
What true teamwork is and how to develop it
Teamwork is not just about forming people into manageable work groups and letting them get on
with it. True teamwork runs deep and it generates a noticeable sense of buzz; an energy that
binds together those who buy into it and that resonates even beyond the team.
Several years ago a client of mine identified a strategic need to become a leader in its field in
customer service. With this aim it re-engineered teamwork from top to bottom, with real
commitment not mere lip service. The result? Within two years they had won a prestigious
national award for customer service excellence. But there’s more. As a by-product, productivity
increased by some 30%. That’s what teamwork can deliver.
One time they had been awaiting news about whether they had won a major new contract - their
biggest and most prestigious contract so far. I was there when the news came through. The
security guard took it upon himself to go to the public address system and announce to the
whole organisation that they had won the deal. The cheer that went up from around the building
was deafening and immensely heartening. Three points struck me about this and they
characterise true teamwork:
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


everyone in the organisation knew the deal was in the offing
everyone in the organisation cared and was delighted to hear the news (even though it was
to mean more work for them)
the security guard did not wait to be asked, nor did he seek permission, he felt totally
empowered to do what he did.
What do teams need to go through to achieve high performance? The answer is that on their way
to greatness, teams tend to progress through four distinct development stagesxxxix, as represented
in the following chart:
Output
4 stages of team development
Peopleism
Stage 2:
STORMING
Stage 4:
PERFORMING
Stage 1:
FORMING
Stage 3:
NORMING
Relationships
When people are thrust together in a new team, they initially tend to be cautious and noncommittal because they don’t yet know each other and they don’t quite know what is expected.
They adopt a polite social code in their interactions, being careful not to tread on toes or overstep the mark. In the chart above they are poor in accomplishment because they are new to the
task. They are also only just beginning to form working relationships (and are therefore low on
the horizontal axis).
In the absence of constructive leadership, inevitable differences in outlook between team
members would be likely to surface. Allowed to fester, these conflicts can give rise to feelings of
competition, frustration, anger, resentment or disillusionment. Anxious to achieve output targets
an ill-equipped team leader (or strong-willed members) may be tempted to adopt an authoritarian
style to drive things through and get things done. The only good news to report here is that
output may well improve, at least temporarily, because at least someone is making something
happen. But on the people front, whilst “storming” may be too strong a word to describe the
unhappy state of affairs, the quality of relationships could safely be described as poor.
It is at this point that effective leadership can make a real difference. Less effective leaders are
likely either to ignore the problems, or to exert a calming influence in their well-meaning attempts
to keep a lid on the situation. Yet the fact is that wherever two or more people are gathered
together in the name of work, there is bound to be some conflict. But here’s the key. When
properly harnessed, this conflict can become the very strength that makes teams great. It is the
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differences between people that strengthen a team, not the similarities. Until these differences
are drawn out, their potency remains latent.
A good leader will initiate a constructive process for facing up to differences and moving through
the conflict, not shying away from it. He will make team members aware of what is happening
and why. And he will focus the team on establishing guidelines or “norms” defining how they will
work together to achieve their shared goals. Through this process of “norming”, working
relationships are strengthened. The price you pay for this period of introspection is that
performance might temporarily suffer.
It is really only from these established foundations that a team can move beyond the ordinary to
achieve excellent teamwork, characterised by both strong working relationships and high levels
of task performance. And having reached this pinnacle of teamwork can the leader relax? Sadly
not. Inevitably the team will hit a crisis, or some key members will leave, the goal posts will be
moved, and the team will tumble back into stage 2. It’s a dynamic situation.
“Progressing
Your job as a team leader is to keep the team on the crest of the wave, or
slip back to catch the next wave.
through these
four stages
Progressing through these four stages need not take long. Good team
need not take
building exercises are designed to take a team safely through the process.
On the other hand, there are teams that have been together for years, never
long”
doing more than drifting periodically into stage 2, only to be hauled back into
the relative safety of stage 1 by a conflict-averse leader. One professional partnership
particularly comes to mind here; ten partners most of whom had been together for about a
decade. They socialised together regularly. Their wives were friends. Yet they had never openly
dealt with some very deep-seated differences. Until they faced them they were condemned to
mediocre team performance.
So what style of leadership should you exercise to coax your team safely through these four
stages of development? Well here we can return to the four degrees of management/leadership
described earlier. You need to adapt your style of leadership to match the needs of the moment.
And progressing through the four stages demands an almost corresponding succession through
the four styles of leadership.
A recently formed team needs some direction. Members yearn to be guided, to be told what is
expected. Here a traditional management style answers the call. If you were to attempt a handsoff style at this stage, you might be branded a weak leader and the team would lack any
cohesion or sense of purpose.
However, for as long as you cling to a paternalistic style of leadership, the team is likely to
remain infantile in its development. The good leader knows that once the team is established,
you need to shift your style, allowing team members more headroom; freedom to play to their
strengths, freedom of expression, and even freedom to make mistakes. You need to be right
there at the centre of things to offer support and encouragement, and to handle conflicts as team
members rub up against each other. Now, with this same “hub” style of leadership, it’s time to
move into the norm-setting stage of team development.
As the team starts to move into stage 4, you no longer need to be at the centre of things and can
unceremoniously slip into the “first-among-equals” style and, by degrees, take up a more
strategic role.
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So imposing the management/leadership styles onto the stages of team development, the result
looks something like this:
Output
Leadership & team development
Stage 2:
Stage 4:
Peopleism
Peopleism
Stage 1:
Peopleism
Stage 3:
Peopleism
Peopleism
Peopleism
Relationships
It should be clear that you need to be able to adapt your style to meet the circumstances. Yet in
reality each of us is likely to have our own preferred style with which we are most comfortable
and which, without some conscious effort, we would slip most naturally into.
So what is your preferred style? Are you most comfortable when you are in control, setting
objectives, supervising fairly closely, and using your authority to bring team members into line? If
so, you are likely to be most at home with a newly formed team. But be careful. You will need to
consciously back off if you are to avoid stifling your team’s development.
Or perhaps your natural style is more towards the other end of the scale, expecting that people
know what to do and leaving them to get on with it. If so, you are likely to be most effective with a
well developed team. At earlier stages of development you will need to impose direction and
authority rather more, which you may find uncomfortable.
When working with teams I often ask the team to identify the style mostly used by their team
leader. This very often comes as a surprise to the leader who believed they were operating a
different style. It’s worth finding out what your people think. They will know even if you don’t!
For teams to become winning teams, the following are needed:
 a common purpose accepted by everyone in the team
 a strong culture with open communication and involvement.
 a good balance of people whose strengths are recognised and used
Notice there is no mention here of needing a good leader, but it takes a good leader to bring about
these winning-team qualities. Leadership is a bit like salt in a recipe. When there is just the right
amount it goes unnoticed. It is really only when there is too much or not enough that leadership
itself becomes the focus of attention.
Let’s take a look at each of these winning team qualities.
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A shared sense of purpose, or vision
The first of the essential features of a winning team is a common purpose accepted by everyone in
the team. Without a common purpose, a team is not a team but simply a collection of individuals. It
is the common purpose that binds the team together into a collective unit.
So how does a team happen upon its common purpose? Is it handed down from above? Is it
introduced by a team’s leader? Is it developed by the team itself? In a successful team, the answer
is a combination of all three of these.
Many organisations these days have developed mission statements or corporate visions. They
are usually ambitious with goals to become a leader in a market, or to attain a worthy goal.
Sometimes they are even inspiring.
Once I had the privilege of working with the Management Team of a healthcare trust for mentally
ill patients, helping them create a common vision for their organisation. It was clear that many of
the goals that apply in commercial organisations were simply not applicable. However, the vision
that emerged from the team was ‘to help our clients gain two inches in height’. What they meant
by this was that clinically there was little they could do for their clients, but what they could do
was to help them regain their dignity and self-confidence. It was an inspiring vision that served
the organisation and clients well. At the time they were going through a government initiative to
introduce care in the community, moving clients out of the institution and into small community
based units. The Chief Executive and I talked about how he could communicate this new
concept to his staff who themselves had become institutionalised. He came up with the analogy
of a bicycle wheel with a hub at the centre and spokes of communication out to the tyre. It
perfectly illustrated his concept. The following day I went down to my local bicycle shop, bought
a wheel and sent it to him. He had it mounted on his office wall.
An organisation’s vision statement is important in helping to effectively instil a sense of common
purpose in its people. Yet this organisational vision is not enough to guide individual teams in
their daily work. It is too remote from their activities.
This is where your team’s common purpose comes in. It should be consistent with the
organisation’s vision (if there is one), but will have much more relevance to the members of your
team. Your common purpose should be specific and attainable by the team. It should be something
that, through their efforts, they can make happen.
Once when talking to a group leader about the importance of a common purpose he impatiently
interrupted and said, “Yes, yes, I know what our common purpose should be, the problem I’ve
got is getting people in the group to buy into it”. This, of course, misses the point. A common
purpose has to be exactly that, common to the whole group. The only way to get people to buy
into it is to get them involved in developing it. It takes a strong group leader to share this
responsibility with the group, but it’s the only way to get their full commitment. Every member of a
team needs to know the purpose, understand it and accept it as worthwhile.
“You can't put
motivation into
people, you
can only coax
it out”
© Peopleism 2005
Yet here is the challenge: despite all this warm happy-clappy talk about
teams, people won't do things for your reasons, nor for the good of the
team or the organisation. People are ultimately self-centred (and that
means you and me too!). We do the things we want to do, the things that
give us rewards, pleasure, security, happiness. And conversely we avoid
the things that do not. So to get the commitment of your team members,
77
you have to tap into their own self-motivation. You can't put motivation into people, you can only
coax it out (or kill it stone dead if you are not careful, which is what so many “leaders” do).
The most important point to note here is that achieving unity of purpose does not mean getting
the team to adopt what you see as its purpose. It means taking pains to find the common
ground, the overlap of each team members own driving forces that will move the team forward
whilst also rewarding the individuals.
The word “vision” is dismissed as psychobabble by some people, but everyone in a team needs
a common view of what the team is aiming at and the richer the picture you can create the more
likely it is that people will remember and relate to it.
Once your team has created a visionary common purpose, then you can move on to set some
interim goals or milestones, and some specific actions to move you towards your goals.
Time and time again I have found no more energising and team-binding activity than to work
together in crafting a common purpose. Indeed, without a clear and compelling sense of
purpose, there isn’t really a team.
Once your team has its common purpose it will quickly forget it unless it becomes instilled. You
therefore need to become a cheerleader or evangelist for it. You had better believe it, preach it,
and live it. The common purpose needs to become the team’s touchstone, guiding the actions of
team members. It will become your surrogate as you move into the “strategic leader” role. So
keep restating it. The power of repetition is very powerful indeed. You can’t just say it once and
expect it to stick.
Shared values and team identity
If vision defines the destination your team is aiming to reach, there is
another important foundation for effective teamwork; deciding how
you are going to work together on your journey.
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Creating your team’s
common purpose
Creating your team’s norms
We have already previewed the four stages through which your team is likely to progress on its
route to effective teamwork. When conflict starts to emerge, in stage two, you will need to move
the team through these choppy waters into the “norming stage”. It is not possible to be
prescriptive about what should be included in team norms. It will depend on what is important to
the team. You cannot transplant another team’s norms and impose them on your team. The
whole point is that the team develops them together and by so doing, buys into them.
So it’s time for another team meeting to identify the norms that will define the way your team will
work together.
The resulting statement of norms will be an invaluable ally should you need to bring team
members into line. You can refer to it and become the enforcer the team’s agreed norms rather
than having to regress to being the boss; you will have the weight of the team behind you.
You may need to revisit this from time to time, particularly when any problems arise. Something
along the following lines: “look, we agreed to this particular norm but it now seems we are not
fully complying with it. Is it still valid or should we change it?” If the answer is that the norm is still
valid, team members who are guilty of transgressions will be warned and your hand will be
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strengthened in dealing with any subsequent transgressions. If the answer is that the norm is no
longer valid, then the norms will evolve so that it continues to suit the needs of the team.
Team norms can play an important role in strengthening the team identity or culture. Team
culture itself is not defined by the statement of norms but by the behaviours that are and are not
tolerated and by the repeated habits of people in the team. Successful teams, like successful
organisations, tend to have a strong culture.
One cannot be prescriptive about good and bad aspects of a culture. It will depend on the
common purpose of the team, the people involved etc. Some teams will be inventive and risktaking, others will be cautious and controlled. Some will value a great sense of fun, others will be
comfortable with a more business-like air. There are no rights or wrongs about this; but there is
consistency. It is the consistent application of team norms that gives a team its identity. The
stronger the identity, the stronger the team.
Team rituals can also play an invaluable part in creating a strong sense of team identity; eating
cake together on team members’ birthdays, a trip to the pub on the last Friday in the month, “in
jokes”, friendly nick names. All of these, whilst seemingly insignificant in themselves, bind a team
together.
“Successful
Successful teams celebrate together. Whether it is passing an
teams celebrate
important milestone, winning a new client, or making a new
together”
breakthrough, recognising and celebrating team successes is another
way of strengthening team binds and reinforcing the common purpose.
One successful team I know shares a bottle of champagne whenever there is something to
celebrate. It is a small price to pay for the benefits of recognising and reinforcing success.
One of my clients has a standing agenda item for meetings of its management team to consider
successes. Each member is invited to talk of the successes within the previous month and to
identify how those successes have been or are to be celebrated with staff.
Several years ago one of my clients had set itself some very ambitious goals for the year and at
the end of the year, having fallen a little short but nonetheless still wanting to recognise people’s
contributions, it decided to hold what it called a ‘half pint party’. This said ‘thank you for
everything that you did even though we recognise that we did fall somewhat short’. People could
of course drink as much as they liked but every glass was handed over half full. It sent a very
strong message and was one of those events that go down in a company’s folklore.
If teams have their own culture, what about a corporate culture across an organisation? The
relationship is a bit like that between a team’s common purpose and an organisation’s mission or
vision. The two should be consistent but a team’s culture will be more specific; more meaningful
to those within it.
Playing to team members’ strengths
The third essential ingredient of a winning team is that they cherish and build on the strengths of
their people. Every team member will have different skills and attributes. It is these differences
that give the team its strengths.
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In a team of two people, if both had the very same strengths and weaknesses then the power of
the team (if such a thing could be measured) would be double the power of each of the
individuals. Yet, more realistically, if the two have different strengths and weaknesses and they
are each allowed to contribute according to their strengths, the aggregate power of the team will
be more than double the power of the individuals. In a game of football, you put your left footer
on the left wing and your right footer on the right. You don’t expect them to share the roles.
This may be going to excessive lengths to explain the blindingly obvious. But whilst all this may
be common sense, it is certainly not common practice. Instead of encouraging team members to
contribute in the area of their strengths, there is often an obsessive and negative focus on their
weaknesses.
Often when running team building programmes I ask team members to complete an assessment
on each of their peers. It is done in such a way that they assess themselves on a series of team
attributes and they say whether they think each of their colleagues is better, worse, or the same
as them in each of these attributes. Now when these assessments are aggregated, if everyone
had a perfect perception of themselves and their colleagues, all the “better thans” and “worse
thans” would net each other out to give a zero score overall. But this is not what happens. The
result is usually a massive negative score, implying that people are seeing the worst in their
colleagues, rather than focusing on their strengths.
The answer is to draw out what different team members most enjoy, and are good at doing (and
the two will usually correlate), and to define roles that focus largely on these things. Let people
play to their strengths. The retort to this is that there might be some essential activities that noone really wants to do. Yet in practice these are usually relatively minor and can be allocated on
some equitable basis.
This approach of allowing team members to play to their strengths makes good sense and
strengthens the team overall. There are a couple of respects in which the approach needs to be
tempered. One is where new members join a team. They are likely to be on a steep learning
curve and they may need to be given a broad range of experiences to help them learn the ropes
and understand the team’s responsibilities; even to help them recognise how they can best
contribute. Another relates to the increasingly common practice of “cross-training”. Encouraging
team members to move into functions mainly carried out by others is helpful in engendering a
deeper understanding of the whole team’s activities and, at a more practical level, allows people
to take up the reins when colleagues are absent through holidays, sickness, etc.
This idea of playing to team members’ strengths is easy to grasp in
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respect of technical expertise, but there is a more general respect in
which it is important too. We all have different “team role preferences”;
Identifying team role
preferences
the way we tend to contribute when working together. Ideally a team will
have members with a variety of preferences that overall gives balance to
the team. An "unbalanced" team can overcome its weaknesses by:
 recognising members who have a preference in under-represented roles and
consciously cherishing their contribution
 forcing itself into the roles not naturally covered by its members
 inviting outsiders to join it, either as permanent members or ex officio.
Winning teams, because they are balanced with people of different viewpoints, will inherently have
more conflict – but if it is recognised for what it is, and dealt with in a constructive way, it will
strengthen rather than weaken the team.
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Being a good team does not mean all behaving in the same way and curtailing individualism.
Great teams harness individualism and focus it to good effect.
Open communication & involvement
A team needs to have great communication; lots of it. This might be achieved through the team
norms, but it is so important that it’s worth an added mention here.
Much communication within a team will be informal and unscheduled. It is worth supplementing
this with some forced communication forums. This does not have to mean long and turgid
meetings. Indeed it shouldn’t mean that.
One of the most effective forums for communication I have witnessed was at a client of mine
where in an employee opinion survey they had been criticised for poor communication with staff.
As a result they introduced what they called an “11 O’clock” meeting. On Friday at 11 o’clock on
all of their sites an all staff meeting was held. I remember at their main site entering their canteen
at a couple of minutes to 11 once such Friday. The place was deserted. Had I come to the wrong
place? Yet by 11 o’clock the place was thronging. There were people sitting on top of cupboards
and standing on tables. The room was packed. The meeting consisted of short and snappy talks
by a representative from each department. Not necessarily the manager, but anyone nominated
from that department. They quickly reported what had happened during the week and what was
likely to happen in the following week. There was no discussion but anyone who wanted any
more information was encouraged to follow up outside the meeting. By 12 minutes past 11 the
meeting was over.
When this forum was first introduced, attendance, which was not compulsory, was patchy. After
just several weeks they had trouble finding people who would volunteer to man the phones. It
was seen as a quick way of being kept informed of what mattered and what was happening.
Why then do most company meetings last so long and achieve so little? They don’t need to.
You need to find a forum or forums that match the way your team works and the urgency of
communication.
Some teams have daily “huddles” where they get together for a few minutes each morning to
review the previous day’s activities and look ahead to the current day. Others have weekly
meetings over a sandwich lunch. Yet others, because they are dispersed, cannot meet together
physically and so make the most of technology through intranets, groupware, video conferencing
or conference telephone calls. Find a way that works well for your team.
Why is communication so important? Because involvement buys commitmentxl and commitment
is incredibly valuable within a team.
Of course, it’s not just about having lots of communication. You also
need a hefty dose of openness and honesty in that communication. In
great teams, their members can say what they think without having to
think twice. They can give feedback without causing ill feelings. And they
can ask searching questions without fear.
“You also need a
hefty dose of
openness and
honesty”
The best way to create this kind of constructive openness, is to be open yourself. The more you
lower your own veil, the more others are likely to be open with you. Some team leaders expect
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their team members to be open with them but when they are asked questions they pull on a
comfort blanket of corporate secrecy. You can’t have it both ways.
Once when I was facilitating an ‘honesty session’ as part of team building exercise, the team
leader displayed a disarming degree of openness. When asked by a member of his team how he
saw his role changing over the next few years, he declared that his goal was to remain in the
role for only two more years, after which he would move on. This degree of openness
encouraged the others to be open about their hopes and fears too and engendered a frankness
that served the team well.
All well and good, until you are privy to confidential information you are asked to keep from your
team. So much for openness. If this situation is likely to arise in your organisation, make sure
that this is acknowledged in your team’s norms. There is no point signing up to a statement that
guarantees openness if you are not going to be able to live up to it. Better to acknowledge that,
from time to time, there may be matters that you will be prevented from sharing with your team.
Reassure them that you will do everything you can to minimise these situations and that you will
keep the team as informed as you are able to. Your team will understand and trust you more for
this mature approach.
Honesty comes in another package too; honesty about one’s own limitations. I worked with a
business unit several years ago in which the leader had been appointed based primarily on his
excellent business development skills. In a team development programme it became evident that
he was not very good at facilitating team meetings (his natural approach was to steam-roll,
leaving people feeling they had not been fully involved). It also became apparent that a relatively
junior member of the team had highly-developed facilitating skills. The solution (bravely
suggested by the business unit leader I should add) was to have the junior member lead all
meetings of the team. It takes a strong leader to hand over parts of the leadership role to people
better-suited to them.
4 Encourage and enforce a culture of high performance
look at law soc book & also paper done for BI
need at least a couple of sub headings
5 Help your people get what they want
Plugging into your people’s dreams
We have already seen that you cannot put motivation into people. All you can do is to draw out
their self-motivation. The key here is to help people recognise their goals and then to show how
you can help them achieve their goals (in a way that will help you and your firm achieve yours).
I call this the ‘binocular principle’; two outlooks with a common focus. Imagine the goals of the
individual and the goals of your team or firm represented as circles. This representation then
looks rather like the view through a pair of binoculars.
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show overlapping area as hatched & caption it
The aim should be to have as much overlap as possible between them because it is in this area
of overlap that an individual will be most motivated towards helping you and your team or firm
achieve your aims (because they coincide with the individual’s goals).
Individual objectives should aggregate to your team or organisation’s plan. But which comes
first; the firm’s aims or the aims of individuals? Do you break down the big picture and hand out
the pieces, or do you build up the big picture from what individuals are committed to doing? The
answer is probably a bit of both. An organisation must have some sense of purpose, but then be
prepared to flex it in order to bring people along.
There are practical issues to consider here of course. What do you do about things that need to
be done which no-one in your team wants to do? You should question:
 do they really need to be done?
 is there someone else in the team, perhaps at a less senior level, who would want to do
them?
 can you get individuals to accept them as part of broadly attractive job role?
Conversely, some people may want to do things that do not fit into the big picture you have for
your team. Here ask yourself:
 could the big picture be flexed to get value from these things?
 would these activities develop the person, so adding long term value?
 if they do not run counter to the team or organisation’s plan, can they be accepted in the
interests of motivation?
A more common issue, but one that is easy to overlook, is that you may not know what your
people really want. Do not assume you know. And bear in mind that a goal like “achieving
partnership” is only part of the story. It is a job title that masks true goals. Yet most people fail to
look beyond such goals, if indeed they have even ventured into this troublesome area of defining
their career aims. You would be doing them a great service by helping them to look ahead and
create a future for themselves.
Career mapping (or job sculpting) programmes are aimed at achieving this. Deloitte Consulting
have a ‘Senior Leaders programme’ (double check) which allows their best people to customise
their careers so they can work wherever, whenever, and however they are able to add value to
the firm.xli Prudential (double check) is experimenting with a programme to help individual
employees customise their jobs. It provides them with a variety of tools to help them assess their
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interests, common values and skills and encourages managers to tailor awards, benefits and
assignments to individual requirements.xlii
As well as accepting flexibility around job roles, this flexibility will increasingly find its way into
employment practices. And so it must. Professional firms are still dominated by a full-time, officebased culture even though most people would rather have more flexibility with portfolio working,
part time or flexible hours, career breaks, and home-working. If that’s what people want then why
not offer it (instead of saying no and increasing the financial package to compensate)? The
reason is usually lack of trust in staff and a resulting obsession with measuring and controlling
people’s input (in terms of hours) rather than their output (in terms of value contributed). Yet if
people are working towards their own goals as well as yours (the binocular principle), they are
much less likely to cheat (on themselves!).
If this talk of allowing people to define their own roles, being flexible, etc is all starting to sound a
bit soft, let’s be clear. It’s not soft, it’s hard. It’s hard to do for you the leader (much easier to be
inflexible) and it’s hard for your people; it’s hard for them to face their future and their goals, it’s
hard for them to be open about their hopes and fears, it’s hard for them to embark on a
challenging career that will stretch them to their very limits.
And the approach is also hard in that it generates hard business results!
Becoming a talent magnet
When times are good and head hunters are dangling tempting packages in front of your people,
the knee-jerk reaction is to resort to “retention strategies”. It’s the wrong approach at the wrong
time. After all, would you like someone to use strategies to “retain” you (“imprison" would be a
better word)?
The best approach is not to try to retain people, but to help them get what is best for them. That
means helping people to realise their dreams. There is no more powerful proposition to offer. No
financial package with its share options, bonuses and benefits can compete. That’s not to say
you can underpay. But neither should you get into a bidding war to cling desperately to people.
Instead, help your people look to their futures and show them how you can help them achieve
what they really want from their careers.
If what is best for someone lies outside your firm then you would do better to positively
encourage them to move on. Holding them back would only cause
resentment and stifle their motivation. Instead, celebrate their success,
“The time to
even share it; after all, you helped them achieve it didn’t you?
show concern for
Of course, if you have failed your people; if they have moved on for the
wrong reasons, or if you could have helped them achieve more, reflect
on it and learn from it.
your people is all
the time”
Your approach to dealing with people will be seen (and talked about) by others on your team. If
you are seen to be fair you will earn the respect of others. If you put your own interests first, do
not be surprised at the loss of the oh-so-important trust.
The time to act is not when people threaten to leave. Then is too late. The time to show concern
for your people is all the time. A high flying lawyer told me why she had decided to leave the firm
she was at: a well known and well respected law firm. Her reason was simple. She had been
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due to have an appraisal which had been postponed not once but twice. To her the meaning of
this was quite clear: your future development is unimportant. She moved to a firm where she felt
her needs would be better served.
The reality is that people will flow through your team.xliii You need to bring new people in and you
need to let people go; sometimes even encourage them to go. The best you can do is to attract a
good inflow of talented people who share the goals of your team, and to bring out the best from
them whilst they are with you.xliv
Recruiting your people is a job far too important to be left to a recruitment department. It is easy
to forget the importance of this when markets are flat and there is seemingly a ready pool of
talent just waiting outside your door. But just around each corner lies the next talent shortage.
Strangely it happens at just the same time that some of your best people choose to move on!
In short, you need to become a talent magnet; creating a reputation for yourself, or your team,
that will draw like-minded people like moths to a flame. This means not only doing interesting
things, but also building a reputation for doing interesting things.
Some of your best ambassadors will be your own people. What are they saying to their contacts
about you and the team? They will only give the right messages if they really believe them.
Some firms reward their staff for introducing new recruits to the firm. Perhaps this can help to
emphasise that it is everyone’s responsibility to attract new people, but it can only ever be a
reinforcement to get people to say what they would happily say anyway. No-one is going to
recommend your firm to their friends simply to get their hands on a small pile of cash. On the
other hand, there is a danger that offering cash incentives of this kind might contaminate what
would otherwise be credible recommendations. On balance, cash incentives should not be
necessary. Get you people to say nice things because they genuinely believe them.
Talent magnets don’t just look for people who are already on the job market or actively seeking a
move. Though easier to attract, these people may be moving for the wrong reasons – away
from, rather than towards. Some of the people who can best help your practice are very happily
employed, thank you. But if you can find them and offer them something that excites them, they
will be attracted.
So ask yourself where your kind of people gather, what they read, who they talk to – and put
yourself, or your story, right there. In his book ……………., xxxx describes a wall outside
Warsaw that has become a collective canvas for the Poland’s graffiti artists. It has proved fertile
ground for recruiters from advertising firm Young and Rubicam.xlv
“what do you
want to be
famous for?”
Leaders and firms who are good at attracting talented people will build up
a steady flow of willing applicants. The task then is to choose the right
ones. The selection process that many firms use is efficient but wrongly
focused. Don’t take the easy route of focusing only on the CV. Much more
important than a historical CV would be a future CV. Price Waterhouse used to ask its new
recruits “what do you want to be famous for?” It’s an excellent question because it implies that
each person can excel at something, and it is their own responsibility to choose that something.
This is the key and it follows from the binocular principle. You should not be looking for the “best”
people, even if there are such things. You should be seeking the “right” people; people who are
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excited by what you and your team are doing; people who share your values and ways of
working; people who you can help on their way to success.
6 Insist that people be the best they can be
Some managers seem to take the view that if you hold low expectations you will never be
disappointed. Not true. If you set low expectations for your people you will always be
disappointed. Expectations are very powerful in bringing about performance.
Back in 1968 two researchersxlvi told teachers in an elementary school that they had tested their
children using a new instrument to predict academic blooming in children. The names of the socalled spurters identified were revealed to the teachers. The children were subsequently tested
and re-tested three times throughout the year. Those children whom the teachers had been led
to expect to show the greatest gains did in fact show the greatest gains; in total IQ, in verbal IQ
and in reasoning IQ. But here’s the rub. No testing had been done and the spurters had been
chosen totally randomly. All that had been tested was the incredible power of expectations.
So here’s the point. Expect and insist that your people be the best they can be. Tell them that,
with your full support, they will rise to their full potential and achieve their goals. Then work with
them to make that a reality. You won’t need to be hard on them. They’ll be hard on themselves.
Benjamin Zander, Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, says “I set as the goal the maximum
capacity that people have - I settle for no less. I make myself a relentless architect of the
possibilities of human beings”xlvii. That’s a great phrase, and great leadership.
Farming your own talent
Holding high expectations is important, but expectations can go only so far. Great leaders don’t
just expect and reward high performance, they take action that causes performance to improve.
They help their people to learn.
Learning is too often thought to mean sending people on a training course. Training is essential
in equipping professionals with the technical skills of their profession. But post qualification, the
emphasis must change. Too much professional training is about sheep-dipping people through
standardised courses, is focused on overcoming weaknesses rather than bringing about
excellence, and is driven by meeting nonsensical training hours targets in the name of
Continuing Professional Development.
Leaders can best help their people to learn by offering them experiences that will stretch them
towards achieving their goals, and by providing effective coaching.
You must understand how your people best learn and provide them with the opportunities to do
so. Development should not be offered in a vacuum. It should be in the context of helping your
people achieve their goals. Only then will it have real focus and deliver real benefits.
Delegating
Delegating has a double–edged benefit; it frees you up for more important tasks and it develops
the people to whom you delegate.
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Good skills of delegation are therefore vital for effective leaders. Your aim is not to get things done,
but to get others to get things done (because they want to do them). As a leader you have to stay in
control. To do that, you have to stand back and watch - not interfere in all the detail.
So think about all the tasks you carry out. Identify those that can be performed only by you. The
reality is probably that many – perhaps most - could be delegated. “Ah” comes the usual retort “if
only I had people capable of taking these things on.” Remember the point about high expectations.
It’s amazing what people are capable of when you put your trust in them and delegate meaningful
work. There have been times in the past when I’ve felt forced to delegate through pressure on my
time, despite misgivings about the capabilities of the people to whom I delegated. Yet to my
surprise not only did they do the job well, they did it better than I would have done; they brought a
fresh outlook and commitment to a job that had become a low priority for me.
Having said this, delegation does involve some risk and you have to be prepared to accept it.
Don’t be tempted to interfere once a task has been delegated.
Once on a day’s gliding lesson, my first flight was easy; the instructor was in control and I simply
enjoyed the ride. In subsequent flights he encouraged me to take over; first he showed me how
to control the aircraft and, when I was ready, he asked my permission to hand over control of the
aircraft to me. After flying for some time the instructor drew my attention to a frantically spinning
dial and calmly explained that this showed that we were rapidly losing height. Again in a calm
voice he asked if I thought it might be helpful if he were to take control back for a while. I don’t
know what would have happened if I had said “no” but I was more than happy to cede control.
He was right though, not simply to take over, which he could have done, but instead to allow me
to be in control until I decided otherwise. How many managers in business allow this degree of
control without snatching back when they think they know better.
The first time (and probably the second and third times) you delegate a
task, it is likely to take longer to get done than before. Be prepared for
this. Don't be tempted to take the task back yourself. Show you have faith
in the employee!
 Click below for:
Fast tips on delegating
Empowerment goes beyond delegating. It means giving decision-making power to those in the best
position to make the decision; for example, those closest to the client are usually best placed to
make instant decisions that can make the difference between a satisfied and a dissatisfied client.
Empowered employees - and those who have empowered them - need to be clear and confident
about the scope of their responsibilities and must understand what is expected. Vision, values and
strategy must be shared and understood if employees are to have a framework within which to
make decisions.
The Chief Executive of an accountancy firm told me about one of their Partners who left to join
another firm. Shortly after he joined he was ticked off for having spent £200 on a piece of
software to help him do his work. He was told it should have been authorised by the Managing
Partner. £200! Room for some empowerment here?
Giving feedback
We have already looked at the importance of feedback in your own development. Providing
effective feedback to your people is important for their development too. It is particularly valuable
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for junior professionals who are on a steep learning curve and therefore need feedback to
reinforce what they are doing well and point out where they could improve. Most people
welcome feedback, when it is constructive.
Feedback is likely to be more effective when people ask for it, so it’s best to create a culture in
which people actively seek feedback. It should come as no surprise that one of the best ways to
do this is to frequently ask for feedback yourself.
Where people do not ask for your feedback, but you think it would be useful to offer it you might
start by asking “Do you mind if I give you some feedback?” or “Would you find it helpful to know
my observations on that?”. Very few people would reject such an offer and their agreement
makes it more likely that they will respond positively to your feedback.
Feedback should be fast, i.e. frequent, accurate, specific, and timely. Giving frequent positive
feedback makes it easier to then deliver less favourable feedback when you have to. Some
managers seem only to give feedback when they see something wrong. Inevitably this will be
perceived negatively by people on the receiving end, and it will do little to build their confidence
and performance. So actively seek out opportunities to give positive feedback.
Criticisms should not be stored up for a once or twice-yearly appraisal. Most appraisal systems
are woefully inadequate. Little wonder that most firms have either just introduced a new
appraisal system, or are just about to!
Once I helped a client design a new appraisal process for their business unit managers. This
involved producing an appraisal report as a catalyst for a coaching session between the
manager and his or her director. The report included, amongst other things, the following:





