Business Excellence Series - Red Edition 2012

MARCH 2012

leadership Engaging discussions Ellen Pekeles keeps lines of communications open at Vancity to reduce workplace frustration

Sales plays Lisa McNabb keys in on recruiting, rewards and resiliency to lead her team at Canucks Sports and Entertainment

The right direction Erin Chutter reduces group conflict through goal alignment and appropriate leadership styles at Puget Ventures

Mutual support Michael Lansky joins peer mentoring sessions with TEC to help him manage his Terra Breads bakerycafĂŠ chain

PRINTING PARTNER

1168 RED Edition.indd 1

SPONSOR

3/9/12 5:22:05 PM

$"2 4)"4 7&*()3 ,&33 )".%,&3 #&44&2 .(*.&&2&% 7*4) 5%* 5,42" ,*()47&*()4 4&$)./,/(8 4)& .&7 5%* %&,*6&23 $/-'/24 ".% 30/248 "(*,*48 #&8/.% $/-0"2& &$"53& 3/-&4*-&3 ,&33 2&",,8 *3 -/2&

"2+7//% !"8 9 *$)-/.%

9 "5%* $" 2*$)-/.%

/5.%"28 /"% 9 ".$/56&2 !

9 /0&.2/"%"5%* $/-

54/-",, 2*6& 9 /24) ".$/56&2

9 $"0*,"./"5%* $/-

= 5%* "."%" 52/0&". -/%&, 3)/7. 7*4) /04*/.", &15*0-&.4 4)"4 -"8 ./4 #& "6"*,"#,& "4 4)& 4*-& /' 052$)"3& : 5%*< : < : /23025.( %52$) &$).*+ < ".% 4)& '/52 2*.(3 &-#,&- "2& 2&(*34&2&% 42"%&-"2+3 /' / ; .% /54 -/2& "#/54 5%* 6*3*4 8/52 5%* %&",&2 $",, /2 6*3*4 53 "4 777 "5%* $"

1168 RED Edition.indd 2

2/27/12 4:21:57 PM

MARCH2012

leadership Exploring excellence Welcome to Business in Vancouver’s new Business Excellence Series. Growing out of the success of our Colour Series of the past half decade, this new format will allow us to deliver more of the content our readers are looking for in key areas of business building: marketing and advertising, sustainability, entrepreneurialism, philanthropy and diversity in the workplace, among others.

We start the 2012 series examining what it takes to be a leader. Key to understanding this is knowing how a leader differs from a manager, both in responsibilities and in aptitude. Successful businesses ensure the person with the right skill set is in the right position. Does a good manager have to be able to inspire? Does a leader have to know the ins and outs of managerial processes?

What do those in either position need to know to be successful? In this edition, we hear from leaders, managers and consultants about their perspectives.

Along with our published Excellence Series, BIV presents a breakfast series with panels of experts in each area of business. Join us for our Leadership Breakfast panel when we hear from executive coach Cynthia Roney, founder and CEO, Executive Passage; BIV Forty under 40 winner Erin Chutter, president and CEO, Puget Ventures; and Fiona MacFarlane, managing partner, Ernst & Young; March 27, 7-9 a.m., Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle, 1128 West Hastings. Visit www.biv.com/ colour for tickets and more information.

– Baila Lazarus, news features editor, Business in Vancouver

Contents 4

Transformer or stabilizer?

Leadership and management skills often overlap, but their differences may be even more relevant

6

All about style Are you a “laissez-faire” leader or one who is very hands-on? Do you know when each is appropriate?

10 Rules of engagement How to recognize and prevent employee frustration before it can destroy motivation in the workplace

12 Sales plans Celebrations and recognition when you’re up, resilience when you’re down are key to keeping the drive going

16 All together now Reacting to changing cultural dynamics and keeping communication open will keep your team leadership on track

20 Get the big picture Managing several projects at once is easier if you’ve set a clear vision of what your goals are Business in Vancouver 102 East Fourth Avenue Vancouver, BC V5T 1G2 P: 604.688.2398 F: 604.688.1963 E: info@biv.com

22 Training the leaders Executive support groups help motivate entrepreneurs and develop business management skills

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO: 40069240.

REGISTRATION NO: 8876.

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Department: 102 East Fourth Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5T 1G2. E-mail: subscribe@ biv.com

1168 RED Edition.indd 3

3/9/12 5:29:43 PM

Transformer or stabilizer?

Know your leaders from your managers

Executive Passage founder and CEO Cynthia Roney: “there is no such thing as safe leadership. There is safe management”

Jean Sorensen

T

he lack of clear leadership and management training programs can stunt the growth of a business and lead to a revolving-door work environment.

