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Day: March 19, 2018

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Growth Operations Personal Development

5 Steps for Physical Product Brands to Stay Relevant

The people who handle “complaints” about your company’s branded products are full of useful info. We always thought of customer service as customer intelligence, or “customer intel,” rather than “complaint resolution”.

But if you operate in a top-down structure, it’s easy to see how you can miss out on this critical information. If you think that your product design comes first, then the marketing team comes up with a sales plan, then your salespeople implement that plan, then customer service handles complaints—that’s top-down. With this structure, you certainly wouldn’t want any challenges to your product crawling back up.

The effectiveness of customer service in many companies is actually judged by how few (or how many) complaints come back up the ladder.

In an attempt to address complaints at the customer service level, these companies are preventing the key communications that should crawl back up—they have the potential to improve your packaging, marketing, product, and even your confidence. When everyone working for you knows that your brand is relevant, current, and receptive, they are more likely to stay. Not only that—they are proud to be part of a business that values customer feedback, and quickly replies to keep them happy. This is how you stay ahead of the competition.

Use these 5 steps to make the most of what your customer service people know:

  1. Change the Plumbing. Install a permanent and formal “pipeline” between your “Customer Intel” and your Production, R&D, and Marketing folks. Make it required that any customer feedback received by Customer Intel is top priority. Actually, bring any new initiatives to them (and Sales) first, to get their input. This will prevent expensive failures in the marketplace.
  2. Change the Name. As we mentioned, calling it “Customer Intel” describes its function, and reiterates that nobody in your company outside of your sales team knows more about your customers’ experience than they do. And don’t keep this a secret! Make sure everybody knows it, and respects their crucial relationship with your customers.
  3. Change the Direction. Chose bottom-up instead of top-down. Put the customer on top! Entrepreneurs who started in a garage know that the customer is always at the top. It’s simple—if they don’t make sales, they’ll be out of business. So, it’s not how you get the entrepreneurial spirit—it’s how you lose it. And you lose it when products are pushed down to the customer.
  4. Change the Schedule. Every quarter, schedule a brainstorming session between Production, Marketing, and R&D on the one hand, and with Customer Intel and Sales on the other. Create an open forum where everyone can discuss customer comments, recommendations, and complaints; and where everyone can discover and implement ways to improve your marketing and products.
  5. Change the Conversation. Encourage Customer Intel to gather information about your customers’ experience that doesn’t have anything to do with their comment or complaint, but everything to do with making their experience better. They should ask: Where did you find our product? Was it fully stocked? Do you go to that store often? How was the price? Do you buy this product often? Does it meet your expectations? Did you get a good value for your money?

Make these changes today. Don’t let your customers complain, “It used to be my brand!”

Read more on: http://c-suitenetworkadvisors.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

Categories
Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Personal Development

You’re Attention is Being Stolen (and You’re Letting It)

“Hold that thought for just a moment.”

“Let me grab this call.”

“Now, where were we?”

How often have you uttered these phrases in conversations that were interrupted by a phone call, text message, or someone just popping into your office? How often have you been in the middle of a project or task that was stopped midstream to respond to someone else’s immediate need for your attention?

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you are allowing your attention to be stolen.

In a world full of open-door policies and open-office concepts, our attention is like a wad of cash sitting in an unoccupied, unlocked car. It’s ripe for the taking, tempting anyone who comes within reach of it.

Time is our new currency and where we spend it is a choice. It certainly doesn’t imply that some things are always more or less important than others; it just means you must choose what is most deserving of your attention in that moment.

For instance, if you are on a deadline for a high-stakes project, it’s okay to silence your ringer, unplug from devices, close your door and concentrate – free from distractions. The deadline for that project is your highest priority. You don’t want to permit anyone or anything from stealing your attention away from it. Once the project is over, take a small break to rest, recover and refocus. Then, evaluate what else is required of you and prioritize your attention accordingly.

It’s that simple.

