Time To Shape Your Future Or The Kids For 2016? 

Merry Christmas From Workplace Evolution! (?)

Right now I have about two hours to call my own over Christmas before the family return from either shopping, drinking or the traditional Christmas walk. I have decided to spend these two hours writing to you. I hope you have some space to think about what next year will bring and how you want to shape you future. Being a dad I am also thinking about my kids future and I don't think SMART goals will work!!!


What Are Our Options?....Be DUMB?!!
You may struggle to stay to goals and perhaps let other things in life over-take them. SMART goals are great but I struggle with time constraints and whilst great for project management, I am not always inspired enough to be bought in to them. The DUMB goal model can also help to ask some really thought provoking questions to our kids. The concept developed by Brendon Burchard is worthwhile reflecting on this Christmas when you have some time free!.....

Dream-driven 
Let’s have vision for our lives, not just focus on our tasks. Let’s dream big again and get our heads out of our to-dos. Are the goals we’re setting aligned with our bigger vision for our lives and our contributions? Have you ever asked your kids what their dreams are for the future and really listened and explored them with them for just an hour away from mobile phones and social media!?

Uplifting
How is it that smart goals have no prerequisite for positivity? Shouldn’t our goals inspire something in us more than a need to meet a deadline? Let’s set inspiring, positive, joyous, uplifting goals for ourselves. Perhaps we need to know more about what excites and motivates our kids to really inspire them. 

Method-friendly
If we’re going to take aim at something, let it be something  that is friendly to developing practices of mastery towards. Most things we work towards requires methods, practices, forms, and habits that are built around a broader goal and help people move to mastery. A good goal allows us to create methods and practices that help us move toward them. Often as a Dad I know that I am not the best source of information / knowledge! Where are you getting your best practice from for your kids? How effective is the environment they are practicing in? 

Behavior triggered
When we set a goal, we should create a behavioral trigger that reminds us to chase it. A trigger means: if I am already doing A, then I’m going to add behavior B right after in order to habitually move toward my goal; it’s a reminder and an activator. For example, if we want to be a better parent, then we can set a behavior trigger to accomplish it, like a rule, so that when we pull into the driveway at night our first thought is to take a moment to center ourselves and finding a calm and loving space before entering the house.

MY DUMB Goal?

D: To write a blog which will lead to a book which will be published one day. The book will help Dads be the best they can be - support their family through the roller-coaster of life, set role-model behaviour and help their children reach their potential.
U: Helping other Dads who might be struggling with modern day demands will be a great feel-good factor for myself. 
B: My trigger for this goals will be when the TV is one and something rubbish comes on. At this point I will remind myself of D, U and M!
Have a prosperous 2016......if you liked this article please let me know
M: I will set time aside each month, one Sunday typically, to write my blog as well as receive feedback from friends / colleagues / other publishers / journalists / websites etc. I need an inspiring place to write though....watch this space.

Good luck with your DUMB goals. Mine is out their now (publically sharing your goals can actually help motivate you to accomplish them). 

How Well Are Your Staff Packing Parachutes?

How Well Are Your Staff Packing Parachutes?

"You woundn't catch me up there using this!..."

I'm preparing for a customer service workshop today and came across an old story that encourages you to put yourself in the customer's shoes and exceed expectations.

The famous story is about parachute packers in the Second World War who achieved a quality rate of 99.9% and felt satisfied with the result. Needless to say the thousandth parachuters did not share their satisfaction! One day it was decreed that once a week the packers would make a jump with the parachutes at random. The error rate promptly sank to zero. 

If 100% is available we should always aim to achieve it - just being good is never enough. 

Ways To Meet Or Exceed Customer Expectations.....

- Encourage your staff to take a little extra time explaining to the customer what they are doing and what they expect to happen and / or the result to be

- If your staff can't help in the first place instead of referring the customer to a third party make arrangement with that third party to call your customer 

- Send a regular note to all your current customers thanking them for their continued custom and expressing your pleasure at doing business with them (in your own unique way perhaps!)
- Write to or call customers who have complained to thank them for doing so
- Write a note or send an acknowledgement to those who have increased his or her level of spending or commitment to the organisation
- Add something extra to your service where possible e.g. a free smaller product with a large product that has just been bought

How Would You Performance Manage Jeremy Clarkson? Learn From The Big Egos.....

