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Month: June 2019

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Best Practices Growth Personal Development Women In Business

The National Entrepreneur Center Supports Businesswomen

Our last presidential election, the #MeToo movement, equal-pay movements, and the surge in women-owned businesses all prove that things are finally changing. And this change is great for everyone—socially, politically, environmentally, and economically. There are zero downsides! Bonnie was ecstatic to be the Keynote Speaker and workshop leader at the 2019 Women’s Business Conference in Orlando, hosted by the National Entrepreneur Center. Close to 200 businesswomen attended.

Bonnie’s workshop focused on three crucial business relationships—your vendors, employees, and customers—but her Keynote served as an important message to any business selling goods and services. Today, women make over 80% of purchasing decisions! How did that happen? A long time ago, men resigned their purchasing power to women with the simple question, “What’s for dinner, honey?” But to answer that seemingly simple question, this is what a woman had to do:

  • Create a menu for every meal
  • Translate this menu to a grocery list
  • Take money and drive to the store
  • Make brand decisions
  • Fill up bags of groceries, leaving enough time to spare to prepare tonight’s dinner
  • Drive home and put away the groceries
  • Cook that night’s dinner
  • Serve dinner to her family

Did you notice the part about taking money and making brand decisions?

In her speech, Bonnie went on to discuss how women are in a position to encourage companies to address their concerns about health and the environment simply by choosing and avoiding certain brands. This is the real “power of the purse.”

A woman’s networking and multitasking skills are ideal tools to master these 3 essential business relationships:

1. Vendors

Whether your vendors are supplying you with funds, goods, or services, they’ll be much more likely to extend your terms and credit once you show empathy for them. They pay their own bills with your funds. Instead of waiting until it’s too late, give them a remediation plan ahead of time if you know you won’t be able to make a payment. Don’t put them in a risky position. Share your challenges and growth plan with your vendor—show them how they’ll be a part of it and benefit as a result. Make sure they know you are committed to helping them grow. Vendors have a ton of information about the market, your competition, and trends. Don’t make them wait when they pay you a visit. Invite them inside for some coffee and pie!

2. Employees

Your people aren’t just working for a paycheck. They’re invested in their skills, their career, and being recognized and validated in order to improve. They want a career that will give them time off to be with loved ones, as well as health insurance, retirement, and general job security. Make it known that you have their best interests at heart. That way you’ll be as profitable and productive as possible while reducing turnover—the number one hidden cost of businesses in any industry.

Instead of putting them on a need-to-know basis, put them on a know-the-need basis! By sharing your opportunities, goals, and challenges with all of your people, you show your respect for their loyalty, intelligence, and financial interest in your company.

When groundbreaking ideas come from your employees, make it a point to publicly acknowledge them. Explain the problem and how their ideas solved it. This will encourage them to keep working hard, earn their teammates’ respect, and show the rest of your people that their good work will also be recognized. After all, your staff knows your company better than anybody else.

3. Customers

When we say “customer” we don’t necessarily mean your end-user. You might have to get through many groups of “customers” to get to the end-user. Who are the “buyers” that lie between you and your final customer? And what do they want? Imagine yourself in their shoes.

Try not to assume that every customer is engrossed with benefits and features or even your prices. For example, we had sold to distributors who were more concerned with the strategic advantage they would have with their retail buyers by carrying our product over our competitor’s. Their managers were worried about their quotas. Their sales reps’ top priorities were their incentive programs. The retailers were more worried about tried-and-true sales and the seasonal marketing materials we provided. And the retailers’ clerks were more concerned about being recognized for reordering our products—or not!

Did you notice that none of them were worried about quality, price, design, or even the product itself?

You need constant feedback in order to keep your goods and services relevant. Your customer has the power to give you only two things—money and feedback. Understand that feedback enters your business through your sales reps and customer service team. Establish formal lines of communication between these two groups, and your marketing and production people. This will ensure you’ll stay relevant.

Bonnie was enthusiastic to share the lessons she’s learned on the road to building a national brand, to meet those women who also make a difference, and to celebrate every woman’s power of the purse!

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

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Industries Personal Development Technology

Dematerialization—A Pathway for Innovation

The ability to make products and features smaller is called dematerialization. Dematerialization is a key strategy for innovation and improving what we utilize in business and society.