a statement of the career goals identified by the manager
proposed objectives for the forthcoming year (proposed by the manager)
a statement of objectives from the previous year and the manager’s self assessment of
achievement against those objectives
key performance indicators relevant to the role including financial indicators, staff turnover,
training audit findings, client service feedback, etc.
a comprehensive 360o appraisal including, but not limited to, the views of the director. The
manager was allowed to choose from whom he or she would like to receive feedback
(although some suggestions were provided and the director was a must).
This type of approach gets away from the very limited feedback that a
leader can give to people and avoids falling into an adversarial situation
where you have to justify feedback.
 Click below for:
Fast tips on giving
feedback
Recognising and rewarding performance
The following are real comments taken from a survey in a professional firm:
“Praise seems rare but criticism abounds.”
“No-one seems to be appreciated or recognised for their hard work. Sometimes the only reaction from
Managers or Partners is if a problem arises. Staff don’t want a pat on the back all the time, but when
the effort is put in it is good for it to be acknowledged more often than at the annual pay review.”
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“Reward successes. Not necessarily financially. We do not say ‘Thank you’ often enough.”
The same themes crop up in almost every staff survey I’ve seen carried out in professional firms.
People yearn for recognition but professional people seem reticent to give it. Perhaps it comes
back to the idea of treating people as though they were volunteers. If they were you would
perhaps more naturally thank them for their contribution. You need to do the same even where
people are being paid to do a job. Satisfy yourself with the thought that what gets rewarded gets
repeated. A thank you and some positive feedback will bring rich rewards in repeat performance.
Different people respond differently to this kind of recognition. For some people their motivation
source is internal. For them recognition is little more than a part of the evidence they will take
into account in deciding for themselves whether they have done a good job. That doesn’t mean
you shouldn’t recognise good performance, it just means that it will have limited effect. Yet for
people whose motivation source is external, recognition is essential and should be provided
frequently and profusely. They depend on it.xlviii
Now this is not to say that a million “thank you’s” means you can under-pay people. Of course
not. Yet too many professional firms seem to assume that reward means money. There’s more
to it than that. Many firms may be over paying when a less expensive way of offering reward the simple but genuine thank you – is too rarely uttered. In these times of abundance, when the
value of yet more money is marginal, rare human gratitude is becoming more highly valued.
“rare human
gratitude is
becoming
more highly
valued”
If reward systems are meant to motivate, then they should be focused on
helping people to feel they are doing a worthwhile job and doing it well.
Intrinsic motivation comes from a unique human characteristic; the desire
to achieve and so to experience psychological growth.
Financial rewards do have their place in helping to reinforce the
recognition of good performance. To do so, reward systems must be
carefully designed to appear fair and to link rewards to important aspects
of performance. Ideally, Each person should be in control of the lion’s share of their own reward.
They should not feel they are competing against each other, but that they are competing with
themselves to achieve concrete goals. The most powerful rewards will be those they most value.
For some this will be financial, for others it will be time off, opportunities, etc.
Frederick Herzberg is one of the founding fathers of motivation theory. He invented the term
KITA or ‘kick in the ass’. The surest way to get someone to do something is with a KITA but
unfortunately any performance improvement that results will be temporary.
Herzberg entertainingly points out that KITAs can be positive or negative: “Why is it that
managerial audiences are quick to see that a negative KITA is not motivation while they are
almost unanimous in their judgement that a positive KITA is motivation. It is because negative
KITA is rape, and positive KITA is seduction. But it is infinitely worse to be seduced than to be
raped, the latter is an unfortunate occurrence, while the former signifies that you were a part of
your own downfall. This is why positive KITA is so popular: it is a tradition; it is the American
way. The organisation does not have to kick you; you kick yourself.”xlix
KITAs will go little way towards creating positive satisfaction, but will merely take the edge off
dissatisfaction. Yet the only way to inspire genuine and therefore lasting motivation is through
techniques focussed on the content of the job itself; intrinsic to the work.
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The myth about motivation through extrinsic rewards is demonstrated by ever spiralling financial
packages, demands for yet more fringe benefits, which now account for more than 25% of
rewards. Yet still people cry for more and more.
As a leader, don’t get drawn into this negative cycle.
7 Become a great coach
What great coaches do
Coaching differs from training or instruction in that coaching is about drawing out what is already
within a person, in contrast to instruction which is about putting in what is not already there. It
therefore stands to reason that coaching cannot be used for everything. No amount of coaching
alone would enable someone to learn a new accounting standard or statute. Coaching can,
however, very effectively be used to help a person understand practical applications, to learn
new skills and to reach peak performance levels.
All top performing athletes have a coach. Don’t be surprised to see increasing use of coaching in
business and the professions. If you’ve never been coached by someone who is good at it,
experience it. And if you want to bring out the best in people, get good at it yourself.
At its purest, coaching is about drawing out performance from within. Coaches may do other
things, like offering advice or demonstrating, but these are different from coaching. So what does
a good coach do? There are two main planks of coaching:

getting the coachee to take responsibility for their own behaviour and their own development.
They have to look inside themselves for the answers (indeed, the coach very often does not
have the answer)

helping to increase the coachee’s self awareness.
“questions
are more
important than
the answers”
The main tool the coach uses to achieve both of these is the question.
The questions are more important than the answers. Their purpose is to
get the coachee to look inside and to heighten self awareness.
Here’s an example of some accidental coaching. My son Tom used to
bring a reading book home from school each day. He had to read it to us
and we were to sign a record card to send back to school. Once after I’d
listened to Tom read I asked him “who’s the best reader in your class, Tom?” Instantly came the
answer “Sophie” (it seems that Sophie is best at everything). “What is it that Sophie does that
you don’t do?” I asked. He thought about this in silence for a while before saying “Well…. she
kind of reads as though she’s singing.” By this he meant that she had intonation and emphasis in
her voice. Though it hadn’t struck me until then, whilst Tom had read every word perfectly, he
had done so without the slightest expression. “Could you do that?” I asked. “No” he said flatly
before running off to play.
But the interesting thing was, the next day when he read to me, his voice was full of expression.
He hadn’t been told to be more expressive; if he had been I don’t think it would have made any
difference. Something much more powerful had happened. He had realised it for himself. All I
had done – and not even intentionally – was to ask a couple of questions.
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How to coach
When coaching, use a variety of questions (open, specific, reflective, benchmark, and
comparative) to heighten self-awareness. Silence can also be used to get someone to elaborate.
It is important for a coach to be comfortable with silence because the coachee will not have
instant answers to all the questions. She will have to search and create new thought patterns.
That’s what learning is all about.
Avoid using the word “why?” because it can cause a defensive reaction, which is unhelpful in
coaching. The way in which questions are asked will also be important in creating a constructive
learning. Ask yourself what helpful questions might give rise to the following responses:



...well, I suppose one way would be to...
...mmm, I suppose the most important thing is to...
...well, I guess I could have done it better by...
And what unhelpful questions might elicit the following rather defensive reactions:
 ...I don’t know, it wasn’t my fault
 ...’cos it seemed like the best thing to do at the time
Does a good coach need to have a good knowledge of the subject about which he is coaching?
The answer is not necessarily. Paradoxically, the knowledge of the coach can hamper good
coaching because it makes it all too easy to slip into “telling” mode, and that is not what coaching
is about. On the other hand, the coach’s knowledge will help him in framing effective questions
and it can also help in gaining the trust of the coachee, which is very important. It is interesting to
note that the performance of top athletes and sports people is usually well beyond the levels of
performance that their coaches could ever have achieved. The coach of British rowing pair Steve
Regrave and Matthew Pinsent, admitted that he taught them everything he knew about rowing
years ago. Since then, all he could do was to coach them. He has coached them to outstanding
performance and successive Olympic Golds.
You can use coaching formally and informally. You can use it in dedicated coaching sessions
(including in place of “appraisals”), or set up a longer term coaching programme, or use it
informally in corridor chats with people. You can use it with teams as well as with individuals, you
can let it become your style in running team meetings…you can let it become your leadership
style. The First Among Equals and the Strategic Leader need to be applying a coaching style of
leadership.
Some (many) existing group leaders are frankly not very good at
coaching. If this is you, you would do well to develop your coaching skills
or alternatively to make good use of someone in your team who does
have good coaching skills, to complement your own strengths.
 Click below for:
Fast tips on coaching
A summary / conclusion to this section? & subsequent ones
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7 STEPS TO STARDOM THROUGH PIONEERING
need an intro as for client service section
emph not just specialising – pushing back frontiers of knowledge & breaking new ground
twin skills of creativity & fresh thinking, & promoting ideas (& self if necessary)
refer to thought leader, & also project leader & unique solutions provider (need to refer to hybrids in all
intros)
Pioneering means being at the forefront in your field. It involves the twin skills of innovating and
promoting ideas to win support for them.
These are not skills reserved for a handful of leaders, they are skills that every professional
needs to have to some degree. Every professional should be innovating, at least at the level of
developing the service they deliver to their clients and looking for ways to improve what they do
and how they do it.
Equally, every professional needs to be proficient at raising profile and winning support for their
and their firm’s ideas.
In this section we will look at how you can develop and nurture new ideas, both individually and
in collaboration with colleagues. We will look at the skills of promotion and profile raising to bring
your ideas to the attention of your target markets. Finally we will look at the leading edge of this
pioneering dimension to see what it takes to become a “specialist guru”.
1 Put ideas first
Innovation comes of age
In a mutual cause and effect tango with rising expectations, innovation has created an explosion
of choice. New products, new services and new experiences both satisfy expectations and at the
same time feed a relentless rise in expectations.
In a single year in the US alone, 17,000 new grocery items found their way onto the shelves.l UK
clothing retailer Marks & Spencer’s seasonal ranges used to cover 240 items. That has now
expanded to over 2,000. Nike now allows you to design your own footwear on-line. Amazon
offers you recommendations based on your previous purchases. Mass production has given way
to mass customisation where every customer can expect to receive a product or service to her
exact specifications. (more recent egs?)
Innovation has truly come of age and is the key to business growth and success. Real wealth will
increasingly flow not from refining what you do, but from changing what you do; not from
incremental improvements but from radical reinvention.
At a time when new ideas soon become old hat, a ready flow of new ideas
is the lifeblood of business. And professional knowledge workers need to
be the brave pioneers in this new world, introducing new ideas within their
organisations and offering ground-breaking solutions to clients.
© Peopleism 2005
“a ready flow
of new ideas
is the lifeblood
of business”
92
The benefits of innovation
The benefits of innovation in professional services are considerable:

Clients are willing to pay a premium for new and well-designed products, services and unique
solutions, so helping you avoid the low margin commodity trap.