It was announced this week that the BBC would not rule out Clarkson returning to them in the future. This presents an interesting challenge for the next producer who dares to cross Clarkson’s path……how would they go about performance managing Jeremy Clarkson? 

This is a great question I use in my workshops to get the conversation going. Lessons can also be learnt from past workplace “Ego Disasters” such as Gerald Ratner, Brian Harvey (East 17), Nick Leeson and even Morrisey.

Challenging The Untouchables – The Collapse of Barings Bank…

Strong performance management explores how the line manager can support the employees’ capability to do the role as well as being able to challenge under performance. This can’t be easy if the results are coming in thick and fact (Top Gear ratings are unbelievably good!). This is a challenge that many banks are trying to face right now – performance managing not just the results but also the behaviours demonstrated. When I asked Nick Leeson “Do you envisage Banks providing bonuses not only on results but also behaviours?” he seemed to think this would be a model that would address the values challenge across the industry but would be hard to implement. 

This is not surprising – when Nick worked at Barings Bank (which is subsequently collapsed through his “Rogue Trading”) the traders were described as untouchables – as long as they bring the money in don’t ask any questions. This culture unfortunately led to the demise of Barings Bank (of course Nick played his part!)….however – we should ask what sort of silo culture was in place at Top Gear? Was this really an environment that Clarkson’s behaviours (and others) could be challenged in an appropriate manner?

Maintaining Credibility With Stakeholders - The Ratner Speech

Although the high street chain Ratners in the 1980s may have been regarded as "tacky", the shops were extremely popular with the public, until Ratner made a speech addressing a conference of the Institute of Directors at the Royal Albert Hall on 23 April 1991. During the speech, he commented:

“We also do cut-glass sherry decanters complete with six glasses on a silver-plated tray that your butler can serve you drinks on, all for £4.95. People say, "How can you sell this for such a low price?", I say, "because it's total crap."

For me the speech highlights a lack of awareness of who your main true stakeholders actually are and the need to consistently maintain credibility with them at all times. In this instance the customers’ needs were sacrificed for laughs in front of powerful and influential business people across the U.K.  Back to Clarkson – in this instance it appears he was focused on his own needs rather than those of the BBC teams and Top Gear followers. It may sound unfair but big egos often fail to consider the thoughts and feelings of even some of their biggest stakeholders under pressure and in the heat of the moment. 

Morrisey – A good example of Emotional Intelligence?

Morrissey was described recently as  a “rich, has-been egomaniac” by Scottish band PAWS, after the Smiths frontman allegedly demanded that their clashing gig in the same venue as his be cancelled. Morrisey was booked recently for a gig in California on with PAWS and We Are Scientists due to play in the next-door room. But reports state that Morrissey was not impressed with this set-up due to concerns that loud music would drown out his performance – suggesting they should re-schedule the gig. 

Morrisey is a great example of an individual with fantastic talent but perhaps lacks a few key aspects of emotional intelligence – problem solving with others and the maintaining of relationships where both parties needs are fully addressed. We Are Scientists’ Chris posted a follow-up message suggesting that the eventual solution – moving their show a little later – was fair. In any strong graduate programme the importance of the "Win-Win" approach to work is critical - where fixed positions are addressed through the exploration of common ground.

How to performance manage a successful person such as Clarkson?

It raises a great question of whether we would damage his actual strengths by working with him to focus on his development areas – could we really imagine a sensitive and thoughtful Clarkson in the workplace? No – but we could at least open up opportunities for greater levels of collaboration in his work which includes compromise with his peers. 

The BBC itself also needs to reflect on what might be a silo type culture in the Top Gear team – where values and behaviours have gone unchallenged and without follow-up. All individuals need to be objective driven and strategically aligned - whoever they are! This should not be compromised with the most talented (or gifted!) employees by any organisation. 