“Most companies don’t have the appropriate processes and structure in place for choosing and preparing individuals for the role of being a manager or a leader,” said Sandy Chernoff, a soft-skills consultant. Individuals are often promoted based on longevity or job competence. Great code writers, lawyers or accountants may not necessarily have the interpersonal skills needed for successful leadership or management, said Chernoff, president of Soft Skills for Success.

“It’s the Peter Principle at work and like getting thrown into the deeper end of the pool,” she said. “That person doesn’t understand what they are to do and they

4

have not been given the skills to do it. You are really setting people up to fail and become frustrated.”

Consultant Cynthia Roney, CEO of Executive Passage, said it is crucial to ensure that the right type of person is put into the seat of authority in a business organization.

“Not all managers are good leaders and not all leaders are good managers,” she said. Each needs to understand the role that leaders and managers play in the development of the corporate growth, goals and direction.

Nurse Next Door chief of staff Judy Brooks sees leaders as “transformers” while managers are “relied upon to get things done and are the stabilizers.”

“In small businesses, you straddle both,” she said. It becomes key for individuals to realize when to lead and when to manage as the business grows.

But whether in big business or small, failure to place individuals in the right

position or exercise the skill set needed, or lack of good communication only leads to internal conflict. The “heads down” and “by the book” manager may feel threatened if he or she doesn’t understand the role that leaders play in innovation, risk taking or shaping and infusing the corporate culture among the staff, said Roney.

“Sometimes the manager mentality can create a toxic environment, and when people are unhappy, they start dropping like flies.”

The classic example of how the bottom line is impacted is seen when a visionary corporate leader leaves and is replaced by a corporate manager, said Roney.

“An organization that was previously propelled by someone with vision, a mission, charisma and leadership loses direction,” she said. “They are missing their rudder. Employees become disengaged and they lose momentum.”

Roney sees leadership as a higher skill

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 4

2/27/12 4:22:09 PM

“There you are really setting people up to fail and become frustrated” – Sandy Chernoff, consultant, Soft Skills for Success

set than management, as leaders must also know when to pull back on new ideas or direction and admit mistakes. “There is no such thing as safe leadership. There is safe management,” she said.

Both soft-skills coaches Roney and Chernoff stress the importance of putting training programs in place that extend beyond the executive level.

“You want to identify the potential leaders as early as possible. You want to

she said, often need to have difficult conversations with employees, which tend to be avoided, and therefore when meetings are held “there is this elephant in the room.”

Leadership training sessions can vary, Nurse Next Door taking shape in problem solving, goal chief of staff Judy setting, achieving results-oriented meetBrooks: straight ings, stress management and numerous talk leads to clear other topics, “depending what is down communications the road” in terms of corporate growth. and better company She likes to pace sessions with lag time direction so that practices can be put in place and evaluated.

At Nurse Next Door, Brooks said she flag them so that you can pace them, deplays a role in coaching and mentoring “a velop them and get feedback on them,” really impressive VP team,” which then said Roney. “A lot of organizations have mentors and coaches junior members. peer-to-peer coaching or mentoring ses“It’s a trickle-down effect,” she said. sions [a younger manager working with “They coach and mentor downward.” a senior manager] but what an external The company’s coaching and mencoach or mentor brings is a different contoring practices are built around its core text and different level of awareness that values, which serve as a filter for setting can go beyond the company’s inner cirgoals and direction. As well, she said, the cle.” company practices “straight talk,” which An external coach can show that both are clear conversations that facilitate managers and leaders play key – but diflearning. “We are ensuring that we have fering – roles in reaching the corporate truth and integrity, not just with our cligoals and growing the organization. ents, but with each other,” she said.

Chernoff believes that listening and “We have the tools and processes. There communication skills are key to achievis a lot of internal governance. When you ing management success both internally have that, it is a framework for success.” Ą and externally for a company. Managers, BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 5

5

2/27/12 4:22:18 PM

Style points

Most leaders use one of three basic management approaches

6

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 6

2/27/12 4:22:26 PM

DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Constantia Management principal Bob Sinclair: there is no “perfect” leadership style

James Dolan

N

o two people are alike. But when it comes to leaders, most can be classified into three basic “styles.”

Which style you choose to follow can have a dramatic impact on the long-term success of your business.

At one end of the spectrum, there are low-key, “laissez-faire” leaders, who take a hands-off approach to management and prefer to empower team members to make their own decisions. At the other end are authoritative leaders who prefer to give specific management instruction and direction to their reports. Between the two are the “consultative” or “participatory” leaders, who BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 7

7

3/7/12 11:08:46 AM

Ignite Leadership International CEO Catherine Rocheleau warns leaders to be careful with the authoritative style: “it doesn’t engage team members and fails to recognize their skills and insights”

solicit input from the team before making final decisions themselves.

