Shows
The Growth Whisperers podcast#166 Necessary endings"Necessary Endings" is a self-help book written by Dr. Henry Cloud. It explores the concept of embracing and initiating endings in various aspects of life, such as relationships, careers, and personal growth, in order to create a positive and fulfilling future. The book emphasises that endings are a natural part of life and are necessary for personal and professional growth. While endings are a natural part of business and life, we often experience them with a sense of hesitation, sadness, resignation, or regret. But Dr. Henry Cloud sees endings differently. He argues that our personal a...2023-06-1225 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#165 The top five reasons people regret selling their businessThere is an entire industry and philosophy surrounding why you should sell your business, but it doesn’t need to be that way. There are many reasons why people choose to sell their businesses and really the reasons can be broken down into two different things. 1. Long Term Goal To Exit: A strategic decision because their plan all along was to sell their business and they have something else more desirable to do with their time (besides golf). 2. Looking for an Exit strategy after losing faith. They hit a point of frustration or despe...2023-06-0530 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#164 Using the sandbox to stop dumb decisions in the leadership teamWithout effective discipline around decision making we can end up making decisions we later might call dumb. To avoid this one of the tools we use is the sandbox. Where we play. Our sandbox is where we have proven that we can win and earn the right to be a viable option for our customers. And the principle helps us to keep sand in the box. What we sell, Who we sell it to and where we sell it. Like any principle creates focus and guardrails for our thinking and decisions. When...2023-05-2924 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#163 Executive burnout: Building your resilience (2/2)Executives are often more driven than the average person. We run hard all the time, and it usually works. And then, it doesn't work. We persist and push harder than the average person, and that's why we win. But it's also why we can crash harder and sometimes even put everything at risk. This week we talk about executive burnout in the second of two episodes. What it means, what to look out for in both yourself and your team, and when it might be time to go get some help. ...2023-05-2225 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#162 Executive Burnout: How do you know when you need to get some help? (1/2)Executives are often more driven than the average person. We run hard all the time, and it usually works. And then, it doesn't work. We persist and push harder than the average person, and that's why we win. But it's also why we can crash harder and sometimes even put everything at risk. This week we talk about executive burnout. What it means, what to look out for in both yourself and your team, and when it might be time to go get some help. ----- * Do you...2023-05-1531 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#161 Rating your firm on Jim Collins 7 Good to Great principles (2/2)Jim Collins book Good to Great is one of the all-time business classics due to the size and quality of the research that underpins the principles that he identified in the research about companies that endured and achieved great performance, relative to their peer companies who only achieved good performance. In Good to Great, Jim Collins identified seven core principles that great companies excelled at. In this part two of two episodes, we dig into the seven principles from Good to Great and ask you to rate your firm's performance on each of these. 2023-05-0827 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#160 Rating your firm on Jim Collins 7 Good to Great principles (1/2)Jim Collins book Good to Great is one of the all-time business classics due to the size and quality of the research that underpins the principles that he identified in the research about companies that endured and achieved great performance, relative to their peer companies who only achieved good performance. In Good to Great, Jim Collins identified seven core principles that great companies excelled at. In this part one of two episodes, we dig into the seven principles from Good to Great and ask you to rate your firm's performance on each of these. 2023-05-0132 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#159 The most important number that CEOs rarely measureWhat if the most important number and predictor of long-term success was also a number that you didn't measure or even manage decisions based on it? Unfortunately, it's a situation that is quite common today. The accumulation of many seemingly small (and large) investment decisions that leaders make leads to the primary measure of a CEO - return on invested capital. How much capital has been invested in your business, and what's the return on that? Some of the most successful CEOs of all time have been primarily guided by this measure. Ensuring t...2023-04-2424 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#158 Living and working in your Sustainable Sweet Spot as a leaderSome parts of your role give you energy, and some parts drain your energy. Often, the parts that drain your energy can be unsustainable. When you were younger, you probably had jobs that drained your energy, and you quit those jobs, getting better jobs over time. But that's often not possible if you're a business owner, CEO or executive. Over time we want to give more time to things that give us energy and less time to those parts that drain energy. This way we're able to work hard and sustain our energy for the role. We w...2023-04-1728 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#157 Jim Collins: 6 characteristics of right people in the right seatsHow do you know if you have the right people in the right seats? We’ve all heard of the phrase ‘get the right people in the right seats on the bus’. It talks about ensuring that team members are aligned and committed to success. However, Jim Collins has a very specific definition of the ‘right people’, and when you’re considering if you have the right people in the right seats, this includes six key characteristics that might help to understand what 'right' actually means. This week we're going through Jim Collins' definition of the right peo...2023-04-1027 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#156 Five expensive hiring mistakes to avoidHiring can be expensive. It's expensive in terms of time for leaders to commit to an effective hiring process, it's expensive in terms of recruitment fees or costs, and it's expensive in terms of productivity. And that's when you get it right! Sometimes we can make mistakes when hiring, and this can be even more expensive. Perhaps busy executives are skipping steps or they might not know what things to avoid. This week we talk about five expensive hiring mistakes you should avoid. ----- * Do you love The...2023-04-0227 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#155 The 9 books every CEO must readNot all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. - Harry S. Truman. As leaders, we are avid learners and readers. And some of the best insights come from getting different perspectives whether it be from biographies of great leaders from the past or present or research that relates to our industries or completely divergent learning that enhance our perspectives of the world. Aside from travel, reading is one of the most impactful things we can spend time on to enhance the quality of our thinking and leadership. We all have favourites, bu...2023-03-2722 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#154 The 7 mistakes leaders make at annual strategy meetingsAnnual strategy meetings are a necessary part of every organisation. And they can be very expensive, with decisions made affecting the organisation for a year or more. Ensuring you maximise the value from these meetings and avoid mistakes to set the company up to win next year and into the future. This week we share seven mistakes we’ve found leaders make at annual strategy meetings, and what you can do to avoid these mistakes. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subs...2023-03-2029 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#153 Liz Wiseman’s Multipliers - how the best leaders make everyone smarterLiz Wiseman is an ex oracle executive who wrote an amazing book about how we all have moments as leaders where we accidentally diminish team members and 'shut down' their smarts, making our people less capable. What makes it worse, is that our intent is usually to be helpful and supportive, and yet it has the opposite impact. She breaks out the difference between the behaviours we have that multiply the intelligence of our team (and potentially family members too) and those that diminish their capability and intelligence. You can understand the accidental diminisher traits, an...2023-03-1325 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#152 I’m worried that I’m micromanaging my team - what should I do?It's been said that people join companies and leave managers. Almost everyone can't stand a boss who is a micromanager. But what if you might be a micromanager? You know you are a micromanager if the weight of responsibility along with the thinking and planning related to it, ultimately sits with you. You will know this is true if the problems, thinking and decisions come to you. To avoid micromanagement and instead achieve leadership one must transfer the responsibility and coach the person. This leads to the clarity and tension that drives accountability and results. 2023-03-0525 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#151 I’m thinking about appointing my first COO or President – what should I do?For many leaders hiring their first COO or President can be a big change. Perhaps they've been running the business for a long time with 6 or 7 direct reports, and need to move to the next level, or begin transitioning toward succession. No matter how or why hiring your first COO or hiring your first president can be a big change, and comes with a set of unique challenges. This week we talk about this unique issue, and what to do if you're hiring your first COO or President. ----- * Do you lo...2023-02-2722 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#150 I have a key executive that I think is ineffective – what should I do?It can be quite common for leaders to be not satisfied with an executive or key employee. However, it's important not to allow that frustration to remain, but to understand why you are feeling this way. This means becoming clear on the gaps between your expectations, and actual performance, and then having a conversation with them so they are aware and have an opportunity to recalibrate and meet your expectations. The failure of many leaders is experiencing this frustration, but keeping it a secret, which isn't fair to either party. If you're feeling t...2023-02-2026 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#149 My Gross Margin is dropping – what should I do?Gross margin is one of the most important numbers in your business. Gross Margin (percentage) is a good indicator that your business is healthy: Both on the selling/strategy end indicating your customer is willing to pay you well for what you offer, and on the operations end demonstrating that you can efficiently produce what the customer wants. The trend of this number over time can tell quite the story. When it starts to fade, as it often can, it is a reason for concern. This week we talk about Gross Margin erosion, why i...2023-02-1325 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#148 We need to increase pricing but the sales team is resisting. What should I do?Price increases are a bit of a dirty word in business - and they have become a critical success factor for companies in 2023 with incredibly high price inflation affecting input costs; Enduring companies that have been around for many decades have mastered this discipline, whereas newer companies have not necessarily had to learn this lesson yet, and it hurts. Big, experienced companies were making price increases fast and early - and profiting from it; Smaller, nicer companies waited, thought about it, and many paid a serious price with their margins shirking and tier bottom line fading too. ...2023-02-0620 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#147 Jim Collins Three Rules of Engagement for Healthy TeamsIn team meetings, leaders often need a simple code of conduct through which to operate. If you have the 'right people on the bus', they will be self-motivated and don’t require constant coercing toward a compelling vision. In order to effectively delegate responsibility and accountability and create a high-performing team, leaders should follow Jim Collin's three rules of engagement for healthy teams. In this episode, we discuss Jim Collin's three rules, what they are and why each of them are so important to create the environment for a high-performing team to thrive. ----- ...2023-01-3026 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#146 Why the greatest leaders obsess over their goalsAre you looking to become a more effective leader? In this episode of the "Growth Whisperers" podcast, we explore the importance of goal obsession in successful leadership. Discover why the greatest leaders are driven by a deep sense of purpose and relentless determination to achieve their goals, no matter the challenges that come their way. Learn how to set and achieve ambitious goals that will set you apart and allow you to make a lasting impact. It’s not enough to have big goals. Great leaders obsess over them. They never let them out...2023-01-2320 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#145 Stephen Covey’s Time management matrixAre you struggling to prioritize tasks and maximize your productivity? The Time Management Matrix, created by Stephen Covey, could be the solution you've been looking for. In this podcast, we'll teach you how to effectively use the matrix to set goals and achieve success in both your personal and professional life. Through real-life examples, you'll learn how to manage your time in each of the matrix's four quadrants. We all have limited time and exactly 24 hours in a day, and yet, some people accomplish more at work and can also have more of a life...2023-01-1628 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#144 Planning to win in 2023 - Cash - (5 of 5)What cash decisions do you need to make to win in 2023? 2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. And this is especially so when considering your cash and how it might be impacted by the changing environment. One of the most important questions to answer to best prepare for 2023 is how can I maintain consistent financial performance if my customer's needs or spending changes? Notable quotes from the episode. "Profit is an opinion, but cash is a fact" "How can you have and generate more cash to grow and h...2023-01-0930 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#143 Planning to win in 2023 - Execution - (4 of 5)What execution decisions do you need to make to win in 2023? 