Technology is ever-changing and constantly improving. The ability to reduce the amount of material it takes to build the physical things that accomplish digital tasks is revolutionary and, likewise, growing as fast as the industries they serve a purpose in.

A Perfect Dematerialization Example

Wearable technology—which in recent years has increased in speed and memory while becoming one of the smallest computer devices in our lives—is a perfect example of how quickly dematerialization has improved modern technology. Smart watches, among other wearable digital devices, are the current example of how computers have shrunk and ultimately become more integrated into our lives because of how easily they can be worn and ignored until needed. They are lighter, more portable, more economical (in terms of the materials it takes to produce them), and softer in environmental impact.

Prior to the abundance of wearable technology, tablets and smartphones slowly put laptops and desktop computers to shame, as even the most portable laptops used to be several inches thick and weigh six or seven pounds. The market for a smaller, streamlined personal computing device brought us the iPad and the Microsoft Surface; however, today, wearable devices use a fraction of the material and accomplish far more than their ancestors—and cost far less. Plus, your main personal computer—the computer you use the most—had become your smartphone, which was something portable, multipurpose, and a device that supplied you with far more beneficial features than any computer you have used in the past.

Transformation

 A different example associated with wearable technology and smart devices is the progression of recorded music. Decades ago, record players and in-home audio systems were the only means to listen to recorded music. Eventually, car radios came along, where you could hear music while you travel. Soon after, the emergence of cassette tapes and compact discs brought the creation of portable CD and tape players, and the early ‘90s saw the dematerialization of bulky sound systems down to mini-boomboxes to bring outside while you played basketball.

Steve Jobs and the iPod yet again revolutionized and dematerialized recorded music players by allowing you to have thousands of songs in your pocket, though even those were clunky when they emerged. As streaming services displaced CD sales, smartphones and wireless headphones yet again made listening to music at the gym or on a bicycle ride even simpler, though you’d often have to strap the smartphone to your bicep. Finally, wearable technology now allows the same streaming technology paired with wireless headphones, making listening to music anywhere while doing nearly anything completely possible.

Whatever your company has, you can make it smaller—that is, if you want to. On the other hand, we don’t necessarily want to make everything smaller, and dematerialization doesn’t necessarily mean miniaturization. For example, we have the capacity to make our cars much, much smaller, but we may not necessarily want that for all models. Smart cars and some fully electric vehicles can benefit; however, a Ford F250 becoming the size of a Chevy Volt will take away from the hauling capabilities.

So how do you make something lighter without shrinking it completely? Dematerialize components of it, as seen in the newer models of Ford’s GT500. Its components have been dematerialized and are now lighter, making it faster than the Dodge Demon in a quarter mile, while not needing as heavy of an engine. Same size car, faster than ever before.

Ask yourself, “What would we want to make smaller? What would add value by making it smaller?” Take a look at just about everything you have related to your products and your services, and always consider the pros and cons of what you can dematerialize.

Learn about the Eight Hard Trend Pathways to Innovation and how you can identify and develop game-changing opportunities in my latest book The Anticipatory Organization.

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Dirty and Cruel Negotiator Tricks That Will Blow Your Mind

“Magic tricks can be mind-blowing – until the other negotiator blows your mind by making your favorable outcomes disappear.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Have you been in a negotiation that you thought was over – only to discover that it wasn’t – there was one little thing that needed addressing? It might have been, someone wouldn’t sign off on the deal. Or, maybe it was, ‘the last one was just sold.’ Your reopened negotiation might have taken on any variation of the last two excuses. More than likely, the excuses were contrived, already baked into the negotiation plans of the other negotiator. If you let such tricks bother you, they can blow your mind.

The following is how some negotiators use such tricks and how you can protect yourself against them.

The Cheat: Someone that’s dishonest or someone that uses the deal, no deal strategy

Challenge – Some negotiators are downright scoundrels. Their main strategy is figuring out how they can cheat you. They’ll use such tricks as concluding a deal, waiting until the covenants of the agreement are due, and then back out or request slight concessions. You can sue them for not abiding by the agreement but that means you’ll waste more time dealing with them.