So which style works best? That depends whom you ask.

Allen Knight, president of the Opportunity Network Corp., believes the answer depends on your team, not necessarily your business. “It’s not so much the kind of industry – it’s the kind of people,” Knight said. “If you have self-directed people in the team … [they] don’t need an authoritative type. [However], sometimes we need someone to step up to the plate and be a strong leader.”

Catherine Rocheleau, CEO of Ignite Leadership International, believes there’s a time and place for the authoritative style, but it is better suited to training new team members or directing unskilled workers

who do routine jobs. For high-performing teams, on the other hand, the approach can actually be counterproductive.

“On the whole, this approach is often not well-received because it doesn’t engage team members and fails to recognize their skills and insights and the resources they have to offer. A lack of engagement can cause resentment, a lack of initiative and motivation. High turnover and increased absenteeism are common results.”

Bob Sinclair, principal of Constantia Management Ltd., agrees that most leaders can be classified into one of these three basic styles. That said, one leadership style isn’t necessarily better than another.

“I don’t necessarily think there’s one perfect style,” Sinclair said. “Some

[leaders] have very aggressive styles and demands and expectations; that’s not for everybody. Others love it, because they know it’s clear direction and they know which way to go.”

Sinclair believes the success of a business depends less on the style of its leader than on the ability of the leader to be clear when communicating expectations and goals. “[People] can work through any style, as long as the reports understand where they’re going, and the leader understands where they’re going,” Sinclair said.

Successful leaders have the ability to adapt and change one’s style according to the context.

“Many, if not most of them, move through various styles dependent on the

“The coach knows when to give somebody a hug; the coach knows when to read somebody the riot act” – Allen Knight, president, the Opportunity Network 8

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 8

2/27/12 4:22:30 PM

“You have to respond to the challenges; you have to dance. And if you can’t dance, you’re going to have trouble being a very effective leader” – Bob Sinclair, principal, Constantia Management

time and situation,” Sinclair said. “Regardless of the image that many top leaders [project], the majority of them are empathetic and supportive of their reports. This is particularly true of highperforming executive teams.”

Knight likens this ability to what a coach does with a professional sports team. In both cases, the leader has developed the wisdom to know when to take the reins and when to let go.

“This is the highest form of leadership,” Knight said. “The coach knows when to give somebody a hug; the coach knows when to read somebody the riot act; the coach knows when to explain stories on the chalkboard.”

Instead of rigidly adhering to a pre-determined style, the best leaders are those who can adapt their styles to the needs of their teams, along with the dynamics between the individuals who make up that team, according to Sinclair.

“I would call it ‘dancing with your feet leadership,’” he said.

“You have to respond to the challenges; you have to dance. And if you can’t dance, you’re going to have trouble being a very effective leader.”

Rocheleau agrees that this ability to adapt is a key trait of the successful leader. While each leader has a “predominant” style, good leaders are able to adjust their styles to both respond to business challenges and capitalize on business opportunities.

“You have to help create the culture that’s going to stimulate … innovation, experimentation, calculated risk, because that’s what forces growth and change. A really good leader is actually going to foster that, and they’re going to be able to adapt to it.” Ą

Listen to the future.

The answers are out there. True leaders know how to ¢nd them. By listening, anticipating and constantly progressing.

By answering questions customers have yet to ask. For over a century, Audi has remained on the leading edge of automotive design and technology by doing just that.

It’s in the origin of our name, in fact.

From the A3 to the R8, Audi constantly strives to create a highly nuanced convergence of design, engineering and technology – with the end result being vehicles that are both high performing and luxurious. Whether it’s the elegant exterior lines, the clean simplicity of the instrumentation panel or the subtle sheen of each aluminum accent, you’ll ¢nd that design and craftsmanship, form and function work together to stay ahead of not only our drivers’ needs, but their desires as well.

It’s here that you’ll discover the meaning of Vorsprung durch Technik, a philosophy in which every aspect of design is driven by the goal to give drivers a distinct “advantage” through integrated, progressive technology.

But don’t just take our word for it. The proof is waiting at your Vancouver Area Audi dealership. Visit us anytime for a chance to test drive the future for yourself.

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 9

9

3/7/12 11:09:00 AM

Broken engagement Employee frustration can destroy motivation in the workplace

Lorne Mallin

A

top human resources executive, a business author and a seasoned HR consultant all point to employee frustration as toxic to engagement in the workplace.

“If as a leader you’re not approachable, you’re not transparent, you don’t communicate often, people will become frustrated,” said Ellen Pekeles, vice-president, human resources, of Vancity, Canada’s largest credit union.

“As an organization is going through change, a leader may not have all the answers,” she said. “It is so important to keep people engaged along the journey so that they understand what’s going on.

