liv-by-design

Fact: Relationships = Revenue

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:36:32 GMT

Why Strong Relationships Are Your Secret Weapon

You know it in your gut: "Every business owner I know built their success on strong relationships."

Whether it's loyal clients who keep coming back, trusted partners who open new doors, or a dedicated team that goes the extra mile – relationships are the very bedrock of what got your business to where it is today.

You want to "focus on scale, growth, and most importantly profitability."

And here's the crucial fact that many miss when they try to expand: scaling your business is absolutely no different.

You don't just expand your operations; you expand your relationships.

Think about it: bigger client base, more strategic partnerships, a larger, more impactful team.

If your relationships falter as you grow, so does your potential. This isn't just about 'being nice'; it's about building the durable connections that fuel consistent revenue, open new markets, and create a resilient, profitable business.

So, how do you intentionally build and maintain these vital relationships as your business rapidly expands, without letting them become another "time drain" or another "people problem"?

It's simple: strong relationships reduce friction and increase opportunity.

For External Growth (Clients, Partners, Market):

Referrals and Repeat Business: Strong client relationships mean they're not just buying once; they're your best marketing team, bringing in new business and providing consistent revenue. This is far more cost-effective than constantly chasing new leads.
Strategic Alliances: Partnerships with other businesses can open up entirely new customer segments or product lines, helping you "grow your lane instead of drifting in someone else’s." This is how you find the "next inflection point for success."
Market Insights: Trusted relationships with industry peers and even competitors can give you invaluable insights, helping you "future-proof their business" and avoid "stagnant growth."

For Internal Strength (Your Team):

High-Performing Teams: A team built on trust and strong internal relationships is more productive, innovative, and resilient. They're not "secretly stealing your most precious resource: TIME"; they're amplifying it.
Retention and Engagement: When employees feel connected and valued, they're less likely to leave, saving you massive recruitment and training costs. This addresses the fear of "lose key people" and helps you build "high level managers that think like business owners."
Seamless Execution: Clear and open internal communication, built on strong relationships, ensures your strategic plans don't just remain "a document," but become a "growth engine" because everyone "knows the part they play."

The Challenge: Relationship Dilution as You Grow

As you scale, the biggest challenge is often the dilution of these vital connections. You're busy and focused on growing the business and suddenly you don't have the same personal touch with every client or team member.

All business owners I know get uncomfortable when they hit that point where they don't know every persons name.

It's a pivotal point in letting go. It's a point where as a leader you must realise you need other leaders. A pipeline of next gen leaders will be your assisted pathway to stepping back from, or perhaps ultimately walking away from the business. Freedom is the ultimate WIN in business. Escaping the trap of feeling like you're doing it all means designing for the future of your business.

If you try to manage too many relationships you will most certainly burn out and become a risk and bottleneck to the business.

The key?... Upskill and make space for new leaders to take the business to new heights.

Practical Steps to Fuel Growth Through Relationships

It's not about being everywhere at once; it's about being strategic.

Delegate Relationship Nurturing: You can't be the sole point of contact forever. Empower key team members to take ownership of specific client relationships or partner accounts. This isn't dumping tasks; it's strategic delegation that frees your "most valuable asset: your time," while strengthening your overall network.
Systematise Communication: Implement clear communication protocols, both internally and externally. This could be regular client check-ins, structured team meetings focused on alignment, or even a simple CRM system to track interactions. Consistency builds trust, even from a distance.
Align Internal Goals: Ensure your team understands that fostering strong relationships – with clients, partners, and each other – is a core part of their role, not an add-on. Their flexibility, growth, and $$$ are tied to this.
Invest in Key People: Your internal relationships are paramount. Nurture your leadership team. Empower them to build strong bonds with their direct reports. This cascade of strong internal relationships creates a powerful foundation for external success.
Be Present Where It Matters Most: You're a busy owner and leader. Focus your personal relationship efforts on the most strategic clients, partners, and key internal leaders. Your presence there reinforces the importance of these connections and allows you to plan for the next frontier.
Seek Feedback (and Act On It): Create channels for clients and your team to provide honest feedback. This shows you value their perspective and allows you to proactively address any relationship strains before they become "gut punches" or cause customers to leave.

Strong relationships aren't just a "nice to have"; they are your most potent "growth engine."

By intentionally nurturing these connections, both inside and outside your business, you ensure your scaling efforts are not just about numbers, but about building a robust, resilient, and highly profitable future. It's how you get "more freedom, more purpose, more time to live your life."

Cheers,

Liv

Stop Team Chaos

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:10:00 GMT

Build a High-Performance Crew That Fuels Your Profits

As a business owner, your vision for growth is clear: "skyrocket profits," "more freedom," and a business that runs smoothly without you.

But too often, that vision gets clouded by the day-to-day reality: "HR spotfires," constant "people problems," and the nagging feeling that your team isn't truly aligned to achieve the "big goals."

You know that "strong relationships" are vital, but when "a disconnect up the chain" or "people not working together effectively" takes hold, it saps productivity and secretly eats into your precious time and profits.

The truth is, your team's ability to get stuff done and work together – their 'Team Dynamics' – isn't just about good vibes; it's your most powerful, often untapped, lever for increasing efficiency, driving innovation, and boosting your bottom line.

When your team isn't truly aligned, when there's "a disconnect up the chain," or "people not working together effectively," it's not just a minor annoyance – it's secretly stealing your most precious resource: TIME, and directly draining your bottom line.

The truth is, your team's ability to work together effectively – what we call 'Team Dynamics' – is your hidden growth engine. When your team clicks, when they feel empowered to speak up and contribute, that's when productivity soars and profits follow.

So, how do you cultivate these powerful team dynamics that directly translate into better results for your business? It’s simpler and more practical than you might think.

The Crucial Role of Healthy Team Dynamics

At its core, healthy team dynamics mean creating an environment where your people feel comfortable sharing ideas, flagging potential issues, and collaborating openly without fear of being shut down or ridiculed. It's the bedrock of trust, smart decision-making, and getting things done efficiently.

When your team feels truly heard and valued, they stop holding back. They bring their best ideas to the table, they identify problems before they become crises, and they work together seamlessly to find solutions. This isn't just about 'feelings'; it's about eliminating wasted time, boosting innovation, and ultimately, delivering more for your customers and your profit margins.

How to Transform Your Team's Effectiveness

Bringing in an expert in team dynamics is about more than just 'training'; it's about implementing practical strategies that unlock your team's full potential and deliver tangible results. Here’s what it looks like:

Pinpointing the Real Issues: We start by digging into how your team currently operates. Through simple assessments and conversations, we uncover the hidden bottlenecks and misalignments – those nagging "people problems" that are costing you. We identify what's working well and where the real opportunities for improvement lie.

Customizing Your Game Plan: Based on what we find, we'll build a clear, actionable strategy. This isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. It might involve streamlining communication, empowering key managers, or setting up new ways for teams to collaborate – all designed to directly address your specific challenges and drive your "strategic growth."

Empowering Your Leaders & Teams: We provide practical workshops and coaching sessions that equip your leaders and teams with the hands-on skills they need to foster better teamwork every day. This is about giving them the tools to speak up effectively, manage conflict constructively, and make decisions faster – skills that directly impact productivity.

Smoothing Out the Bumps: When disagreements or tensions arise – because they will – we step in as a neutral guide. We help teams navigate difficult conversations, find common ground, and move forward productively. This ensures that valuable time isn't wasted on unresolved conflicts, keeping your focus on "outcomes and deliverables."

