How can you be innovative?

A couple of months ago I went along to something called an Innovation Partnership. I was quite excited about it - I'm a great believer in trying new ways of doing things, opportunities for thinking outside the box and a chance to discuss ideas with new people. This had all the ingredients of a useful and stimulating few hours. In reality, it was simply a networking opportunity for mostly statutory funded enterprise agencies. Not very innovative at all. Such groupings just seem to be called partnerships, in the same way that in the 20th Century they were called committees. I can't help but remember that a camel is a horse designed by a committee! I think that is a topic for a future posting however.

One good thing that came from it was meeting up with Suzy Rogers of the Women in Education Network - she is someone I met many years ago when I helped her organisation to successfully apply for Lottery funding. Suzy invited me to speak to her organisation at one of their dinners and this I did a couple of weeks ago.

Back to innovation...

I recently read about renowned entrepreneur, Guy Kawasaki who outlines 10 Tips for Successful Innovation. I've given them a bit of a spin to suit the UK culture and where I'm coming from with the Enfys Acumen.

Tip No1 Make Meaning

One of the most important keys to innovation is to make meaning - to develop meaningful products, projects and services for long term success. Innovation is about improving people's lives and making them more productive.

The secret here is to plan where you want to be in the long term not just about looking for ways to make money fast. You need to think about why you want to do something, consider the starting point, what you are good at and what might get in the way of your success.

Tip No2 Make a Mantra

A business or organisation's mantra shouldn't consist of a superfluous mission statement, as these are often too long or not memorable or indicative of where the focus lies. Instead you should come up with a few words that simply explain why you exist. I'm blowing my own trumpet I know, but "Moving from dreaming to action", really does sum up what the Enfys Acumen is about.

For stodgy mission statements you may as well use the Dilbert Mission Statement Generator - it's free, it's quick and it requires no meetings or awaydays to create. Kawasaki's philosophy is:

"Mantras not mission statements. Mission statements are bull!"

Tip No3 Jump to the next curve

Don't limit your innovations to incremental changes of what you already do, look ahead and think about what kinds of problems could be solved or needs met by new ways of doing things. Think outside the box. As an old Scout, I stress the need to Be Prepared.

Tip No4 Roll the DICEE

Kawasaki has come with this acronym:

Depth: Great products and services are deep and will grow with you along the way. He gives the example of the Reef Fanning Sandal which has a bottle opener built into the sole - it serves more than one purpose: it covers your feet and opens your drinks. "That's what" Kawasaki says "makes a deep product."

Intelligent: You have to actively anticipate the products and services people will need. Panasonic invented a torch that will work with three different kinds of batteries. They recognised a common problem - people routinely have batteries and torches, but not the right batteries for the torches. So Panasonic developed a torch that accepts different battery sizes in anticipation of the dilemma.

Completeness: Look at some of the brands that give you a quality service or product. What makes them so good? It is not just the item is it? It is all the other things that come with it - customer service, ancillaries, add-ons, the little things that add value to the purchase.

Always remember that it is the little extras: making people feel special, the willingness to go the extra mile, the follow-up call that are huge.

Elegance: Look no further than the iPod Nano! MP3 players have been around for years, loaded with buttons, but Apple designed one wheel to serve the same functions - making the iPod far more elegant.

Elegance can come in all kinds of packages however - think about what your appearance says about your business or organisation or clients, how you communicate, how you live your life, the list is endless.

Emotive: Innovation is about creating brand loyalty - people need to develop an emotional attachment with what you do. Remember people are more likely to do business, with people they know, like and trust.

Tip No5 Don't worry, be crappy!

Kawasaki says that "Realistically we live in a marketplace where you never have to say your sorry. It's a fact of life that you ship first and test later".

I'm not so sure if I totally agree with this, but I think I understand where he is coming from. If we wait until our product or service is absolutely perfect, we will probably never get it off the ground.

Life is a journey full of learning experiences. It doesn't matter what road we are on, if we just sit in the middle of it, sooner or later we will get knocked down.

