corporate-identity

Identity or Reputation- which matters the most in terms of organizational affairs?

People have been taught from a very early age not to be judgmental. When talking about Identity or reputation, the focus is always shifted towards reputation.

People hire us, fire us, marry us, loan us money and otherwise support us based on our reputation. It is something that can be described as how others see us.

While on the other hand, identity can be explained as to how people see themselves. However, the question remains constant: which matters the most in terms of organizational affairs – identity or reputation?

Which matters the most in terms of organizational affairs – identity or reputation?

You already have discovered the fact earlier that identity is how we see ourselves and reputation is how others do. In order to understand which matters the most, it is important to look at them from a closer view.

Like identity for a fact is self-awareness which could be both inflated and inaccurate. There are also higher possibilities that one might underestimate themselves and their capabilities or overrate them.

It also appears to be a little less predictive of career success than the reviews of others. While on the other hand, reputation is gaining others’ awareness which could be both variable and biased. It is completely based on what others say alongside being predictive about future careers.

There is no room for self-ratings in this case. The easiest way to understand this is in terms of a reality show. You must have seen how a person in an interview speaks of themselves and tries to blow the HR’s mind with their confidence.

They talk about what they are capable of. But their reputation is what the HR perceives to be. This clearly shows that there is a slight difference between the two. But when concluding which is more important in an organizational affair – then the answer would be reputation.

What makes Reputation so important in an organizational affair?

As now you know that reputation matters more in the organizational affair, it is important to understand that it defines a person’s personality as well. Wondering how? Well, then let’s suppose that the person went to the interview and is waiting for the results from HR.

In this case, reputation would decide if you would be hired for the job position or not. This is because it is how they see you. It is them who would decide how your performance would be evaluated or agree if you would get a promotion.

Once you get promoted, you would know how reputation matters most in the organizational affair and not the identity that you hold. It is simply because all the consequential verdicts are taken involving how others see you and not how you see yourself as.

When looking at these in a practical way, it would again somehow prove that people make decisions or act accordingly on how they see you. Nothing is based on your identity in the organizational affair but only reputation.

Is Reputation important at a personal level too?

Looking from a personal level, it is an identity that matters because people’s perception of you would always keep changing with time.

Identity is something that an individual defines their uniqueness through their past, present, future alongside other aspects like occupation, gender, etc. One should be aware of their worth, subjective realities and know themselves better than anyone else to survive.

Reputation is easy to understand and study. It is what an individual should look forward to the understanding of others at a personal level. If not then, one might end up mistaking everyone to be on the same page as them. Not to mention, no one wants to live in a place where things are not true.

It’s the Reputation that matters !!

Remember when Shakespeare said ” All the world’s a stage and all men and women are merely players” – this simply means from a view of organizational affairs that recruiters pay more attention to what a person can do than what they believe themselves to be.

They pick the ones on the basis of their reputation so there’s always a golden chance to enhance the workplace culture with every passing time.

Honing Transferable Skills

Honing Transferable Skills!!

Do you want to cover up your weaknesses by acquiring some special and professional skills- and of course, which you can learn easily?

Consider Honing Transferable Skills!!

We all need some of the other skills to succeed in life, but without a good balance, things can fall apart. And the sad truth is that there are still many places where balance isn’t quite right.

As the world is becoming more automated, more careers require the ability to adjust to these changing needs. So if you are someone who is all set to get started with knowing about these special skills, then here is what you get through Honing Transferable Skills.

What do you mean by Transferable Skills?

Just like in life we need skills to succeed, in the same way in every job posting there are certain words mentioned such as multitasking, business communication, critical thinking, leadership, and much more. Basically, these are known as transferable skills, meaning they can be transferred from one to another.

No matter what the profession or job is, transferable skills apply in all professions. The abilities, habits, and skills which you adapt in life, be it professionally or personally, are called transferable skills.

Why do you need to Hone Transferable Skills?

Are you wondering about the benefits of transferable skills? Not every job hunter understands this. The ones who get these secret languages are the ones who are capable of getting job offers.

Whether you’re a younger graduate to land your first job or an experienced manager to make a change in your career, transferable skills make you the employee you’re today.

In simple words, the term transferable skills mean making a difference between success and failure. So here are some key benefits of honing transferable skills:

  • Be it any role, transferable skills allow you to succeed as they are needed independent of the job function.
  • Be it industrial or department, transferable skills allow you to step into roles successfully.
  • Another great benefit of transferable skills is that it increases through time, experience, and development opportunities.

Therefore no matter which role or work field you choose, be it mentoring or volunteering as a camp counsellor, you’ll continue to hone them for the rest of your life.

(image source: www.leverageedu.com)

What are the Transferable Skills one needs to hone?

Are you looking for ways to hone transferable skills? You must probably be wondering if these skills can be developed or not. Aren’t you?

Surely, it can be as transferable skills that can help people to succeed on both performance tasks and standardized tests. As the nation moves towards recognizing different ways to assess skills, here are some transferable skills that one needs to continue to hone:

  • Communication

Be it professional success or promotion, effective communication skills are required for every job. In simple words, without good communication, success seems impossible.

However, if you think communication is all about listening and speaking, then you’re wrong. This is because communication is based on primary and supportive skills such as verbal skills, listening skills, writing skills, and technological communication skills.