There is a positive to see that when the dust had settled Clarkson took accountability and responsibility for the situation claiming he wanted people to stop blaming the producer, Oisin Tymon, for his departure from Top Gear following him being the subject of threats on social media. Finally - great empathy and reflection, I wish him well in his future career post whatever his role and the best of luck to his future line manager!

Emerging From The Recession? How Can Your Managers "Keep Calm and Carry On"?

It could be said that one of the most significant costs to workplace productivity is not only inefficiencies in critical organisational factors such as culture, management, systems and skills-gaps but also the inability of the individual to protect him/herself and the team from workplace dysfunction.

In other words the ability to Keep Calm and Carry On". As the country is quietly whispering to each other that we might just be creeping out of a recession business are often in two mind to recruit new staff members. Managers will therefore still need to weather the roller-coaster of leaner operations, significant budget cuts and a recruitment freeze. Outlined below are a few simple ideas and reflections from leading practitioners and workplace evolution to support managers as they emerge from the recession.

1. Measuring Employee “Resilience” (Northumbria University & Hull University)

Resilience can be defined as the employee's ability to overcome significant challenges and be strengthened by adverse events as well as being able to alter thinking and develop competencies to manage a crisis. Clough et al’s research (2008 - Hull University) defined resilience as:

“A high sense of self-belief and an unshakable faith that they control their own destiny, these individuals can remain relatively unaffected by competition and adversity”

Clough et al also highlighted that resilience

• Is more evident in senior managers as opposed to middle managers

• It relates to greater levels of achievement in the workplace

• It improves with age and can be improved through management training

Outlined below are some typical workplace pressures that impact upon resilience as well as different approaches common to talent management programmes today:

Area To Support Resilience                                              Model / Theory / Input

Struggling with the un-known & high pressure                     Goal setting / Scenario planning                                                                                                             Relaxation  techniques,  Delivering                                                                                                      difficult messages                                                                              
Work Anxiety                                                                           Thought Stopping, Positive Self-talk,                                                                                                     Emotional Intelligence Tools

Frequent Distractions / Ineffective  concentration               Managing the office / work                                                                                                                       environment, coaching others to become more                                                                          autonomous,  assertiveness / re-                                                                                                            framing through NLP

Projects seen as impossible                                                 Project management techniques to                                                                                                       break tasks down to more                                                                                                                       manageable chunks, Visualisation,                                                                                                       Negotiation techniques

Too many objectives / too much work activity                      Planning and prioritisation tools /                                                                                                           models, Fatigue prevention                                                                                                                     techniques, Managing energy at work,                                                                                                   situational leadership to support                                                                                                             delegation and autonomy


Not being heard by the business                                          Influencing skills, Networking support,                                                                                                  Coaching and Mentoring & presenting                                                                                                   ideas

Have a look at AQR's website for information on how to measure employee resilience: http://www.aqr.co.uk/page/mtq48


2) How To Do "More With Less” (The Corporate Leadership Council)

In doing more with less managers need their employees to apply discretionary effort during the difficult times. To do this employees must be engaged their work activity - this means emotional and rational commitment which will in turn support performance and retention (see figure one below)


Figure One: Employee Engagement Model By The Corporate Leadership Council

Outlined below are a few simple ideas to support employee engagement in the workplace for less based on my own ideas but also thoughts from the Corporate Leadership Council

Engagement Drivers                                    Workplace Activity
Rewards & Recognition                                  Zero / Low Cost Rewards (a letter from the CEO)
Opportunity                                                       Project, Career, Training opportunities
Relationships                                                   Arrange support, Boost their ego!, Internal Buddies
Leadership                                                       Demonstrate ability, Walk the talk, 
Involvement /communication                          Their input on business challenges, consult staff!
Company Image                                              Strengthen business integrity by living the values

What Do Managers Need To Do When Trying To Do More With Less? 

Some useful concepts and ideas..... 