Tip No6 Polarise people

Don't be afraid to polarise the consumer base. You need to be clear about the market your in. Just think of the most successful business out there, they frequently generate polarity. If you were to stand on a street corner and look at all the different makes and sizes of cars that go past - they are all generally quality vehicles, but BMW has a different market to the Ford Ka.

Tip No7 Let a hundred flowers blossom

Even if the wrong people are currently your customers in large numbers, you still don't have a problem, according to Kawasaki. You have to plant flowers everywhere, because you don't necessarily know who your next or best customers will be.

Innovation is about going to the people that are buying your product or paying for your service and find out why. Ask them what they like and follow those leads. Just because your product is popular with people you did not expect it to be popular with doesn't mean failure. You might just have to shift your ideas a little.

Tip No8 Churn Baby Churn

Part of being an innovator is constantly living in denial. You can't listen to people that say "you can't do this" or "you shouldn't do that" or "you can't launch until you have such and such". When you have been delivering your service or selling your product for a while, then you can identify shortcomings or recognise future features or aspects that would be desirable to the consumer.

Tip No9 Niche Thyself

When you aren't unique, but offer a valuable product or service, you have to compete on price. If you have a unique product or service, you have a corner on the market, but nobody wants what you offer. So obviously you want to offer a unique product that also has high value.

Kawasaki gives an interesting approach to maximising this when you make a presentation to a funder or investor about your service or product. He suggests the 10/20/30 Rule:

• 10 - the optimal number of slides in a PowerPoint presentation
• 20 - the number of minutes to present 10 slides as getting set up will normally take 40 minutes
• 30 - often the optimal size font for presentation slides: find the oldest person in the audience and divide his/her age by 2 to find the optimal font size

Tip No10 Don't let the Bozos Drive You Down

You have to ignore the Naysayers when bringing you innovation to fruition. Kawasaki says there are usually two types of bozo: the loser an the well-to-do, slickster rich guy, the latter being the most dangerous.You can't assume someone is smart just because they are rich.

As an innovator, the words "can't" and "shouldn't" have to be expunged from you vocabulary.

If the Enfys Acumen can help you become more innovative, why not get in touch today?

Prayerful Community Action

Over the last few months, the Enfys Acumen has been working closely with the Diocese of Monmouth to develop a leadership development programme supporting parishes to develop social projects in ways that will help fulfil the mission of the Church and enhance stewardship values.

The programme is inspired by the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew’s Gospel and follows moves in recent years to encourage collaborative ministries in the Church in Wales. Such ministries can manifest themselves in many ways including the stewardship of resources (eg churches and other parish buildings) and community action.

We have been piloting PCA recently in the Parish of Griffithstown near Pontypool, where we facilitated a parish day, using Open Space Technology. Over seventy people took part, from the very young Junior Church members to the very senior members of the congregation. The theme was St Hilda’s Parish Halls - resource that is no longer as the social hub of the community, but with some renovation work and access adaptations could be brought into full 21st Century use.

Although we have been working with the Church in Wales on this initiative, we are ecumenical in outlook and would welcome enquiries about PCA from any church leaders.

The Best Valentine - Love Yourself

This is the month when love is in the air, thanks to Saint Valentine. But here is a thought for you. When did you last give yourself a Valentine?

That is not as strange as it may seem. As anyone who knows true love will tell you, the more love that you give, the more you receive. This starts an amazing circle of ever increasing love, which makes your eyes shine; your energy level rises and improves every aspect of your life. The place to start this whole cycle going is with self-love. This doesn’t mean selfishness and introspection. It means taking time out to truly appreciate all your great qualities, skills and talents.

As a coach and I know that many of my clients benefit from this simple change to their approach to love. Let me explain, because so many of us are brought up in a culture where it is considered bad form to put yourself first, we can severely limit the love that we have to give.

We can also limit your capacity to receive love. If you don’t love yourself, you may feel that you are unlovable by someone else. At best, this can make you doubt any expressions of love that you receive. At worst, it can even make you repel those who want to love you and that can result in the collapse of a relationship.

Self love is not the same as selfishness. It is the ability to acknowledge all your good points instead of a continual focus on your faults. It means looking into the mirror and seeing a person of great potential. When you can do this you can look the world in the eye, you can give freely and you can project love outwards to others.