No doubt communication is one of the most top transferable skills. Whether face-to-face or on Zoom a good communicator knows how to speak with clarity.

  • Technical skills

Another essential transferable skill one needs for every job is technical skills. It not only enhances stability but also helps to leverage professional growth.

Therefore, the keystone of your professional or career growth is to keep yourself updated with essential technical and technology skills. In simple words, if you want to stay employable, you need to stay updated with current skills.

  • Critical thinking skills

Another transferable skill that you need in any professional world application for solving problems is critical thinking skills. It allows one to think clearly and thoroughly look for desired solutions and then implement the best options.

This transferable skill is important as it pays off at all levels. It helps to drive innovation and competitiveness in the market. Besides, it also helps to come with new ideas, organize people and overcome difficulties.

  • Multitasking skills

Another transferable skill of the new era is multitasking skills. This skill is basically based on organizational skills and on sound time management skills. Besides, it is based on three things- establishing priorities, being organized, and time management.

This is an important skill to adapt as it allows one to know what they have achieved and the time you’ve invested so that you come up with a better version of yourself. This transferable skill is something that any organization will highly value, irrespective of the job you hold.

Transferable skills are universally essential!

Not only do transferable skills contribute to your success, but also the success of a team or an organization. So if you want to control your career path and ease the stress, then honing the above-mentioned transferable skills will never go out of style.

business_forcasting

7 Trends that will Dominate Corporate Conversations in 2022!!

What do Corporate conversations mean?

Definition: Corporate conversations mean the process in which businesses, organizations, institutions exchange information or interact with their various internal and external audiences.

These audiences can be of varied types such as,

  • The customers,
  • Potential buyers,
  • Key stakeholders,
  • Vendors,
  • or even the staff members/ employees.

The purpose of implementing corporate communication:

It serves the direct purpose of generating, promoting, and maintaining a consistent brand identity and image.

It’s quite obvious that the better you become in handling corporate conversations, the easier it becomes to maintain the entire system and also find better returns.

Importance of corporate conversations – Why do you need it so much?

One might underestimate corporate communication, however, when you look through the benefits it offers- you would surely want to try it out!

Here, you’ll find a list of major betterments corporate conversations can bring.

  • Better interactions

Corporate conversations serve a very clear purpose, that is, to build mutual trust among different organizations or among their audiences which helps them in maintaining a strong relationship.

  • Clear understanding

With the help of corporate communications, the audiences are able to interact in a much better way with the businesses and also get a clear understanding of the motives and goals of the organizations.

  • Build a loyal customer base

Corporate communications also allow the customers to look into the procedure of the institutions which builds trust among them and also constructs a loyalty of the customers towards the businesses.

  • Close deals easily

Effective communications and negotiations are essential for any company to become successful and known and also bring them a step closer towards achieving their goal.

  • Better relationship with employees

Good communication enables a company to foster good relationships not only with external audiences but also with its own employees.

It enhances a good working relationship between the owners and the staff, they tend to become more attentive, active, hardworking, and cooperative.

7 trends that will dominate corporate conversations in 2022

If your New Year Resolutions of 2022 include ways to improve your business strategies for the coming year, then it is important for you to have a good idea about the ongoing or upcoming business trends of 2022.

Staying updated about the latest trends increases your credibility in today’s world and helps you become a worthy competitor in the market. Figuring out your strategy by matching the current trends is the best way to go ahead in your field.

So, here is what you are looking for-

7 trends that you need to know about corporate conversations in 2022:

1. Inclusiveness

Team efforts are way better and more effective than individual efforts. Including your team and making use of the actual potential of every team member in the correct way will undoubtedly lead you towards success faster.

Trusting your teammates is crucial for the team to work smoothly. Diverse teams with varied expertise are better when it comes to solving problems

The chances are higher to find an accurate solution to the problem as many brains are cooperating together which leads to better results undoubtedly.

2. Sustainability

In today’s generation, we have to make sure to shape a smarter future by sustainable use of all depleting natural resources.

Eco-friendly workspaces will help to a lot of extent by using renewable resources. Minimizing the use of non-replenishable resources in your business is a step towards a sustainable future.

Applying an environment-friendly work atmosphere will also create a good reputation for your company and will attract more customers who will trust your work.

Thus, by ensuring sustainability in your business strategies, two goals are achieved at the same time. 

3. Accountability

It is very important to stand by what you do in this era of development and globalization. Keeping in mind that the work is done for the whole team and not just for any particular individual should be the primary motto.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of every person involved to put in equal efforts to achieve their goals.

However, the leader has a greater responsibility as he is in charge of how a person in the team is working, what is the person’s role in the team, and to figure out the strategy of the business.

The inclusive nature of a company enables flexible working which in turn gives better results.

4. Project Management

It is expected to see wider use of project management tools even in 2022. This is the reason there is an emerging demand for project managers nowadays.

The role of the project managers has intensified in the past years and will also continue to rise in the year 2022.

The roles of the project managers are vast which include budgeting, scheduling, strategizing, tracking, influencing, facilitating communicating, and so on.

When we talk about project management tools, they have now become more advanced, reliable, and easier to access. Try to include some of them to explore the change.

5. Business Analysis

Strong Facilitation and Communication Skills will continue to be a must quality for Remote Business Analysts in 2022.