Innovative approaches to marketing and business development can lead you to more, and
more profitable, sales.

Fresh approaches to client service can give rise to more fruitful client relationships.

New processes and working practices can lead to efficiencies and better use of your and
others’ talents.
So much for the positive attraction of innovation. The downsides from failing to stay ahead are
even more compelling. If innovative professionals are the elite, there will continue to be a
professional “underclass” of white-collar workers, doing relatively low value non-manual jobs that
require little intellectual input. Unless you stay ahead, the forces of change will leave you sliding
into this professional Hades.
The pace of change is advancing the product life cycle. From new innovation to low value
commodity is a shortening journey. So is the slip from highly valued ‘gold collar’ professional to
low value white-collar worker.
You will need to fight against these downward forces. They are not inevitabilities unless you
surrender to them. Too often accountants bemoan that audits and tax compliance work have
become commodities, lawyers complain that their profits are being squeezed, and consultants
lament that they are in a price war. It doesn’t have to be so.
“Your first
step is to
worship
ideas”
So long as what you have to offer appears to be virtually the same as what
someone else has to offer, you are in direct competition and the client is
likely to make a choice based on price. Yet if what you have to offer is
evidently better (or more closely meets the desires of your client) then you
will have changed the game.
See the enemy for what it is; it’s not competition, it’s not price, it’s sameness. And the solution is
to banish sameness by making your products and services distinctly different.
What do the following have in common: Dualit (toasters), Porshe (cars), Bang & Olufsen (Hi Fi),
Dorling Kindersley (publishing), Apple (computing), etc. The answer is that they are all
recognised as being best at something. They have built a brand around leading edge design
and, whilst they all operate in highly competitive markets, they all benefit from premium pricing
and high margins.
As a professional, if you want to excel in pioneering, your first step is to worship ideas.
2 Go to the edge, and beyond
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Creativity is all in the mind
They said it first…..
Albert Einstein acknowledged that “Imagination is more important than knowledge” li
George Bernard Shaw recognised that “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world,
the unreasonable man adapts the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on
the unreasonable man.”
John Maynard Keynes knew that “It’s not so difficult to have new ideas. It’s much more
difficult to get rid of the old ones.”
Tom Peters hit the nail on the head when he said “Professional services =
commoditisation = zero tolerance.”
Alexander Graham Bell sagely commented that “When one door closes, another one
opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully at the closed door that we do not see
the one that has opened for us.”
Our minds certainly have the ability to be creative. But our natural tendency is to cling on to the
familiar. We are designed to do so.
“You need
Throughout our lives, and particularly in our early learning years, the 100
to unlearn
billion neurons that make up our brains are forging new inter-connections.
Regular thought patterns lay down stronger links. This is how we learn.
to be
Then when we encounter a new situation, we look for familiar patterns.
creative”
These act as filters on our view of the world helping us to carryout daily
tasks. The mind’s ability to learn in this way is what makes it so powerful;
but in one respect at least it hampers it. You don’t need to learn to be creative. You need to
unlearn to be creative.
Creativity is about looking for the unfamiliar. It is about breaking old patterns of thinking. It is
about inventing what has never before existed. To tap into our creativity we therefore have to
break away from the old thinking, clearing out the entrenched ideas to make way for the new. If it
ain’t broke, break it!
It seems that some people are naturally more creative, whereas others are more naturally logical
in their thought patterns. There is some scanty evidence that these different types of thinking are
associated with activity in the right and left sides of the brain respectively. In reality, of course,
we all use both sides of our brains and we all have the ability to be both creative and logical. Yet
it makes sense to play to our natural leanings.
If you are more of a right brain thinker you are likely to have no difficulty in day-dreaming,
fantasising, and playing with intellectual ambiguities. You may be castigated for “having your
head in the clouds” by more logical souls to whom your ideas will seem fanciful. Cling to the
knowledge that some of the best ideas start life as being ridiculous.
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Allow yourself time to be creative, giving quality time to creative tasks and mental play to
generate ideas and to develop your creative talents further. Look at new developments,
innovations, even natural phenomena, and ask how the same principles could be applied
elsewhere, including in your own areas of worklii.
When you have a particular problem to solve, churn it over in your mind, explore and then
incubate it. Ideas often need a gestation period. Weeks or even months may pass before a
solution comes to mind, seemingly from nowhereliii. It can be frustrating but you can’t rush it.
When ideas emerge, force yourself to develop them, working with others as necessary. Whilst
right brain thinkers are good at coming up with new ideas, their minds frequently skip beyond
these to entertain other thoughts. Pinning yourself down to follow through on ideas is likely to be
your main challenge.
If you are more naturally a left brain thinker, it certainly doesn’t mean you lack the capacity to
be creative. However, you may be better to adopt a more systematic approach to generating
ideas. This will help you play to your strength of logical thinking.
Faced with a seemingly intractable problem, force yourself to assume there is a solution to it
(and there probably is). When you already have a working solution, force
 Click below for:
yourself to look for a better (or even a next best) solution. Ask yourself, if
you couldn’t carry on doing it the way you do now, what would you do?liv
Four steps to innovation
Whether you are a left or right brain thinker, you will have more bad ideas than good.lv Until you
test out an idea you are unlikely to know if it’s really a runner. The danger is in failing to pursue
an idea far enough.
Failures and flops can even give rise to useful innovations. 3Ms infamous Post-It Notes were a
“mistake” – adhesive that didn’t stay stuck. Even champagne resulted from mistakes in overfermenting white wine. Some mistake!
Need a 2nd heading?
Something about seth godin & edge craft?
3 Collaborate within and beyond your organisation
Working with colleagues to generate ideas
You certainly don’t have to work in a group to be creative, but working together on a common
problem or opportunity can spark ideas that might not come forward from one person working
alone.lvi Working together can also help get buy-in from a group involved in implementing the
ideas that come forward.
The most common way to generate ideas from a group is through brainstorming. Yet in reality
most brainstorming sessions are no more than an exchange of fairly mediocre thoughts, failing
to generate genuinely creative ideas. With more careful planning and facilitating, following a few
simple rules, brainstorming sessions can be very productive. Above all else, follow up by
implementing the best ideas and publicising how the ideas originated. People will soon come to
see your brainstorming sessions as valuable (and therefore different from most).
As well as separate brainstorming sessions, creativity can be incorporated as part of a
management or team meeting where ideas are needed. Make it acceptable to switch into
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different types of thinking. Edward de Bono (a leader in lateral thinking) introduced the concept
of 6 thinking hats (or styles of thinking). These go beyond creative thinking but can help to make
it acceptable to switch into creative mode.
Brainstorming sessions and face-to-face creativity are fine when you
can easily get everyone together. In reality of course, you may (indeed
should) want to tap into the ideas of people spread across the world.
Ask yourself “who can best contribute to this?” Then approach them
and get their (virtual) involvement.
 Click below for:
Getting great ideas from
brainstorming
Six thinking hats
To generate ideas from a dispersed group you can use software such as Zaplets (ie interactive
emails), or online meeting software with which you can be on the phone and also share
applications which everyone can see.lvii Check most up to date
IBM has run brain storming sessions linking 50,000 of it’s people worldwide. A massive virtual
gathering, emphasising just how powerful new technology can be.
Collaborating beyond your organisational boundaries
When it comes to collaborating, why stop at your organisational boundaries? With technology
facilitating instant access to expertise and ideas the world over, successful pioneers are adept at
tapping into this rich resource. Today’s thought leaders need not work in eccentric isolation, nor
in academic sterility. They can instantly exchange views and collaborate on-line with whoever
can help advance their goals.
Think of a topic – any topic – and it is likely there is an on-line discussion
forum, or perhaps several, exploring the topic in depth. And if there isn’t,
set one up and establish yourself as a leader in the field!
“Collaboration
is becoming a
big word”
Wiki web sites go a stage further in facilitating on-line collaboration. Visit www.wikipedia.com to
witness the creation of an on-line encyclopedia. The really interesting thing about this
encyclopedia is that it is being created entirely through the collaborative efforts of an army of
voluntary contributors the world over. Anyone can add to and edit it. And wikipedia is now more
popular than Encyclopaedia Britannica attracting 60 million hits a day. Peopleism CoLab is a wiki
site I have started with the aim of cataloguing and exploring how people work.
Collaboration is becoming a big word. For pioneering professionals willing to break through
organisational boundaries it offers boundless opportunities.
4 Add sparkle and substance to products and services
Developing new products and services
All professional firms should be looking ahead today to develop products and services for
tomorrow. Regrettably, the short-term tendencies of most professional firms, obsessed as they
so often are with billing targets, militates against this. Yet investment time is tomorrow’s
chargeable time and if you under-invest today, you will pay a higher price tomorrow.
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Investment in creativity has to be viewed differently from more tangible investments. As Bill
Gates says, 'If you have enough information to make a business case, you're too late.' Forget
hesitation. You cannot apply the usual return on investment (ROI) tests to creativity. What was
the projected return on investment when xerography was invented, or when 3M's stumbled
across Post-It® notes? What was the ROI of Michael Dell's idea of selling directly to the
customer? The best you can say is that the ROI is probably somewhere between Zero and
Zillions. Beyond that, analysis means paralysis.
When you are involved in developing a new product or service, rather than developing it in
isolation at the desk-top, consider approaching an existing client whom you know could benefit.
Offer to provide the service for them at a modest fee. Then use this initial assignment to develop
and refine the service, getting the client's input and feedback as you go. The result is likely to be
a much more practical product or service, and it makes it less costly. You will need to be very
open with your client about what you are doing. But so long as you can demonstrate how they
will benefit, most good clients will be more than happy to oblige. Indeed, this type of
collaboration can really deepen relationships with clients.
Look for quick ways to test prototypes. Don’t wait for perfection before you launch. Then set up
fast feedback loops to give you instant and rich feedback. For a long time Lotus Developments
spent money on all three parts of Lotus 123. They improved the spreadsheet, the database and
the word processor. Then they did a study and discovered that 95% of their users never used
anything but the spreadsheet.lviii Amazon continually tests out new pages layouts and styles and
tries them out on sections of users, carefully monitoring the effects. Tests that don’t use real
markets don’t usually work. Focus groups or informal polling of the folks you run into in the
hallway aren’t really tests. See fast co on design
There is a difference between incremental innovation and breakthrough innovation. Both can be
beneficial but they do not mix well. Microsoft has solved this by having two different teams
working on operating systems, each releasing a new system every two years. The developers
who created Windows 98 are not the people who built Windows 2000. This approach has huge
advantages. First, there is a temptation (encouraged by Microsoft’s management), for one team
to steal the best of the other’s ideas. But there isn’t a matching desire to steal the bad stuff. Noone has to pretend some piece of code created by a Senior Engineer on the other team is any
good. They can ignore that and just take what works. lix
Need some tips on product innovation?
This section is light
Different services for every client
Producers of products generally have to make substantial investment in research, design,
prototyping, and testing before committing to a limited product line with little scope for
responding to individual customer needs. In contrast, as a provider of professional services you
have a major advantage; you can easily tailor your services to the needs of each and every
individual client. Sadly, too many professional service providers, in pursuit of efficiency, miss this
opportunity and instead offer standardised services. Offering services closely tailored to
individual client needs will be more attractive to clients and potential clients and will therefore
very often justify higher fees.
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Applying this approach of mass customisation starts at the early stages of selling; the orientation
meeting. Take the time to really understand a client and what is important to them. Then get the
client service team together and be creative. Identify at least a dozen ways in which you could
tailor the service to more closely meet the client’s needs. Look for ways to go beyond their
expectations. Then choose the best ideas and incorporate them in your proposals.
For existing clients, make sure you get the team together at least once a year to go through this
creative tailoring service. Do not just deliver the same as you did last year. What was
appropriate last year is almost certainly insufficient this year.
5 Choose a focus and make it your own
Focus
It is self evident that you cannot hope to be at the forefront of every field within your profession.
All of the professions are too complex these days for there ever to be a single leader who is best
at everything. Therefore if you want to be, and be seen to be, a pioneer, you have to focus on a
niche. The narrower the niche, the greater is the opportunity to make it your own and to become
known as the leading expert.
When advising professionals who wish to succeed by becoming pioneers, or “thought leaders” I
often find a natural reluctance to focus on a narrow niche. After all, wouldn’t a narrow niche limit
business opportunities? Experience shows the reverse to be true. If you want to be a leader –
genuinely at the forefront - you have to become regarded as the best at what you do. Your
quickest way to achieve that is by narrowing your focus. Once you have established yourself you
can always extend your scope. But unless you start narrow you are unlikely ever to become
regarded as a leader at anything.
Your chosen niche might be:

a market sector: I know of a web designer who has focused most of his marketing efforts on
professional speakers. Yes, he could do web sites for anyone; there is nothing particularly
unique about professional speakers. But that is not the point. The point is that he has almost
made that small niche his own. If one professional speaker asked another’s advice about a
web designer, this guy’s name would be the first to be mentioned. That’s powerful. Doubly so
when that speaker compares with other web designers who merely specialise on “small
businesses”. Professional speakers is a very narrow niche. That is why it is so powerful.
For many years my own services in developing people were promoted to all-comers, with no
particular sector niche. After all, people are people whatever sector they are in. Yet it was
only when I chose to focus entirely on professional service firms that my business started to
take off.
So what market sectors do you have a knowledge of? In what sectors do you already have
clients? What sectors most interest you? Which sectors are under-served by your
profession?

a narrow area of your profession: My youngest son Sam recently had an unfortunate
accident whilst competing in the British Snowboarding Championships and suffered spinal
injuries. Naturally we wanted to access the best medical advice. But the best medical advice
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does not mean finding the best surgeon, nor even the best neurosurgeon. No single person
can be regarded as best in such broad terms. It turns out that there are a handful of people
who specialise in the very rare condition my son has. For us they are the best people –
indeed the only people - to consult. They are pioneers, not only best at what they do, but
continually striving to improve by discovering new techniques and honing their skills.
What narrow specialisms are there in your profession? Which of these specialisms most
interest you? Which could you become a leading expert in?

a new or emerging issue: Someone told me of a former colleague who, when self
assessment first became mooted by the UK tax authorities, established himself as “Mr Self
Assessment”. He was at the forefront of developments as they occurred and established
credibility as an expert.
What are today’s emerging issues in your field? What is just starting to happen, or on the
horizon? What will cost clients money if they do not act soon? What opportunities are clients
missing? What risks are being overlooked? What potential pain is looming?
Your niche might be a combination of these things; a new issue in a narrow field that has
relevance to a particular market sector.
Develop a compelling message or interesting angle
Once you have chosen a niche you will need to do more than specialise in it. You should aim to
become the leading expert in it. To do so you will need not only to have a thorough working
knowledge of the subject, but also have an interesting message that people (your target market)
would benefit from knowing.
You will need to stick your neck out, not sit on the fence.
, be punchy and to the point, have a point of view
 what impression do you want to leave people with – weave it into it – (don’t have to tell
people – indeed may be counter-productive) but do have to say things that will leave yor
audience drawing the conclusion you want them to






inconsistency is a brand’s worst enemy
Brian Jenkins – “We need to put names on things”.
You must stick to your convictions, but be ready to abandon your assumptions (B18)
The power of the brandlx
sigmoid curves
Make yourself obsolete before someone else does.
Keep pushing back the frontiers

There are dangers in thinking yourself as an expert, especially the danger of losing your
sense of wonder. Instead of being driven by curiosity, you become driven to defend what
you’ve previously researched, invented, created, marketed, or published. Reciting safe
answers now, you stop saying the liberating words ‘I don’t know.’ (B18)
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



If someone hasn’t told you lately that your ideas are crazy, you haven’t been doing much
independent thinking. (B18)
keeping ahead of the learning curve (or under learning with ref to?)
Look for new ways, be creative about how we use knowledge, talk and meet with other
professionals, learn from your clients.
Keep learning – how do you keep at the very leading edge of your profession (and don’t say
by reading professional journals – it’s in the public domain by then)
6 Foster creativity
First create the culture
If you are in a leadership position, perhaps leading a project or task group, spearheading a new
initiative, or leading a practice area, innovation is not so much about having great ideas, as
encouraging and nurturing the ideas of others; being both mother and midwife. If you limit new
idea generation to your own creative capacity you will be unnecessarily restricting your team’s
potential for innovation.
The key is to bring out the best ideas from others. That means creating a culture in which
creativity is not only tolerated, is not merely encouraged, but is insisted upon.
A few years ago a US company issued an edict to all its staff insisting that each employee
should in future generate two new ideas per month (x ref?). Yes, it sounds a bit prescriptive. But
it undoubtedly sends a very important message; firstly that innovation is no longer an option, it is
an essential business process, and secondly that creativity is everyone’s responsibility.
The director of an advertising agency commented that it was good that I hadn’t arrived a few
minutes earlier. They had one of their people strung up from a tree as they experimented with
ideas for a new campaign. This kind of playful and experimental creativity is a million miles from
the culture of most professional firms.
Let your team know that new ideas are expected and that there is no shame in coming forward
with ideas which turn out to be duff. Any ideas are better than no ideas. Anyone who only comes
forward with good ideas is undoubtedly holding back on most of their thoughts, some of which
could potentially be their best.
Some organisations set up a creative area, with all the resources needed and with an
environment that encourages people to get out of their normal work thinking patterns; pictures on
the walls and ceilings, interesting ornaments and props, toys, etc - anything to break normal
thinking patterns. It may not add much to the creative process itself, but it tangibly signals to
people that creativity does matter, and so makes it easier for them to slip into creative gear.
When the future depends on innovation, as it does in professional services, investment to bring
about new ideas is an essential investment. Here’s what to do:




Create a culture that encourages and nurtures innovation.
Put processes in place that make creativity an essential part of doing business.
Offer funding that allows promoters to develop and test-market their ideas.
Reward not only success, but attempted success too.
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Countering the resistance
It is not just about encouraging ideas to come forward. It is about incubating and protecting those
ideas until they are able to stand up for themselves. It is too easy to dismiss an idea before it has
been fully explored and developed. Perhaps tongue in cheek, to illustrate the point, Seth Godin
footnote recommends appointing a CNO – a Chief No Officer. No longer could someone say “no”
to an idea and leave it at that. If you want to turn something down, you’ve got to get the approval
of the Chief No Officer. An interesting thought.
7 Get yourself known
Raising profile
Why do it?
To draft covering:
 not about stunts, etc – can’t debase the product – ie you - but Green Goddess & LSCA
 your profile raising should therefore come after your creativity to create a compelling
message.
 you need to ask yourself “what would this audience really like to hear”, or put another way
“who would really want to know about this.
 Very few people will genuinely be interested in knowing about you or your firm. So forget
about announcements of new offices, new contracts, new appointments, etc. There may be
no harm in publicising them, but little real benefit either.
 Yet they may be very interested indeed about some new development or event
 consistent theme / message to build up – needs to be a campaign, not a one-off, to build up
momentum
 get a book published






establish your credibility in the field
provide 3rd party endorsement that adds to your credibility
it’s not just for the senior few
raising your profile will raise your firm’s profile – you are the personality though, and that’s
what’s interesting
but: less control than advertising, and it’s not really free because it takes time and effort,
some risks but can be managed
whatever you say publicly, at least one of your partners will object that you shouldn’t have
said it. It’s the price you pay for publicity (or partnership!) but anything that pleases alllyour
partners will be so bland as to be unpublishble
How to go about it
To draft covering:
 use the resources in your firm
 if there is a marketing department, manager, assistant, whatever, make full use of their
services. Usually they become frustrated trying to support people who are publicity shy. They
are only too ready to throw their weight behind someone who is willing to put themselves
forward
 PG experience at C&L
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

build a list of contacts and feed them stuff (ie give them what they want)Forge professional
relationships (doesn’t have to mean lunches etc)
monitor your results – column inches and nos of mentions at C&L (> than competitors) – not
perfect but it helps to bring focus to the activity
Blogs – tapping into what’s known
Writing articles that get published
To draft covering:
 see author guidelines from Fast Co & HBR










tips:
o timeliness (link to deadlines)
o news factor (link toi event or something of news interest)
o human interest
o correct procedure
imagine addressing a single member of the readership, what’s of interest to them, wghat do
they really need to know
address them personally
use facts, anecdotes, analogies
write in an informal spoken style – it has more energy & life and is > interesting (but match
the general style of the publication)
so why do so many people write in turgid prose, stale, stiff & formal, overly stylised and rulebound – probably because that’s the way we were taught at school – well break the rules –
get personality & life into your writing style
how can you get your point across “urgently”?
avoid abstracts – talk about things readers can relate to, imagine, etc – concepts like
happiness, pleasure, sadness, etc can mean different things to diff people
minimise use of adjectives –they tell rather than show
don’t try to impress, try to interest
Tips for writing articles that get published
see Franklin p 187


once you have an idea of your theme or idea, call the editor to whet her appetite, talk about
length, style etc (she may say not of interest just now, so move on)
an arresting start – force yourself to write half a dozen then choose one
Writing news releases that get noticed
To draft covering:
 sources of news:
o clients and what they are doing, facing, how they are succeeding (with your help –
but don’t need to spell that out) – with client’s permission of course
o projects and far-reaching plans
o new developments in the industry, with your unique slant
o “how to…
o surveys (can be quick and dirty), new facts, opinions (not bland)
o unique insights (linked to an event to make in timely)
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




write based on what, when, etc (see N Rose)
keep the headline factual and sober – avoid the temptation to go for a pun or humorous
headline – they won’t use it and it won’t really help you
include quotes from relevant people (clients?)
C&L news release that got opposite coverage in FT & Telegraph
Getting on TV and radio, and come out well
To draft covering:
 also press interviews
The conference circuit
(speaking at public conferences under raising profile (go beyond pres skills & in-house seminars
to becoming an in-demand spkr)
Milking it
To draft covering:
 drafts of articles to contacts and clients for their input (they will be pleased that you have
asked them) – but keep it genuine
 on web site, in brochures, proposals, newsletters, etc
……………………………………………..
Conclusion ?
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RESOURCE KIT
Check out your success drive
Ask yourself:










What does success mean to you?
Are you embarked on a career without really knowing where it is leading you?
How much fulfilment are you getting from your career (answer on a scale of 1 to 10). How
much would you like to be getting?
Do you have pre-formed notions about success in some way being equated with
wealthiness or well known-ness?
How long is your career likely to be? What is likely to lie beyond it? Total retirement or a
second career?
Are you unwittingly falling for the deferred life plan? What would you be doing given a free
choice?
Are you pursuing a purpose in your career? Do you spend time searching for meaning
that will give your career real purpose?
Are you developing and using your intellectual talents to the full?
Is money your main (or only) measure of success? Does it really measure what’s
important to you?
Where does your career fit within your life? Is this reflected in your day-to-day actions?
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Trends shaping the future of professional services
Below is my take on the trends that seem to be shaping the future of professional services.
These are not necessarily all causes in themselves. Some are inter-related, conspiring with each
other to wield their influence. Some may initially be conceived of others, but then take on a life
and momentum all of their own.