When you allow others to steal your focus from what you need to pay attention to, you give them time you can never get back. As a result, you feel the pressure of tighter deadlines which then challenges you to work at a faster rate of speed. When you can’t work faster, you wind up working longer, then cutting into the time you need to rest and recover with friends, family, and loved ones.  In the end, you feel overwhelmed and overstressed – and for what? To allow someone to have your attention to meet their needs?

It’s not about being selfish, or about making others feel less important. It is about realizing we each only get 1,440 minutes in a day and we must choose how to spend it. If we want to live a life of more significance, we must pay attention to what matters most and implement methods necessary to do so.

Here are 10 tips to help you pay attention to what matters most in your day:

  1. Schedule your day. Use your calendar to set aside times to return phone calls, answer emails, and respond to social media. Commit to your calendar of time as if it were a client. Don’t be late and refrain from going over time.
  2. Silence your phone. Whether it’s a desk phone or cell phone, turn off the ringer. We have this brilliant tool called voicemail and it’s there for a reason. Phone calls can be returned when you are ready to give them the time and attention they deserve.
  3. Close your door. The idea of an open-door-policy was never intended to allow anyone to barge in at any time. Schedule times in your day and let others know when you’re available to chat. Setting boundaries will not only ensure you can focus on time-sensitive tasks, it also ensures your undivided attention is given to those who need you during open-office hours.
  4. Clear your clutter. Few things can steal concentration quite like incomplete projects sitting on your desk silently begging for your attention. Whether it’s papers in need of filing or projects yet to be completed, keep them organized in such a way that your workspace is clear from distractions.
  5. Maximize your productive times of day. Some of us are morning birds while others are night owls. Capitalize on your most productive time of day to complete the tasks requiring more attention, thought, and creativity.
  6. Cancel meetings. 45% of meetings attended by professionals are thought to be a waste of time. If you’re attending meetings for the sake of attending, stop. If you’re hosting meetings out of routine, cancel them. Do not attend or host a meeting without a legitimate, well-thought out agenda. Know why you’re being asked to attend and ensure everyone is on the same page.
  7. Take routine breaks. No one can give their undivided attention to one project hours and hours on end. Take frequent breaks to step away from your desk, get fresh air, stretch and allow your mind to break from it’s concentrated state. You’ll find a renewed sense of focus upon return.
  8. Reciprocate respect. If you want others to respect your time and need for focus, you must start by setting the example. If you create a reputation of popping into coworker’s offices unannounced, they will do the same for you. If you leave voicemails, followed by emails, followed by text messages, expect others to do the same. Demonstrate a respect for the time of others and respect for yours will follow.
  9. Reiterate priorities. Whether you are a leader or individual contributor, knowing the priorities of your organization is key to your success. Ensure you understand them thoroughly, repeat them frequently and use them as a filter for your attention.
  10. Stop working 24/7. Few of us can operate efficiently or effectively when we are always on call for work. After hours phone calls and emails can make us feel overwhelmed and unable to rest and recover from the day. As a result, our stress levels increase, and our relationships suffer. Your after-hours time must be tightly guarded and given to those who matter most. When you allow yourself to get the rest you need at the end of each day, your ability to focus and concentrate in the work day increases boosting your productivity and accountability.

When you begin to think of attention as our new currency, you can begin to shift your thought process around time as being a limited resource which must be managed responsibly and protected from those who wish to steal it.

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

Warning Executive Leaders – You Are Playing Too Small

YOU have very particular, superstar strengths in certain areas. It’s why you were hired, or why you started your business, or why you were promoted. However, unless you’re leveraging that unique skill set every single day, you are cheating your company, your team members, and frankly, yourself.

Marianne Williamson said, “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.” Put in a slightly different context, I’d say, “A leader playing small doesn’t serve her organization.”

I’ll give you a couple examples of what Marianne and I are talking about.

