but the results can often be dramatic.
People who have risen to the top of any
organization are usually good managers
but are they good leaders?
You can be a good manager without being
a good leader. Management is about
rules, procedures, guidelines, performance
management and discipline.
Leadership is far more about providing
vision and being able to demonstrate
the behaviours that turn that vision into
reality.
Are the senior people in your organization
demonstrating the necessary client
focused behaviours to illustrate that they
actually believe that the ‘client is king’.
You need to articulate the ‘vision’ that
drives the differentiation statements; walk
the talk; identify any negative behaviours
and eliminate them; ensure the firm’s
success measures ‘reward’ the right
behaviours; and your ‘systems’ encourage
people to ‘do what is right’ for the client,
and not just firm focused.
You need to put in place training and
development programmes that can assist
with identifying and developing the
behaviours that will truly ‘differentiate’
you from the competition.
These programmes must be strong
enough to change some of the wrongly
held perceptions, which may be deeply
ingrained into your corporate culture.
These behaviours are equally important
inside the firms as they are to the outside
population of clients and potential clients,
and if well nurtured can deliver dramatic
returns in your quest for a meaningful
differentiation.
Dr. Clifford J. Ferguson is the Managing
Partner of Rainmakers, and Chairman of
Glad’s House. You can commune with him
on this or related matters via email at: Cliff.
[email protected], or visit
their website: Rainmakers.uk.com.