Tracking Your Progress: We don't just set it and forget it. We establish clear ways to measure progress over time. This ensures that the efforts to improve your team dynamics are yielding real, measurable results – demonstrating a clear return on your investment in terms of increased efficiency and profitability.

The Bottom Line: What Healthy Team Dynamics Deliver for YOUR Business

Why should you, the business owner, focus on this? Because strong team dynamics directly impact your most critical metrics:

Explosive Innovation: When your team feels comfortable sharing raw ideas and experimenting without judgment, innovation flourishes. They'll generate groundbreaking solutions and products that give you a competitive edge, ensuring you "future-proof their business."

Peak Performance & Productivity: Teams with robust dynamics are simply more productive. They collaborate better, waste less time, make faster decisions, and ultimately, get more done. This translates into enhanced output, improved quality, and a direct boost to your "bottom line." You'll see "less struggle, more business growth."

Built-in Resilience: In today's unpredictable market, adaptability is key. Teams with strong dynamics can navigate change, tackle unexpected challenges, and bounce back from setbacks with greater speed and confidence. This reduces your own stress and ensures your business remains strong.

Real-World Proof: It's Not Just Theory

Still wondering if this is truly practical? Look at the evidence:

Google's Deep Dive: Google famously studied hundreds of its teams to find the secret to success. Their conclusion? The single most important factor was healthy team dynamics – where members felt comfortable and open. These teams consistently outperformed others in innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Faced with intense pressure, Novartis transformed its culture by prioritizing effective team interactions. They saw a significant increase in employee engagement, more seamless collaboration, and a direct positive impact on their business results.

Beyond the Grind: Unleash Your Team's Potential for Profit

In today’s fast-paced environment, empowering your team to work together effectively isn't a luxury – it's a necessity for profitability and sustainable growth. By investing in strong team dynamics, you unlock the full potential of your team, drive innovation, and secure your business's future.

Ready to stop feeling "underappreciated" and build a team that truly drives your business forward? The journey to increased productivity and profitability for your business starts now.

Hey, I’m Liv, and I specialise in identifying and resolving people-related challenges within teams, focusing on human-centred design principles. My approach centres around building robust team dynamics – creating openness and collaboration to unlock the full potential of your people. If you have a talented team that you believe can achieve more, and you're tired of "HR spotfires interrupting the daily delivery," I’m here to help unleash their true potential for your business's bottom line.

Beyond the Daily Grind

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:24:43 GMT

How to Build a Team That Drives Your Business

When you're a business owner, or CEO the stakes are high. The highest. For owners its financial risk and for CEO's its repuational risk.

You're constantly battling "HR spotfires," feeling stuck in the day-to-day "weeds," and longing to focus on "big goals" and "work on the business, not in the business."

You want a team that thinks like you do – with an owner's mindset – so you can finally "get ahead," achieve "more freedom, more purpose, more time to live your life," and ultimately, "exit" with a valuable asset.

But how do you get your team to stop just "doing their jobs" and start truly driving growth? It's not about working harder; it's about getting them to think smarter and bigger.

It is possible.

I've worked with many teams to change their thinking and the results are phenonemal. I've seen it directly relate to more satisfied customers, faster organisational growth and more productivity and profitabilty.

So, where can you start? Here are 7 practical ways to elevate your team's strategic thinking , freeing you up to focus on what really matters:

1. Show Them the Finish Line: Emphasise the Big Picture

Are your employees just checking off tasks, or do they understand where the business is actually heading? Your team needs to see beyond their daily to-do list. Clearly communicate your company's vision – your "big goals."

Most importantly they need to know WIFM!! That's right what's in it for them. If the business grows, so do their opportunities, their skills and their salary! $$$

When they understand how their role directly contributes to the overall success and profitability, they'll naturally start thinking strategically about their work, reducing those "small stuff distracting us from the big stuff" frustrations.

2. Spark Their Inner Detective: Encourage Curious Questions

You want your team to solve problems, not just report them. The best way to do this is to get them asking "why?" and "what if?" Encourage a culture where it's okay to challenge assumptions and explore new ideas, even if they seem a bit out there at first.

Stop the water cooler whinge fest's and turn them into proactive problem solving.

Think of it like a brainstorming session for everyday challenges – the more questions they ask, the more innovative solutions they'll uncover, and the less you'll be putting out fires.

3. Break Down the Silos: Foster Cross-Team Collaboration

"People not working together effectively" is a major pain point. Your business isn't a collection of separate departments; it's a unified organism. Get your team members talking across different functions. Have your sales team spend a day with operations, or marketing with finance.

The aim is to give them a holistic view of the business, leading to more integrated solutions and less friction , ultimately making your business more efficient.

Start with where you see friction points between departments OR find out where you're losing opportunities and money. For example, if sales and marketing aren't aligned I guarantee this is costing you revenue, and a bucket load of it.

4. Learn from the Hits (and Misses): Encourage Reflection

Every project, every decision, every "HR spotfire" or "customer spotfire" holds valuable lessons. Instead of just moving on, make time for your team to reflect. What went well? What could have been better? What would we do differently next time?

This isn't about pointing fingers; it's about learning and continuous improvement. When your team actively reflects, they develop a sharper strategic eye, helping them avoid repeating past mistakes and "never getting ahead."

5. Equip Them to Solve, Not Just Identify: Develop Problem-Solving Skills

You want "high-level managers that think like business owners" and can "reduce HR issues." This means empowering them with the tools to solve problems, not just bring them to your desk. Provide practical training on how to break down complex issues and brainstorm multiple solutions.

Role-playing tricky scenarios can be incredibly effective. Warning: it'll raise some heartbeats at first but teams walk away so much more confident than if they come up against tricky scenarios and have to deal with it alone at the coal face.

The more your team can effectively tackle challenges, the less you'll be "hanging on too tightly to the reins."

6. Walk the Talk: Lead by Strategic Example

Your team will emulate what you do. If you're constantly demonstrating strategic thinking in your decisions, discussing the "next inflection point for success," and involving them in the "big stuff," they'll follow suit. Share your thought process, explain why you make certain choices.

When they see strategic thinking in action, it becomes less of an abstract concept and more of a practical skill they can apply to their own roles, helping you "focus on scale, growth, and most importantly profitability."

7. Invest in Their Brains (Through Doing): Continuous Learning

While formal training has its place, the most impactful learning happens through doing.

At Liv By Design, I believe in tailoring learning experiences directly to the work that needs to be done for your business to succeed.

It's not about generic courses; it's about developing the capabilities of your team in a way that is relevant to your business, their roles, and your plans for strategic growth.

This is your ultimate success plan – driving team capability that directly translates into "more business growth" and helps you "free up your most valuable asset: your time."

Stop feeling like you do everything for your team and start building a self-sufficient, strategically-minded powerhouse.

It's time to "shift from reactive problem solving to proactive growth" and get your team thinking bigger, so you can finally achieve the freedom and profitability you deserve.

If any of this resonates, let me know!
Cheers,

Liv

Unlocking High Performance: The Team Dynamics Framework™ for Building Thriving Teams

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 06:08:13 GMT

How Designing Team Dynamics Can Eliminate Friction, Boost Productivity, and Drive Business Success

Did you know that 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication as the root cause of workplace failures? (Deloitte, Global Human Capital Trends Report). Poor team dynamics don’t just hurt morale—they hurt your bottom line.

