Thursday 12 March 2015

Learned Behavior – an AHA moment!


I recently attended a seminar on Body Language that was an interesting refresher on what I know but in doing some preparation for that seminar I learned something new. 

The new fact was that generally, people walk on the same side of the road that they drive.  Something I had not been consciously aware of before so I decided to begin my own observational study. 

There are two critical factors to my study; first in the Philippines people drive on the right-hand side of the road, whereas in London where I lived prior to coming to Manila they drive on the left and second there are more people in Manila, per square meter than there are in London. 

Armed with this new piece of knowledge I began to observe peoples’ patterns of walking behavior when in large crowds of people and yes, it seems that people do generally walk on the right-hand side of the pavement (sidewalk if you are reading this and not based in the UK).  There are no rules about this but generally there is a two-way flow of people on one pavement and the unwritten code does seem to be that people walk on the right-hand side, just as if they were driving. 

So how does this knowledge help me in my world of training and development.  Well, it seems that people are not genetically predisposed to walking on a particular side of the pavement.  We were not born knowing which side of the pavement we should walk on.   We learn by observing and through experience particular patterns of behavior that become habitual.  Of course the key factor is that we can adapt our behavior in unfamiliar surroundings, given a reason, motivation and desire to achieve an end result.  A small, but important lesson I try to emphasize when working with organizations on ‘Change’ issues. 

Now does this all this new realization make me a better person?  No, but it explains why I keep bumping into people when walking in to work!

Gill
Manila
12 March 2015

Monday 9 June 2014

How can we attract more women into Engineering?


On 23rd June 2014 it is National Women in Engineering Day in the UK http://www.wes.org.uk/nwed.
This is an opportunity to raise the profile and celebrate the achievements of women in engineering.

During my time here in the Philippines I have observed that many more women naturally choose a profession in engineering, which led me to wonder why.  Recently I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to a very interesting engineer, Dr. Anna Bella SIRIBAN-MANALANG, Director, Center for Lean Systems and Management, Associate Professor in Industrial Engineering, De La Salle University, Philippines. 

GS:  What was your reason for choosing to follow a career in engineering? 

ABS-R:  My father was a businessman, who was engaged in engine rebuilding.  I was trained early in his shop so I knew technical stuff even when young.  I also had an aptitude for mathematics.   So instead of choosing medicine or law, I leaned towards engineering. My father supported my decision.  I went into Industrial Engineering because it had the most women at that time.  I enjoyed the discipline in the Philippines.  Being a developing country, we needed all kinds of improvements across all sectors.  Seeing things from a Systems Perspective, I knew there are just so many things to learn and do in education, social discipline, economic growth, industrial infrastructure and others. 

GS: What challenges and rewards have you encountered along the way? 

ABS-R:  There is a great need for industrial engineers in all sectors in the country.  We are a highly creative people with strong inclinations in the arts, but we have very poor infrastructures in education, sciences, and industries.   Being a PhD graduate I was able to fill a need in my society, my name often comes up first whenever a consultant or trainer is required in Lean or Six Sigma. 

GS: What advice would you offer to a woman wanting to follow a career in engineering? 

ABS-R:  You must love and be excellent in mathematics to go to engineering.  You must have great passion towards changing technology and foresee the impact to the local and global community.  
 
In my partner’s engineering consultancy, here in Manila, the key points that Anna Bella make are supported.  I asked a few of the women engineers there what factors played a part in them choosing the profession, they all agreed it was having a strong role model, usually someone in the family and a love of mathematics.

 
Gill
Manila
June 9th 2014

 

 

Friday 14 March 2014

Reflections from Manila


Embracing Differences

According to Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, and cited as the third most influential business thinker by Thinkers50 in London, the current challenge for businesses is to embrace ‘design thinking’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ySKaZJ_dU 

The central theme to design thinking is the ability to work with two opposing perspectives in order to create something new, e.g. asking a creative designer to work with a traditional organisation to bring about a change in culture.  Imagine the challenge on both sides of this equation.  However, by combining logical and intuitive thinking processes both of which are essential for design thinking, Martin suggests it is possible to create a more robust output.

This led me to reflect on my life here in Manila and how it is filled with contrasts.  For example, I recently delivered a workshop for the Filipino Dept of Education on Coaching & Mentoring for a group of 50, in contrast I am about to run a workshop on Creativity & Innovation for a group of 6.  Last week I was invited to a ‘Boodle Fight’ which was a simple birthday lunch for a Filipino friend where the food was laid out on banana leaves and we sat around and ate with our hands, in contrast I attended an extravagant charity ball organized by the expat community of ANZA in Manila.  As the tag line for tourism in the Philippines, says, “It’s more fun in the Philippines”. 


Our lives are filled with many contrasting thoughts and experiences; it’s how we embrace these differences that will help us to create an enriching life for individuals, organisations and society.

 

Gill
Manila
14 March 2014

Wednesday 5 March 2014

Six Years in Business - Part 6 - Moving Forward


The Journey Continues


In this final blog in our birthday series, we summarise our reflections on building our company over the last six years. What are the key success factors that we believe will take us forward to further success and have relevance for others who are embarking on a similar entrepreneurial journey?


1. Flexibility – nothing stays the same. However focused you might be on your product/service, the environment will bring changes that you hadn’t anticipated. Don’t be afraid, be flexible and adaptable.


2. Creativity – be creative in your thinking and approach –
‘every problem has an opportunity’ says Zakorsky (http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/development/a/032303.htm).
Our directors currently operate out of different continents. This was not planned and could have led to the end of Level Seven but we used this as an opportunity to develop the business in a different way whilst still delivering our core services. Innovation is a fundamental part of our business philosophy and this underpins everything that we do.

