News

Hurricane Nate hits US as category one storm

Hurricane Nate has made landfall in the US states of Louisiana and Mississippi as a category one storm, with wind gusts of nearly 140 kilometres per hour.

Nate, the fourth major storm to strike the United States in less than two months, killed at least 30 people in Central America before entering the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and bearing down on the US South.

The storm made landfall first in south-east Louisiana, then along Mississippi’s coast near the town of Biloxi.

The hurricane warning for New Orleans was downgraded to a tropical storm warning, and the mayor there lifted a curfew imposed earlier.

Forecasters said the hurricane would be downgraded back to a tropical storm by Sunday morning local time.

But a hurricane warning remained in effect for the Gulf Coast from Grand Isle Louisiana to the Alabama-Florida border, according to the US National Weather Service.

Evacuations were ordered along the central Gulf Coast and governors in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have declared states of emergency.

“This is the worst hurricane that has impacted Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina,” Mississippi emergency management director Lee Smithson said.

“Everyone needs to understand that this is a significantly dangerous situation.”

About 5,000 people in southern Alabama were without power due to Nate, Alabama Power said.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards urged residents to make final preparations quickly and stressed that Nate could deliver a storm surge reaching up to 3.3 metres in some coastal areas.

Ports closed, National Guard troops mobilised

Earlier, authorities made last-minute preparations as the hurricane intensified.

In Louisiana the National Guard mobilised 1,300 troops and positioned high-water vehicles, boats and even school buses from Baton Rouge to New Orleans to help with rescues.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said he spoke with President Donald Trump, who assured him the Federal Government was prepared to respond as well.

More than 40 per cent of manned oil- and gas-producing platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were evacuated, according to the Interior Department.

Some airports in southern US states were closed, as were major shipping ports across the central US Gulf Coast.

The US Coast Guard ordered a halt to all traffic beginning at 8:00am local time for several ports in New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

New Orleans, which sits near the mouth of the Mississippi River, is an important transit point for energy, metals and agricultural commodities moving to overseas and domestic markets.

Gary LaGrange, executive director of trade group Ports Association of Louisiana, said he expected traffic restrictions to be lifted quickly once the fast-moving storm passed.

“It’ll be short-lived, based on the projected path and movement of the storm, unless an unlikely event happens such as two vessels colliding,” he said.

Vessels were still moving to secure berths at the ports on Saturday morning, he said.

Reuters/AP

Chinese investment too low to be the driver of soaring house prices, study finds

It’s a common perception that Chinese buyers are descending upon Australia and driving up housing prices to unaffordable levels.

However, Chinese buyers had almost no impact on property prices, according to research by business consultancy Cross Border Management (CBM) and BIS Oxford Economics.

The study found that Chinese buyers accounted for less than 2 per cent of all Australian real estate transactions, and contributed less than 1 per cent ($122 out of $12,800) to the average quarterly housing price increase.

Their slightly more mundane conclusion is that the factors behind the nation’s high property prices are record-low interest rates and strong population growth.

Chinese investment ‘negligible’

Chinese investment in Australia rose from $6.2 billion (in 2007) to $87.2 billion (in 2016), CBM stated in its report.

That is a fourteen-fold increase in 10 years.

Although this is a rapid increase, the amount of Chinese investment is rather low, compared to the total amount invested by the United States.

America’s total investment in Australia was at an already-high $433 billion in 2006.

In the last 10 years, the US investment doubled to $861 billion, which is certainly slower than China’s fourteen-fold boom in the same period.

But when comparing the total value of investments in 2016, the US figure is 10 times higher than China’s ($87.2 billion).

“While the growth in Chinese investment has been significant, it pales in comparison to investment flows from other countries,” said CBM’s managing director CT Johnson.

After the US, the next biggest Australian investors were the UK, Belgium, Hong Kong and Singapore, then China.

“Chinese capital flows into Australia have been almost negligible, accounting for just 2.7 per cent of inbound investment,” he said.

Are they really Chinese?

“Where East Asians used to account for only 1 in 18 Australians, now they are 1 out of every 12,” said Mr Johnson.

He also said the “East Asian” category included people from Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia, who are mistakenly identified as Chinese (which is a common experience).

Adding to the perception that Chinese buyers are flooding the Australian property market is the high concentration of Chinese residents in certain neighbourhoods.

