Spinning the plates

Images of customers spinning plates on the JamBerry stand at Let's Do Business last week. All the talk there was about re-energising people and teams for the future.

Pitfalls of Managing Change

"There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nore more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all who profit by the old order, and only luke warm defenders in all who would profit by the new order.

The lukewarmness arises partly from fear of their adversaries whi have the law and traditiion i their favour and aprtly from the incredibiltyof mankind who do not truly belive in anything new until they have had actual expereince of it."

Machiavelli (1513)

Reshuffle Your Cabinet

With a reshuffle in the air, what shoud Gordon Brown remember about change management?


1. Establish a sense of urgency - there's nothing worst than change that drags on, leaving everyone frutated in its wake.
2. Develop a vision and strategy - make sure you are clear on where you want to get to and when
3. Communicate the change vision - don't forget to tell everyone where the organisation is now headed for and why
4. Introduce new customs and practices - make change visible so that it doesn't just become bsuiness as usual
5. Empower a broad base of people to take action - action makes change happen, without it you are lost
6. Generate short term wins - and celebrate them appropriately
7. Consolidate, consolidate, consolidate

Good luck Gordon!

The Keys to Success

Found this great little video for all those entreprenuers out there

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/70

Making Heros

Ways to Make Heroes

We all need a hero from time to time - but we can also make people into heros - here's how!

1. Whether they are officially rewarded or not, say thank you to employees who have achieved their targets.
2. Thank people for their suggestions whether you use them or not. Thank them for their concern.
3. Take your boss to lunch in appreciation for their help on a project or piece of work.
4. Keep an innovation book for good ideas and recognise those that get adopted.
5. Create symbol’s of a teams work or efforts (T-shirts or coffee mugs with motto or logo)
6. Reward those who are not normally in the limelight for doing their job well.
7. Support staff in their continuing professional development. Encourage them to learn.
8. When discussing an idea with your boss that has come from an employee, make sure they get the recognition.
9. Create group level awards to recognise teamwork.
10. Provide a donation in the name of an employee to a charity of their choice
11. Create an ongoing recognition award named after a particularly outstanding employee.
12. Create a company Oscar ceremony to recognise outstanding performance.

Beat this for Teams

Listen up! When this team wanted to round off their day with some music this got them working together, listening, laughing, having fun and most of all making music together as a team!

Team Building with Profiteroles!

Now when it comes to a great end to the day, eating profiteroles made by your team has to take the biscuit - or should I say cake!

Whichever, the profiteroles were great and the team worked beautifully together which obviously came out in their cooking!

Now if we could just add a bit more cream.....