In this episode, Lee examines sustainment; its definitions and its effects. In a world of improvement, what does it mean to truly sustain? How many times have we been presented with an initiative that looks or sounds similar to one previously tried? How many times have you tried a diet, only to find yourself gradually slipping into bad habits? What makes an idea not just achievable, but sustainable? The answer lies within... KEY TAKEAWAYS Sustainment should always be seen as the next stage in an...
Jun 02, 2019•11 min•Ep. 30
‘If you are expecting the environment to change, the people to change, then the sooner you start role modelling and showing people the way, the sooner change will begin’ Lee shares key strategies to help change agents and leaders implement effective role modelling to drive forward change, listen in to find out more. KEY TAKEAWAYS A role model is defined as a person who is looked to by others as an example to be imitated. Being a role model can help change initiatives whether you are a leader or ...
May 26, 2019•9 min•Ep. 29
Proper communication from the workers to the directors and vice versa is one of the critical things that could drive your business to success. And in this episode of the Business Problem Solver Podcast, Lee discusses Measure Mountain, a visualisation tool that can help you create and efficiently manage the hierarchy structure within your company. It’s essential that everyone involved are well-informed about what’s going on. When everyone’s in the know, high performance and determination can be e...
May 19, 2019•13 min•Ep. 28
Lee explains 3 key reasons why businesses fail, how you can overcome these pitfalls if they are to occur and why they’re so important. KEY TAKEAWAYS 3 Reasons Why Some Businesses Fail No perceived need for change – You need to know on every level why you’re making these changes. If there’s no need to change already within your business, then you need to find a need for change and change things in a meaningful way. It’s not lead from the top and driven from the bottom – Ensure all layers of the o...
May 12, 2019•13 min•Ep. 27
What are the criteria required for successful and meaningful change? Lee Houghton, THE Business Problem Solver has dissected successful change programmes he’s been involved in and created the 5D’s – specific criteria required to ensure successful and meaningful change. If you want to achieve successful change in your business listen in to find out how and why you should be using the 5 D’s KEY TAKEAWAYS The 5 D’s - the specific criteria required for successful transition through any change- Desir...
May 05, 2019•13 min•Ep. 26
‘At some point, everyone has to deal with a change so big they wonder how they will be able to cope’ You may have gone through a change that for you, has been straight forward but been aware that for others the same change has been much more challenging. In this episode, Lee explains how to deal with change as a leader and facilitator. He highlights the importance of communication and the ‘self-model’ when dealing with change effectively, listen in now to find out more. KEY TAKEAWAYS Ultimately ...
Apr 28, 2019•11 min•Ep. 25
Do you ever talk to yourself? Sometimes it can do us an immense amount of good to stop and really talk to ourselves. But what do we say? How do we say it? And how can we ensure that it has the maximum effect upon ourselves? Join Lee as he discusses the valuable technique of self-talk, and how to recognise the best way of approaching yourself. KEY TAKEAWAYS What you say to yourself will drive your actions and behaviours. The voice inside your head is the most important factor when it comes to eff...
Apr 21, 2019•12 min•Ep. 24
There are significant differences between coaches and consultants, you need to be aware of and understand these before investing in their support. Lee explains what the distinctions are and how understanding your situation can help you to select the most effective support to get what you actually need for your business. KEY TAKEAWAYS Knowing when to employ the services of a consultant or coach are crucial to further your capability or to help you solve a problem. It’s about you or it’s about me ...
Apr 14, 2019•13 min•Ep. 23
In today's episode, your host Lee Houghton put out to his LinkedIn community his Employee engagement equation and asked what others thought? What are their employee engagement equations? Lee's Employee Engagement Equation; Emotion + Involvement = Engagement His community response exploded. Many replied en masse with lots of their own equations, such as Responsibility + Commitment = Engagement Empowerment + Purpose = Engagement Recognise + Listen too + Allign Values = Engagement Value + Passion =...
Apr 07, 2019•12 min•Ep. 22
‘Standards are the Foundations for Improvement’ In this episode, Lee explains the different applications and interpretations of standards and how implementing them can effectively help solve problems in your business. If you want to understand when and why standards can help you to move forward then tune in now. KEY TAKEAWAYS What is the Standard? A standard is a level of quality or attainment or something used as a measure, norm or model in comparative evaluations. In the context of improvement...