It is common for employees to quit their job due to a toxic working environment, low pay, and so on.

To avoid these problems the BAs work hard to ensure a better working environment and reasonable salaries for the staff.

This allows the business to function better in a smooth way. Through their skills, they are able to facilitate communication with the stakeholders to build up mutual trust, and cooperation for the company to run with efficiency.

Apart from that, digital transformation for the companies also works wonders which makes the work much more accurate and easier.

The problems are better analyzed and solved with the most accurate solution giving much better outputs. There are a lot of opportunities for BAs to serve as key strategists for businesses in 2022 as they can become true gems in the future.

6. Agile Organizations

Most of the organizations traditionally have been very rigid in their systems and approaches and had refused to reform their policies in the past.

But with time, people have realized that it is best to move with time and act accordingly as the needs of the new generation are different and they need to upgrade to satisfy their needs.

Organizations now tend to become more flexible than ever to change their system entirely. This approach has made them more acceptable as far as the market is concerned.

So how do you reform your company?

Follow these steps

  • Reorganize your workforce,
  • Modify the organizational goal
  • Being more accountable to clients as well as the in-house staff.

7. Business with a purpose

Keep in mind that your business produces things according to the demand of the current market, or there is no way that you find success.

Earning profits and building up a team should not be the ultimate purpose that your company exists, a strong purpose is also necessary to thrive in business.

Ask yourself these questions-

  • Are you doing something helpful for society?
  • Is the market looking for what you are delivering?
  • Is your delivery missing anything that can be made better?
  • What technical advancements can you add-on to deliver better and faster? and how much would that cost?

A strong purpose allows the business to prosper, so don’t forget to ask for reviews from the customers, bring new developmental changes to the existing system, change the mindset and approach, and so on.

Things may go wrong, but keep trying for it!

The key to success is not stopping, but keep moving on and keep pushing it for betterment. You may go wrong, that’s very natural! Because it doesn’t matter how well you understand things or how deeply you research- every business model is different and they have different loopholes- so solutions too should differ from each other.

But don’t fear failure and keep trying to implement new things till you find the best match!

Good luck and cheers!

The Whiplash Leadership

The Whiplash Leadership!!

During the epidemic, the cost of businesses changing their minds was high. Even so, it may be difficult to avoid it in the future.

“In August, the conference will be held in the city.”

“In fact, the conference will be held online in September.”

“On the 15th, our office will reopen!”

“We’ve decided to put off our return to the office indefinitely.”

“Vaccines aren’t necessary.”

“If you don’t get vaccinated by August 17th, we’ll have to consider dismissing you.

” Experts are concerned that employees will not believe leadership announcements after numerous pandemic waves and now the delta version”

Organization executives have had to switch strategies on their staffs for more than a year and a half as one epidemic wave after another hit. Now, with the virus’s delta variation reshuffling the deck once more—just when a “new normal” appeared to be on the horizon—a rising number of specialists are concerned that leadership legitimacy is eroding.

Whiplash leadership, defined as a leader’s quick series of decisions that often send entry-level employees, senior executives, institutional shareholders, die-hard consumers, and every other type of stakeholder fleeing, has a moniker in consulting circles. Of course, much of this was sparked by a once-in-a-century pandemic. The C-suite had no choice but to act rapidly, and managers had no choice but to improvise on the spot. No one, not even the most brilliant medical brains, could foresee the speed with which illnesses spread or the emergence of new variations. Despite this, some scientists believe it’s becoming clear that the whiplash witnessed since early 2020 isn’t entirely due to a virus.

The Challange:

The Pandemic is unlikely to put an end to the rash of decisions made by leaders and then reversed a short time later.

Why does it Matter?:

Leaders risk losing their credibility and the trust of their stakeholders with each course correction.

The Way Out:

Slow down the decision-making process and explain why each choice was chosen. Even if it’s only for a short time.

“What’s at stake is the company’s entire reputation, trust in corporate leadership, and, as a result, the brand.”

Indeed, whether in response to a local crisis, a new competition, agitated activist investors, or some other tragedy, CEOs were already being pressured to speed up their decision-making. Senior leaders have ingrained the belief that they must act, even if it contradicts a recent decision. The problem is that such decision-making has already had a negative impact on business operations, staff morale, and leadership credibility. Experts suggest that when the pandemic passes, leaders will have to reassess how they make and communicate their most important decisions.”Waffling” is defined as “changing your mind all the time,” according to Al Pittampalli, author of Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World.

Some think that in a startup atmosphere, whiplash leadership is important. Leaders must be ready to change plans quickly—sometimes entire business models—or risk missing out on opportunities and running out of cash. These experts argue that this isn’t flip-flopping, but rather great leadership.

“Despite the fact that leadership is a human undertaking, the speed is inhuman.”

Leaders are sometimes forced to reverse a decision. Early in the pandemic, Discover Financial Services leaders pledged to make judgments based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations, according to Todd Podell, Discover’s chief procurement and corporate services officer. However, as the guidelines changed, Discover’s decisions altered as well, even if it meant the company had to shift course.” There were several instances when we thought, ‘Maybe we should go this route or that way,'” says Podell.