Rising expectations and loss of loyalty: We expect to be able to get what we want, when
we want it. Our clients’ rising expectations will be egged on not only by their experience of
professional services, but of other walks of life too. We expect our every whim to be catered
for and to be in control.lxi We have less unquestioning loyalty; ready to switch banks, to move
to a new doctor, and to question those whose word we once accepted. Trust and respect
now need to be earned. It’s not just clients who want to have their say, rule by fear or “do as I
say” no longer work as levers of management; we have to be won over, to be involved.

Innovation and mass customisation: We are seeing an explosion of choice. Creativity and
out-of-box thinking have zipped from buzz word to cliché in the work place. Fast prototyping
is shortening the time from idea to production. lxii

IT, information overload and attention scarcity: lxiii The enormous and rapid advances in
IT are self-evident. Computers get ever cheaper, faster and more powerful. Yet the real
power comes from the connection of those computers into networks. This trend has only just
begun. We are drowning in a sea of information, yet use of information is hardly rising at all
because the consumption of information takes time which is limited. Information providers
therefore have to compete for our limited attention.lxiv

Fastness and the death of distance: The pace of change is advancing unchecked. From
new innovation to low value commodity is an ever shortening journey. The professional
service sector is not immune from this. Highly valued ‘gold collar’ work quickly becoming low
value white collar work. With information as the new source of value, that value can be
transferred and delivered from and to anywhere in the world in a matter of moments. Your
furthest competitor is now only a split second away.lxv

The increasing power of the brand: From McDonalds to McKinsey, and from Calvin Klein
to Clifford Chance, brands are all around us. Overwhelmed with choice and short of time to
exercise it, brands give us a short cut to buying decisions. lxvi Individuals can aso become
brands.

The meaning of work: We are entering a new era in which economic success will depend
not on scarce capital, but instead on intelligence, creativity, empathy, and other
characteristics best described as human capital. In this new era, the primacy of capital and
the pure pursuit of profit are no longer appropriate. As people realise they can demand a high
price for their talents, they are simultaneously realising that money alone is insufficient. Work
no longer has to provide the means for life, it has to provide the meaning of life.lxvii With
retirement also on the back foot, work looks set for redefinition.

The disorganisation of organisations: Today, information flows and networks of people
are the defining features of organisations, elbowing out yesterday’s organisation charts, job
descriptions and reporting responsibilities. The threat to the organisation as we know it is that
these information flows and networks need no organisation. Indeed, they are better off
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without it. Any well-meaning attempts to bring order, or cling on to the old organisational
shibboleths, only constrain the flexible and evolutionary quality that gives networks their
nourishment. The “organisation” of the future can best help by facilitating the creation and
evolution of these networks. Not trying to bring order, but cherishing disorder.
These forces for change will shape the future of professional services through two main
avenues, and nothing new here - good old supply and demand.
Supply means you and me, and professional people like us. We contribute to, and are at the
same time affected by, these trends. The trends will be formed by the collective shifts in what
drives us; what we will increasingly want from our professional lives in future. The main ways in
which these changes will affect the demands that professionals make on their firms is picked up
on page 69 where we look at leadership.
Demand is governed by our clients; what they will want to buy and how they will want to buy it.
Organisations don’t buy and use professional services. People (in those organisations) do.
Those people are themselves creating and being affected by these subtle but definite trends.
The main ways in which these changes will affect professional service clients of the future is
picked up on page ? where we look at client service excellence.lxviii Success for professionals like
you will come from being able to deliver what clients, and therefore PSOs, want. Not by being a
serf, but by tapping deeply into your unique strengths, forging them, and turning them to the
benefit of others. Not expecting constancy but thriving on change and challenge.
Working against these forces for change will be a resisting force, operating like friction, slowing
down the pace of change and acting as an anchor on those who want to move forwards. This
resistance to change is natural. We tend to strive for constancy. But beware of it. Success in
professional services means moving at the front end of change. Holding back is likely to lead to
a loss of competitive edge.
Professionals and clients are caught in the eye of these swirling currents of
change. Those responsible for running PSOs have the job of bringing the
two together in a mutually beneficial relationship under these turbulent
conditions.
“Tomorrow’s
world of
professional
services will
be different
from today’s”
Well that’s my take on it. You may argue that some of these trends are not
so significant, or that there are other trends that matter more. Furthermore,
the extent to which these various trends will manifest themselves, and the
pace with which they will take hold, can be estimated with little certainty. What is certain is that
tomorrow’s world of professional services will be different from today’s. If you are seeking to
advance you would do well to move with the flow that the forces for change create. They can act
like slipstreams allowing you to surge forward at a rapid rate.
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Tips on clarifying your career vision and goals
TO DO
There is no right or wrong way to express a career goal, so long as it reflects what you want it to. It
depends on you. Use the following as a guide:

focus on the things that really matter to you

make it sufficiently specific to be measurable, but not so specific that your goal will be
overtaken by events

you could cover your life outside work, for example the sort of lifestyle you want to achieve,
as both impinge on the other to form the major parts of our lives

set a time frame of several years, usually between five and ten years, though it could be
more or less

avoid your goal being dependent on things outside your control

you should believe your goal to be achievable, even though it may be ambitious

try to express your goal in just a few sentences.
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So you think you don’t need a career plan?

"...I already have a career plan": If you already have a plan for your career, good. Simply take
the opportunity to review your plan. Start with a clean sheet and go through the thought process
in full, otherwise you may be blinkered by your existing goals. It can sometimes help to identify a
"next best solution" ie to force yourself to think of an alternative as though your existing goal has
become unattainable for some reason.

"...I am happy doing what I am already doing": If you want to stay doing what you are doing there is nothing wrong with that. But remember that your organisation, like every other
business, is changing. You have no right to expect your job to stay the same in the future, so
you have to be ready to adapt. You have to keep moving to stand still. Remember also that you
can develop within your existing role, either by performing to a higher level of achievement, or
by broadening your responsibilities.

"...one should take life as it comes": This is merely abdicating responsibility for your life and your
career. If you take this view then you must be prepared to face the random events that life
throws at you. You do not have to do so. We have more control over events than we often
realise.

"...it is impossible to set detailed plans for the future": Yes, it is, but it is possible to set a
direction and to identify what you could do to move yourself in that direction. There is no
certainty that you will achieve your aims. But you have an immensely better chance of doing so
if you know what your aims are.
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Strategies to help you follow through on goals
preamble

Create compelling reasons and eliminate any wiggle room: Be absolutely clear about
what you want, why you want it and what it will mean to you. The clearer and more
tangible your vision is (like the Conrad Hilton photo), the more likely you are to resist the
short term distractions.
Conrad Hilton, in the great depression, was going through tough times, his creditors were
threatening to foreclose, and he was even borrowing from a bell boy so that he could eat.
At that time, 1931, he came across a photo of the magnificent Waldorf Hotel. He clipped it
out & wrote across it “The greatest of them all” and put it in his wallet. When he had a
desk again, he slipped it under the glass, and kept it as he moved upwards and onwards it gave him something to focus on. 18 years later he acquired the Waldorf.

Leverage your willpower: Make a commitment now that you can’t get out of, or that will
cost you dearly if you attempt to. If you are struggling to get around to those twice-yearly
reviews you know you should be having with your staff, give a single instruction now to
your secretary to book the dates into everyone’s diaries. Another way to leverage your will
power is to negotiate a remuneration package closely linked to your goals.

Go public: Many people finally succeed in losing weight by joining a club that involves
public weigh-ins. If you are aiming to become a partner, or the leader in your field, let it be
known. You can also give people ‘nagging rights’. This is best done voluntarily so that it is
seen as supportive (firms could well ask their partners what they want to be nagged
about).

Right before wrong: Allow yourself to satisfy your short term hedonistic urges, but only
after taking some positive action on your long term goals. No lunch break until that report
is finished. Yes, allow yourself as many biscuits as you like, but promise yourself that you
will eat an apple before each one (by which time you probably won’t feel like tomm many
biscuits).

Take the horse to water: Commit yourself to taking the first step before deciding whether
to take the next.
A friend who keeps fit by running confided that for him the hardest part is putting on his
running shoes. I knew what he meant and using this “horse to water” strategy I promised
myself that three times a week I would put on my shorts and running shoes and then
decide whether to go running. And three times a week for a whole year I went running,
achieving my publicly stated New Year resolution.
It sounds crazy to have to trick ourselves in this way. It shouldn’t be necessary and, perhaps
for many people it isn’t. But if you find yourself struggling to give your long term goals priority
over your short term desires, try it. I can personally confirm that the strategies I have used do
work. You simply need to identify the right ones for you and your goals. Happy New You!
Ref to book?
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A checklist of development opportunities
The following table summarises some of the development opportunities that may be available to
you, with their advantages and disadvantages.
Development method
Advantages
Disadvantages
Shadowing
Spending a defined period observing
the work of someone who is regarded
as excellent in a particular skill


builds breadth of knowledge
may enhance working
relationships
builds practical knowledge



can be difficult to schedule
can be time consuming
without practice may be limited in
building skills
Secondment
Generally a medium term move to
another unit, function, project group or
client




opportunity to get deeply
involved in other work
can broaden outlook
productive whilst learning
can be difficult to extricate the
person following the secondment
may require cover for existing role
Project group
A group of people, usually multifunction, working on a practical task





has a practical pay-off
broadens awareness
enhances teamwork skills
minimal cost
develops ownership of issues


can be time consuming
development is a by-product
rather than the main focus
Coaching
Line manager or experienced peer
helping to develop a person from within


benefit can be immediate
performance can surpass that of
the coach
one to one builds relationship
can be integrated into normal
working



can be seen as favouritism
time-demanding on the coach
not suitable for building new
knowledge
demonstrates commitment to
development
brings experience to bear
can build strong relationship



can be seen as favouritism
time-demanding on the mentor
depends on mentoring ability of
the mentor

may be difficult to release people
to attend




Mentoring
Usually a senior professional, not the
line manager, assigned to induct,
develop, guide, counsel, etc.

Learning teams
Groups of individuals with common
development needs working in "focus
groups" on projects to jointly address
their needs. Usually supported by an
expert.


usually cross-functional,
promoting good working
relationships
can address a need intensively
Action planning
Formal process to aid self discipline,
looking at what will be done, by when,
what the drivers & inhibitors are, etc.



simple, easy to use & review
cost effective
individual takes responsibility


may lapse if not managed
may not be perceived as
development
Networking
Formal or informal way of sharing
ideas. Can be within the Firm or
outside.
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shared learning
builds relationships
pools best ideas

can develop over-reliance at
expense of other relationships
Seminars / conferences
Presentation / lecture on specialist
subjects by experts

opportunity to hear others' views
on a subject
networking opportunities
useful in "new" areas
can be run in-house if enough
demand

can be thin on transferable
knowledge
not useful for building skills
can be costly
© Peopleism 2005
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110
Team building programmes
Specially designed and facilitated
series of activities to develop
teamwork, involving the whole team
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immediate results
can address very practical issues
helps to get the best from all
members of a team
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can be costly
some so-called team-building has
little to contribute
Delegation
Passing responsibility and authority for
a task to a direct report. Must be
prepared to empower.

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promotes trust
stimulates a sense of
achievement
may free-up some of the
manager's time

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takes time to explain requirements
quality standards may drop
Formal courses
Lectures, lessons, exercises, etc in
classroom situation to transfer skills,
knowledge and/or behaviours

usually special environment to
promote learning
exposure to experts
opportunities to challenge,
reinforce and network


can be costly and time consuming
limited effect other than in
transferring knowledge
usually of general application, not
tailored to individual needs
Further education / professional
qualifications
Short courses or longer term academic
qualifications. Evening classes, day
release etc covering a broad range of
subjects

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
shows commitment of the firm
transferable qualification
networking opportunities
can extend skills inventory of the
organisation
can capture latest developments

Distance learning
Individual learning supported by
workbooks or new media (using web
sites, e-mail, CD ROMs, video or
audio)

can be paced to suit the
individual
messages often "state of the art"
wide choice and flexibility
relatively low cost
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© Peopleism 2005
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benefits may only be to the
individual
time consuming
not necessarily the hallmark of
quality
usually of general application, not
tailored
impersonal
often little opportunity to challenge
or benefit from interaction, though
this is improving
can lose interest / commitment
still relatively little choice though
again this is improving
111
Understanding your preferred learning style
There is a recognised learning cyclelxix in which we:
Have an
experience
Plan
next steps
Review that
experience
Conclude
from that
experience
Peopleism
You can start at any point in this cycle as each stage leads to the next and learning is a
continuous process. However, we each tend to have preferences for stages in this cycle from
which we learn most easily, giving us our own preferred learning styles.
The main learning styles are:
Style
How you prefer to learn….
Dangers of focusing only on that style….
Activist:
By doing
You may engage in one activity after another, without
reflecting or drawing any conclusions.
Reflector:
By sitting back, observing and thinking
through what has happened and why
You may not reach any conclusions, or put your learning
into action
Theorist:
By having everything organised into a neat
schema as soon as possible
You may too easily latch onto a theory which may not be
soundly based or applicable to your situation
Pragmatist:
By looking for the practical application and
leaping to a course of action
You may not take the time to analyse the best course of
action.
Link to P Honey
Recognise your own learning style because that is the way you will learn most easily. But extend
your learning experience into other styles too, so broadening your capacity to learn.
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Fast tips on listening
Good listening involves:

hearing content, thoughts and feelings, as well as the words

giving a person time and space, avoiding butting in

not making judgements nor diagnoses

giving signals that you are listening.
Effective signals in listening to someone will be given by:

facing the person

having an open posture - not arms folded and legs crossed

keeping good eye contact - looking at the person without staring

being relaxed

asking specific questions following from what the client has said

writing down key points.
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Fast tips on questioning
When conducting a fact-finding meeting with your client, or when coaching a member of your
team, it is usually best to start with some open questions to establish the scope of the issue.
Once you have identified the main elements you can then ask an open question about one of
these elements before using other types of question to probe for more detail. Once you have
exhausted that element of the issue, you can move onto another element until you have all the
information you need.
The main types of question and how to use them
Open questions
Useful for starting a discussion without leading or narrowing the
ground too much. They usually begin with “how?”, “what?”,
“who?”. Or even a non-question like “tell me about....”
Reflective questions:
Useful to elicit more information if the other person is reluctant to
provide it. You simply restate a word or phrase used by the other
person. For example:
Other person: “There are some other problems too”
You: “Other problems?”
Comparative questions:
Useful for focusing and getting more specific information. You
ask the person to compare two alternatives. For example:
“What do you see as the differences between the two
approaches?”
Specific questions:
Useful to control and confirm a discussion.
They usually begin with: “do you?”, “would you?”, “have you?”,
“could you?”, “are you?”.
Benchmark questions:
Useful to reveal just how important something is. For example:
“How significant is that to you?” or “How important is that, on a
scale of 1 to 10?”
Some questions to avoid
Multiple or overly complex
questions
which usually lead to misunderstanding or focusing only on a
part of the question
Leading questions
since you may not find out what the other person really thinks
Hypothetical questions
which usually lead to hypothetical answers
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© Peopleism 2005
115
Fast tips on reading body language
Body language signals
What they might mean
Scratching, rubbing or covering ear with
hand
I am uncomfortable with what I am hearing
Hand covering or partially covering
mouth, or touching nose
I am uncomfortable with what I am saying
(which may indicate lack of confidence or that it
is not wholly true)
Hand touching or covering eye
I am uncomfortable with what I am seeing
Scratching neck (or hitching collar)
I am uncomfortable, or under pressure (I may
have been asked a question that I do not want
to, or know how to, answer)
Head resting heavily on hand
I am bored
Hand gently touching side of cheek with
finger pointing upwards
I am interested
Hand or fingers gently rubbing chin
I am evaluating, or am about to make a
decision
Excessive avoidance of eye contact
I am unsure of myself or what I am saying
Arms tightly folded
I feel exposed or do not want to take in what I
am hearing
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Communicating effectively in writing
Communicating in writing has its advantages, but it also has limitations. Because you miss the
opportunity to communicate through tone of voice and body language, it demands more care
and is more likely to be misinterpreted. It also provides less opportunity for interaction.
Where writing if the best format, the starting point is to define your objective. Ask yourself what
difference you want your communication to make. In particular:
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What do you want the reader to know that they don’t know now? Identify the key points.
What action do you want the reader to take? You will need to make this very clear and
persuade them to take the action.
What do you want the reader’s views to be? What do you want them to think or feel?
What impression do you want to leave with the reader? Your communication will make an
impression. What do you want it to be?
Write down your objectives, as specifically as possible, in just one or two sentences. This will
help you save time and produce a better document. If you are writing a report or proposal for
someone else, show him or her the objectives you have developed before you go any further.
Before you go any further, force yourself to see it from the reader’s point of view. Ask yourself:
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How much do they already know about this? Do you need to remind them of the
background?
What are their views about the situation? Are they likely to agree or disagree with you? What
objections might they have?
What barriers might there be to effective communication? Are they prejudiced against you or
your communication? Have they had experiences that might block your message?
How do they like to be communicated with? What form and style of communication do they
use?
How are they going to use the document? If in doubt ask them. Are they likely to copy it to
others, or include it in a report of their own? Is it going to be kept for future reference?
Once you have done this you can create a logical structure, along the following lines:
Letters & e-mail
A warm welcome
Convey the key points
Refer to any attachments
Summarise
State any action required of
the reader
A warm close
(No more than 2 pages)
Proposals*
Introduction
Logical structure for main
body, eg:
 Position (from reader’s
viewpoint)
 Problem or opportunity
(why things must change)
 Possibilities (options,
unless straight yes/no)
 Proposal (best option &
why)
Conclusion
Appendices
* Proposals are different from reports in that they seek to persuade the reader (to appoint you or to
accept your point of view). Reports convey factual information.
© Peopleism 2005
Informational reports
Introduction
Summary of key points
Detail, logically organised, eg:
 by importance
 by date
 by product, location, etc
Action required
Appendices
117
Write down the main points you need to cover within your structure. Identify any research you
may need to do, or information you may find useful to collect and make arrangements to get this.
Only then should you start to write. Force yourself to churn out a first draft. Resist the temptation
to edit as you go. Just get all your thoughts down. Borrow chunks of writing from documents you
have written before (there is no point reinventing wheels). Write it in a spoken rather than formal
written style. Dictating can help to achieve this, and is an efficient way of creating a first draft.
Once you have done this you can then start to edit your work, which is best done in two stages,
starting with a rough edit just looking at the broad content and structure.
Checklist for a broad edit of your writing
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Is it written from the reader’s viewpoint?
Have you shown that you are on their side?
What is their reaction to your report likely to be?
Does this reaction mirror your objective?
Is the structure logical (from the reader’s perspective)? What alternative structures could you
adopt?
Have you covered all the key points? What might be missing?
What questions might the reader have once they have read your document?
What objections might they have?
What more information might be useful to the reader?
Is more explanation needed?
Have you focused on the benefits (to the reader) of your proposals?
How could more facts, examples, analogies, etc. help?
What could you afford to leave out to avoid diluting your main points?
Could some of the information be moved into appendices?
Can you use charts, graphs, diagrams, or pictures to help get your message across (and
improve the look of your document)?
Is the layout attractive and eye-catching?
Now is the time to edit your work in detail. Never omit this step, but aim for very good rather than
perfect (unless you are writing a novel). Here’s a checklist for this final edit.
Checklist for a fine edit of your writing


Is your document written in an informal style that would suit the reader?
Review your document for:
o
redundant words - delete them
o
outmoded phrases - use everyday English
o
clichés - find fresh alternatives
o
value judgements (like “best”) - use objective language and facts
o
passive verbs - replace them with active verbs
o
abstract terms - replace them with concrete nouns
o
politically incorrect phrases - avoid them
o
unnecessarily technical or jargon words - explain them if you must include them
o
unnecessarily long words, phrases or sentences - keep it simple
o
ambiguous words
o
typos - use a spellchecker.
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118
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Don’t get too hung up with rules of grammar.
Get someone else to review your work. They will be able to view it more objectively. Even try the
snatch test – give it to someone and ask them to read it. Snatch it back after 5 seconds and ask
them what it was about. If they don’t know you need to revise it.
© Peopleism 2005
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Communicating effectively by telephone
More tips needed here
As a medium for communication, the telephone has the advantage of being quick and easy to
use. Unlike written communication, it also allows interaction, helping to ensure that your
message is understood.
On the downside, it is less easy to get your message across on the telephone than face to face
and there is a greater risk of misunderstanding. The telephone may therefore be inappropriate
for communicating bad news or complicated information.
Plan important telephone calls before you make them. You would not normally go to an
important meeting without first preparing yourself; making brief notes of the points you wish to
convey, getting relevant materials together etc. Yet many people make important telephone calls
without similar preparation. Be prepared for incoming calls too. If you have asked someone to
return a call, or if you can reasonably expect a person to be calling you, keep a note of what you
need to speak about.
Listening on the telephone is even more important than in face to face meetings because the
lack of visibility makes it harder to understand. So limit your own talking, ask questions to clarify,
don’t interrupt, concentrate on what is being said, take notes, don’t jump to conclusions, listen for
overtones.
Remember that on the telephone, tone of voice is everything. It conveys your mood, your
interest in the subject of the call, your attitude to the other person etc. Make sure your voice says
what you want it to say. Using the same gestures you would when speaking face to face can
help you speak more naturally. Your smile will be heard. A silence can be deafening.
© Peopleism 2005
120
Face to face presentations and meetings
Most people have little difficulty making themselves understood in conversation. Yet call it a
presentation and bring in an audience and it becomes a new challenge. It is perfectly natural to
feel a little nervous before presenting (public speaking is the number one phobia!). In fact, without
some nerves and adrenaline flowing you are unlikely to present well - cool as a cucumber means as
boring as a cucumber!
The extent of nervousness usually varies in direct proportion to the size of the audience. In fact, it is
the importance of the presentation that should govern your anxiety; most people are unduly nervous
about larger audiences and unduly relaxed about smaller ones!
You should aim not to hide or dampen your nerves, but to channel them into giving an enthusiastic
presentation, using gestures and facial expressions as a way of dispelling tension. You have to make
your "butterflies" fly in formation. Don't get preoccupied thinking "I must remember to ..." Just throw
yourself into your presentation; commit yourself and it will all flow quite naturally.
Fast tips for preparing and delivering presentations
Preparing:

Allocate enough time to research thoroughly. It's the best way to avoid nerves and to be sure
of a strong, confident delivery. Preparing does not mean preparing a script, it means knowing
your subject. A script is a sure killer for a presentation.

