Executive Search Blog

On empathy

2010-07-18T19:18:16Z

Empathy is a trait crucial for a Search Consultant, both in client and candidate contacts. It is "the" key to personal effectiveness. What empathy allows is :

1. Understand the character, values, perceptions and personality of individuals, and the context they're embedded in.

2. Build deep and meaningful relationships

3. Give an appropriate response to others

Empathy allows to learn about the crucial intangibles in people; as such it enables a consultant to manage expectations efficiently and appropriately. It is the tool par excellence to develop client loyalty because it delivers a unique insight in the personal and professional context surrounding an executive. How are his or her relationships with peers and boss ? How skilled is this person politically ? What makes this person tick, motivated, passionate ? How does he perceives the marketplace and its pressures ? Will he fit within the corporate culture of the client company ?

Empathy is enabled through:

1. Listening skills

2. Self-awareness and control

3. Humility - which unfortunately tends to diminish when one's success grows.

Empathy means business because it is at the core of succesful relationship building and management. It is the skill most prominent in great (search) consultants and trusted advisors, and in executives at the top of their game. It is the best indicator of the depth of trust people are able to generate and maintain.

Therefore the ability to empathize is directly correlated to what what search consultants in common parlance designate as "seniority"; and why emotional and social intelligence are becoming so much more important than technical skills when climbing the corporate ladder.

Sufi wisdom and Executive Search Consultancy

2010-07-12T14:31:00Z

Have you ever been in a situation where despite communicating in the clearest, most confident and transparent manner to a client, you just can't get through? You fully understand the problems causing the pain points in his organization, and you can provide the right the solution for the mess he finds himself in. Despite explaining yourself at length you can't seem to show him the light. Incomprehensibly, that light seems more to blind rather than to illuminate.

A teaching story from Sufism (the mystic tradition of Islam often maligned as too liberal, compromising or outright heretic by most of its hot-headed followers) can explain the quagmire. Its a parable that makes a lot of sense to any consulting profession, because it puts a finger on some of those intractable, nasty hidden problems during assignments experienced as impossible to manage.

Once upon a time, there was a man who strayed from his own country into the world known as the Land of Fools. He soon saw a number of people flying in terror from a field where they had been trying to reap wheat. "There is a monster in that field," they told him. He looked, and saw that it was a water-melon.

He offered to kill the "monster" for them. When he had cut the melon from its stalk, he took a slice and began to eat it. The people became even more terrified of him than they had been of the melon. They drove him away with pitchforks, crying, "He will kill us next, unless we get rid of him."

It so happened that at another time another man also strayed into the Land of Fools, and the same thing started to happen to him. But, instead of offering to help them with the "monster", he agreed with them that it must be dangerous, and by tiptoeing away from it with them he gained their confidence. He spent a long time with them in their houses until he could teach them, little by little, the basic facts which would enable them not only to lose their fear of melons, but even to cultivate them themselves.

An experienced Search Consultant can quickly see the naked truth about a management problem in the clients organization: lack of leadership, vision, a culture-values mismatch, various forms of organizational dysfunctionality, and so on.

This truth, so obvious to the consultant, does not make the client free, because he often cannot or does not want to perceive the issues as the consultant does. If consultant pushes further, all what he will evoke in his clients is their stubbornly resistant insistence on clinging to their disbeliefs and attitudes that at least provide the security of known misery, rather than openness to the risk of the unknown. Therefore, facts do not change attitudes and associated cultures. Right: facts do not change attitudes, less cultures.

Though the above does not pertain to all situations, the Search Consultant should absolutely avoid directly revealing the naked truth about a clients pain or problems. He should use images, metaphors, allegories, figures, wondrous speech, or other hidden, "roundabout ways".

A search process and closure can teach a client a lot about his own organization, culture and attitudes. The great Search Consultant knows this process starts with the very first prospective meeting, and the learning process he initiates continues further through the relationship. This is why patience, tact, respect, discretion, and a sniff of wisdom are critical ingredients for a successful client engagement and relationship development.

