We don’t expect people – whether they be our staff, colleagues, customers and clients, or family and friends – to be perfect. Of course we don’t – we’re not unreasonable.

But we certainly expect them to make an honest effort and do their best. We expect them to work well with others and give a lending hand. We expect them play fair and play by the rules. And if they’ve done the wrong thing, we expect them to realise it and make amends – and all without having to be asked.

These sorts of expectations are our ‘standards of behaviour’. And although we have different ones for different people in different situations, they can all be put under one of 8 main types: manners, honesty, fairness, helpfulness, acknowledging people and their efforts, diligence, compliance (as in ‘playing by the rules’ rather than  being submissive), and self-correction. (And of course, more on these another time.)

But in case you haven’t noticed, people don’t always live up to them. Fortunately, a lot of the time, all they’ve done is slip up. So all we need to do is to give them a bit of a friendly reminder and they’re back on track. Of course, the skill is in knowing what to say and how to say it.

Now for the bad news. Sometimes, we need to step it up a bit. In some cases, a simple one-off formal meeting will do the trick. But in other cases, something more is required. Sometimes, we might a series of meetings, a range of strategies and even a long-term plan with plenty of checks along the way.

Anyway, you get my drift; managing people and their performance can be tricky. And this is where I come in. I help you get the best possible behaviour, communication and performance from people – and with what to do if you don’t. I help you:

1. Help your staff, colleague and customers live up to, embrace and showcase Best Practice Behaviour.

Prevention is always better than cure. People don’t just deserve to know what’s expected, they need to know. They need to know everything from the formal policies and procedures, to the unwritten rules, to what to do when the photocopier breaks down and even to kitchen and bathroom etiquette (sad but true). Yes, maybe it should be commonsense but guess what? It’s not all that common. Best Practice Behaviour is both a process and a result. It’s about defining standards, making it easy for people to live up to them and rewarding effort not just achievement. And when we have Best Practice Behaviour, we have a workplace which is efficient, productive and respectful. A place where people work together in harmony and always put their best foot forward. Find out more.

2. Master Tough Conversations.

On the downside, a part of dealing with people and managing their performance, is having to have tough conversations. On the upside, I can help you master the four main types of them – and better still, get the best possible result for all concerned. Plus, I’ve developed some particular strategies to help you: Speak up and say what needs to be said and to Speak to an employee and have them improve their behaviour or performance.  Mastering Tough Conversation is about taking control of the situation, taking control of the scripts and taking control of the deliveries (yes there’s often more than one needed). Find out more.

3. Stop bad behaviour and Deal with Difficult People.

Sometimes, we need to step up to the plate and put an end to bad behaviour and deal with difficult people. And to help you, I’ve developed a sure-fire three-step method for doing it. It’s about nailing the violation, tailoring the strategies and personalising your approach. Plus, I’ve developed some special strategies to help: Deal with customers who are rude, nasty or abusive and Deal with inappropriate comments, innuendo and put-downs. Find out more.

And because it’s all tied up with managing people and performance, I also help you : 

• Communicate with flair and design and deliver presentations on research, concepts and policies and procedures which inform, inspire & influence.  Find out more.
• Help people develop skills by using role-plays that work. Traditional role-plays simply don’t do the job they’re supposed to do – and most people know it. I use advanced role-plays techniques – Agent-Provocateur Role-Plays and its big cousin Real Life Rehearsals – because they work.  Find out more.
• Relax and put their meetings and events in the hands of an experienced Facilitator, chairperson, host and rapporteur.  Sometimes you need en independent person to keep your meeting on track, on time and on target. Someone to help a group work together to produce a great set of ideas, a way forward or a business plan. Mark has a wealth of experience so let him help you.  Find out more.