For instance, almost every fourth person speaks Mandarin in the Melbourne neighbourhood of Clayton, while that figure is higher in the Sydney suburb of Burwood — every 1 in 3.

The CBM study also found there was no correlation between the number of Mandarin speakers and the annual rise in property prices (across 79 neighbourhoods with the highest proportion of Mandarin speakers).

Land squeeze a problem

“The other major factor in housing price growth is population relative to available land,” Mr Johnson said, particularly as most Australians live around the coast, hemmed by geographical features like oceans and mountains.

He believes this makes it challenging to develop new land in response to population growth (up 18 per cent since 2006).

“Australian housing prices are much more correlated with interest rates and population growth than with Chinese investment,” Mr Johnson said.

In 2007, the Reserve Bank set the official interest rate between 6.25 and 6.75 per cent, and the median Sydney house price was a bit over $500,000 (taking into account the lower population of about 20 million people).

Fast forward 10 years and Australia now has a historic-low 1.5 per cent interest rate, plus a population of around 23.5 million. With record low borrowing costs, the median Sydney price rose to just over $900,000.

China’s government has more recently been cracking down on overseas investments, resulting in large Chinese developers pulling out of some high-priced property developments.

Furthermore, Chinese buyers are now subject to higher stamp duty and land tax, and Foreign Investment Review Board application fees.

CEO confidence on Australia’s SME growth

the executive connection

TEC’s Confidence Index Report (CIR) paints an optimistic future for Australia’s businesses, even if there may be some challenges ahead. The CIR outlines not only some of the positive aspects of the Australian marketplace but also some of the most pressing issues CEOs must address if they are to succeed. With a well-developed strategy, business owners should be able to leverage this coming year for sustainable and aggressive growth.

Australia’s economic outlook is bright

82% of CEOs believe the economic conditions of Australia will either grow or stay the same. This stability is incredibly important for businesses that expect to begin building their growth in the coming year. Even a stable economy ­­­— without growth — is a boon to a well-managed business.

Though a well-run business can succeed at any time, a strong economy improves upon all factors, from the cost of customer acquisition to the cost of goods. Businesses will be investing more in their own infrastructure, which in turn will contribute more to the growth of the economy overall. Even a perception of a stronger economy can have a resounding impact, especially at a local level.

Business owners expect an increase in sales revenue

78% of business owners anticipate an increase in sales revenue in the year ahead, and this is going to encourage business owners further to continue investing ­— not only in themselves but also in products and services from other local companies. An anticipated increase in sales revenue is due to an increase in customer spending, which naturally occurs when the economy is doing better.

At the same time, low consumer confidence may require that business owners become more creative and aggressive with their marketing techniques. By coming up with innovative ways to captivate their customers, leaders will be able to separate their companies from their competition. In fact, they will have to if they want to leverage the current economic conditions.

Businesses will be featuring new products and services

72% of business owners are citing new products and services as a part of their growth plan. As businesses grow, investing in a product base is a solid strategy as it gives consumers something new and exciting to be interested in.

At the same time, investing in new products and services can also be a risky bet for an entrepreneur. Without substantial market testing, companies can find themselves extending too far financially on products and services that they aren’t able to move.

Though market testing cannot eliminate this possibility, it can reduce the risk. New products and services can then open up brand-new markets for the business and aid them in development and expansion.

Altogether, the CEO outlook is an exceptionally positive one. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of work to be done. Though CEO confidence is high, consumer confidence is not. And CEOs are finding many challenges along the way, such as time management, skill development, and innovation.

Read the full Confidence Index Report Q2, 2017 

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The task of delegating tasks

Only 28% of businesses offer any training regarding delegation — even though half of them are concerned that delegation is not being handled effectively. For CEOs and managers, delegation skills are not optional. In fact, these are the only way to progress.

The process of delegation is the process of prioritisation — letting go of tasks that you can allow others to handle so that you can focus on the tasks that only you can handle.

Through appropriate delegation, CEOs and managers can free themselves up for the most important tasks while also giving their employees the benefit of additional experience and advanced skills.

Nevertheless, there are some definite psychological and practical barriers to delegation that can cause CEOs and managers to hesitate. It is these barriers that need to be cleared to achieve more effective business processes overall.