But leaders are sometimes uncomfortable when they don’t have all the answers.”

Pekeles said Vancity has learned through employee-engagement surveys over the years that inadequate processes and tools can be big problems.

“If you don’t have clean processes, you don’t have the tools to do your work, so it’s very, very frustrating, no matter how committed you are to an organization.”

To provide leadership, Pekeles said Vancity has redesigned processes such as lending money for mortgages.

“We’ve decreased the time that that takes,” she said. “That helps our 10

frustration over time. They will try to employees be empowered, to have the deproblem-solve. If that is not successful, cision-making close to our members, and one of two negative consequences will that totally alleviates frustration.”

Pekeles said leaders can promote engage- occur. One is they will simply stop trying or they will leave the organization.” ment by being very clear about accountabilHe said Hay Group’s research shows ity. She described a two-year Vancity inthe answer is employee enablement. “We itiative called Better Decisions, Better Retalk about strategies and tools that mansults. “It’s not prescriptive, telling you what agers can use to identify the specific astasks need to be done. It describes people’s pects of the work environment that are accountability in terms of outcomes. So it not enabling employees to be successful, gives people some room to play within that and then how can they change their own outcome and have some creativity and inbehaviours and change the work environnovation in delivering their roles.” ment to make people more effective.”

Tom Agnew and Mark Royal brought Stephanie Milliken, principal of Milthe issue of frustrated employees to Vanliken HR Consulting, said her employeecouver last October, when they kicked engagement surveys show that employees off a tour for the Canadian Management become frustrated when they don’t get Centre’s National Thought Leader series. enough feedback.

The two leaders in the Hay Group’s em“The flow of communication, the feedployee research division were unveiling back that employees can gather” is crucial, their new book, The Enemy of Engagement: she said, “so they can take it to heart and Put an End to Workplace Frustration – and grow and develop.”

Get the Most from Your Employees.

Milliken, who has worked in HR as “Employee frustration occurs among a senior manager and consultant for 30 the engaged and motivated people; people years, said a common thread in a highly who want to contribute but are being held engaged workplace is one where leaderback by a work environment that is not supportive, that throws barriers up to pro- ship cares about their people.

“I have seen the opposite,” she said, ductivity, or they’re in roles that are not “where I meet leaders who say all the right optimizing their own unique skills and things, though when you scratch the abilities,” Agnew told Business in Vancousurface and you really understand what ver. they’re talking about, their underlying beAgnew said frustration is a very lief is that people are a necessary evil.” unstable state. “People don’t stay in

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 10

2/27/12 4:22:34 PM

Stephanie Milliken, principal, Milliken HR Consulting: poor people managers may say the right things, but under the surface they believe people are a necessary evil

This belief that people take too much and give too little permeates the organization and employees can feel it.

Milliken said these leaders have valuable strengths in other areas of their business, so when it comes to people management the best thing they can do is to get out of the way.

“They can delegate the strategic responsibility for building an effective corporate culture to a trusted senior executive,” said Milliken, “or hire a trusted adviser who can provide him or her with excellent advice in the area of employee engagement.” Ą

“If as a leader you’re not approachable, you’re not transparent, you don’t communicate often, people will become frustrated”

Do you want a culture where employees are passionate about their work? you need the right tools.

– Ellen Pekeles, vice-president, human resources, Vancity

To find out more information, please call: 604.299.5115 or visit us online at: www.bc.dalecarnegie.com While you’re there, download an ASTD study sponsored by Dale Carnegie on how workplace learning affects engagement levels.

CA

R NE

GI E T R

A

10000

IN ®

I NG

Do you need to increase the bottom line?

Does your sales staff need a push?

Does your team need a jump start?

Ellen Pekeles, Vancity vice-president, human resources: “it is so important to keep people engaged along the journey so that they understand what’s going on”

DAL E

Tom Agnew, co-author, The Enemy of Engagement: frustrated employees either become disengaged or they leave the organization

U

RT

N

YO

GL

ER

YEARS

1 9 1 2 - 2 0 1 2

R

OB

A TP AL E N G AG E M E N

Copyright © 2012 Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 11

11

2/27/12 4:22:44 PM

DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Lisa McNabb, manager for premium client sales and service, Canucks Sports and Entertainment: “when they’re passionate about the sport, they’ll go through walls for you”

Stimulating sales

Recruiting, rewards and resiliency keys to success

Brenda Young

L

eading and motivating a winning sales team is crucial when your job is selling premium suites for the Vancouver Canucks.

Recognition plays a big role.

From high-fives for a great play to peer applause, the Canucks celebrate outstanding team effort off the ice as well as on.

“The key is having the right people in the right place and empowering them to

12

make great decisions,” said Lisa McNabb, manager for premium client sales and service, Canucks Sports and Entertainment.

