Stand Out For The Right Reasons

If you’ve ever wanted to stand out from the crowd and create a competitive edge no doubt a well-meaning friend or advisor may have said ‘be different!’ Whilst being different may be useful advice for some, in terms of reputation branding, it’s not necessarily a smart strategy to follow.

Novelty and innovation can set you apart, attract attention and make you memorable – for a time. The downside of this is that being different, and straying too far from accepted norms, can raise doubts in the minds of those you most want to influence.

Being different can be risky. Questions will be raised about your ability to deliver, whether you might be a good ‘fit’ and even the fleeting thought that by taking a punt on you, the person recommending you will be putting their reputation on the line and they’ll probably want to be sure their own reputation isn’t put at risk.

Being distinctive, on the other hand, can make you memorable for all the right reasons. Being distinctive can help differentiate yourself from your competitors and others around you, and give you a compelling ‘edge’ if whatever it is that makes you distinctive is viewed positively. If the distinction is not viewed positively, it can leave you being perceived as odd, strange or risky. Inappropriate differentiation can raise doubts in the minds of others that can be hard to counter or overcome.

So how can you create a positively distinctive edge without being riskily different?

Highlight subtle, but significant, differences. Draw attention to a subtle point of difference that others in a similar situation to you don’t necessarily highlight or focus on. For example, when applying for a job or promotion, or pitching for a new account or business, providing written testimonials from happy clients and colleagues could add huge value to the information you provide directly. What other people say about us is eight times more powerful than what we say about ourselves, and yet few of us offer references or testimonials up-front – most of us wait to be asked to provide them.

DO sweat the small stuff! Author Richard Carlson’s book urged readers to ‘Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff’. However, sweating the small stuff is hugely important from a reputation branding perspective. Do take time to think about details that could either help or harm your reputation from someone else’s perspective. Aim to ensure you leave people feeling valued and respected when they deal with you by caring about the details. Ensure, too, that whatever promises you make explicitly, or imply, live up to expectations and are consistent with what people expect when dealing with you.

Create meaning from the difference. It’s all very well being distinctive or different, but what does it mean to the person you’re dealing with? Being able to spell-out the benefits to them is essential in terms of them viewing you favourably. You’re probably not the only person who may have spent a year in Outer Mongolia doing your ‘OE’, but you may be one of relatively few able to articulate that doing so has given you a greater awareness and understanding of working with people with a different view of life in practical ways and how this has made you a better ‘people-person’ as a result. The very fact that you can demonstrate how and why whatever makes you distinctive is a plus will be viewed positively.

Adopt a philosophy of ‘Best-Plus’. Be committed, not only to being the best at what you do, but also to identifying and delivering extras, or ‘pluses’ over and above what’s expected of you that will help you be perceived as innovative, and people and client-focused. These are often right under our noses if we open ourselves up to noticing them. Sending a handwritten ‘thank you’ card to a prospective employer or client following a meeting, for example, or sending them a website link simply because you noticed something they may be interested in. Small, but subtle, actions and words can really set you apart and create a memorable impression that will stand you in good stead years down the line.

Of course, being distinctive attracts attention so be prepared for others to copy you. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but ongoing effort is required to remain positively distinctive, as is a willingness to push the boundaries within acceptable levels.

Sun Tzu’s famous treatise ‘The Art of War’ notes how opportunities come from the openings caused by the relative weaknesses of others in any given area. “If you know both yourself and your enemy, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.” Articulate what makes you distinctive and you’ll have more ammunition in your reputational armoury.

Article Contributed by Hannah Samuel, International Speaker with Training Edge International She is a specialist reputation advisor, author and speaker.
Email : Hannah@trainingedgeasia.com Website : www.trainingedgeasia.com

Are Your Customers Willing To Put Their Reputation On The Line For You?

For many businesses, particularly those providing services, more than 85 percent of business comes from personal referrals and recommendations, and yet many businesses spend thousands of hours, and dollars, trying to acquire new customers, and relatively little time and effort nurturing and retaining their existing ones.

Valuing and retaining your current clients and customers is essential. Not only will you benefit from their continued custom directly, you are also more likely to benefit from any new clients or customers they recommend. And given that it’s it's 6-7 times more expensive to gain one new client or customer than it is to retain one, retaining your existing clients and customers, and being highly recommendable, can have a huge positive impact on your bottom-line.

Clients and customers who already trust and respect you:

• are more likely to acknowledge, and value, what you provide and the benefits they gain from dealing with you
• may be more willing to accept your prices, terms and conditions without question or negotiation
• are often more loyal
• require less 'selling to' and
• are more likely to continue doing business with you, and even increase the amount they spend, as their trust in you increases.

