UPDATE: In a special event, Dr Chris Shambrook of PlanetK2 delivers a masterclass on performance– drawing inspiration from the perspective of Leader, Manager, Mentor and Coach, or what is collectively known as the Four Executive Modes. 

In this interview, the master-coach, author and speaker walks the Step Change community through how business leaders can drive more value into their interactions by moving between these modes. He also talks about the lead indicators of performance, what performance looks like regardless of the mode, and emphasises the appropriate human connection and social support required from industry leaders.

Watch the full video here.

In these times of great change and uncertainty, it is very important that we adapt and utilise the opportunities and resources at our disposal the best we can. This is especially true for industry leaders because every decision has the potential to make or break your organisation.

To begin, you will need to fully define your role as an executive within your organisation by understanding the 4 Executive Modes namely– Leader, Manager, Mentor and Coach. 

Clearly defining these modes will allow you to understand and seamlessly move between these roles, propelling your organisation to even greater heights.

To sway someone to your point of view takes skill. The same can be said when it comes to selling a product. The power of persuasion is a potent tool and should be honed to a fine point.

In this week’s Knowledge Nuggets we are taking a look at Dr. Robert B. Cialdini’s masterwork, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. We will learn the power of persuasion and integrate the six heuristics of persuasion into marketing strategies.

According to Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, the key to running a successful business is happiness. By developing happiness habits, embracing a happy work-life, and prioritising your customer's happiness, Tony believes businesses can succeed. For this week’s Knowledge Nuggets, let’s explore the book Delivering Happiness and learn to live lives full of purpose, passion, and profits. 

Before attempting any significant endeavour, you should always have a strategy. Having developed one you should always ensure that is achievable. There has been a myriad of companies that have implemented strategies that have turned out to be less than successful. The fact is that many companies are unaware that they are implementing bad strategies.

Have you ever wondered how your mind works? Have you ever desired to improve your judgement and decision making skills? In this week’s Knowledge Nugget, let’s delve into Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.

The author Daniel Kahneman is a renowned psychologist and Nobel Prize Winner. And in his seminal work, Thinking Fast and Slow, he analyses the two modes of thought and how they affect our judgement and decision making. 

UPDATED as of 28 August 2020

Plans and strategies may change. Behaviours, however, not so much. At least, not as quickly. It is important to understand that good execution is not only a condition of knowledge and skill, but it is also a condition of the will. 

How do you, as an organisation, move forward as a team when goals are already challenging enough on your own? The key lies in two words— first principles.

In this special interview, the 4 Disciplines of Execution co-author Sean Covey expertly delivers insights and anecdotes on:

• The 4 Disciplines in a nutshell
• How purpose and discipline affect your execution
• Sustaining your Wildly Important Goal even in the midst of chaos
• What successful organisations are doing right and what others are getting wrong

Too often history shows that a good strategy fails to deliver a productive outcome in terms of the bottomline. Strategy and execution are in a word— inseparable. They are the two sides of the same coin. In order to successfully execute on your goals, you need focus.

One thing you already know about acting on a great idea is the fact that chaos will be involved. It is very easy to lose focus when you have to wade through a quagmire of priorities and goals daily. As teams lose focus, they eventually lose power, which is why you need a game plan.

In this week's Knowledge Nuggets, let us take a look at the 4 Disciplines of Execution by authors Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling, who address the issue of what constitutes the disciplines of excellence in execution of strategy.

When it comes to running a business, it is important that you stand above the competition. And in the dog-eat-dog business world it is no longer enough to just offer great products. It is also necessary to take your customer’s comfort into account. 

What’s the use of having the best tech and services if your customers can’t get a hold of your product in the most efficient way possible? Or if they do get the product, it becomes a struggle to have it repaired or returned. This is where Experience Disruptors come in.

Developing Team Efficiency

UPDATED: Change continues to unravel itself daily. Whether it’s premeditated like a goal you’ve been meaning to achieve or something that’s caught you by surprise such as a pandemic– the truth that change will always be with us still remains.

The choice between simply managing change and leading change, however, makes all the difference.

In a special interview, Scrum Co-author J.J. Sutherland talks about:

• The importance of embracing change and using it for growth
• How Scrum-oriented organisations are faring in the midst of drastic change
• The value of happiness and connection among teams in relation to productivity
• His new book The Scrum Fieldbook: Faster Performance. Better Results. Starting Now.  
• Whether you are setting up a small business or running a multi-million dollar company, team efficiency is what sets you up for success.

In this week’s Knowledge Nugget, let us take a closer look at Scrum by Jeff and JJ Sutherland. 

