Business Problems Solved Podcast

In this episode, Lee examines sustainment; its definitions and its effects. In a world of improvement, what does it mean to truly sustain? How many times have we been presented with an initiative that looks or sounds similar to one previously tried? How many times have you tried a diet, only to find yourself gradually slipping into bad habits? What makes an idea not just achievable, but sustainable? The answer lies within... KEY TAKEAWAYS Sustainment should always be seen as the next stage in any project. And a project should not be seen as completed until sustainment has been achieved. The 5S system includes: Sort, Set, Shine (or finesse), Standard, and finally Sustain. This methodology allows you to find a place for everything, and to ensure that everything remains in its place.  When we have achieved habitual behaviour based upon our goals, then we achieve sustainability. Forward framing - By focussing on where we need to be in the next 3 or 6 months, and gaining clarity on those goals, we can better achieve sustainability.  A true measure of sustainment is what happens when you are not looking. Have the measures and steps taken proved so successful that the process no longer needs maintaining? BEST MOMENTS “Sustainment means to keep up or keep going as an action or process” “Sustainment is about turning all of the desired behaviours into habits” “When behaviour becomes habitual we go from “maintain” to “sustain” “ “Sustainment is the key to successful improvement” VALUABLE RESOURCES   Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material. Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194 Lee@leehoughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/  

‘If you are expecting the environment to change, the people to change, then the sooner you start role modelling and showing people the way, the sooner change will begin’ Lee shares key strategies to help change agents and leaders implement effective role modelling to drive forward change, listen in to find out more.   KEY TAKEAWAYS A role model is defined as a person who is looked to by others as an example to be imitated. Being a role model can help change initiatives whether you are a leader or change agent. Before beginning any change initiative it's vital to think about the end, not just the solution but also the environment you want to create. If you are delivering a change, is there an opportunity for you to display the behaviours that you want others to develop? It's often easier for people to buy into a concept if they can see it working for real. As a change agent, you need to help others to create new habits and the more people repeat a behaviour the more it becomes embedded. If you want things to change the sooner you role model the change the sooner others will begin to change. It's important that you start with yourself.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Change starts with you’ ‘Consider the habits you want people to display in the environment’ ‘You have to start somewhere, and people have to be able to see you doing the things you want them to do’   VALUABLE RESOURCES Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material. Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194 Lee@leehoughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/

Proper communication from the workers to the directors and vice versa is one of the critical things that could drive your business to success. And in this episode of the Business Problem Solver Podcast, Lee discusses Measure Mountain, a visualisation tool that can help you create and efficiently manage the hierarchy structure within your company. It’s essential that everyone involved are well-informed about what’s going on. When everyone’s in the know, high performance and determination can be expected. Discover how you could adopt Measure Mountain inside your business when you tune in. KEY TAKEAWAYS Questions you should ask yourself before setting a target: How much influence does a person who has a target actually have on achieving that target? What do we want to accomplish by having a target? What behaviours will having a target actually drive? Lee suggests you use his visualisation tool, ‘Measure Mountain’. On the bottom of the mountain are the frontline workers, and on the next level, it would be the team manager, then followed by the directors and so on. It follows the hierarchy, and everyone has to strive to get higher on this mountain. Key Learnings from Measure Mountain: The people at the bottom of the mountain are closest to the actual process. As you climb up the mountain, your conversations should be based on severity and time. Business owners should have discussions with his workers who know everything about the daily operations. BEST MOMENTS “Targets can create a narrow focus, so people only concentrate on doing the things that make them achieve their target.” “We need to lift leaders up to a level where they’re having conversations of a different type.” “If you’re at the top of that mountain, you can see farthest into the future. You need to be able to translate your key messages, strategy, the direction, the vision into something meaningful to people that can’t see as far in the future as you.” ABOUT THE HOST For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material. Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker. CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on: 07813342194 Website: Lee@leehoughton.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/THEBusinessProblemSolver/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BusiProbsSolved Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_business_problem_solver/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsf0YC2_ZBuhtC_s-AbHaDw