1. Identify the tasks that can be delegated

Delegation should always begin with the simplest tasks and work its way upwards to the more complex ones. In a well-run business, every task is important — but some tasks are less complex than others.

A good candidate for delegation will be a task that is routine, repetitive, consistent, and teachable. This is a task that is easy to explain to an employee and that they have the skills and the capabilities to complete. This is also a task that does not change often and does not require any special access or permission to complete.

It isn’t always easy to identify a ‘simple’ task. For instance, there may be interactions with vendors that appear to be simple mechanically but would require your personal social interaction to complete. So before delegating, ask yourself whether an employee may encounter any roadblocks during the task that you yourself may not, such as not having in-depth knowledge of a customer or a business process. This doesn’t mean that the task can’t be delegated; it merely means that additional work may be needed.

2. Match the task to the employee

It is important that you hand over tasks to employees who have some level of competency within the area. As a leader, it is likely that you are handling many different tasks that utilise different skills, ranging from business knowledge to interpersonal communications.

So knowing your employees is the first step towards understanding which tasks they are best suited for — though you also shouldn’t hesitate to give a capable employee a chance at something that may be a little outside of their skill set.

When delegating, it often becomes the case that a CEO or manager will discover that one employee is highly competent. These are the employees that often begin to take on more delegated tasks and processes, and it should often be the goal of the leader to find these employees. Once you have found your highly competent individuals, you can then begin mentoring them into more advanced roles within your organisation.

3. Introducing the task to the employee

When an employee has a task delegated to them, it’s easy for the task to be seen as ‘more work.’ Framing the delegation appropriately can be the difference between an excited employee and a hesitant one.

A delegated task is not a punishment; it is an opportunity for growth and development. If the employee does well at the task, they should be able to grow with the company and eventually enhance their own responsibilities. This is something that is very important to modern employees, who are found to have an eye for consistent career advancement.

Employees should be made aware of the task itself and why you chose them for the task — this is in addition to the skills and experience that make them an ideal candidate. Through this, the employee will be aware that you are looking at their performance and paying attention to their own career goals. They will have more motivation to not only complete the task in a timely fashion but also to do their best at it.

If the task relates to a vendor, customer, or other individual, introductions should be made at this time so that the delegation will flow smoothly.

4. Provide instructions

It’s easy to become an indispensable resource over time simply because others would not know exactly what you did or how it was done. The difference between a successful delegation and a failed delegation often comes down to documentation.

It can be easy to become frustrated about things that you believe ‘anyone should know’, and it can be easy for an employee to become frustrated that they are expected to ‘read your mind’. Giving clear instructions from the outset bypasses these potential issues.

More importantly, documentation is an investment; it can be used when these tasks are delegated in the future and ensures that you are not burdened by ‘hit by a truck’ scenarios.

In addition to providing clear instructions, it may be necessary to complete the job with an employee a few times. When the task is finally handed over, the employee must be clear regarding the desired results of the task and when it needs to be completed by.

Not only will this take a burden off you as the leader, it will also empower your employees to take ownership and initiative. This is further discussed in “How to create a culture of accountability“ by the established business leader and HR professional Trudy MacDonald.

Delegation is a skill, and it’s a skill that will serve a leader for some time to come. The best leaders are the ones that are most effective at delegating; they trust their employees can handle the day-to-day operations fully while they’re focusing on the bigger picture.

You can master your delegation skills through practice, experience, and mentorship. TEC gives you access to experienced, successful leaders, with which you can discuss the art of delegation and the process of integrating delegation effectively into your business culture. Contact TEC today to find out more.

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3 important considerations fuelling CEO decision-making today

At a recent TEC conference, over 300 members were asked about the biggest decision they’ve made in the last 90 days and the biggest one they will make in the coming 90 days. From the pool of answers, there were three topics that stood out most prominently.

Download the e-book to receive actionable tips to help you make better decisions as a business leader

Achieving a strong corporate culture

Mentor Helen Wiseman discusses the effect corporate culture has on your company. A strong culture, aligned with the CEO’s clear vision for the business, can ‘strengthen your governance structures’. Helen also explores the strategies you can implement to improve this intangible yet invaluable asset.

