What can we learn from a Football Coach Transforming a Team and Supporters into Believers

Watching Liverpool’s transformation by one man (and his coaching team) is quite extraordinary. Does the TEAM still have a long way to go? Are the fans getting a bit carried away? The answer is a resounding YES. However what one man (and his team)  has done with a squad that many had said was the weakest squad ever assembled by Liverpool is remarkable.

After Liverpool had lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace at Anfield in November our new coach was taken aback at supporters leaving early, saying “ It made him feel alone “ and adding, “we decide when it’s over!”

So what can we learn from this transformation of a side languishing in 8th position in the Premier league?

• You can’t do it alone. You need your supporters -If you do not have a mentor find one
• Don’t let others decide when it is over – Simply put, never give up
• Have a strong coach – The CEO/ Boss should be someone people can look up to,  can inspire and be proud to work for. (every player on the Liverpool squad will run through a Brick wall for their Coach)
• Do not believe all the negative talk – Put your head down and get the work done.
• Be a Believer – Back your skills and expertise
• Grow/ Improve – Always look for ways to improve your skill set
• Give Back– Remember to thank people
• You can't wave a magic wand - to become the best it takes time and a lot of hard work
• You are not alone – Do not be afraid to ask for help
• The Coach needs to have their players ‘back’ (when the crowd gave their keeper some slack, he told them during the game to be quiet, which gave his player more confidence) – You need to show your CEO/Boss why they should support you
• Confidence/ Belief – Believe in yourself

I am sure no LIVERPOOL supporter will ever leave a game until the FINAL WHISTLE after watching the heroics of Liverpool on 4/14/16.

YNWA

Lessons learnt in the first Year of Starting a Networking Group:

Creating a networking group can be a lot of work, throw up many roadblocks, yet can also be very rewarding.

A friend and I have been working on creating a stronger South African Business Community in Illinois and across the States/Canada. South Africans generally still have a lot to learn from other Nationalities when it comes to Networking amongst their community.

As a Nationality we currently do not take advantage of contacts and mobility through our ‘ethnic communities” in the US where other entrepreneurs from other countries have done so for many years very successfully.

I still often receive the email “I do not have the time or interest. Please remove me from your list.” Or no response at all when looking to connect with a South African Business Professional or inviting them to an organized event.

When receiving such an email (or no response at all) when setting up your group do not take it to heart. There will be others who will be thankful and appreciate what you are looking to achieve for your community/ group.

There are many Business Professionals who live by one of my favorite quotes, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill.

These are the professionals you want to be associated with.

As our Networking Group has grown, we have been ‘attracting’ more of the Professionals who believe in the Winston Churchill quote than the email, “I do not have the time or interest. Please remove me from your list.”

So let me thank you, the CEO, CFO, COO and high flying Professional who attend Events not because you are looking to get something for yourself but because you are looking to see what you can give back to others. (We are lucky to have a few of these Business Professionals in our Networking Group, and we all thank you)

Lessons learnt in the first Year of Starting a Networking Group:

• It takes more time than you may think
• You are going to get a lot of No’s
• Be Consistent with events
• Find a Niche Group you are looking to attract (e.g. Nationality, Profession; Sport Interest etc.)
• Aim Big
• People do appreciate what you are doing
• Take the little wins
• Do not take things personally
• Curve balls will be thrown at you. (e.g. Our Breakfast Location is not serving Buffets anymore-we quickly had to find a new location)
• Be Professional. (Create a Brand)
• Take Credit Cards (get attendees to pay prior to event- more likely they will attend and gives everyone more time in making new connections)
• People do not respond to Invitations. Do not be afraid in sending multiple reminders.
• Use LinkedIn and Facebook
• Advertise your Events on Social Platforms
• Have evening and morning Events
• Have the event at different locations as it will bring different business professionals (we generally have 3 in the Suburbs and then one in Chicago)
• Make it beneficial for the attendees (have your members speak on topics of interest that they have the knowledge in)
• Use the resources within your group (e.g. See if your members will let you use their office/ building for events)
• Thank the people who come
• Everything takes time
• Know what you are looking to achieve (What is your mission statement)
• The reward is seeing new connections being made
• Get your members involved.
• Plan Fun Events (e.g. Wine Tasting/ Art Show-get your members involved)
• Advertise your members.
• It takes time to get it off the ground (we are still working on getting consistent attendance and attracting new members)
• Never Give Up!

Thank you to everyone who attends networking events and looks to give back. May you make an excellent new connection at your next function.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” – African Proverb

We bring together and connect South Africans living in The States and Canada

We have created the South Africans in Illinois Group and South African Business Professionals in the United States (open Canadian South Africans) on LinkedIn so like-minded people can create relationships that support each others goals and visions through social and business connections.