To paraphrase W. Churchill: while most clients won't have an issue to learn something, they will never like to be taught. The challenge for the consultant is to have his ideas, vision or perception originate on the clients' side, so the client will take ownership and partner with the consultant to assure succesful implementation.

When to Walk Away From an 'Energy Sucking' Client

2010-07-09T15:47:17Z

My collegue Martyn Wickens was so kind to share this story from the advertising industry. It describes a situation everyone of us encounters when particular prospects try to convince you to work for nothing. Ever heard of contingency or "succes" fees ?

India Media Agency Head Les Margulis Sends Message to Unilever and Marketers Looking for Free Work Article by Les Margulis, President of Media Direction India in Mumbai

India Media Agency Head Les Margulis Sends Message to Uniliver and Marketers Looking for Free Work:

The crème de la crème of India's advertising world was either in attendance or on the podium at last month's Exchange4Media Conclave in Mumbai last month.

One of the principal speakers was Rahul Welde, VP of media at Unilever for Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey. He focused his remarks on three key issues: 1. The necessity of having procurement running the business, as media is a commodity and there is no difference in the value or quality of GRPs; 2. The advantages of the disengagement of the agency (both media and creative) from the brand process and the future of essentially free servicing by posting all briefs on the internet (which is now called "crowd sourcing"); and 3. The virtues of screwing all costs down to zero, so if a supplier does not want to work for zero, he will find someone else who will.

I wish to address my comments to Mr. Welde. I confess that, as a foreigner in a strange land, his remarks were so alien to what I was taught in business school -- that is, that all suppliers (or "business partners" as they are called on the Hindustan Lever website) are entitled to make a reasonable profit. I daresay that Rahul or his managers would never dream of handing out free samples of their products 365 days of the year, so therefore why should I or the 100-plus people in my company work for nothing?

Perhaps one reason for your position is that you do not understand the agency business. According to your public resume, you apparently have spent your entire career at Unilever and have never worked for either a full-service or a media agency.

I assume also that you take pride in being "a difficult client." But from my point of view, it is important to know the value of any client in terms of dollars and cents and in terms of the servicing cost, which is something entirely different. And from my point of view, it may not be worth the revenue to service a difficult account.

So we have a decision: either we walk away or we "manage" them.

But as I see it, the problem with these "difficult" clients is that they will become agency "energy suckers." These are the types that will also usually give you a less than adequate brief. In the not too distant past. a local client threw one of his products on the conference table and said, "I want to sell more of this. How do I do that?" And that was the brief.

So in a similar fashion, the major fast moving consumer goods manufacturer with whom you are dying to work may end up as a burden that will suck you dry and affect your capacity to serve your other clients. Therefore, sometimes it just may be wise for the overall good of your agency to tell them to go elsewhere.

I must be naïve, but I don't believe professionals on the client side want to behave in that manner. If only clients knew that this bad behavior hurts more than helps their cause.

Agencies that are treated with respect give more than they take. Agencies that enjoy open, honest lines of communication and professional partnerships with their clients produce better work. Deep down, I believe most clients understand that.

Make no mistake: I believe that every agency has to go above and beyond for their clients in both good times and especially bad times. It's not only the smart thing to do; it's the right thing. But clients also need to understand the care and feeding of an agency.

In India, a major client, Reckitt Benckiser, has begun to charge agencies almost $10,000 for the right to pitch an account. How much times have changed! In the good old days, clients would pay agencies because pitches cost both money and time. Now, other multinationals such as Lever in India have begun to review a similar proposition. I say let's nip this in the bud pronto.

So Rahul, please be advised that I don't fawn to "difficult" clients. I work as a partner. I expect to be paid for my labor. If those points do not fit into your playbook, then I don't want you as a client. And for sure I would not pay five lakhs (about $10,700) as a submission fee, as you had suggested, for the privilege of working my team to the bone for two weeks for a Lever pitch.

No, thank you, sir. You are definitely a pass.

