In the early 1900s Sigmund Freud and other psychotherapists argued that human behavior is a result of past experiences. But in the 1920s Kurt Lewin made the claim that behavior is a result of both the individual and the environment. His revolutionary ideas developed and evolved into the study of group dynamics that is invaluable to organizations today.

For the past year, I’ve been reading a lot about field theory, which explores the forces and factors that influence any given situation. For example, have you ever asked yourself, why do some people on your team find it easier to identify, build, nurture and capitalize on their business relationships than others?

World-Class relationships development is derived from abilities, skills (knowledge + experience), and behavior. If you begin to understand what are the helping relationships that move your people toward achieving their goals and hindering relationships which inhibit movement toward their goals, you can begin to understand the “system” in which they’re making their relationship investment decisions! You can begin to understand their comfort zones, their perceived competencies, and “safe relationships!” In essence, only by understanding the system, you can begin to change it and help them extend and expand that comfort zone.

I don’t know of a team that doesn’t need an infusion of fresh thinking, a business that doesn’t need an infusion of net-new clients, or an organizations that can’t benefit from a fresh lens. All three require dismantling of old beliefs and practices; all three involve creation of some confusion and distress as the old mindset or system breaks down; all three benefit from comfort and stability within a new framework.

In the past decade, I’ve found that changing people’s behavior is difficult because it involves painful unlearning, difficult relearning, and the restructuring of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and perceptions. I’ve also found, when it comes to developing extraordinary relationships, it’s worth it!

Make it a great week, David

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As you can imagine, I seldom get a call from an executive with a comment such as “come right over, our relationships are broken!” What I do get calls about are stagnate sales, failed product launches, dramatically reduced number or participation by members, or misaligned executive strategy with what or how the rest of the team is trying to execute.

I learned years ago that beyond what any of us do (products, services, roles, or realm of responsibilities), we’re fundamentally and unequivocally in the relationship business. So in the early interactions, I focus on three key goals:

• Establish Rapport – something very quantifiable about someone’s likability factor
• Convey Credibility – much more often through the questions you ask vs. what you share; I’ve also found this a lot easier when I’ve done my homework on the organization AND the individual
• Determine Next Steps – if the conversation has been positive and mutually valuable, there is typically a logical next step. You don’t have to force it; it develops naturally

In this exchange of information phase, my favorite types of relationships are those with executives who are tough, smart, and we genuinely put our heads together on the potential causes of a particular challenge or steps to capture an upside market opportunity. We gain mutual and conceptual agreements on objectives (the business outcomes of us working together), measures of our progress toward the desired set of objectives, and the value to the organization. Read the rest of this entry »

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I have to admit, I’m envious of Tony Stark’s lifestyle in Iron Man2. I know he’s a fictitious Marvel character but who wouldn’t want to race a Formula 1 car in Monaco?

That envy has quickly dissipated as I’m preparing to host a three day conference – the IBM #SmarterCommerce Global Summit in Monaco, coming up on June 17-20!! Now, I may not be a “genius, billionaire, philanthropist, and playboy” like Tony Stark, but I am passionate about strategic business relationships, leadership strategies in the age of disruptive technologies such as social and mobile, and adaptive innovation to meet the changing market demands. These are key topics I plan to present to an audience of 2,000+ international business and technology leaders gathered to hear this year’s theme: Your Customer in Context.

You see, the edge that I have over Tony Stark in Monaco, is the understanding that today’s customers are smarter. They decide when, where and how the buying process begins and ends, and who will be part of it. They are mobile and social – connecting with you and each other – and have high expectations. Read the rest of this entry »

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Joel M. Koblentz is the Senior Partner of the Koblentz Group, a “Sensitive Matters” firm specializing in executive search, recruitment of board of directors, and the evaluation of key senior management. Over the past 30 years, his firms has conducted several hundred board recruitments for Fortune 500 companies as well as serving emerging public companies and private equity clients. Suffice it to say, they have worked with CEOs of every dimension.

We’ve been talking lately about CEOs who fail to recognize or acknowledge that they no longer have the right mix of experience, competences or vision to continue to lead their organization.

Just how does a CEO know when it’s time to go?

And if the CEO doesn’t see the problem, what can the board of directors and other senior leaders do? Read the rest of this entry »

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There is a lot of literature out there already on building “the brand called you,” so I won’t go into why it’s important, if not critical in this over-hyped world to diligently if not intentionally build, nurture, package, market, and protect your brand. I do want to remind you that brand equity is simply your brand promises, delivered! In essence, that which I perceive your unique value-add to be, by whatever means you’ve positioned yourself (your resume, website, business card, past results, repute, etc.) must match the experiences that I have with you.

Whether that’s the two of us working on a project together, me buying something from you, or some other exchange of value between us, the signals I’ve heard, internalized, resonated with me, etc. all must match what I actually feel in our interpersonal interactions. So, here are a handful of questions of you: Read the rest of this entry »

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This blog post is by Les McKeown, President & CEO, Predictable Success who will be presenting @InfoComm AV Executive Conference #AVEC13, September 10-12 in Amelia Island, FL

As a serial entrepreneur – I helped start over 40 companies before I was 35 – and the co-founder of an incubation company that helped launch (and grow) literally hundreds more, I uncovered a pattern few entrepreneurs and business leaders spot: At any point in time every organization – including your business – is experiencing one of seven stages of growth.

Because each stage impacts businesses differently, you can obtain a significant competitive advantage simply by knowing which of the seven stages you’re currently in. In fact, it’s only by being aware of where you are on the growth cycle that you can truly tailor your strategies (and direct your team) to make optimal decisions for future growth. Read the rest of this entry »

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