3. Resilience – being a business owner is tough and we need to be able to spring back from adversity stronger than ever if we are to survive and flourish. Whilst our levels of resilience can vary at different points, we can all build and maintain sustainable levels of resilience to keep us strong. You can gain insight into your own level of resilience and make use of some useful  free development tools from Robertson Cooper at :

http://www.robertsoncooper.com/iresilience/.

We’ve had a great six years and look forward to the next six.  Thanks to all our clients, associates, friends and family for your support – we raise a glass to you all!

Dorothy & Gill
Northampton and Manila     
5 March 2014

Friday 28 February 2014

Six Years in Business - Part 5 - Making Decisions - Using Intuition


Decision-making has fascinated many disciplines for many years.  From a psychological perspective, my own interest has focused on the acknowledgement that different thought processes feed into decision-making at different times.  These processes are commonly differentiated and described as intuitive thinking and logical thinking.
As directors of Level 7 we have had to make many decisions, independently and jointly.  In the early days of setting up the business I would describe our predominant decision making style as intuitive.  This is because the situations and challenges we faced as new business owners were mostly novel.  We had little or no context experience and often needed to make decisions rapidly.  These factors lend themselves to an intuitive way of working.  Daniel Kahneman in his book, Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow describes human thinking styles as System 1 and System 2.  (You may have seen him on BBC2’s Horizon programme on 24 February explaining this – if not, it’s on iplayer until 4 March!).  System 1 is slow, deliberate, cautious and analytical and System 2 is fast, automatic and relies on associations and patterns.  So, has L7’s style changed over the years?  I don’t  think so.  Our preference is still to follow what feels right and not get weighed down with too much data and analysis.  
Intuition will never replace logic in the workplace and nor should it.  We advocate a balanced approach to any business activity but sometimes the activity can benefit from being intuition-led, for example business innovation.  Imagine the difference in outcome of a logic led discussion and an imaginative led discussion about business potential, possibilities and ideas about new markets, products and processes?  
So, what is the predominant thinking style in your organization?  Does it need to re-balance?  If so, what is your role in making this happen?  Intuition and creativity go hand-in-hand.  Creativity starts with letting the imagination run free, taking time out to explore new ways of thinking and acting, creating the right environment for this to happen and of course having fun!
http://www.fastcocreate.com/3026599/industry-pov/innovation-youre-doing-it-wrong-how-to-put-intuition-and-ideas-before-tests-and


Gill                                                                                        
Manila                                                                                                 

28 February 2014

Friday 21 February 2014

Six Years in Business Part 4 – Getting out There – Networking for Introverts


Over the last six years we have tried just about every marketing technique in the book and spent a fair amount of time and money trying to find the ‘right way’. Of course, experienced folk will tell you that there is no one right way: it’s about ensuring that you are approaching your market from different angles with a range of strategies. As I’ve said in a previous blog, the relationship building process is key and an important part of that is getting out there and meeting people – networking. Now as someone who is fundamentally introverted (a classic ISFJ in Myers Briggs terms), this has been one of my biggest challenges. Fortunately Gill is an extrovert so we complement each other as business partners but it’s not about hand holding, as individuals we have had to establish ourselves as credible professionals in the marketplace. So, how can we introverts ‘get out there’ and maximise networking as part of our marketing tool kit? I love the points made in Dave Roos’s  ‘How Stuff Works’ article (link below) with lots of great tips to make networking not just bearable but enjoyable too.

I’m sure my fellow introverts will find something that resonates for them but for me there are four particularly valuable points in this article that I have found helpful:

Volunteer – be part of the event, have a role to play to occupy your mind and give you a specific reason to interact with other participants

Arrive early – entering a room full of people can be very daunting. Pre empting this makes it easier to establish eye contact with others as they arrive. Lingering at the coffee can be a good way to break the ice.

Magic number – setting a goal for the number of new contacts you want to meet is a good idea.  On a broader level plan your strategy - who is likely to be there, from where, who would you like to meet, and who might introduce you?

Be interested – smiling is such a simple and easy thing to do and engages people. No matter who else might come in the door maintain interest in the person you are speaking to through eye contact and positive body language. Have some questions up your sleeve that will help you find out about the person you are talking to.

Let me know what works for you, I’d love to hear from you.

Dorothy

Northampton

21 February 2014

Thursday 13 February 2014

Six Years in Business Part 3 – Building Relationships (or Kissing Frogs)

In this Valentine’s week, it seems pertinent to consider relationships in business. How can we find our princes without kissing too many frogs along the way?

 People are the heart of any business. People buy people and if someone is going to buy from us, they need to like and trust us (See Fogarty’s tips at: http://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/8-tips-relationship-building-business).

Building relationships takes time and is a delicate process that needs a balance of empathy and tenacity on our part. On our journey over the last six years, we have experienced some fairy tale happy endings and some heartbreak.  Many of our disappointments have come from misreading the signs or being led along a path to nowhere. However, in keeping with our learning ethos and our fairy tale scenario, we have learned from these experiences. We have kissed lots of random frogs in multiple pools over the last six years: we now kiss fewer frogs in smaller pools through more targeted marketing.  We will only kiss a frog if the frog has expressed a clear desire to be kissed: our offering is now more targeted based on knowledge of client needs.   Liking and trusting each other then become easier and we now meet many more handsome princes!

May you find /enjoy your prince this weekend!


Dorothy

Northampton

13 February 2014