Comments for Blacksmith

Comment on Blacksmith Session Update: Rising Results & Thriving Culture by Meg

Meg — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:24:04 +0000

Thanks for the mention Blacksmith! LOVE your work…

Comment on Blacksmith Session Update: Are bad bosses holding NZ back? by Kate Billing

Kate Billing — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 05:17:01 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Stuart. It was a great session and we look forward to the next opportunity to get a group of committed Kiwi business people (CEO, GM, HR, Marketing, Comms) together to progress the conversation and focus on opportunities to unlock the creative and performance potential of NZ businesses so we can make our very special part of the world a better [work]place and a more productive one. Make a dollar and a difference!

Comment on Blacksmith Session Update: Are bad bosses holding NZ back? by Stuart Geddes

Stuart Geddes — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 02:35:24 +0000

Awesome.

Disappointed it missed this one.

Cheers

Stuart

Comment on Facing our Biggest Economic Challenge by Kate Billing

Kate Billing — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 04:32:53 +0000

Hey, Keren. Completely unsurprised by the two groups you experienced at the conference (Media Sense??) and their attitude to the people in their business. Some managers/business owners seem to forget that they are actually PEOPLE and not a flesh and blood variation on a computer or office chair….”my secretary’s broken! Get me a new one.” No matter how big or small you business – your mindset and beliefs about the people in your business will directly impact and be reflected in the culture you create and the performance they deliver. You can’t lead people somewhere they don’t want to go and you can’t demand performance and expect to get it in any sustainable way. You may be temporary compliance (out of fear, to stop the noise or just out of survival) but that’s no way to build a high performance business. The risk and opportunity sits with people managers, from the leadership group to front-line team leaders.

Comment on Facing our Biggest Economic Challenge by Kate Billing

Kate Billing — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 04:26:22 +0000

Thanks, Valerie. Great to have your feedback and hear that you are doing things in your world to shift thinking and doing for better results. People are basically motivated by three things (1) self-worth (2) achievement and (3) belonging. Its really not hard to get it right but has to be authentically motivated.

Comment on Office Etiquette vs Workstation Gestapo by Sarah oconnor

Sarah oconnor — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:15:47 +0000

Some of the used to be us! Our new wing was built and no personal
items on the desk. Nothing on walls might wreck the paint. No iPods
No Facebook and so it goes on. Now people have their favourite things
at their desk,posters everywhere,iPods, Facebook…..The most visible
Post it charts are the ones some of our leaders have for their planning
Um mm crime! Great reminder though ensuring policies match our
Values.

Comment on Facing our Biggest Economic Challenge by Valerie Iravani

Valerie Iravani — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 01:18:08 +0000

Thanks for this great article. I wonder how many times the research has to show the same information before we put training and mentorship into place in all work environments. It all comes down to human contact and communication, in addition to business skills. I’ve been preaching this for years, but no CLO or HR DIrector seems to want to put ‘formal’ accountability in place. Oh, well, at least my team gets the benefit of ‘engagement’!

Comment on Facing our Biggest Economic Challenge by Keren - The Common Room

Keren - The Common Room — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:19:25 +0000

Hey guys,

Great post. It speaks to a (sort-of related) thought I’ve been mulling over this week around two distinct attitudes toward staff that were highlighted amongst the audience at a recent conference I attended. One group referred to staff as “talent”, generally applied a TAT approach to staff relations (training, autonomy and trust) and EXPECTED productivity. The other group talked about their “human resources”, seemed to be innately suspicious of their staff, and DEMANDED productivity. As this was a conference about using digital engagement tools to build a healthy, flourishing internal and external company culture, it’s no surprise which group were having trouble.

Your internal management systems are dictated by your size, industry and product offering in some ways, but it seemed just a little too coincidental that, of the 80 or so med sized organizations represented at this conference, the ones talking about low productivity, turnover-issues and a mis-aligned understanding of the brand values were also the ones talking about not being able to trust their people, communicate effectively with their staff, or trust their staff to communicate effectively with each other.

Comment on Office Etiquette vs Workstation Gestapo by Kate Billing

Kate Billing — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:04:10 +0000

Totally agree, William! Zappos ia a great example of a core belief of mine – you don’t have to be serious to be a serious business! I guess its all about what’s right for your culture and BHP seems to be a military one…

Comment on Office Etiquette vs Workstation Gestapo by William Powell

William Powell — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:54:59 +0000

I have to agree with you Kate. Nothing wrong with having standards. How you encourage and manage those standards shouldn’t be so harsh. People may have pristine work stations, but their actual productivity compared to potential productivity will be miles apart.

Is this type of management OCD worth the sacrifice in engagement? I’m thinking no.

I think this work space at Zappos, a company with fiercely loyal customers and employees, would be considered heresy by BHP Billiton.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VCz69LKvZ68/STY4a3Us-NI/AAAAAAAAE3w/kw1lbYdovXI/s1600-h/zappos19+snacks