[MUSIC] In this particular case study we are going to look at various aspects of what it takes to become a role model in the workplace. We're going to look under three main areas. First of all, the importance by leading by example. Secondly, the importance about being an ambassador for the workplace that you represent. And thirdly, by not just talking the talk, actually walking the walk. So we're going the explore each of those in turn and between Ollie and I we're going to have some examples that demonstrate exactly what we mean. So Ollie in terms of being a role model in the workplaces that you've been part of. What sort of things do you do to lead by example? >> There's a number of, I guess, must haves when it comes to leading by example. So good manners, punctuality, good appearance in the workplace, good mannerisms with your senior managers. A good work ethic and a good rapport all levels. >> So you've highlighted a number of things about leading by example in your particular workplace. All of which are clearly important in the work environment that you're familiar with. What drives at each of those aspects? >> I guess it's just the desire to be the best you can be. And ultimately, if you do lead by example, you will reap the rewards of that. Be it through promotion or a good personal grant. >> And just comparing different places where you've worked, do all of those aspects that you've mentioned just now apply in all of the workplaces and all of the units that you've come across? And do they apply consistently across any of the organizations and organization units that you've worked in? >> On a personal level, then that's something that you should always look to do. And in terms of, does it happen across the board with everybody, then possibly not. >> Right, okay, okay, because the point I was just trying to work to there was clearly when you're leading by example, one of the outputs that we are looking for is that people aspire to be like you. So, you're being a role model, you're conducting yourself in a way that is appropriate with that organization environment. And of course, that organization environment will vary with each organization. So Ollie's outlined the expectations that he's familiar with. If for example, you look in other workplaces, the expectations, some will be consistent. So for example, be the best that you can be in whatever context that means. But in other work places, perhaps aspects like time management might not be so critical, because there could be a greater aspect of flexibility. So for example, if people work in part work place, part out in the field. For example, if organizations have got a marketing aspect to them, quite often there, there is huge flexibility around structure simply because part of that workplace culture is extremely creative. And creativity as Facebook, as Google, for example, will verify, needs to be without constraints. So it's just different, you have different ways of leading by examples in different sorts of workplaces. And did you have any experience with people looking up to you, by virtue of the fact that you were leading by example or learning from you? >> Yeah, I guess this became more important as I sort of tried to progress up the ladder. It was a good springboard, I guess, to help me get onto some developmental programs and achieve promotion as well. If you have that grounded in that personal brand and then the likelihood is is that people will know, trust, and respect you before you go through any sort of assessment process which is not a bad place to start. >> So the increased visibility, the positive personal profile that you get, and the reputation that you build are all positive outcomes of leading by example. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> And that's really interesting. In a very different scenario in some of the work that I've been doing for a number of years now. I run workshops, I run learning events. And a particular case comes to mind that happened a year or so back. I was working with a new group of students and doing what I normally do. So regular communication with the students, lots of feedback. Thought a little bit differently to what had gone before. So webinars, Q&A sessions were run within the restrictions of nine to five. Previously attendance was not that good, so I started to do things like run them in an evening, run them at the weekend or making phone calls to students. And it was really quite curious from the point of view of the students because they quite liked all of this. And I was thinking well that's great, because that's my job, that's what I'm there for, to do the best I can by them. And they were so much pleased to the point that we want people to do more like that. So I started to, To explore a little bit more. And by going that extra mile in the same way that Ollie has demonstrated, because we both look at these things in a similar sort of way. What that meant in my scenario was a greater level of student satisfaction. It actually meant repeat work for me, but it also meant I was only doing what I would naturally do anyway, I didn’t actually do too much different. Because, by leading by example you’re just trying to be the very best that you can be. So if it means being a little bit creative, if it means doing things that hadn't been done before. Because you get greater stakeholder added value as a result, then sometimes that's just the way it needs to be. So we've looked at a couple of examples of leading by example and what that means. How that might vary from workplace to workplace, and from scenario to scenario. And we've started to pull together some of the positives of leading by example. So greater client satisfaction, building a positive