Response – This person can be extremely difficult to deal with – if possible don’t deal with him. As in any negotiation, you should have background information about the other negotiator. Part of that due diligence should be uncovering his negotiation style based on his past negotiations. If he’s used cheating tactics in the past, they should be easy to uncover.

If avoiding him is not possible, observe how he responds throughout the negotiation. Such individuals may be very accommodating when engaging you – they’re setting you up for the cheat to come. Use time as your ally – stretch the negotiation out. At intervals, have deliverables that he must meet before the negotiation can occur. If he welshes at any interval, let that serve as consideration to abandon the negotiation. To better insulate yourself, front-load his deliverables to guard against you investing unnecessary time in the negotiation.

Moving Target:  That’s not what I/you said.

Challenge – The negotiator that employs this tactic can use it in different forms. She can play the confused person, “I don’t know what I was thinking – that’s not what I meant.” Or, she can attempt to paint you as the bumbling idiot – “how in the world could you have inferred that? I would never make such an offer.”

Response – When she uses either form of this tactic, stop her – explore how the point of miscommunication occurred. Then, note to what degree, if at all, it occurs again. If it does, ask her if she’s intentionally miscommunicating with you. If she becomes flustered, so be it. Get the tactic out and in the open. You’ll disarm her use of it by doing so.

Time Delayers: I’m sorry. I’m not ready to continue. Can we postpone until next week/month?

Challenge – Every good negotiator knows, the more time you put into a negotiation, the more energy you’ll spend in seeing it to its conclusion. Therein lies the trap. Because, the more time you spend, the more likely you are to make concessions.

Response – Note the reasoning behind the request to delay the negotiation – seek its validity. You might consider raising the question about your negotiation counterpart seeking other offers, etc. Observe how he responds. The point is, test his request for an extension to assess its validity and to prepare for what may lie ahead. Don’t get sucked into the black hole vortex of time. You may regret it if you do.

Conclusion: Protect yourself.

The above strategies are acceptable forms of negotiating in some environments. Thus, what might be a dirty cruel trick in one arena might be thought of as a normal way of doing business in another. Therefore, be aware of the customary negotiation practices of the environment you’re in. Doing so will allow you to heighten your sense of awareness per that environment … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

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 “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Tricks #Blow #Mind #Negotiate #Process #Power #Powerful #Emotion #Business #Progress #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions

Categories
Culture Growth Health and Wellness Leadership

Four Layer Dressing for Outdoor Business Retreats

If you are like most people, packing for any business trip can be daunting. Now throw in packing for a business retreat where you will be enjoying the great outdoors along with business meetings, and you may find yourself staring like a deer in the headlights at your closet.

The dress code for most business retreats is business casual, and we all know business casual seems to be defined differently across business sectors, generations, and geographical locations. The important thing to remember is that you are still doing business even in a casual environment. That being said, there are some retreats where the outdoor activities truly call for casual attire, especially if you will be partaking in activities such as hiking, fishing, water sports, and hunting. You also may encounter extremes in temperature within the same day.

For those instances where casual attire is most appropriate, here are some tips for packing. The main rule is always DRESS IN LAYERS. This allows you the flexibility to remove and add clothing as needed for your environment.

Layer 1 | Base Layer

The base layer is next to your skin. The goal of this layer is to either keep moisture from your skin or keep heat in, consider function first. Do you need the clothing to keep moisture off your skin? If yes, then choose a moisture-wicking fabric and something light in weight, and you may want to keep the sleeve length short or sleeveless. If you will be in the sun, opt for a UPF-rated base layer for sun protection.

Do you need the base layer to keep you warm in cooler weather? If yes, a long-sleeve performance knit keeps body heat in. Performance knits range from lightweight to heavier weight. Choosing the right item depends on your environment.

Clothing ideas

  • TOPS: T-shirt – short or long-sleeved, sleeveless top, shell top, or tank top.
  • BOTTOMS: long base layer pants or shorts to wear under regular pants.
     

Layer 2 | Middle Layer

Typically, the goal of the middle layer is to provide insulation, especially in cooler climates. If the environment is warmer, then this may be the only outer layer you need.