Daily services sales meditation

2010-07-08T19:35:16Z

If you want to sell search service succesfully, give three different answers to the following questions:

1. Why does a company need your service at all ?

2. Why should they buy the service from your organization ?

3. Why should they buy that service from you personally ?

Great Search Consultants have 3 * 3 convicing answers to the above questions.

Do you ?

Peter F. Drucker on picking people

2010-06-07T12:47:26Z

Drucker writes:

The most important thing is that the person and the assingment fit each other.

An assignment is not a job description. Contrary to job descriptions, assignments change all the time, and can only be understood in a wider context of time and requirements. An assignment can be to diversify the business, accelerate revenue growth, increase profitability.... It points to what the managerial action needs to achieve. Furthermore, qualifications, such as seniority, particular experience, skills or diploma's are only a starting point. Their absence disqualify candidates for a particular assignment. I look at strengths in terms of a past performance record that can be verified, because what is of great importance is what people can do and achieve - not the titles they held. Does the particular manager have the right strengths for what the organization needs to achieve ?

Most important is the personality of a candidate. Do the character, personality type and style of a candidate fit the culture of a corporation and his future peers in the organization ? Personality will define how managerial action will turn into results. This points to the universal truth that truly senior managers always exhibit superior social and emotional intelligence. Qualifications and personality are the two sides of the same coin.

I want to be CEO

2010-05-30T10:13:08Z

Last week I met someone in Turkey who requested a meeting, and asked me towards the end of a lengthy monologue of achievements, ambitions and dreams if I could give him a "CEO position". Every once in a while I come across an individual who not only asks, but also tells me to give him a "GM position". They make the statement with such conviction that the matter of being CEO of a large or small company, GM of a local or international firm, family owned, private or public; and oh, which sector: technology, hospitality, media, real estate, banking etc.... doesn't really matter. It's only a small issue for afterthought.

Great candidates put position content first, and this to a significant extent. Only after agreeing my client has the right environment and culture to accommodate them, they will look into package, contractual clauses and terms. Position content is what great candidates are after, not position titles. The great search consultant will be able to match content perception on both candidate and client side, in fact this is one of the greatest value-adds search consultants can provide.

Those asking or demanding a "CEO position" give the message they identify strongly with their position as if it is a literal entitlement, not something which has to be earned. In fact a majority of them only want entitlement, and are not after job content or achievement. They not only lack a basic humility, but also a sense of integrity when it comes to self-assesment: most will skillfully turn failure into achievement, or cherry pick a number such as market share growth as if related to brilliant performance. Once I was told by someone how he grew market share 20% YoY twice in a row; when I casually remarked both IDC and Gartner figures showed the overall market grew 30% those years, I was met by brief silence and the accompanying "deer staring in the headlights" expression. We continued the conversation as if nothing happened.

I answered the gentleman who asked me if I could give him a CEO position that most unfortunate I could not. I could not offer him a CEO position right now because he was overqualified for the particular role I was working on. He could not agree more, and thanked me profusely for the great discussion we had.

Seniority and greatness

2010-05-23T16:15:39Z

Marshall Goldsmith spends one chapter in his bestselling book about executive coaching "What got you here won't get you there" on the importance of listening. He rightly remarks listening is not a passive activity; on the contrary, good listeners regard it as a highly active process, one that is absolutely essential to a great conversation. Hence listening requires an amount of effort, especially when one is engaged in selling a product, idea or service.

It is listening that builds trust; talking doesn't. There is no way of building trust quicker than to listen intently to what the other has to say. I read somewhere that the best sales people, actually 75% of the very top, are classified as introverts on psychological tests: they talk and ask questions 30% or less of the time. They will ask engaging questions, allowing to steer and guide the conversation, giving them the opportunity to listen.

Listening also builds selfesteem, because to listen intently is to show one cares for another. Furthermore, individuals who can listen comfortably and attentively usually have high selfesteem, because they tend to be less preoccupied with their own thoughts and feelings in their interaction with others: they simply are not a quest to prove to others how good they are.