1. Be Aware Of The Warning Signs: Ensure managers are vigilant to active disengagement (from team activity, new initiatives, increased sick leave), the venting of negative feelings and that these are addressed



2. Act On Key Events: Be mindful of announcements on serious business events e.g. the end of a long project, after a long vacations.

3. Motivation: What motivates your star performers? Hygiene or motivating factors? Have promised rewards come to fruition?

4. Make time to Discuss the challenges ahead - Sometimes all it takes is a question like  "How do you feel about project X?"

5. Work on a plan to improve the situation together.  

6. Building trust: Ensure the team can come to you will ensure your team members come to you first.....

3) “Engaging Leadership”  (Bradford University / Stephen R Covey)

Bradford University describes engaging leadership as "Leadership behaviours to strengthen engagement  and productivity; connections on a human level, realising potential , building shared visions and developing the culture to generate leadership in others."

Further work has also been completed by Stephen R Covey (Jnr) on how managers establish credibility and trust with their peers. Covey Jnr outlined the "Four Cores of Crediblity" outlined below:

• Intent (Genuine Caring,  Achieving the best outcome for all, Acting in the best interest of others)
• Integrity (Values driven behaviour), Able to keep commitments, Demonstrating honesty)
• Capability (Talent, Skills, Attitude, Knowledge, Style)
• Track Record (Results, Results orientation)

I hope you found the blog insightful / useful - keep the stiff upper lip going, stay calm - one thing I forgot to add was that if none of the above work - you can always put the kettle on.

Michael Costello
www.workplaceevolution.co.uk

Dear Boss......My kids can't sleep, forget duvet days, can I have a Toddler Day?

I have a little girl who just wont sleep. Last night she was in and out of her bed between 2:30 and 6:00am. It is horrendous when you have a presentation, training, long car journey and early start the next morning and this happens. This has gone on for years with our little girl- we have simply not got it right from day one. 

When I first started in my career I had minimal sympathy for parents with newborns and toddlers - I just didn't understand the world they were in. Why could they not come out for a drink as much? Why can't they attend the usual sports or social outings? Why can't they do more at work and bust a gut to meet a deadline? It was simply that it didn't register for me all of the incredible life changing things that were happening to them. A real lack of empathy if truth be told.

I felt like Keith Richards after a heavy one...the kids had hair like Jedward

At 8:15am I woke up and felt like Keith Richards after a heavy nights boozing. The kids still in pyjamas, unfed and cranky. We were all up against it to hit our own daily family morning deadlines. God only knows what the nursery staff thought as I dropped off the kids with hair like jedward, a large tupperware box of cornflakes and both of them in yesterday clothes.

It is the toughest job in the world being a parent and I still count myself lucky when I think of other parents with children who have even more demanding or challenging lives than I have. The more I thought about this the more I wondered if employers are aware or even should be aware of the challenges new borns / toddlers can bring. 

What about a toddler day?

Many line managers are fine about you coming in late every now and then and support maternity / paternity leave. Some organisations even let you ring up to say your having a duvet day. Something more formalised for mums and dads of young ones could really be handy every now and then. 

As I understand it sleep deprivation can cause significant cognitive and motor performance impairments equivalent to being over the legal limit to drive in the UK! Anyway, at 8:59 (yes I made it back in time for work) I felt like I was wearing boxing gloves when typing in my password.

So what if employers offered new dads (mum's as well?) 

a toddler day per year for emergencies?

Mums and dads go through a significant "What the hell is happening" and "Where's the rule book" stage which is exciting and tough - what a fantastic thing it would be if employers might want to get in on this world a little more - or am I simply asking too much and being a big wuss? 

I am also looking for an ideal world here - and realise that this might then lead to other demographics asking for similar ideas such as carers for the elderly having similar days. Perhaps there would be benefits in exploring all of these avenues for the employer such as obtaining a more family friendly image, talent attraction and support employee engagement / retention.

For now I suggest a strict parent bedtime of 7:30pm! 

