VAR versus MAR

On Sunday as a Mark Robins inspired Coventry City came back to haunt Man Utd a classic Cup Semi Final result was impacted by VAR. A hairsbreadth or possibly even a toenail is all that came between Coventry City and a deserved FA Cup Final appearance. In that VAR analysis and subsequent Penalty shootout, we learned all we needed to know.

Man Utd a once great Football Club had finally lost its class. The Fall of the Red Empire was finally complete. A team devoid of on field leadership, lacking character and motivation had lost the only thing it had left, its class. I have not despaired this much since the dog days of Ron Atkinson.

All Season long from Nottingham Forest to Klopp VAR has driven football lovers crazy. It doesn't work, it needs reforming, it needs eliminating. Take your pick, the cries are loud and shrill. What has this got to do with Finance Transformation? Everything and nothing, you decide.

I digress for a moment to reveal we have hit our initial target of 1,500 LinkedIn Subscribers with 90% in Leadership positions and one All Ireland winner added to the list of Sporting icons. So by now you know the drill folks. We rest, reflect and refocus. The new Target is 2,000 Subscribers as I advance towards launching my new business model in 2 weeks.

As a Subscriber your first special offer is in this Article so keep reading. Last week's Article on Best in Class, Good Practice, Benchmarks and Standards in general invoked a spirited response. You could say it inspired a comeback from 3 goals down with 20 minutes to go, that kind of response. Wholehearted.

As a Consultant I usually deliver work in 3 to 9 month instalments for Clients, however I also offer one day Challenger sessions where we see just how good you really are versus how good you think you are.

For Business Leaders everywhere I have dubbed these Challenge sessions MAR as opposed to VAR and they are delivered in an engaging, challenging and fair minded way. That's a nice way of saying I leave you with a smile on your face but no place to hide.

It takes 2 days of my time so they are priced accordingly. I offer a 20% discount on this to any Subscriber who knows me and thinks they would like a reality check on their current level of performance. If you actually require me to perform a piece of 'corrective Consulting action' as a result of the MAR you actually get a 40% discount.

Your first special offer, feels good doesn't it. By the way we passed 12 Articles, which puts me well up the League Table in Newsletter terms, together we are bordering on prolific, just think Cole Palmer.

Over the years Clients have asked me to perform a Review, a Health check, a Maturity Assessment or a Diagnosis of their Finance function. Regardless of what they label it in each instance they are after a professional second opinion from someone they can trust.

This is where the years of front line management experience offer an invaluable insight when combined with the approach of a Consultant. Still think you can hide your true performance? Go on then, have a go.

In my experience when a Client requests work to be done there is always one piece of information critical to the puzzle that they withhold. They do withhold it, they never forget to tell me.

On average it takes me 2 hours questioning Client team members on site to learn what they weren't prepared to tell me before I signed the Contract. At this point in the game I take this as part and parcel of the dance we go through to win and deliver projects. However, getting to the bottom of that missing piece of the puzzle is a skill all in itself. A skill put to use all day long with MAR.

It is no great revelation or insight to tell you that the challenge is always the people and never the system. I even devote a Step of my Training Program to it. How to motivate people is a perennial challenge as even the best paid footballers continue to demonstrate.

What MAR offers is a reality check for high performers as well as low performers and it doesn't use a single Benchmark. Businesses spend a large amount of time and money focussed on their people and finding the right Recognition and Reward strategies but the very first step in this process is the Reality Check, where are you really at?

Are you ready for your Reality Check, then Book an MAR today and lets take that first Step to creating your high performing team.

Cheers,

Michael Ryan

PS I had several requests for the Video Interviews, similar to Martin Kirby FCICM to help people promote themselves, their Business or their Product. Provided it does not clash with my Services I am happy to provide this though naturally there is a cost to Studio Hire, my time, etc, bear that in mind before asking.