Goldsmith lists 3 traits good listeners do:

1) They listen with respect. It is the only way to learn from what the other has to say.

2) They think before speaking. What do people do when they're upset, surprised or shocked ? They talk. Telling your brain and mouth not to do something is no different than telling them to do it. Mastering this means you can listen effectively.

3) They ask themselves "if it's worth it". It forces one to consider how the other person will feel after hearing your response; which engages the listener into thinking beyond the discussion to consider how the other person regards you, what he or she will do afterwards, and how she or she will behave the next time you talk. That's a lot of consequences resulting out of if it's worth it.

After interviewing hundreds of professionals, I came to see that the truly great executives are great listeners. The very best managers I have placed, without exception, always showed great listening skills. They listen intently and they will always tend to listen more than they will be inclined to talk. Moreover, they will always take the opportunity to ask questions.

It is their questions, much more than their answers, which will unveil the depth of their knowledge, experience, and the sophistication of their thinking. I am always surprised how some indiduals go into great lengths talking about their achievements, have nothing to ask beyond the name of our client and the package details. The great ones (which also includes also search consultants), always leave you with the feeling of a great conversation, where both sides had the opportunity to learn something.

Back

2010-05-20T18:20:36Z

The last six months were exhausting but hilarious. I have been living out of my suitcase, logging over 48 flights. As a result I sadly neglected this blog. One client, with a corporate transformation project spanning 9 emerging markets, with 17 positions was just one of the many mandates. Thank you for your mails and messages, I am happy you appreciate and like the content of this blog. The markets did turn around, although efforts in business development also paid off and it was literally all hands on deck for many months. The ash cloud did and does help, but I also could bring in additional resources. See you soon !

How not to select a Search Consultant

2010-01-14T16:09:05Z

A colleague shared with me recently how the Regional VP at a prospect gave him a list of names after he finished his pitch. He was asked to provide positions and the names of the companies those individuals were working for. This "test" would show the prospective client how well my colleague knew his market.

I beg to differ. Search Consultants do not learn a database by heart. On the contrary, they know how to get to the right people, and they are intimately familiar with an industry vertical or sector. They also understand a business and the market it operates in. Furthermore, the great Search Consultant has the credibility to approach and even convince Senior Executives, while he understands and masters all intangibles necessary to close a search assignment for his client.

Rating a Search Consultant on his knowledge of names in the industry, is similar to rating a book on its weight, size, color, the font type and print ink used - except for the content. As a result, the most meaningful dimension is completely overlooked. In a similar context a prospective client does not seek to retain a parrot, but trusted advisors who are able to improve his bottomline.

Great Leaders

2009-11-22T21:00:00Z

Many people asked me how I would list the elements making a great leader:

(1) Personal humility fortified with professional will, which is much different from ego-drive, or the capacity for show-off combined with a large dose of personal PR. Humility leads managers to effortlessly take responsibility, but also naturally share success with their team.

(2) Integrity: walk the talk, and lead by example. These people do as they say. Such individuals always operate from within an aura of transparency and openness, as there is few or nothing they need to hide or shy away from.

(3) Passion, which I see as a combination of energy, creativity and focus. Passion allows leaders to develop vision, and the gives them the energy to implement it. It makes them mobilize their team to realize a shared mission.

(4) A genuine positive outlook on life and people, with a total absence of cynicism. Personal and organizational growth can only be sustained through optimism, or a deep positive belief that people and situations can change for the better. Its a main attractor for what one can define the good things in life: health and valuable friendships.

(5) Last but not least I would list intelligence, on both an intrinsic and emotional level. I once read an IQ test can account for one third of the success of an executive, and I do not completely disagree. Throw an equal measure of EQ and one will go a long way.

Great leaders develop a culture where the truth can be heard, and they do not devalue contrary views or idea's. On the contrary, like Jack Welsh, they will relish and promote candor in their organizations. As such they promote a culture where respect tends to be equally given as it will be received. Those leaders confront facts, ask the necessary questions, and will focus on what has the greatest impact; they will be a major source for the job satisfaction of those working for them.