I think that a reason why so many people never get to find the one true love that the Valentine’s cards talk about. It is because the whole idea of self love is alien to them. If they think about it as self-esteem then it becomes more acceptable. Every truly happy and successful person has high self-esteem. This is not the same as arrogance or conceit, it is about giving as much credibility to your positive qualities as you do to all the others.

Some of my coaching clients have discovered that, once they have addressed the issue of selfesteem, then everything else just falls into place. The process of increased awareness is simple, gradual and very effective. The biggest pay off is that when you have done it once; you have it for all time. Then you become truly aware that you can be, do or have whatever you want in life - and that includes love.

I am always happy to discuss this or other aspects of our approach to coaching, absolutely free of any cost or obligation. You can contact me during usual office hours on 01633 769657 or visit our website.

One last word. We are all born with a good awareness of ourselves. What subsequently happens is that we remember all the negative things that others tell us about ourselves and these can swamp our opinions about the good qualities that we have. Decide to base your impressions of self on what you truly know to be true instead of the opinions of others and you are well on the way to building up that never-ending store of love that is your birthright.

Start shovelling for greater business success

Last week's snowfall made me think. While shovelling snow from my front drive to get the car our without sliding into the gate post, I remembered an article I read recently about leverage and organisation and business development.

Leverage is about using the resources you have available to make sure you get the best returns for your business or organisation. I think the concept is equally relevant whether you are looking to secure a better income, improve your personal performance or have a greater impact as a voluntary or community organisation.

Let's get back to those shovels:


Shovel 1: Projects

Start making much smarter choices about which projects and tasks are really worth your time, and which should be ditched. I look at every project from the perspective of not only immediate short-term rewards, but also how it will continue making a difference for months or years to come. Make a list today.

Shovel 2: Time

Don't obsess about not having enough time. You all have all the time in the world to make the kind of money you need or develop the quality of life you desire for yourself or community. You just need to choose the right projects and have a bigger vision! Sometimes you need time away from day-to-day business to be more creative and fresh. What is your vision? Take some time out to clarify it.

Shovel 3:Customers, Clients and Service Users

It is easy to think that any customer, client or service user is better than none at all. If you think about it though, it becomes painfully clear that you can't be all things to all people, so that it's essential to screen customers and clients carefully and to take only highly committed and well paying clients. This might be challenging to some VCOs or public services, but think about the value of a major success for one service user might have on raising expectations for others with similar needs.

Shovel 4: Products and Services

You might thrive on the creative energy of creating new ways of doing things, I know I do, but how much time is spent just talking about things and not achieving anything - remember a camel is a horse designed by a committee! Why not put more effort into thinking why you want to do something and then develop ways for having fewer products and services on the back burner and get smarter, quicker.

Shovel 5: Alliances

I am a great believer in the idea that together we are better, that's why I am such a great fan of networking and having alliances with people like Vivienne, Steve and Elena. Just think what you might be able to achieve by being commited to achieving results with other people, businesses and services. With whom can you form alliances?

Shovel 6: Technology

Just 12 years ago I worked in an open plan office with 20-30 other people in a wide variety of roles and where there were just two PCs. One was dominated by the team coordinator and the other was in a corner collecting dust. I soon became frustrated with handwriting letters and documents, giving them to someone else to type (and as I was quite junior, was far down the pecking order for getting things done!), correcting the typos and then waiting hours and sometimes days to get the final copy back - so I vowed to conquer Word Perfect. Oh, how times have changed! Now I communicate daily with people around the globe, have information when I need it, do most of my marketing online, create presentations, record speeches, update my website and break down so many barriers with emails, now that's leverage! I know by the very fact that you are reading this that I am probably preaching to the converted, but am still flabbergasted that there are so many people in leadership and management positions that are not making the best use of the technology so readily available. Why not print this off give them the article with my best wishes.

Shovel 7: My Coach

Who is your coach? I made a conscious decision to have a coach to help me grow my business and achieve my goals in life. By regularly working with a coach, I am helped to find find more and more "bigger shovels" in my business. If you are committed to a successful life and career, you must get yourself a coach.