Mar 31, 2019•11 min•Ep. 21
“Do you believe that everything you do is a process?” From brushing your teeth to doing your work assignments to doing your groceries, everything’s a process and, what’s essential to note is, they are all PDCA cycles. In this episode of the Business Problem Solver Podcast, Lee Houghton emphasises why PDCA is not just a planning tool, but a way of life. It does not matter if it’s big or small – or for more apt terms, micro or macro – anything you do in life can be a PDCA cycle. Listen in to know ...
Mar 25, 2019•10 min•Ep. 20
MAKING POSITIVE CHANGES IN YOUR BUSINESS MUST BE ALL ABOUT YOU This inciteful episode brings together strands from the podcast series and explains how leadership, creating positive habits, influencing people and developing an environment of high trust are all dependent on understanding that it begins with you. Lee ‘The Business Problem Solver’ explores how making positive changes and enabling others to be problem solvers can be achieved to move your business forward. If you want to make positive...
Mar 18, 2019•11 min•Ep. 19
Today Lee is asking ‘do you have a high trust environment?’ he looks in detail at the indicators for both a low and high trust environment and discusses ways that you can change your environment and empower everybody within it. Listen in to find out about how to make your business a high trust environment. KEY TAKEAWAYS To increase the speed of your process and reduce costs most people look to reduce waste. If you increase the trust you have in people and create an environment that supports this...
Mar 11, 2019•16 min•Ep. 18
This episode focuses on the 4 vital lessons that Lee has learnt as a change agent. He uses his extensive experience to provide us with focused examples of how these lessons work in the business environment and why they are so important. This podcast will help anyone to understand the core elements that affect change in any business, listen in now. KEY TAKEAWAYS The solution is not yours The success of change really comes from the person or team you are working with. People protect what they buil...
Mar 04, 2019•14 min•Ep. 17
In this episode, Lee uses the weekend dance floor as an insightful analogy for your business and customer needs. ‘If you want to keep your dancefloor full you need to focus on the needs of your customers and understand who you are as a business’ Listen in to find out how to keep everyone on the dancefloor and happy. KEY TAKEAWAYS Continuous improvement You should always try and start with the needs of the customer and ensure this is aligned with your purpose. 3 levels of customer experience The ...
Feb 25, 2019•12 min•Ep. 16
Do you set targets for yourself and for your business? Do you set targets for your staff? And do you agree in having targets in order to grow? When management sets targets and makes people's jobs dependent on meeting them, they’ll likely meet the targets even if they have to destroy the enterprise to do it. Targets drive a specific behaviour in people, a narrow focus, cheating and influence. Tune in today to find out more. KEY TAKEAWAYS What behaviour do targets drive? Number one, a narrow focus...
Feb 18, 2019•10 min•Ep. 15
What is the problem you are actually trying to solve? Problems can come in different shapes and sizes and you have a host of different options. This week Lee looks in detail at whether you should deliver quick wins. He explains why and how this can work and explores when to use this strategy for maximum impact in your business. KEY TAKEAWAYS Some people may encourage you to deliver quick wins through small changes others may say advise against the delivery of quick wins as they may not affect th...
Feb 11, 2019•16 min•Ep. 14
What is the difference between a Leader and a Manager? In this episode, Lee’ THE Business Problem Solver’ answers this frequently asked question and explains how the differences impact on staff and the working environment. Using the 5 D’s - Desire, Discover, Dedication, Deliberate action and Delivery model Lee shares with us the characteristics of a leader. Are you a Leader or a Manager? Listen in now to find out KEY TAKEAWAYS This is not about a job title – having the job title does not make th...
Feb 04, 2019•13 min•Ep. 13
Customer experience is seen as the battlefield where businesses compete but do businesses really understand the impact of not focusing on their employees? In this episode, Lee discusses the correlation between the customer and employee experience. He explains how to achieve successful alignment between them and the positive impact it will have on your business. KEY TAKEAWAYS The way people in your business are treated can impact directly on the experience of your customers. It is vital to enable...
Jan 28, 2019•11 min•Ep. 12
CAN YOU CHANGE HABITS AND INFLUENCE BEHAVIOUR? Listen to this episode and find out how you can change people’s behaviour to create an environment where problems can be successfully be solved. Lee explains how and why this is crucial for any business moving forward. KEY TAKEAWAYS The majority of problems can be solved by changing people’s behaviour so that they do something today that is different from what they were doing yesterday. Influencing someone’s behaviour to change what they do in the w...