Imagine an executive leader who sent out three (yes, three) emails warning team members not to leave coffee stains and King Cake crumbs in the break room. (If you don’t have King Cake crumbs in your break room, call me to learn about this delicacy). To me, this screams that he is avoiding dealing with much bigger issues. Why? Maybe because he feels like he’s in over his head. Maybe he is afraid to tackle the bigger issues, or most likely, he feels more comfortable dealing with these small-potatoes-situations.

Another prime example is my coaching client, the CEO, who came to me because she was a stressed out Sarah, working 16-hour days, a walking zombie, and her personal life was falling apart. When we delved into why she was doing this, we talked about the fact that she had a quite capable staff who was ready, eager, and able to do their jobs. Through our work together, she discovered that she was a card-carrying control freak, who feared her team members wouldn’t perform tasks to her standards and it would all be a reflection on her. So her employees were sipping daiquiris on the parade route while she worked herself into a coma.

Attention executive leaders: You need to play your part and handle the responsibilities for which you are uniquely suited – whatever your position or role might be – and let others on the team do what they are qualified to do.

If you’ve been playing small,

Ask yourself these questions to help you play big:

  • Could someone else easily take on this responsibility? Could I mentor a team member so he/she could grow into this responsibility? Become a master at delegating what is yours to do. Spending a little time on the front end to train a team member will be worth it if it relieves you of a less than high-level task going forward.
  • Is this the highest and best use of my time right now? As a leader your time is valuable and should not be frittered away on tasks that someone else can and should easily do.
  • Have I become the team problem solver? Instead of trying to always have the right answers, strive instead to ask good questions. This will spur team members to think critically about the situation and foster their own good problem-solving skills.
  • Am I being super tactical? Am I caught up in the weeds of my business, or am I being strategic, focused solely on the big picture? Truly successful leaders actually have what I like to call bi-focal vision. You must be able to focus on both the long-range vision for the organization, as well as on the steps that you’ll have to take to achieve that vision.
  • Do I step up and make the tough decisions that are mine to make, or do I shy away from those decisions and potentially lose the respect of my team? An effective leader gets the necessary input, but ultimately has the courage to make difficult and often unpopular decisions that are in the best interest of the organization as a whole.
  • Am I holding my cards close, preserving the status quo, or am I taking calculated risks that take me out of my comfort zone? On the other side of uncertainty lies opportunity. To truly be successful, a leader must get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
  • Do I often try to go it alone? Often a C-suite leader can get to a position or to a point in her career where she feels isolated and lonely. That’s when it’s a good idea to hire a leadership coach to work through and process the many issues that come up in your leadership role.

Playing small as a leader serves no one. You have a responsibility to step up, speak up, and reach up to expand fully into your role and give the best that you have to give to your organization.

COMMENT BELOW:

What are you doing to ensure that you are playing BIG?

What steps can you take to leverage your unique set of skills, gifts, and talents so that you’re contributing at the highest level to your organization?

Categories
Best Practices Growth Health and Wellness

Sleep Deprivation Kills Productivity in the Workplace

Throughout history, sleep deprivation has been used as a form of torture. Amnesty International lists sleep deprivation as a form of torture. Yet most people are prepared to sacrifice a few hours of sleep to meet work deadlines or dare I say, to watch their favorite television show. Many employees even see it as some sort of measure of their worth that they are working through the night on their projects.

A recent Harvard research study found that for the average worker, insomnia leads to the loss of 11.3 days’ worth of productivity in the workplace a year.

Many of us even believe that we are still able to function normally on fewer hours of sleep. Unfortunately, this is not the case despite all appearances which may suggest otherwise.

For our brain, sleep is not a period of rest. Our brain is in fact very active when we are sleeping. Newer scientific evidence shows sleep is required for neuroplasticity (brain forming new connections), and to flush toxins from the brain that have accumulated during the course of the day. It is also the valuable time required for the brain to promote memory formation; moving memories from short-term to long-term storage.