reputation, enhancing your career prospects, perhaps getting repeat business, people enjoying working with you, and there are only positives, people aspiring to be like you, as it were. Let's move on now Ollie, and talk about being a role model in terms of being an organizational ambassador. >> Okay so when you're considering something like this. This I guess sort of falls in as well to personal branding it outside of the workplace. So specifically when I was chosen to work offshore in India. Or when I was sent to support some schools with mock interviews. You have to instill that confidence in the people who make those decisions and say this person will represent the company in the way that we would want. >> And what sort of behaviors did you demonstrate when you were being this organizational ambassador? >> You would, again, look at things like reliability, good time keeping, good manners, good rapport with, well, with everyone, really, and ultimately, some people go out and do a good job. >> So looking to exceed those expectations that you'd set before you'd actually gone out to this place of work. Yeah, interestingly enough, in my work experience, one of the clients I've worked for up until this moment in time, I'd been UK based. And I remember vividly having a phone call from my boss at the time, asking me if I would go out to represent this organization. And he got as far as Hong, and I said yes, so Kong came, and off, I was ready to go. What, of course, I hadn't realized was how far it was from Wales, but anyway that's another story. But I was off to Hong Kong to represent this organization and to work with them and one of their clients out there in the Far East. And I was hugely conscious of who I was representing. So I was a part of the organization, so it was about me being an extension of the organization I was representing back in the UK. And what that, of course, meant was adapting to a very different way of life. Because life, and culture, and workplace out in the Far East is very, very different to what it's like in the UK. So being an ambassador in the UK, it's an extension of some key skills and competencies, but they're applied in a very, very different set and environmental setting, and organizational setting. because I remember vividly, for example, in Hong Kong, the really hierarchical structure. I remember vividly the way which you'd communicate with each other. So [LAUGH] little things, for example, you never leave food on your plate, and you always hand out a business card, like that. You have to get these things right. You have to understand the people that you're working with because purely accidentally, you could cause offense, can't you? There's different religions. There's different working hours. There's different values both in the work place and to the ones that we're familiar with in the UK. And at home, it's just very, very different. So you have to be adaptive as well, don't you? >> Yeah, absolutely. >> So in terms of being an organizational ambassador, I would use, as well, Ollie, the word, proud to be an ambassador. Because I always felt quite proud if an organization asked me to go out and do something for them. And I think by the way that you're saying it, that would be a feature as well. You're just proud to be out there, to represent the organization that you're representing in an ambassadorial role. So, we're saying that there are a number of key core skills that go with being an organizational ambassador. And they can be applied, some core, so they're applied all over the place. But sometimes they can be applied, but in a different way, according to the setting. And listening to what you've been sharing with us, Ollie, and also, I know myself, when an organization asks you to go out and represent them somewhere, I feel quite proud. I really feel proud to go and represent one of my clients in a different place. I feel proud to have been asked, and I feel proud to do it. And I would hope that that would reflect in the way that I, and I'm sure with you as well, would conduct yourself when you're doing these things. So let's move on to the third aspect then of being a role model. And this is about not just talking the talk, it's about walking the walk, so doing what it says on the tin. So, how have you experienced this side of being a role model? >> Yeah, so I guess one of my approaches anyway is to always have your house in order when people scratch underneath the surface. because a lot of people could say, I do all these things, so I coach, or I'm off the wall busy, or I've got a list as long as my arm. And that does sound very dramatic, and maybe in some cases, very impressive. But at the same time, there has to be some substance that sits behind that. And if you want to be a role model and somebody who people look up to and respect, choosing to say those things is one thing, but having the information and the numbers or whatever the measure is to back it up is a very key part of that. >> And do you have any examples of line managers that you've reported into that you would see as a role model, that you've aspired to? And if you have, what was it about them that made you aspire to learn from them in that particular way? >> Yeah, one of my old bosses, I mean, he was very much a detail man. He knew everything that was going on, and he dealt with things in a similar way that I would. He just took it in his stride, and if things came up, if things went wrong, or there's any sort of problem, you just deal with that, just solved it. >> So you could relate to that? >> Yeah, absolutely, and again, I suppose it comes to scratching beneath the surface, you would have a house that was in order. Maybe it wasn't so much a talk of the talk, but very much things are well under control. >> So perhaps there's a learning point that comes there in so far as who you look to as an inspirational role model. Maybe somebody who would do things in a similar way that you would do. So looks at the workplace in a similar way that you would do. Because by the sounds of it, Ollie, the role model that you had had a similar approach to how things should be done as to yourself. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> What about any examples of role models where you've looked at and think, gosh, they do things differently? I wonder what I could learn from them and to develop in a different way. Have you come across anybody like that? >> I've come across bosses who are good at talking the talk, and whilst I guess it was never my job to scratch beneath the surface, and check the substance of what they were saying. One thing that always stuck with me from a boss who was a particularly good talker was the use of how you express these things and how you spin them. So the example specifically was, I was in one of my first performance reviews as a manager with her. And she said, she was talking to me about the team's performance, and I said, things have got a lot better now. We've got 11 people who are now delivering, as it was 11 at the time. And she said, another way you should look at it is, last month, 1 person out of 11 achieved bonus. And this month, 10 out of eleven have achieved bonus, so it was more, not so much a spin on it, but expressing things that make your impact look maximum. >> So that brings a very different dimension to how we talk the talk and walk the walk, because a really interesting point that we've learned here Is how you do that might well depend on who your audience is. Because Ollie's team had gone from previous month, 1 person getting a bonus to this month, 10 out of 11 getting a bonus, happy team. Ollie is their team leader, he's their role model because he's helped to facilitate to make that happen. Sharing that news up the line, so the same role model team leader. How do we share that news in a way that resonates with line manager, perhaps in a different way to what originally thought the same information in a slightly different way? >> Yeah, perhaps. >> And yet, your other role model boss that you were telling us about just now, who knew all the detail, would already have had that answer before you needed to share it or spin it. >> Yeah, absolutely, yeah. >> So it's almost having an adaptive talking the talk and walking the walk toolkit amongst your armory that becomes important as well. What about role models? So we look further down the line, we look higher up the organizational structure. Are there any particular role models you've come across, either from where you've worked or looking into other organizations? You've looked and thought, goodness, I may never get to their level. But in terms of organizational role models, they do it and they do it well. >> Yeah, I always think that it actually goes hand in hand if you get to that level of seniority. Then you must have a massive amount of substance behind what you say because the further up the line you get, the non-delivery becomes less and less of an option. >> [LAUGH] No option at all. >> Yeah, absolutely, yeah. So you would always respect the senior leaders within your organization, certainly the ones I've worked in. They've always, on the interactions I've had with them, have been inspiring in their own ways. >> Mm, and we can quite certainly learn from them, can't we? And but this whole thing about talking the talk and walking the walk, there is a key issue of individual credibility that underpins this part of being a role model. So for example, Ollie used some of the phrases like off the wall busy, whatever that might mean. And the list as long as my arm, whatever that might mean, in terms of being substantiated or otherwise. And over time, people in the workplace will get these phrases, and they will lose faith in you. They will lose credibility with you. Other examples that I've come across from different organizations, these wonderful words like I hear what you say from leaders, which translates to, well, okay, I might have heard the words, but I'm going to ignore them. And people get a reputation for these phrases. Another one is I'll get back to you, at which point, your heart sinks, thinking they'll forget. Leading by example as part of a role model means not I'll get back to you, it will be give me till the end of the week, come and see me at 3 o'clock and we'll sort it out. That's a role model leading by example. Hearing what you say means you demonstrate that you've listened. It means that you really make sure that you've understood what that message is. It means you take any action onboard that you need to take on in order to restore your credibility as a role model. So what we've tried to do here is to begin to explore different aspects of being an organizational role model. What we've done is to look at the importance of leading by example, being an organization ambassador, and also looking at different aspects of talking the talk and walking the walk. And the sorts of things that we've begun to uncover is that how each of these aspects play out is crucial in terms of being a role model. How that works out depends on who your audience or your receiver might be, so Ollie's example with his team and then upwards to his line manager. And also, it depends on where you are, and what you're doing, and who you're doing it with. So, as well as having all of these various aspects to being an organizational role model, they need to be flexible, and they need to be adaptable according to the situation that you're in. [MUSIC]