The key difference between high-performing teams and those stuck in dysfunction often comes down to one thing: team dynamics .

The way individuals interact, communicate, and collaborate can either propel your business forward or hold it back.

But here’s the good news: team dynamics aren’t fixed. They can be diagnosed, designed, and transformed to unlock unprecedented levels of performance. That’s exactly why I developed the Team Dynamics Framework™ —a proven, 3-step process to help businesses build thriving teams.

The Cost of Poor Team Dynamics

Before we dive into the framework, let’s talk about the cost of getting team dynamics wrong.

Teams with poor communication and collaboration are 50% less likely to achieve their performance goals (Gallup, State of the Workplace Report). Imagine this: one ineffective middle manager or a few disengaged team members can bring an entire team’s performance to a standstill. Miscommunication, lack of trust, and conflicting priorities create friction that slows decision-making, stifles innovation, and erodes morale.

The result? Missed deadlines, lost opportunities, and a revolving door of talent. In fact, companies with poor team dynamics experience up to 50% higher turnover rates (Harvard Business Review, The High Cost of a Toxic Workplace Culture).

The question is, can your business afford to ignore the impact of team friction?

Introducing the Team Dynamics Framework™

After years of working with businesses to solve these challenges, I developed the Team Dynamics Framework™ —a proven, 3-step process to diagnose, design, and drive high-performing teams.

This framework isn’t just about fixing problems; it’s about creating teams that thrive. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Diagnose the Frictions

The first step in transforming team dynamics is to identify the root causes of friction.

Every team has its unique challenges, whether it’s miscommunication, lack of trust, or misaligned priorities. Through assessments, observations, and candid conversations, we uncover the hidden frictions that are holding your team back.

For example, one of my clients—a mid-sized company in health—was struggling with missed deadlines and low morale. After diagnosing the frictions, we discovered that unclear communication channels and a lack of psychological safety were the root causes.

Step 2: Design the Dynamics

Once we’ve identified the frictions, the next step is to design tailored strategies to improve team dynamics.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Every team is unique, which is why the Team Dynamics Framework™ is designed to address your team’s specific needs and goals.

For the health company I mentioned earlier, we implemented strategies to:

Build psychological safety, encouraging team members to share ideas and take risks.
Improve communication channels, ensuring everyone was aligned and informed.
Align team priorities, so everyone was working toward the same objectives.

Step 3: Drive the Outcomes

The final step is to implement and embed new behaviours and systems to sustain high performance.

Transforming team dynamics isn’t a one-time fix—it’s about creating lasting change. This step ensures that the improvements we’ve made become part of your team’s DNA.

For the tech company, the results were transformative:

A 83% decrease in absenteeism and turnover .
A 26% improvement in employee engagement scores .
A 15% boost in team productivity within six months.

The Business Impact: Why Team Dynamics Matter

The impact of strong team dynamics goes far beyond morale. Highly engaged teams show 21% greater productivity, and 22% higher profitability compared to disengaged teams (Gallup, Employee Engagement Meta-Analysis).

When teams work in flow, not friction, the benefits to your business are undeniable:

Improved Productivity: Teams that communicate effectively and trust each other get more done in less time.
Higher Retention: Employees are more likely to stay in an environment where they feel valued and supported.
Increased Profitability: High-performing teams drive better business outcomes, from faster decision-making to higher-quality outputs.

In fact, companies that invest in team development see a 10% increase in revenue and a 20% increase in employee retention (Forbes, The ROI of Employee Engagement and Development).

In short, when your teams thrive, your business thrives.

What could your business achieve with teams that work in flow, not friction?

If you’re ready to transform your team dynamics and unlock high performance, I invite you to join a new initiative I've created this year. It's called Thrive in 25 —and it's designed to give you access to tools, resources, support as well as connect you with other like-minded business leaders and owners.

Don’t wait for team friction to hit your bottom line. Join the waitlist today and take the first step toward building thriving teams.

Ready to transform your team dynamics and unlock productivity? Join the waitlist for Thrive in 25 today and take the first step toward building a high-performing, friction-free team.

References:

Deloitte, Global Human Capital Trends Report
Gallup, State of the Global Workplace Report
Harvard Business Review, The High Cost of a Toxic Workplace Culture
Gallup, Employee Engagement Meta-Analysis
Forbes, The ROI of Employee Engagement and Development

About Me:

I’m Olivia O'Connor, the founder of Liv By Design and a trusted advisor to high-performing businesses. I specialise in transforming team dynamics to eliminate friction, boost productivity, and drive measurable business results.

My proven Team Dynamics Framework™ has helped leaders across industries build thriving teams that deliver exceptional outcomes. If you’re ready to turn your people challenges into competitive advantages, let’s chat!

Product to Market Fit

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 03:52:33 GMT

Product to Market Fit .

Imagine you’re part of a fun fast working powerhouse team of software gurus and developers. There are detailed plans for bigger and better features for users every few weeks. They do this in batches called a release. As users, we know them as updates like on our phones. Hours of work go into the planning and prioritizing of features. Then letting them loose. Everyone watches and waits for sales to go up! Feedback comes in, and users are loving the changes, BUT subscription uptakes are small. User results and subscriptions were flatlining. The tireless efforts and hard work of releasing new features weren’t paying off in spikes in buying behaviour.

The objective of this project was to identify what farmers needed in order to pay for a subscription. Decipher was born within the Industrials Division of Wesfarmers. Decipher’s precision agriculture solution (DecipherAg) was deployed to over 6,500 in over 60 countries delivering award-winning cloud solutions that help manage the earth’s resources to be more sustainable and profitable. Since then, Decipher has gone on to expand it’s product offering in adjacent markets using the same award-winning technology as the foundation for it’s offering.

Our Solution

You’re not supposed to have favourites but the interviews we conducted with farmers for Decipher was definitely top of our list.

Liv By Design implemented the Clarity Analysis Blueprint. A 3 stage process:

Define the problem
Research and discovery phase
Creative delivery and implementation

These insights were crossed with existing date Decipher already had:

User behaviour data
Previous market research completed at the inception of the company

The insights we delivered to the team were phenomenal. It gave the entire organisation enough certainty to consider the current business model and start examining more profitable markets.

Insights

What resulted from this project was some key learning that allowed Decipher to pivot its offering into a more sustainable business model and market. Decipher’s market now resounds in the resources sector.

Are you operating in the right market?
Do you understand your buyers?
Could you be missing out on sales by simply tweaking your offering?

DecipherAg

DecipherAg and DecipherAg Mobile provide a seamless georeferencing soil and plant sampling process that allows you to easily plan and assign sampling jobs, collect samples, submit to CSBP Lab and manage your results.

DecipherAg Website

Roadmap to Success

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 03:50:10 GMT

A Roadmap For Success.

The Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia is a motoring club and mutual organisation, offering motoring services and advice, insurance, travel services, finance, driver training, and exclusive benefits for their members. 

RAC is dedicated to its customers, or as they call them: members. They wanted to ensure its insurance roadmap was reflective of their current and rapidly evolving future needs. With a whole department dedicated to member testing and surveys, we took the research to a more in-depth level of research. We needed context of the mindset of members as well as nailing down fast-moving industry trends and the competitive marketplace. Surveys alone cannot deliver the depth of research required to uncover people’s evolving and future needs.

Our Solution

RAC recognise the essential component of dedicating time upfront to understand their member’s needs and we were thrilled to be a part of the RAC Co-Lab headed up by Cettina Raccuia to deliver a cohesive, member tested product roadmap to the insurance team.

