Champions

5th November 2008

There is a new approach to the challenge of remaining agile, flexible and innovative. The days of sitting behind desks for our learning are fast becoming history. You don’t learn how to engage, manage, lead or communicate by sitting in a class-room learning theories and case-studies, no matter what accreditations are on offer. It takes practise at different ways of relating to self and others.

Today we have a vast array of new understanding, insights and techniques which apply to these areas perfectly. To learn them you need to practise and apply to self before you attempt to apply to others – this is of course the central tenet of role-modelling described best by the Ghandi quote ‘be the change you want to see’.

From this need – to remain agile and flexible, you arrive at the concept of ‘Champions’. If you arrive at Leadership instead, and see the job of engaging others as the domain of a leadership team you only have half the picture. Yes you probably want your senior team to be able to engage, but do you have enough role models or champions in your organisation to reach all parts every day?

The term champion is used to describe a person who has certain leadership abilities and personal qualities, namely:

• Curious to know how things work and how people tick
• The absence of negative judgement about others and situations
• Positive outlook
• Emotional and intellectual balance
• Desire to improve and do better
• Questions what, where, when and how regardless of status – to gain clarity
• Considers their contribution of higher importance than status
• Appreciates what individuals and teams have to offer
• Is able to consider tasks and projects within a strategic frame of reference
• Has an understanding of the business, its customers and the marketplace
• Influences people positively so that they are both receptive to and advocates of change

A champion can be anyone. It has nothing to do with status and everything to do with a desire to make a positive difference in the pursuit of strategic aims. The more champions you have in an organisation, the easier it will be for it to change when required to do so.

Some organisations consider their champions to be ‘forces for good’ and act as role models others can learn from. This concept is born from the realisation that not every employee has the type of thinking, the confidence and the communication skills to question decisions and processes. A good number of employees in any organisation are likely to be working to set routines, reactive to events or just doing their best to meet the expectations of their managers.

To develop these abilities in all employees requires a real commitment to the investment in people; not just in technical skills which are relatively easy to teach, but in attitudes, communication skills, motivation and the desire to make a positive contribution. Some attempt to ‘sheep-dip’ by sending everyone on a short high energy motivational course, but these events rarely teach skills, and pumped up employees soon become deflated, or skilled at the false smile. You then have to keep doing this every time you need another injection of enthusiasm towards another change.

The solution is to select an appropriate number of champions for development via a good quality and reputable programme, where they will acquire leading edge thinking and communication skills. The change in these individuals when they return to the workplace is so great that others are affected positively by them. Changes include increased confidence, higher levels of motivation, reduced stress, the desire to question what others blindly accept, and general elegance in communication, particularly with client and corporate presentations where their influence has wide impact.

Whether you call them champions, change-agents, role-models or leaders, for a business to remain agile with the flexibility to change requires a good number of people who have the thinking, questioning, communication and motivation skills to engage others. As long as there is a desire, we can teach and facilitate the development of these traits using the most advanced methodology available today. See our RealSuccess programme for further details.