“When they’re passionate about the sport, they’ll go through walls for you.”

McNabb has seen an increased demand for hospitality suites on a game-bygame basis.

“It’s a different sales world we’re in,” she said. “We take a game plan approach, linking a sales team member’s performance to show the effect on the company’s success. Working in a fast-paced business,

taking time to acknowledge those inhouse wins is important,” McNabb said.

While the Canuck’s High-Five and Three-Star programs recognize, reward and raise performance, the rush of working for an emotionally charged product can also bring challenges.

“When we come out of a loss, we all feel it,” said McNabb. “Post Stanley Cup playoffs were tough, but we handled things proactively to ensure morale remained high. When you have a fantastic product like the Canucks and love what

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 12

2/27/12 4:22:46 PM

1168 RED Edition.indd 13

2/27/12 4:22:47 PM

Denise Tacon, general manager, Vancouver Island Conference Centre: considers her team a professional family who extends that “be our guest” feeling to their customers

you do, it’s easy to keep the energy up and stay motivated. On game day, there’s lots of adrenalin and excitement in the office.”

The airline business is another industry fuelled by dynamism, requiring a flexible approach.

“We’ve weathered adversity,” said James Howey, Air Canada regional general manager, passenger sales for B.C. “We survived the post-911 era, and faced ash clouds and European snowstorms. The team remains resilient.”

Howey, part of a national sales team working within a regionalized businessto-business network, is responsible for overseeing customer growth and new customer acquisition opportunities.

He encourages his team to “focus on objectives, solutions-sell and make 14

empowered decisions to maintain momentum despite marketplace distractions.”

He added that technology plays a significant role in aiding his team’s success, with today’s top CRM tools, presentation tablets and mobile devices increasing efficiencies with quick access to data with a more user-friendly approach.

As a company-wide incentive, Air Canada also offers an on-time performance pay initiative.

“While our sales team doesn’t have a direct impact on on-time performance, we influence customer wins in our travel relationships,” he said.

Overall, Howey believes that teambuilding is key. “I’m big on investing in people and developing their skills. Today,

it’s too easy to let the business consume you and forget that you’re working with real people beside you.”

The convention and tourism business is another key industry on its competitive sales toes. Denise Tacon, general manager of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, who oversees all aspects of daily operations, attributes the Nanaimo centre’s success to a magnificent facility with a strong team ethic.

“While each person plays a huge role in how the centre is depicted, we all work as a team whether building new or existing business relationships,” Tacon said, adding that a big part of the team’s motivation is: Loving your home. It’s an easy sell, with a focus on the bounty of outdoor activities in the region’s own backyard.

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 14

2/27/12 4:22:50 PM

You Have a Vision for the Future.

Let TEC Canada help you achieve it.

RANDAL KURT

For nearly 30 years, TEC Canada has been helping good senior leaders become great CEOs.

“I’m big on investing in people and developing their skills.

Today, it’s too easy to let the business consume you and forget that you’re working with real people beside you”

Discover how our unique approach to leadership development and international executive community of more than 14,500 members, generating nearly $300 billion in annual revenue, can help you succeed beyond expectations.

800-661-9209 info@tec-canada.com Visit www.tec-canada.com

– James Howey, regional general manager, passenger sales for B.C., Air Canada

She said that working with their best assets is their biggest philosophy, striving for excellence at all times. She considers her team a professional family who extends that “be our guest” feeling to their customers, regardless of the price-point, giving then the best experience possible.

“It’s a strong relationship-building approach which, I believe, breeds loyalty with our people and clients. I’m lucky to have a great group that makes me proud every day,” Tacon said. “We thrive off that energy, off of our love for being here and enjoying what we do. At the end of the day, I don’t think you could ask for anything else.” Ą

TEC Canada is committed to creating twenty-first century leaders who champion innovation, collaboration and empowerment.

Our vision is to accelerate the growth and development of Canadian business. TEC Canada is part of Vistage International. The globe and maple leaf represent TEC’s expansive international perspective rooted in our Canadian heritage.

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 15

15

2/27/12 4:22:52 PM

Team building Clarity, preparation and the right tactics keep members engaged

L

eading a team can feel like you’re herding cats if you don’t have a clear purpose, proper motivational tools and conflict resolution skills.

As a director of Maple Leaf Self Storage, Tracy McEvoy focuses on specific goals.

“A leader needs to be able to paint a clear picture of what we are working together to achieve, why it is important and what is expected of each of its team members. It is not sufficient to state that we need to grow the company’s revenues: the team needs to have a purpose that it can own.”

At Maple Leaf, McEvoy says their stated purpose is to be the customers’ first choice for self-storage so that they can grow the company’s market share. They do this partly by striving to provide “innovative and exceptional customer service” in “wellmanaged, quality facilities.”