We aligned the team and prioritised the entire insurance portfolio and certainty and flexibility to product roll outs and portfolio collaborations.

Insights

If you’re looking for new revenue streams or new products to launch these need to be quickly prototyped and tested with customers.

This saves time in launching products that don’t sell. It reduces stress and fatigue for internal teams who are required to consistently deliver polished products instead of building products in line with their customer needs.

RAC

RAC Website

Uncovering User Needs

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 03:48:27 GMT

Uncovering User Needs

What comes first the chicken or the tech? When we say the chicken we mean the research, of course the answer is the research.

The Department of Health had one key challenge. The tech had several different stakeholders with different needs. They needed a CRM to effectively manage funding trails, report deadlines and renewals but their funding applicants also needed a more tech savvy way to apply for grants and funding.

Our Solution

This may sound very dry and clear cut but let’s think about how a medical researcher’s time is best spent?

1. Is conducting specialised research to uncover medical breakthroughs and progress, which impacts community health and wellbeing.

2. Is getting tied up spending too much time in the administrative process of applying for grants to ensure there is no disruption to their research.

The Department of Health recognised the importance of managing their data and streamlining the process but, required support in order to ensure they were meeting critical requirements versus ‘nice-to-have’ requirements.

Our in-depth research and discovery unlocked all major requirements allowing them to have absolute clarity when sourcing the correct requirements from various tech solutions.

Department of Health

WA Health is Western Australia’s public health system. With a State spanning over 2.5 million square kilometres, it is the largest area in the world covered by a single health authority.

Department of Health Website

Coping with Change

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 03:46:47 GMT

Coping with Organisational Change.

Coping with change largely comes down to having the correct mindset. Think about change for a moment…. And how relentless it is these days? Even before COVID-19 the disability sector as a whole has undergone and immense period of change and uncertainty.

Organisations that understand the upheaval continuous change can have on their teams often act proactively.

At Ability Centre they recognised a clear need for their teams to be able to deal with uncertainty and continuous change in the marketplace and customer needs.

Our Solution

We proactively pulled together a Creative Series of 8 Workshops embedding a growth mindset across a huge percentage of the team.

After adopting a growth mindset individually team members actively sought to share this amongst the wider team and make this positive notion a part of the way they operate culturally within the business.

Ability Centre

For more than 70 years, Ability WA has been assisting families and individuals with cerebral palsy, autism, and other physical and intellectual disabilities, empowering them to realise their potential and thrive.

Ability Centre Website

A New Type of User Research

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 03:43:15 GMT

A New Type of User Research.

Software organisations are now recognising the importance of providing a seamless user experience.

Intentional and strategic user experience has the potential to raise conversion rates by as much as 400% yet only 55% of companies currently conduct any UX testing. Many rely on NPS scores and data usage stats to keep their finger on the pulse of user satisfaction.

The problem with this? Surveys and usage provide only point-in-time data. It doesn’t account for user frustrations, it can’t tell you how the user’s needs are changing or if you’re likely to lose your current client base.

Ensure Flow is a Job Management software that drives productivity for Insurance Builders. Traditionally Ensure Flow was designed for larger-scale Insurance Builders to manage their projects from onsite assessments, live quotes, and job management flows.

The team at Ensure Flow has such a unique offering that their product is attracting new user types. The team recognised that this new group has different needs so testing mere features weren’t going to provide enough data to help provide the clarity they needed to evolve their product.

Our Solution

We adapted Liv By Design’s Clarity Analysis Blueprint and at the completion of the Creative Insights Workshops the team had clarity on immediate opportunities and possibilities for their product. It help realign their current projects and areas of focus and they had 100% clarity on what would help them acquire new users.

Every $1 invested in UX results in a return between $2 and $100. Yet many teams enter the research phase with their own bias on the improvements and work they have already invested into the product.

Therefore, using an external party for research is a powerful move. Liv By Design’s unbiased research provides insights that can provide instant clarity for faster results or uncover the need to pivot into new markets or segments.

Ensure Flow

EnsureFlow is a powerful Job Management software that reduces claims life, increases KPI performance, and scale

Ensure Flow Website

Reimagining CX

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 03:38:56 GMT

Reimagining the Customer Experience

In the disability sector the importance of providing a positive and supportive experience to customers is essential. Customers can often be going through trauma, grief and loss whilst at the same time trying to access urgently needed services. The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has catalysed a fundamental shift in disability services. Providers are facing more pressure to transform than ever before as customers switch behaviours increase at rapid rates as soon as the NDIS was introduced. Ability WA have always recognised the importance of their customers. However, there was no central focus across the organisation capturing all the possible scenarios and various customer journeys.

Our Solution

As part of this project in-depth interviews of each division were conducted and documented.

From here we needed to gain clarity on the key opportunities for customers and what needed to be prioritised internally as a matter of urgency versus longer term goals that may require more planning, time and investment.

Customer segments were clarified and one central journey map was delivered to key executives, managers and the board.

Insights

The key to improving the customer experience is building the team’s customer focus into everything they do. This is the only way to create sustainable improvements and processes. Improving customer experience is a game of continuous progress and focus but it pays dividends over time.

Organisations that focus on improving customer experience can achieve up to an 80% increase in revenue.

73% of customers agree that customer experience helps to drive their buying decision.

All service providers are increasingly recognising the need to be customer-centric and in disability, this is even more essential in order to create real choice and control for people with disability and their families.

Ability WA

Ability WA is a not-for-profit disability service provider that has been supporting Western Australian families for 70 years.

Ability WA Website.

10 Real-Life Examples of Customer Research: Insights for Business Growth

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 13:23:18 GMT

If you think you need to seek out research companies, or 200 customers, to conduct customer research to get information, you’re not alone.

At Liv By Design, we understand that deep customer insights are the cornerstone of impactful business strategies. Customer research isn’t just about gathering data—it’s about understanding the motivations, needs, and behaviours that drive your customers.

The best part? You only need to talk to six people to identify a pattern that will validate your assumptions about your customers. Sometimes, you may only need three customer interviews to show you the bigger picture.

Trying to uncover the next big thing that customers want can be tricky. It’s also a total guessing game. Sometimes you’ll get lucky. But most of the time I see teams dedicating all their efforts and time into launching one idea that falls flat with clients and they give up.

It’s a tragedy. All that hard work.

But here’s a tip if you take the time to actually connect your team to the genuine needs, wants, aspirations, fears and desires of your customers they get a little boost. They get an even BIGGER boost when you put them in a room and they get to spend time on creating solutions.

Collaborative problem solving gives all teams the sugar rush you want them to have when we talk about solving problems in your business.

This is my ZONE!!!

There’s nothing better than seeing teams get A-ha! moments and solving problems for real people.. important people… the people that make your business and make or break success…. That’s right your CUSTOMERS!

I help teams in 2 ways. I either do the research for them and bring them the insights. This is a particularly good option for teams who are strapped for time.

OR I do the research with them. That is give them all the tools as to how to gain insights for customers. The tools to use. The questions to ask. We then do a series of workshops and start getting solutions in place.

But here I wanted to talk about ten real-life examples of customer research that highlight its transformative power in overall business success.

Just in case you’re feeling somewhat cynical. Now these are all BIG success stories and big organisations who have access to a plethora of data and STILL choose to use more intimate, human centred research methods. And what I mean by that is actually observing, talking to and collecting the conversations directly from customers.

And as I mentioned earlier this kind of research is within any businesses. Grasp.