As members we are looking to build long-term, trusting relationships within our community.
We have hundreds of people visiting our LinkedIn page and Facebook Group (South Africans in Illinois Networking Group) and South African Business Professionals in the United States on a monthly basis who are looking for your business or profession to work with.

JOIN NOW:
PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR SOUTH AFRICAN CONTACTS: (links to join)
South Africans in Illinois Networking Group
LinkedIn Group: https://goo.gl/x2Op7m
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/zYBMiH

South African Business Professionals in the United States (open to South African Canadians)
LinkedIn Group: https://goo.gl/uQHIEQ
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/Wq5Zw6

Plus, here are some additional benefits for our members:
MEET DOZENS OF CONNECTORS
BUILD LONG-TERM, VALUABLE BUSINESS TO BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
ADVERTISE YOURSELF/ BUSINESS FOR FREE ON OUR LINKEDIN AND FACEBOOK GROUP
POST JOB OPPORTUNITIES
CREATE MANY ADVOCATES FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT YOURSELF AND BUSINESS
MAKE BUSINESS HAPPEN MEET LIKE MINDED BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROFESSIONALS
GET TO ENJOY EVENING  EVENTS CONNECTING/ SOCIALIZING
EVENTS HELD IN CHICAGO AND SUBURBS
GET TO SPEAK ABOUT RUGBY, SOCCER, CRICKET, Mrs. BALLS Chutney etc.
GET TO MEET A DIVERSE GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS
COMBINED INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

Sound interesting? I hope so. We invite you to get engaged in discussions, ask questions and share your thoughts. Best of all it does not cost you a penny to join.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN:
South Africans in Illinois Networking Group
LinkedIn Group: https://goo.gl/x2Op7m
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/zYBMiH

South African Business Professionals in the United States (open to Sotuh African Canadians)
LinkedIn Group: https://goo.gl/uQHIEQ
Facebook Group: https://goo.gl/Wq5Zw6

We encourage you to advertise yourself, your business and to make new Business Connections across the States.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill

News show for South Africans Living Abroad --- Advertising Opportunities --Large International Audience

We are in the process of launching an Internet based show that will be broadcast once a week directed at South Africans living abroad. The show will focus on stories of interest to South Africans abroad and will include an interview segment featuring personalities from entertainment, business, theatre and other areas of interest.

We are thrilled to say we have had a huge interest from South Africans living in South Africa and Abroad to be part of the show and have already lined up some great people to be interviewed.

We are going to be starting with 15 shows, and will be looking for feedback from our audience on what is working and what you would like to see more of.

For Business Owners and Business Professionals:

For the first 15 shows we are looking for 15 Advertisers for Thirty second spots. If you do not have an advert produced, no worries, our presenter will be able to read one for you while your logo is Proudly Displayed. We are also in talks with an Advertising Agency who would be able to assist you if you decide you would like to produce your own advert.

As we are looking for 15 Businesses to Advertise (at a reduced cost) we have added some additional incentives for you.

 Benefits of being the first 15:

1. Your Advert will be on the first 15 shows (which works out to be less than $220/show) . Priceless
2. One Episode will show your logo as being the Sponsor of the show. The presenter will state your company has sponsored the show and your company will get the prime advertising spot.
3. For the first 15 Shows we are only allowing ONE Business from each Industry to be a sponsor (e.g. If you are an emigration lawyer and are a sponsor, we will not have a second emigration lawyer as a Sponsor)
4. Audience will be able to watch the show at anytime
5. A Built in Demographic
6. You will be known as the First 15

If you are interested in being one of the First Advertisers please email us at SABPinUSA@gmail.com or call Ryan (773 225 5500) or Dani (312 2874216).

 “I think the Internet is going to effect the most profound change on the entertainment industries combined. And we are all going to be tuning into the most popular Internet show in the world, which will be coming from some place in Des Moines. We’re all gonna lose our jobs. We’re all gonna be on the Internet trying to find an audience.” – Steven Spielberg

Is the art of conversation being lost through technology and causing bad service?

What has happening to customer service and common courtesy?

Courtesy - excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior. A courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.

Customer service -is the process of ensuring customer satisfaction with a product or service. Often, customer service takes place while performing a transaction for the customer, such as making a sale or returning an item. Customer service can take the form of an in-person interaction, a phone call, self-service systems, or by other means. 

I am sure you can attest that you can easily receive 20 – 50 (or more) emails per day, and may only read a quarter of them well and skim the rest. By the end of the day you probably have missed a few important emails which should have been read and responded too.

I have been known to be guilty of emailing a colleague sitting three desks down, instead of getting off my…. and going to speak to them directly. (I have improved since I  started tracking my steps per day –changing of my mindset).

How many emails could be a quick phone call or a walk to colleague’s desk? How many misunderstandings could be avoided? Emotions cannot be expressed in emails (one sentence can be read with different inflections which in turn makes it have multiple meanings).