Lee explains 3 key reasons why businesses fail, how you can overcome these pitfalls if they are to occur and why they’re so important.    KEY TAKEAWAYS   3 Reasons Why Some Businesses Fail  No perceived need for change – You need to know on every level why you’re making these changes. If there’s no need to change already within your business, then you need to find a need for change and change things in a meaningful way.  It’s not lead from the top and driven from the bottom – Ensure all layers of the organisation are pulling in the same direction. Create an environment where everyone is heading in the same direction for these new changes.  Communicate regularly and keep commitments – Communicate progress and direction. No matter how much you communicate, you will never reach everyone so keep communicating. Keeping commitments enables you to gain and maintain that trust that you need from your team to achieve your goal.    BEST MOMENTS  “Create a real need for change”  “You need your leaders to remodel behaviour and create environments that enable and engage your workforce.”  “Create an environment that enable your workforce to deliver and move you step by step towards your desired goal.”  “Communicate progress and direction.”    VALUABLE RESOURCES Business Problems Solved Podcast    ABOUT THE HOST For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses.  In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material.  Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.     CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194 Lee@leehoughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/         

What are the criteria required for successful and meaningful change? Lee Houghton, THE Business Problem Solver has dissected successful change programmes he’s been involved in and created the 5D’s – specific criteria required to ensure successful and meaningful change. If you want to achieve successful change in your business listen in to  find out how and why you should be using the 5 D’s   KEY TAKEAWAYS The 5 D’s - the specific criteria required for successful transition through any change- Desire, Discover, Dedication, Deliberate action, Delivery. Desire is the clarity of purpose and truly understanding the reason why you want to get somewhere. As a facilitator, It’s not about whether you understand the reason for the change but whether everybody else does and if it’s meaningful to them. Discover what is going on with the processes, the employees and the customers. Speak to your customers and effectively use data to ensure you are moving in the right direction. Dedication is the maintaining of momentum and moving forward towards your desired state. It is arguably the most difficult to achieve but is fundamental to achieving any change. Deliberate action is the crucial identification of those things that will help you get to the goal as quickly as possible. Focusing on the 20% of activities that produce 80% of the benefits ( the 80/20 Pareto rule) Delivery is focusing on the underlying understanding it is a cyclical cycle of celebrating what you have delivered then identifying your next desired state,  the next goal you want to achieve. It’s about not standing still. The 5D’s Desire, Discover, Dedication, Deliberate Action, Delivery consist of elements both seen and unseen but combined provide the criteria for successful change.   BEST MOMENTS ‘If you just keep going will you get there?’ ‘That little voice inside your head that drives your behaviour’ ‘The power of what you say and how it can influence others’ ‘Identifying those vital few things that will help you get there as quickly as possible’   VALUABLE RESOURCES Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material. Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194 Lee@leehoughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/    

‘At some point, everyone has to deal with a change so big they wonder how they will be able to cope’ You may have gone through a change that for you, has been straight forward but been aware that for others the same change has been much more challenging. In this episode, Lee explains how to deal with change as a leader and facilitator. He highlights the importance of communication and the ‘self-model’ when dealing with change effectively, listen in now to find out more.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Ultimately change can be positive or painful, it can either be out of your control or because of a choice you have made. Solving business problems requires people to make a change, so understanding the different ways people approach a change is key. Individuals respond, accept and adapt to change at varying rates. Ultimately people react to change in 2 different ways, via escape or via control. The self-model - The phases an individual goes through when presented with change Shock Emotion Learning Forward Moving Typically, everyone will go through the 4 stages If you are a facilitator of change as a leader or change agent the way you communicate the change to someone and the type of change you are asking them to go through will result in different people reacting to the change in different ways and take varying amounts of time to adapt and accept it. An understanding of where people are on the journey will ultimately help to solve business problems in a sustainable way.   BEST MOMENTS ‘You can impact in the way you communicate’ ‘You can help people by understanding what and how they are feeling about the change’ ‘I’m a firm believer in -  all change starts with you the individual’ ‘Some people move between the different responses depending on the change that is required’   VALUABLE RESOURCES Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material. Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194 Lee@leehoughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/

Do you ever talk to yourself?  Sometimes it can do us an immense amount of good to stop and really talk to ourselves. But what do we say? How do we say it? And how can we ensure that it has the maximum effect upon ourselves?  Join Lee as he discusses the valuable technique of self-talk, and how to recognise the best way of approaching yourself.   KEY TAKEAWAYS What you say to yourself will drive your actions and behaviours. The voice inside your head is the most important factor when it comes to effective change. Do you naturally see things with a positive or negative slant? Do you possess a fixed mindset or a growth mindset? Lee points out a handy set of guidelines to help you determine your own outlook. The engagement equation is Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy ÷ Self Orientation This formula states that the more we focus upon ourselves alone, the more detrimental the effect on trust. If you’re a leader, manager or growth agent, and if you wish to use a get the best from your staff, it can be beneficial to approach your style with a growth mindset. A consultant generally acts with a fixed mindset, that is to say, they are the fountain of knowledge, and have no desire to improve the knowledge of others. Coaches act with a growth mindset, hoping the lead others into finding information and answers for themselves. Sports stars often talk about their attitude contributing to their success. Positive internal talk can improve your performance in life. Whether you think you will, or whether you think you won’t, then you’re probably right. BEST MOMENTS ‘This could very well be called the “marmite” podcast...’ ‘Somebody with a fixed mindset is focussed on themselves, while those with a growth mindset will put learning from failures at the fore’ ‘The way that you talk to yourself, potentially, on your performance’ ‘How often do you blame sod’s law or Murphy’s law?’   VALUABLE RESOURCES   Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material. Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194 Lee@leehoughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/