Jan 21, 2019•15 min•Ep. 11
Communication is Key If you want to understand the vital importance of communication and how to stop miscommunication, listen to this podcast. Lee Houghton THE Business Problem Solver explains the importance of why, what and how to deliver your message successfully. “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”-George Bernard Shaw KEY TAKEAWAYS The medium that you communicate in and the actual delivery – when and who you deliver it too is key. Simon Sinek ...
Jan 14, 2019•15 min•Ep. 10
The bubble theory is a concept from Lee that is easy to apply in different situations enabling us to understand where we are and the deliberate actions, we can take to influence success. Lee takes us through a range of scenarios demonstrating the positive impact implementing the bubble approach can have across all aspects of personal and professional development. KEY TAKEAWAYS Identify your current bubble If you plot where you live, shop, socialise, work this determines your bubble. To improve y...
Jan 07, 2019•12 min•Ep. 9
Encountering problems is a natural occurrence in the business setting. So, today on the Business Problem Solver Podcast, we go back to the basics and define what a business problem is. Lee helps you to easily pinpoint a problem so that you could come up with an effective problem-solving plan. There will be many strategic approaches out there that are used by large-scale and small-scale companies, but none will be outright applicable to your business problem. You have to innovate from it, conside...
Dec 31, 2018•14 min•Ep. 8
Signing up for business courses and learning about business concepts, theories, principles, etc. is just the start of it. What’s more important is you CAN apply the things you’ve studied in a real-life setting. In this episode of The Business Problem Solver Podcast, Lee urges you to step it up a notch and start implementing what you’ve learned. Besides, putting what you’ve learned into practice gives a different kind of learning experience and can enhance your skills. Lee also highlights that le...
Dec 24, 2018•19 min•Ep. 7
In this eagerly awaited first podcast in the series, Lee Houghton – THE Business Problem Solver shares with us his 5Ds strategy which sets out comprehensive criteria for solving all business problems. Listening to Lee will enable you to confidently structure a constructive approach that can be used to solve and overcome any business problem. Lee uses his extensive experience, identifying and describing examples so that the positive outcomes from using the 5Ds are relatable to everyone - from tho...
Dec 17, 2018•14 min•Ep. 1
What experience do your customers have? Welcome to episode 6 of this series. In this absorbing podcast Lee tackles, the mis-understandings between customer service and customer experience. He offers comprehensive solutions to enhance and develop the customer experience leading to repeating positive interactions. Lee uses his own experience and expertise to develop our understanding of how to achieve the ultimate – an easy and effortless service that is an enjoyable and personable customer experi...
Dec 17, 2018•15 min•Ep. 6
Why is dedication such an important element in business? THE Business Problem Solver – Lee Houghton shares the importance of Dedication, step 3 in the 5Ds steps to success for business. The 5Ds, identified as critical success criteria for anyone, whether as an individual, as a part of a team, or wanting to grow scale or improve their business. The 5 ‘Ds’ Desire Discover Dedication Deliberate action Deliver Dedication is the focus of this dynamic podcast, exploring the importance of dedication an...
Dec 17, 2018•15 min•Ep. 4
3 Lessons in Life In this poignant podcast, Lee Houghton shares the 3 lessons that underpin how he lives his life. He reflects on Chris, the inspiration for these values and how they can underpin all aspects of how we live. Always be yourself, make good friends, clients and connections, time is limited so if there is something you want to do why wait. Lee dedicates this podcast to the memory of Chris, his best friend and explains through this podcast how he is living these 3 lessons KEY MOMENTS ...
Dec 17, 2018•19 min•Ep. 2
What are the Deliberate Actions you need to Deliver your desired outcome? Welcome to this exciting podcast exploring the actions you need to deliver your desired outcome. The 5Ds, identified as critical success criteria for anyone, whether as an individual, or as part of a team, or wanting to grow scale or improve their business. Desire Discover Dedication Deliberate action Deliver THE Business Problem Solver – Lee Houghton explores how you can really deliver and achieve your desired outcome, th...
Dec 17, 2018•15 min•Ep. 5
What crucial role do Desire and Discover play in a successful business? In this podcast THE Business Problem Solver’s success criteria Desire and Discover are explored in more detail. This is the third motivating podcast in this series from THE Business Problem Solver. If you are starting a business or looking to grow your current organisation this podcast provides the vital starting point. Lee explains in detail how and why the first two steps Desire and Deliver are vital components of the 5Ds ...
Dec 17, 2018•16 min•Ep. 3
