Category Archives: Lessons Learned

Conflict is not all bad.

By naomisimson | Published: March 3, 2010

People sometimes think that being a part of a best place to work means that it is party time all the time. That’s not the case. Sure we work hard and play hard, but really what we do is challenge each other to greatness. We know that to be challenged can also be truly rewarding.

It says somewhere in the bible that a ‘good wife’ will debate and challenge her husband so he can see what he cannot see. I think this is the basis of all partnerships or even leadership teams. If we keep playing it safe, living in our comfort zone then how can we ever possibly create something bigger than ourselves?

There are more people in the RedBalloon team than it once was, and I don’t necessarily have the same moment-by-moment contact with each individual that I used to. As a result I rely heavily on the team leaders around me to deliver on the vision, the passion and the commitment to our people.

Having differences of opinion, viewing the world differently, holding the mirror up so we can see how we are really performing is all healthy. When there is fundamental respect for each other, then challenges are seen as growth opportunities.

Why this sudden outburst, to announce that conflict can be constructive? RedBalloon is coming into planning for the next financial year, resources need to be allocated and there are always differences of opinions. As long as the process is respectful of each individuals opinions then even after a ‘full on’ conflict – we can all still come back to a place of alignment and harmony.

Being an employer of choice is challenging, steadfastly committed to keeping everyone aligned – even if it takes lot’s of energy and many different points of view. It does mean never giving up and knowing that near enough is good enough, just to appease someone (or be nice…) it is not fair to the rest of the team to leave a debate unchallenged.

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I have a ’stimulus-response’ addiction… you might too

By naomisimson | Published: February 19, 2010

Andrew May poses the question ‘What does the perfect week look like?’. Is it an 8 day week, if you had an extra day what would you do with it?  Apparently 63% of Australian workers are sleep deprived... (not me since I got my new sleep cycle app for my iphone). It is much harder to be productive, let alone enjoy what we do if we are perpetually tired.

Running from one thing to the next, never having time to be creative or think - means that we are always being stretched to peak performance. But no one plays at peak 16 hours a day every day.

Apparently the average person working in an office gets interrupted every 4 minutes (80-100 times a day) yet it takes 25 minutes to really focus on a task. Does that mean we are actually going backwards or that we are not giving our undivided attention to the task at hand?

85% of Australians feel that life is getting more and more hectic. All these labor saving gadgets actually just mean we do more.

Andrew had some great thoughts about how to reduce this problem:

  • break the email addiction
  • learn to have fleeting meetings
  • create energy management
  • master mindfulness
  • forced isolation

Now you might want to read his book ‘Flip the Switch’ to discover what he means by all of these. But I was particularly interested in the notion that I have a stimulus response addiction to email (a bit like people who play the pokies for days/nights on end seeking instant gratification from the push of a button) Alarming to compare it...

Here are his seven email ideas...

  1. Turn off email pop up alerts (and sound)
  2. Schedule times that you check it (not morning - start the day on what you want to work on not responding to others)
  3. Give up email tennis (talk instead)
  4. Unsubscribe to anything you don’t read or want to get.
  5. Never write a thesis (it is a short message medium)
  6. Refrain from using BCC
  7. Get a great spam filter

He suggests he can save an hour a day (which is a lot of time in a week, month or year). I have taken on 6 of his suggestions.... but I still find myself drawn to go back... Sometimes I'm the initiator of the 'need' to email or I worry that there might be an urgent missive that I must attend to. I do find that I am much quicker at dealing with all the emails at once, you don’t dwell on them so much. The fact that I even feel this means that I know that it is an addiction.

It took me a week to go cold turkey and give up coffee - it might be a bit longer with this one.

Thanks Andrew for your insights last week at the Talent2 conference.

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Zip up your purpose

By naomisimson | Published: February 11, 2010

RedBalloon was acknowledged by Hewitt as one of only five employers to be accredited best places to work in 2009 - I have had interesting discussions with the people from Hewitt. They have shared much of the research outcomes with us. I like hearing about the theory about why we have achieved such a high engagement score.

The reality is we tried a lot of things - some worked some did not. We have made mistakes on this journey for which we have paid dearly, it is only now as we mature as a business that we have more things that are working, than not working.

So when people ask the question - tell me the ‘one thing’ that has caused engagement in your business... really the answer is ‘never giving up’... that we keep doing new things, investing in our people and making sure that we know what makes our people tick.