Talent Development, Business Performance & 'Cool Runnings' With The Jamaican Bobsleigh Team

Jamaica - sun, sand, sea and a bobsleigh team? Bold strategic moves in business can often be seen as unrealistic & far fetched.  Michael Costello explores how talent management can inform business strategy by reflecting on Jamaica's performance in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics



The Jamaican national bobsleigh team not only had their debut in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary but also gained incredible fame in the process representing a tropical nation in a winter sport. A great example of an innovative focus on people and capability to achieve the unexpected. 



"We should consider the talent we have in place before deciding the direction and circumstances the business wants to be in."


Talent Management guru Edward Lawler suggests that in all business strategies we should consider the talent we have in place before deciding the direction and circumstances the business wants to be in. Strategy should not simply be decided upon and then the business having to react to it. 


American businessmen, George Fitch, the first President of the Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation and businessman William Maloney, who at the time both lived in Jamaica, formed the JBF (The Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation). These opportunistic and enterprising young men latched on to a novel idea one night in Kingston. Having seen the local pushcart derby and noting its similarity with bobsleghing, and recognizing the abundance of athletic talent in Jamaica, both gentlemen concluded what was not so obvious, that Jamaica and bobsleghing was a natural fit. 

"All of the ingredients were there"

All of the ingredients were there - a fit track performing team, a love of push-cart sport in the country and a will and ambition to get to the Olympics. The Jamaican bobsleigh team have had their triumphs and mis-fortune, but the story tells us that in an ever changing world and climate businesses should have a strong grasp of the human capital they have in place and how this can inform our strategic decisions. 

The idea for a Jamaican Bobsleigh Team was pitched to the Jamaica Defence Force in 1987 calling for members to to represent Jamaica in the Winter Olympics. Devon Harris , one of the founder team members initially thought the idea was ridiculous, but was eventually convinced to participate by his colonel. Harris had previously dreamed of representing his country in track and field in the1984 Summer Olympics in the 800m and 1500m events - a superb candidate for the sport. 


Talent management? They are the "Hottest Thing On Ice!"

Other elements of talent management decisions also some in to play here. The JBT have focused on the long-term development of their talent and are still cool running today (structure). Values and Identity are tangible in the JBT if you simply go on their website - they have always been seen as the most tropical and "Hotest thing on ice"! The team will always have a strong talent pipeline based on the natural talent in Jamaica but also the heritage and legend that has grown with the team. Many businesses have transformed their business model to take on new ventures based on their human capital. 

The Virgin group is  a great example of taking an existing offering and adapting it to suit its market. Branson himself promotes the strategy of "if there is dissatisfaction with a product or service there is an opportunity for Virgin". Perhaps there will always be an appetite and  taste for the tropics in the Winter Olympics thanks to the Jamaican Bobsleigh team of 1988. 


STAR Talent Management Model
Lawler & Ulrich suggest the following STAR talent model management (or "Human Centric") model that can be related to the Jamaican Bobsleigh team

• Strategy: Strategy defines the products, services, and markets that an organization will focus on and how it will compete.
• Competencies and capabilities: Competencies are the knowledge, skill, and values possessed by individuals, while capabilities are the identity of an organization and what the organization is good at doing.
• Structure: Structure  focuses on turning individual competence into sustained organization capabilities. Authority is often shared throughout the organization.
• Processes: Information and decision processes in an HC - centric organization focus controls through values more than rules.Management by mindset replaces management by objectives.
• Rewards: "Human Capital-centric" organizations allocate rewards less on tenure and hierarchy and more on performance. Individuals are rewarded for equity more than equality.
• People: People in an HC-centric organization are the centerpiece. Organizations that emphasize human capital are obsessed with finding people with outstanding talent, then working with them to make the whole work well together. 
• Identity: An organization’s identity is what it is known for by those who use its services. When this external identity, which can be called a firm brand, is aligned with internal organization and people practices, it becomes the culture of an organization.

In 2000, the Jamaican bobsleigh team won the gold medal at the World Push Championships in Monaco. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, the 2-man team of Winston Watt (pilot) and Lascelles Brown (brakeman), set the Park City bobsleigh track record and the Olympic record for the push-start segment of the 2-man race at 4.78 seconds. 