“However, if you don’t base your judgments on those north stars, it might be more difficult for employees.” What’s more, plenty of evidence shows that leaders must be willing to change their minds. For instance, according to Korn Ferry research, agility and flexibility are among the most important characteristics leaders must have to succeed now and in the future. It’s how executives make and convey their decisions that could use a review. Experts suggest, however, that there are often ways for executives to avoid whiplash leadership

“I find that when leaders change their ideas too rapidly, it’s not because the world has changed; it’s because they didn’t make the right decisions in the first place,” Pattampalli

When assessing options, leaders must retain an open mind, actively listen to counterarguments, and stress tests their ideas. Leaders must be elevated based on beliefs and purpose, not ego, according to Cashman. According to Andersson’s research, if this form of decision-making is done regularly, it will create credibility among stakeholders. As a result, even if a manager has to reverse an earlier choice, their credibility and image can be preserved.

Cashman argues that admitting that a previous decision was a mistake or explaining why it is no longer relevant might help stakeholders get over their first shock.

Importantly, even in difficult, fast-paced situations, leaders should take their time making decisions. That may seem contradictory, but pausing to think, reflect, ponder, and deliberate before acting might help a leader avoid making a judgement they’ll regret later

“Elite athletes can slow the game down and play quietly, even when everything is on the line,” Cashman says.

Follow Auxano Consulting on LinkedIn for more interesting reads every Monday

At Auxano Consulting we coach and train you to be a leader who is authentic, inclusive, and aware.

Reach out to us today for your queries to  linnet@auxano-consulting.com

(Research & Sources: https://harveychimoff.com/2015/02/24/whiplash-movie-is-case-study-for-terrible-leaders/;https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-whiplash-effect-lesso_b_6732864; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiplash_(2014_film); https://medium.com/@antoniam/is-whiplash-a-film-about-organisational-culture-e329d35f2fea; https://www.kornferry.com/insights/this-week-in-leadership/welcome-to-whiplash-leadership; https://www.kornferry.com/insights/briefings-magazine/issue52/whiplashleadership;https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2015/02/23/the-jk-simmons-whiplash-school-of-leadership-development/?sh=3de9c1ff1d10; https://unknownbuddhist.com/2015/06/01/whiplash-whats-your-leadership-style/;https://medium.com/@antoniam/is-whiplash-a-film-about-organisational-culture-e329d35f2fea)

Impact of Women in the C-suite

Impact of Women in the C-suite

Research has shown that firms with more women in senior positions are more profitable, more socially responsible, and provide safer, higher-quality customer experiences — among many other benefits

S&P companies led by female CEOs had a 20% higher stock price on average – S&P Global, When Women Lead, Firms Win

However, when it comes to explaining why having more female executives is associated with better business outcomes, and what specific mechanisms cause those positive changes, existing research is much more limited.

As per HBR, April’21, specifically, there are three distinct trends around shifts in firms’ strategic thinking following the appointment of female executives:

1. Organizations became Low risk-seeking and open to change

A linguistic analysis was conducted shows that the frequency of the terms in firm Communications indicated a propensity for risk-taking decreased by 14%, while the frequency of terms suggesting openness to change increased by 10% after women joined C-suite which indicated that that female executives don’t just offer specific new ideas to the team; their presence actually makes the TMT collectively more open to change and less comfortable with risk-taking. . In other words, these organizations increasingly embraced transformation while seeking to reduce the risks associated with it.

2. More Focus on R&D

When women were appointed to senior positions and firms began to exhibit higher levels of both openness to change and aversion to risk, firms reported an average 1.1% increase in R&D investments — and the average total R&D investment of the companies in our sample was $6,538 million, so a 1.1% increase is substantial. Hence there is a gradual shift from a knowledge-buying strategy focused on M&As — which could be described as a more traditionally masculine, proactive approach — towards a knowledge-building strategy focused on internal R&D, which could be described as a more traditionally feminine, collaborative approach.

3. Better integration of top women executives with the top executes team creates a great impact

Whether she’s the only woman or Whether she’s one of many new appointees, adding female executives to the top management team changed C-suite thinking when the new female executives were part of a smaller cohort of new appointees.

(image source: www. parityconsulting.in)

What Impact a Woman in the C-Suite creates for a firm?

  • It makes Top Management Teams more focused on balancing innovation with risk mitigation as more women join their ranks
  • Research suggests that female executives are likely to care less about tradition and are more open to challenging the status quo than their male counterparts
  •  Women executive joining in Top Management team is a direct result of increasing diversity in that team and  Research suggests that having more diverse perspectives to weigh in on key decisions can make a group more open to change, and more likely to see change as feasible

Conclusion: It’s well known that firms with greater gender diversity among senior leadership perform better. The addition of female executives shifts companies’ strategic approach to innovation. After women join the top management team, firms become more open to change and less open to risk, and they tend to shift from an M&A-focused strategy to more investment into internal R&D. In other words, when women join the C-suite, they don’t just bring new perspectives — they actually shift how the C-suite thinks about innovation, ultimately enabling these firms to consider a wider variety of strategies for creating value

(Sources: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/women-and-leadership.htm; https://hbr.org/2020/04/7-leadership-lessons-men-can-learn-from-women; https://www.replicon.com/blog/17-reasons-women-make-great-leaders/;https://www.ddiworld.com/solutions/women-in-leadership; https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace; https://www.tutorialspoint.com/women_in_leadership/women_in_leadership_introduction.htm; https://hbr.org/2021/04/research-adding-women-to-the-c-suite-changes-how-companies-think; https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-promote-women-in-leadership-roles-1918609; https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/more-women-in-leadership-shouldnt-matter-but-it-really-does/;https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-management/;https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/financial-services/women-in-the-c-suite.html; https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:326289/FULLTEXT01.pdf> https://womendeliver.org/womensleadership/;https://www.naturalhr.com/2021/03/23/10-reasons-why-the-world-needs-more-women-in-leadership-roles/)

Talent Management

Talent Management Apathy – The greatest threat to a performance culture!!

