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Dealingwith challenges

This section came out of a previous session where people asked me how I deal with challenge and challenges.

The bullets are the talking points we went through as a group.

Dealing with challenges

  • Accept and take responsibility
  • It removes the bullshit and blame and builds confidence
  • We are all flawed
  • If we accept these things get easier, as you kinder on yourself
  • No one can do everything and deliver everything
  • So just try to delivery the best you can do
  • Multiple challenges or a challenge
  • Work out what you can and can't do - assess-plan - don’t be afraid to use others
  • Challenge is a problem or an opportunity
  • number 1 rule when solving problems is define the problem before you start, as most people when solving problem take actions but lose site of the original problem
  • Communication
  • Stakeholder management is vital - people hate shocks
  • Your behaviour and tone will set the mood
  • if you are confident and credible, people will believe and follow- be positive.
  • Be logical, not emotional
  • keep it in focus and keep it on track
  • Think about it, explore the options and use other ideas
  • take the legal approach - they have to consider all options
  • Don't be scared to ask for help
  • Work the problem
  • Worry = stress = loss of energy
  • It means lower capacity to solve
  • If people won't back you in challenging times
  • do you really want to work with them ?

Typical challenges

  • Personal
  • Business failures
  • Overspends
  • Underperformance
  • People
  • Stakeholders
  • Organisational
  • Priorities
  • What do you want to talk about
  • Time- the most important currency there is
  • Leadership - never enough
  • Roles and responsibility change
  • Culture
  • Technology
  • Complexity
  • Capital choices
  • Managing up
  • Managing stakeholders
  • Underperforming areas
  • Margins
This section came out of a previous session where people asked me about my background and these were the guide slides used.

To know better COO

to understand what is important to him, how he grew, what were key factors that brought him where he is now.

  • Career
  • Professional footballer 18 mth
  • Postroom to clerk to young Boss
  • Sales
  • Sales Management
  • General Management
  • Managing Director/CEO/COO
  • What's important
  • Honesty, loyalty & commitment
  • Earn respect - number 1
  • Results focus
  • Constant improvement
  • Constant learning
  • At ease with detail and creativity
  • Harmony, People, Customer Business
  • Taking responsibility
  • Developing the future

Sharing experience

with best and worst cases he had (successes, failures).

  • Successes
  • Axa
  • At 19 youngest manager and grade ever
  • Being a young manager
  • Salesman - always number 1
  • Sales Manager - always number 1
  • Running service
  • detail and customer focused
  • Turnaround specialist at BUPA
  • International Role
  • varied positions, locations and cultures
  • Divisional development - broad experience

John's failure

we know everything about success 

  • Its ok to fail but don't make a career out of it
  • you fall before you can walk
  • Its about the learning and how you improve
  • professional sports mentality
  • Many failures or learning opportunities
  • professional sport, learning new roles (sales, service, IT, HR etc.), Medicover (individual sales, Medipartner, Skin Center, RHG, People agenda etc.)
  • Don't let it effect confidence
  • don't let it effect momentum
  • Earn the right to failure
  • create head room to take risks
  • Clarity of purpose & process
  • Be brutal on what you have learnt
  • until the learning is second nature
  • Look for learning as it is everywhere
  • People

Massive fear of failure, creates in me a driver to do more

John's approach

how to manage a number of projects, manager on-going operations without loosing key goals of the Medicover ? How to identify value driven factors? What is John’s opinion about management tools and models?

  • If its complex, find a way to make it simple
  • You need a process
  • Leadership and resources
  • Do less not more
  • one I am bad at
  • Outcomes not tasks
  • a task is useful but outcomes make things move
  • Make sure people can cope with the detail
  • little bits at a time that move you on
  • Remind people, follow up, be interested
  • good memory and systems: mails or apps
  • Work out the real high level drivers
  • and only if they not on track go to detail
  • Go to detail that really counts
  • Follow the real money or impact
  • Reflection time
  • thinking time
  • Learning and being open to learn
  • is massive and key factor
  • Be clear on what you want

Managing energy

 

  • All we are is energy - positive and negative
  • Time is your most important currency
  • You can't get it back
  • Plan it well
  • decide what is important and what is not
  • Manage people and processes to use time effectively
  • e.g. length of meeting
  • If you don't own the processes - influence it
  • make a case for change. If people are on phones in meetings, what are they meeting ? Too many meetings - force a decision or suggest a change of method- its your time.
  • Have fun & laugh
  • Understand why you do things
  • Me: fear of failure, respect, sense of achievement