The successes of Watt and Brown have shown that Jamaica has the ability to produce world-class Winter Olympic athletes.

For more information go to:

Ulrich & Lawler Talent Management - STAR Model : http://enriquecetupsicologia.com/costarica/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Talent_Edward-Lawler-III.pdf

Jamaican Bobsled Team: http://www.jamaicabobsleighteam.com/

The Rise & Fall of East 17: Leadership, Brand Management & Team Dysfunction

East 17 a dysfunctional team? 20 hits and 14 million record sales can't be bad. So what the hell happened and how does this relate to Talent Management?.....

This is the ultimate example of top talent management, team dysfunction, "Chav" brand management gone wrong and a good old personality clash. East 17's rise and fall is one of the most memorable pop moments of the 90s.

So how does this epic journey by four lads from Walthamstow relate to talent management?

  

East 17 'Forming'

The band began in 1991 when Tony Mortimer was given a record deal but asked to form a band by London Records. This placed Mortimer squarely as the band leader with Mortimer soon forming a trio with Terry Coldwell and John Hendy. The group was named East 17 after the postcode of their hometown, Walthamstow. 

Tuckman (1965, see model right) outlined that any team goes through the formation stages where roles and responsibilities are unclear, with the team requiring a leader to give aims and objectives. I wonder if Tony planned the next key moment however in the formation stage? The original roles in the band were soon altered when Brian Harvey, who was intended to be a back-up singer and dancer, was heard singing along during a recording session and was then duly promoted to lead vocalist. 

What would Tony would have made of this? Nose slightly put out of joint? We might assume for now though that trust within the band has not yet become an issue - but even so, we did not have a clear leader for the band - perhaps a "Who's top dog?" risk for the band at an early stage that was overlooked

“There’s brian’s vision and my vision – two poloaraties that work against each other….he’s happy as the boss in the middle. I wish him all the best and think that is the mature thing to do. There can only be one leader can’t there?”

Tony Mortimer commenting on the three setting up on their own

The Genius of Chav Brand Management

East 17 started to get a reputation and brand - the rapper, the singer, the looks and the other two that wore daft hats and danced well. Was this stroke of music genius stumbled upon blindly by London Records? A great understanding of their prospective audience and demographics needs or just pure luck? when focusing on personal brand it is worthwhile exploring intent (motives) and capability (talent). Looking at East 17 their fans knew they had the capability but also knew that these lads were not the sort you would want to take home to meet your gran - this worked a treat.

East 17 could easily have been described as the very first chavs in pop music.

"I've never really minded the "chav" tag. I see what they mean to be honest. We were working-class and we were loutish, but I think there were a lot of groups that were similar to us. It's a predominantly middle-class industry. There were lots of cool bands in the 60s and 70s that were pretending to be working-class because there's an almost anti-middle-class feeling in society but when there's real working-class ... people aren't sure how to take it. I wouldn't know how to define class now, it's all become a bit blurred."

Tony Mortimer

Either way the public knew what they liked - and they wanted the bad boy image but for many not to  necessarily get their hands dirty or for any one to get hurt along the way. As long as the band stayed consistent in their behaviours, everyone would be milking the cash cow. Perhaps though this was not enough for some and staying to these unwritten rules would have perhaps been unrealistic.

“They shaved their heads, and had tattoos, and were a lot cooler than the nancy boys of Take That. In the great five-year battle that dominated British pop, East 17 were also on the winning side. Their music was sharper and more streetwise. It was infused with hip-hop and R&B, and sold by the bucketload: 18 million records across Europe, compared with Take That's paltry 17 million.”

— Guy Adams, The Independent

House of Love 'Norming' @ E17?

