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Most of us at some point in our careers will think of throwing in the towel and moving on to pastures new - and for three old school friends from Neath, the new pastures of the Brecon Beacons were one of their most successful business moves.
Mark Soanes, Kevin Gould and Geraint Lewis were all in high-level management positions in London when they decided to launch Call of the Wild – an innovative management and leadership development company based in Wales.
The easy answer that without an effective team you aren't going to achieve your business objectives. You can't achieve those targets on your own and how ever much it might upset you then you have to use the people around you in order to achieve thsoe goasl.
Well, look what teams in a business environment can achieve:
If you have the individuals with the potential to create a high performing team, just imagine what they could achieve for your sales, productivity or bottom line!
However, it is important for people to recocognise that there is a difference between team building and team development or team working. Team building involves bringing together new teams and giving them a sense of direction, a period of getting to know their colleagues, recognising skills and abilities. Team development is the next stage, which involves teamworking skills such as sharing ideas, co-operating, being open and supporting one another. A common mistake our clients make when they first approach is to confuse the term team building with team working. We believe that if you cannot define the problem, then it is difficult to fix it.
For corporate team building , team building training and team solutions then visit the Call of the Wild website.
It is that time of year again with Christmas fast approaching. It is inevitable that numerous opportunities arise for networking through Christmas lunches, business club Christmas lunches and so on. More so than at any other time during the year. So it does no harm at all to brush up on a nd refresh your networking skills in addition to revisiting your 1 minute proposition in response to the question "What do you do?"
Here are some thoughts on effective networking at this time of year.
1. Filter Out the Invitations
There will be a large number of opportunities out there for you take advantage of. However you don't want to or can't attend them all. So the first task is to establish which ones will provide the best opportunity to build up new contacts. If an event is just being attended by your peer group then the opportunities will be limited. If it is a general business club or Chamber of Commerce then there are likely to be more opportunities with like minded people seeking new contacts.
If you find the opportunities are not there for you then the first thing to do is some background research on what business clubs, Chambers of Commerce, Federation of Small Business, Local Authority events there are in your area.
2. Refresh Your Proposition
"And what do you do?". And your answer is? Spend alot of time refining your stock response to this question because this is where you will maybe get your one and only chance to engage a potential contact and sell yourself in. If you blow this response then you've wasted your time.
3. Let Them Talk First
You may want to get a question in first for two reasons:-
- To establish whether the individual is of any use (sounds mercenary but we all do it from time to time). It is only after you have spoken to as many people as possible and listened to what they have to say that you will know who is important for you and who you will find useful
- You can refine your answer to best match their potential business needs
You may want to have more than one proposition or at least a way of delivering it with slightly different focus depending on the audience. Do your homework before attending and see if you can establish what type of individual/business will be attending and work out your stock response based on their anticipated business needs and requirements.
If you are the first one to speak, never start off talking about your own business first. Instead, ask about their business and listen carefully. Even if you don’t have much interest in their business, be sure to ask them a question or two to let them know that you were listening. If they say anything remotely related to your own business services, wait until they are finished speaking, then point out the relation between their business and your own.
Everybody likes a good listener and a good speaker, but no one can stand a show-off or a bore.
4. Alcohol Consumption
Sounds simple but know your limits and work out what your objectives are in attending this event. If it is just to have a good time then fine but if it is with a view to generating new contacts and potential leads then beware the waiters bearing liquid gifts in green bottles.
5. Format of the Event
If it is a formal dinner arrangement then bear in mind that for the majority of the evening you will be stuck on one table conversing with the same people. Therefore it is important to maximise the opportunities presented before the dinner , especially if there is a drinks reception. Arrive early to take advantage of this time before dinner. Similarly after dinner, don't rush off but try and stay around to establish is who is propping up the bar.
6. Circulate
Depending on the format the objective is to meet as many people as possible. Don't stick to the one or two people you know. Not everyone finds this easy to do but you know what they say practise makes perfect. Try and limit the amount of time you spend with one person. They are there for the same reason as you and won't take offence if you suggest that you both move on and talk to other people in the room. If you're exchanged details then you can always catch up with them after the event.
