I have to say if I have learned anything by this stage of the transformation, it is to have a laugh and with a light heart, just take some things as they come. Tonight I decided to totally change direction. To avoid disappointment I had no recipe and just wanted to see what it would be like to really push my creative boundaries in the kitchen. I started with a simple stir-fry, and if I had’ve kept it simple then life (and dinner) would have been great. At one point I thought maybe some Whole30 compliant fish sauce would make it just that much better. Possibly it would have – in the right amount – but I added too much. Then I found myself trying to compensate for that error with some coconut milk – which made a soup-like consistency. Then something else to change that, and so it continued on. The parallel that I could draw from this is that as a leader of a transformation, it is better to just be humble and admit that we do not always get it right, instead of continuously trying to put one patch over another without stopping and taking a fresh perspective on something. Sometimes it is better to be happy in the now and take the time to enjoy one milestone before rushing on to better it.
Following on from yesterday’s team session, today was a busy one. It is at this stage of the parallel that some days it all seems to hit at once.
We continued with some external interviews with individuals that are setting up their own business based on a true passion for their craft. After 10 years with TfL, Tracy set herself a new life challenge and is now opening her own Cake Shop – “Essence of Cake” in South Norwood.
Her passion and drive are second to none and I am so happy to be sharing her story as part of this project. With all business transformation programmes, it is key to collect real employee stories as you journey through the change.
Make it real, make it fun, give it impact through the people’s stories that represent the business everyday. Storytelling is also a great way to connect employees to the desired customer experience by sharing success and connecting them with the entire team as one – everyone plays a part in the story.
The story so far – Dale discusses the first five days of the project, from missing GU deserts to juggling his busy schedule. Dale shares his thoughts from Week One of the #LivingBrandProject
This was a surprise day – so with any transformation project always be on the ready for the unexpected!
Tom, my personal trainer threw in a one-hour session today. The time was set aside in my diary, so I just had to roll with it and do it.
I have to say that this was a great session – maybe because I had not spent loads of time preparing myself to fail like the first one! With all transformation programmes, we have to be on the ready and work in real time.
I have also started to see how this project is bringing the Bridge team together and this shows the importance that all companies need to rally around a common purpose.
This is not one person’s journey; it is that of all who participate in it.
So far it has been okay, but I guess there is a side of me that errs on the side of caution and is waiting for something to hit hard…
Today was the start of the 30-day challenge, and I have to say: it was somewhat like any normal day!
I look at this against the backdrop of some of the large transformation programmes that I have worked on and after all the prep, the big day arrives and it just runs to plan. I guess this is a good thing.
I did have my strength test today – something I have been putting of for a week and now the clock has run out and it had to be done. If I was to find a positive from this, it is that I can only go up from here. I knew that it would be hard, but have to say that I have been living in a bit of a blind spot when it comes to just how unhealthy I have become.
Liggy Webb, behavioural skills expert, author and founder of The Learning Architect, an international consortium of behavioural skills specialists, joined BridgeTalks on January 26, 2016 to talk on “Service Excellence: The Human Driver”.
The talk was opened by Dale Smith, Director of Creation at Bridge Training & Events. Dale introduced the topic with some of his own experience with resilience.
Focusing on Resilience, Liggy shared findings from research for her latest book, “Resilience – How to cope when everything around you keeps changing”.
Liggy first introduced the idea of living in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) and turning this around to be full of Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility.
The audience came to an agreed definition of resilience (including ‘staying calm’, ‘stickability’ and ‘confidence’) before Liggy moved on to the idea of a “Boomerang” vs a “Doom-erang” and how being resilient is about letting go.
Through her research, Liggy found that the three constant characteristics of a resilient person are:
– Accountability – the ability to take responsibility for a situation
– Agility – the ability to learn and relearn
– Attitude – keeping a positive mindset
Liggy went on to share the top 10 key strategies for building resilience.
Delegates enjoyed drinks and canapés at the networking reception following the talk in the Courthouse Hotel bar.
For keeping it real and fun, we wanted to share a little insight into one of our most fun projects – one that was Eau-mazingly successful, because of its realness and authenticity.
In recent years, there has been a shift toward luxury 5 star boutique hotels and the UK-based Lewis Family Trust (known for their global property portfolio and owners of River Island) wanted to move into this market with their property in Palm Beach, Florida.