Identify your objective. How do you want them to be different following your talk (what do they
need to know that they didn’t know before? What do they need to think or feel about you,
your firm, your subject?).

Analyse your audience. See your subject from their viewpoint and talk about the relevance to
them. That is how to make it interesting; make it relevant. The subject of every talk you give
is…..your audience!

Structure your presentation:
o a strong, striking opening
o a body, logically organised
o a powerful conclusion to round off.

Use short sentences and simple language. Speak in a conversational not formal style.

Include anecdotes, examples and analogies to paint vivid word pictures. Make sure they are
relevant.

Keep notes - if you need them - as short and unobtrusive as possible.

Rehearse, but not too much. You don’t want your talk to become stilted. Force yourself to
think on your feet within a planned structure.
Presenting:

Use your nervous energy positively. Commit yourself fully to the presentation.
© Peopleism 2005
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Think of "amplified conversation" rather than "public speaking". Straight and informal, not
artificial and forced.

Captivate your audience using eye contact.

Add emphasis and interest with vocal variety:
o speed
o pitch
o volume
o pause.

Body language should be natural not forced. Free yourself to use facial expressions and
gestures to support what you are saying.

Look at notes only during pauses. Use of notes is the single most important factor in judging
the credibility of a speaker.
The above tips apply in particular when presenting to larger groups, but they are also a useful
guide when presenting to smaller groups too. Sometimes – perhaps more often than you might
like – you will be participating in meetings. Here are some tips to help you make a good
impression.
Fast tips for making an impression in meetings
Before the meeting:

check that you should attend the meeting:
o can you contribute?
o will you benefit?

confirm your attendance

read any papers circulated with the agenda

find out the objectives of the meeting and define your own objectives, without entrenching your
views.
During the meeting:

listen carefully to what others have to say and try to understand their points of view. Ask
questions to ensure you fully understand what others are saying

when a matter is raised, allow others to make their views known. Choose your moment and
make your point, acknowledging others' views and putting forward a proposed solution.

get people's attention before you make your points. Lean forward, put down your pen, take off
your glasses. Introduce your point if necessary: "Chairman, perhaps I could offer a way forward
...."
© Peopleism 2005
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make your own views clear but only speak when you have something to contribute. Speaking
for the sake of it dilutes your impact
After the meeting:

give constructive feedback to the leader on how future meetings could be improved

review the notes of the meeting, brief others as appropriate, and take any action you agreed
to.
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Dealing with different types of people
DRIVERS
How to spot them:
They are concerned about getting things done and achieving results. They seek to
be in control, wasting no time in making decisions. They are efficient, well organised,
good time managers. On the other hand, they can be bullies and, whilst sometimes
benevolent, can become dictators.
What puts them under stress:
Inefficiency, time wasting and loss of their control.
How they can behave under stress
TANKS
How to deal with their difficult behaviour
They become loud and pushy and will
try to roll right over you. They
emphasise how busy they are,
believing everyone else is standing in
the way of getting things done.
Stand your ground, physically and mentally.
Allow them to run out of steam - or else
firmly interrupt them, but without arguing.
Adopt their fast pace. Repeat back their
words so that they know you have
understood them and appreciate their
viewpoint. You have to emphasise that you
understand and can help them achieve
their goals.
SNIPERS
They don’t come out into the open,
instead they take pot shots through
snide remarks and sarcasm. They
make fun of you, protecting
themselves with the cover of social
constraints in groups.
Draw attention to their sarcasm and bring
their grievances to the surface. Genuinely
try to understand their concern, ask
questions to get to specifics. In groups, ask
others if they share the concern (not to
gang up against the sniper but to truly
understand the situation). Then try to solve
the problem together, looking for win-win.
(Beware, snipers can become tanks when
drawn into the open.)
KNOW-IT-ALLS
Often they really do know it all - or an
awful lot at least. They have learnt to
arm themselves with facts and
information. Under pressure they will
use this as a shield. They become
unwilling to admit to any weaknesses
in their knowledge.
© Peopleism 2005
You also need to be knowledgeable,
because they will exploit any weaknesses
in your knowledge to discredit you. Listen to
them and acknowledge their points, then
tentatively suggest your idea as a detour (“I
wonder if...just possibly...we might be able
to...”). Ask for their viewpoint showing them
that you value their knowledge. Put them in
control and let them be the expert.
124
ANALYSTS
How to spot them:
They love lots of data and information which they examine very carefully. They are
very keen on accuracy and precision. They adopt a methodical but slow approach to
decision-making.
What puts them under stress:
The prospect of being wrong or being left with insufficient information. They hate it
when the goal posts are moved because their information may no longer be valid.
How they can behave under stress
COMPLAINERS
How to deal with their difficult behaviour
Their defence mechanism is to
complain about anything and
everything. They whine and they
whinge. And if you solve one problem
for them, they will simply complain
about something else.
Listen to them attentively, ask questions to
get them to focus on specifics and away
from generalities (you may need to interrupt
to do this). Don’t agree with their
complaints and don’t ask “Why?”. You
might consider asking them to gather more
information about the situation and to put a
report to you. If they are complaining about
a third party ask if they have made their
views known to that person. Ask if they
would mind if you told that person what had
been said. Usually they will recoil at this so
say “well let me know if you change your
mind”
WET BLANKETS
They can always find a reason why
something won’t work. They dampen
creativity. They resort to pessimistic
inner beliefs “people always let you
down...” etc.
© Peopleism 2005
Avoid getting dragged down by their
pessimism: cling to realistic optimism. But
do not argue with them. Ask questions to
draw out their specific reasons (they may
have a good point). Once you’ve heard
them out, repeat their reasons back to them
so they know you have understood. Then
be prepared to move into “tell” them your
decision. Alternatively, present an idea to
them and pre-empt their pessimism by
advancing your own views about what
could go wrong (which shows them that you
are considering the downsides too) and ask
if they can think of any other reasons why it
might not work.
125
AMIABLES
How to spot them:
They love to build relationships and like to get along with everyone. They are
sensitive towards people’s feelings. They adopt a slow and easy pace.
What puts them under stress:
Being insensitive to their feelings or threatening a relationship. They hate
confrontation.
How they can behave under stress
MAYBE PEOPLE
How to deal with their difficult behaviour
They try to put off decisions and are
wishy washy because they don’t want
to step on any toes (usually there are
some unspoken relationship issues at
stake.)
Slow down the pace and make it safe for
them to be open and honest, to encourage
a dialogue. Reassure them that you value
their relationship. Take on the decisionmaking responsibility but get their
commitment to the decision (repeatedly don’t let them shrink back to maybe). Again
reassure them that your relationship is
stronger because of the encounter.
YES PEOPLE
They will agree with whatever you say.
If you ask them for their views they will
merely ask you for yours and then say
that they agree with you. But they
won’t always follow through (not
seeming to realise that this will cause
more harm to the relationship than if
they voiced their disagreement in the
first place).
© Peopleism 2005
Keep reassuring them that the relationship
between you is very important to you and
that openness and honesty will strengthen
the relationship. Find out what might
prevent them from delivering . Ask
questions that take them into the future to
visualise the outcome of not delivering (and
the damage that would do to your
relationship). As with “maybe people” check
and double-check their commitment.
126
EXPRESSIVES
How to spot them:
They like to be the centre of attention. They want prestige and recognition and they
care what other people think of them. They adopt a fast and spontaneous pace.
They are enthusiastic and they want everyone else to be enthusiastic too.
What puts them under stress:
Being ignored. Fear of losing their prestige. Being put down in front of their peers.
How they can behave under stress
GRENADES
How to deal with their difficult behaviour
They explode when you least expect it
with uncontrollable temper tantrums
(and it’s no fake, they really are out of
control).
Firstly get their attention and show concern
for their views - rebuild their prestige. Then
suggest some time out (which will allow
them to regain their self control). Then
calmly discuss the issue, avoiding anything
that might threaten their prestige.
THINK THEY KNOW IT ALLS
They use a few facts to give the
impression that they do know it all.
They can be very convincing and
enthusiastic. They put down others
whose superior knowledge threatens
to take the limelight.
© Peopleism 2005
Avoid being taken in by them. Acknowledge
the validity of some of the points they have
made, to reinforce their prestige. Then
firmly state some further facts, allowing
them to save face; ie your aim is to get their
idea set aside without embarrassing them
in any way.
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Marketing tools and how to use them
Attending networking events: a three-stage process
1 Engagement: To engage people in conversation:
 Approach individuals or small groups, but avoid pairs (who are often locked in conversation)
 With individuals start with a pre-prepared “opener” such as “Hello, do you mind if I introduce
myself?”
 With small groups, just move towards the circle. A space will magically open for you in the
circle. If conversation stops, go for one of your opener lines. If conversation carries on, just
listen and wait for an opportunity to naturally contribute to the conversation.
2 Discussion: Use questioning to filter them into 3 main categories, then do the following:
 For people who are most unlikely ever to give you any new business, simply aim to leave a
good impression.
 For people who might prove to be useful contacts at some point in the future, but who are not
yet a source of work:
o leave a good impression
o swap business cards and agree to stay in touch
o afterwards, put them on your contact database and DO follow up.
 For good leads:
o develop rapport
o start to uncover needs through questioning, listening and watching
o uncover an opportunity to do something of value for that contact (for example,
sending them a report or inviting them to a seminar that you know from your
conversation will be of interest to them)
o get their business card and their agreement to you following up
o afterwards, follow up as soon as possible, as you promised.
3 Disengagement: To avoid getting stuck with people:
 Have some pre-prepared “get out clauses” at the ready.
 Choose a moment to comment positively on something your contact has said, then
immediately and confidently follow on with one of your get out clauses.
 So you might say: “Oh, that’s interesting…you’ve obviously been very successful
in…..anyway, I’m sure you will want to talk to other people here so let me not keep you…it’s
been a pleasure talking and I wish you well with…”
 Smile, shake hands if it’s appropriate, and confidently move away.
Internal seminars
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target them at a specific audience with a specific topical purpose
use them as a stepping stone in the business development process – know what next step
you want your audience to take and design the event to make it as easy as possible for them
to do so
link them to networking events (eg a drinks reception) so that you and your colleagues have
an opportunity for personal contact with the audience
make them interesting and lively
avoid “death by PowerPoint”
© Peopleism 2005
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use your best presenters (who need not necessarily be the greatest experts)
Speaking at external conferences

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
define an audience you would like to reach
identify conference organisers in that sector (from mailings, journals and directories)
send a mailing to them building your credibility and offering yourself as a speaker
only accept offers that will serve your business development purposes
make your presentation interesting and lively, avoid overuse of PowerPoint
polish up your presentation skills
Writing articles

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
choose a publication that has a narrow target readership and then identify a subject idea that
would have maximum relevance / impact for that readership
think of recent work you have done for clients – are other organisations facing similar issues?
What have you already done that could be turned into an article?
write a one-page proposal for the article identifying
o why it is relevant to the readership and how they will benefit from reading it
o the main premise of the article
o the main subject areas to be covered
o why you are the best person to write the article
send the proposal to the editor and follow up to discuss it
write the article with your target audience very much in mind
get their attention with your opening (if you don’t they may not read any further)
keep it very practical and avoid using your own jargon (though you can use that of your
readership to show that you understand their industry)
use (real) examples to illustrate your points and to convey your expertise, without being
boastful
write in a chatty, rather than formal, style
include diagrams, pictures, etc to add interest
include a “next step” that it is easy for the reader to say “yes” to (a free diagnostic, health
check, booklet, seminar, etc) – anything to get them to want to contact you
ask the editor to include your contact details (an e-mail address is usually best)
don’t use articles to overtly sell – just interest your audience so that they will want to take that
next step
consider whether you might be able to adapt the article and have it published elsewhere.
Getting media coverage


get to know one or two journalists who could be of use to you. Help them to do their job (ie by
giving them interesting material and quotable sound-bites)
use PR to convey a simple message that will be of real interest to the
readership/listeners/viewers of a particular organ (ie create a message for them)
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
be interesting (which may mean being controversial) and topical
Telemarketing



use it as part of a broader campaign (eg. to follow up a mailing, invite people to a seminar,
etc)
don’t expect great results if you just use it to get sales appointments
work with the telemarketing agency so they know what you expect (they need your help).
Permission marketing
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use it to stay in touch with people
tailor it to particular targets (a mailing list of one might be appropriate for a key target)
e-mail is usually best and easiest – you can keep it short and provide links to other sources
only send it to people who have requested it or agreed to receive it
make sure that your offering is genuinely valuable to those requesting/receiving it –not like a
brochure
it does not have to be “glossy” – indeed, something that seems like an internal document that
you are sharing with selected contacts can be even better than something that looks too
refined
make it easy to opt out
Adverts




choose an organ that has a narrow target audience and then design the advert for maximum
relevance / impact (eg a specialist journal or web site)
make sure there is a “next step” that it is easy for the reader to say “yes” to (eg a low cost
service with minimal risk, etc)
create an offer to advertise that is “remarkable” so that readers will want to tell their contacts
about it
be bold; safe adverts are boring
Brochures



recognise that generalised brochure will do very little for you – use them only as a “calling
card”
use specific brochures to add tangibility to specific products, services, market sector
initiatives, etc
often a research report, checklist or informative booklet is better than a brochure because it
has real value
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Business cards



be aware that giving away business cards itself is of little value - gives away control over the
business development process
use them as a swap to get the business cards of useful contacts, and create an excuse to
follow them up
make your business card remarkable – think about including a description of what you do, a
photograph of yourself, etc
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Personal barriers to selling & how to overcome them
Many professionals avoid selling, usually because they have misunderstandings about what it really
entails. The main barriers to effective selling are:

Fear of failure: Don't worry about not making a sale - take the pressure off yourself. There
are many more prospective clients around. It's a numbers game and it is very unlikely that
you will win every sale you attempt. Failing is therefore an essential part of succeeding.

Confidence in your own abilities: Assume from the start that you will make the sale. Many
professional people have negative feelings towards practice development and their negative
beliefs become self-fulfilling. Positive beliefs would also become self-fulfilling.

Fear of spoiling a relationship with a client or prospective client: Bear in mind that you are
only trying to help satisfy your client’s needs. You are not trying to pressure them into taking
something that they do not need. Done properly there is little risk of damaging a relationship.
Indeed, professionals are frequently criticised for failing to be proactive in showing how they
could help their clients.

Lack of time for business development activity: This is really a question of priorities rather
than time. Very few people have the time to do all the things they would like to do. We
therefore have to make choices. If you believe business development is important and
choose to give it a high priority you will find the time to do it.

Fear of taking on too much work: Because of the length of time it can take to develop
business in professional service firms, by the time you are short of work it’s too late. You
need to balance existing work with business development activity, delegating work that
can be done by less senior people than you.
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What clients want
(the link to this has been removed so perhaps delete this)
Yet there have been shifts in the general outlook of clients over the past decade, and there will
be further shifts over the next. On page/appendix ? we identified the main trends that seem to
be forging the future of professional services. Analysing these can provide no more than a
pointer as to what that new future might be like, but it is likely to be more illuminating than
assuming that the future will be the same as today. It won’t be.
To me, the following picture emerges of the future buyer of professional services lxx:
what clients will want?
In the throes of constant and competitive change, they will increasingly be looking to
outsource to find solutions. However, they will quickly see any non-unique professional
service as a commodity and will want to use IT and low cost white-collar substitutes
wherever possible. Highly priced professional service providers will be reserved for
complex and unique services.
how clients will find professional service providers
They will be willing to go out to tender to test the market and ensure they are getting the
best deal. They will use the internet to find the most suitable provider to meet their needs,
both through sophisticated portal sites and through less formal on-line communities of
buyers. On the one hand they will try to adopt a rigorous buying process but,
overwhelmed by choice, they will seek the sanctuary of wholly trusted providers,
recommendations and credible brands.
what clients will expect from their professional advisers:
They will want reliability, great service, speed and low cost for standard services;
guaranteed value and prestige from providers of higher value solutions. They will be
ready to switch firms if not delighted and their expectations will be ever increasing. They
will look at the employment and environmental policies of firms they do business with.
how clients will manage their professional advisers
They will want to be kept informed and involved in the delivery process. They will be
readier to question results, methodologies and the advice proffered. They will not accept
on trust that the professionals know best. Trust will need to be earned.
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Spurious arguments against orientation meetings
Rarely do professional people disagree with orientation meetings in principle, but they can too
readily come up with reasons why they would be inappropriate in their circumstances. But how
valid are their reasons:
We don’t want to antagonise the client: It is right to be concerned about the relationship, but
in fact by asking for an orientation meeting you would be more likely to advance the relationship
than to damage it. If handled correctly, stressing that your reason for seeking a meeting is so
you can thoroughly understand the client's needs, you would be likely to make a positive
impression even if the client declines. And that, really, is the worst that can happen.
Timescales don’t permit it: Again, this is rarely the case. Certainly it should not apply with
existing clients and with leads your firm has generated. With prospective clients, where they are
in control of the proposal process, you may have less control over timescales. Even so, this
should not stop you from asking for an orientation meeting. You will, of course need to be ready
to fit in with the client's availability but it is surprising how often an organisation's declared
timescale for proposals is allowed to become elastic. Again the message is clear; do not assume
that you will not be given an opportunity for an orientation meeting. Ask for one and if the client
says "no" use this as an opportunity to elicit at least some valuable information. You really have
nothing to lose and a great deal to gain.
It would be a waste of time: Already, proposing for work demands a heavy time commitment,
surely inserting an extra stage risks wasting even more time? Not really. Orientation meetings
will increase your success rate by placing you in a much more powerful position to win. As such,
they will help you to make best use of the time you do invest in the process. The answer to the
"time" problem is really to be more selective when choosing which work to propose for. Most
professional people, initially at least, find it difficult to turn opportunities for new work away. This
is the real time waster. Seriously consider whether:



you can do something of real value for this client
the client would be willing and able to reward you for the value you can contribute
you have a good chance of winning if you put everything into it.
If your answers to these questions are generally positive then it would be worth investing a good
deal of time to give yourself the best chance of success. If your answers are not positive then
you would be better to politely walk away and save some of your precious time!
We already know our clients: Professional people do not so much argue against having
orientation meetings with existing clients, but rather simply overlook the benefits of doing so.
Orientation meetings certainly do have their place with existing clients to ensure that you keep
abreast of developments and opportunities. Many professionals avoid initiating such contact
because they would feel uncomfortable doing so and they do not want to look pushy. Yet one of
the most common criticisms clients make about their professional advisers is that they are not
sufficiently proactive. It is said of accountants, lawyers, and other professionals. Whatever
clients might mean by this - and they may well mean different things - it does imply that clients
would be amenable to their professional advisers initiating contact with a view to putting forward
ideas. Some people assume that existing clients will ask if they want something and therefore
there is no reason to be proactive. Yet this is simply not so. Experience shows that many clients
are not fully aware of the range of services their professional advisers can provide. They tend to
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see them as providers of whatever services they have used in the past, even though these
maybe much narrower than the whole range of services the firm could potentially provide.
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Setting up an orientation meeting
With existing clients there may be natural opportunities to conduct an orientation meeting. On
other occasions you will need to create the opportunity. An orientation meeting might form part of
a regular review meeting, for example, or a meeting held at the end of a transaction or cycle. Be
careful though to ensure you do move into "orientation mode" for that part of the meeting.
Where there is not a natural opportunity to do so, you will need to set up a separate meeting. For
example, you may be aware of some existing clients whom have not given you any assignments
recently, or with whom you have not had contact for some time.
There are three main ways to approach setting up a meeting.

One way is to contact the client and suggest holding a client service review meeting (see
page ? ). You would explain that your firm places a high priority on giving excellent service,
and you would therefore welcome feedback from the client about the service provided in the
past. You would also add that you would be interested to hear of recent developments in the
business. Of course, in these circumstances, you should conduct the client service review
before moving into discussions about the business to identify needs with which you may be
able to help.

A less formal way is to suggest a lunch or other semi-social get together. This will go down
well with some clients. However, be sure to ask yourself if your client contact is the kind of
person who would welcome the invitation. Long lunches are increasingly seen as wasted
time by many busy people, and some people prefer not to mix business with socialising. If
you do take this route, make sure the environment will lend itself to the type of questioning
needed to give you the information you are seeking. Drivers and analysts may be less
comfortable (for different reasons) with this approach.

A third way that might prove popular with some more business-like client contacts, is to
suggest holding a meeting to brief them on some new development; a trend in the
industry, a new opportunity of some kind, etc. You will need to make it distinctly relevant to
the client so they will genuinely find it of value. Again, structure the meeting to cover the
briefing matter before moving into orientation mode. Before broadening the subject, you
might ask questions directly relevant to the matter on which you had briefed the client,
perhaps even offering to conduct a diagnostic of some kind related to the briefing topic.
With a prospective client, the way you set up a meeting will depend on how the lead came about.
Was it initiated by you or by the client? And what should you do if the prospective client makes it
clear that she does not want a meeting? Here are some guidelines:

Leads generated by you: Sometimes you might gain a sales appointment through a direct
marketing campaign or some other initiative on your firm’s part. In these circumstances the
client may not have an immediate requirement, or may not have been actively considering
changing provider. They will usually expect you to take the lead; it's your meeting. This gives
you an opportunity to use the meeting as you wish. Use this as an orientation meeting, rather
than attempting to launch straight into selling without the benefit of a full understanding of the
client.