Product development and go-to-market strategies

Mentor Ian Neal provides some insights on what strong product development relies on, from idea generation to launch. He tells leaders that crafting a great product is more than just doing ‘expensive market research or email surveys’. In the whitepaper, he identifies a free, accessible resource at the tip of your fingers.

Achieving significant growth

Mentor Trent Bartlett puts growth into perspective: ‘Leaders need to think about the maximum foreseeable loss their company can sustain’. Trent explores the different capabilities you can use to fuel growth initiatives as well as exactly what is needed to achieve it.

Contact TEC today to find out how our monthly peer group meetings and mentoring sessions, can help you push past your assumptions to make better decisions.

TEC

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CEO’s greatest barrier to innovation is time

TEC’s Confidence Index Report revealed that 35% of CEOs consider time as the major barrier to innovation. Time is a precious resource — it cannot be purchased, bartered, or sold. And this is especially problematic given that 52% of CEOs have cited new products or services as the centrepiece of their growth plans. To develop these new products and services, innovation is critical. And that requires finding the time.

Make the best use of available time

Innovation and operational effectiveness go hand-in-hand. When running a business, it’s almost always easier to reduce expenses than it is to increase revenue.

Time operates similarly. Though you cannot create more time, you can use the time that you have more effectively. Automating repetitive tasks, making better use of technology, and outsourcing intelligently are all ways that a business can make the most of time as a resource.

By analysing your business for inefficiencies and improving productivity, you can make more space across the board for innovation. Your most talented employees will be working on the tasks that they are best suited for — and they will be able to focus on new products and services rather than routine, mundane, and repetitive tasks. The more productive the business become, the less time will be a concern.

Don’t try to rush innovation

Innovation takes time: there’s no way around it. But it can be difficult for a business to pour resources into a process that appears to be remaining static. Business owners may feel as though brainstorming, researching, and market testing isn’t producing tangible results — and consequently they may feel as though they need to rush it.

But rushing innovation can ultimately lead to mistakes. Innovation is something that cannot be forced. The best a CEO can do is create a culture and environment that fosters innovation; after that, it is often required that they wait.

Innovation must be continuous

CEOs must set aside time every month — or even every week — to collaborate and explore ideas with their teams. Employees will not generate ideas for the company in their spare time; they need to be directed.

Teams of individuals work far better than individuals alone, as they are able to bounce ideas off one another. In a team set-up, it’s easier to point out loopholes in ideas and good ideas will be encouraged. By getting your employees on board, you’ll be able to increase both employee creativity and employee engagement.

Innovation cannot be something that has an end goal, such as one more product or service. Rather, innovation has to be a continuous process — this is how a business can continue to improve and remain competitive.

Develop a clear process

Innovation begins by identifying a problem, and this can range from internal to industry-wide. Consider your current clients and your future clients, and think about emerging trends and market changes.

Once you’ve identified a problem that either exists or that will arise, you can then find a solution to that problem or to that inefficiency. The goal is to find a way to solve the problem that your company can excel at.

The best and most talented employees are experts at innovation. But other employees can still learn — and they should. The process begins by educating your employees on the process of innovation and ensuring that they understand that any employee can be instrumental to the process. Innovation doesn’t require a tech background; it merely requires a solid understanding of a company’s customer base and industry operations.

By refining your creative processes and improving business productivity, you can develop new products and new services that will not only compete with other companies but potentially even disrupt them. Naturally, the process begins with a solid understanding of your own company’s fundamental operations, in addition to brainstorming and creating confidently.

Read the full Confidence Index Report Q2, 2017

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CEOs struggle to find the right skills and talent

With confidence in economic growth and stability rising, many CEOs are looking towards expansion. A problem arising, however, is a difficulty in finding talent. 63% of the CEOs polled in the Confidence Index Report (CIR) cited talent as a major issue impacting growth. Both political issues and the changing employment markets are creating challenges.

As the economy improves, the job market becomes more competitive. 

Australia’s unemployment rate has dropped to 5.6% and is expected to continue dropping as the economy improves. Lower unemployment rates lead to a more competitive employment market, in which employers find it more difficult to attract the top talent. Employees become more expensive overall as they expect higher salaries and better benefits. And with the additional limitation of 457 visas, acquiring cost-effective and highly skilled staff is challenging.

CEOs must be creative when acquiring the top talent.

41% of CEOs believe that staff acquisition and retention is their number one concern. In order to continue growing, CEOs have to be creative when courting talent.