An organization is only as good as the people it employs; those that want to survive and thrive in 2022 will need to respond to the new power dynamic.

As per Korn Ferry, there are new and increasing pressures on the workforce: remote working, increased collaboration, digital transformation, and more. To stay ahead, most businesses will need to transform their workforce to meet these demands.

However, no single solution fits every company and every situation. The only certainty is that we will need to do different work differently. But we can learn from the lessons learned and take inspiration from those organizations seizing the moment.

Let’s look at some facts (from Korn Ferry research) which have never changed:

The future of work is human..

Many see technology as the key to future success. But new research from the Korn Ferry Institute demonstrates:

  • Human capital is 2.33 times more valuable than physical capital globally
  • Human capital is valued at $1,215 trillion; physical assets are valued at $521 trillion
  • For every $1 invested in people, $11.39 is added to the global economy

(source: https://focus.kornferry.com/report-the-future-of-work-is-human/)

Why In a WFH culture the excitement and enthusiasm for talent management turn to apathy?

organizations and leaders, with great positive intent, end up going through the motions of a process that delivers little in terms of results or fulfillment. In search of a solution, companies tweak what is already flawed and outdated and force it on the employees, who go through lots of challenges working from home, and for most of them is not a treat

(Image source: www.uschamber.com)

So, What should Talent Management Function do?

Well, there are many ways to Dash Apathy and create a performance-based culture as below:

  • Lead by Example. One should never underestimate the power that a manager or leader has to lead. If you’re in charge, leading by example is an important aspect of inspiring people to reach new goals while working virtually
  • Foster a healthy work-life balance. Fostering a healthy work-life balance can yield happier and more productive employees. You can accomplish this important task by providing workers with personal time and encouraging them to use it
  • Learning Opportunities. It’s important for companies to inspire workers to learn new skills. Providing the right environment for learning can inspire employees to abandon stagnation in favor of growth and discovery
  • Do not focus on the number of hrs. Disrupting talent management means rethinking the fundamental purpose of HR and talent functions through the lens of business and workforce value. So, focus on deliverables’ not the login hours
  • Employees Personal Health & Safety There’s always been a social contract between employer and employee, but COVID put the focus in new and unexpected ways on our most basic rights i.e. personal health and safety. As the personal and professional become more intertwined than ever, organizations can engage and motivate their people by creating experiences that connect individuals to

Conclusion: No company has truly figured out how to completely empathize and foster an environment that creates a culture of performance and loyalty both. However, it is certain that yesterday’s talent practices won’t hold up in today’s dynamic business environment It is only possible when companies adopt a more person-centric approach to drive their talent and business strategies, they will drive better results. And by putting individual purpose at the heart of the talent process, organizations will gain the competitive advantage needed to succeed in the new economy

An Effective Sales Diagnostics = An Accelerated growth!!

An Effective Sales Diagnostics = An Accelerated growth!!

An Accurate assessment improves your sales and marketing performance towards accelerating growth

How much time in the last week, month, or year, have you used to strategically view the overall health of your organization?

When is the last time you took a deep dive into the data, analyzed the metrics, and evaluated your long-term goals for success?

How long do you work in a week managing salespeople and client issues?

The answers to these questions above help you decide if the Sales Diagnostic is right for your organization.

However, Companies have difficulty objectively assessing the capabilities and performance of their marketing and sales organization to determine areas in which the function is falling behind.

And often, they are not able to answer these questions

Which value levers to pull?

 How to measure impact? and

How to sustain the change over time?

Sales Growth Diagnostics solutions help companies accurately assess and improve their sales and marketing performance, concentrating their efforts on the areas that drive the fastest growth.

It goes, beyond the sales department to look at the whole company. Sales-driven organizations need every department working in the same direction, and when issues arise outside the sales team, diagnostics can identify hard-to-find issues and correct them.

It helps organization to see the big picture, measure current strategies, and evaluate new opportunities after looking at the operations from all sides so Sales Heads can identify bottlenecks and keep revenue climbing.

At Auxano, we analyze your data, team, and systems to deliver a comprehensive diagnostic with Strategies and tactics to take you to the next level and transform your Station’s Sales Performance to:

  1. Boost New Business Appointments
  2. Make more presentations
  3. Improve more closing ratios
  4. Increase Overall Sales

Companies need accurate data on best practices and top performers to benchmark their sales and marketing performance, both internally and externally, and identify areas for improvement.

STEP 1 is to identify the gaps and opportunities for commercial improvement

STEP 2 is to create a comprehensive solution that identifies high-priority improvement areas, embeds performance measures into business processes, and helps determine the capabilities needed for sustainable competitive advantage.