You only need to talk to between 3-8 customers to start refining trends and areas for improvement.

So here it goes:

1. Spotify’s Personalisation Revolution

Spotify’s success lies in its ability to personalise user experiences. By analysing user data and listening habits, Spotify creates customised playlists and recommendations, driving user engagement and loyalty. You may have even noticed that there are playlists that pop up that are made up of all the songs you regularly listen to! However, AI and user data can get it wrong when there’s multiple users for an account hence the family bundles deals that now exist where you can create multiple user accounts. This enables them to further personalise the user experience.

Emily Galloway , Spotify’s Head of Product Design comments “It’s our job to be empathetic to our users. We have to put ourselves in their shoes and think about how they experience something in their everyday life.”

For Spotify its not just about the data but about unpacking the human needs and situations in which their tech is used.

2. LEGO’s Focus on Play

LEGO’s customer research goes beyond traditional methods. They engage with children directly through play sessions and feedback, ensuring their products align with what kids love. This hands-on approach emphasises the value of immersive research methods to truly understand your target audience.

This focused and direction-driven strategy sets LEGO apart in the toy industry, highlighting the importance of truly comprehending customer behaviour and needs to foster a sustainable business results.

I used observation style research while working with a national beer brand.

We stood instore and watched who was purchasing cases, long necks and 6 packs in a bid to prove the existing customer profile and segment the band was being marketed to was incorrect. It was an easy afternoon in proving that consumers weren’t 18-25 year olds but instead more like 35-45 year olds.

A big difference when you think about the needs, interests, likes and dislikes of these 2 life stages.

Think about your 18 year old self and your current self? Bit of a difference? I’d think so (this is unless of course you’re 18 right now!)

3. Airbnb’s Host and Guest Insights

Airbnb’s growth can be attributed to its deep understanding of both hosts and guests. By conducting in-depth interviews, they uncover pain points and desires, leading to features that enhance the overall experience.

Listening to both sides of your customer base is crucial for balanced and effective product development.

You may even think of both sides of the delivery of the customer experience to get a full knowledge of the challenges your team faces behind the scenes then correlating that with the end affect on the customer experience.

I’ve done this many times when training teams to conduct their own customer research. We often have to air out their challenges so we can move beyond this and still deliver a positive customer experience.

Every team has challenges internally. It could be systems, software restrictions, budget constraints, supplier issues. The list goes on. Yet, creative solutions demands constraints exist and from a customer point of view often the solutions are easy fixes.

For example I’ve had major issues come back from customers as things like stability of the system for a tech client, more communication for a supplier in the building industry I worked with and more transparency and personalisation for a client who was in insurance.

4. Netflix’s Viewing Patterns Analysis

Netflix uses advanced analytics to study viewing patterns, which informs their content creation and recommendation algorithms. This data-driven strategy ensures they deliver content that keeps users coming back. Utilizing data analytics can provide a competitive edge by aligning your offerings with customer preferences.

5. Nike’s Direct Connection

Nike’s engagement with athletes and everyday users through social media and feedback channels helps them stay ahead in product innovation. Their direct communication strategy highlights the importance of maintaining an ongoing dialogue with your customers to stay relevant and innovative.

Customer research and employee research… Not separate projects!

See!!! I’m not the only one who uses research to uncover both customer and employee needs!

Nike puts employees and their needs at the centre of Nike’s talent strategy. This consumer (human-centered design thinking) mindset demands that it develops a deeper understanding of the employees to know what motivates and engages them honestly.

Companies I’ve worked with have seen as much as a 42% drop in employee turnover after they implemented strategies from our employee research projects. This is particularly useful when employees stop filling out engagement surveys or people pulse surveys.

If you’re losing talent or you’ve got members of your team plugging holes and doing 2 jobs (or more) then this is something I would 100% consider.

Within 4-6 weeks you’ll have some areas you can instantly improve on that won’t cost you an arm and a leg in bonus schemes, loyalty incentives, after hours functions and team building expeditions.

6. Slack’s User Feedback Loop

Slack’s approach to customer research involves continuously gathering user feedback to improve their platform. Now you may say what is so unusual about this?

Well, it comes down to the fact that they have a culture of experimentation. They prioritise their customer needs and reducing pain points over getting things right. Which means implementation happens rapidly.

Most companies collect data from their users and send out surveys like its confetti but few manage to actually prioritise and make rapid changes.

They key is not in how MUCH feedback you have it is making the meaning out of that feedback.

That’s why less CAN be more. Talk to fewer customers or users and really get a deep understanding rather than hundreds of surface level tick and flick responses.

By actively listening and implementing user suggestions, Slack enhances user satisfaction and loyalty.

They are particularly good at creating a feedback loop. That is getting back to customers about changes they’ve made.

This fosters a sense of community and co-creation with your customers. THIS IS WHEN CUSTOMER LOYALTLY SOARS! You’ve just deepened the relationship with your clients thousandfold.

7. Coca-Cola’s Emotional Branding

Ever notice Coca-Cola’s ads barely feature the product in the opening seconds. They almost promote a lifestyle first and sneaky roo the product towards the end.

They conduct extensive customer research which focuses on understanding the emotional connections consumers have with the brand. By tapping into these emotions, they craft marketing campaigns that resonate on a deeper level.

Emotional insights can be a powerful tool in building brand affinity and loyalty.

So, how could you understand what your customers feel about your business or brand?

Psst…. here’s a clue… Ask them? Or I can do it for you if you like ;o)

8. Amazon’s A/B Testing Mastery

Amazon’s relentless A/B testing allows them to optimise every aspect of the customer experience. By continuously experimenting and analysing results, they ensure their platform is user-friendly and efficient.

There’s never a guarentee you’re going to get everything right the first time. So regular testing and iteration can lead to significant improvements in customer satisfaction and conversion rates.

9. Apple’s User-Centred Design

Apple’s design philosophy is rooted in extensive user research. They observe how people interact with their products and use these insights to create intuitive and seamless designs. Prioritising user experience in your design process can lead to products that are not only functional but also delightful to use.

When we reference product design expect a Steve Jobs quote. He’s famous for highlighting “It’s not the customers job to know what they want”. He was a notorious cynic of traditional market research. He followed similar sentiments to Henry Ford when Ford stated “If I asked my customers what they wanted they would say faster horses.”

Now, I gotta agree with this and it’s one of the sticking points to design thinking methods that still come under fire.

I completed a project for an insurance firm and the customer definitely could not outline how to provide a more personalised product or even what the options could be. Who gives up their time thinking about what they want from their insurer?

You’ve got expectations when you need to make a claim sure but apart from that there’s not much too it. The major consideration is normally price at purchase then the pain of renewal every year after that. It’s a grudge purchase. There’s pain in knowing you need to have it but bloody hell… why has it gone up so much again this year? Am I right?

In this case is it even worth talking to your customers? Short answer 100% YES!

Customers can still articulate what annoys them and businesses must still understand their customer intimately to then pull together the dots of how to provide a better service. You still get insights from customers, you just need to know how how to formulate those insights into actionable solutions.

When we say you’ll talk to 8 customers its not about getting ideas from each of them. It’s about understanding where they are coming from. What they are thinking, feeling, saying and doing as well as what are they trying to achieve when they come to you for your product or service.

That then takes us to the brink of the Jobs-To-Be-Done theory coined by Clayton M. Christensen’s author of Competing Against Luck . But we’ll leave that for another blog.