There is no doubt that leadership is a big part of this. In fact Hewitt says that organizations that have a clearly defined purpose that people believe in and want to be a part of.

When I speak about engagement, one the the first questions is usually ‘But you are a smaller organization with less the 100 people, you can still get in a huddle, and people have easy access to you... this is much tougher in a big business?’  Well of course being the person I am my instant reaction is ‘Don’t give in’, just because it is hard, doesn’t mean that it is impossible. There are massive global businesses that have amazing engagement scores - think Google, or Apple.

Engagement comes back to a shared belief in ‘why’... that is the single minded purpose.

I met Martin Nally from HRAnywhere at a lunch today where I spoke on employee engagement. He came up to me afterwards and shared a delightful story about engagement.

Some years ago he was in an HR role for Pasminco in Tasmania. He was tasked with increasing engagement (not sure if that exact language was used). The zinc produced was 99.4% pure and this is something that everyone could be very proud of... however it really didn’t mean that much to the average employee on the shop floor.

800 of the Pasminco workers were brought together in one room... his job to engage them. A cynical bunch, he started by asking them all to stand up. Then he asked them to each look down and see the zip in their overalls.. he asked ‘what does it have written on it?’ one employee yelled out ‘YKK’. Martin beamed, ‘exactly’ he announced - ‘YKK means that the manufacturer uses our zinc in every zip they make... how does it feel knowing that we are in the front of every pair of Levi’s?’ The group cheered... they got it, they could see the difference they were making.

Martin went on to produce a massive global map that had sample products from all around the world of what the zinc was used for. The team got it... it was no longer the best zinc they were producing, they were helping people everywhere on the planet live their lives.

When trying to understand purpose, I often keep asking the question ‘why?’ to get back to the difference we are really making to people. I want to improve employee engagement in Australia (even by just 1%) which is what ‘Changing gifting in Australia forever’ means to me.

Thanks Martin for such a vivid story.

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3 ideas to reduce employee Christmas disconnect

By naomisimson | Published: December 17, 2009

I'm wishing I had a dollar for every time someone told me they had had a tough year this year.  ‘So glad to see the back on 2009’. People are saying that they have worked harder than they have in years yet ‘Christmas bonuses are long since a thing of the past, and salary reviews for next year are not yet certain’.

So the question I have been putting to business owners and leaders is ‘how are you making your people feel loved this festive season? What are you doing to breath positivity into the new year? How are you saying thank you?’

Straight after Christmas comes new year... And many people will make a new years resolution to find an new job. We've seen research that says upward of 30% of people were waiting for the upturn before making a career change. The media is reporting signs of recovering and optimism is beginning to emerge. This is the time that some employees have been waiting for - the grass is beginning to look greener.

Resignations traditionally spike at the Christmas break anyway. This year is likely to be worse. It may well be too late. If people have already ‘mentally checked out’ it will be difficult to bring them back to the fold. So now is the time to get people thinking positively about the new year, to let them know that they will be appreciated. To really get to work on aligning people to the purpose of the business. This investment may take a while but it will repay itself well and truly in time for Christmas 2010.

So be proactive about the Christmas ‘disconnect’. Here’s a few things you could do:

  1. Managers need to be with their people, (leading from the trenches) understand the world of the people they manage and authentically thank them for the specific contribution they made. Understand the employee experience – what is it really like to work there.
  2. Have fabulous things for people to look forward too. And I don’t mean increasing their targets or asking more from them. Let them know how you plan to celebrate and have some fun with achieving even small wins – make sure that they are achievable.
  3. Establish ways to listen to your team (and not just at the Christmas party when a few too many beverages have been consumed)

And remember one last little piece of wisdom. SMILE, and have a laugh. It is okay to have fun in business, to be yourself, and people want to hang around a place where people are having fun (and achieving results)

As the leadership team goes so goes the rest of the organization.

So you have the power to put the ‘Merry’ back in Christmas, and then they will show up again for another year.

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Where does the entrepreneurial drive come from?

By naomisimson | Published: November 16, 2009

Probably one of the questions that I get more than ever is 'How?'

  • How did you come up with the idea?
  • How do you do it?
  • How do you stay passionate?

The question that drives me though is 'Why?'  It is the why I do what I do which makes me bound out of bed every day (even in the ninth year).

I was interviewed recently for by Andrew Warner from Mixergy who interviews entrepreneurs from all over the planet to try to determine what drives them... In case your interested in my response... below.