Once the goal is in place, McEvoy said, “It is the leader’s job to keep the team inspired, focused, engaged and accountable for its results. The only way that this can be done is through effective communication.”

In her role as president of GrowForward Youth Success, JoAnne Ward helps teens “inspire, impact and innovate” and counsels young adults to implement strategies that help them define their path in life. Ward agrees with McEvoy’s assessment that clarity is paramount for a group leader. “They must have a clear idea of what they want to present to the team and explain why it is relevant to the team or the company.”

Preparation is another vital element, according to Ward: “Not 16

DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Bo Gembarsky

only will it be beneficial for the leader to prepare the material in advance, they should be aware of how each team member thinks and processes new information. Supply an agenda to the team before the meeting.”

Erin Chutter, president and CEO of cobalt producer Puget Ventures (TSX-V:PVS), adds that alignment is needed by all team members on goals and deliverables. “It is easy to assume that everyone knows where the project is going, but it is useful to have a check-in point for each member of the team. When a project is going fast and furious, this often gets overlooked.”

McEvoy notes good leaders recognize that what matters most to one team member may not matter to another. “Whether we are aware of it or not, we all make decisions based on what we value. Some team members are motivated by recognition, while others may be motivated by stability, money or work/life balance.

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 16

2/27/12 4:22:55 PM

“It is not sufficient to state that we need to grow the company’s revenues: the team needs to have a purpose that it can own” – Tracy McEvoy, director, Maple Leaf Self Storage

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 17

17

2/27/12 4:22:59 PM

DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Joanne Ward, president, GrowForward Youth Success: keep tabs on how attentive people are in a meeting; what do their behaviours say? Adjust as you see different signs so you can step in before arguments, criticism and disintegration

“Everyone says they want open communication, but some people just can’t handle it and it retrenches simmering resentments” – Erin Chutter, president and CEO, Puget Ventures

The only way that a leader can determine this is by spending time with the team member and getting to know more about that employee’s life, concerns and aspirations.”

Ward illustrates how a team meeting can deviate off path and how a leader can take action to steer it back again: Formation: The team is informed of the meeting; the agenda is distributed ahead of time; the meeting starts on time; research on the team members’ behaviours and concerns are completed.

Differences felt: The facilitator should be aware of body language, chatter and other signs that indicate that there are differing opinions. If not dealt with through open communication, the process can quickly go to the next stage.

Fracture: Arguments, apathy, disengagement and criticism among team members can happen if conflict is not resolved right away.

Foes: The fracture can escalate to where there is a stalemate or people walk out. At this point, a mediator is required to bring 18

the group together.

Frankness and feelings: Ideally, the facilitator will use this approach during the “Differences felt” stage. By addressing the negative vibes, Ward says people will feel valued and heard, and the meeting can move on. If the issue escalates, it will be necessary to restart at the Formation stage with more preparation.

Fulfilment is the stage of completion. There is collaboration and motivation; values and opinions have been addressed and recognized; and action tasks can be easily distributed.

Chutter believes the key to effective conflict resolution depends on the people and cultures involved. “It is easy to make the mistake of applying the wrong style and making the situation worse, not better,” she said.

“Everyone says they want open communication, but some people just can’t handle it and it retrenches simmering resentments. Of course, social time for the team can knit the team together better and reduce the likelihood of conflict in the first place.” Ą

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 18

2/27/12 4:23:07 PM

An opportunity for you to excel The Business Excellence series includes a

The Print component is a glossy magazine

The Event is a networking breakfast

magazine followed by a breakfast event

featuring in-depth coverage of the topic.

followed by an interactive panel discussion

featuring an interactive panel discussion of

It is included as an insert to Business in

with experts invited by BIV to share

the selected business theme.

Vancouver subscribers and distributed at

their knowledge and experience. These

BIV Events.

discussions provide relevant and useful information for the issues and challenges you face in today’s business environment

1. Leadership March

3. Marketing September

At its simplest definition, a leader is someone who influences a larger group of individuals to achieve a common goal. So what does it take to be an inspirational and effective leader? How do you manage staff in a way that allows them to have a fulfilling career while getting the results your company needs? How do you develop your own leadership style? And what exactly is the difference between leader and a manager?

How do businesses present themselves to the world? With so many advertising and marketing opportunities, both online and off, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to put your resources.

What can large corporations do that will be fresh and memorable?

And how can small businesses compete with limited budgets?

2. Sustainability June A focus on sustainability in company products and practices has proven to be a game-changer for many organizations, offering them the strategic advantage they need to set them apart from their competition. But how do you maintain or launch into “greening” a business in a way that elicits positive responses but doesn’t break the bank?