  • Offer perks in place of more traditional benefits. Innovative companies are offering perks such as pet-friendly offices, child care, and flex time. Today’s employees want work-life balance — and if employers are able to make their offices more attractive, their employees will be willing to spend more time there.
  • Listen to your employees and their suggestions. Employees want to feel that they are being listened to and valued. Most importantly, employees may have a better perspective on what would make the company more competitive to other talent.
  • Be open to broadening your employment search. Many employers are used to demanding specific requirements from their potential employees, but it can become necessary for employers to broaden their search for more non-traditional talent. Employers may want to consider which of their requirements are truly requirements or which may simply be desirable.

Employee retention may become its own challenge.

In addition to acquisition, retention becomes a challenge when there are more employers attempting to procure talent. Employees may find themselves being courted by other companies who may have more appealing offers; it is the employer’s responsibility to make sure that they can provide a more attractive working environment.

Employees want to have opportunities for advancement, and if they feel that they are stagnating in their career path, they are very likely to look for another position with another company. Employers can provide additional training, certifications, seminars, and personal development opportunities to make themselves more competitive.

Employers should also be aware that employees are more likely to leave managers than a company — if they are unhappy with their direct management, the company’s own benefits may not matter. Consequently, employers need to listen to their employees and take complaints and suggestions seriously.

Employers who are looking to hire employees are going to need to be creative and innovative. Networking is going to be key in procuring the best talent as the economy continues to improve and employees find themselves more in demand. TEC can provide connections and guidance for CEOs who are looking to improve their talent pool and retain their talent moving forward.

Read the full Confidence Index Report Q2, 2017

 

 

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TEC Blog – Australia

tec

When it comes to business strategies and problem-solving, not everyone shares the same perspective. Before a decision can be made, it’s not uncommon for a disagreement to occur. As a leader, it’s your role to manage these disagreements without letting them disrupt the flow of your organisation. Sometimes, it’s not always important, or even possible, […]

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TEC

60% of Australian small businesses will fail within the first three years. When polled, 44% of failed Australian businesses suffered from ‘poor strategic management’ and 40% ‘fell victim to inadequate cash flow.’ Many of these businesses failed not because of a lack of opportunity but because they were not able to properly define their market and execute related strategies. […]

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TEC

At a recent TEC conference, over 300 members were asked about the biggest decision they’ve made in the last 90 days and the biggest one they will make in the coming 90 days. From the pool of answers, there were three topics that stood out most prominently. Download the e-book to receive actionable tips to […]

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Only 28% of businesses offer any training regarding delegation — even though half of them are concerned that delegation is not being handled effectively. For CEOs and managers, delegation skills are not optional. In fact, these are the only way to progress. The process of delegation is the process of prioritisation — letting go of tasks that you can allow […]

0 comments

TEC’s Confidence Index Report revealed that 35% of CEOs consider time as the major barrier to innovation. Time is a precious resource — it cannot be purchased, bartered, or sold. And this is especially problematic given that 52% of CEOs have cited new products or services as the centrepiece of their growth plans. To develop these […]

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tec

With confidence in economic growth and stability rising, many CEOs are looking towards expansion. A problem arising, however, is a difficulty in finding talent. 63% of the CEOs polled in the Confidence Index Report (CIR) cited talent as a major issue impacting growth. Both political issues and the changing employment markets are creating challenges. As […]

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the executive connection

TEC’s Confidence Index Report (CIR) paints an optimistic future for Australia’s businesses, even if there may be some challenges ahead. The CIR outlines not only some of the positive aspects of the Australian marketplace but also some of the most pressing issues CEOs must address if they are to succeed. With a well-developed strategy, business […]

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tec

Big data is currently a global industry worth an estimated $130.1 billion — and it’s expected to grow to more than $203 billion by 2020. Businesses in all industries have begun capturing and analysing large volumes of data to produce superior business outcomes, but not all businesses are using this data as effectively as they could. Businesses […]

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the executive connection

Growth is a balancing act. Grow too quickly, and you run the risk of over-extending your organisation. Grow too slowly, and you may be eclipsed by the competition. Growth is critical for an organisation to survive, yet two-thirds of the fastest-growing companies will fail. This is because growth operates as an accelerator: all the positives and negatives of a business […]