Clothing ideas

  • TOPS: cardigan, vest, sweater, pullover. In some instances, you could do a very casual blazer. Also, you can wear a long-sleeve button casual shirt (can be unbuttoned over a T-shirt). Avoid nice dress shirts.
  • BOTTOMS:
  1. Jeans – Even though you may be hiking or getting intimate with the Earth, you still should avoid any jeans with holes in them.
  2. Canvas Pants – These are typically durable pants that can withstand rigorous activity.
  3. Zip-off Pants – These are great because you can simply zip off the bottom part to turn them into shorts.

Avoid wearing dresses, skirts (unless a sporty skirt made for outdoor activities), business suits, and nice dress pants.

Layer 3 | Outer Layer

The outer layer protects against the elements. As stated previously, there are times when the middle layer is sufficient.

Clothing ideas

In those instances where another layer is needed to add protection against wetness, wind, or cold weather, choose an appropriate item such as a trench coat, raincoat, winter coat, or rain pants.

Layer 4 | Accessories

The final accessories layer adds finishing details and completes your outfit. This layer includes hats, sunglasses, scarves, shawls, jewelry, belts, handbags, socks, and footwear.

For jewelry, it is best to keep it minimal, and you may want to leave your fine jewelry at home. Opt for a watch that is water resistant or an athletic type watch. Avoid any chunky necklaces or earrings.

Footwear can be a challenge. Be sure to avoid dress shoes, high heels, or any shoes with a slippery sole. You want shoes that are comfortable and can give you traction on a hike or other outdoor activities. Athletic shoes or hiking shoes work well, and there are a variety of other shoes made for the outdoors.

Fabrics and Brands

Selecting the right fabric for the day is also important. You want fabrics that move with you and are comfortable. Choose performance knits, cottons, merino wool, synthetics, nylon, down, mesh, moisture wicking, and linen.

There are a variety of outdoor clothing brands that provide many options. Some brands to check out are: True North, The North Face, Orvis, Kuhl, Duluth Trading Co., Columbia, Arc’teryx, Cabela’s, Patagonia, Polartec, REI, SmartWool, Cotopaxi, Eddie Bauer, Filson, Lole, and Marmot.

Following the four layers of dressing will ensure you are ready for whatever the day brings.

I help executives create a powerful image and brand so they look and feel confident wherever they are. Contact me at sheila@imagepowerplay.com to schedule a 20-minute call to discuss how we can work together to grow your visibility through my return on image® services. Visit Image Power Play to learn more. 

Categories
Best Practices Growth Personal Development

How You Talk May Matter More Than You Know

Most people don’t write the way they speak. However, if you develop the habit of speaking in an overly-casual or thoughtless way, that habit has a tendency to creep into your writing.

In contrast, if your speaking is clear and lucid, those habits of precision will influence how you write. Corporate employees put great weight on what you write. They may dissect every word. Errors in your writing can change the entire meaning of your communication and destroy your credibility.

The simple formula here is: Improve your speaking, and you will improve your writing.

And this isn’t the only reason to learn how to speak well.

People Are Listening to/Reading What You Say

In the privacy of your home or at dinner with close friends, it doesn’t usually matter whether you use clichés or are grammatically incorrect. However, if you’re talking with a colleague or participating in any public speaking opportunity, it does.

There are more grammarians out there in the world than you may think. They are listening to what you say. While the advantage of speaking is that spelling and punctuation don’t count, correct grammar does.

What to Avoid

Filler words.  These include, “Kind of,” “Like,” “Totally,” and many, many more.

Turn the tables around. If you were listening to a speaker trying to sell you on the benefits of the services he was marketing, and he said, “You will like totally love this service,” would you be interested or looking for the exit?

Or this: “It’s kind of one of the real selling points of this service.” Do you see how “kind of” weakens what’s meant to be a strong statement?

Odds are that most people are at least somewhat careful about this kind of excess in a speech that’s partially or entirely written out. Podcasts and other kinds of interviews are more dangerous because they have an informal flavor.

I have listened to podcasts where if I had gotten one dollar for every “kind of,” “totally,” “just, “maybe,” etc., I could have retired.