They are also significantly more likely to recommend you to people they know and trust giving you an opportunity to gain new clients whilst reducing your acquisition costs and improving your profitability.

Some people may be willing to provide a recommendation or testimonial without giving it much thought. But, and it's a big but ... most people will only recommend you when they are confident you will be able to deliver on your promises as it's not your reputation they're putting on the line when recommending you. It's theirs.

So how can you improve your chances of being recommended more often and acquire low-cost / high-value clients who are positively pre-disposed to dealing with you? Adding value to your existing clients and customers on an ongoing basis is essential.

• Deliver on your promises, on time, every time. Over-promising and under-delivering is one of the biggest reputation damagers there is. It may be tempting to over-state your experience, capabilities and past achievements, but make sure you take the time to clarify understanding and expectations before agreeing to something you may not be able to deliver on.

• Be respectful. Avoid assuming people want to be treated in the same way. Many don't. If you're unsure about what may work for them - ask! The very act of asking demonstrates respect, so long as you act on any information they give you.

• Genuinely care. We can only add value and serve effectively when we fully understand what a client or customer truly needs and wants. Discover their motivations before trying to sell yourself or your products or services, and if you feel you're not the best person to serve them, recommend someone who is! Random acts of kindness can have long-lasting, positive, effects.

• Make the person you’re dealing with feel both valued and valuable. Adding genuine, spontaneous, 'no strings attached' value such as forwarding a relevant article, website, or passing on a hint or tip you've come across, for no other reason than you feel it may be helpful or useful for them, nurtures the connection you have and shows you genuinely care about them. Good manners carry a huge amount of weight. Be friendly without being overly familiar and be mindful of the fact that people will remember how they ‘feel’ about you more than what they read about you.

• Act with integrity and live your values. Be clear about what's important to you in terms of what's negotiable and what's non-negotiable and act accordingly. When you and your team live your values, and demonstrate them in tangible ways on a day-to-day basis, you build trust, and trust engenders confidence which helps improve your chances of being recommended or referred to others.

One of the greatest compliments, and reputation-enhancers there is, is to be highly recommendable.

People who are willing to recommend you, without incentive or reward, are putting their reputation on the line for you. Protect not only your own reputation, but that of the person recommending you, by delivering what's expected with integrity and you’ll find yourself more in demand than ever.

Article Contributed by Hannah Samuel, International Speaker with Training Edge International . She is a specialist reputation advisor, author and speaker.
Email : Hannah@trainingedgeasia.com;
Website : Website : www.trainingedgeasia.com

Wanted : Happy Employees

A recent poll of employee attitudes in 14 countries, as reported in the Straits Times recently, ranked Singapore last in workplace happiness. Talent management company Lumesse polled about 4,000 employees from a wide variety of industries. People were asked about how happy they were at work, whether they felt their skills were properly utilized, the career paths open to them and the training and career opportunities they had. The result put Singapore last in three major areas.

We least enjoy going to work, are the least loyal and have the least supportive workplace. As a small nation that prides itself on the plaudits of being placed near the top of the rankings in so many fields, coming last in this crucial aspect of our economic life should cause us great concern and anxiety.

I have believed for many years that organizations get the workforce they deserve. If this is so, then the survey is a damning indictment on Singapore companies and more specifically on our management style.

Traditionally management has been concerned with the key tasks of planning, organizing controlling and directing the organization’s resources to achieve maximum utilization. Singapore managers have excelled at this and have achieved remarkable success over the past fifty years.

On reflection however these very same principles of management are the principles of management laid down at the turn of the last century by writers and practitioners like Frederick Winslow Taylor and Henri Fayol. Working conditions and organizational culture were very different then and as we progress into the twenty first century one could argue that we need a major rethink of our management attitudes, values and style.

A series of studies carried out in America in the early 1950’s gave us hard evidence for the first time that good management consisted of high concern for “task” and high concern for “people.” My suspicion is that we still have a high concern for task but that sometimes it is at the expense of people – and that is where the problem lies. Do we want our organizations to remain “prisons” based ultimately on a system of rewards and punishment or to become a very different place where individuals can develop, grow and flourish?

If we were to mentally create two lists with the headings of Management and Leadership and then bullet points all the characteristics we associate with both titles, we would find all the task functions in the management column and probably find that most of the people functions had been placed in the leadership column. Though simplistic and polarized it gives us a pointer as to where modern management best practice should be driving

My experience and intuition tell me that the old traditional principles of management need to adopt some of the newer concepts of leadership and that the way ahead is to transform managers into leaders who can embrace the new model of “Managerial Leadership” and by so doing move us up the rankings in terms of utilizing people’s skills, nurturing talent and creating opportunities for growth and development for all.