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Taking fun seriously.

By naomisimson | Published: November 11, 2009

I participated on a business owners panel last night for the PricewaterhouseCooper Private Clients area. Russel Howcroft asked each of the panelists questions about what we'd learned and how we viewed the economy.

Each of us reinforced the importance the people around us. To have a successful brand it is determined by our people moment by moment. All of the panelists were retailers - and each of us knows that our people are our brand.

There was some concern about social media and the negative impact that customers can have on a brand. I think this century it is about giving up control. We have never been able to control what people say about us - now it is just much more public. Stuff happens in business - it's how we deal with it that makes the difference. Responding authentically and transparently to customer concerns immediately will speak volumes about that organization.

But also how employees speak about their employer demonstrates the integrity of the business. Employees are just as important as customers in this equation. As I keep saying 'Employees are the New Customers.'

Apparently there are 10 million people world wide working in call centres. Each of them is the voice of the brand which they are working on behalf of... no matter where they are. I just hope that each of them is having a good day. That's a lot of people who could really effect the persona of the brand - very quickly.

I recently did this interview (below) for Business Essentials which is a monthly audio magazine, my topic: 'Taking fun seriously.' We spend so much of our lives at work  - you'd wanting to be enjoying it.

I've always thought 'if we're having fun at RedBalloon then so will our customers'.

 

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Lessons Learned in Barcelona # 3

By naomisimson | Published: October 9, 2009

Without great relationships it is very hard for us to succeed. The 'I need to belong' yearning is fundamental to our sense of self worth.

Verne Harnish presented some new content at the Entrepreneur Organizations' conference last week. Supporting his famous Rockafeller habits - one page plan for business - he presented the idea of planning one's personal life and having a one page plan for that too.

Some quotes from his session:

  • “Without love nothing else matters.”
  • “As leaders mature they talk less and listen more”
  • “Make less statements and ask more questions”
  • “We have all the answers - it is the questions we do not know”
  • “Are you playing to not lose - or are you playing to win?”

He then asked - who are the most important 250 people in your life, have you ever prioritized them. (In business we categorize customers). Do you have a plan of how to stay in touch and nurture these relationships? Who brings energy - who takes it away?

He challenged us to plan four key areas of our life:

  1. Relationships
  2. Achievements
  3. Abilities
  4. Wealth

So given Verne was speaking on the important of personal relationships for our success - I thought I would share with you a recent interview on 2GB on 21 September (below)- where Peter my husband and I were interviewed on the challenges of working together.

Peter has always been my greatest advocate. He has always supported my career aspirations, from the moment we met he has seen me as 'bigger' than I see myself. Over the past 18 years he has picked me up and dusted me off after many a calamity (drama at the time - long since ancient history) ready to take something new on. He did say when we were first married - that being married to me would never be boring.

 

 

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Lessons Learned in Barcelona # 2

By naomisimson | Published: October 7, 2009

Much of the program at the Entrepreneur Organization event in Barcelona was about designing your own life. Taking control of your future so that you create the business you want rather than be a slave to it.

Joe John Duran spoke on “Designing your Personal Life”. He really spoke for 90% of the two hour session about how to get above your business. That is, working on your business not in your business - so that you actually have some personal time to design.

Given he is such a successful serial entrepreneur it is always interesting to listen first hand on how he achieved success and a balanced life. It is one thing to know to step back, it is another thing to achieve it.

Ten of Joe's findings:

  1. You can control where to spend your time - but you've got to work to extricate yourself from the daily minutia of the business to ensure you are in the drivers seat - not that the business drives you.
  2. Process sets you free, it delivers consistency and we cannot underestimate the importance of reliability. Customers crave consistency of service.
  3. If you have to tell people how to do something you have got the wrong people. Tell them what is wanted and let them figure it out for themselves. Decision makers are more expensive but you cannot grow without them.
  4. Picture a bottle - quite often the CEO or leader becomes the bottle neck. It is only the CEO that can unplug the bottle - and get out of everyone's way so they can get on with it.
  5. New people coming into a business keep it fresh and innovative. New people bring ideas and will challenge the status quo. You cannot survive with generalists - as you grow you will need to find specialists - who are best in class at that discipline.
  6. A business is much more than the founder or CEO. It is really important that a CEO does not see themselves and the business as one in the same thing.
  7. The best ideas come from those that listen the hardest... and have time to be creative. It is important to create an environment of listening. Joe says in his experience women are the best listeners.
  8. There is a price you pay for being constantly in motion. Spend most of your time on what you are best in the world at....
  9. There is no such thing as time management - we were all given 24 hours. It is the leverage you get from those hours that make the difference.
  10. Nobody in any business should be indispensable. If they weren't there the business would keep bubbling along... maybe with a bit of a hiccup. Our job is to make ourselves dispensable.