Sentences that never end. I mean sentences of easily one hundred words. These are bad enough in written form. When someone speaks them, the poor listener will have long since forgotten what the original point was.

Incomplete sentences. This is actually a subcategory of the endless sentence. As the listener forgot what the speaker was talking about, so, too, did the speaker, who changed subjects in the middle and roared off on a new tangent. Neither the first nor the second subject terminated in a nicely formed conclusion.

Clichés. In the paragraph above, I originally used the phrase, “switched horses midstream.” I like that phrase, but I couldn’t write about clichés after using one. When I replaced it, I remembered why they’re so popular. They’re lazy substitutes for accurate description.

Words serve many purposes. One of these is that they are tools. You wouldn’t change a tire with a sledgehammer. You don’t give or write a persuasive statement about something in which you believe by loading down your prose with awkward, unnecessary words.

Need help editing your articles, papers, or a book? Pat Iyer is a C Suite Advisor (one of the original 100) and a ghostwriter and editor. Contact her at http://patiyer.com/contact

Categories
Best Practices Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Caution: Conflation Can Expose Crazy Dreaded Consternation

“Caution – conflation can cause consternation when the wrong thoughts control you.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert  

Was she confused? She didn’t know if she was conflating dissimilar occurrences or becoming consumed by #caution. #Conflation can do that she thought – cause your mind to accept dissimilar occurrences as being similar – even when logic dictates otherwise. She realized her perceived dilemma was leading to #consternation. And that was something that she didn’t want to deal with.

The Situation:

She posted her article in the usual manner. But it didn’t populate automatically as it usually did. Then, a message that should have gone to her special list didn’t occur – now what, she wondered. Those processes are on different platforms – that can’t be related, or can it? She felt a sense of foreboding wailing inside of her as she questioned herself as to whether she was conflating two situations that were independent of one another.

The Problem:

Sometimes we conflate dissimilar events and situations and begin to see them as one combined occurrence. You’ve more than likely heard that “things come in threes” – and that’s usually associated with negativity. So, why do we do it? Why do we subject ourselves to crazy thoughts that causes dread – that cause us consternation? In part, that’s due to what we’re focusing on and what we expect to see.

Consider this – if we weren’t looking for the “things come in threes” scenario, we wouldn’t spot the second iteration of the first thing in that occurrence. Thus, the third occurrence would never have life. We can really drive ourselves crazy assembling disjointed occurrences into a seemingly logical progression – especially when logic screams at us about their mismatch. You and I need to be cautious as soon as we start down that path – it can lead to crazy dreaded consternation.

The Solution:

First, when you’re thinking with a mindset that defies logic, think about the way you’re thinking. Continuing along your current path of reasoning can make things get worse before they become even worse. Stop your crazy thinking before it stops you. To do that, note:

  1. Conflation isn’t bad. Your appeal can be summoned by a combination of good and bad thoughts that appear to be dissimilar. That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s harm in them. Both negative and positive conflation can be a plus. To assess when it is, note how it serves your goals. If it does, consider progressing your thoughts along the lines that you’re engaged in. If they’re not serving you, stop!

 

  1. Recognize the ‘headspace’ you’re in. Since your environment influences your thoughts, and impact your actions, take into consideration the environments you’re in – do so while considering the ones that you’ve been in recently. We’ve all heard about misplaced aggression due to situational occurrences that happened in another environment. To that end, even consider thoughts that aren’t prominent in your mind – silent thoughts can be like a vanishing ghost that wreaks havoc and then disappears back into nothingness.

 

  1. Question if you’re on a slippery slope. One line of thinking will naturally extend to the next thread in the string – if you fail to monitor it. When you sense you’re being filled with despair, question what scenarios you’re conflating. Ask yourself if they really belong in the same thread. To assess that possibility, listen to logic – it can be a strong arbiter for why you should adopt one belief over another.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

You may become consumed by crazy thoughts in a negotiation. Those thoughts may cause you consternation. Unless checked, you may find yourself mired by despair – wondering how you got there and how you’ll free yourself. During such times, you run the risk of being illogical, which will cause your negotiation abilities to wane. To prevent that from occurring, be mindful of your emotions. Understand what’s motivating you to think the way you’re thinking. And realize, if you’re not thinking right, the right things won’t occur.