2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. And this is especially so when considering your strategy and how it might be impacted by the changing environment. One of the most important questions to answer to best prepare for 2023 is how can I maintain consistent financial performance if my customer's needs or spending changes? "People are always excited about the games in sports, but it is all the discipline and habits built in practice that drives winning" This week we discuss h...2023-01-0226 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#142 Planning to win in 2023 - Strategy - (3 of 5)What strategy decisions do you need to make to win in 2023? 2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. And this is especially so when considering your strategy and how it might be impacted by the changing environment. One of the most important questions to answer to best prepare for 2023 is how can I maintain consistent financial performance if my customer's needs or spending changes? Jim Collins said that "The signature of mediocrity is not unwillingness change, the signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency" This week we discuss how to ma...2022-12-2631 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#141 Planning to win in 2023 - People - (2 of 5)What people decisions do you need to make to win in 2023? 2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. And this is especially so when considering the people challenges we're all facing. One of the most important questions to answer in order to best prepare for 2023 is how do I get the right people in the right seats doing the right things the right way? This week we're going through some important things to find the right people in 2023 and get your people system working. ----- * Do you love The G...2022-12-1930 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#140 Planning to win in 2023 - (1 of 5)2023 is looking like one of the most interesting years in our lives and careers. We didn't really see 2020, it just happened to us, and we all responded. But 2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. So what can we do in order to win in 2023? In this first of five episodes, we look at what we know about 2023, and what we can do to manage the headwinds and challenges. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subsc...2022-12-1224 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#139 What’s more important: Right People or Right Strategy?What is more important, getting the right people or getting the right strategy? Many people have opinions about what matters more. Strategy people think it's strategy, and you might have a great team, but they will spin their wheels without a great strategy. Then others will think that culture is more important and that a great strategy will go nowhere without a high-performing team. But there's also one other nuance to this debate and its execution. How effectively does the team execute the strategy? Today we ask if we had to pi...2022-12-0520 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#138 Why the One Page Plan worksMany companies might have a plan, but some plans work better than others. Focus matters; having an ideology, strategy, and execution goals in one plan enables leaders to focus and achieve results. By bringing together the ideology (Core Values & Core Purpose), Strategy (How you're different) and execution together into a logical fit, you avoid just having a list of goals with different time horizons. This week we discuss the One Page Plan, where it comes from, why it works and the principles that underly its success. Also, we discuss how people make mistakes with the o...2022-11-2827 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#137 The Four Forces of Growth: What CEO’s need to focus on to sustain growthThis week we're talking about a new book that Kevin is working on entitled The Four Forces of Growth. We talk about the four forces, why they matter and what you can do to focus on growth. Here's an excerpt from Kevin's website outlining the four forces of growth. The 4 Forces of Growth We’re about a third of the way through this year, and it feels as if we’ve already burned a year’s worth of energy. Many people have slipped into troubleshooting, problem solving and pivoting within their businesses and I’ve seen som...2022-11-2124 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#136 If We Bought Twitter: things to consider when acquiring a businessWhat would we do if we paid $44 USD Billion for a business that was losing 4 million dollars a day? It's no different than buying any business, you're either going to let it run, or extract and create more value through a turnaround. We talk about what we would do if we bought Twitter, and what you should consider if you're buying a business. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rat...2022-11-1424 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#135 Onboarded - The role scorecard and onboarding sprint plan (4 of 4)What tools do you need to use for an effective onboarding process? First, you must document what success looks like in the role after the onboarding. Second, you must build a plan to ensure the new hire understands how to succeed in the role. The role scorecard should include the job purpose, responsibilities, measurable metrics and expectations of the new hire. The onboarding sprint plan should be a detailed weekly list of agenda items over perhaps 13 weeks which incorporates all the aspects of the role scorecard. This week, in part 4 of 4, we talk ab...2022-11-0725 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#134 Onboarded - Onboarding debt (3 of 4)What is onboarding debt, and how can you calculate your onboarding debt? When people don’t understand how to succeed in a new role, they do what they think is right. But that might not be the right thing. They won't understand the culture, the technical and process expectations and your expectations as their manager. Onboarding debt is the liability you carry with each new hire. More onboarding debt means a less successful team. We talk about Brad's new book Onboarded and how every new hire you employ carries a liability from what th...2022-10-3119 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#133 Onboarded - Why new hires that are a good fit are a problem (2 of 4)Many people refer to a person as a good fit (they are still here) or a bad fit (they left). This creates a mindset problem when we think about new hires. We can then think that new hires are pre-determined to be a good or bad fit, and it’s outside our control. And worse, any effort to make them fit is a wasted effort. Because this mindset tells us there’s no point in spending time if someone is a bad fit. Hiring can be viewed as a “deal done”. We can consider that a good hiring p...2022-10-2424 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#132 Onboarded - What is onboarding and why does it matter (1 of 4)What is onboarding, and why does it matter? In this first of four episodes, we're discussing Brad's new book Onboarded, how to bring new hires to the point where they are effective faster. We discuss what onboarding is and what it isn't. We cover how 83% of organisations aren't realising the benefits of an effective onboarding process and why onboarding really matters to your team and your results. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. ...2022-10-1720 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#131 Visionary Leadership in Turbulent Times – Leveraging the Stockdale Paradox in this EconomyHow can you leverage the Stockdale Paradox in this economy? During these turbulent times, with major events that are out of your control which could impact your company, how can you maintain composure and results? The Stockdale Paradox from Jim Collins can be defined as - you must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. This week we're talking about the Stockdale P...2022-10-1019 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leadersWhat are Jim Collins Level 5 leaders? Level 5 leadership is a concept developed in the book Good to Great. Level 5 leaders display a powerful mixture of personal humility and indomitable will. They're incredibly ambitious, but their ambition is first and foremost for the cause, for the organization and its purpose, not themselves. While Level 5 leaders can come in many personality packages, they are often self-effacing, quiet, reserved, and even shy. This week we discuss what makes a level 5 leader, why level 5 leadership matters, and the challenge that comes with being a level 4 leader. Also, we provide...2022-10-0326 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#129 How to identify A players during an interviewHow can you identify A players during an interview? There is no substitute for a team of A players. The higher the percentage of A players that you have in your team for longer, the greater the chance of the team's success. How do you know when you’ve got an A player - or potential - on your hands? This week we discuss the four things you must do to know how to identify A players during an interview and how to validate A players beyond that. ----- 2022-09-2627 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#128 Is your leadership team too big?Is your leadership team too big? There's a real challenge that comes with having too many people in a meeting or in a team. Some leaders want to be all-inclusive and can end up with too many people in the room, or others can end up with too few people. Each of these can come with a set of second-order consequences that can negatively affect the effectiveness of the team. And then the performance of the business. The challenge here is that the leadership team naturally expands in most compan...2022-09-1921 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#127 How to deal with an executive that is underperformingHow do you deal with an executive that is underperforming? Executives are the most impactful and important roles in your company. Weak executives create weak teams, which start to rot the company from the inside out. Sometimes we have good people who we trust, but they perform at a B level. They score high on the core values but score low on productivity. These people can be difficult to deal with, and exceptionally difficult to deal with if it's a CEO dealing with a B performer executive. This week we talk about stories we...2022-09-1230 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#126 What to say when managers tell you people are leaving for more moneyWhat happens when managers tell you people are leaving for more money? As a leader, your direct reports will tell you that a team member of theirs has left for more money. The problem is that it’s an easy excuse, that actually leads to never fixing attrition issues. Instead, what if you didn’t accept that answer and asked them for the real answer? In this episode, we discuss the data about why people leave jobs, and you can use that data to develop a better operational culture. -----2022-09-0533 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#125: What to do when your team resists changeSometimes you're clear about a change that needs to happen, but team members might resist that change. It doesn't make sense. You understand why and how the change is required, but team members are resisting that change in perhaps an illogical or unreasonable way. In this episode, Kevin and Brad discuss what to do when your team resists change, and we refer to Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, which is listed below. 1- Create Urgency. The first step is to create a sense of urgency about the need for change. 2- Put A Team Together.2022-08-2928 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#124 Five things that make a bad strategic planWhat makes a bad strategic plan? According to Harvard Business School, 92% of business plans fail due to poor execution, and so getting a plan that succeeds, is difficult. Your strategy should clearly explain your direction, and how you will be different from your competition. Then, your execution plan should detail specifically where to commit your resources of time and money to ensure you execute that strategy. In this episode, Kevin and Brad discuss five things that make a bad strategic plan, and how you can avoid those, to build more effective strategic plans, t...2022-08-2226 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#123 Seven important things to develop your mid managersHow do you develop your mid-managers? As companies grow, the gap tends to be in the middle management and, as they are so busy working, they rarely get the development time, resources and attention needed for the growth that is required to develop talent from within. As a result, we end up having to hire many external team members to strengthen the team - more than many companies would like. And the existing team gets stagnant. In the end, every team ends up with its own university. An internal learning centre to...2022-08-1524 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#122 Fire bullets before cannonballs: Jim Collins' method for validating ideasWhat does it mean to fire bullets before cannonballs? Often leaders are too bold or, alternatively, too conservative. Instead of taking too much or too little risk, the concept of firing bullets before cannonballs asks leaders to validate an idea with a series of small, low-risk experiments. Once you have validated your idea, then you can concentrate your resources on a big bet idea. From Jim Collins - “The ability to turn small proven ideas (bullets) into huge hits (cannonballs) counts more than the sheer amount of pure innovation.” No one is smart enough...2022-08-0828 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#121 How to structure presentations to ensure effective decision makingLeaders often waste a lot of time on decisions because meeting delegates are not well prepared with the information needed or aren't well-disciplined with a process that can lead to an effective and quick decision. In order to be a more effective leader, effective decision-making in meetings is crucial. Also, the format of rules and engagement to discuss, debate and decide impacts the effectiveness of meetings. In this episode, Brad and Kevin discuss how to achieve effective decision-making during presentations and meetings. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and...2022-08-0123 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#120 The 20 Mile March concept By Jim Collins: Thrive in UncertaintyThe 20 Mile March is a concept developed by Jim Collins in the book Great by Choice. Enterprises that prevail in turbulence self-impose a rigorous performance mark to hit with great consistency—like hiking across the United States by marching at least 20 miles a day, every day. The march imposes order amidst disorder, discipline amidst chaos, and consistency amidst uncertainty. The 20 Mile March works only if you actually hit your march year after year; if you set a 20 Mile March and then fail to achieve it, you may well get crushed by events. Having a clear 20 Mile March focu...2022-07-2530 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#119 Jim Collins SMAC Recipe: your recipe for successSMaC Recipe is a concept developed in the book Great by Choice. A SMaC recipe is a set of durable operating practices that creates a replicable, consistent success formula. The word "SMaC" stands for Specific, Methodical, and Consistent. A solid SMaC recipe is the operating code for turning strategic concepts into reality, a set of practices more enduring than mere tactics. It is like the U.S. Constitution, both durable and practical, yet also amendable. Great companies and social enterprises change their SMaC recipe no more than about 20 percent per decade, so a key SMaC question is...2022-07-1825 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast# 118 The biggest problem with most Flywheels (part two of two) There's a big problem with most flywheels, and it's the main reason they're destined to fail. The Flywheel Concept originated from Jim Collins' book Good to Great and outlines a series of actions that a business takes in order to build momentum in the business. The Flywheel Concept is designed to build ever-increasing momentum and growth in a business, thereby making the business more successful over time. The successful flywheels that are provided as examples are built after a deep understanding of the business's fundamentals, and yet today we see many people showcasing flywheels that ar...2022-07-1126 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#117 The biggest problem with most Flywheels (part one of two) There's a big problem with most flywheels, and it's the main reason they're destined to fail. The Flywheel Concept originated from Jim Collins' book Good to Great and outlines a series of actions that a business takes in order to build momentum in the business. The Flywheel Concept is designed to build ever-increasing momentum and growth in a business, thereby making the business more successful over time. The successful flywheels that are provided as examples are built after a deep understanding of the business's fundamentals, and yet today we see many people showcasing flywheels that ar...2022-07-0423 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#116 Is your culture really aligned with your core values?Is your culture really aligned with your core values? Sometimes there can be a difference between what your core values state, and what is really happening in the culture. And this can make the leaders of a business look like they don't know, don't understand or worse are incompetent to team members. Therefore the core values of the business must align with the culture that people observe and live every day. In this episode we talk about seven things you can do to ensure that your culture is aligned with your core values. ...2022-06-2727 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#115 Seven actions for challenging economic timesWhat actions should you take to prepare for challenging economic times? It's been said that God invented Economists to make Astrologists look good. No one knows what will happen in the economy, but at the moment there are a number of signals that indicate challenging economic times might be ahead. We discuss 7 actions you can take now to prepare for challenging economic times. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rat...2022-06-2026 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#114 The CEO has only one toolWe know that a carpenter or a nurse has many tools to use in their profession, but a CEO has only one tool. That one tool is meetings and is the only mechanism that CEOs can use to get things done. So, if you're a leader, it's essential that you master meetings, the only tool that's at your disposal. We talk about how to become masterful at meetings, how to prepare, how to host and how to run meetings. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to se...2022-06-1323 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#113 Think Time - the only way to really be strategicIn order to become more strategic and more effective, leaders should aim for more think time. But making it happen is hard. So we need to find more time for thinking, versus just tactically working. Because if you don't have enough thinking time, you end up with your head in the day to day problems, which leads to short term, urgent issues being resolved, but the longer-term important things not getting any attention. We discuss six things you should consider to ensure you can optimise your think time. ----- 2022-06-0626 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#112 Coach vs consultant - which is right for you?Coach vs consultant, what is the difference and which one is right for you? Coaches and consultants perform different roles in different situations for businesses, and it's important to understand when you should use a coach, and when you should use a consultant. In this episode, we talk about the results and output you should expect from a coach or a consultant. We discuss the relationship and time you should expect from each, and then we discuss how accountability works in consulting, and how accountability works in coaching. 2022-05-3016 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#111 What is NPS 3? How can you bring it to life in your company?What is NPS 3? Since its introduction, in 2003, the Net Promoter System, which measures how consistently brands turn customers into advocates, has become the predominant customer success framework. But as its popularity grew, NPS started to be gamed and misused in ways that hurt its credibility. Unaudited, self-reported Net Promoter Scores undermined the usefulness of NPS. In order to address this problem, Fred Reichheld, the NPS founder has introduced a hard metric, drawn from accounting results, known as "earned growth rate" that captures the revenue growth generated by returning customers and their referrals. In this episode...2022-05-2321 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#110 Five most common questions we get about scaling upWhat are the most common questions about the Scaling Up framework? This week Kevin and Brad talk about the most questions that they see time and time again about the Scaling Up operating system. The questions discussed are 1. How long does it take to complete the One-Page Strategic Plan (OPSP)? How often does it need updating? 2. How would you get your team to buy into the Scaling Up methods? 3. Who on my team should be involved in the Strategic Planning Meetings - my executive team - my whole leadership team? 2022-05-1636 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#109 Why SOPs and building procedure manuals can be a waste of timeMany scaling companies try to capture all their Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs in an effort to do things in a more consistent manner. Unfortunately, this often doesn't work and doesn't produce the intended effect. Many end up with bulky SOPs and procedures that seem 'right' but aren't delivering what the company and the team really need, and the documents become unused, and simply clog up servers. We discuss why building SOPs and procedure manuals can be a waste of time, then why this happens, and what you can do to achieve effective SOPs in...2022-05-0921 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#108 Getting your deep monthly reporting right for your businessHow do you get deep monthly reporting right for your business? If you only skim financial and performance results on a monthly basis, you're missing an opportunity to course-correct, learn and improve on what you're doing. Instead, teams should go line-by-line through financial statements, KPIs and Priorities monthly to deep dive into results and look for any trends or problems that may require action. We discuss why it matters and how to do it. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling fa...2022-05-0227 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#107 The trap of thinking software is managementThere's a trap that leaders can fall into, thinking that software can replace the important role to manage people. There is no substitute for leaders managing and leading people. But, some software companies might advocate that their product will remove or reduce the need to manage and lead people. And this could come with a set of second-order consequences that affect employee engagement and retention. Software is fantastic at automating processes, but cannot replace human to human interactions. Also, we discuss the line between automating menial tasks and managing people to be more effective. 