4. Philanthropy December While most business people would like to be generous with their time or money, limited budgets often constrain how much a company can give back to the community. Yet social responsibility now has a permanent position in business bottom lines, and those who ignore it are missing an opportunity to make their benevolence work for them. Innovation is key when it comes to dreaming up strategies to contribute to the world in a way that won’t break the bank. 2012 marks the launch of Business in Vancouver’s Non-Profit Innovation Awards.

Take the next step: t "UUFOE UIF CSFBLGBTUT BOE JNQSPWF ZPVS TLJMMT t "MSFBEZ BO FYQFSU 'JOE PVU IPX ZPV DBO QBSUJDJQBUF BT B TQFBLFS t #FDPNF B TQPOTPS BOE UBML EJSFDUMZ UP UIF QFPQMF XIP NBUUFS JO 7BODPVWFS Call Chris Wilson for more information on how you and your company can get involved

1168 RED Edition.indd 19

604.688.2398 biv.com/colour

3/9/12 5:21:27 PM

“60,000-foot view” critical for business Planning myopia a huge stumbling block on road to success

Robert Prince

I

f you want to manage competing demands in your life or business, you must have a game plan. That might sound intuitive, but two B.C.-based business consultants and one successful businesswoman agree the biggest challenge facing too many people today is lack of a vision or goals.

Whether in business or their personal lives, those people have no clear idea of where they’re going or how to get there, said Randy Hart of Normandy 4 Point Management.

“My experience shows it’s rather common,” said Hart, a former forest industry executive who started his management consulting business three years ago. “I think a lot of people just sort of try to get through the day, and they’re not backing up and taking the 60,000-foot view for perspective, and that’s why we hear so much about stress and time management and setting priorities.”

The president, CEO and namesake of Lorna Vanderhaeghe Health Solutions Inc. concurs with Hart’s assessment, noting that myopia in business is way too common.

“We get so caught up in the little details that we forget that if we spent more time on building [our business] we could do so much more,” said Vanderhaeghe, whose health and nutrition company saw a fivefold increase in sales over the past two years, turning it into a multimillion-dollar concern. “Unfortunately, entrepreneurs tend to think that if they don’t do it themselves, then [the work] won’t be done.”

20

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 20

2/27/12 4:23:10 PM

“You’d be surprised how many people are doing things professionally that bear no relation to what they want to achieve personally” – Randy Hart, consultant, Normandy 4 Point Management

Lorna Vanderhaeghe, president and CEO, Lorna Vanderhaeghe Health Solutions: “give good direction because if [employees] know what you want, they’ll give you what you want”

Broader vision “To what extent does a person have a big picture view? How well can the person dance between the larger view and the day-to-day activities that generate the results?” asked Michael Walsh, owner of Vancouver-based Kaizen Consulting, which has been helping businesspeople since 1995.

“This is a skill that not everyone has, but it can be nurtured and grown. The big picture keeps people from getting overwhelmed, and the day-to-day activities need to feed into that big picture.”

Resolving this issue is critical to success, said Hart. He recommends engaging in a visioning process that not only identifies business goals, but also personal aspirations.

“You’d be surprised how many people are doing things professionally that bear no relation to what they want to achieve personally,” he noted, adding many business owners also hold onto business objectives they haven’t embraced for years because they never take time to adjust those goals.

Said Vanderhaeghe, “When you have a small business or you’re an entrepreneur, you’re pretty much doing everything

Normandy 4 Point Management consultant Randy Hart: if you want results, you must be clear in your expectations, give readily understood instructions and ensure your people know how results will be measured

Kaizen Consulting founder Michael Walsh: “managing our energy will pay much higher dividends than managing our time”

yourself, so time management is always a challenge.”

One of the key ways to manage priorities, said Vanderhaeghe, is to get the right people in place to assist your efforts, so that you don’t burn out or get bogged down.

You find the right team by hiring people you can trust, and thinkers who also love your business, she adds.

“It makes for a much more harmonious business situation.”

The key to creating that harmony, however, is ensuring that when you delegate responsibility, you’re not just setting yourself up for chaos.

Delegation of responsibility is not about abrogation of the same, Hart emphasizes. Simply giving someone an assignment and expecting that person to perform doesn’t work, he said. If you want results, you must be clear in your expectations, give readily understood instructions and ensure your people know how results will be measured.

Delegating effectively is a skill that can be learned like any other, Walsh insists. “If there is a problem, it is the assumption that people should already know how to delegate

effectively. This stops them from learning.”

Vanderhaeghe’s advice is to always “give good direction, because if [employees] know what you want, they’ll give you what you want.”

Energy fluctuations Another key component to time management is more personal, said Walsh. For him, time management is more about energy management.

