We all want to be doing business with people we trust. This sort of sounds obvious doesn’t it. We like doing business, or working with people that we know we can count on. Does it really matter? Do you find yourself trying to get away with a few small things that just make you feel a bit ashamed?

RedBalloon is a company of values – as I talked about in my last blog. And the first value is simply to: “Do what you say your going to do” that is to honour your word, to be a person who is counted on, doing work as it was meant to be done, or better without cutting corners.

But what if it comes to down to the wire – a big client asks you to break your terms and conditions… what do you do. Is there a grey zone?

For me not…in fact I explain to the client the difficult position that they put me in personally. (After all we are all just people doing the best we can for the businesses we work in.) This was my response to a recent request.

"I take onboard your request. However it is a breach of our terms and conditions …. We are a company of values – and our first value is to ‘do what we say we will do’. It would put me personally in a difficult position if I was to request of my team to disregard this value – just because a big and important client has asked us to do so."

Is this too risky, might I loose the client all together…  But as a leader if I don’t live the values then who is going to believe in them? Trust them.

Test yourself – Here are 11 questions to rank your own integrity?

1. As a famous athlete, you are offered a $500,000 endorsement to promote a product that you dislike and would NEVER use. Do you endorse it?
2. You are working on a project along with several other companies and you notice that one of the companies is doing shoddy, dangerous work. If you report the company, the entire project may be shut down and you will lose 20% of your revenues for the year. Do you report the problem?
3. The taxi driver gives you a blank receipt as he drops you off. You are on an expense account. Do you write in the exact correct amount?
4. You’re golfing with an important client who thinks that golf skills are as important as business skills. Your ball has a bad lie, but you can move it to a better position without being seen. Do you?
5. You’re backing into a tight parking space in the work car park and you accidentally dent someone’s car. Nobody has seen you. Do you leave a note taking responsibility?
6. A colleague wants to copy and swap some music CDs. You know it’s illegal. Do you do it?
7. You know you are attractive and so does your prospective customer. Do you lightly flirt to get a major new account for your business?
8. A good friend has been unemployed for several months. They ask you to write a reference for a job that you don’t think they’re well qualified for. Do you agree?
9. You see some great content for a presentation, you know it is copyright – do you use it in your work presentation to make you look good?
10. Your budgets are tight, you procure some business services, the vendor forgets to invoice you… six months go by do you remind them to send the invoice.
11. You are offered tickets to a rock concert with a potential supplier that is currently tendering for a big contract. It is your favorite band and you really want to see them - and tickets have been sold out for months. You know it will not influence your contribution to the tender process. Do you go?

How did you go…? Do you think there is ‘grey’? Did you find this not so easy after all? Someone once said to me "how may drops of urine does it take to spoil the soup.' I've never forgotten it. (A bit to vivid really.)

It's not just what you do - but it is who you are that counts. Values have always been such an intigral part of what we do at RedBalloon. But they are nowhere listed on a wall in our offices. Yet we speak of them every day.

I was chatting with one of my colleagues (who has been with RedBalloon for just a few months) the other day and he said 'Of all the companies that I have worked with - RedBalloon is the only one which truly 'gets' values'. He continued 'anybody and everybody in the organization at some time during any conversation in any day - might just slip in to the conversation - "now that's an example of our the first value".'

When we designed our own recognition program 'Red Hot Rewards' (years ago) we took a very simple approach and for the first year or so - the only thing we did was recognize people for living the values. It remains the most prestigious awards of all that we now do. Simply we use our platform to capture the stories about how people are living the values. Peers nominate each other, and at the company meeting I read these stories to the whole company. Sometimes we laugh out loud together, when they are read, and other times there is not a dry eye in the house. The fact the the stories explore the impact that our values are having and that we don't pretend their is no emotional impact means it is so human and authentic, and ultimately real. This is why our values are so much about who we are. The video below explains more.

You can’t pick up a paper or business publication without reading about job losses and pay freezes…

British Airways has asked it’s employees to go without pay for a month… Telstra has frozen it’s top execs’ pay.  51% of privately held businesses have frozen salaries. 44% of Telco’s have pay freezes and 33% of IT companies. And of course the finance industry is frozen.

If I were an employee in one of these organizations I’d be asking questions of the leadership team. I’d be wondering what implications such freezes have to my career. And how would I feel that I could get ‘ahead’?