10. Procter & Gamble’s Ethnographic Studies

Procter & Gamble conducts ethnographic studies, where researchers observe consumers in their natural environments. This method provides rich insights into real-life usage and challenges. Ethnographic research can reveal underlying needs and behaviours that more traditional methods might miss.

If you’re interested in the story of how P&G created a whole new product cosmetics category in the massmarket chains give ‘Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works’ co-authored by A.G. Lafley at the time CEO of P&G, and Roger L. Martin a Professor and Dean and was also named the world’s #1 management thinker.

In the book they talk about expanding many products globally and when doing so would send their teams to the country of interest to observe the culture nuances. One such team member was reluctant when the company was looking to see why their razors weren’t performing in India.

The book states that this product manager couldn’t understand the need for a trip to Indian when we have all the data we need. When they got to the country they realised that men often shaved with a mug and very little water for one but also the aptly desinged triple blade shavers (that were high performing in other markets) were getting stuck in the mens long beards. Due to the way the product was being used they change the razor and the product manager came back as a raving fan of observational and conversational research. “I see now, why, we had to go and talk to consumers.”

Conclusion

Understanding your customers at a deeper level is the key to creating meaningful connections and driving business growth.

By adopting a customer-centric approach, you can unlock new opportunities and stay ahead in a competitive market.

This article is by Olivia O’Connor, Founder of Liv By Design

“At Liv By Design I start with the customer. We put ourselves in their shoes and we have empathy for their needs.”

Olivia helps organisations gather true research of her clients by offering support in adapting immersion and interview techniques that gather insights that could transform your marketing results and provide valuable insight about your organisation.

Unveiling the Collaborative Leadership Framework™: Empowering Leaders at Every Level

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 05:56:52 GMT

Effective leadership is not a luxury reserved for the few at the top—it is a quality that can be cultivated at all levels of an organisation. Olivia O’Connor, CEO of Liv By Design, unveils her innovative Collaborative Leadership Framework ™, a roadmap for individuals across organisations to harness their unique leadership potential and drive success.

A Framework Rooted in Experience and Insight

Drawing from her extensive experience in fostering collaboration and productivity within organisations, Olivia O’Connor has developed the Collaborative Leadership Framework™. This model is not a rigid set of rules but a dynamic guide inspired by the behaviours and strengths of highly effective business leaders and CEOs.

Solving Key Challenges with Collaborative Leadership

In today’s competitive landscape, organisations grapple with a myriad of challenges that hinder growth and success.

One pressing issue is Retention , as young talent often seeks opportunities elsewhere due to a lack of clear growth paths within their current roles. The Collaborative Leadership Framework™ addresses this by empowering individuals to challenge themselves and grow within the organisation, reducing the temptation of leaving for mere pay raises.

Additionally, the model tackles the Delivery of Strategic Plans , recognising that team engagement is pivotal for bringing strategic visions to life. By fostering a culture where every team member feels valued and impactful, the framework ensures that strategic goals are not just set, but achieved through collective effort.

Furthermore, the framework offers a pathway to Sustainable Advantage by harnessing the potential of people capital. Skilled, motivated teams not only boost productivity but also enhance customer experiences, leading to loyalty and sustainable growth. With the Collaborative Leadership Framework™, organisations can shift from reactive firefighting to proactive innovation and continuous improvement.

Lastly, the framework promotes Improved Culture by emphasising the co-creation of a positive work environment. By modelling healthy leadership behaviours, such as open communication and empowerment, the framework cultivates a culture of collaboration and positivity, where every day presents new opportunities for success.

The Essence of Collaborative Leadership: Three Modes of Leading

At its core, the Collaborative Leadership Framework™ revolves around three distinct modes of leading, each offering a pathway for individuals to unleash their leadership prowess:

1. Leading from the Front: Providing Vision and Clarity

Vision / Clarity: Painting a compelling picture of the future, inspiring others to rally behind a shared goal.
Presence: Being fully engaged and attuned to the needs and aspirations of the team, fostering trust and connection.
Insights: Leveraging personal experiences and wisdom to guide strategic decision-making and navigate challenges.

2. Leading from the Side: Coaching and Mentoring

Understand before being understood: Listening actively and empathetically to team members, creating a culture of trust and openness.
Feedback: Providing timely and constructive feedback, nurturing growth and continuous improvement.
Co-Creation of Solutions: Collaborating with team members to develop innovative solutions, harnessing the collective intelligence of the group.

3. Leading from the Back: Facilitating Growth and Collaboration

Building the Team: Cultivating a diverse and inclusive team, recognizing and amplifying individual strengths.
Setting the Scene: Creating an environment that encourages experimentation and learning, fostering a culture of innovation.
Social Contracts: Establishing clear expectations and agreements within the team, ensuring accountability and alignment.

Tailoring Leadership Modes to Role Dynamics

Within the Collaborative Leadership Framework™, the allocation of time across the three modes—leading from the front, side, and back—acknowledges the varied demands of different roles within an organisation.

A CEO, for instance, must predominantly lead from the front, setting the vision and direction for the entire organisation. Team leaders, on the other hand, might find themselves naturally inclined to spend more time leading from the side, coaching and mentoring their teams towards success. HR professionals often excel in leading from the back, ensuring that the right talent is in the right roles.

However, the key insight lies in recognising that we all have inherent leadership preferences, and to truly excel, we must push ourselves to adopt a well-rounded approach. This involves reflecting on our preferred modes of leadership, aligning them with the organisation’s future goals, and then personalising our roles to achieve a balanced spread among the three modes.

Moreover, the Collaborative Leadership Framework™ emphasises the potential for shared leadership modes within a team. No one individual can embody all modes simultaneously, so it encourages collaboration and delegation—ensuring that if one team member is leading from the front, others step up to lead from the side and back.

This collective approach amplifies the impact of each mode, fostering a cohesive and effective leadership dynamic within the organisation.

Nurturing Leadership Potential at All Levels

The Collaborative Leadership Framework™ is not just a tool for top-tier executives—it is a philosophy that empowers individuals at every level of the organisation. This framework is can be especially tailored for middle managers and emerging leaders, offering them a blueprint to evolve from good to great leaders.

For CEOs and Business Owners:

Empower your middle management to excel as leaders, driving engagement and retention within your organisation.
Discover the transformative power of collaborative leadership in fostering a culture of innovation and success.

For Teams:

Unleash your potential as the next generation of leaders within your organisation.
Embrace the unique strengths and perspectives of each team member, fostering a culture of empowerment and growth.

Embracing the Journey of Collaborative Leadership

In the journey towards effective leadership, the Collaborative Leadership Framework™ serves as a compass, guiding individuals to discover their innate leadership styles and strengths. It is a reminder that leadership is not about a title—it is about action, influence, and the ability to empower others towards a common vision.

Olivia O’Connor’s Collaborative Leadership Framework™ invites CEOs, business owners, and teams to embark on a transformative journey—one that celebrates diversity, fosters collaboration, and propels organisations towards greater heights of success.

Embrace Collaborative Leadership for Business Transformation

Hi I’m Liv,

I’m deeply passionate about the transformative power of collaborative leadership within organisations. If you’re ready to empower your team with skills that are not just relevant but fully aligned with your business objectives, then let’s have a conversation.

Traditional courses can often fall short when it comes to real-world implementation and action. Teams can feel stuck, knowing the “how” but lacking the support and confidence to take meaningful steps.