Sleep deprivation impacts cognition (thinking), mood, memory, and learning, and leads to chronic disease. You must have noticed how staying up too late effects your emotions and your response to stress. Your attention becomes limited, and you should definitely steer away from any serious decision making.

The effects of missing sleep are similar to the effects of alcohol; you take longer to perform tasks and your communication is impacted. You are not able to express yourself as clearly, and you have trouble listening. The grogginess and lowered concentration due to lack of quality sleep, is also a basic safety issue in the workplace.

It has been estimated that the lack of productivity due to sleep deprivation, costs the economy $20 billion a year.

Both the immediate, and long-term brain health consequences of sleep disturbance is dire. So, give some serious thought to how much quality sleep you are getting each night.

Make better use of your brain!

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Management Negotiations Women In Business

The Best Way To Be a Good Bully Negotiator

“All forms of bullying are not bad. A good bully that defeats a bad bully is good.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

When you think of bullying in a negotiation, what comes to mind? Do you think of one person using abusive language spewing contempt, or an abundant display of irreverent condescension on behalf of both parties towards the other? In either case or if you didn’t think of either case, you’re right. Bullying in life and in negotiations is open to interpretation. That being the case, there’s a scenario for the role of a good bully in every negotiation. If projected right, the role of a good bully may be laced in the disguise of a savior.

Here’s how you can combat a bad bully by portraying the part of a good bully.

1. The first thing you need to appraise is to what degree the opposing negotiator will display belligerence or other forms of bullying. That’s essential because that will determine how you’ll position yourself.

2. Assess the possible bullying tactics the other negotiator might attempt to use on you (i.e. intimidation, humiliation, other). The better you can accurately assess the bullying tactics he’ll use the better you can prepare to combat them.

3. Determine which ploy, or set of tactics you’ll employ to contest the bully’s bullying efforts against you. They can be any combination of the following ruses.

4. Passive aggressiveness – I recall a time when I was on a plane and asked the flight attendant for another snack. She looked menacingly at me with a smile on her face, leaned closer, and said, no. She quickly turned and walked away. I was left befuddled, wondering what had just occurred.

When dealing with a bully, you can be passively aggressive by portraying the part of a hard-nosed negotiator while presenting a pleasant demeanor. That will most likely cause the other negotiator to wonder what he’s dealing with. In that time, you can further assess the value this subterfuge is having on him. Continue using it and/or mixing it with the following as long as it has value.

5. Display defiance and compassion – Bullies test your resolve to discover exactly what you’ll allow them to do to you. If during such travails you display defiance and compassion you’ll cause them consternation. They’ll be miffed about how to deal with you. That should make them revert to their prominent form of domination. Once they’ve shown you that, border your actions between an affray and serenity. Let such match his demeanor.

6. Be manic (i.e. I must be off my meds) – Have you ever noticed how most sane people will tend to veer away from someone that acts in a non-rational manner? That’s because someone that’s manic is unpredictable. Unpredictability leads to unsureness and that leads to confusion. If a bad bully doesn’t know what to do in a negotiation, he’ll begin to drop his bullying ways and start to acquiesce to your demands. In part, he may do so because he just wants to conclude the negotiation as quickly as possible and get away from you.

7. Switch positions and character constantly – To protract and enhance the manic ploy, switch your negotiation position and character throughout the negotiation. Abide by one thing and then change it when such suits you. It will add to the allure of the perception that “you’re not all there”, which will further serve to confound your opponent.

The role of a good bully truly has a part in any negotiation. While some may call it by another name, know that it’s a role you can partake in to win more negotiations … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#NegotiatingWithABully #Bullying #Bully #negotiations #Negotiator #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Skills Women In Business

On St. Patty’s Day, Take Control of Your Luck!