The talent and roles over time were becoming clear - Harvey's vocal style emulated R&B and new jack swing vocalists from the US. His vocals put him into a position of the band's frontman, or main member, which was shared with the band's creator, songwriter, instrumentalist, rapper and singer Tony Mortimer. Throughout the course of the band's career the two leads had many disagreements, from how to vocalise songs to their behaviour in public. This tore the band between spiritual pop/hip-hop (Mortimer's writing influence) and R&B (the other band members). Yet is was this dynamic and diversity that was perhaps the secret ingredient that was overlooked. Unfortunately Tony loathed and detested Brian according to E17 manager Tom Watkins and would not even get in to the same vehicle. Brian was seen by many as difficult to get on with - this may have been the case but put the two together and the combination of tony's raps skills (straight face now) and Harvey's R&B sound struck a chord in the great British public. Management never quite helped these young lads build a strong band unit however, and could easily meet Lencioni's 1st team dysfunction. Team members show a lack of trust when they:

• Hold grudges
• Don't give feedback
• Hide their mistakes or weaknesses
• Find ways of avoiding each other

You cannot ignore the responsibility of the record companies here - perhaps it was a "Lets just see how far we can take this band and milk the cash cow until it explodes". This is a real shame as it inevitably did. What if the band had the skill to deliver a difficult message with each other? Or at least provide some feedback in the right way? Someone would have told Terry and John about their ridiculous hats. One hypothesis could be that the skills to manage conflict, and the fear of conflict management in this band led to the decline and fall.

Ecstasy Storming Stage

As with all successful personal brands, individuals must stay consistent in their behaviours in front of their key stakeholders to maintain credibility. The truth is stakeholders don't like change, let alone big change done quickly.

Covey Jnr describes four "Cores of credibilty" to ensure you maintain your reputation over time. - Intent, Integrity, Capability and Track Record. The British public may have bought in to the working class image but when push came to shove the media would simply not accept Harvey's real behind the curtain glimpse in to his life style and values.....

“I’ve done pills myself. I’ve done 12 in one night and been off it on them. It can bring out the better in someone really in the long run it is a safe pill”

Brian Harvey, Independent radio news 1997

“Any comments of that sort are wholly wrong”

British Prime Minister John Major

In the space of a minute individual intent and integrity was exposed to all key stakeholders, including mums and dads in middle England forking out pocket money for another 90s boy band. The Press made him public enemy number one. Once the hits started to dry up the track record of the past was soon forgotten.

What do you think the chances were that Harvey had been clearly briefed on him being a role model to his fans? That there were now expectations of behaviour - as well as exactly who his stakeholders actually were.

Lencioni's 2nd team dysfunction was clear with this bad - the dysfunction includes a 'Fear of Conflict' and a loss of opportunity to confront awkward truths. It was clear that following the interview Harvey's fate was written on the wall and quickly found himself kicked out of the band without a conversation following an agreement from the other three team members.

Talent Managment Learings?

The storming in this band never really took place believe it or not - just difficult incidents, punch-ups and arguments that broke the band. Not at any point did the band really have to go through the unpleasant storming process as described by Tuckman... "Here the team members will resolve their differences and members will be able to participate with one another comfortably. It will be difficult and uncomfortable." These skills are of course vital in the workplace when either managing upwards or managing young talent. 

Let's also not forget the fantastic brand East 17 had in place. A great lesson for future leaders in becoming more aware of their key stakeholders / customer's needs and motivators and what behaviours are required to keep these individuals engaged. Take That of course evolved with their audience which you have to ask whether this took place with East 17.

The band never reached "Tuckman's Performing Stage" again.  My theory? Young lads with the world at their feet, with little life experience, but also let down by their own management - perhaps not taking true responsibility for what they had the potential to influence and control.

It is a shame this talented band did not have a wise mentor to focus on team development, personality differences, the importance of diversity as well as recognising their own limitations in their role and that the whole of the team is greater than the sum of its parts. It seems though that when the boys became men (I know, leave it),  learning had still not taken place over the last 15 years or so following the re-union attempt in 2009 which resulted in Harvey being punched in the face by Mortimer for being late to a recording deal meeting. 

For more information go to:

Tuckman's Team Development Model: http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm

Lencion's Team Dysfunctions:
http://www.tablegroup.com/dysfunctions/the_five_dysfunctions.pdf