That’s where my tailored, collaborative approach comes in—I work closely with your team, understanding your unique needs and the nuances of your industry. If any aspect of the Collaborative Leadership Framework™ has resonated with you, and you believe it can propel your team towards success, reach out!

I’d be thrilled to share the inspiring success stories of my clients and explore how we can drive positive change together.

Here’s to a future of empowered teams and thriving business.

Cheers, Liv.

The Collaboration Project: Help Your Teams Design Their Way to High Achievement

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 05:59:27 GMT

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, collaboration has become the cornerstone of success in any endeavour. Whether it’s in business, education, or creative pursuits, the ability to work effectively with others can make all the difference between mediocrity and excellence. That’s why we’re excited to introduce “The Collaboration Project,” a comprehensive online course designed to equip you and your teams with the skills and strategies needed to achieve remarkable results through collaboration.

Why Collaboration Matters

Collaboration isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a fundamental principle that underpins innovation, productivity, and growth. When individuals come together, bringing their unique perspectives, expertise, and experiences to the table, they have the power to accomplish far more than they ever could alone. By fostering a culture of collaboration within your organisation or team, you unlock a wealth of potential and open the door to new opportunities for success.

What You’ll Learn

“The Collaboration Project” is a six-week journey that will empower you to harness the power of collaboration effectively. Through a combination of expert-led instruction, interactive exercises, and real-world case studies, you’ll learn:

The Foundations of Collaboration: Explore the key principles and dynamics that drive successful collaboration, including communication, trust-building, and conflict resolution.
Design Thinking for Collaboration: Discover how to apply design thinking principles to collaborative projects, enabling you to innovate, iterate, and adapt in response to changing circumstances.
Effective Team Dynamics: Learn how to cultivate a positive team culture, leverage individual strengths, and overcome common challenges to collaboration.
Tools and Technologies: Explore a range of tools and technologies designed to facilitate collaboration, from project management platforms to virtual communication tools.
Building Strategic Partnerships: Understand the importance of strategic partnerships in driving collaboration beyond your immediate team or organization.
Measuring Success: Develop metrics and benchmarks to evaluate the effectiveness of your collaborative efforts and identify areas for improvement.

Who Should Enroll

“The Collaboration Project” is ideal for anyone who works in a team environment and wants to enhance their collaboration skills. Whether you’re a business leader, project manager, educator, or creative professional, this course will provide you with the insights and strategies you need to excel in your collaborative endeavours.

Join Us Today

Don’t miss this opportunity to transform the way you work and unlock the full potential of your teams. Enrol in “The Collaboration Project” today and embark on a journey towards high achievement through collaboration. Visit our course page to learn more and secure your spot. Together, let’s design a future of success through collaboration.

Becoming Fearless: How a Psychological Safety Practitioner Can Transform Your Business

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 04:34:59 GMT

In the high-stakes world of business, where every decision can make or break an organisation, one factor stands out as a game-changer: psychological safety.

Coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy C. Edmondson in her ground breaking book “The Fearless Organization,” the concept of psychological safety has captured the attention of business leaders worldwide.

But what does it mean to become fearless, and how can a psychological safety practitioner pave the way for transformative change within your organisation?

The Crucial Role of Psychological Safety

At its core, psychological safety is about creating an environment where team members feel safe to take risks, voice their opinions, and be their authentic selves without fear of ridicule or retribution. It’s the bedrock of trust, collaboration, and innovation—the secret sauce that propels teams to greatness.

Yet, despite its undeniable importance, psychological safety remains elusive for many organisations. Leaders grapple with the challenge of fostering a culture where individuals feel empowered to speak up, share ideas, and challenge the status quo. The fear of failure, rejection, or embarrassment often stifles creativity and stifles progress.

The Fearless Organisation Practitioner: Catalyst for Change

Enter the fearless organisation practitioner—a skilled facilitator, coach, and advocate for psychological safety within the workplace. Armed with a deep understanding of Edmondson’s research and principles, these practitioners are on a mission to transform organisational cultures and unleash the full potential of teams.

But what exactly does a psychological safety practitioner do, and how can their expertise benefit your business? Let’s delve into the key responsibilities and impact of these change agents:

Assessment and Diagnosis:

A psychological safety practitioner begins by conducting a comprehensive assessment of your organisation’s current culture and dynamics. Through surveys, interviews, and observations, they uncover areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

Strategy Development:

Based on their findings, the practitioner collaborates with leadership to develop tailored strategies and interventions to enhance psychological safety. This may involve implementing communication protocols, leadership training programs, or team-building initiatives.

Training and Education:

One of the most powerful tools in the practitioner’s arsenal is education. By providing workshops, seminars, and coaching sessions, they equip leaders and teams with the knowledge and skills to foster psychological safety in their day-to-day interactions.

Facilitation and Mediation:

In times of conflict or tension, the practitioner serves as a neutral facilitator, guiding teams through difficult conversations and helping them find common ground. By promoting open dialogue and empathy, they pave the way for resolution and reconciliation.

Measurement and Evaluation:

Continuous improvement is essential in the journey towards becoming fearless. The practitioner establishes metrics and benchmarks to track progress over time, ensuring that efforts to enhance psychological safety are yielding tangible results.

The Business Impact of Psychological Safety

Now, you may be wondering: why should business owners and executives invest in psychological safety? The answer lies in the undeniable benefits it brings to the bottom line:

Increased Innovation: When team members feel safe to share their ideas and experiment without fear of judgment, innovation flourishes. Organisations that prioritize psychological safety are more likely to develop ground breaking products and solutions that drive competitive advantage.

Enhanced Performance: Psychological safety is the cornerstone of high-performing teams. By fostering a culture of trust and collaboration, organisations can unleash the full potential of their employees, leading to improved productivity, creativity, and results.

Greater Resilience: In today’s volatile and uncertain business landscape, resilience is key to survival. Teams that feel psychologically safe are better equipped to navigate challenges, adapt to change, and bounce back from setbacks with confidence and determination.

Case Studies: Proof in Practice

Still skeptical about the transformative power of psychological safety? Let’s explore some real-world case studies that illustrate its impact on business success:

Google’s Project Aristotle : In a landmark study, Google set out to uncover the secrets of effective teams. After analysing data from hundreds of teams, they identified psychological safety as the single most important factor contributing to team performance. Teams with high levels of psychological safety outperformed their peers in terms of innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Facing increasing competition and pressure to innovate, Novartis embarked on a journey to transform its organisational culture. By prioritising psychological safety and investing in leadership development programs, they saw a significant increase in employee engagement, collaboration, and business results.

Embrace Fearlessness, Unlock Potential

In today’s fast-paced and complex business environment, the ability to cultivate psychological safety is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. By embracing fearlessness and investing in the expertise of a psychological safety practitioner, business owners and executives can unlock the full potential of their teams, drive innovation, and achieve sustainable success.

So, are you ready to become fearless? The journey starts now.

Hello, I’m Liv, a certified ‘Fearless Organization Practitioner’. My approach centres around openness and inclusion to unlock the full potential of teams. With a background in human-centred design, I specialise in identifying and resolving people-related challenges within teams. If you have a talented team that you believe can achieve more, I’m here to help unleash their true potential.”

The Co-CEO Model ‘Live Interview’

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 05:20:02 GMT

How these two leaders adapted the innovative Co-CEO model within work design to improve organisational outcomes and individual career satisfaction without the isolation, stress and overwhelm.

Harness the Power of Work Design to Turn Your Current Job Into Your Dream Job

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 04:44:21 GMT

As a professional, you may feel that your current role is not quite what you had envisioned for yourself. You may have dreamed of something more exciting or challenging, but don’t know how to make it happen.

