Just back from a travel agent conference in Spain. One of the keynote speakers was former BBC director general Greg Dyke who took us through some of the change management challenges he faced at the BBC.
He wasn't the most polished of speakers but what he had to say was excellent. A key element of being an effective leader, he said, was to ensure that people in your organisation are saying good things about you - if they are not then you are in trouble.
He referenced John Cotter's book Harvard Business Review's Book on change and then went on to share some other nuggets.
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Quite nice people turn into complete b******s when they become managers
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The day you resign you might as leave the organisation because no one takes any notice of you anymore
These were his two things he asked employees when he started at the BBC:
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What can we do to improve our service to the public?
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What can I do to make your life better?
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The mark of your leadership brand is what stories people tell about you
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You have to care about people
What to do with cynics:
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Get rid of some
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Marginalise some
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Change some
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In tough times, be generous and explain what is going on
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Don't send emails that sound like they come from HR - no one will read them