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tec

Employees are what drives a business — and that’s why businesses are always competing for the best talent. Industry professionals have estimated that up to 90% of an enterprise’s value is driven by its intellectual capital, but you don’t need to rely upon such abstract estimates. It’s already known that the average employee costs six to nine months of […]

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TEC’s blog is comprised of an extensive list of resources suited to the eyes of SME CEOs and executives. If you missed one of our weekly posts, below is a list of our top blog articles thus far in 2017.   1. The guide to organisational structures (flat vs hierarchical)  An organisation’s structure forms the very […]

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How to have difficult conversations with employees

In an interview with 200 executives, it was discovered that 53% of executives admitted to avoiding difficult conversations because they felt they didn’t have the training or the experience to handle them. Of those who avoided conversations, 97% did so because of the stress that it caused them — and 80% were concerned that the conversation would escalate […]

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Here at TEC, we know just how important mentoring is. But, what truly makes a good mentor? TEC Chair Richard Appleby has written this piece for us to share his thoughts on the subject: In my experience, it’s all too easy to have a mentoring relationship that ends up being a “nice chat” type format, […]

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70% of millennials have impostor syndrome; it’s a growing trend in the modern world. First discovered in the 1970s, impostor syndrome is typified by a constant and persistent belief you are not as competent as you are believed to be. Understandably, impostor syndrome is most often found in those who have elevated or high-pressure positions: doctors, scientists, and, of […]

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Everyone has biases, from the newest entry-level employees to seasoned CEOs. It’s crucial that business leaders are aware of their biases. CEOs who are unaware of their own biases can easily encounter lost opportunities and devastating miscalculations. Remaining neutral is an active role that a leader has to take; it is something that takes hard work, self-awareness, and […]

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More than 75% of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies were promoted from inside of the organisation. Whether they were promoted on the basis of a family dynasty, through merit, or a combination of both, CEOs have an average of 16 years of experience within their organisation. In fact, approximately one-third of these CEOs are ‘lifers’ — individuals who […]

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Between 70% to 90% of mergers and acquisitions will ultimately fail. Managing a business merger requires a delicate and experienced hand. Not only do you need to consider the direction and fundamentals of both organisations, but you also need to consider culture, strategy, and vision. Mergers tend to be particularly hard on staff members, both because […]

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A manager is someone who does exactly that — manages. They’re the people who give employees direction when they come to work every day. They answer questions, offer guidance and provide insights to help staff achieve goals. A leader, on the other hand, is someone different. Someone who is inspirational, passionate, innovative and empathetic. A […]

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When less-than-optimal leadership costs businesses as much as 7% of total sales each year — what’s the difference between a good CEO and a great CEO? A good CEO is an important part of any successful business. A great CEO, on the other hand, doesn’t just lead — they inspire and contribute to an impactful business. […]

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An effective leader motivates and guides employees, targeting their strengths and weaknesses so that both the employees and the organisation can succeed. The relationship between leadership styles and employees, therefore, plays a crucial role. Despite of this, surveys have shown that 75% of employees voluntarily leaving their positions leave because of their bosses, leading directly to issues […]

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Developing a strong sense of company culture pays off. Employees who are happy are up to 12% more productive than average workers, able to outperform their peers and consistently improve an organisation’s revenue. A strong company culture means retaining your employees, spending less time training, and being able to procure the top talent. Here are some […]

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Leadership isn’t just about IQ or technical skill – in fact, these are the entry-level requirements for executive positions. When 58% of all success in jobs are accounted for by emotional intelligence, it’s a clear sign that emotional intelligence has a vital role in the workplace. It has also been discovered that people with a high […]

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Is it time to redesign your organisational structure? Though many companies can benefit from a restructuring, fewer than a quarter of organisational redesigns actually succeed. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Organisations can undergo successful restructuring as long as they understand the differences between organisational structures (flat, hierarchical, matrix etc)— namely, their benefits and their […]

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authentic leadership

Authentic leadership: An approach to leadership that emphasises building the leader’s legitimacy through honest relationships with followers which value their input and are built on an ethical foundation. Authentic leaders are positive people with truthful self-concepts who promote openness. Authenticity has been at the centre of the leadership conversation for some time now. So much […]

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business strategy planning

A good strategy for your business is nothing without the people to put it into action. From yourself as a leader through your direct reports and onto the rest of an organisation, everyone contributes to the execution of strategy. Often, recruitment and human resources demands will inform an integral part of a company’s strategy, so […]

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Making decisions with disagreements

When it comes to business strategies and problem-solving, not everyone shares the same perspective. Before a decision can be made, it’s not uncommon for a disagreement to occur. As a leader, it’s your role to manage these disagreements without letting them disrupt the flow of your organisation.