For 10 years, the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa property was managed by Ritz Carlton with an established market position, returning guests and high employee loyalty. In mid-2013, the Lewis Family Trust took on the management of the property with the directive to create a unique, new-fashioned luxury experience.
In moving to this new name with its own style of luxury, (oft described as ‘whimsical’) the Eau Hotelier population were worried – how could they bring this new and unfamiliar brand to life, whilst still achieving the 5-star, 5-diamond ratings they had previously scored?
We started with the launch of the new values: Hoteliers, Integrity, Authentic, Intuitive and Goosebumps and an Eau-mazing staff event – think infused water, colourful cupcakes, team activities and the celebrity treatment for all staff.
After this, we explored the values, one at a time, across the entire population. ‘Hoteliers’ looked at empowerment and personal responsibility. ‘Integrity’ was about delivering on promises. ‘Authentic’ connected the Forbes standards to their greater purpose; infusing that Eau new-fashioned-luxury touch in achieving the rating. ‘Intuitive’ looked at how asking the right questions and being attentive (in the right kind of way) could help guests feel at home and offer a seamless experience. Culminating in ‘Goosebumps’; Bridge worked with the team to put all the values into action to create unique, personalised ‘goosebump’ moments for each guest experience, leaving a long-lasting impression and leading to guest loyalty.
Why was this project so fun? By tapping into the stories, talents, hobbies and uniqueness of each and every Hotelier, we were able to bring their individual authenticity to the table as part of the guest experience. And Eau-mazing characters they were – see our video below!
In 2016 Bridge Training & Events won silver at the UK Employee Experience Awards for Business Change or Transformation for their work at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa.
The hotel’s short-term goal was achieved within the first full year of operation, when they received the coveted #1 ranking on the Condé Nast Top 25 Resorts in Florida Readers’ Choice Awards.
Contact me on sharn@insidebridge.com for a copy of the case study.
By David D’Souza, Head of Engagement, London, CIPD
If you were unlucky enough to have my company over a drink in the run up to Christmas you would be assailed/assaulted by my views on why ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ is one of the greatest films ever. More specifically you would have had to put up with me talking about the character of George Bailey and how perfectly he is played by Jimmy Stewart.
Jimmy Stewart had an incredible career that included a number of exceptional films including Rope, Rear Window and Mr Smith Goes to Washington. Throughout them he embodies a charisma, charm and vulnerability that draws audiences and people to him. The character of George Bailey sees Stewart embody a sense of goodness, purpose, ethical commitment and humanity that is a lesson to any aspiring leader.
In a couple of interviews from 1973 Stewart talked about acting in a way that that I think applies wonderfully well to leadership.
Stewart described the art of acting as ‘the opportunity to create moments’ that had real resonance. Moments that stick with people for years and have a profound positive impact. He talked about the fact that people didn’t necessarily recall the titles of his films or the plots, but would often tell him that they had seen a film years ago and one scene had remained with them. His duty and role was simply to ‘prepare yourself as best as you can to make these moments happen’. They didn’t always happen, but when they did they mattered.
‘To think that I had been part of creating a moment that this man had liked and had remembered for 20 years, that was very special to me’. The role of a visionary leader is to draw people to them through engaging their heads and hearts. The very best leaders create environments that are memorable for the strength of culture and sense of purpose. They paint a possible future that people want to step towards and they understand that isn’t just a process, but an involving journey.
Stewart described a director asking for the same scene to be reshot 30 times. The actors eventually asked the director what was wrong. The director replied ‘You are perfect, but I’m just waiting for something to happen.’. It’s the same with leadership, it isn’t about the process – it is about the impact. The deep impact that you can have on another person, the kind of thing that resonates through the years. They don’t happen all the time and you need to respect and understand that. Good leaders just make these moments happen more often – and part of that is by embodying a movement towards a compelling vision.
When asked why characters he played were so timeless Stewart gave a lovely summary of what we might now term ‘authentic leadership’.
‘I’m a pretty good example of human frailty, I don’t really have all the answers, I have very few of the answers, but for some reason I make it. We get across that river’. Whatever the vision is, the best leaders help their people get across that river.
A final thought:
When Stewart started his career employees really were treated as assets. He was traded by his studio to another for 7 stunt horses.