Diagnostics require more than just a casual review, however. To execute effective diagnostics, teams must understand what they want to accomplish and the established best practices to do so.

The Key Elements of an Effective Sales Diagnostics:

  • THE NUMBERS LOGIC :

Revenue Goals by territory, right categories or industries, Average order size, Key Account Level

  • YOUR BUSINESS PROCES :

Your Performance review process, Sales Structure, Job Roles, Ideal Prospect Profile, Decision-Making Process, Valid Business Reasons, Sales Process, Key Sales Collateral

  • YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE PRICING:

Standard pricing, Negotiating elements, discounting stage

  • YOUR PERFORMANCE METRICS :

Performance Measures, Lead Indicators, Lag Indicators, Compensation Plans

  • THE BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY :

Core Values, Mission, Visison,Problems You Solve, Common Objections, Reason for Being, Elevator Speech, Top competitors & how you compare

  • YOUR SERVICE CAPABILITY:

Service team, On boarding a new client etc.

Once you follow these, the critical part is “KEEPING IS ACTIONALBLE” everyday

Sales Diagnostics like this creates an efficiency and effectiveness in the sales process which separates good sales teams from great ones.

Diagnostics help the CXOs to identify issues and make corrections, ensuring the sales department makes the most of its opportunities and keeps driving revenue.

Contact us (info@auxano-consulting.com, +91 9820668179) to learn more about the Sales Diagnostic and how we can transform your sales and marketing performance and give it an accelerate growth!!

GOOD BOSS

GOOD BOSS, BAD BOSS!!

How to be the Best and Learn from the Worst…

A must reading for all who has – or is – a boss.

75% of the workforce reports that their immediate supervisor is the most stressful part of their job

Professor of management Dr. Robert I. Sutton, the best-selling author of The No Asshole Rule, explores how good and bad bosses affect the workplace and what distinguishes one from the other

Dr. Sutton says that as more people shared with him their asshole stories, about working and dealing with assholes (as a result of reading or hearing about “The No Asshole Rule”), he realized that everything came back to one central figure — the boss. It was from the countless workplace asshole stories and the desire to share how to be a skilled boss or how to work for one that led Dr. Sutton to write “Good Boss, Bad Boss.”

How Bad Bosses creates Negative Impact?

The prevalence of bad bosses is confirmed by careful studies. A  Zogby survey of nearly 8,000 American adults found that of those abused by workplace bullies (37 percent of respondents), 72 percent were bullied by superiors.Stories about the damage done by bully bosses are bolstered by systematic research. University of Florida researchers found that employees with abusive bosses were more likely than others to slow down or make errors on purpose (30 percent vs. 6 percent), hide from their bosses (27 percent vs. 4 percent), not put in maximum effort (33 percent vs. 9 percent) and take sick time when they weren’t sick (29 percent vs. 4 percent).

A boss can be bad in many ways, but whatever the permutation, ill behaved bosses make people sick. In England, researchers tracked 6,000 civil service workers for 20 years. Those with bosses who were hypercritical, poor listeners or stingy with praise experienced higher rates of angina, heart attacks and death from heart disease than those working for benevolent bosses. Finnish and Swedish studies show similar results. Employees working for bad bosses frequently report feeling angry, stressed out, emotionally numb, depressed or anxious. On the flip side, employees are more satisfied and productive when they feel their bosses care about them. Organizations with good bosses enjoy healthier employees, more profitability and greater employee retention.

(image source: www.sarahjanevickery.com)

Balance, Determination and “Small Wins”

Good bosses are not micromanagers who stifle creativity and interrupt work flow, and they’re not lackadaisical, like bosses who fail to achieve company goals. Good bosses walk the line between stepping in when necessary and letting their employees work without interference. Good managers have determination, or “grit” – that is, “perseverance and passion toward long-term goals.” Bosses with grit regard work as a marathon, not a sprint. They sustain effort through adversity and never stop learning.

Good bosses don’t just plan to meet long-term goals. They also set out to achieve small wins along the way and to motivate staffers to reach for lofty goals. For example, some people “freak out or freeze up” when their tasks become overwhelming or too complex. People are more effective when they conquer smaller tasks and celebrate small victories. Helping staff members stay calm and confident is one reason to break projects into manageable, contained segments.

The 10 commandments For Wise Bosses:

  1. Have a Strong opinions and weakly held beliefs.
  2. Do not treat others as if they are idiots.
  3. Listen attentively to your people; don’t just pretend to hear what they say.
  4. Ask a lot of good questions.
  5. Ask others for help and gratefully accept their assistance.
  6. Do not hesitate to say, ”I don’t know”.
  7. Forgive people when they fail, remember the lessons, and teach them to everyone.
  8. Fight as if you are right, and listen as if you are wrong
  9. Do not hold grudges after losing an argument. Instead, help the victors implement their ideas with all your might.
  10. Know your weakness and flaws, and work with people who correct and compensate for your weakness, Express gratitude to your people.

Conclusion:

“Good Boss, Bad Boss” is about the best bosses and what they do. It’s not about incompetent or even mediocre bosses. As Dr. Sutton puts it, it doesn’t matter if you’re a boss whose team brought in the highest sales number or a principal of an award-winning school, if you treat people badly, you don’t deserve to be called a great boss.