Many organizations are saying ‘no jobs will go – but we’ve all got to tighten the belt’; a ‘we’re all in this together approach’. Some are leading by example and reducing management salaries and benefits. Many are using the opportunity to invest in infrastructure to enable future growth – which will lead to career opportunities.

What will this do to employee engagement? There are not many people who work just for the fun of it…. Because they love their job so much they don’t need to be paid – except of course the millions of people who volunteer their labour- (but that is a whole other story and they are usually working for not for profits, charities or a cause.)

Is a commercial enterprise a ‘cause’?

I remember when Steve Jobs returned to Apple after years in the wilderness after he was dismissed from the organization he founded. There had been a series of CEOs running Apple before his return – all famous for the massive remuneration packages. When he returned, he came back in an ‘acting capacity’ refusing a salary. When he was finally appointed to the role he took a salary of $1. You could argue that this unbelievable commitment to the purpose of the business – turned it into a ‘cause’. Jobs then had the opportunity to completely re-energise and focus the business on what it was the best in the world at.

So if I was an employee in British Airways I would be asking the question – what fundamental restructures are going to be made to ensure that it is the worlds best at what it does. If it was truly world class then the career options available would blossom  - for the investment of one months salary, long term I might end up with better career options.  To give up a months salary is a massive investment to make, I’d really have to believe in the leadership of the organisation, that it was in a market that had great potential, and that I believed in not only what I was doing but that I respected my colleagues and wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. I become a true stakeholder.

Apparently more than a third of employees are just waiting for the ‘crisis’ to pass before they begin to search for their next role. People will remember how they were treated during this ‘blip’ and it is why recognition programs are more important than ever.

There are signs of recovery, and some believe that Generation Y will be back in charge by the end of the year.

People will contribute to an organization and stay engaged if they believe in what they are doing and that they see a long term benefit to their own personal circumstances. If new career opportunities arise as a result of restructure then they are likely to not just hang around but also play full out. People want to contribute to something bigger than themselves and if they feel truly connected to the organization they will do a lot for the good of the whole.

I wrote a blog back in 2006 about 'The Story of Johnny the Bagger'. A simple tale about being ourselves when we are with our customers - and how easy it can be to add value to them. It is great to be reminded that it is the simple things that can make the biggest difference... Even in tough times. The book is well read at RedBalloon - but here is Barbara Glanz the author telling her story directly. Worth the two minutes.

People often ask me whether as Chief Experience Officer I get to try all the experiences. It is not actually physically possible because we have more than 2500 experiences now listed… and we publish up to 50 new every month. That would be more than one a day.

There is one role that does get to do that in principle...ie the person has to be very close and truly understand the experiences – I think it is the best job in the country. Imagine saying “My day job is checking out experiences all over the country ans New Zealand and making sure they are promoted in the best possible way.”

The role is the online product strategy manager accountable  for the design and execution of this amazing experiences range. Why is it taking us such a long time to find the exact right person? It’s a product marketing role – maybe we need to put the word marketing in the job title?

RedBalloon is a great employer; we know this because our team tell us by having us voted  – Best places to work, and giving RedBalloon an Employee Engagement score of 97%. We recruit based on people’s values and best fit. Somehow for this creative role – there is little creativity in applications. There have been many (100s) of applications, and we have read each one. It is so obvious who is just cutting and pasting the RedBalloon name into the cover letter. How does that demonstrate passion for what they are about to undertake or for RedBalloon?

We are looking for a person who has a burning desire to “change gifting forever’ and someone who is truly passionate enough to also be able to sell their own strengths and what they will bring to the role. We want the candidate to show us how RedBalloon will be different once they join… how we will wonder ‘how did we ever do without them’.

I read that:

“The recent Career Management Alliance conference in San Antonio brought together an array of practitioners, skilled in counseling, coaching, advising and supporting the needs of job seekers and career activists. Every presentation brought to the attendees new market trends information about storytelling, social media, federal opportunities, international roles, résumé and interviewing techniques, and how to conduct a "job search on steroids" in an uncertain economy using 21st century tools.
…
The advantage for job seekers lies in the 3 percent separating them from everyone else. Weddle asserts that we are all just 3 percent different from each other, and those who identify, strengthen and express that small portion can become the A-players who are in demand in any economy. "Find the 3 percent that makes you special, your best self," advises Weddle.

Everyone is an A-player - at something. Figure out what it is, and there could be a whole world of new opportunities ahead for you.”

 

 

If you are an A-Player, passionate about experiential gifts – please show us loud and proud… a small amount of effort means you can truly stand out.