In order to simplify and understand managerial leadership I have adapted the acronym M.A.N.A.G.E.R. as a framework to explore the new roles that are demanded from modern managers and supervisors in addition to their more traditional duties which of course are still vital to the success of the organization. Vital but no longer enough!

Managers must: Motivate, Appreciate, Nurture, Align, Grow, Empower, Reflect

Motivate, Inspire and Energise members of their staff
Appreciate, Recognise, Give Poitive Feedback and Build Trust
Nurture a Climate of Creativity and Innovation. Let People take Risks
Align People to the Vision. Obtain Active “Buy In” Make the Job Fun
Grow, Coach and Never Stop Developing People
Empower Others, Delegate Responsibility and Encourage the Heart
Reflect on what they Hear. Listen and Communicate Endlessly

I know this is easy to write but far more difficult to apply in the fast paced demanding environment we work in. Yet consider the consequences if we do not. For Singapore to grow we need talented, motivated members of staff committed to the organizations they work for and willing to invest their own energy and potential into their own development and that of their companies. We are in danger instead of switching people off with the long term disastrous impact this will have on our prosperity

Article Contributed by Chris Fenney, Co-founder and Director of Training Edge International
Email : chris.fenney@trainingedgeasia.com
Website : www.trainingedgeasia.com

Singapore - The World’s Unhappiest Workers

A recent poll of employee attitudes in 14 countries, as reported in the Straits Times recently, ranked Singapore last in workplace happiness. Talent management company Lumesse polled about 4,000 employees from a wide variety of industries. People were asked about how happy they were at work, whether they felt their skills were properly utilized, the career paths open to them and the training and career opportunities they had. The result put Singapore last in three major areas.

We least enjoy going to work, are the least loyal and have the least supportive workplace. As a small nation that prides itself on the plaudits of being placed near the top of the rankings in so many fields, coming last in this crucial aspect of our economic life should cause us great concern and anxiety.

I have believed for many years that organizations get the workforce they deserve. If this is so, then the survey is a damning indictment on Singapore companies and more specifically on our management style.

Traditionally management has been concerned with the key tasks of planning, organizing controlling and directing the organization’s resources to achieve maximum utilization. Singapore managers have excelled at this and have achieved remarkable success over the past fifty years.

On reflection however these very same principles of management are the principles of management laid down at the turn of the last century by writers and practitioners like Frederick Winslow Taylor and Henri Fayol. Working conditions and organizational culture were very different then and as we progress into the twenty first century one could argue that we need a major rethink of our management attitudes, values and style.

A series of studies carried out in America in the early 1950’s gave us hard evidence for the first time that good management consisted of high concern for “task” and high concern for “people.” My suspicion is that we still have a high concern for task but that sometimes it is at the expense of people – and that is where the problem lies. Do we want our organizations to remain “prisons” based ultimately on a system of rewards and punishment or to become a very different place where individuals can develop, grow and flourish?

If we were to mentally create two lists with the headings of Management and Leadership and then bullet points all the characteristics we associate with both titles, we would find all the task functions in the management column and probably find that most of the people functions had been placed in the leadership column. Though simplistic and polarized it gives us a pointer as to where modern management best practice should be driving

My experience and intuition tell me that the old traditional principles of management need to adopt some of the newer concepts of leadership and that the way ahead is to transform managers into leaders who can embrace the new model of “Managerial Leadership” and by so doing move us up the rankings in terms of utilizing people’s skills, nurturing talent and creating opportunities for growth and development for all.

In order to simplify and understand managerial leadership I have adapted the acronym M.A.N.A.G.E.R. as a framework to explore the new roles that are demanded from modern managers and supervisors in addition to their more traditional duties which of course are still vital to the success of the organization. Vital but no longer enough!

Managers must: Motivate, Appreciate, Nurture, Align, Grow, Empower, Reflect

Motivate, Inspire and Energise members of their staff

Appreciate, Recognise, Give Poitive Feedback and Build Trust

Nurture a Climate of Creativity and Innovation. Let People take Risks

Align People to the Vision. Obtain Active “Buy In” Make the Job Fun

Grow, Coach and Never Stop Developing People

Empower Others, Delegate Responsibility and Encourage the Heart

Reflect on what they Hear. Listen and Communicate Endlessly

I know this is easy to write but far more difficult to apply in the fast paced demanding environment we work in. Yet consider the consequences if we do not. For Singapore to grow we need talented, motivated members of staff committed to the organizations they work for and willing to invest their own energy and potential into their own development and that of their companies.

Article Contributed by Chris Fenney, Co-founder and Director of Training Edge International 



For more information on our training programmes , please  contact us at 63365804