“The luck of the Irish” is a fun notion celebrated with lots of images of shamrocks and leprechauns this time of year in anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day. But when it comes to being seen as a leader, luck has nothing to do with it. As the saying goes, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” So here are four easy steps (one for each leaf on your shamrock) to prepare yourself so that when the opportunity arises, you are ready to create your own “good luck.”

1. Project Confidence

 Whether your hands are steady or your knees are knocking at the idea of speaking to a particular person or group, project an air of poise and confidence. I’m not suggesting you act like a know-it-all or brag arrogantly about an accomplishment, but don’t let them see that you’re nervous. Rather, steady your nerves, take a few deep breaths, smile, make eye contact and own your material as you speak.

Even if someone asks a tough question, calmly acknowledge the premise and give the best answer you can. If you don’t have the answer on hand, matter-of-factly let the person know that you’ll get the answer for them as soon as the meeting is over. Showing grace under fire is a very compelling sign of confidence, and indicates that you have everything under control; you’re not panicking, so they shouldn’t either. That’s the kind of person people what to have in charge.

2. Do Your Research

When you’re going to meet with a particular audience, go beyond preparing your proposal or slide deck, and see what else you can learn about them as people. LinkedIn is a great place to start. How long have they been with the company or in the industry? What alumni associations do they belong to? What hobbies or connections do you have in common? The more areas you can find to relate to them, the more easily they will feel comfortable with you.

About five years ago I had set up a meeting with the VP of human resources of a company I really wanted to work with. The day before we met, I looked her up on LinkedIn, and to my surprise, discovered that her birthday was the very next day. (Who knew LinkedIn had birthday information?)

On the way to the meeting I stopped at the store to pick up a fun card. When we got together, I pulled the envelope out of my bag and said, “By the way, this is for you.”

She looked at me, a bit puzzled, then opened it up. When she saw what it was, her eyes widened in surprised, and with a big smile she asked, “How did you know?”

I just smiled and said, “A little birdie told me.” We’ve been friends ever since, and I’ve done tons of business with the company.

3. Rehearse Your Opening

One massive pitfall for most people is that even though they might plan what they’re going to say in the body of a presentation, when it comes to the introduction, they completely wing it. “It’s just small talk, welcoming people, and setting the agenda,” they think. “I don’t need to practice that.

Au contraire. It’s exactly that simple intro that you need to flesh out and rehearse. Although the concepts are simple, you can’t afford to trip over your words as you fumble for what to say. If the intro is clumsy and awkward, it sets a negative tone and gives a poor first impression, which will taint the audience’s view of the rest of what you’re going to say. Your image and reputation start out behind the eight ball, and then it’s up to you to come from behind rather than starting out front and simply maintaining a comfortable lead.

4. Speak in Your Best Voice

The same way you choose your outfit carefully to dress appropriately for your audience, you should also dress your words in a “suit”-able voice. Your word choice might indicate what you want the audience to think, but your vocal delivery will tell people how you actually feel about what you’re saying. If those messages are conflicting, the voice of doubt almost always wins.

For example, avoid bad habits like “vocal fry,” which is when your voice sounds gravelly like you’re sleepy or not sure about what you are saying. Remember to pause frequently enough when speaking so that you can take another breath, refuel the air tank, and allow a nice, rich, resonant voice to speak in a way that sounds convincing and convinced.

Similarly, up-speak – the vocal pattern that sounds like you’re asking question after question even when there is no question in sight –  can be another grenade to your reputation. That incessant question-like tone sounds like you are constantly seeking validation by implying, “Okay? You know? Am I right?” If you’re truly confident in your material, as any leader should be, you shouldn’t be begging for approval.  Instead, use vocal periods, allowing your voice to drop at the end of each sentence. The declarative tone sounds like you own your material and are in control of the situation.

When you put these four practices together, you’ll project the image of a person who is strong, relatable, and effective. If that becomes your normal speaking pattern, your reputation will speak for itself, so when the right opportunity arises, you won’t need luck.

Now that’s the kind of person I want to have running my projects!