Invitations from the client: Where the client has invited you into a proposal process, you
are likely to have less control and therefore may be unable to set up an orientation meeting.
Still try to do so however. In a typical situation you might receive a letter or invitation to tender
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from a prospective client. Having carried out some initial research and fact-finding, telephone
and ask for an orientation meeting. You might explain that your firm is keen to fully
understand the client's precise requirements before putting forward proposals. You are very
unlikely to make a bad impression if you put your request in a constructive context. The worst
thing that can happen is that the client declines. It's still worth asking though!
If a prospective client declines your request for an orientation meeting, they will usually do so
apologetically, explaining their reasons. They might, for example, say they have invited several
firms and that they wish to keep a "level playing field". You might even pick up some useful
information about the selection process from their explanation.
You could then say something along the lines of "yes, I fully understand, perhaps I could just
clarify a couple of points over the phone now...". Having said "no" to a meeting, few people
would object to your reasonable request for some clarification. This gives you an opportunity to
glean some additional information. Your opportunity may be limited, but it may be an opportunity
your competitors have not created for themselves. Prepare yourself in advance so you can use
the opportunity to the full.
Does this approach feel too pushy for your liking? If you are doing it because you are desperate
to sell then it probably is too pushy. But if you are committed to genuinely helping a client get the
best possible service it is not pushy it is being positively helpful.
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Orientation meeting – tips and a checklist
To make the most of the orientation meeting you need three clear objectives in mind.

To start to develop a professional relationship: Buyers of professional services will only
buy if they feel their requirements will be satisfied and, importantly, that they can trust you
and your firm. This element of trust is important in many purchase decisions, but it is
paramount in professional services. Building trust is a crucial element of the marketing and
business development activities of any professional firm. The orientation meeting gives you a
good opportunity to start to develop a professional relationship with your prospective client.
Done successfully, this will put you ahead of your competitors.
The first element of developing trust relates to your ability to do the job. At this relatively early
stage in the selling process you will not have all the information needed to persuade the
client you are the best provider for them (that is why you have set up the orientation
meeting). Furthermore, the orientation meeting should not turn into to a sales pitch. That is
not its purpose.
The best way to demonstrate your expertise is therefore by mentioning, almost as asides,
examples of how you have helped other clients in similar circumstances. For example you
might say: "...ah, that's interesting, I helped a client recently go through a similar process. We
found with them that the best approach was to... however it depends on several factors. Tell
me, do you have...?" Take care not to do this in a way that says "this is what we would do for
you" because it may be inappropriate and then would be a turn-off for the client.
The second element of building trust is at a personal level. Essentially you will need to
demonstrate you are the kind of person the client would enjoy working with. This means
establishing rapport. Some people talk about personal chemistry or about getting on the
client’s wavelength. The most important aspect of this is showing you genuinely care. You
can do this through your questioning which should not come across as an interrogation
designed to help you win the business (which is what it is) but as genuinely wanting to
understand the client and the client's business because you care (which should also be true).

To get as much useful information as you can: The aim of the orientation meeting is to
help you get as much information as possible to help you win the client, not necessarily to
help you complete the project.

To get the client's commitment to moving to the next stage of the selling process:
Remember that with the orientation meeting you are not trying to win the work but merely to
put yourself in a better position to do so. Before going into the meeting, plan what you think
the next stage should be. You will need to be flexible during the meeting itself because you
may find things out which lead you to change your mind.
For example, you might plan that following the orientation meeting you would like an
opportunity to go back to present your proposals to your client contact. However, it may
become clear during the orientation meeting that there are other important decision-makers
(see page Error! Bookmark not defined.) who will be involved in the buying process. You
might therefore decide you would like your next stage to be to gain access to some or all of
those individuals for a further orientation phase.
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A checklist for orientation meetings:
Here are some particularly useful questions for orientation meetings, although the list is
not intended to be comprehensive and you will need to adapt and add to it to meet your
own purposes:
About the business:
 Tell me a little about the business?
 What main factors determine success?
 How do you see the future?
 What main challenges are you facing?
 What keeps you awake at night?
 How are you seen in your marketplace?
 Who are your key people?
 Which of them couldn't you manage without?
About professional advisers:
 What would you expect from us?
 How would you describe the ideal accountant / lawyer / professional adviser?
 In what ways have your existing advisers done well?
 How could they have done better?
 Why are you seeking a change? Why now?
 Which other firms are you speaking to? (you may prefer not to ask this if you think
they have only approached you - otherwise ask!)
 Why them?
 What do you know about our Firm?
 Why did you approach us? Who recommended us?
 What is your process for appointing a professional adviser?
 Who else will be involved in the decision?
 What is your timescale?
About the individuals:
Note: much of your information about individuals would come from observation rather
than from direct questioning
 How do you prefer to receive information from your professional advisers?
 What were you doing before you got involved in this business?
 What are your personal ambitions for the future?
 Obviously the business takes up a lot of your time, what are your other interests?
(questions like this need to be used carefully so as not to appear intrusive)
About fees:
 How would you prefer to have fees structured (fixed, time-based, etc)
 What is your expectation about what this assignment is likely to cost?
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



What has been your reaction to fee quoted from other firms?
What range have their quotes fallen into? (If you don't ask you certainly won't find out)
Recognising that you tend to get what you pay for, how important to you is the total
cost?
Do you have a budget? What is it?
In each of these areas there will be more detailed issues to explore. The specific issues will
depend on your firm, the services you are proposing to provide, and each prospective client (ie
you will need to tailor your approach to match the circumstances).
Some of the information might already be available to you. It might be publicly available, it might
have been presented to you in an invitation to tender, or it might be already known to someone
in your firm. Clearly you should exhaust these sources of information first, leaving the orientation
meeting to fill in the gaps.
Before an orientation meeting, carefully consider what further information you would like to have.
Your time is likely to be limited so you will need to focus on the most important matters.
Remember, it is not your aim to get as much information as possible about the project; only the
information you need to help you win the assignment.
To get as much information as possible, and also to start building a professional relationship,
your questioning needs to come across as showing a genuine interest in the client and her
business.
To achieve this, start with some open questions and to encourage the prospective client plenty
of time to answer in her own words. Once the client has answered, you can pick up on
something she has said and ask either another open question about that, or move in with some
more specific questions.
Most of the time be guided by what the client says, simply moving the conversation along with
more questions. In this way she will inevitably be speaking about matters of interest to her and
you will avoid giving her the impression that she is being interrogated.
The main pitfall to avoid in an orientation meeting is being drawn into giving a sales presentation.
Remember, the main purpose is to give you the information necessary to enable you to put
together a persuasive proposal. If you attempt to sell without the benefit of all the information you
could potentially get, you are likely to slip up and miss the mark. However tempting it may seem
to be, avoid selling too soon!
It is quite common in an orientation meeting for a prospective client to ask direct questions about
how you could help them. You need to give some response but avoid the temptation to say too
much. You should say something positive and then follow on with another question.
For example, a client might say: "could you tell me a little about your firm?" you could say "yes of
course, we are one of the fastest growing firms in the market and we particularly specialise in
growing businesses like yours." You could then give an example of how you have helped a
similar business before saying "how important do you think it is for your professional adviser
to...?" You are then back in questioning mode.
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A client might say "how would you approach this problem?" You could say "well I recently helped
a client to... we did this by... however the best approach to adopt depends on each individual
case. Tell me, how do you...?" By doing this you will have given an answer, created a positive
impression, avoided boxing yourself into a corner, and regained control of the meeting.
Decision-makers and how to spot them
Decision maker
Economic decision
maker
Characteristics
 only one per sale
 has the power to release the funding
 has veto power
 usually one or two levels above that which most people
would expect
Users


usually more than one
your product or service will have a direct impact on their job
performance (and so they make judgements about that
impact)
Influencers




Have opinions and give advice based on their:
knowledge or experience
vested interest
staff responsibility
Gatekeepers

Coach





cannot make the "yes" decision, but can exclude you from
consideration, or may be involved in introducing you
 often focus on specifications and technicalities.
your guide in the sale
wants you to win
has credibility within the company
has confidence in you
may be inside or outside the company (or even possibly
within your own firm).
Proposal documents; what to include and what to leave out
Stage:
Aim of document:
Before orientation
To get you to the orientation
meeting
After orientation
To get you to a presentation
meeting
After presentation
To ease the process of
making a positive decision
Include:




© Peopleism 2005
evidence of your
knowledge of the sector
and issues faced
a thank you for the meeting
compliments about the
client and empathy with

a thank you for the
meeting
compliments about the
141




examples of benefits you
have achieved for similar
clients
enticing statements that
will intrigue the reader to
want to know more
the benefits of having a
meeting
client testimonials









Avoid:





making a sales pitch at
this stage
unfounded assumptions
about the client
incredible statements of
what you could do for the
client
descriptive detail
any mention of costs



their circumstances
a summary of key issues
facing the client
benefits the client would
gain from your involvement
sufficient evidence to add
credibility to your claims
examples of how you have
benefited similar clients
facing the same issues
how any risks or other
possible objections would
be minimised
a broad indication of costs
(perhaps by way of
example, or as a range)
some unanswered
questions to explore further
the benefits of having a
further meeting
client testimonials
long descriptions about
your firm and its services
(say more about the client
than about your firm)
any implied criticism of the
client
specific details on fees










client and empathy with
their circumstances
a summary of key issues
facing the client and how
you would deal with the,
stressing the benefits
refute any lingering
objections the client
raised
broad details of what the
assignment would entail,
timetables, etc
biographies of your key
people
confirmation of fee
arrangements discussed,
including guarantees etc
a summary of all the
benefits the client would
be getting from your
involvement
your USPs
long descriptions about
your firm and its services
(say more about the client
than about your firm)
any implied criticism of
the client
any pressure or pleading
Ten steps to a successful client care review
1.




PREPARE:
Update yourself on work carried out with the client.
Think of the points you would really like to get some information on.
Think of some ‘openers’ you could use to start off a meeting.
Imagine yourself speaking to the client and consider possible reactions he or she may have,
and how you could deal with them.
2. SET A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE (AND KEEP IT):
 It is better not to start a meeting directly by asking for feedback, but to discuss other matters
first so that you and the client become relaxed.
 Choose a time when neither you nor the client are pushed for time.
 Relax yourself. This is the best way to put your client at ease.
3. TELL THE CLIENT WHAT YOU ARE DOING:
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 Emphasise that you want frank responses.
 Try saying something like:
“We are trying to make sure we give the best service possible and really would welcome your
input”
“I want to make sure we give the best service we can and therefore I would like to know
where we are hitting the mark, as well as where we are falling short” (this is more suitable if
you suspect that there are reasons for dissatisfaction)
“I’ve been speaking to a number of clients who have used us in the past to try to get some
objective feedback on the service that we provide. I would really welcome your views”
4. START BROAD:
 Try one of the following broad questions:
“How have you found working with our firm in the past?”
“What are your views about the service that we have provided?”
“Maybe the best place to start is by you telling me what you think of the service that we have
provided in the past?”
 These ‘opener’ questions should be accompanied by open, non-dominant body language,
relaxed eye contact, and inviting facial expressions.
5. OPEN THEM UP:
 If you receive a superficial response, probe further.
 Try a reflective question. For example, if your client says that she has been generally
satisfied you could say, “generally …?” , this will help to illicit more information.
 You could say “there are probably good and bad points about any service. What do you feel
are the less favourable aspects of our service?”
 You could say, “If you had to identify one criticism about our service what would it be?” Once
you had a response to this and have explored it you could say, “…..and if you had to identify
two criticisms?”.
 You could try a benchmark question. For example, “on a scale of one to ten, how would you
rate the service we have provided?” You could then ask about the reasons for a less than
‘ten’ response.
6. FOLLOW THEIR LINE OF THINKING:
 You will get more information about the relative importance of matters if you allow the client
to set the agenda by following their line of thinking.
 When you think a matter has been exhausted, bring the matter back on track. For example,
“OK, I understand your point. Are there any other things that led to your dissatisfaction?”
 Once the client has run out of points to make, use some prompts. For example, “moving on
from there, how did you find the staff you dealt with?”
7. NARROW IN AND PROBE:
 Once a client had identified a specific area that gave rise to satisfaction or dissatisfaction,
probe to get more information with some specific questions. For example, if the client has
criticised you for being slow to respond to her correspondence, find out whether this related
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to a specific incident or was a more general feeling. Ask what she considered to be a suitable
response time. You could ask whether it would be helpful for her to receive
acknowledgement of correspondence immediately, even if an answer cannot be given.
 Use benchmark questions. For example, “on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the
importance of that?”
 Use comparative questions. For example, “do you prefer to be invoiced monthly for our fees
or would you prefer to wait until an assignment has been completed?”
8. REFLECT AND CHECK:
 Check you have fully understood your client by saying “am I right that your concern is….” Or
“perhaps I could just check that I’ve got that point correct, and please tell me if I haven’t”
9.




LISTEN AND WATCH:
Keep good eye contact, without staring.
Give slight nods of your head, not to indicate agreement but to show that you are listening.
Make brief notes (but not so extensive that they minimize your eye contact).
Show concern to understand your client’s comments, through facial expressions and body
language.
 Do not interrupt your client and do not be defensive about points raised.
 Watch for non-verbal signals from your client (e.g. avoidance of eye contact, shifting in chair,
head scratching or collar hitching, folding arms, touching nose and face).
10. SAY THANK YOU:
 Thank your client for being honest and frank with you.
 Say you will be acting on the points that have been raised (and be specific if you can).
 Follow up in writing with a letter of thanks.
Five steps to construct “sales triads” to convince a client you can help them
1. Start with a need or want that you know is important to a client.
2. Identify the benefit or benefits you could offer the client by addressing this (as beneficial as
possible)
3. Identify the main feature or features of your service that enable you to do this (as unique as
possible)
4. Think of some evidence; facts, examples or anecdotes that add credence (as specific as
possible)
5. Construct a few sentences that link this powerful triad of benefit/feature/evidence related to a
known need or want:
Benefit
Client
need or want
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Feature
Evidence
Do this for each of a client’s most important needs and wants and you will have constructed a
very powerful argument to convince a client that you can help them (which is what selling is all
about)!
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Ask your client
To find out what fee they would be willing to pay:
Ask the questions you need to in order to find out the following:
 At what level in the organisation is the user of the service? (the more senior, the higher
the probable value)
 Was the client referred from another client? (if so, they are likely to be less price-sensitive
because they have more trust in you)
 Are there any impending deadlines the client has to meet? (usually urgent needs will
command a premium)
 Is this service part of a major project? What is the value of the total project? (if your
services are a small proportion of the whole you may be able to charge more)
 Who is paying for the service? (see Ask yourself who is spending whose money)
 Are there any competitors involved? (What do you know about their pricing?)
 How profitable is this organisation? How much money do they have?
 Am I replacing another provider? What was their pricing? Why is the client switching?
 Who are their other professional service providers? How do they bill?
 How sophisticated is the customer in relation to my services?
 Does my service satisfy a want or a need (or both)?
 What is the pricing culture of the client's own business?
To find out how to structure your fees:
Try asking the following:
How important is it for you to know how much this will cost from the outset?
How have your other professional advisers charged for their services?...How have you found
that?...Would you prefer some different basis?
Would you prefer your investment to be spread (over the year, the life of the project, etc)?
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Value Agreements
It is usually to everyone's benefit to set prices for professional services in advance. By setting
the price in advance you can command a premium because you are assuming some of the risk.
It is important to clearly define a service being provided so that any changes to this can be
identified and charged separately, again, in advance of providing those changed services.
Value Agreements are an alternative to traditional hourly billing used by so many professional
service firms.
Typically, Value Agreements (sometimes less positively referred to as Fixed Price Agreements)
will set out clearly the services, or elements of service, being provided for the client and the price
of each.
The Value Agreement should be personalised for each client (not a standard menu) and your
client should be fully involved in developing it (ie talk it through with your client and agree each
item in turn. When someone has been involved in creating something they will be more
committed to it).
Many professionals (sometimes reluctantly) already agree a fixed price with their client for the
service they will provide. The difference with the value agreement is that the benefits are very
clearly stated and the overall fixed fee is broken into elements which are then related to the
benefits the client will receive.
The main advantage of a value agreement is that the proposed fee can be very closely related to
the benefits the client will receive. You are therefore much less likely to encounter fee pressure.
It also forces you to agree in advance with the client exactly what is expected, so avoiding later
problems.
If during the course of an assignment the client wishes to extend the scope, negotiate an
additional fee.
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Dealing with fee pressure
Sometimes, at a relatively early stage of the selling process, a client might ask "What's this going
to cost me?" or "How much do you charge?".
Usually it would not be possible, and certainly not advisable, to give an indication of fees until
you have fully explained and persuaded the client of the value you can provide. You only want to
talk prices once the client has the right context within which to judge those prices. The right
context is the benefits they will be receiving. If you have not fully presented those yet your client
will be left to judge value according to their own criteria and prejudices.
To postpone objections about price, explain that you need to understand what the client wants
from you before discussing price. If the client insists, err on the high side rather than the low side
because it’s easier to come down later than go up. Use comparisons with the client's own
products or services to demonstrate value.
To avoid excessive fee pressure it can be helpful at an early stage to say "we are not the
cheapest Firm in town... do you still want to talk?" One of my clients uses the phrase “We are as
expensive as anyone”. Most clients will not be put off by this and may even be intrigued.
Aim to get your pricing towards the upper end of the client's acceptable range for buying that
particular service from you.
But what happens if you misjudge and your quoted fee falls below what the client expects for
that service? Obviously few clients would demand that they be charged more (although I have
been told by one of my clients: "put up your prices"). However a lower than expected price would
lead potential clients to wonder why. Then any slight doubts they might have had about you
proposals would tend to magnify in their minds. You risk being rejected not because your fees
were too low, but because your quality was suspect. You will quickly need to justify your pricing
to avoid any suspicion that you are offering a lower quality service. You might be able to do this
by, for example, showing that you have a lower cost base than competitor firms.
What should you do if the fee you have quoted turns out to be higher than your client’s
expectations, or significantly higher than that of your competitors? You cannot simply reduce
your fee quote since the client would wonder why you had been proposing to "overcharge" them
in the first place.
The best you can do is one of the following:



Stand your ground and show your client what they would be getting extra; telling them
what is "free". Stress the competitive advantages you have over your competitors, and
remember that "free" is one of the most powerful words in the English language and can
be very persuasive.
Stand your ground and stress the return on investment they would be getting, comparing
this with the lower returns they might get from a lower quality service.
Stand your ground and reframe the client's basis for comparing prices (for example, if
they are comparing you with what they perceive to be similar firms, compare yourself with
the firms at the highest end of the market, showing how you are able to offer an excellent
service at a lower cost than those firms).
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
Offer to reduce the fee to meet the client's budget by taking away some of the benefits
you have described. Talk through each of the benefits and question the client about what
could be removed to reduce the fee.
Remember though that what may seem to be an objection to the price you have quoted, may
instead be a concern in the client's mind about how they will pay for the investment. Lowering
your prices will have little impact on this and you will instead need to suggest some "easy
payment" schedule (such as monthly billing).
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Steps to create your team’s common purpose

talk to your team about common purpose and vision & tell them you want to spend some time
on it, fix a time to do so (maybe a couple of hours)

keep an open mind and take the time to draw out views, encourage dreaming, prompt them
with questions such as:
 what seems impossible, but if we could do it would be great
 what's the best we could hope for
 what could we do that would set us apart
 what would really be worth going for?

crystallise the output into one or a few points and make sure the result:
 is memorable; simple enough for people to grasp, understand and retain
 is specific and attainable within a specified time frame (will you know when it has been
achieved?)
 encompasses all relevant activity of the team (ie. anything that falls outside it should be
carefully looked at to see if it is really necessary)
 is within the power of the team to make happen, even if you do not yet know how (or
even whether) you can achieve it
 sends a tingle down your spine; if not it probably isn't inspiring enough.

check that everyone buys into it.
Incidentally, if you have not before involved your team in such open discussion, it is probably
best not to start to do so with such a deep question as common purpose. That would be rather
like asking a new acquaintance about the meaning of life. A bit of small talk might be a useful
prelude, so hold a team meeting on a fairly innocuous subject first. Then follow-up a week later,
or at your next team meeting, with the meaning of (team) life issue.
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Steps to create your team’s norms
1
Ask team members if they think it would be helpful to agree a few simple rules or
norms to define the way the team works together. If you get universally howled down,
the timing is obviously wrong and you should return to the idea at some other time.
2
Ask for ideas about what the norms should be. You can expect points to emerge
dealing with communication, fairness, helping each other, trust, etc. These are all
worthy but, except as a starting point, they are hopeless in the context of team norms.
3
Dig down to establish what these ideas might mean in practical terms. For example,
exploring the notion of communication might lead onto being kept informed, which in
turn might lead to the concrete idea of having a regular team meeting or daily updates
to an intranet site, etc. It might equally give rise to a norm about fully listening to each
other’s views before responding.
4
Take a vote on each person’s top 3 norms, aggregate the results and place them in
order. Suggest cutting off at no more than 10 norms. The others are likely to be less
important and to have less support.
5
Make sure the norms are recorded in a lasting document. I’ve known them be termed
an “Operating Agreement”, “Team Rules”, and “Team Deal”. Call it what you like, but
be sure to get everyone to sign up to them - literally - otherwise different team
members will remember them differently.
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Team role preferences
The categorisations identified below are based on one such modellxxi and are a useful framework
for analysing team behaviour:
Team Role Preferences
P usher
F in is h e r
In sp e ctor
U p h o ld e r
R e se arch e r
In n ov a tor
P rom ote r
D e v e lo p e r
Peopleism
Innovators: Good at coming up with new ideas and identifying ways of solving problems. They
often pursue their ideas even if it rocks the boat. Innovators need to be managed carefully to
ensure that their ideas are not smothered at birth by organisational constraints. Innovators may
voice way-out ideas which can lead others to be suspicious of them : "head in the clouds". Good
innovators need to be recognised for what they are, but their raw ideas need to be fully tested for
feasibility - by the developers.
Promoters: Good at selling ideas to others and getting the backing necessary to go forward (even
if they did not have the ideas in the first place, though promoters are often innovators too). They
become enthusiastic about the ideas and are able to persuade others. They are usually good
communicators (even if they are not experts on the subject). They generally like moving from one
project to another.
Developers: Good at taking new ideas, rigorously testing their feasibility, and applying them to the
realities of the market place. Once developed, they are happy to hand over responsibility to those
who are better at producing.
Pushers: Good at setting up the systems and procedures to get things done and organising to
make sure that things are done. They press hard to get results, and may ruffle feathers in the
process. They tend to enjoy the `cut and thrust' and are able to face the hard decisions that are
sometimes necessary.
Finishers: Good at the production which is at the heart and soul of the business. They take pride
in delivering what is expected when it is expected. They like doing things to a set procedure. High
standards of effectiveness and efficiency are important to them. They are unlikely to get bored by
repetition, taking fulfilment from achieving targets.
Inspectors: Good at checking detail and making sure that facts and figures are correct. They tend
to be careful meticulous people. They grasp matters of detail quickly and can easily spot
inconsistencies and variances. They may work methodically, at their own pace and in an
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individualistic way.
Upholders: Have strong views and convictions about the way things should be done. They like to
consolidate rather than make changes. They provide stability to a team. They often prefer an
advisory or support role rather than a line position. They are very loyal to the team (if they believe
in what it is doing).
Researchers: Enjoy gathering and disseminating information. They are usually patient people
who are willing to hold off making a decision until they have all the information to hand. They are
generally good listeners.
Now whilst we can force ourselves to move into any of these roles, we tend to have a preference
for two or three of them, usually in adjacent segments of the wheel. So someone might have a
preference for innovating, developing and promoting. Someone else might be strong on
inspecting, upholding and researching.
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Fast tips on delegating
The main points to remember when delegating are:

Delegate 'whole' tasks so that employees find the work fulfilling and have an opportunity to
develop themselves from the delegated tasks.