With work design, however, you can take control of your career and turn your current role into something closer to your dream job.

The Challenge

It can be difficult to find a way out when feeling stuck in an unsatisfying role. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options available and unsure where to start.

It’s important at this stage not only to acknowledge these feelings but also recognize that there are ways out and that with some effort it is possible for anyone in any situation to create their own path towards success.

There are some requirements that set the conditions for any individual to be able to do this.

Firstly, you need the support of your direct report. You need open conversations about what your plans for career development and personal development is and this needs to align with a benefit to the organisation.

Thankfully many leaders are open to these conversations and the is embedded in annual review processes. BUT, often employees are unsure of exactly what they want and the opportunities that exist so individual ownership and clarity is essential. How do you get this?

Reflection exercises that you do continuously to check in with what it lighting your fire or dampening your coals. We’ll talk a bit about this later.

What is Work Design?

Interest in work design started during the Industrial Revolution. When we think back work was dominated by roles in factories, which led to questions about how to best organise work. Professor Sharon K Parker from Curtin University has been championing this work through The Centre for Transformative Work Design .

Because of this work design has traditionally been under the remit of those who oversee the work. However, Work Design can be done by all individuals.

When we focus on the individual changing up their conditions for work this is often comes under the sub banner of ‘Job Crafting’ as it relates to a specific role and job being filled.

Let’s face it. You can have 6 identical roles with 6 individuals delivering that role in their own unique way.

That is the fabulous intertwining of being human which ensures we all have a unique set of skills, experiences and strengths. No two people are alike and therefore, this is what makes work design so outstandingly powerful.

Work design is an approach used by professionals who want more control over their careers and work life.

The idea behind work design is simple: build a career around activities that bring joy, challenge, growth opportunities, financial stability—all while being able to maintain balance between personal life commitments and professional goals.

This means designing one’s work, inline with unique strengths and enjoyment. It requires taking ownership over one’s career development process so as not just accept but actively shape future opportunities accordingly rather than waiting passively for good things (or bad) come along eventually.

At The Centre for Transformative Work Design they call out examples of how we can change up our roles which include:

**Focusing efforts on tasks that are most interesting;

**Building new relationships with others at work;

**Reducing uninteresting or unnecessary tasks;

**Introducing better ways of doing things; and

**Obtaining more support from the supervisor.

How To Use Work Design To Turn Your Current Role Into Your Dream Job

The first step on the journey to work design is self-reflection: assessing both strengths and weaknesses honestly so as understand better which tasks need improvement in order achieve desired results faster without compromising quality standards too much either way (i.e., neither underperforming nor overextending oneself).

Once you’ve identified areas needing attention or what that big goal is that you’ve always wanted to achieve then goal setting becomes easier.

I look at many of the professionals I know. The leaders, the business owners, the teams.

The most confident are those who have clarity. Uncertainty is a confidence killer. It breeds contempt, cynicism, and satisfaction with the status quo.

Being clear around what we want also doesn’t mean we all want to strive to be CEO or even get promoted. It means getting clear on what drives us personally and therefore what will lead us to increasing our own satisfaction and fulfilment.

Workdays are too long to spend them frustrated. The working week spent in misery eventually bleeds over into our personal lives. It’s not sustainable.

It doesn’t matter what role you fill we all can make improvements on who we want to be along with what we want to be. In order to do so we need to create the space for reflection and our own clarity.

Grab my reflection worksheet to get started fast! ��

What if I have clarity but no-one is listening?

This is the biggest dilemma for many people. I come across many individuals who feel stuck. If you have a direct manager who is unable to listen start thinking about another pathway. There are always multiple pathways to success so relying on one person to advocate isn’t enough.

The fact that someone isn’t listening to you also means there is a lack of psychological safety . This may be with just one leader or multiple. Recognise that your not alone. Often, others will be feeling the same way. How can you reach out to some change makers in your organisation to help with this?

As an Accredited Fearless Organisation Practitioner, I help teams become more aligned and working more purposefully through increasing the psychological safety. The results I have seen for individuals and their growth is outstanding not to mention the level of improvement in leadership practices.

If you’d like any advice on work design for you or your team or you’d like to chat about how to improve team alignment reach out! I’m only a text and a cuppa away.

Cheers,

Liv

liv-by-design

Fact: Relationships = Revenue

Why Strong Relationships Are Your Secret Weapon

It's simple: strong relationships reduce friction and increase opportunity.

Stop Team Chaos

Build a High-Performance Crew That Fuels Your Profits

Beyond the Daily Grind

How to Build a Team That Drives Your Business

Unlocking High Performance: The Team Dynamics Framework™ for Building Thriving Teams

How Designing Team Dynamics Can Eliminate Friction, Boost Productivity, and Drive Business Success

The Cost of Poor Team Dynamics

Introducing the Team Dynamics Framework™

Step 1: Diagnose the Frictions

Step 2: Design the Dynamics

Step 3: Drive the Outcomes

The Business Impact: Why Team Dynamics Matter

What could your business achieve with teams that work in flow, not friction?

References:

About Me:

Product to Market Fit

Product to Market Fit .

Our Solution

Insights

DecipherAg

Roadmap to Success

A Roadmap For Success.

Our Solution

Insights

RAC

Uncovering User Needs

Uncovering User Needs

Our Solution

Department of Health

Coping with Change

Coping with Organisational Change.

Our Solution

Ability Centre

A New Type of User Research

A New Type of User Research.

Our Solution

Ensure Flow

Reimagining CX

Reimagining the Customer Experience

Our Solution

Insights

Ability WA

10 Real-Life Examples of Customer Research: Insights for Business Growth

At Liv By Design, we understand that deep customer insights are the cornerstone of impactful business strategies. Customer research isn’t just about gathering data—it’s about understanding the motivations, needs, and behaviours that drive your customers.

1. Spotify’s Personalisation Revolution

2. LEGO’s Focus on Play

3. Airbnb’s Host and Guest Insights

4. Netflix’s Viewing Patterns Analysis

5. Nike’s Direct Connection

Customer research and employee research… Not separate projects!

6. Slack’s User Feedback Loop

7. Coca-Cola’s Emotional Branding

8. Amazon’s A/B Testing Mastery

9. Apple’s User-Centred Design

10. Procter & Gamble’s Ethnographic Studies

Conclusion

“At Liv By Design I start with the customer. We put ourselves in their shoes and we have empathy for their needs.”

Unveiling the Collaborative Leadership Framework™: Empowering Leaders at Every Level

A Framework Rooted in Experience and Insight

Solving Key Challenges with Collaborative Leadership

The Essence of Collaborative Leadership: Three Modes of Leading

﻿ Tailoring Leadership Modes to Role Dynamics

Nurturing Leadership Potential at All Levels

﻿ Embracing the Journey of Collaborative Leadership

Embrace Collaborative Leadership for Business Transformation

The Collaboration Project: Help Your Teams Design Their Way to High Achievement

Why Collaboration Matters

What You’ll Learn

Who Should Enroll

Join Us Today

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Becoming Fearless: How a Psychological Safety Practitioner Can Transform Your Business

The Crucial Role of Psychological Safety

The Fearless Organisation Practitioner: Catalyst for Change

The Business Impact of Psychological Safety

Case Studies: Proof in Practice

Tailoring Leadership Modes to Role Dynamics

Embracing the Journey of Collaborative Leadership