The point is, you must isolate yourself from conflation when it doesn’t serve you and embrace it when it does. To know the difference, you must know what’s driving your thoughts and recognize where those thoughts are taking you. Then, and only then, will you have control over your thinking … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

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 “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Negotiate #Process #Power #Powerful #Emotion #Business #Progress #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions

Categories
Entrepreneurship Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Operations Sales Skills Women In Business

Influence: How to Surprisingly Win More in a Negotiation

 

“To win more negotiations, use the power of influence.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

During a negotiation, you, and the other negotiator attempt to influence each other. Thus, you should always place a high value on using influencing strategies. You can increase the value of your negotiation outcomes by using the influence techniques that follow.

Psychologists have identified six forms of power that you can use as sources of influence in your negotiations. They are:

1. Coercive power

(threats & punishment) – With this form of power, you can force the other negotiator into a position of acceptance. But you should be mindful that you’ll more than likely not make a friend of him. Plus, by using threats and punishment as incentives for acquiescence you may become perceived as a bully – this may heighten your opponents need to seek pay-back. If that’s not a concern, recognize when this source of power is a viable influence tool. Just be aware of its blowback danger and how you use it.

2. Reward power

(ability to offer incentives) – Reward power can be very temporary. Its value will decline as the perception of the reward devalues. When using rewards as a source of influence, do so from two perspectives.

  1. Positive – “This is what you’ll get, something pleasant if you give me what I want.”
  2. Negative – “This is what you’ll lose if you forego my offer.”

3. Legitimate power

(influence based on your position or title) – The challenge with legitimate power is, one must accept it before it has authority. Therefore, if you have a position or title that’s not perceived as being valid, you’ll have little influence when attempting to use it in a negotiation. When using this source of power for influence, be sure to cast it in the light of perceived validity before the negotiation. That will enhance the respect and appeal of this power.

4. Referent power

(influence based on your likability or admiration) – People that possess an affable personality tend to become better received by others. While reverent power has its place on the influence scale, some negotiators will dislike you for possessing this attribute. To have this influencer serve you better, balance it based on what’s occurring in the negotiation. When it suits your position, be reverent. When it doesn’t, discard it.

5. Expert power

(influence based on your knowledge and skills) – The perception of expert power can be fleeting – because it’s situational. It lasts for the time that your knowledge is needed. In a negotiation, if a seller or buyer can acquire what she seeks from another provider, your power erodes. When using expert power, be strategic. Use it sparingly in situations that are warranted.

6. Informational power

(not tied to your competence) – This can be power derived from ideas, opinions, access to thought-leaders, and influential people you meet and have access to. This form of influence is most powerful when the other party wants access to the information you possess. Its power becomes enhanced when you’re the only source that can grant access to what’s sought.

As in any negotiation, the manner of influence you use should be determined by the personality type that you’re negotiating against. Thus, to be more influential, you must know what will motivate that individual. One way to determine that is to evaluate whether the person is a giver or taker – the giver seeks power for the sake of helping others – the taker does so for the benefit of himself.

Once you have that knowledge in hand, you’ll have the key to which combination of influence to use. That will lead to more winning negotiation outcomes … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

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 “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Influence #Negotiate #Process #Power #Powerful #Emotion #Business #Progress #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions

 

Categories
Best Practices Culture Entrepreneurship Industries Management Skills

Learning to Master the Art of Your Career

It doesn’t matter what you do for a living — whether you work in medicine or retail, law or construction, software engineering or writing — there’s an art and science to every career. Each profession has its scientific aspects, those more mechanical facets, rules, and methods you must know to succeed. Yet no matter how dry, straightforward, or technical, these professions also have creative qualities that foster critical thinking.

This dichotomy is the reason no two professionals within the same industry are identical. These people may work within their careers for the same amount of time, possibly went to similar schools, or perhaps have the same position at the same company. However, they differentiate themselves in the ways they apply creativity and critical thinking to their jobs.

This idea impacts our personal lives as well. Consider medical professionals with the same specialty. If all dentists were the same by virtue of having identical skill sets and nothing more, you would have no preference for whom you go to for a root canal. But this isn’t the case; you prefer your dentist over one you have never been to due to their individual touch.