Give a clear briefing on what you expect and when you expect it to be completed. Give
opportunities for the employee to ask questions to be sure that they understand.

Avoid being prescriptive about how the tasks are to be completed. Leave room for new ideas
and initiative.

Deal with any objections, and particularly check other demands to ensure that this task is
appropriately prioritised.

Discuss the resources that might be required and that are available.

Put the task in context by explaining the whole transaction or project. Create a sense of
importance.

Allow a reasonable time for the employee to practise the delegated task - don't over-supervise,
which can be very de-motivating.

Don’t be tempted to interfere once a task has been delegated and don't over-supervise, which
can be very de-motivating. Instead, agree up front some interim review sessions. Then avoid all
temptation to interfere except as agreed.

Be available and supportive if asked. Don't appear impatient.
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Giving feedback
The main points to remember when delegating are:

Actively look for opportunities to give positive feedback. Giving positive feedback frequently makes it easier to
then deal with any less favourable feedback when it is necessary. Positive feedback also builds confidence and
encourages further good performance.

Give feedback as soon as you reasonably can. Some people ignore what seem like relatively minor instances of
under-performance, when some helpful feedback could be in everyone’s best interests.

Give positive feedback publicly, so that others are also aware of a person’s good performance. Consider
reinforcing particularly good performance it in writing too, which many people appreciate.

Give feedback on under-performance privately. Find a suitable place and set aside sufficient time to give
feedback properly. Give it your full attention, avoiding interruptions from your phone or Blackberry.

Ask for the person’s views about their performance before giving your views. Often people are well aware of
their failings and if they are it will become much easier for you to deal with.

Be objective and honest. Distinguish facts from opinions. If performance falls short of your expectations, say so.
But say it in a way that hits the message home and gets results. Avoid getting personal (eg “You seem to be
getting behind with your work...”) which will put up defences. Instead, stick to objective facts (eg “The deadline
was missed...”). Don’t mask the real message with woolly words and subterfuge (eg “I know this was not entirely
your fault, and you were busy at the time, but...”). Just get to the point.

Agree on any action points or and offer further support.

End positively with some specific feedback on a positive aspect of performance, to leave the person feeling
motivated.
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Fast tips on coaching
The coaching relationship

Recognise potential barriers to effective coaching. Hierarchy may be one; Culture may be
another. Ask yourself:
o
Will they really be totally open with you?
o
Will they openly admit to weaknesses?
o
Will they be truly honest about their career aspirations?

Coach only for the benefit of the person being coached. Ulterior motives would damage the
essential relationship of trust. Show genuine interest in them and what they want to achieve.
Be approachable & accessible.

Let them choose their own coach; helping to gain their commitment to coaching and giving
them ownership of it.

Constrain your own knowledge of the subject on which you are coaching. You need to be an
expert at coaching, not at the subject being coached. Your own knowledge of the subject can
hamper coaching because it makes it frustratingly easy to start “telling”, which is not what
coaching is about.

Promise total confidentiality. And live by your promise. For someone to open up to you they
need to know the information will go no further.
How to coach

Get them to take responsibility for their own situation, solution and development. Avoid the
temptation to "tell" them what you think. Your role is to help them to see things for themselves.
Every time you tell them, you take responsibility away from them.

Ask questions to help them become more self-aware. Questions are the main tool of a great
coach. The questions are more important than the answers.

Use a range of questions including:
o
o
o
o
o
Open questions: to start a discussion without leading or narrowing the ground
Reflective questions: to elicit more information
Comparative questions: to focus and get more specific information
Specific questions: to direct and focus a discussion
Benchmark questions: to reveal just how important something is.

Avoid questions which:
o
start with “why…?” They can cause a defensive reaction
o
are multiple or overly complex. They usually lead to misunderstanding or focusing only on
a part of the question
o
are leading. You may not draw out what they really think.

Listen very attentively to what they are saying. Watch for non-verbal signals. Show that you are
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listening.

Allow silences. Your questions should be designed to get them to see things differently, to
think for themselves. Silences will also encourage them to elaborate.

Take care with your non-verbal signals. Adopt a non-judgemental tone of voice, facial
expressions, etc. Keep open body posture.

Get their permission before giving feedback or making suggestions, with phrases such as “do
you mind if I make a suggestion?” or “would it help if I gave you some ideas?”. Make sure
they don’t give your ideas any more weight than their own.

If you want to take notes as you are coaching, ask permission first with phrases such as “do
you mind if I take a few notes as reminders for myself?” or “I’m going to jot down a reminder
of any points I think we may want to come back to, if that’s OK?”
Structuring a coaching session

Structure coaching sessions around a framework such as GROW (a popular framework in
coaching):
o
Goals (longer term and/or for the coaching programme or session itself)
o
Reality checking (ask how their defined goals compare with the reality now. Get them to
be specific, using descriptive rather than judgemental terminology)
o
Options (encourage them to creatively identify several different options to move from
where they are now to where they want to be)
o
Will (get them to commit to what they will do, specifically, by when. Offer support, further
coaching, etc)
then check that the action will add up to achievement of the goal. If not you will need to help
lower the goal or raise the action.

Use their agenda. Follow their line of thinking within this framework. If they get too far off track,
gently suggest coming back to a point mentioned earlier.

Help assess their self-motivation. If they are de-motivated, work on that first. Build their
confidence. Aim for some small and/or quick successes.

Ask them to sum up from time to time and at the end of a coaching session. Remind them of
other points that they raised earlier if you think they have missed anything (but avoid "telling").
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Four steps to innovation
1 Define the problem or opportunity: Keep asking yourself “what is the real problem here?” It
is rarely what it first seems. Force yourself to see the problem or opportunity as many different
ways as you can:
 change the wording
 change the standpoint (ie put yourself into the shoes of someone affected by the problem
or opportunity)
 ask if it’s part of a bigger problem
 conversely, whether it can be broken into smaller chunks
 examine the assumptions are you making – are they valid?
Only once you have clearly defined the problem or opportunity can you really start to work on
it.lxxii
2 Generate as many ideas as you possibly can: Quantity, not quality, is what matters at this
stage. All ideas are good. Don’t start evaluating yet.
Dislodge your usual ways of thinking about the problem or opportunity by:
 pushing to extremes: ask yourself how you would solve the problem or opportunity if
some parameter were increased ten-fold, or decreased to zero
 asking yourself how the problem or opportunity would be approached in a different
industry, country, or by a particular famous person
 looking for analogies or applying alien conceptslxxiii to a problem
 introducing random words or pictures and holding them in your mind along with the
problem, to help stimulate your thinking.lxxiv
Record all your ideas without editing any of them out at this stage. You can simply use paper
and a pencil. Using Post-it Notes might help in sifting and organising the ideas later. You can
even use software to help the process.lxxv
3 Develop the ideas: Look at each one and ask yourself “how could this be made to work?”
Don’t dismiss any idea until you have given it a good chance.
It would be too easy to dismiss some of your more "outrageous" ideas to soon, focusing instead
upon what seem to be more practical ideas. Yet some of your more outlandish thoughts may
hold the germ of greatness. Those that appear more practical might be insufficiently innovative
to provide real steps forward. All the ideas you have generated need to be given a chance to
succeed.
4 Evaluate and select: Draw up a list of criteria that must be met to solve the problem. Then
test each of your ideas against the criteria and select the best ones.
Don't draw up your list of criteria before you generate ideas. This would lead you to edit out
some ideas that may, with some development, eventually fit your selection criteria.
A simple "keep or cull" might be a good way to reduce your list of ideas to a shortlist of 10 or 20
of the best ideas. Again, don't eliminate the wilder ideas too soon. Force yourself to include
some "wildcard" ideas on your shortlist.
To further reduce your shortlist to a few ideas that will be implemented, or at least piloted, a
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more scientific approach may be needed. Give each of your criteria an importance weighting,
then judge the extent to which each idea meets each criterion. By simple calculation you can
then rank the ideas.
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Tips for running a prolific brainstorming session
1 Choose a suitable venue: It should be comfortable, safe for people to be creative, and free
from unwanted interruptions. A different or fun environment can help, but isn’t essential.
For a memorable (and rewarding) creativity session, consider taking your brainstorming group
somewhere to stimulate their thinking: an art or photograph gallery, a theme park or play area, a
shopping mall or other place with lots going on.
2 Plan how ideas will be recorded: Then make sure the right facilities will be provided:
 Low tech: flipcharts, pens and “BluTac”
 High tech: computer, projector and suitable software (such as “Brainstorming Toolbox”,
“Mind Manager” or “Inspiration”).
3 Choose the right people to attend: Ideally choose people whom you think will have a
positive input. Try to include people from different backgrounds. Don’t include people who
naturally tend to be negative or critical. Save their input for evaluating, when it will be of value.
Try inviting people who have little involvement or knowledge of the issue being brainstormed;
someone from a different department, a client, a friend, a teenager... someone off the streets?
Remember, you are looking for different perspectives on the problem.
4 Fix a short duration: Half an hour is enough to generate lots of ideas on a particular problem.
More than this and people might become stale. In fact, a great deal can be achieved in a tenminute session. The time limit creates a sense or urgency and makes people less likely to edit
their thoughts before speaking (which is helpful for brainstorming).
5 Choose the best facilitator available to you: It doesn’t have to be you, but whoever it is
needs to be well briefed in running a brainstorming session. Remember, the facilitator needs to
be good at applying the brainstorming process. They may not necessarily be the most creative
member of the team.
Should you invite an external facilitator? Alternatively, look at your team. Who would make the
best facilitator (a good leader recognises that members of their team may be better than
themselves at certain leadership tasks!).
6 Remind people of the rules of brainstorming: Issue a reminder note in advance if this
helps. The main “rules” of brainstorming are:





postpone judgement (no negative or critical comments, or even requests for explanations)
wild and exaggerated ideas are great – don’t edit your thoughts before speaking
quantity is all that matters – all ideas are good ideas
it’s good to build on the ideas of others
every person and every idea has equal weight.
7 Make sure all ideas are properly recorded: The recorder of the ideas – usually but not
necessarily the facilitator - has an important job to do. Ideas should be coming thick and fast and
they all need to be recorded. If any are missed this may inhibit people from making further
suggestions.
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Here are some tips:
 Stick to key words
 Try to record the same words used by the suggestor; don’t edit them
 Write quickly - scribble if need be - too slow and you will spoil the flow
 If you think you've missed anything, quickly ask for it to be repeated.
8 Start off with a short ice-breaker exercise: This will get people into the right “mood” for
creativity. For example, get them to identify as many uses as possible for a brick. Here are some
more ideas for an ice-breaker exercise:
 uses for a fused light bulb
 uses for a fig leaf
 a new invention to improve office life
 a new invention to make gardening easier
 ways to improve doctors' waiting rooms
 ways to improve a taxi service.
Think of your own similar ideas, but choose things that everyone will be able to relate to.
Once things are moving, switch over to the real problem
9 Consider trying some variations on brainstorming to squeeze out more ideas: For
example, try:
 provoking the group’s thinking by asking questions, introducing random words or pictures,
etc.
 using software or other tools to provoke the group’s thinking.
 going around the group in turn for the start (or part) of the session (useful if some
members would tend to dominate or hold back)
 playing music to make people more relaxed and to stimulate their thoughts (a compilation
of short extracts is better than a single track).
You can constructively "provoke" the group’s thinking by, for example:
 asking how they would solve the problem if some parameter were increased ten-fold, or
decreased to zero
 asking how the problem would be approached in a different industry, country, by a
particular famous person, etc
 introducing random words or pictures.
10 Follow through: Having thanked everyone for taking part and contributing, tell them what will
happen next with the ideas (and then keep them informed).
The best way to send a message that creativity is important to you and your organisation is to
implement some of the ideas that arise from a brainstorming session. Publicise the event and
publicly thank everyone who was involved in the session (without drawing attention to any one
person - the ideas belong to everyone who was involved).
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Six thinking hats
Summarise
6 Thinking hats: Edward de Bono
White hat: Calls for information, known or needed
Yellow hat: Optimism, benefits, feasibilty
Black hat: Devil’s advocate
Red hat: Feelings, hunches, intuition
Green hat: Creativity, possibilities, new ideas
Blue hat: Managing the thinking process, decisions
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The term PSOs is used….. to complete (For this reason – see pge 14, in this book the term “Professional Service
Organisation” (or “PSO”) is used rather than the more common term “professional firm”).
ii
Take a look at the classic book “Think and Grow Rich” by…………… for a ……….
iii
When the retirement system was introduced, the average person was expected to live only three to seven years
after retirement. Yet now if you reach 65 and are healthy, you can anticipate living another 20 years. With
breakthroughs in healthcare and genetic engineering, life spans could expand dramatically in the early 21 st century.
When the retirement system was established, there were about 20 workers paying an annual tax of $30 to support
each retiree. By 2011, there will be about 2 workers per retiree, paying an annual tax of up to $15,000. (B4) The
numbers just do not add up.
i
In Germany, the world's third-largest economy, by 2030 people over 65 will account for almost half the adult
population, compared with one-fifth now. (The Economist, Nov 1st, 2001) The demographic time bomb is ticking
away.
The question is, how is a long period of post-employment life to be paid for? In March 2002 the Institute for Public
Policy Research, the UK government's favoured think-tank, advocated raising the standard retirement age to 67.
(The Economist March 21st 2002). Such a solution may be a necessary start, but it barely touches the problem.
iv
(B23)
As people realise that they can demand a high price for their talents, they are simultaneously realising that money
alone is insufficient. A survey by recruitment agency Reed revealed that up to 45% of the UK workforce is at any
one time actively or passively looking for a new job. [The Week, 1st June 2002]. One UK poll found that a majority
agreed with the statement, “I often dream about doing something completely different with my life”. People are
starting to question, “What’s it all for”.
vi A survey at Ernst & Young revealed that almost 60% of their senior management were dissatisfied with working
long hours, and about 23% of women and 18% of men were leaving. It led to a firm-wide initiative in balancing the
work-life equation. The program wasn't about establishing flexitime or job sharing; it was also about incorporating
the reality of peoples' lives into the firm's business strategy. vi
v
Again Lorsch and Tierney get it: “Many experienced professionals assert that they would gladly trade off 10 – 20 %
less income for 10 – 20 % more personal time, yet they rarely behave that way. They go wherever client and firm
demands carry them.”(B22) Well, they’ve made a choice, of a kind.
The head of a practice group in a major law firm confided to me during a one to one coaching session how he would
be willing to give up £50,000 per year of his income if only he could spend weekends with his children. Yet pressure
of work and the culture within the firm did not allow him to do so.
vii
I was once asked to provide career coaching advice for all the sales managers and consultants in a financial
services organisation. This involved helping them identify career goals and even put together CVs. Yet the coaching
was being provided not because the organisation wanted these people to move on, but because they wanted to
retain them. They knew these people had to be highly driven and would want to stay marketable.
viii Despite the low public profile, professional services are big and getting bigger. The OECD reported that in 1997,
the professional services industry accounted for approximately 17% of all employment in the mature markets of
Europe and the U.S.A. with revenues of about $700 billion worldwide.(B16) That is bigger than……
Employment in professional business services has grown much faster than in any other sectors of the economy.
53.8% growth in the United States between 1979 and 1986 compared with 13.1% across all sectors. 25.4% in
France compared with 0.1% growth in total employment in the same period (B36)
Amazingly, 2,600 net new accounting firms entered the competitive landscape during the 1990s, such that by the
end of the year 2000 there were 11,000 US accounting firms. In the same ten year period, executive search firms
leapt from 3,560 to 5,490. In 1990 there were relatively few technology related professional service firms. Today
there are 16,200 public and private firms providing technical services in the US alone. In the past decade over 2,300
new advertising firms entered the marketplace. Freelance consultants in the US increased in number from 1,400 in
1990 to 50,000 in 2000. (B22) Even these statistics understate the true extent of professional services since they
omit the increasing band of new knowledge workers and those professionals employed in other sectors by
corporates.
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Is Tom Peters over-stating it when he says “We are all in the professional services business (90% of us, even in
manufacturing, work in services).”?
Yet size is not all. The professional services sector is a magnet for the best and brightest talent. The few biggest
accountancy firms alone have been adding between 5,000 and 7,000 graduates each year. That is almost
equivalent to the entire graduating class of Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge combined. (B16)
ix
One former partner in charge of PR put the point bluntly: his job, he said, was to keep McKinsey's name out of the
news.( www.McKinsey.com)
As Mark Scott puts it “The professional services industry is a diamond so large that everyone seems to have
overlooked it”(B16)
x
In an excellent study (The Paradox Principles, Irwin, 1996) The Price Waterhouse Change
Integration Team concluded that: “Based on our collective experience and on interviews, we
believe that single minded focus on teams is about to be turned on its head. Teams don’t think,
organisations don’t act, groups don’t decide. Individuals think, act, decide, produce and serve
customers.” Spot on.
xi
Charles Handy sees the future: “Even the elephants may come to be seen as communities of
individual fleas – a healthy change from seeing organisations as collections of human resources
owned by the share holders.” (B23)
Of course firms can have a life that extends beyond their founders, but their infrastructures need
to be fed or replaced by successive generations of individuals (otherwise they will die). The firms
are the servants of groupings of individuals and their leaders, not the other way around. The key
unit is no longer the firm, nor even the team, it is the individual.
As Bruce Tulgan put it in Winning The Talent Wars: “Everybody in the new economy is running at least one
business, whether they know it or not. It’s been variously called You and Company; Me, inc.; Brand You; and so on.
That means employing people nowadays is always a business to business proposition. It’s a joint venture.”
xii
Here are some online talent auction websites: Monster.com, elance.com, Brainbid.com, icplanet.com,
freeagent.com, ework.com, and bidforgeeks.com. (B34)
xiii
Tim Butler and James Waldroop (B12) :
Most people in business are motivated by between one and three of the following deeply
embedded life interests:
 Application of technology
 Quantitative analysis, theory development and conceptual thinking
 Creative production
 Counselling and mentoring
 Managing people and relationships
 Enterprise control
 Influence through language and ideas
The pairs of life interests most commonly found together are:


Enterprise control with Managing people and relationships (do you want to run a business on
a day to day basis, but also enjoy managing people).
Managing people and relationships with Counselling and mentoring (are you one of these
ultimate people orientated professionals, with a strong preference for service management
roles such as high customer contact, and also enjoying human resources management roles)
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
Quantitative analysis with Managing people and relationships (do you like finance and
finance related jobs yet also find a lot of pleasure managing people toward goals)
Enterprise control with Influence through language and ideas (this is the most common profile
of people who enjoy sales. It is also found extensively among general managers, especially
charismatic leaders)
Application of technology with Managing people and relationships (this is the engineer,
computer scientist or other technically orientated individual who enjoys leading a team)
Creative production with Enterprise control (the most common combination among
entrepreneurs; do you want to start things and dictate where projects will go)



(B18),
xiv
xv
(B1)
xvi
(B34)
xvii
need footnote ref & descr
xviii
(B18)
xix
(B30)
xx
(B30)
xxi
(B30)
Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy, the Beatles, Thomas Edison, Madonna, Benjamin Franklin and hundreds of
others had severe set backs or put downs yet came through to create their own kind of success. The book was published by
Little, Brown and Company in 2001.
xxii
xxiii
(B32)
. This theme is explored in detail In the book “Now, discover your strengths” by Marcus Buckingham
xxv
include some references to aggregator services
xxvi
A phrase borrowed from UK-based development guru Peter Honey
xxiv
xxvii
This book is not the place for economic forecasts but in passing it is worth noting the
optimistic outlook painted by in the 2002 Ten Year Forecast prepared by the Institute for the
Future: “Despite the downturn the world economy has many long term underlying strengths.
As a result, look for the global economy to bounce back in the next decade and achieve a
longer term growth rate that, while not as long as the expansion of the 1990s, will look very
much like it.” (B6)
A term used by Stephen Covey in his excellent book “7 habits of highly effective people.” (18)
(B26)
xxx
(New Jersey Law Journal, 5/7/02)
xxxi
(B26)
xxxii According to Peter Drucker, not only is the notion that business exists to make profit false, it is irrelevant. Profit
is the result of customer behaviour. The central purpose of any business is to create a customer. Yet, he says, most
business people and their professional advisers are brought up to believe that business is about profit. It is not,
profit is a result of good business.
Ironically, the more you focus on profitability, the less likely you are to achieve it.
xxviii
xxix
Surveys show that satisfied clients have very little loyalty. They will move on not only when they are
dissatisfied with your service, but because your service is just “OK”. In a survey carried out by the Forum
xxxiii
Corporation, covering 2,374 customers in 14 organisations, more than 40% listed poor service as the number one reason for
switching to a competitor. Only 8% listed price.
Another study went further in showing the following reasons for customer defections:
 1% because the customer dies
 3% because the customer goes away
 5% because the customer has a friend who provides the same service
 9% because the customer is lost to a competitor
 14% because the customer is dissatisfied with the service provided
 68% because the customer believes you do not care about them.
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That’s right, 68% of customers who move on do so, not because they have experienced bad customer service, but because they
have experienced indifferent customer service. It’s a view that was proved correct by a research study reported in
Harvard business Review a few years ago. (summarise)
It is a point reinforced by Jeffrey Gitomer, author of Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer
Loyalty Is Priceless states that "Satisfied customers will shop anywhere. Loyal customers will encourage
others to buy from you and fight before they switch."
xxxiv
Marriott, the hotel chain, found that where guests have no problem during their stay their
return rate was 89%. In contrast, if a guest encountered a problem which was not corrected to
their satisfaction, the return rate dropped to 69%. However, and this is the surprising discovery,
where a guest had a problem which was then solved to their satisfaction, the return rate jumped
to 94%. Dissatisfied clients can be turned directly into delighted clients. Research also shows that
when things do go wrong, it is not the extent of the remedy that leads to ultimate client satisfaction,
but the promptness of the action and the understanding shown.
In their book “The Firm of the Future” Paul Dunn and Ron Baker explore this concept of client culling in more depth and
give examples of how it can be achieved to the benefit of both the client and the firm.
xxxv
xxxvi
Low fee = low quality?
Many of the not-the-most-expensive firms promote their lower fees as a reason to buy their
services. For example: "We are less expensive than the Big-4". This can be a big mistake. Price
is never a reason to buy; only a reason not to buy.
Think of the fee you charge as being on one pan of a pair of scales. It's what's on the other pan
that you need to sell; the benefits your service will deliver to the client. These benefits need to
match your understanding of the client's needs and wants and you will need to present them
persuasively. Your proposed fee should be calculated to ensure the client receives excellent
benefits in return for a reasonable fee.
Whenever you are selling professional services, the client cannot see or feel or touch the thing
they are buying because it is intangible. They therefore have to make a judgement about
whether they can trust your promises. The fee you are proposing to charge will be one of the
factors they will take into account. A lower fee might lead them to conclude you are going to cut
corners. The inner belief that "you get what you pay for" runs deep. The more you stress the
lower fee, the more suspicious they are likely to become. For professionals this is particularly
pertinent; potential buyers have relatively little to go on in judging whether you will live up to your
promises in the quality of the service you provide. Other things being equal, a buyer will have
more faith in a higher priced provider. They might still choose the lower-priced service, but
somewhat warily.
Imagine you were facing a life-threatening private medical operation. You approach three
hospitals. They all seem capable of carrying out the procedure but one of them quotes a charge
that is significantly lower than the other two. How would you feel about that? My guess is that
whilst you don't want to pay more than you have to, your attraction to the lower-fee hospital
would be at least matched by an uncomfortable concern about quality. At the very least I think
you would want to investigate further before making a judgment. Price would certainly not be the
deciding factor.
Now suppose you received a brochure from each of the three hospitals. The one from the lower
fee hospital was of a slightly lower quality. What would you do? My guess is you would focus on
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the other two. You would have been influenced negatively by the lower fee quote, and this would
have been reinforced by the little tangible evidence you have.
If your fees are lower than those of your direct competitors you therefore have two choices:
either raise your fees or justify why your fees are lower. For example you might say that you are
able to offer lower fees because you have lower overheads (using any genuine reason). This
deflects the buyer away from assuming that your quality will be lower.
As Tom Peters says “Talent is everything. And thus you will work as hard to acquire and develop
great talent as your city’s symphony orchestra or basket ball team does. All of this seems so damn obvious
to me. All of the “talent” industries (sports, drama, etc.) recognise that – duh! – talent is everything. Why
doesn’t enterprise in general? That is the number one question that befuddles me on a day to day basis.”
(B1)
xxxvii
xxxviii

Rising expectations and loss of loyalty: Professionals will be more demanding, knowing what they are
worth, knowing what they want, and well-prepared to stand up for it. They may be driven less by achieving
partnership, or equity sharing, and more by the next new challenge to help them achieve their personal
aspirations. They will expect good working conditions, employment practices and a fulfilling intrinsic value in
their work. They will be prepared to fight their corner if they feel they are being mistreated (and at the extreme,
willing to sue to enforce their rights). Professionals will want to control their careers and will expect, even
demand, involvement in management decisions, rather than loyally or grudgingly accepting decisions handed
down to them.

IT, information overload and attention scarcity: Tomorrow’s professionals will be totally literate in their use of
IT (finding it as comfortable as using a telephone today). They will use new media and on-line networks to find
work (not just long-term employment, but any challenging opportunity to use their talents). They will be willing to
collaborate on-line with professionals from anywhere in the world to find solutions. They will insist that any
organisation of which they are a part has leading edge IT support systems and will be disrespectful of any of
their leaders who are not IT savvy.

Innovation and mass customisation: Professionals will be keen to explore new career avenues, searching
out new challenges, insisting on a career plan to suit their unique needs. They will look for organisations willing
to give their ideas a go and many will be ready to go it alone.

Fastness and the death of distance: Tomorrow’s professional will be unwilling to serve time to qualify for
career advancement. They will demand fast decisions about their future and will move more quickly from job to
job. They will expect instant communication of matters affecting them and their organisation. They will be more
mobile, willing to go anywhere for work.

The increasing power of the brand: Many professionals will want to be associated with a “brand” employer,
although this does not necessarily mean “blue chip”. It’s not about size or prestige so much as having a strong
identity. Some will recognise that they, as individual professionals, can become brands too.

The meaning of work: Professionals will increasingly be looking for a greater sense of career purpose than
simply lining the pockets of some anonymous shareholders (or partners), or even of themselves. They will look
at the employment and environmental policies of companies they work with.

The disorganisation of organisations: Professionals will become spider-like in building their networks. They
will work on projects in small flexible units, either independently or within larger organisations. The right of
organisations to exist will increasingly depend on their ability to offer value to professional people.
This is based on research by Tuckman & Jensen (ref). Sometimes a fifth stage of “mourning” is identified, reflecting
the trauma that can result when teams break up.
xl In a scientific study two groups were given free Lotto tickets. The first group was given tickets with the number
already chosen for them, the second group got to pick their own Lotto numbers. Just hours before the Lotto draw
was supposed to take place, the researchers asked the subjects to sell them back their tickets. The average price
xxxix
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demanded by the folks with the pre-determined Lotto tickets was two dollars. The average price for the tickets of the
people who has control over their number, however, was eight dollars. Obviously, choosing their own numbers did
nothing at all to increase the odds that they were going to win the lottery, yet apparently rational people placed a
400% higher value on those tickets. (B28)
xli
(B34)
.(B14)
xliii
If managing employee retention in the past was akin to tending a dam that keeps a reservoir in place, today it’s more like
managing a river. The object is not to prevent water from flowing out but to control its direction and speed. (B14)
xliv
Rajat Gupta, Managing Director of McKinsey “One of the reasons we exist is to see talent move out into the
business community. We’re just temporary custodians of this talent (Financial Times - 30th March 2001)
xlv
(B22)
xlii
Rosenthal and Jacobson at UCLA. The spurters showed greatest increase . Those designated
as spurters were judged by the teachers as having a better chance for success in later life, as
being happier, more curious, more interesting, more appealing, better adjusted, more
affectionate, and less in need of social approval than other children. Among the un-designated
children who gained in I.Q. during the year, the more they gained the less favourably they were
perceived.
xlvi
xlvii
xlviii
(B17)
Take a look at ‘Words That Change Minds’ by Shelley Rose Charvet for ,more information about this.
B13
(B37)
li
(B35)
xlix
l
In 1941 a French scientist was out hunting with his dog. When he got home, he found that woodburs had stuck to his woollen jacket and trousers and to his dog's coat. He examined them and
noticed the hundreds of little hooks engaging the loops in the material and fur. The scientist, George
de Mestral made a machine to duplicate the hooks and loops in nylon. The new product Velcro (from
the French words VELours and CROchet) is now universally known.
lii
liii
Archimedes Hare & tortoise ref
liv
A physicist learned of the invention of the electron microscope. Not knowing the principle used, he worked out 3 different
ways in which it could be built. Later he checked the patent and found it used one of his methods, but another of his methods
was superior and made the original patent obsolete. Alexander Graham Bell was inspired to develop the telephone after
reading an account, written in German, describing an invention which he thought had the function of a telephone.
Only after demonstrating his first working telephone did Bell learn that, because of his poor translation, he had
misunderstood the report, and the German invention had an entirely different function.
Seth Godin recommends putting a sell by date on ideas. Instead of making decisions forever, why not
figure out which sorts of policies and tactics ought to expire? There are two kinds of expiry. The first and
more modest approach is merely to have a date on which you will reconsider a policy or strategy. The
second, which leads to far more evolutionary activity, is to promise to discard it and require the company
to come up with something better. This sounds radical and wasteful but there are plenty of industries that
stick with this (fashion, publishing, cars). (B28)
lv
Sir Thomas Edison famously toiled over thousands of possibilities before finally inventing the electric lightbulb. He saw
every failure as a step towards success. His view was that “The real measure of success is the number of experiments that can
be crowded into 24 hours”. (B28) Richard Feynman, a Nobel Laureate physicist, also believed in doing lots of experiments,
saying "To develop working ideas efficiently, I try to fail as fast as I can".
lvi
Edward de Bono (a leader in the field of lateral thinking) believes that individuals are much better at generating ideas. Once
an idea has been born then a group may be better able to develop the idea and take it in more directions than can the originator.
lvii
Zaplets (www.zaplet.com) use e-mail to connect people involved in a project. Don't think of
this as an on-line brainstorming session - it isn't - but it can be useful to connect the individual
creative efforts of a team. Also useful in the problem definition, development and evaluation
stages. Lots of other "virtual team" applications too. Visit www.zaplet.com for more information.
Online meeting software gives you the ability to be on the phone and also share applications which everyone can
see. Again, many useful applications including collaboration on creativity. Visit the following for more information
and examples: www.placeware.com, www.raindance.com
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(B28)
(B28)
lviii
lix
lx
When Morris Saachi was sacked from the board of Saachi and Saachi, he took major accounts with him (including
British Airways and Mars). The share price promptly dropped in value. (B23) Professional talent now comes with an
individual name tag attached. (B23)
lxi
In a survey carried out by the UK-based Institute of Customer Service, they found one company where the
average time a customer would hold on the phone before hanging up had fallen in just two years from 13 seconds to
just 30 seconds.
lxii
In a single year in the US alone, 17,000 new grocery items found there way onto the shelves. (B37) UK clothing retailer
Marks & Spencer’s seasonal ranges used to cover 240 items. That has now expanded to over 2,000. Mass production has given
way to mass customisation where every customer can expect to receive a product or service to her exact specifications. As
Kevin Kelly says in New Rules for the New Economy (B17) ,“Wealth in the new regime flows direct from innovation, not
optimisation: that is, wealth is not gained by perfecting the known, but by imperfectly seizing the unknown.”
lxiii
A musical birthday card has more computing power than existed on the planet before 1950(B18). Futurist.com
predicts that . “the basic home computer in 2007 will have 4,000 megabytes of ram and 300,000 megabytes of
storage. Into this box will come a big pipe capable of data transmission at 28 million bits a second. From the box
pipes will go to many screens in the home, essentially wherever you had a screen or phone in 1997”. (B5). Basically
this will herald very high quality, sophisticated, multi-media experience for business and home users. Fast and
awesome.
A basic tenet of communication theory states that a network’s potential benefits grow exponentially as the nodes it can
successfully interconnect expand numerically.
Frances Cairncross, predicts that the effects of the internet will become as ubiquitous as the effects of electricity.
Whilst no-one, save a few utilities, are in the electricity business, everyone and every business is deeply dependent
on it.
Technology is transforming professional services. On line recruitment, for example, has tripled in the last three
years and it was expected to exceed 2 billion in the year 2001. Ernst & Young launched EARNIE in 1996 to provide
cost effective business solutions to clients on line, as a kind of on line self service consulting.
Teenage computer programmers running Napster have undermined the stranglehold of a multi million dollar
industry.
lxiv
It has been estimated that the amount of information produced in just one year,1999, was between one and two
exa-bytes (five exa-bytes would take care of all the words spoken by humans thus far in history). That is around 250
megabytes for every man, woman and child on earth, or the equivalent of 250 short novels each, 125 photographs,
or 12.5 full floppy disks. activities. check source
Put more succinctly by Nobel prize winning economist Herbert Simon: “The wealth of information creates a poverty
of attention”. (B29)
In 1999 in his though challenging book Permission Marketing, internet marketing pioneer Seth Godin reported that
the average person sees 3,000 advertising messages every single day (B37). He argued that this interruption
marketing has reached saturation point, instead extolling the now common alternative of seeking consumer’s
permission to send them subtle advertising messages wrapped in information that they find valuable; effectively
buying their attention.
On-line communities will increasingly provide a trusted route for word-of-mouth recommendations. I am a member of
UK-HRD, an e-mail based forum of more than 3,000 people involved in human resource development. Each day,
several people place requests for recommendations of training and consultancy providers. It is not that the buyers of
those services don’t know where to look for providers. It’s that they don’t know who to trust. And it works in reverse
too. Someone recently posted a message about some “awful NLP training” that they had attended, and with a single
click demolished the reputation of the training provider.
lxv
Before the late 18th century there was almost no growth that was not due simply to population increase. The pace
of change was slow and people could expect to live their lives pretty much as their parents had. But since then the
change has gathered pace.
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Reporting on the IMF’s “World Economic Outlook”, The Economist declared that “Material prosperity has increased
by more in the past 100 years than in all of the rest of human history. Can this staggering rate of advance
continue?” Its conclusion was that it could.
David Grayson of Britain’s Business in the Community has come up with a neat summary of the pace of change. All
of the worlds trade in 1949 happened in a single day today, all foreign exchange dealings in 1979 happen now in a
single day, as do all the telephone calls made around the world in 1984. (B23)
We expect information instantly, or even sooner. News bulletins can now be expected to commence with “…a report today is
expected to announce that…” We get the news not as it happens, but before it happens.
Commenting on this shift, Paul Saffo, “Just as we once exported blue collar jobs from the U.S., we are on the verge
of doing the same thing to white collar. Software engineers already know this – their competition is low priced
professionals in India and China. And the call centre business is going overseas; chances are that your next call to,
say, A.T. and T. will be picked up in Bangalor. (B1)
If PSOs are the elite, there will continue to be an “underclass” of white-collar workers, doing relatively low value nonmanual jobs that require little intellectual input. The forces of change will try to drag you into this professional Hades.
You will need to fight against these forces by staying ahead.
According to Tom Peters; We’re all under attack and all of us have got to figure out how to add value in new ways
just as your parents or grand-parents did when factory work started to shrink and was supplanted by white collar
office work 70 – 90 years ago. (B1)
There is another kind of fastness too. Truly global companies are largely a myth. Yet global mobility is not. . check According
to the Economist, “Carrying a call from London to New York costs virtually the same as carrying it from one house to the next.
The death of distance ….. will probably be the single most important economic force.” The Economist (B17)
lxvi
In fast food chains, brands represent not so much a cheap meal, but a near certainty of experience; every time I
enter a KFC I know exactly what to expect. Even if I know the experience to be mediocre I might choose it over an
unknown, and therefore risky, alternative. In clothing, brands give us an entry card to the cool club, a benefit we are
willing to pay dearly for as we display a garish logo that says “I’m OK” and at the same time further spreads the
power of the brand.
When Morris Saachi was sacked from the board of Saachi and Saachi, he took major accounts with him (including British
Airways and Mars). The share price promptly dropped in value. (B23) Professional talent now comes with an individual name
tag attached. (B23)
lxvii Prior to the industrial revolution, the spoils accrued to landowners; for they owned and controlled the scarce
means of value creation. Then came the industrial era, where capital to build and equip factories became the
limiting factor. The joint stock company gave primacy to those who made their capital available to others in return for
them setting the pure pursuit of profit as the prime or sole aim of their businesses.
A survey by recruitment agency Reed revealed that up to 45% of the UK workforce is at any one time actively or
passively looking for a new job. [The Week, 1st June 2002]. One UK poll found that a majority agreed with the
statement, “I often dream about doing something completely different with my life”. People are starting to question,
“What’s it all for”.
The greed culture that capitalism harbours is shallow, and something deeper and more satisfying is being sought to
replace it. Perhaps we are witnessing the passing of the “deferred life plan” (as it is termed in “The monk and the
riddle”, a tale of life in Silicon Valley) where we work hard so that we can sell out, or retire early, in order to do what
we really want to do with our lives. Well why not do it right now? In the workplace of today, self actualisation is what
it’s all about. (B34)
Consumers are increasingly acting on their social and environmental values when making purchases. In response,
businesses will wisely engage in socially and environmentally responsible business practices to avoid alienating a
significant portion of their customers.
So expect to see capitalism continue, but as a servant rather than a master.
lxviii Will there always be work for professional services? I think the shift is most certainly towards an increasing
amount of work for professionals. The nature of the work in demand will, of course, change and professionals must
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respond to those changes. But change historically has brought work for the professions and I feel sure it will
continue do so.
 Accountants are likely to see more demand for attestation work to add credibility to information; new ways of
reporting on business need to be found; information systems need to keep pace with the complexities of
business; globalisation and harmonisation of accounting, tax and business practices will bring ample work
opportunities.
 Lawyers will need to respond to change in the nature of employment; they will be faced with the challenges of
increasing globalisation and likely harmonisation of international law; advances in science and technology,
particularly in the fields of genetics, will bring ethical dilemmas to be resolved through the law.
 Human resource professionals will not only need to keep pace with increasing regulation, they will need to
reinvent the very world of work; tapping into human potential and turning it to the advantage of organisations;
finding new ways to attract and get the very best from people.
 Marketeers will find ample work as organisations increase the pace at which new products and services are
brought to market, constantly re-branding and looking for creative ways to capture scarce consumer attention.
 For Management Consultants, IT Specialists, Actuarial Consultants and the many other sectors of knowledge
work, the opportunities presented by an ever changing world will be immense
lxix
Learning Styles were developed by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford, based upon the work of Kolb.
Learning Styles is based upon the premise that individuals may have a preference for one or more stages of the
cycle and consequently neglect others. The 'Learning Styles Questionnaire' measures these preferences. Honey
and Mumford labelled these stages (and preferred styles) as: Activist, Theorist, Reflector, Pragmatist - all necessary
to the learning process, but over-emphasis on any preferred style may reduce the effectiveness of learning.
lxx
The trends identified are most likely to affect clients in the following ways:

Rising expectations and loss of loyalty: Tomorrow’s clients will be readier to switch firms if they are not
delighted with your service and will shop around if they are not receiving what they expect. They will question
your results, methodologies and advice, not accepting that you know best. You will have to earn their trust, and
that trust will be easily broken. They will expect their requirements to be met precisely, with a higher and rising
“wow” threshold, insisting on guaranteed excellent value. They will want more understanding of the delivery of
their professional services. They are likely to adopt a more rigorous and sophisticated buying process;
questioning and checking out references. They will be ready to sue if they feel they have been wronged.

Innovation and mass customisation: The clients of tomorrow will be overwhelmed by choice, seeking
shortcuts to help them make decisions. They will expect choice and customisation of services to their unique
needs. They will be willing to out-source and consider other non-traditional solutions to meet their requirements,
valuing innovation as much as the tried and tested.

IT, information overload and attention scarcity: Clients will be fully able and willing to use IT to solve their
problems, using software and new on-line solutions to carryout many of the functions currently performed less
effectively and more expensively by professionals. They will expect IT to work wonders for them. They will be
adept at using the internet to find the most suitable provider to meet their needs, both through sophisticated
portal sites and through less formal on-line communities of buyers.They will be willing to pay professionals for
services that filter information and bring them what they need when they need it. They will have less attention,
so you will have to find new ways of getting through to them.

Fastness and the death of distance: Tomorrow’s clients will be subjected to lots of change themselves, and
this will bring opportunities for professionals. However, clients will treat any non-unique professional service as
a commodity and will squeeze you for lowest cost. They will buy from anywhere. Unconstrained by locality the
world will become their shopping mall.

The increasing power of the brand: Clients are likely to identify ever more strongly with branded suppliers of
professional services, although they will recognise that an individual can be a better brand than a giant
conglomerate; size is not the point. They may fall prey to brands as shortcuts in their buying decisions.

Capitalism’s shortcomings exposed: Tomorrow’s client will look more carefully at the employment and
environmental policies of your organisation before they do business with you. lxx
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
The disorganisation of organisations: In the future, clients will be increasingly ready to outsource and will be
willing to buy expertise from anywhere, not just traditional providers. To leverage their strengths to the full they
may be in the market to sell as well as buy professional expertise.
lxxi
See Margerison & McCann, itself based on Belbin.
Hogg Robinson story
lxxiii
Newton and the apple - the true story: According to his own story, Newton conceived the concept of universal
gravitation when he observed an apple falling and at the same time noticed the moon in the sky. These
simultaneous images inspired him to wonder if the same laws governed the falling apple and the moon orbiting the
earth.
lxxiv
a reference to Edward de Bono's concept of Provocative Operacy, more simply called "PO"
lxxii
lxxv
Software is available to help you be more creative. Specifically it will help you:
 define your problem or opportunity
 generate ideas by provoking your thinking patterns

record ideas as you go.
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