I ponder how best to say 'thanks for playing' as the financial year draws to a close. Leadership teams are frantically putting the finishing touches on the strategic plan for the year to come, employees and managers are getting ready for performance reviews, the sales and marketing bods are giving one last big push to get sales in the door.

I've no doubt that come 1 July most of us will breathe a sigh of relief and return to work fresh for a new game -  I know I will.

It is so, so important to say ’thank-you’ to those who are working hard despite the current state of the nation (though Australia is not in recession) - salary rises and bonus's are looking pretty scarce however more than ever we need people to 'give' their discretionary effort. So we too simply must 'give' acknowledgment.

I visited a client recently who said 'So glad to see you Naomi, I have an edict from our European head office - salary freezes and no bonuses, yet the team have never worked so hard. RedBalloon vouchers I can get away with, it's not expensive, yet at least they will know that we do appreciate their individual and team efforts.' Music to my ears of course.

Now we don't mind being the consolation prize - in fact we think it is a good idea, people are unlikely to talk about cash but they are far more likely to share the story of what they did when they went on their experience. At least this will support the employer brand.

The last thing any business needs during uncertain times is for the best people or customers to be looking elsewhere. Now is the time to focus them and keep them close to the business, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Whether it is a week of free coffee or a personal thank you card from the CEO, it’s important that some time and effort is taken.

At RedBalloon we will be having a full fun day – everyone horse riding, bush lunch, then abseiling and a very decadent experience to finish off. RedBallooners  know that we are in this together – perhaps that is part of why they voted us in the top ten Best places to Work.

Just listening to Richard Watson of nowandnext.com  – the Futurologist who wrote Future Files.

First of all I like a bloke who will make up words to suit the occasion (see some of them below). Secondly who will poke fun about his own profession and thirdly who, when asked what is the future of industrial relations answered authentically “I have no idea on that one.”

He had a few other interesting things to say:

• “No one can predict individual events. What a futurologist does is look at broad trends.”
• “The future is already here it is just unevenly distributed (there are people in Japan who are writing whole books on a mobile phone interface)”
• “Generation Y will be back in charge in twelve months after this blip is over”
• “Generation I are connected, networked and collaborative – (they have been doing their home work online together – what is cheating anyway or copyright for that matter? – and they do not read linearly or spell.)”
• “The planet will be back on the agenda later this year - saving the planet is also saving money."

There are four key trends coming from the mixture of Social Activism versus Social Passivism and Market Pessimism versus Market Optimism.

1. Enoughism (reduced importance on possession increased importance on shared experiences)
2. Moreism (consumerism gone mad accumulation of material goods eg Dubai)
3. Personal fortress (ultimate privacy)
4. Smart Planet (science and technology will solve the problems of the world.

Richard then put his talent to work to look at he key trends for the HR community.

• Globalisation

1. Growth outsourcing
2. Relocating people everywhere
3. Re-localisation
4. 1 billion new customers competitors and collaborators – as China moves into the mainstream of not just producers but consumers.

• Demographics

1. Aging workforce
2. Declining birth-rates
3. Skills Shortage
4. Rising singles
5. Generation Y impact
6. Generation I impact
7. Asian immigration (and reverse migration)
8. Retirement age much later if at all

• Technology

1. Pace change rising
2. Increasing automation
3. Smart machines
4. IT enabling distance working
5. Growth of virtual worlds
6. Rise in robotics (smart ones – with no empathy)
7. Impact of genetics
8. Web.3.0

• Environment

1. Demand for natural resources is rising – people far more aware of the sustainability issue
2. Procurement taking on strategic significance – buy local
3. Tightening regulations
4. Rising transparency

Someone once said that we would have an easier life with all these labor saving machines that we now have... However Richards view of the future of work - doesn't look that easy to me:

1. Faster
2. More global
3. More polarised
4. More promiscuity (people will job hop more)
5. More stressful
6. More specialist
7. More machines
8. More part-time
9. More local
10. More collaborative
11. More transparent
12. More human
13. More ethical
14. More feminine (less command and control)
15. More mobile
16. More creative

A few other interesting ideas:

• Innovation is driven by diversity
• Flexibility for employers is essential for the future of engaged staff
• Retirement ie ending work, is an notion that will cease, people will be in some sort of paid work longer
• Physical spaces will become more important for people to go as the virtual world takes over. (Libraries are a safe neutral space)
• Thinking spaces are very important.