Bigger Shovel 8: Goals

What are your goals for your business or organisation, your career and your home life? Are these goals little more than making sure the next contract comes in, getting through to the next grant round, carrying on working until your pension matures or to have another holiday in the same place you have been to for the last 10 years. If so, don't you think there may be more to life than that and you are without a doubt able to achieve a great deal more. Set yourself some clear goals, work out how you can achieve them.

As you can see, there are many ways to experience growth using leverage. If you are working harder than ever, and settling for less money, fewer customers or clients and less enjoyment, this is your lifetime opportunity to change it.

The Enfys Acumen can help, why not get in touch today?

Who inspires us?

Throughout our lives we come into contact with all kinds of people in all kinds of roles. Inevitably, some of these people will touch our lives in ways that inspire us. They might do something that makes us feel good, they might do something that we might want to emulate, they might say something that will inspire us to do something different or more successfully.

This weekend I have been inspired by quite a small gesture, but this small gesture is priceless in value and no doubt will be remembered for a very long time.

Yesterday evening my 11 year old daughter, Elinor took part in her first synchronised swimming competition. No doubt, just like any parent, I was hugely proud of my little girl. I was especially proud because for most her life, Elinor has suffered from stage fright and during many school concerts she has hidden at the back of the stage, often in tears, as nerves got the better of her. Last night however she and her partner Azzanne, were brilliant and were awarded a very comfortable score for their first attempt.

But what was the act that inspired me the most?

As the girls were leaving the pool, they were each given a coloured envelope, inside each was a note from Kelly their coach. The Newport Synchro Club has only recently formed and it was the first competition for all of the twenty or so members. Kelly is a great coach, she is thought of very highly by parents and the girls clearly respect and adore her.

Inside the envelope was a hand written note from Kelly congratulating each girl for their effort and commitment and saying how proud she was of each of them. Now Kelly didn't need to do this, a pat on the back and a general comment on the bus as we travelled home was all that was expected, but Kelly went the extra mile. She thought ahead about what each girl might be going through and made the extra effort to encourage and motivate that could be remembered for a very long time.

Now, in my view Kelly is a brilliant role model for anyone in a coaching role in whatever field they may operate: sport, business, life or whatever.

It is the little extra bits of care and encouragement, that willingness to go the extra mile that makes so much difference doesn't it?

As we start a new week, what can we all do following Kelly's inspiration to go the extra mile?

Business coaching: a growing business - its official!

Those of us in the coaching business have known for a long time that the need for our specialist skills are growing and growing, well now its official.

A major survey by consultants, CO2 Partners suggests as many as half of managers have received some sort of coaching in the workplace in recent years.

“We knew coaching was growing, but are surprised by how quickly it seems to become the norm among executives in positions that require them to manage others,” said CO2 Partners President Gary Cohen. “We suspect the coaching in question encompasses various kinds of support, from formal guidance provided by outside professionals, to mentoring as well as advice from one’s immediate supervisor. Nonetheless, the finding indicates a startling trend.”

The survey also implies that people are being more open about the coaching they receive, said Cohen. “Coaching is now seen as a development initiative, not as problem solving, with more people both receiving it and being willing to say so. A stigma once associated with coaching seems to have gone away.”

The study also found that 60% of those surveyed believe that coaching that focuses on leadership development would be of the greatest benefit. Of those that got coaching, 59% reported that they found the experience beneficial.

According to Cohen, more individuals are seeking coaching today. “About one in three coaching assignments at mid-size companies is being initiated by the manager rather than by HR or the employer.”

Cohen advises individuals to get the most out of their coaching by being clear on the results sought. “There are different types of coaching available and deliverables, styles and outcomes can vary significantly. Clarify these issues in your first meeting with a coach so you know what you can expect and if it’s a good fit for you and your situation.”

CO2 Partners surveyed 3,447 individuals via the Internet, nearly 90% of whom are middle to senior-level managers.

This is brilliant news for the Enfys Acumen, it really shows we are ahead of the game - click here to find out more.

Some of you will have read before that soon people will not be asking if you have a coach, but rather the more prestigious question:

"Who is your coach?"

Make sure your answer is an Enfys Acumen Coach!