Suddenly, it all made sense!

Why would you bother if something seemed impossible?

We did research for a professional services firm, that asked us to build a business development programme that would enable their team to add more value to clients and generate more income for the business. The intent was to attract new clients, improve fees and replicate best practices via the more successful operators.

The aim was to establish the differentiators that led to positive performance in a key aspect of their business. The outcome was to design a set of development interventions, which would support the growth of business development revenue and new client acquisition as well as enhance client value.

The purpose of our role was to capture the essence of what made some operators more successful at business development than others and to ascertain the critical differentiating behaviours and attitudes. A series of semi-structured one-to-one interviews were undertaken with a sample of 14 operators.

We recommended working with a range of operators from within the business, some of whom were very competent and successful in this area (business development growth) and a group that was much less successful at business development. The groups were not informed about the categorisation of people.

A sample of operators was stratified by region, role, functionality and previous business development track record, to ensure a reflection of the total population. Those selected had been identified as more successful than the norm and a second group who had less success, the idea being to provide some form of comparison.

Our initial approach was to conduct a 2-hour critical incident-type technique interview with each operator to establish their views and to elicit their approach, process and mindset about business development. The structured meeting we carried out, was a chance for each operator to articulate their approach to BD, their views and challenges, together with blocks or possibilities.

The goal was to identify what worked, how and why so that good practice could be passed on via replication; additionally, we needed to establish what didn't work and why, so we could learn from the experience.

Ultimately, our aim was to create relevant development interventions to deliver the objectives that had been set by the firm. The selected cohorts' first task was to have an individual meeting with a facilitator.

The one-to-one meetings started with a general question, 'How is business?' The responses from the less-than-successful group included: 'It's terrible out there, really tough, impossible to get new business, we are too expensive, the economy is flat and that's not me' (Is this an identity issue?).

The replies left a heavy impression about the scale of the challenge these operators would likely face. Imagine how they perceived and conducted meetings if their mindset included some of the responses above, particularly the word impossible!

It is likely their expectation would be met; why would they undermine their belief and perspective? This highlights the challenges these operators faced, if we think something is impossible, why would we put in

any effort: defeated before they started? The implications of these attitudes indicated a fixed mindset which can often operate as a protective personal, metaphorical, 'shield'.

This situation is unhealthy for the operators who are in this position. Organisational needs, demands and expectations can often clash with the appetite, skill level and mindset of those who are struggling to keep up with change.

The business we were working with had plans to support and develop these people to be equipped for a changing market.

The interviews with the more successful operators followed the same process and questions. Again, the start included the question 'How is business'? The response was very different and included views such as, "It's tough, the market is harsh, but there are still lots of possibilities and potential for business, I've tweaked my approach and sharpened my pitch, in fact, in many ways, it's easier because fewer are trying to achieve success".

The way the members of this group framed the situation, probably assisted them to be more expectant of success. Also, they appeared to have more confidence when articulating their experience and skills; this resonated and came across as authentic. These operators held a much more optimistic view of the possibilities compared to their colleagues.

The individual meetings followed a structured process and we vividly remember interviewing an operator in the morning asking questions about the marketplace and what it's like out there, the operator said ‘It’s tough, we are too expensive, companies are not interested at present'. On the same day, in the same room, with the same process, we asked the same question to a different partner, their response was "It’s not easy but there are still opportunities and business to go at, what I've started doing is framing the situation as an opportunity to get ahead." This illustrated the gaps.

It was very interesting listening to the more bold, more upbeat and more confident operators and one could imagine the difference in the experience these partners created with customers, through their mood, language patterns and overall demeanour. Whereby, the 'less than successful' operators may have been less bold etc and had a more functional discussion.

The articulation, nuance and descriptions provided by some members of the more successful group resonated very well. The impact on the interviewers was striking in terms of the energy, belief and ebullient nature of the more successful group. They displayed an optimistic approach which was evident in their body language, appetite and general engagement. They were upbeat about the project. Their belief in being successful made them appear authoritative and much more likely to succeed. The contrast with the less successful group was considerable in this regard.

It was fascinating how the operators interpreted the market in very different ways leading to very different outcomes. The irony is that objective reality hadn't changed one dot! However, we recognise there are likely a range of factors that shape these situations.

An aspect we found intriguing from the interviews, was the impact perception, language patterns and expectations had on the operators and ultimately their performance. How we see and interpret situations typically shapes our outlook and this can be a positive or a negative, depending on the context. The internal and external conditions for both groups of partners were largely the same in terms of the brief, resources and goals.

It seems that personal mindset, expectations, core skills and desire are key factors that can shape performance and outcomes.

This exercise was never meant to be a scientific study, but rather a pragmatic attempt to gain insights, techniques and success factors that could be replicated. Establishing the importance of optimism and

enhancing performance was a key aim. The next phase in the process was how the learning could be extrapolated to achieve the initial aims of leveraging growth, adding more value and building processes across the business.

As a result of this review, we created a range of tailored development interventions for our client eg commercial acumen workshops, corporate sales, one-to-one and group coaching, and facilitated masterclass programmes to create self-reliance and a pathway forward.

The overriding learning from this process was the importance of applying optimism, being bold, persevering and significantly, thinking of future possibilities.

Some of the factors at play

Identity: That’s not me

Belief: It’s tough out there, it is impossible to get new business

Perseverance: Why bother?

Confidence: Can be a choice

Possibilities: There are often opportunities

Upbeat: Create a vibe

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Have a think ?

What mood and experience do you create?

How do you look for possibilities?

When was the last time you stretched your comfort zone?

Perception | Potential | Performance