*****

Do you have questions or comments about how to present yourself in the most effective way? Email me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to set up a 20-minute focus call to discuss it with me, personally.

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Women In Business

Do You Dance Between the Raindrops?

“The appearance of rain is soothing for some and cursed by others. When rain occurs in your life, define its purpose and use it to your advantage.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Into everyone’s life, some rain must fall.

Some people fret when it rains. They perceive it as a disruption to their normal flow. Such people become deterred from engaging in activities that might otherwise bring opportunities and/or advantages to their endeavors. Through their incumbered mind, they become less mobile. Others dance between the raindrops. They go about their activities with an enhanced sense of purpose. Which one are you?

In this case, raindrops are a metaphor for the unexpected occurrences that happen in life, those occurrences that we’d not planned for or had little anticipation of there eminent appearance. The way you deal with such situations will determine the level of happiness you experience, your perception of how successful you are, and the stability of your mental state of mind.

The point is, raindrops will occur in everyone’s life. It’s the way they perceive such situations that will determine how they interact with those situations. Thus, if you want to achieve more in life, if you want more out of life, if you want to control more of what occurs in your life, learn to dance between the raindrops (i.e. view things from a positive versus negative perspective) … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

Raindrops (i.e. unanticipated/unplanned occurrences) occur in most negotiations of substance. If you’re not mentally prepared to address them, you can find yourself digging deeper into a hole of despair into which the waters of despair will populate. That will make the situation worse for you because you’ll start to feel besieged by what may seem to be a barrage of overwhelming activities that you can’t or don’t want to recover from. Obviously, that will put you at a disadvantage in the negotiation.

When you feel the barrage of offers/counteroffers begin to overwhelm you, stop the rain; get out of the environment or find something to buffer your perception.

Here’s what you should remember. You can stop the rain by changing your perception of what’s occurring. That will be the start of what’s really occurring (i.e. your reality is what you perceive it to be). Once you do that, you’ll be able to view what’s occurring from a perspective that’s not so debilitating. Psychologically, that will also allow the endorphins to flow that will give you a mental uptick. That will lead to you becoming a more formidable negotiator.

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

What are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #rejection #leadership #HowToImproveYourself

Categories
Growth Human Resources Leadership Personal Development

2 Foolproof Ways to Ruin Employee Engagement and Cause Turnover

Can we agree leaders bear most of the responsibility for employee engagement and turnover? Gallup research tells us that managers are at least 70% of the reason why employees are disengaged. (Adkins, 2015)  Employees eventually leave because they are disengaged and, according to Gallup, 70% of the time the relationship between the employee and his/her manager is not optimal.  Employees expect that relationship to be optimal and when it is not it leads to disengagement.

Turnover is expensive.  Some data claims the cost can be as high as 1-1/2 to 2 times the lost employee’s salary. (Bersin, 2013)  This cost does not show up on the profit and loss statement.  Why?  It’s not measurable.  Often the most important improvement factors in an organization are immeasurable. Turnover is measurable, but the actual cost is impossible to calculate.  For example, how do you measure the loss of knowledge to the organization?  How do you measure the loss of productivity while replacing that knowledge?  How do you measure the damage to customer relationships?  Albert Einstein said it well, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” 

If we can all agree the root cause of most disengagement and turnover is a poor-quality relationship with the direct manager, what is the manager doing or not doing to cause the poor-quality relationship?  If we knew this, we could help managers take immediate action to correct it.  Let’s consider two ways managers/leaders ruin employee engagement and cause turnover.  First, they stop keeping their word.  Second, they allow high performance employees to break their word.

Just this week Andrew McCabe was fired from the FBI by Attorney General Jeff Sessions only hours before he was eligible for his pension.  The firing was justified by reports from both the Inspector General (OIG) and the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), both which reported on allegations of misconduct by Andrew McCabe.  Some argued that the firing was unnecessary and damaged the credibility of the FBI and the morale of the hard-working employees of the FBI.  Others argued that it was not only justified but it was about time and it protected the morale of the FBI staff.