Understanding different aspects of human behaviour is crucial to every strategy. In this week’s Knowledge Nugget, we’ll take a closer look at Switch by Chip Heath & Dan Heath.

How are today's technologies and current trends shaping and changing the world we live in, and how is it impacting today's businesses?

In this week’s Knowledge Nuggets, we’re covering The Fourth Industrial Revolution by Klaus Schwab, chairman of the World Economic Forum. 

Neither size, depth, or scale can guarantee the continuity of businesses for tomorrow. So what can organisations do to be more future-ready? In this week’s Knowledge Nuggets, a very special guest, one that’s close to my heart, and I will help you better understand the premise in the book Exponential Organizations by Salim Ismail.

UPDATED as of 10 July 2020

In a special interview with Step Change, Dual Transformation co-author Mark W. Johnson shares valuable insight for businesses looking to reposition themselves in this new normal while creating the future ahead of them.

The business model innovation and new growth strategy expert also discusses:

• The A+B+C model business seeking transformation and momentum should adapt
• What successful businesses are doing right and what others are getting wrong in their transformation journey
• The importance of having a vision and a hands-on approach to leadership

Watch the video now.

Disruption is imminent, and organisations must find a way to be more resilient as they step forward into growth and implement their transformation efforts.

Disruption is coming. How does your business respond?

Disruption is coming. How does your business respond?

After almost a decade of association and working together at a project level across strategy, creative, and digital, we are solidifying our relationship with The Zoo Republic via a merger. Read on to find out more.

Step Change works with some of Australia’s largest and fastest-growing businesses to effectively communicate business strategy and market insights from the bottom up. 

It’s time for another Stepper Story, and today, we get to know the lovely Amandine, who helps us deliver and implement digital strategies as Step Change’s Digital Director.

Acquiring 300 leads every month won’t make a big difference if none of them ends up buying from you. Going after every lead can be very costly.

A company’s success largely rests on the strengths of its people. Step Change would not be what it is now without the amazing team that it has assembled. So we want the whole world to know the talented and quirky individuals that make Step Change who we are. Today, let’s get to know Shiela, our Managing Editor. 

Robert Steers, our Director and Head of Digital, made a special guest appearance in the #Katietalks podcast to share his insights on social media trends and the changes he’s seeing in today’s business environment.

With over 18 million active social media users in the country, having a social media platform is vital for the success of your brand. But it’s not enough to post content regularly. It’s all about the long game, so it’s equally vital to know if your efforts have a positive impact on your brand. 

We’ve always believed that companies are only as great as its people. Step Change prides itself in the culture that we have fostered at work with our team, wherever they may be in the world. So we want the whole world to know the talented and quirky individuals that make Step Change who we are.

It’s amazing to see the growth of every Stepper in the agency and how much they’ve contributed to the overall growth of the company. Rob Steers is definitely one of the pillars of the organisation — and though he heads the Digital team, we sometimes unapologetically turn to him for everything from sage advice on SEO to life. Today, let’s get to know his story.

The year is coming to a close and we want to end it with a bang through a series of free events and key offerings lined up for you that are sure to help augment your strategy and add value to your business now and into the future. 

Our CEO is best known as Australia’s Predatory Marketer — an expert in pinpointing how brands can grow by outsmarting their competitors. But few know that Ash took the less-travelled path before becoming who he is now.

Step Change has come a long way as an agency. And though we’ve seen people come and go throughout this time, our remote team in the Philippines continues to provide us with the support we need to shine!  

Today, let’s get to know one of our PH team members, the ever-dependable Antonette. 

As you strive to become a more customer-centric organisation, putting the customer at the centre of your digital transformation is the key to success. But how do you get started? 

Step Change’s creative offerings have grown so much in scale over the years. And we couldn’t have done it without our creative team who have been so brilliant from ideation to execution and project delivery.

So we want the whole world to know the talented and quirky individuals from our Creative team. Today, let’s get to know, Lucy, our Creative Services Director.

At its core, Step Change is a sum of the smart and talented individuals who make up the heart of the agency. But many people may not know that we have a remote team that provides us with the quiet support we need to deal with all the nitty-gritty. Today, let’s get to know one of our team members from the Philippines, Bingle.

We like to think our growth as a company speaks volumes into the hard work that every member of our team has done to help us get to where we are now. Every Stepper contributes in their own way, adding their own spice to our cocktail, delivering a unique strength to who we are as an agency. 

Today, let’s get to know, Kate, our Operations Manager, whom we could not live without, and our resident Queen of Fun.