7. Personal Branding
The old saying you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression is so true. Be presentable. It is very important that you follow the dress code for these events. Don't try and be wacky as it doesn't work for some people. I attended an event recently where business suit/lounge suit was specified on the ticket. One indidivudal at the dinner turned up in jeans and a shirt. OK not too outlandish but he stood out for the wrong reasons as he was the only one without a suit. People were heard to comment on his state of attire. I know some PR and marketing gurus would advocate standing out from the crowd but as I say it doesn't appeal to some people. Therefore to maximise your opportunties follow the convention.
Again most of you will know to do this but don't make the schoolboy error of attending these events without business cards, and not ones made up on your home computer as they can be counter productive.
8. Follow-Up
Any promises made or any contacts made then make sure you follow them up. You may not convert anything immediately but it may take months if not years. Try and add some value to the follow-up. "Thought this mught be of interest" or help if appropriate or even give them a contact of your own.
Follow up on prospective contacts without hounding them. Make a call, fix up an appointment and proceed.Call your contacts at regular intervals. It can be once a week, once a month or once in three months. But a friendly follow-up is a must to keep your network alive.
The Swansea Bay Regional Business Awards gala evening was held on 26th November at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. Call of the Wild were delighted to be named by judges as the winner of the Leadership & Management in Business Award.
These prestigious awards seek to recognise success, innovation and excellence across all industry sectors. Some of Swansea Bay Region’s most outstanding businesses have been judged among the best in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire. Steve Penny Managing Partner of JCP Solicitors commented “Both the quantity and quality of entries received this year has been exceptional and the judging panel faced some very difficult decisions to narrow the field down. The shortlist and winners is made up of some very impressive businesses that are achieving great success, some regionally, some nationally and some on the global stage …a remarkable reflection on the quality of businesses operating in the region and an inspiration to others.”
In the category of Leadership and Management in business the judges were looking for a company that has a clear vision for their leadership and management style, had shown creativity in motivating and inspiring their staff together with measuring the impact of that work.
Call of the Wild Managing Director Geraint Lewis said:
“We are genuinely surprised to have won this award given the high calibre opposition in this category. The team are absolutely delighted. As always with these awards it is a team effort which goes to creating a successful business and it is great recognition for the efforts put in by our staff. It also reinforces our believe part of our success is due to building up a successful business with the local community at its heart. We have shown others that it is possible to create a thriving business in a disadvantaged area. By recruiting locally and providing opportunities for people to develop they take pride in representing not the only company but the community within which we are based.”
Related Themes
Other awards and accreditation
Leadership , Team Building and Management services
Williams and Benetton used the same Renault engine in their Formula One racing cars in the 1997 season. Williams was consistently faster and more successful. Both cars had the same power but the difference between them was in how they applied that power to the track. In 2009, the Brawn team has started off dramatically well having switched to Mercedes engines. However, the previous year's champions, McLaren, using the same engine, are having a miserable start to the season.
Many companies today share the same technical ability but some are more successful. If the engine of the company consists of the hard skills of technical excellence, the soft skills of organisational management are the transmission, translating the engine's power into a winning machine.
Technical skills constitute the company's mainstay and stock in trade. We call these hard skills because they are non-problematic. Everyone accepts the need for them. Less obvious are the soft skills such as managing customer relationships, team selling, leadership, motivation,communication, commitment building, and joint problem-solving.
While technical training is considered an investment, many companies refer to management training as a cost. Unfortunately, because of the woolly nature of the planning and conceptualisation of most management training, much of it does turn out to be wasted. However the two sets of skills, hard and soft, should be complementary. The people in the excellent company are good at both.
Continue reading "Management Training & Development As Important as Technical Training" »
Visit Call of the Wild Team and Personal Development website to learn more about our Leadership, Management Training, Team Development and Coaching solutions.