About Author: Robert Sutton is Professor of Management Science and Engineering and a Professor of Organizational Behavior (by courtesy) at Stanford.  Sutton has been teaching classes on the psychology of business and management at Stanford since 1983. He is co-founder of the Center for Work, Technology and Organization, which he co-directed from 1996 to 2006.  He is also co-founder of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (which everyone calls “the d school”). He has published over 100 articles and chapters on these topics in peer-reviewed journals and the popular press. Sutton’s books include Weird Ideas That Work: 11 ½ Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation, The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Firms Turn Knowledge into Action (with Jeffrey Pfeffer), and Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-Based Management (with Jeffrey Pfeffer).  The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t and Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best…. and Survive the Worst are both New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers.

Procrastination Equation

The Procrastination Equation – Part II

How to stop putting things off and start getting stuff done (feature image source: studyguides)

In my last blog, I wrote about The Procrastination Equation by Dr. Piers Steel who is creator of one of the best motivation and procrastination books – an equation that is able to explain every scientific finding on procrastination ever.

The equation teaches us:

“What can be done at any time is often done at no time.”

The next question is very important with which I ended my part – I of the blog, which is:

How to beat Procrastination?

Simple Maths, In this equation

Motivation = (Expectancy x Value) / (Impulsiveness x Delay)

Increase the numerator and decrease the denominator to have more control, i.e

  • Increase your expectancy of Success.
  • Increase the task’s value(make it more pleasant and rewarding).
  • Decrease your impulsiveness.

Research shows that there are several useful methods to achieve each of these, though you may think these are out of your control

Let’s see how to achieve it..

Increase your expectancy of Success.

I agree, it is same as telling someone “Be Positive”, But How?

Researchers have identified, three major techniques for increasing optimism:

  1. Success Spirals – Making use of “Success Spirals” means achieving one challenging goals after another, it gives you confidence in your ability to succeed. So give yourself a series of meaningful, challenging but achievable goals, and then achieve them. You can acquire a skill, go for adventure like rafting, camping; volunteer for more social or professional work, give a level to your hobbies etc. When you achieve goals one after another, your brain will reward you with increased expectancy for success and finally a better ability to beat procrastination
  2. Vicarious Victory – Pessimism and optimism both are contagious. So try to be a part of community which fosters positivity, watch inspirational movies, read inspirational biographies, listen to motivational speakers and so on
  3. Mental Contrasting – While most of us do creative visualization of what we want to achieve: Money, Car, House, High paying Job etc.Research shows that it may drain our motivation unless we do “Mental Contrasting” after visualizing what you want to achieve with where you are now with a rusty car, rented house etc. This will help you to overcome obstacle to achieve your dreams and jumpstarts planning and effort towards it.
(image source: www.timesheets.com)

Increase the task’s value (make it more pleasant and rewarding)

If we don’t like gardening, how can we water the plant? it doesn’t have much value to us. Right?

However, study shows that, Value is to some degree constructed and relative. Psychophysics actually, advice for how we can inject value into necessary tasks

  1. Flow – it’s all about making a boring job more difficult, to the point that matches your current level of skill and there you achieve your “flow” just like how Myrtle Young made her boring job at potato chip factory more interesting and challenging by looking for potato chips that resembled celebrities and pulling them off the conveyor belt.
  2. Meaning – Connect the task to something you care about for its own sake, as a chain: Read the subject in your curriculum (you don’t like) to clear the exam and get a job, buy a house for your loved ones. Once you break the chain, it makes a task meaningless, so you do it through a chain.
  3. Energy – It’s simple, Low energy make a task harder. So take it up when you are mot alert, may be in day time or afternoon or evening, you know your rhythm. Don’t forget to sleep well, and exercise well!!
  4. Rewards – It’s simple, pat your back, reward yourself for completing a task. Treat yourself with special coffee after you achieve it.
  5. Passion – The value of task increase itself, when you do what you love. It’s the most powerful way to achieve  your goals

    Decrease your impulsiveness.

“The Achilles Heel of procrastination turns out to be impulsiveness; that is, living impatiently in the moment and wanting it all now.”

           It is one of the biggest factor in procrastination

           Here are two solid method’s to deal with it:

  1. Commit Now
    • “Throw away the key” or close off tempting alternatives
    • Make failure really painful, set aside money you will lose if you don’t meet your goals and ensure you have an outside reference to decide whether you met your goal or not. Set things up so that your money goes to an organization you hate, if you fail and your chosen referee will post the details of it on Facebook if you don’t meet your goal.
  2. Set Goals – You are smart so set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Anchored) goals, but remember Attainable is Redundant with Realistic, and Specific is Redundant with Measurable and Time-Anchored. However, goals should be challenging, meaningful and output focused, in X time, product is Y.

Conclusion:

To beat procrastination, you need to be increase your motivation to do each task on which you are tempted to procrastinate. To do that, you can (1) optimize your optimism for success on the task,(2) make the task more pleasant, and (3) take steps to overcome your impulsiveness. And to do each of those things, use the specific methods explained above (Set goals, pre-commit, make use of success spirals, etc.)