It is now two and a half years since Jemma took over running RedBalloon as general manager. It is all about right people for right roles. I now get to play to my strengths as does she (and the rest of the people in the organization). I can go off and work with customers, attend a conference or two each year elsewhere on the planet, do my speaking and the other adventures I have been able to do this year. Even have an adventure of a life time by participating in an episode of Secret Millionaire (9.30 Channel 9 7 November is the episode I'm in) All because RedBalloon has a great team of people who don't need me to get in the way...

Though I do think they miss me when I'm gone... Well Dexter the Dog head of security definitely does.

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Lessons Learned in Barcelona # 1

By naomisimson | Published: October 6, 2009

I was fortunate to be a delegate to the Entrepreneur Organization's Barcelona Conference last week. 350 founders of businesses all gathering to share their stories. Met some fabulous people. Like Conner who runs a private jet leasing company, (now that is big boys toys), Michael who named his company 'Whatever' because he was drafting a contract at the time he formed his business - and put the name 'Whatever' in the company name field - but never quite got back to it to finalize the name and it stuck... very funny story - great business.

I am energized by the variety of ways there are to change the planet and make a profitable business in the process.

Our first keynote speaker was Miguel Torres - 5th generation wine maker in Spain. He told a great story of innovation. Gradual innovation over hundreds of years. What an amazingly rich history. It makes me wonder where RedBalloon will be in a hundred years. (I thought 2015 was a long time away).

A summary of his lessons: (maybe we could turn this into a checklist)...

  • Have a clear mission and values that everyone embraces
  • Reinvest in the company (only take a small dividend) - only with funds can you grow
  • Keep debt low - you never know what is around the corner (Torres Wines endured a Spanish Civil War which I can imagine was slightly harsher than the GFC)
  • Be flexible - don't lock yourself in to a long term strategy (I suppose a hundred years is long term)
  • Good people will make good products
  • Defend your territory - at all cost, if you let the competition get a foot hold you will never get rid of them.
  • Experiment and try lots of things... make small mistakes often and learn from them.
  • Love your business and make it your passion. There is no faking it... passion is infectious.

Clearly a man after my own heart. Great to see that such passion for a business can endure many centuries.

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Urgent versus Important

By naomisimson | Published: August 28, 2009

Some days I just need to get things in perspective. Too much drama and chaos does not make for a productive day.

I began my career in the most corporate of all, IBM in New York in the eighties. We dressed up in dark suits with white shirts and even the women wore bows around our collars for ties.

We would dress up to play a role – it was like we left our personality at the door. It was so very serious. I was working in a marketing support role and would often be asked to work weekends and late at night to deliver the support materials for executives. It seemed so very important.

A university friend of mine was coming to visit NYC for a weekend and I was asked to work that same weekend. He was a great mate and I was absolutely torn as to what to do. I ended up telling my employer that I could not work that weekend and had a great weekend in the city with my pal. But I had the terrible foreboding, guilt really that I had let my employer down on something really important – that I'd made a career limiting decision.

Now 25 years on – I know that IBM does not remember that weekend (or even that I worked there) the fact that I did not work (management probably didn't even remember 25 days later) but my friend would remember the time he came to NYC from Australia and I was too busy to see him. (He is now the Godfather to my daughter).

Sometimes when we are in the thick of things it is hard to get perspective. 'We rush to the urgent for the sake of the important' as Jack Daly says.

It is so often the case in much of what we do. Rather than looking for the route cause of an issue – we rush to find a solution for it. To make the problem go away without tackling the source.

I know that the source of much of our innovation has come from the fact that we look at the fundamentals of the issue or problem rather than looking for a quick fix.

In the long run it is about the process of consistently addressing important issues for the longer term good. Rather than the urgent.

I have many emails to answer, meetings to attend, but the one hour a day working on something for the future of the business, not the immediate has reaped it's rewards ten fold over the years.

No one needs me between 7.30 and 8.30am….the urgent can wait an hour.

It is a discipline to block out the time to invest in the future.

 

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