Working with a Client Organisation recently, I had the opportunity to chat with the Chief Executive Officer of the American parent company. Here’s a highly experienced businessman who now takes on new acquisitions for a living, as well as responsibility for their turnaround.

Every month, if not more regularly than that, he has to go before The Board and present on a portfolio of businesses about their progress. In effect, he reports on two things:

1. Business Results
2. Leadership Behaviours

This CEO (for consistency I’m calling him Adam), comes from an environment where large companies always hired very good people; very intelligent people; very capable people but often the downfall was behaviours. So, he explained that they spent as much or more time in coaching behaviour as they did in coaching results.

Adam believes that results and behaviours are intertwined and I agree; we share similar business experiences in this respect. For example, Adam typically gets a lot of feedback from smaller companies:

“Well, I couldn’t get this job done and it wasn’t my fault because I didn’t have total control over it.”

Yes but wait a second. You’re a Director; that’s the kind of thing you would do!

There’s a skill set out there called influencing. Let me give you some examples of how to draw on some influencing skills to help this and I can observe you and I can give you feedback on whether I think you influenced well in this situation.

That’s where RESULTS reference back into BEHAVIOURS

Having communicated the behavioural changes that are required, Adam is then continually looking to see that those behaviours are being displayed. He’ll make sure that he’s giving senior management feedback about their behaviours every time he’s on site.

That reinforcement is key because let’s face it; when you’re under a lot of pressure and the day job becomes stressful there’s a tendency to return to old habits. The key to better business results however, is the consistent application of new behaviours. Only then will you experience sustained business growth.

You can talk to Robyn about your Organisation on 0161 866 8573 or click on the link to request an Information Pack.