About Author: Dr. Piers Steel is one of the world’s leading researchers and speakers on the science of motivation and procrastination. Winner of the Killam Emerging Research Leader award, he is considered the top new professor at the University of Calgary, where he teaches human resources and organizational dynamics at the Haskayne School of Business. He has been studying procrastination and its impact for more than ten years—and spent the decades before that as a procrastinator himself. Dr. Steel’s research has been reported thousands of times around the world, ranging from Psychology Today and New Scientist to Good Housekeeping and The New Yorker. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife and two sons.

The Procrastination Equation will teach you how to bust the excuses that are preventing you from doing your best work and living your best life….So don’t put it off any longer

 —Daniel H. Pink

Procrastination Equation

The Procrastination Equation – Part I

How to stop putting things off and start getting stuff done…

95% of us procrastinate, but interestingly perfectionists aren’t the guilty ones.

Sam, quite talented, positive, but yet to make his first sale, the rejections after rejections demoralized him. He organizes his desk, surfs the internet, keep presentations ready, and puts off his cold calls until potential clients are leaving for the day

In other department, Sarah, stares at the blank page of word doc, her write up for VP speech is due tomorrow is boring. She takes a break, go out, watch movies to find herself even less motivated to write than before. She dives in at mid night, pressing deadline, results into a terrible essay

Next lane, Jobish, Got all his preparations done for his vacation to Singapore, visa, plane tickets, shopping for wife and kids. He still needs to book a hotel room, which can be done anytime, it hardly takes time.  He keep delaying it, work projects deadlines took over and forgets about it altogether. It’s time to leave tomorrow, while packaging he recalls to book the room, but there are none by the beach, which his wife needed specifically.

“This book is about every promise you made to yourself but broke.”

The Procrastination Equation by Dr. Piers Steel is one of the best motivation and procrastination books.

Steel is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of motivation and procrastination and the inventor of the procrastination equation – an equation that is able to explain every scientific finding on procrastination ever.

This book is about hacking motivation and getting ourselves motivated for anything we want. It’s a great read with lots of practical advice for improving our lives.

Sam, Sarah and Jobish are procrastinators, but in different ways.

Sam’s problem is “low expectancy”. He expects failure, and low expectancy of success from making next round of cold calls. Results from 39 procrastination studies show that low expectancy is a major cause of procrastination.

Sarah’s problem is “low value” of task for her. Taking a break, watching shows is easy, but it’s not easy to start doing your taxes. Dozens of scientific studies shows that, we put off things we don’t like to do.

However, Jobish’s problem is strongest predictor if procrastination. Jobish could have booked the hotel in advance. Work and other distractions with urgency, until last minute, left him with poor selection of rooms. Several Studies have shown that procrastination is closely tied to Impulsiveness


(image source: www.procrastinators-united.tumblr.com)

Impulsiveness fits into a broader component of procrastination: time.

An event’s impact on our decisions decreases as it’s temporal distance from us increases. We are less motivated by delayed rewards than by immediate rewards, and the more impulsive you re,the more your motivation is affected by such delays

Expectancy, Value, Delay, and impulsiveness are the four major components of procrastination. Author Piers Steel, a leading researcher on procrastination, explains:

Decrease the certainty or the size of a task’s reward – its expectancy or its value – and you are unlikely to pursue its completion with any energy. Increase the delay for the task’s reward and our susceptibility to delay – impulsiveness – and motivation also dips.

This leaves us with “the procrastination equation”:

Motivation = (Expectancy x Value) / (Impulsiveness x Delay)

Increase the size of a task’s reward (including both the pleasantness of doing the task and the value of its after-effects),and your motivation goes up. Increase the perceived odds of getting the reward, and your motivation also goes up

Hence the denominator, which covers the effect of time on our motivation to do a task. The longer the delay before we reap a task’s reward, the less motivated ware to do it. And the negative effect of this delay is amplified by our level of impulsiveness. For highly impulsive people, delays do even greater damage to their motivation

The Procrastination Equation into Action

As an example, consider a final semester student who has an idea to make some products wants to get into startup world after graduating. Unfortunately, for him, there could be lots of components storming into procrastination.

Getting into startup is exhaustive (low value)

The results are uncertain (low expectancy)

And you never know how long it will take to get traction (high delay). Until then how will you survive?

But there’s more. Parents, relatives, friends in general, might be the most distracting people on earth. There are always pleasures to be had with a job and fixed salary income (weekend party’s with friends, clubbing, games, events, outing with family etc.). Now wonder that starting one’s own company is hell of a job to think and venture into and it can’t be done. These potent distractions amplify the negative effect of the delay in the task’s reward and the negative effect of the student’s level of impulsiveness.

So the question is How to beat Procrastination?

But How?

Stay tuned to learn this in Part-II of this blog

Till then, happy reading…!!

About Author: Dr. Piers Steel is one of the world’s leading researchers and speakers on the science of motivation and procrastination. Winner of the Killam Emerging Research Leader award, he is considered the top new professor at the University of Calgary, where he teaches human resources and organizational dynamics at the Haskayne School of Business. He has been studying procrastination and its impact for more than ten years—and spent the decades before that as a procrastinator himself. Dr. Steel’s research has been reported thousands of times around the world, ranging from Psychology Today and New Scientist to Good Housekeeping and The New Yorker. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife and two sons.

(feature image source: www.learnfromblogs.com)