It just dawned on me...

Top Teams

On Tuesday I attended a presentation by Paul Heathcote (the twice Michelin starred chef) on inspiring and building successful teams. Much of what he talked about was obvious stuff - not rocket science - the difference is that he's actually doing it.

I suspect that for many of us, we know what should be done to improve our teams or business, but being busy doing day to day work just gets in the way and prevents us. We need to be more circumspect and take a step back, and from this viewpoint reprioritise our activities.

When was the last time you sat with your team and went through the missions and goals you are trying to achieve? Or recognised and rewarded their contribution? Certainly for me it's been a while - when we are together the discussions tend to be more tactical and deadline led.

One of the other things Paul does is to have strong and enthusiastic managers in each of his restaurants. He can't be everywhere all the time, so the majority of staff can't "touch" him on a daily basis, but they can touch their own managers, and if those managers are imbued with Paul's passion, dedication vision and values, then this is a suitable substitute. For me, the parallels between this and brand champions used by marketers is obvious - but it hadn't occurred to me until it was pointed out.

So what will I do differently?

Identify some brand champions for the business, and make sure that we discuss bigger picture stuff, not just the urgent things. I'll keep you posted!

What's in a name?

It just dawned on me that first names are like brand names. The very mention of them can stimulate feelings and stir impressions and even prejudices. Some of these will come from experience, and some from preconceptions we pick up from the media and other sources.

Who doesn't associate Heathcliffe with a brooding temperment, or think a Dave is going to be more fun than a David? A Cassandra is likely to be percieved as posher than a Sharon, even though the fact may be entirely different.

But the interesting thing to me is how often these preconceptions prove to be right. Since we are generally named before we have developed much of a personality, does this suggest that our very name changes our being as we grow up? Do we begin to conform to what people expect of us, with every note of surprise or perception of our behaviour contributing to the effect?

And, if we are stuck with a brand we don't like, how can we change it - would one posh Sharon be able to change the preconception of Sharons everywhere? Or do you have to resort to the deed poll office and effect a total rebrand?

Certainly food for thought - what does your name say about you? (Despite what people might think, I'm unlikely to get up early!).

With apologies to all the Sharons, Cassandras, Daves, Davids and Heathcliffes out there.