There are significant differences between coaches and consultants, you need to be aware of and understand these before investing in their support. Lee explains what the distinctions are and how understanding your situation can help you to select the most effective support to get what you actually need for your business.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Knowing when to employ the services of a consultant or coach are crucial to further your capability or to help you solve a problem. It’s about you or it’s about me Coaching seeks to pull the answers from the client whilst a consultant will tell you what to do or identifies what to do. Building capability versus solving a problem Coaching is building the capability the people, consultancy is about resolving a specific challenge. Exploring versus providing possibilities When you coach you explore the possibilities when you consult you provide the possibilities. Asking questions versus providing solutions Consultants diagnose a problem and make a recommendation about how to tackle it and will then work with you to resolve the issue Coaches partner with the client to ascertain and clarify the questions that need to be answered in order to move forward. The key difference between coaches and consultants is where the focus is. For a consultant, the focus is on solving the specific problem For a coach, the focus is on the client and helping them tap into and develop their own abilities to solve the problem. To sustain any change people must be involved in the process. Before you seek any external resources it is crucial to understand what the situation is and what you are trying to solve.   BEST MOMENTS ‘You will know the potential risks of not changing’ ‘A coach is a good listener’ ‘A consultant uses their eyes to see the processes’ “It’s possible to be called one and display the traits of the other’   VALUABLE RESOURCES Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material. Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194 Lee@leehoughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/

In today's episode, your host Lee Houghton put out to his LinkedIn community his Employee engagement equation and asked what others thought? What are their employee engagement equations? Lee's Employee Engagement Equation;  Emotion + Involvement = Engagement His community response exploded. Many replied en masse with lots of their own equations, such as Responsibility + Commitment = Engagement Empowerment + Purpose = Engagement Recognise + Listen too + Allign Values = Engagement Value + Passion = Engagement And on and on the list goes! Listen in as Lee discusses his responses, but more importantly; What is your equation? Do you agree? Let Lee know!    VALUABLE RESOURCES Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Spending time with my 2 young children Jack & India, listening to/reading business & personal development material.   What profession are you/have you been in and how much experience do you have in it? For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improvement capability of individuals, teams and businesses.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on: Lee@leehoughton.com / 07813342194 / LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by searching for Lee Houghton THE Business Problem Solver

‘Standards are the Foundations for Improvement’ In this episode, Lee explains the different applications and interpretations of standards and how implementing them can effectively help solve problems in your business. If you want to understand when and why standards can help you to move forward then tune in now.   KEY TAKEAWAYS What is the Standard? A standard is a level of quality or attainment or something used as a measure, norm or model in comparative evaluations. In the context of improvement, a standard is an agreed way of doing something so the customer gets what they want irrespective of who is completing the task in a repeatable process. There are 2 main types of standard – one is a measure of the target condition, one is a measure of conformance to process. When do you need a Standard? This ultimately depends on the problem that you are trying to solve A standard will help to increase the speed of a process if everybody follows the steps correctly to get to the desired outcome. By understanding the problem to be solved you will understand the standard required to solve the problem. Standards are complex but delivered in a very simple way. A standard should be the basis for improvement of a process with a repeatable output. A standard should not restrict and needs to absorb human variation. A standard should be produced in its simplest form to address the particular problem you are trying to resolve. A standard should be developed by those who complete the work.   BEST MOMENTS ‘There are differing viewpoints about standards and the level of granularity that should be captured ‘ ‘People are a cause of variation and everybody is different’ ‘This is about the complexity of the problem and possible complexity of the solution’ ‘Ultimately a standard is what should happen, not how it should happen’ ‘What are you improving if there is no baseline’   VALUABLE RESOURCES Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Spending time with my 2 young children Jack & India, listening to/reading business & personal development material.   What profession are you/have you been in and how much experience do you have in it? For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improvement capability of individuals, teams and businesses.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on: Lee@leehoughton.com / 07813342194 / LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by searching for Lee Houghton THE Business Problem Solver