“Everyone knows you can’t manage time, only priorities,” said Walsh. “People tend to segment their lives into little pieces and try to balance between them, juggling in the name of balance. Rather than carving up all the segments, what if we worked in a more integrative manner? Instead of managing our time [or priorities], what if we managed our energy levels?

“If my energy is high, then I am more capable of taking on different tasks, or priorities. If my energy is low it doesn’t matter how much time I set aside for a given task, it will be a struggle. Managing our energy will pay much higher dividends than managing our time.” Ą BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 21

21

2/27/12 4:23:16 PM

Executive growth Two organizations provide different methods toward highlevel executive development

“It’s a place where they can really ask, ‘What should I be thinking, or how do I think about it?’”

– Catherine Osler, president, TEC-Canada

Benjamin Yong

I

n the corporate world, there is no shortage of internal and external training opportunities for employees who want to advance to another stage of their career. But where do those at the top of the ladder like CEOs and managers go to get to the next level?

Enter ViRTUS, a Vancouverbased consulting firm that has been providing services to businesses across the

22

country focused on leadership development and strategic planning and execution since 1998. With a team of former CEOs, entrepreneurs and executives averaging more than 20 years of consulting experience, they’ve recently been catering mostly to organizations looking for help growing leaders from within, said ViRTUS driver Mike Desjardins.

“There’s a gap between baby boomers [55 to 65 demographic] and the next generation,” said Desjardins, who says the

phenomenon has produced a war for talent in the marketplace. “As a result there are groups of leaders, and below them there’s a significant experience gap.”

Clients range from companies generating $1 million in revenue to those in the billions, and are from every conceivable sector – service, food and beverage, telecommunications. As executives begin to look at retirement, they need the people below them to gain 10 to 15 years of realworld experience in three to five years,

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 22

2/27/12 4:23:26 PM

Desjardins said. To do that, he and his team customize a plan for the needs of each specific business.

“What’s coming up most today is leadership, innovation, creativity and decision making. [These are] hot topics coming up for organizations that are trying to grow.”

To address these topics, staff travel directly to sites or use online virtual technology like Microsoft Live Meeting and discuss either one-on-one or with a group things that can be as simple as how to give and receive feedback to social intelligence – the ability to manage one’s self and interact with others.

Taking a slightly different approach to leadership support is the Executive Committee, also known as TEC-Canada.

Rather than using its own core group of mentors, TEC employs a peer mentoring system, said president Catherine Osler.

“We’re a membership organization.

[CEOs] join, and then they participate in these executive conversations where they can learn to be better leaders,” said Osler.

Forums of 16 CEOs (there is a similar but separate program tailored toward senior managers such as CFOs) are assembled,

Terra Breads founder and CEO Mike Lansky has been a successful member of TECCanada for four years

ViRTUS driver Mike Desjardins: baby boomer executives are looking to grow leaders quickly within their own organizations

from different industries and hand-picked

by Osler’s organization, and moderated by a chair also selected by TEC. “One of our distinguishing features is the chair – successful businesspeople with a track record,” she said, who previously was herself a member and chair while with two corporate communication firms that she built.

The chair provides some coaching duties and also facilitates the sessions by putting forward their own ideas, as well as challenging ideas and decisions raised by those in the forum – like entering a new market or selling part of a business – so that others wrestling with similar problems can benefit.

“It’s a place where they can really ask, ‘What should I be thinking, or how do I think about it?’ It gets people way ahead in their thinking about things that wouldn’t [normally] come across the desk.”

Speakers, also high-level professionals from the community, are brought in on occasion to provide new and fresh content and perspectives to the forums that largely stay with the same participants for the duration of their membership.

Michael Lansky, founder and CEO of Vancouver bakery-café chain Terra Breads, has been with his same TECCanada forum for the last four years. He started his company in 1993 and recently opened a fourth store in the now-bustling Olympic Village on False Creek.

“The motivation [to join] was to really get assistance and develop skills, making the transition from a solely entrepreneurial company to a business that has a professional management system,” said Lansky, who worked for a real estate developer before turning to the epicurean arts.

TEC is similar to ViRTUS in that participants can come from businesses of varying sizes and backgrounds, but Lansky said many of the issues and concepts are applicable across the board, no matter what your company’s size.

“I realized how much I had to learn – management systems, measuring business metrics, key performance indicators, lead manufacturing,” he said.

“We’ve been able to manage better as a management team and to really solidify it as a stable, well-run business with all the basic areas covered.” Ą BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER EXCELLENCE SERIES

1168 RED Edition.indd 23

23

2/27/12 4:23:28 PM

PRINTING PARTNER

1168 RED Edition.indd 24

SPONSOR

3/7/12 11:09:46 AM