2022-04-2521 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#106 Why you need cash reserves to weather the stormsHow much of a cash reserve should you have? There will always be storms that come in, and you must be able to endure those storms. Most people don't build enough of a cash reserve in their business, or they always spend any spare cash, often running the business without an adequate cash buffer. How much cash should you have in your business? What is a good or bad cash buffer? Why is it important to maintain a cash buffer in your business? We answer these and more questions in this week's episode....2022-04-1836 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#105 Why stretch targets are garbageStretch targets are garbage. People set stretch targets in the hope that they will motivate a team to achieve better results than they otherwise would. In most situations, however, they don't work and actually create a set of second-order consequences. This week we talk about 6 reasons why stretch targets don't work, and what you should be doing instead. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show!...2022-04-1128 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each weekThe most successful leaders we come across do the same things to prepare each week. It was a startling revelation we had, noticing that success was born in the preparation of each and every week. This week we discuss six key points we've observed about leaders who are successful, as they prepare for each week. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twi...2022-04-0427 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast#103 When you have low numbers of candidates applying for your open rolesWhat should you do when you have low numbers of candidates applying for open job roles? In this market, it could actually be good to have anyone apply for a job. And so we're talking about how to have more great people apply for roles that you have open at your company. We talk about seven different tactics or tools you can use to bring in new candidates so that you can fill those roles. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smili...2022-03-2829 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast102 The problem with best practices, and what to do about itThere's a problem with best practices. People often talk about needing to implement best practices and what they really mean is common practices. And the problem is that common practices might not be best for your business, and in fact, common practices might weaken your business. In this episode, we talk about the problem with best practices and what you should do about it. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our co...2022-03-2124 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast101 What to do when you are failing to achieve your quarterly goalsSometimes, it's mid-way through the quarter and you realise you are failing at your quarterly goals. As you look across at the goals the team set out to achieve, you get this horrible feeling in your gut that you aren't going to achieve many of your goals. And this sense of dread won't disappear if you ignore it! In this episode, we provide 7 important things to do if you find yourself in this situation, to ensure you can reset and make the most of the quarter, with renewed confidence! ----- ...2022-03-1430 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast100 Topgrading, hire with 90% successTopgrading is a hiring methodology from Brad Smart which is designed to provide you with a ninety per cent success rate when hiring and promoting people on your team. The Topgrading process should provide you with A player candidates, those who are in the top ten per cent of all candidates at the pay level you provide. There are several tools within the Topgrading methodology and this week we explain the methodology and each of the tools. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smi...2022-03-0732 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast99 The Brilliant JerkThe brilliant jerk is a phrase that was made famous in the Netflix culture deck and is also known as a toxic A player. The brilliant jerk refers to people on your team who are highly productive in their role, but they don't fit. They don't align with the behaviours or core values and they come at a high cost to the team. We talk about methods to deal with brilliant jerks, and the tools that are available to prevent them being such a jerk, and how to handle it if your efforts to manage brilliant jerks fail. 2022-03-0125 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast98 Are you unintentionally doing other people jobs?Many leaders accidentally find themselves doing other peoples jobs. They try to help other people, but often that help creates more damage than they know. If you're doing other peoples jobs, then you are preventing the person from having full autonomy, and accountability for their job, plus, you're not doing your job. This week we discuss a trap that many leaders fall into, unintentionally doing other people jobs.2022-02-2120 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast97 What time period should your role be focussed on?Different roles in an organisation should be focused on different time periods. Each person in each role should know what time horizon they should be focussed on, and create priorities relevant to that time horizon. If you are focused on the wrong time horizon in your role, you will not be as effective as you could be. This week we discuss the time horizon that each role should be focussed on, and why that really matters.2022-02-1421 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast96 The three main barriers to consistent growthWhen scaling a business, there are three barriers to growth leaders must navigate. These three barriers to growth are; 1. Scalable Infrastructure - The lack of systems and structures to handle the complexities in communication and decisions that come with growth 2. Market Dynamics - The failure to address the increased competitive pressures that build (and erode margins) as you scale 3. Leadership - The inability to staff/grow enough leaders who have the capability to delegate and predict This week on the podcast we discuss how and why each of these barriers affects...2022-02-0726 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast95 The Meeting Rhythm - The CEO UpdateThe CEO Update is the missing piece in the meeting rhythm puzzle. It's the 'glue' that aligns the entire business around the meeting rhythm of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual meetings. This is a weekly update from the leader that can be via email or video, and in this episode, we explain why it's important, and provide a sample agenda, and some examples. 2022-01-3121 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast94 Meeting Rhythm - The Daily HuddleThe daily huddle connects each day to the weekly meeting. When done correctly the daily huddle speeds up your business, aligns teams and heals relationships. Yet sometimes teams won't follow daily huddle best practices and they can end up with boring, or useless daily huddles. The daily stand up meeting must be energetic and valuable to all participants. In this episode, Brad and Kevin discuss why you need a daily huddle, what a daily huddle agenda must include, and tips for a successful daily huddle. 