Whatever your political inclinations, the main point is leaders must be impeccable with their integrity behavior if they want to protect relationships, employee engagement, and prevent turnover. Furthermore, they must always hold all staff to that same high standard. If they waiver from a high standard, trust is damaged.  If they turn a blond eye when others break the standard, trust is damaged.

Impeccable with Integrity

Buckminster Fuller once said, “Integrity is the essence of everything successful…and…If humanity does not opt for integrity we are through completely. It is absolutely touch and go. Each one of us could make the difference.” Here is where leaders must begin their development. They must behave with integrity by managing their agreements and telling the truth. There are two statements describing behavior to get us started and keep to us busy the rest of our lives.

Two Simple Statements Which Are Not Easy

The first statement is, “Make only agreements you intend to keep.”  An agreement (or promise and/or commitment) is defined as a task which is specific measurable and time sensitive and where you believe you can deliver the desired result.  This means we must think about our commitments and promises to be sure we can keep them before we say “yes.”  Otherwise, we must say “no!  I can’t do that.”  The Bible asks the question, who should you trust, the person who tells you what you want to hear and then fails to deliver?  Or, do we trust the person who tells you “no” right upfront?   The answer is obvious.  It’s the person who is willing to say no.

The second statement is, “Communicate when you can’t keep agreements to those who need to know.”  If a leader realizes their agreement might be broken, they must communicate immediately to protect their integrity.  These two statements function as a unit to protect integrity in a typically chaotic environment of any organization.

Hold All Staff Accountable to that Same High Standard

One of the most destructive actions (or lack of action) by leaders is to turn a blind eye to broken integrity because an employee is a high performer.    Just recently, Kristian Saucier, the former U.S. Navy sailor who served a year behind bars for taking photos of classified areas in a nuclear submarine, was pardoned by President Trump.  Part of the justification for this action was Hillary Clinton was shown to have mishandled classified information with her email activity during her work as Secretary of State. (Gerstein, 2016) 

This is an example of a double standard in how actions of leaders can create the perception that laws (or standards) are sometimes applied.  This has had a major impact on the credibility of the FBI.  According to a recent poll, sixty-three percent of polled voters believe that the FBI has been resisting providing information to Congress. (Penn, 2017)

Simple and Not Easy

Leaders bear most of the responsibility for employee engagement and turnover.  Their job is simple. Behave with integrity and hold others to the same standard.  This is not easy. It requires sacrifice and discipline.  Although it is not easy, if our leaders cannot be consistent and disciplined, perhaps they are not meant to be leaders.  If we are serious about employee engagement and in reducing turnover, we need high quality leaders with high quality standards.  What do we have if we don’t have integrity? How can we perform? How can we influence others? How can we possibly engage others?

Check out the interview on C-Suite Best Seller TV to learn more about how to stop leadership malpractice and replace the typical performance review: https://www.c-suitetv.com/video/best-seller-tv-wally-hauck-stop-the-leadership-malpractice/

Wally Hauck, PhD has a cure for the “deadly disease” known as the typical performance appraisal.  Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania.   Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.  Wally has a passion for helping leaders let go of the old and embrace new thinking to improve leadership skills, employee engagement, and performance.

Bibliography:

Adkins, J. H. (2015, April 5). Employees Want a Lot More From Their Managers. Retrieved from Gallup Business Journal: http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/182321/employees-lot-managers.aspx

Bersin, J. (2013, August 16). Employee Retention Now a Big Issue: Why the Tide has Turned. Retrieved from www.linkedin.com: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130816200159-131079-employee-retention-now-a-big-issue-why-the-tide-has-turned/

Gerstein, J. (2016, August 15). Citing Clinton, sailor seeks leniency in submarine photos case. Retrieved from https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar: https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2016/08/sailor-seeks-leniency-in-submarine-photos-case-by-citing-clinton-226995

