I’m a regular speaker for a charity called Speakers for Schools. They ask you to speak at state schools, anything from assembly to a small class. I always tell that story. It never fails to grab the attention of teenagers and provides me with some reverse credibility. Yes, I mix with the stars but I’ve no idea who they are.
But don’t let the odd bad gig put you off. Communication is so important that it shouldn’t be treated casually or as something discretionary. No one expects you to be Winston Churchill or the Queen’s toastmaster. But the art and science of communication are the keys to unlocking so many doors that will otherwise remain closed.
The Monday Revolution (you can start on Monday)
1. Acknowledge leadership and communication are inseparable.
2. Never assume people know what’s going on so there’s no real need to explain. They don’t, and by saying so you’re using that as a reason for not standing up and doing the right thing.
3. Agree with your team what regular communication should look like. Draw up a plan, tell people what to expect and deliver it. It really isn’t that hard.
4. Recognise that in tough times communication needs to be stepped up – regardless of whether it’s to your people or those outside. Do not disappear when people expect to see you.
5. Enjoy the experience. Being known for good communication is a great accolade and can really set you apart from others who choose to avoid this important leadership responsibility and skill.
Chapter 3
Join us, there’s a Pret next door
Hiring
“We find it really hard to employ good people.” Well, how many times have you heard that, or probably said it yourself? Even worse, you think you’ve hired the right person only to find they don’t work out.
The Industrial Revolution is a long way behind us and the UK is now, primarily, a service-based economy. Substituting a manufacturing industry for people-based companies has made the recruitment of smart people a top priority for most organisations.
The good news is, without too much effort, there’s a lot more companies can do to make better hiring decisions. Reviewing existing processes can really pay dividends, if improvements are properly applied. And it’s not just about recruiting the right people; it’s ensuring they stay motivated and grow with the business. Thankfully, hire and fire has been consigned to history for the most part. Fairness, diversity and equality are much better watch words.
Applying your approach to employment consistently has the benefit of ensuring you, and those around you, don’t need to reinvent what should be a developed and successful process. Much has changed for the better in society and your complementary, diversified workforce should reflect this evolving state of affairs. But it’s unlikely to happen on its own; you’ll need to have the right principles in place.
So how might a company go about improving their chances of employing good people? There’s so much most companies can do to shorten the odds in their favour. It’s a case of reviewing the whole process and confirming the methods chosen are the correct ones to identify and review the right candidate.
It sounds obvious, but as a starting point, ensure your public face is making the right impression. If your public presence isn’t up to scratch, it will cost you quality candidates. Who wants to join a business that hasn’t taken the trouble to present itself in the right way? This has little to do with the expense, much more to do with awareness. So many people complain about their own companies’ online presence: “I’m sorry, our website is pretty crap; we’re supposed to be updating it.”
One of my regular seminars for business leaders is centred around building high-performing teams. To succeed at this, you’ve got to hire the right people in the first place. At my event, I’ve looked at the public image of all the companies present, usually around 20, on the basis that top talent is going to be sought after and more likely to want to work for a company that, at least at a superficial level, looks attractive.
When I start to explain what I’ve done, the people in the room tend to look embarrassed and worry that I’ll single out their company for a shabby look. I don’t. I just highlight two or three that present an attractive dynamic image. On one memorable occasion it included an engineering company from Birmingham and a biotech from Cambridge. Both were delighted and really pleased that their efforts to portray a great image had been recognised.
When I joined Capital Radio as commercial director, I had a disappointing early experience. On air the company was always irritatingly optimistic and upbeat. Yet their physical reception area was a dingy mess of poor-quality merchandise and people sheltering from the rain. I still joined but I did get it changed. I remember saying to Richard, the then chief executive, had he noticed the disappointment on the faces of listeners and advertising customers as they entered the building? They were expecting a welcome that represented the on-air persona. When we relocated to Leicester Square, in the centre of London, we made amends and it was no longer an issue.
After image, the second priority is being clear about what you want the person to do. Not just now, but in the future as well. If they’re going to progress and will need additional skills at a senior level, identify those required attributes at the recruitment stage. Too many times I’ve worked with companies who’ve promoted an executive to a senior position and expected them to have skills they’ve never even possessed. Or skills they’ve never been able to easily develop and worryingly probably never will.
I’m sorry, but some accountants, engineers and IT people are never going to be killer sales or commercial people. And certainly vice versa! Yet, when promoted to partner or director, that’s often what’s expected. Disappointment, stress and anxiety inevitably follow.
Job descriptions often fall way short of what’s required. They are often a revamp of something drawn up some time ago, or more likely the work of someone in “the people department”, abundant with platitudes and corporate speak. It really is very important to be precise about the skills and experience that match the job requirement.
Companies struggle to find “really good” people because they don’t spend anywhere near enough time considering what they really need. Knowing the right person when you see them is not a successful strategy.
The next stage is as critical as the first two and is often where hiring mistakes are frequently made. If you were buying a company you wouldn’t take their word for the fact they say they are a great business, would you? Of course not. You’d do a considerable amount of due diligence digging, to ensure you weren’t being sold a pup. But when hiring people there is a great propensity to rely on personal judgement and gut feel. Important of course, but only if supported by evidence. And gathering facts about people can be tough, but not impossible.
When interviewing, I have a set of questions directly related to how I will judge that person’s performance. I provide examples of situations I know will confront them and ask how they will respond. I ask the candidate to provide me with examples of how they have managed similar encounters. I require them to provide evidence to support their answers.
The important point is the emphasis is on them to provide the evidence, not for you to seek it out (although, of course, you’ll be doing your own due diligence). To supplement this, add to the process some exercises very specific to the position. If the job requires them to write board papers, make them