Sometimes, it’s not always important, or even possible, to make the best decision when you don’t have all the information regarding a certain issue. It’s more important that the decisions are made and that they are made with due consideration. You can achieve this by creating a decision-making strategy and by following these best practices:

Leave emotion out of it

A disagreement can easily become personal. After all, each professional is defending their own point of view, which stems from a combination of their own knowledge and experience. But everyone has their own perspective and no single individual can understand all aspects of a situation. It’s important to remain professional and to leave emotion out of the decision-making process.

Not only can introducing emotions ultimately confuse issues, but it can also reduce the impact of any points you are trying to make. Being clear on facts and clearly justifying your decisions is necessary not only for the best possible outcome, but also to ensure that employees understand your reasoning and do not feel ignored or pushed aside.

Appreciate all suggestions

It’s very easy to dismiss suggestions either as being outlandish or something that you’ve already considered. But rather than making a quick decision and potentially undermining your employee’s confidence, you should instead explore the idea and walk them through your own thought process. Be open to ideas that you might have otherwise dismissed; there may be some components that you haven’t considered.

By being a good listener, asking questions, and trying to see everyone’s point of view, you can create a positive and cooperative atmosphere. Employees will be more willing to share ideas, and ideas that are truly innovative and creative will be more likely heard. Being a primary decision maker is often like being an investigator; you need to explore all of the data before drawing a conclusion.

A failure to consider your employee’s ideas, even when they are truly unsuitable, can eventually lead to frustrated employees who feel unappreciated. When employees offer their ideas, they are trying to help. When that help is ignored, they often feel personally rejected. Moreover, it can make employees hesitate when they truly do have a good idea, as they may feel as though they won’t be heard.

Keep the consequences of your decision in mind

By necessity, each suggestion during a decision-making process needs to be explored to its conclusion. Once the brainstorming is over, each potential decision should be thoroughly outlined, and the consequences of that decision should be thoroughly investigated. The following questions should be asked:

  • What are the potential results of this decision?
  • What complications could arise due to this decision?
  • Who will this decision affect positively or adversely?
  • What will be the ultimate cost, in time and money, of each decision?

It’s possible that you may not know which decision will perform better. It may be something that is truly unknowable, such as a scenario that relies on too many factors, or it may be a decision that requires additional information before it can be made. Either way, if a decision must be made at this time, then the potential consequences not only need to be acknowledged but they also must be prepared for.

In business, it is possible that a decision may need to be made without all of the information present. Because of this, you may need to simply choose the best out of all possible solutions and plan contingencies in the event that there are negative consequences.

Compromising often doesn’t produce the best results

When we were children, we were often taught to compromise. It made sense because compromising is a fantastic way to build relationships with friends and family. But compromise is not a fantastic way to run a business. As a CEO, you need to make decisions that are optimal, not acceptable. Compromise ultimately results in both parties getting a little of what they want and a little of what they don’t need. Compromise leads to two dissatisfied parties and a weakened overall strategy.

CEOs may feel the compulsion to compromise when it comes to important business decisions, especially if tensions and emotions are running high. But when it comes to business, it’s almost always better to set a solid course rather than trying to split multiple strategies. A CEO needs to carefully study when compromise is and isn’t appropriate, and practice mediation in lieu of compromising their decision-making process.

Make better decisions through positive leadership

As CEO, you have already been selected to lead your company. Your company has put its faith in your decision-making abilities for a reason. Part of that reason is because you make well-considered, well-crafted decisions. As long as you are not making every decision in the company, it’s your prerogative to override others.

But it isn’t always that simple, especially when tensions run high or the right decision may not always be obvious. During those times, you may want to reach out for mentorship. TEC provides direct access to leaders and business owners who have experience moderating the decision-making process and ensuring that the right decisions are made day after day. Contact TEC today to find out more. 

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