Penn, M. (2017, December 15). Poll Shows Mueller, FBI Face Crisis in Public Confidence. Retrieved from www.realclearpolitics.com: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2017/12/15/poll_shows_mueller_fbi_face_crisis_in_public_confidence_429160.html

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Growth Leadership Personal Development

12 Questions Thriving Leaders Ask Their Team

Have you ever heard that you should never ask a question for which you don’t already know the answer? Maybe I read that in a John Grisham novel. While that may be true for an attorney who’s cross-examining a witness, for executive leaders, it is quite the opposite.

We often have the misconception that the leader is supposed to have all the answers. When I was a new leader, I certainly bought into that idea. I worked so hard, because I never wanted to admit to team members that I didn’t have an answer to one of their questions. I put in overtime, trying to overcompensate for my shortcomings. It may have taken me a while to get it, but I realize that the best leaders don’t have all the answers.

It’s simple. The greatest leaders ask the best questions.

Henry David Thoreau said,

“The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when someone asked me what I thought and attended to my answer.”

Demanding, commanding, or ordering will neither engage nor empower your team members. Asking for their input? Now that’s where you’ll really learn something!

Asking great questions is a powerful technique for garnering more information about a problem or situation, for seeking feedback on your performance as a leader, and for getting input and finding new opportunities to serve your customers.

Over the years, I’ve worked with leadership teams to help them to all start “rowing and growing” in the same direction. Asking questions is a big part of what I do. I liken it to when you go to a concert and the performer tosses a beach ball out into the crowd and then watches the crowd volley it back and forth. I ask a question of the team – often a tough and sometimes uncomfortable question, step out of their way, and let them volley it back and forth. Quality information, deep thoughts, and feelings are shared, problems are solved, turf wars are abandoned, and departmental silos are torn down. Simply because I asked a few carefully crafted questions.

I REPEAT: Carefully crafted questions. You only get answers to the questions you ask, so learn how to ask powerful questions!

So let’s get to it. Here I’ve compiled a list of

12 Questions Thriving Leaders Ask Their Team

  • What makes you proud to work here?
  • What do you think we should do in this situation?
  • Is there anything that I’m doing that is getting in the way of your success?
  • How do you see me as a leader?
  • What lessons have you learned through this experience?
  • What should I be doing more of? Less of?
  • What do you think you/we could have done better/differently in this situation?
  • How would you rate my communication skills and why?
  • What aspects of your job do you love most? What aspects of your job are most challenging?
  • What ideas do you have to improve our business/grow our organization?
  • What are our customers saying?
  • Are we doing anything that is no longer effective and that we should stop doing?

Adjust these questions to fit your particular situation. The one thing they all have in common is that none of these can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and, in fact, none can be answered with a one-word response. That is by design. By crafting and asking open-ended questions, you will prompt more information and gain greater insight from your team member.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the most important facet of asking great questions. I say this with deepest affection, but please, for the love of God, Shut up and listen to their responses! This can be the trickiest part. Even though I am a big talker, I finally learned there’s a time to talk and a time to zip my lip. I encourage you to do the same. (Too bad I didn’t learn that until after I was out of school!) But, it’s a skill worth practicing.

Make room for silence. Sometimes your colleagues are quiet because they are taking time to formulate their answer(s). Sometimes your team members are quiet because they’re hoping you’ll jump in and save them from having to answer. Don’t do it. Let there be silence and patiently wait for the other person to answer.

Voltaire says,

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”

Dare I presume to paraphrase Voltaire? I dare. I say,

“Judge a leader by her questions rather than by her answers.”

Dare to ask questions for which you don’t already know the answers. Develop your ability to craft questions that will extract information, input, and insight. It is a power-full tool to have in your toolbox.

YOUR TURN:

  • What is one question you are asking your team each day?
  • What are your best techniques for engaging team members?