A real-world example occurred with one of my brothers, as some years back he struggled with pain in his legs. He visited three different orthopedic surgeons, all with identical skill sets and backgrounds. The doctors examined my brother. One suggested invasive surgery and the second proposed a more exploratory surgery. Both of these were unfavorable options. It wasn’t until we saw the third orthopedic surgeon that creative critical thinking took place. The doctor took one look at him and asked if he always wore his leather belt around his hips in the same place. When my brother answered in the affirmative, the doctor recommended he switch belts, replacing his leather one with a softer, more elastic material. With this change, his ailments were cured within a week.

All three doctors had the same impressive credentials and experience in the science behind their specialties; however, the third doctor utilized creative critical thinking to problem-solve.

Whether you’re training or in any level of schooling for a career, the “science” of that field is where the education lies. You’re receiving a hard, factual, standardized education, based on data and a proven methodology. Likewise, whether it’s accounting or food service, you’re also being schooled in the best practices of your industry.

Even in the creative fields, you still learn both the science and the art of your craft in order to find professional success in it. Writers must learn grammatical and syntactical convention, but they also have to learn how to write something everyone must read. Musicians need to learn scales, notation, and instrumental technique, but they also need to learn how to touch the hearts and souls of listeners to achieve musical greatness.

So where does the “art” come into these fields?

Artistic aspects of a career are picked up by professionals through years of experience and another, more flexible, less standardized type of “education,” one of induction. The first method of becoming more creative within your career through personal and professional experience is somewhat obvious — the longer you do something, you’ll become better at problem-solving and thinking “outside the box.”

The second method, the nonstandard educational method of developing intuitive insights coupled with creativity, involves gleaning the best-kept secrets and most well-honed, time-honored methods, the knowledge and wisdom of your profession from other professionals. These should be people who’ve already distinguished themselves through their own creativity. You might seek these people out, like a musician choosing to take lessons from one of his favorite players, or an entrepreneur asking the advice of someone who’s already established herself as a success in business. You might also stumble into these people during the course of your life, like having a captivating, inspirational professor or being trained by a capable manager who knows the secrets to making your job fun and interesting.

You can learn the science of your job from books, manuals, and classroom lessons and know that you will be good at what you do — but you need to learn the art from the artists of your field to become exceptional. This knowledge and wisdom transfer is key not only to success but to a rewarding career as well. Not only does it provide professionals an essential balance of skills, but it’s also what keeps industries thriving and innovative. It’s what pushes us to compete with others by bettering ourselves and, in doing so, to push our very professions forward.

Pick up a copy of my latest best selling book The Anticipatory Organization to help shape your future and accelerate your success.

Categories
Personal Development Sales Women In Business

Women Make More Than 80% of Buying Decisions!

When her husband or partner asks, “What’s for dinner, honey?” he’s actually telling her to plan this week’s meals, make a shopping list, buy this week’s food, make each buying decision and charge it to their card, come home and put everything away, prepare tonight’s dinner, and serve him a meal.

Yes, we said, “make each buying decision”. According to Forbes, women made 80% of the buying decisions back in 2015. And it’s even higher today. In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month, and these facts are becoming more and more relevant.

Historically Honoring Women

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter acknowledged March 2-8 as National Women’s History Week. But by the end of 1987, Congress announced that March would permanently be National Women’s History Month.

Female Power

We recently witnessed an incredibly historic election, where more women than ever in our country’s history were elected. The Speaker of the House and both senators in our state of California are women. Statistically, women vote more frequently than men, and they’re making more and more decisions on their own. What does this all mean?

For one thing—it’s democracy in action, plain and simple. We also think it bodes well for the US. We are overdue to embrace many skills women have excelled in. Whether these skills are hereditary, or whether they come from culture, environment, or education, they are sorely needed.

A Woman’s Advantage

Where men seem to complete tasks and thoughts linearly, women seem to excel at multitasking. Mothers are often the ones to juggle finances in order to meet their family’s budgets. A woman’s so-called “nesting instinct” may make her more likely to hone in on security, avoiding conflict, and discovering common ground. Women are also more likely to choose to work in a team-based environment, rather than trying to do it alone. Sounds like something we need right now, doesn’t it?