The art of conversation is being lost. The loss of this important skill amongst homosapiens I believe is one of the reasons service is slowly deteriorating.

We are losing the capabilities of being able to read body language and tone of voice as there are fewer conversations happening on a daily basis. This in turn is leading to an extremely politically correct society, as we cannot distinguish what is a joke or not. It is very easy to offend someone now a days because I believe this skill is lacking. Which in turn can hurt service within and outside of your office.

Service in large organizations are also moving more and more to an automated service on the telephone and in their stores.

There seem to be more self-service machines than employees at many  locations. I am not against self-service but getting the right balance is the trick.

Corporations need to realize quickly that consumers have choices and with social media word of good service or bad service is spread quickly. Consumers are starting to place more and more emphasis on service and I believe are willing to pay a little more for it.

When a consumer makes the ‘effort’ to walk into a store they are generally looking for human interaction and a conversation.

Little things can make a big difference in the mindset of a consumer. I recently received excellent customer service from Turkish Airlines who definitely go the extra mile. Some of the ‘extra’ little things they did:   They had special treats for the children, gave bottles of water to the passengers when they switched off the lights (not just filling up a small cup), all passengers received a hot towel when boarding (not just business class), all passengers received a piece of Turkish Delight, and the most important part…All the Stewards will friendly.

I have since shared my experience with my friends, and will look to fly with them again. I have also had an opposite experience with an airline and have not flown with them for over 10 years, and have never referred them business.

What are the answers? If I had them I would be writing books and not an article, however I do have a few suggestions. Good service starts with common courtesy (with your colleagues and clients) and appreciating your clients.

Suggestions:

• Have more conversations and fewer emails
• Return voice messages within 24 hrs.(max 2 days)
• Respond to ALL email requests within 24 hrs. (max 2 days) -DO NOT REPLY TO ALL if multiple people on email
• Respond to all invitations prior to the RSVP date (even if not going)

• Say thank you and please

• Don’t have your phone 'out' while having a conversation (definitely no texting)
• Turn off your phone ‘ringer’ when in meetings
• If you have someone coming to your office, and your current appointment is running long let your next appointment know (e.g. would it not be nice if your doctor's office called/ text you to let you know they are running late and please come 30 min later) Treat everyone's time with respect.
• If you are on vacation, have an out of office message on your voicemail and email
• Be on time to your meetings (aim to be 10 minutes early)
• Staff correctly (you will lose more business if you do not)
• When interacting with someone: Relate/ Listen/ Check-in
• Sometimes you got to spend money to make money
• Technology is great, but don’t let it take over. Most ‘things’ can be done online. If a consumer walks into a branch/ shop etc. they are looking for the human ‘touch’
• Hand write a thank you note
• Say Hello and have a nice day (with a smile)
• Customer Service: no gum, no drinks on counters, no rolled up sleeves, answer phone 2 rings (2 ring policy) Customer Service Customer Service
• Teach your children early about the art of conversation (no technology at the dinner table)
• Train Train Train your people
• Keep improving.

“Choose to deliver amazing service to your customers. You’ll stand out because they don’t get it anywhere else.” –Kevin Stirtz

“No one is more insufferable than he who lacks basic courtesy.” - Bryant H. McGill

The Importance of Leadership

How important is leadership within an organization? Very. Unfortunately I have the distinguished honor of supporting Liverpool FC who have not won the Premier League for more years than I care to remember (not as bad as the Cubs but getting there). There have been many factors which have played into this. From not enough support from the backroom, wasteful spending and bad leadership from the owners and the manager of the Liverpool Team.

Manchester United supporters you might as well stop reading now, as I am going to start praising Jürgen Klopp. For those who do not follow English Premier League Soccer, Jürgen was recently hired as the new manager of a floundering Liverpool Team. From the very first game of his tenure Liverpool FC look like a different team from what we witnessed at the beginning of the year.

The previous manager had placed blame of the poor results on the players. When watching the game you could see that the players/team were not happy, and were playing some of the worst soccer a Liverpool Team has ever played. Pundits were starting to say this was the worst squad in the History of Liverpool. Below is a statement made by the manager which probably lost him the respect of many of his players:

"I think I have shown in the early stages of my management -- without being arrogant -- that with a talented group of players I can compete at the top end of the league," Brendan Rodgers
"I know how to manage top players. If you give me the tools, I'll do the work," he added

This quote I believe shows that Rogers was still a manager and had yet to become a leader.
A leader builds confidence and takes the bull by its horns.

When hearing the quote above it would have not provided his players with the confidence they required to compete at the highest level. He was laying all the blame at the feet of his team, instead of taking ownership. The perception was that Rogers had lost faith in his players, so why would they still have faith in him their ‘leader’?!

Since then Liverpool have fired Rogers and replaced him with a leader. One of his first tasks was to build up his team’s confidence. He started this at his first conference.

“This is a great club with big potential, fast players, strong players, and good defenders. Everything is there. Four or five strikers you can work with when they are not injured, midfielders, and defenders are experienced and young, goalkeeper is really good.” –Jürgen Klopp

Which Leader would you prefer to work with? The one who blames his players, or the one who builds their confidence?

How the tides have turned. The pundits are now talking about Liverpool FC winning the league (my personal feeling is they are getting ahead of themselves), they are playing with a smile and extremely exciting soccer.

Jürgen has only been at the club for approximately 3 months, yet the changes and confidence in the players is immeasurable. Liverpool F.C finally have a Leader at the club. So what defines leadership?
Brendan was a Manager but unfortunately not a leader in 2015.

Here are some quotes from Brendan and Jürgen. Try and guess who said which.

"I am 'The Normal One'. I am a normal guy from the Black Forest. I was a very average player. I don't compare myself with these genius managers from the past."

“History is only the base for us. It’s not allowed that you take the history in your backpack. “Not always compared with other times. “Only state - this is a great team. Everything is there. Let’s try to start a new. This is the perfect moment.”

“I am the same guy who nearly won us the league, but better. I think I have shown in the early stages of my management – without being arrogant – that with a talented group of players I can compete at the top end of the league.”

“I don’t compare myself with these genius managers in Liverpool’s history. “It’s cool that you are looking forward to these next years with me but it’s not my [concern]. ““I don’t think ‘I want to be a legend’ here.”

'I always say a squad is like a good meal. I'm not a great cook, but a good meal takes a wee bit of time. But also, to offer a good meal, you need good ingredients.' 

 'My biggest mentor is myself because I've had to study, so that's been my biggest influence”

Leadership Characteristics

• Be Humble
• Build employees self-esteem and confidence
• Make people feel important and want to do their job
• Give direction and provide honest feedback
• Take ownership and do not place blame (the buck starts and ends with you)
• Have a positive attitude and be able inspire others
• Have Confidence and empathy
• Be committed
• Want others to succeed, and are willing to put the time into their people

What it is not:

• Giving orders
• Taking the ‘Glory’
• Being a Follower
• Being a  yes man/ woman
• Doing the same thing over and over because that is the way it’s always been done
• Avoiding Conflict
• Making everything about you
• Putting people down
• Passing the blame

Leadership is not about you, but the people who ultimately work for you. Leaders are able to transform teams/ staff, motivate them and are extremely knowledgeable in what they want to achieve. Be a Leader and not just a Manager.

“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” Nelson Mandela

 (Answer: Jürgen, Jürgen, Brendan, Jürgen, Brendan, Brendan)
YNWA (You Never Walk Alone).

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”- Winston Churchill

If you attend networking events on a consistent basis you may have noticed, that you are starting to see the same faces over and over. This initially is not a bad consequence, as you get to know all attendees well. The issue starts when you are not meeting new people at the events being held. This I believe is one of the main reasons some groups eventually fail.

The question becomes how does your group not become a statistic?! Consider Winston Churchill’s quote, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” This can have many interpretations dependent on the nature of the conversation. For a networking group, you are only as strong as your community and group you have created. Without your community and group members ‘giving;, your community and group will eventually fail.

If you/members are only attending a networking group to see what you/they can gain, the group will eventually become extinct. Individuals need to change the way they approach and feel about a Group.
The mindset of people attending and who have decided not to  attend Networking events should look to change. You should not look to go to a meeting/ gathering to see what you can gain, rather go to the meeting/ gathering to see how you can ‘give’.

A cliche, “What comes around goes around”. By being a resource and a connector people will naturally think of you when an opportunity in your field arises. Be generous with your time.

There are no hard and fast rules showing which groups will succeed or fail, however my belief is: If more people have the mind set of Winston Churchill's quote there would be more success in business and life in general.

When you were climbing the ladder of success, would it not have been great to meet your future self to give yourself advice on what you should have done or not have done.

CEO’s, CFO’s, COO’s, Business Professionals, Business Owners, Entrepreneurs I invite you to volunteer your time. Choose a group (s) and attend on a regular basis, speak at local business events, invite your connections and share your knowledge and expertise.

2015 is coming to an end, let the rest of the year and 2016 be the year that everyone listens to Winston Churchill.

Good luck with your groups and making new connections.

Some Questions to ask yourself if you are looking to create a Networking Group:

• Who are you looking to attract to the group? (Who is your target market?)
• How are you going to generate a list of professionals to invite
• Where are you going to have the meetings (morning /+evening, how often etc.)
• Will you have speakers? Will you invite outside speakers
• How are you going to get the ‘big hitters’ to attend? How you going to get anyone to attend?
• WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE GROUP YOU ARE CREATING?

“Never, Never, Never, Never…..Give Up!” –Winston Churchill