To finish off Richard presented his Extinction Chart of what he thinks could end as we know it in the next 50 years. Of course letter writing was on the list - so was Paris Hilton - spelling and coins. I attach his chart to download FYI

Whole point of the session was to get us thinking - and that it did.

It's planning and review season - everything seems to happen at this time of year. And this year it will be tougher to produce the operational plan when we still don't know how the economy will impact us.

I'd like to think that the planning process is more than a bunch of 'guesstimates'. I've always been one to 'take my destiny on myself' - I have never considered hope a strategy.  Here is a piece that I did for Verne Harnish on planning.

This year more than ever will be about knowing what you are the worlds best at and doing more of it.

Every couple of months RedBalloon sends a survey to it's customers on how employees are feeling about a particular workplace issue. We've dubbed it the Pleasure Survey. This time we wanted to put aside all the doom and gloom in the news and ask workers of all ages their view of the GFC

Well our latest survey looked at what employees think it takes for Corporate Australia to remain resilient throughout the GFC, and the findings revealed some relieving results for those who have been waiting for some optimism.

Here are the main findings:

• Apparently half of Australian's have confidence in Corporate Australia remaining resilient throughout the GFC. Gen X respondents have the most faith at 55 percent, followed by Gen Y 47 percent and Baby Boomers at 30 percent.
   
• The mentality “we’re all in this together” is present in 65 percent of Aussie workplaces, with the majority believing ‘Mateship’ will equip Aussie businesses against the GFC.
   
• The values that are important to Aussie employees were in the following order:

1. Mateship
2. Guts & Resilience
3. ‘A Fair Go’
4. ‘Giving a pat on the back’

• Fostering an atmosphere that values Mateship and implicit trust is key in this climate. People thrive when they feel ‘part of something’ and are respected for their part by their peers.
   
• It’s worth noting that while ‘Guts and Resilience’ was nominated as the second most powerful quality for workplaces to have in the current climate, it had the least presence in Aussie workplaces.
• It’s time to reassure our people and strengthen your teams. It takes guts to take risks in a downturn, it’s so easy to stick to what you know and put new ideas on hold until you’ve weathered the storm but t’s not going to put you ahead when the sun comes out
   
• Interestingly in order to keep their jobs, 73 percent of respondents would rather sacrifice a promotion and nearly half of Aussies (47 percent) would opt to sacrifice a proportion of their pay. The results show ultimately, above career progression and pay, Aussies do not want to give up their happiness at work (only 15 percent) and not many more would sacrifice their work life balance (24 percent)
   
• The good news for employers who are tightening their budgets is that out of all the ways to motivate employees to be more productive, 62 percent say acknowledgment and recognition for our contribution is enough.  Yet only 44 percent of respondents said this ‘Pat on the Back’ culture exists in their workplace.

A simple thank you has always been free and this is the one thing employers have complete control over. Recognition frequency should not decline in a downturn, just because budgets are in decline too. The message for managers is simply not to forget to say thanks and acknowledge their people throughout the downturn

Last year I was honored being named winner National Telstra Business Womens Awards - Innovation - at the event I committed to be a great ambassador for the awards 'and do them proud'. (speech below). So now it is time to nominate those women who you see who are up to stuff. Women who are both interesting and interested, who contribute to the bigger picture and support those around them.

The journey through these awards is first class and absolutely worthwhile. It is a nurturing environment, judges seeking out the strengths of each nominee. It is not about competition or winning, it is about meeting other amazing women.

So who do you know that you wish to nominate? Click here to give a woman you know the experience of being nominated

Here's some thoughts specifically when asked questions about women in business:

What is the one piece of advice you would offer other women in business?
There are three things that I think all business people need to know when starting out.

1. Why are you going into business – be really clear about your purpose.
2. Know the metrics, understand money no business can thrive without cash.
3. Surround yourself with people who you can learn from and give knowledge to.

What are the biggest mistakes you see women making in business?
A male entrepreneur that I know recently challenged me that Australian women ‘dabble in cottage industry businesses’. Of course this was red rag to a bull – but it did get me thinking – why don’t women found and then run bigger businesses, or do they and we just don’t know about it. So my challenge to women is “Dare to Dream bigger than you can imagine” Allow yourself to experience failure – pick yourself up and do it again. Many famous business owners have tried again and again before they succeeded. As one of my mentors once said to me ‘Naomi it may have been a very expensive lesson – so you better have learned something very big from it.’

Dare to participate in these awards too.