2022-01-2436 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast93 Meeting Rhythm - The Weekly meetingThe weekly meeting is the key to successful execution. The leadership team takes the strategy of a company developed at an annual meeting, which is then translated into a series of priorities at a quarterly meeting, and then the team executes the priorities through the weekly meeting accountability and updates. Many teams feel that they already have too many meetings and that yet another meeting doesn't make sense. But the weekly meeting - within the meeting rhythm - is designed to significantly reduce the number of meetings leaders need to have. In this episode, Brad and...2022-01-1723 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast92 Meeting Rhythm - The Monthly Leadership Team meetingThe Monthly Leadership Team meeting provides an opportunity for a leadership team to dig deeper into issues and opportunities, and is a link between the weekly meeting, and the quarterly execution planning meeting. Also the monthly meeting answers the question are we on track for this quarters plan, and what must we do to course correct. In this episode, Brad and Kevin discuss why you need a Monthly Leadership Team meeting, what a monthly meeting agenda must include, and tips for a successful monthly meeting.2022-01-1019 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast91 Meeting Rhythm - The Quarterly Execution Planning meetingThe Quarterly Execution Planning meeting is one of the most important meetings in a quarter because it is where a leadership team decides the priorities for the company and the priorities for each department for the following quarter. The quarterly meeting takes the strategy from the annual meeting and translates it into practical, executable goals for the team to focus on. In this episode, Brad and Kevin discuss why you need a Quarterly Execution Planning meeting, what a quarterly meeting agenda must include, and tips for a successful quarterly meeting.2022-01-0322 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast90 The Annual Strategic Thinking meetingThe Annual Strategic Thinking meeting is one of the most important meetings on the calendar, because it is where a leadership team decides the strategy for the company, and sets the goals for the following year, and three years. Also when a leadership team sets a strategy, that strategy should clearly tell people in the business what to say no to throughout the year. In this episode, Brad and Kevin discuss why you need an Annual Strategic Thinking meeting, what an annual meeting agenda must include, and tips for a successful annual meeting.2021-12-2725 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast89 The 4 different types of A playersWhat does the term A-player mean? The term A player can apply to any role and is determined by an individuals behaviours and productivity. Also, it is measured by similar individuals in similar roles at the pay rate you provide. Within the A player definition, there are four different types of A players and in this episode, we discuss each of the four different types of A-players and what can you do to understand them, categorise them and then what should you do about the different types of A-Players.2021-12-2026 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A PlayersIf you don't have a team of A players there is a hidden cost that many leaders don't consider. Many people consider the ability to get A players, or high performers to be elusive, or too expensive. Instead, it's actually more expensive to not have A players, and in this episode we discuss the hidden cost, and the 5 key items that make up the hidden cost of not filling your team with A players.2021-12-1430 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast87 The 5 main BHAG mistakesWhat are the main BHAG mistakes that leadership teams make? If your Big Hairy Audacious Goal isn't alive, driving growth and inspiring the team, maybe you've made a BHAG mistake. In this episode, you will learn the important considerations when setting a BHAG, the definition of a BHAG and why BHAG's matter. Then you will understand the main mistakes that leaders make when setting BHAG's.2021-12-0623 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast86 What is Productive Paranoia and why it's a critical leadership toolWhat is productive paranoia and why is it so important in leadership? Many leaders think that optimists are the best people to lead companies, but in fact the data says that optimists have a much higher chance of failing. Instead, the leaders who always ask 'what if, what if, what if?' are the ones who build enduring great companies. You can only learn if you survive your mistakes, and the only way to survive your mistakes is to be constantly on the lookout for things that can impact your plans. In this episode, Brad...2021-11-2928 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast85 How to get the most from a strategic planning frameworkHow to get the most from a strategic planning framework How do you know which framework you should use for your business? There are many frameworks and systems that claim to have the tools to help entrepreneurs get what they want from their business. In this episode, Kevin and Brad discuss the six things to consider when evaluating which strategic planning framework is best for you. 2021-11-2226 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael PorterThe 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter How do you know your strategy will be effective? This week Kevin and Brad discuss the Seven Strategy Mistakes from Michael Porter and how leadership teams regularly make these common strategy mistakes. Michael Porter is one of the greatest strategy thinkers from the last century and developed a simple checklist we can all use to ensure our strategy won't be a mistake.2021-11-1539 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastWhy strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market shareWhy strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share When setting your strategy there is a big trap that you can fall into. By focussing your strategy to build a bigger business, to chase market share, you may end up with the problem that the larger business isn't more profitable. In fact, you can chase yourself into the commodity business, with a bigger, larger, busier, and weaker business. Instead, your business should focus on producing more profit - not market share. Because the job of a leadership team is to de...2021-11-0826 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastProfit = Intelligence x DisciplineProfit = Intelligence x Discipline This week on The Growth Whisperers Brad and Kevin talk about the two critical variables that impact your profit. Intelligence and Discipline. If you have the intelligence to create a profitable strategy but don't have the discipline, it will negatively impact your profit. If you have the discipline to run an effective and efficient business but don't have the intelligence to build a strategy that grows your margin, it will negatively impact your profit. The show helps listeners to zoom out and perhaps understand why they might not be making the...2021-11-0132 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastThe dangerous thing about focusing on your competitionThe dangerous thing about focusing on your competition Many leaders spend way too much time thinking about and talking about their competition. And sometimes this can lead to me-too type reactions, that can lead you to commoditization. Instead of spending too much time thinking about the competition, instead, leaders should think about the customer, what the customer needs are, and how to meet those needs in a unique and valuable way. Brad and Kevin talk about the problems with client focus, and why you should spend more time focussing on customers. 2021-10-2525 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastHow to retain your top talentHow to retain your top talent With a war for talent being experienced worldwide at the moment, employers are not only finding it hard to find new people, but it can be difficult to retain existing people. This week Kevin and Brad discuss the 7 key things you can do to give you the best chance of retaining your A players. 2021-10-1834 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastEliminate your emotionally taxing issues - lick your toadsEliminate your emotionally taxing issues - lick your toads This week we're talking about all the small non-strategic things that weigh you down and create mental clutter. If you aren't able to eliminate all these issues you can't do the best work possible and be clear in your thinking. We discuss the rule of 5 D's - the five things to help you declutter and lick your toads.2021-10-1125 minThe Growth Whisperers podcast4Q The 4 questions leadership team members need to ask customers4Q The 4 questions leadership team members need to ask customers Some of the best data for leadership team members comes from customers, and some of the best customer data becomes available when leaders talk with customers directly. In fact leaders could be missing out on 70% to 80% of the most valuable information that they could have. This week we discuss the simple system of 4 questions that every leadership team should ask, we discuss why it's important, and how to implement it in your business. 2021-10-0425 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastThe curse of being in a great leadership teamThe curse of being in a great leadership team This week we're talking about the curse of being on a great leadership team. And the curse is that if you leave and you go back to a normal team it can be quite confronting to realise all the small things that added up to make the team great, simply aren't at the new team. We discuss what you can do if you find yourself in this position, how you can be a positive catalyst, using your past experiences to help a not so...2021-09-2724 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastWhy you can’t save your way to successWhy you can’t save your way to success Sometimes either personally, or in your business, you can focus on saving money rather than making money. Also, sometimes this means that you can be so focused on being efficient, that you can lose the opportunity for growth. Spending a few hours a week saving money might make you feel better about the waste reduction, but instead spending that time making money, could in fact produce ten or one-hundred times the impact. This week Brad and Kevin talk about the true cost of pe...2021-09-2027 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastGenius of the AND from Jim CollinsGenius of the AND from Jim Collins Many times we get stuck in what's called the "Tyranny of the OR". This means that we are stuck thinking that we can only solve a problem thinking binary. For example, we can't pursue profit and a purpose is an example of "Tyranny of the OR". Instead, we might think we can pursue a profit AND a purpose. Another example might we someone saying we can't grow both customers and margins. It is the genius of the AND when applied to certain circumstances that can make a remarkable d...2021-09-1322 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastThe Power and Struggle of saying noThe Power and Struggle of saying no Saying yes comes at a cost. Understanding the cost of yes and the challenge to say no, along with the cost can help you become more effective. The price of no includes time, money and busyness, leading to less effectiveness. Also, saying no the mediocre things, means you can keep room for greatness. This week we talk about the price of yes and provide some tools and techniques to help you to say no.2021-09-0627 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastHow the best leaders hold people accountable (part 2 of 2)How the best leaders hold people accountable (part 2 of 2) Many leaders want to know how to hold a team accountable. Often they will look at team members and wonder why they aren't accountable. In order to build accountability in a team, you need two things, the tools and the environment. In last weeks first episode we reviewed the tools required to build accountability in your team. In this part two of two, we discuss the elements and the environment required to build accountability in your team.2021-08-3036 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastHow the best leaders hold people accountable (part 1of 2)How the best leaders hold people accountable (part 1of 2) Many leaders want to know how to hold a team accountable. Often they will look at team members and wonder why they aren't accountable. In order to build accountability in a team, you need two things, the tools and the environment. In this part one of two, we discuss the tools required to build accountability in your team.2021-08-2332 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastHow to use SMART goals with your teamHow to use SMART goals with your team SMART goals are used to help teams achieve better outcomes. They turn a vague intent into a direct, specific understanding of what needs to be achieved. This helps in both measuring progress and determining whether the goal has been achieved. The problem with goals that aren’t SMART is that they don’t clearly state what needs to be achieved and when. This leads to poor execution and ultimately teams who regularly don't achieve their goals. This week we discuss what SMART goals are and why yo...2021-08-1629 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastAre you an operational CEO or a strategic CEO?What's the difference between an operational CEO and a strategic CEO? Operational CEOs focus on the short term horizon such as 1 week to 1 year and look at tactical items such as margin, sales and people performance. Strategic CEOs focus on the long term horizon of 3 years plus and look at innovation, sales relationship health and people development. In this episode, we talk about the difference between an operational and strategic CEO, and how to become a more strategic CEO.2021-08-0931 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastWhat is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need oneWhat is a Topgrading virtual bench, and why you need one This week on The Growth Whisperers, we talk about the virtual bench, a recruiting tactic for executives who need a better way to find additional leaders or key team members. The Topgrading virtual bench is important because it builds a list of vetted, pre-qualified candidates for a job opening that you can draw upon when you need to. In the episode, we explain why it's important and provide a simple role-play on how you can cold call potential candidates to put them o...2021-08-0234 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastHow Profit per X uniquely drives profitHow Profit per X uniquely drives profit Profit per X is a concept from Jim Collins where companies gain a piercing insight into how to most effectively generate sustained and robust cash flow and profitability. In particular, they discover the single denominator—Profit per X—that has the greatest impact on their economics. In this episode, we discuss why Profit per X is a strategic metric, and not an execution metric, what makes a good Profit per X, and how to align your Profit per X with your hedgehog, as well as providing Profit per X exa...2021-07-2633 minThe Growth Whisperers podcastWhy should anyone come and work for you at the same salary as your competitors?Why should anyone come and work for you at the same salary as your competitors? Employers often complain that it's difficult to find staff and yet pay the same amount as the competition. However, if you consider the situation from the employees perspective, you can appreciate that if the pay is approximately the same, then many things you might not consider are actually quite important to a candidate. For example, the purpose of the organisation, the role flexibility, career growth opportunity, the manager or the organisation's prestige all become critical considerations if the pay rate...2021-07-1926 min