Our Own Experience

Barefoot Wine was aimed at a 35-year-old mom with two children, making her way through the grocery store, looking for a reliable wine that fit her budget.

Our business was mostly run by women. Two of our four Board of Directors members were women. Our VP was a woman, and she had total veto power. Our Marketing Director, Winemaker, Traffic Manager, Accountant, Office Manager—all women. And we had one of the first female Sales Managers in the industry. Plus, Bonnie, our Co-founder, has her own footprint on the label of what is now known as the biggest wine brand of all time!

Simply Put—It’s Good Business

Women have a multiplier effect. Rarely do they ever buy just for themselves—they buy for their partner or entire family. Any business should understand that if the market were gendered, it would be female. This is truly the power of the purse!

Women demonstrate their concern about the environment. Nielsen released a report that shows how today’s consumer prefers products that advertise sustainability, and we now know that 80% of these consumers/purchasers are female. Mothers want to give their kids a thriving environment in which they can enjoy their future. They do this by voting with each purchase.

We are eternally thankful for women’s contributions over the years, and especially now as they confidently and firmly take our economy and government by the reins. We are excited to see their natural cooperation and preservation tendencies play themselves out, both in politics and in business. We continue to encourage young women to start a business of their own and speak out for what they believe in.

Women: The world is ready to invest in your products and to listen to what you have to say!

You continually make a positive difference, and everybody benefits from your contributions. Women of the United States—Thank you!

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

Categories
Best Practices Growth Leadership Personal Development

Keep It Simple: Lessons from D-Day

6 June 1944, 132,000 men storm ashore in the most massive amphibious assault in history. They are the spearhead to one of the largest, most complex, and crucial Allied operation of World War II.

Months of intelligence, planning, preparing, and even diversionary operations all came to a head in one grand event. Despite all this, General Montgomery, the ground commander for all Anglo-American forces under General Eisenhower, collected his battle plans for the invasion on a single piece of paper.
His note at the end was “Simplicity“.

It’s an old rule for military operations; no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. The same can be said for many of our business plans, objectives, and goals. No business plan survives first contact with the customer, supplier, or other stakeholders.

For business, many of us are enamored with creating the most complex, comprehensive, and all-inclusive plan that covers as many contingencies as possible. However, the fact of the matter is that, no matter how hard we try, the contingencies will always get the better of us. Because the more complicated we make things, the more rigid they become, and the more difficult they are to change when it is most necessary – when things go wrong.

Everyday operations are one thing, but in business today, we are continually looking at more complex, dynamic, and competitive environments. Moreover, the more we try to adapt, change, and invoke order and design upon them the more we see ourselves being forced into one corner or another because the rigidity of our plans will not allow for on-the-spot improvisation, adaptability, and ease of realignment.

General Montgomery knew this as he was preparing his men to invade Fortress Europe. Also, he knew what was in his control once the wheels started turning, and once the battle plan was put to action that this was precious little. Once his men were on the boats, on their way across the English Channel, his influence was restrained, and he could do little to make any necessary changes.

His commanders on the ground accomplished these necessary adjustments, and these commander’s objectives, in turn, were achieved by their subordinates. Every man involved knew the plan and their goals. So each was empowered to make the necessary decisions to accomplish their objectives and missions.
This simplicity and trust serve as the penultimate example for us to follow as leaders in each of our realms, in the military, business, or entrepreneurship.

Our lanes and responsibilities are vast, especially as we move higher up in our relative hierarchies. However, we have to recognize that as our responsibilities widen, our ability to directly influence events and outcomes narrows. We cannot have our hands in everything. We do not have the luxury to dictate how everything will go in dynamic and changing environments. We have to have the ability to step back, lay the groundwork, provide the key frameworks to work within, and then allow our people to move forward with the support, training, and guidance that we provide them.

It can be said that very few things went off without a hitch on that fateful day in 1944. However, the preparedness and success of the men involved was not a matter of their superior officers holding their hands and guiding them through the operation step-by-step. It was a matter of being given the most robust possible guidance, training, equipment, and then letting them do their jobs, frequently adapting and improvising as necessary.

Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum.