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Month: February 2020

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Growth Leadership Personal Development

Preventing Burnout in Leadership Roles

In my Executive Coaching practice, I am seeing a pattern of burnout across all industries I work with – Oil and Gas, Construction, Retail, Health Care and Entrepreneurs of all types. I started seeing the same trend a few years ago in my corporate role as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources.

My observation is that the people who are most at risk are the highly committed.  Exactly the people organizations can’t afford to lose.

As I was in a recent coaching conversation with a CEO client of mine, he showed me his calendar for the upcoming week.  From my perspective, he was incredibly overbooked.  No time for thinking, no time for flexibility in his schedule, little time for himself.  When we were talking, I asked him what the most important responsibilities he had in his role.  His answer was business development, client work, staff development, and business management (budget, process improvement, etc.)  When we looked back at the calendar, it was clear it lacked balance.  So, my client resolved to make sure his calendar had the appropriate balance of those four key responsibilities going forward.

The next thing that occurred to me to ask my client was “what feeds your soul?”  He paused for about a minute.  His response was, “I’ve worked with coaches before, and no one has ever asked me that.”  We then had a great conversation about the activities that fed this man’s soul.  Because planning and being organized was so important to this client (he likes his calendar), his idea was to put a “soul-feeding” activity on his calendar every week.

Now, in our coaching conversations, one of the things we do is look at last week’s calendar and talk about balance and feeding his soul activities, and their impact on his well-being and business.

These were such break-through conversations that I asked the same question to a doctor I am working with who is also experiencing burnout.  Again, we had a great conversation about feeding her soul as a strategy for mitigating burnout and creating more fulfillment in her life.

So, I have three questions for my readers:

  1. What feeds your soul?
  2. How can you do more of those things to create more fulfillment in your life?
  3. What impact will it have on your career, your well-being, your important relationships?

Best wishes for success and fulfillment.

Mark Hinderliter, Ph.D. is an Executive Coach who works with C-Suite Executives and their leadership teams.  He is the host of the podcast “Real Business in Real Time” – conversations with business leaders about their greatest lessons along the way.

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Investing Management Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“How To Expose Hidden Secrets By Reading Body Language” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“Secrets can harm you. To uncover them, learn to read body language.” – Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

“How To Expose Hidden Secrets By Reading Body Language”

 

To interpret someone’s body gestures accurately, you must understand the meaning of their movements and verbal utterances. And that’s how you expose their hidden secrets. Because reading body language is like peeping into someone’s mind, it’s a skill that enhances your negotiation efforts too. To interpret someone’s body language accurately, you should observe the following.

 

Using Power Words

You can’t make me. Oh, yes, I can. No, you can’t. You might remember hearing such words when you were a kid. During such times, when kids spoke those words, they were spurred to adopt one position versus another. And even though you’re not a kid any longer, you can still use words to motivate someone to expose themselves. But wait, you may be thinking – this is about reading body language. And you’re right, it is. You can use words, coupled with your body language gestures, to create emotional movement and displays in others. And that’s how you can unlock their hidden secrets.

Power words (e.g., I will, I’m sure, that’s right) make you appear more assured of your position, compared to assertions that project a less compelling image (e.g., maybe, I think, possibly). When you use powerful words, coupled with a decisive body language gesture and verbal signaling (i.e., leaning forward, speaking more forcibly and at a quickened pace), you promote a defiant image that signals, don’t be trivial with me – I’m on to you. That persona enhances the thought that you may know more than your target suspects. If you intentionally choose to be less challenging and decided to use less forceful words, you’d adopt a softer body language posture to affect your façade, one that was less in-your-face.

Click here to watch a brief video about Power Words.

Body Language

Inducing Fear

Think of a growling dog for a moment. Did you imagine saliva oozing out of its mouth? If you’ve ever had a bad experience with a dog that frightened you, you probably had a flashback to that experience a moment ago. How did you feel then and how do you feel right now? Did your heart rate increase then? Is it elevated right now, just thinking about the situation?

Fear shows itself through widened eyes, quick breathing, elevated perspiration. If an attempt to mask it occurs, it may also show through a change in speech pace, and more touching of one’s self. Those actions are an unconscious attempt to relieve the stress that one is experiencing.

You can induce the fear factor into a discussion by injecting an unpleasant memory into the mind of your target, and implying that you know they’re not truthful with you. To enhance your efforts, use assumptive questions (questions that suggest you know more than you’re letting on – e.g., you know I know you’re not telling me the real story – don’t you?) Lean forward as you make your pronouncement. And watch the demeanor the person adopts. Note if they appear frightened per the signs mentioned (e.g., widening of the eyes, mouth agape, clutching themselves for protection or comfort) to indicate that.

Stance/Demeanor

I’ve already mentioned a few ways you can solicit information to unlock secrets based on the posture you adopt (i.e., leaning forward, back, coupled with using the appropriate words to suit the persona you wish to project, etc.). The following are additional ways to propel your image and to unlock someone’s secrets.

Strong Image – Hands on your hips, a snarl on your face, coupled with words that are sharp, short, and poignant – This image conveys a no-nonsense stance. And it can be used when attempting to enhance the intimidation factor in someone.

 

Subdued Image – Hands spread apart, palms turned upward, a smile on your face – This persona signifies that you’re open to listening to the other person’s side of a story. Adopt this demeanor when you’ve gained the cooperation of the other party. Do it to display that you’re not out to harm him as the result of him telling you his secret.

 

Be Reflective – People unconsciously adhere to the wishes of others when they perceive their actions stemming from others that they’ve emitted. Thus, to control someone’s thought process better, mimic their movements and words to convey that the two of you are alike. Subliminally, they’ll see their reflection in you and open up. But, if after several occurrences of mimicking them, they don’t open up, stop imitating them. Instead, initiate a more doubting posture (e.g., crossing your arms, closing your hands to indicate how dire the situation is, etc.).

When that person begins to mirror your movements, start questioning them more intensely. At that point, they’ve started to follow your lead, which means they’re more susceptible to being more truthful. Be aware of the time spent in your attempts to extract someone’s secrets. That will also have an impact on their willingness to separate themselves from their secrets.

 

Micro-expressions

There are seven micro-expressions generic to everyone on earth – they’re displayed approximately for one-quarter of a second. That means everyone will react the same way to the same stimuli no matter where they live in the world. Once you become astute at identifying micro-expressions, you’ll have additional insight per someone’s inner emotional state. The seven micro-expressions are.

  • Fear – When detecting genuine fear, look for raised eyebrows, widened eyes, and parted lips with the bottom lip protruding downward.
  • Anger – Anger is denoted by lowered eyebrows and flaring nostrils reminiscent of a bull before charging.
  • Disgust – This micro-expression is displayed by the upper lip turned up, while the nose is wrinkled.
  • Surprise – You’ll recognize surprise through raised eyebrows, wide eyes, and open mouth.
  • Contempt – This gesture appears as a sneer. You’ll note it by one corner of the mouth turned upward.
  • Sadness – Note sadness through drooping eyelids and downturned lips. A change in voice inflection and tonality may also accompany genuine sorrow.
  • Happiness – Happiness is shown through wide-eyes with crow’s feet or wrinkles at their corners, a smile, and raised cheeks. A degree of exuberance may also accompany this gesture.

Click here to hear more about the seven micro-expressions that are generic to everyone on earth.

 

Reflection

When you’re questioning someone, their heightening degree of stress signals how close you are to exposing their secrets. Be aware of those signals. Noting them will allow you to unlock more secrets. It will also be an indicator that you’re reading their body language accurately. 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 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/

 

 

#Secrets #csuitenetwork #thoughtcouncil #Bodylanguage #readingbodylanguage #Negotiations #Control #Conversations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

Categories
Growth Personal Development

Make Content Production a Team Effort

“The greater the number of employees that help produce content, the more success the company has.” Marcus Sheridan, marketing expert, in “10 Reasons Why Employees Should be Required to Participate in Blogging and Content Marketing”

All team leaders need to consider this statement. Some of Sheridan’s reasons are based on all—or at least many—employees contributing to written products. He argues persuasively that this amount of output creates a large volume of content and diverse approaches and viewpoints.

However, any team can be composed of diverse members, each with a unique set of life experiences and perspectives. When they collaborate on a written project, they bring an enriched quality to the final result.

Brainstorm

As an example, suppose that a team has to come up with marketing approaches for a particular product. Let’s say it’s a computer program that tracks expenses and is designed for individual consumers.

A single mother with two grade-school-aged children is a member of the team. When asked to consider how such a program would help her, she thinks of the ease of recording expenses related to the many aspects of raising children. She describes how such a program would save her time and make her life easier when income tax season rolls around.

A recent male business school graduate is dealing with having full responsibility for his finances for the first time. He’s noticed that his money seems to slip away. He’s excited about the possibility that he can use this program to record his expenses in a timely way and find ways to cut back on unnecessary expenses.

Their contributions and those of others on the team give everyone a sense of marketing possibilities. At that point, one person may be assigned to write an initial draft. When it’s completed, he or she brings it back to the team for review.

 The Moderating Role of a Team Leader

At this point, sensitivity and care are necessary. People can be touchy about having their writing critiqued, and the wise leader will have guidelines in place. All members of the team need to understand that remarks must be framed in a positive context.

He or she will set the tone, beginning all suggestions with appropriate praise. “You did a great job of pulling together all the suggestions. Now let’s see how we can work together to make it even better.”

The leader must also cut off any potentially negative critiques before they get fully launched. Doing so not only protects the feelings of the writer but helps to keep the team cohesive and participating in a collaborative spirit.

 The Result: A More Effective Team

By making crucial aspects of creating a report collective, all the team members get to learn the most effective ways to write important documents in a practical, hands-on way.

Ideally, each team member should reach the point where he or she would feel confident about writing a report and, equally important, confident that his or her results will be critiqued in a respectful way by the other group members.

Pat Iyer is one of the original 100 C Suite Network Contributors. Busy entrepreneurs hire her as a ghostwriter to help them share their expertise without having to do all the work of writing. Reach her through her website, WritingtogetBusiness.com

 

 

 

 

Categories
Personal Development Sales

The one priority that should be at the top of every sales leader’s list

The life of the sales leader has become impossibly complicated, making it difficult to manage time and prioritize responsibilities effectively. We’ve found that one of the single most important priorities for sales leaders is to ensure that their teams are managing all aspects of their pipeline at the highest possible level of performance. Through focused coaching on the behaviors that can improve aspects of their pipeline such as deal profitability and forecast reliability, sales leaders can ensure that their teams will bring in larger, more profitable deals that meet or exceed their revenue targets – which is, after all, the ultimate goal.

We have identified seven core elements that drive great sales activity: Planning, Discovering, Engaging, Advancing, Customer Understanding, Managing, and Collaborating. When you look at achieving forecast reliability, deal profitability, and pipeline velocity, or your team’s ability to move opportunities through the pipeline, there are three elements that are key to your success: Planning, Engaging, and Advancing

Planning is what you do before a customer interaction. This might be one of the most underutilized steps, but one of the most important strategically.

Engaging is how you articulate the value of your offerings. After planning and gathering the necessary information, this is a chance to differentiate yourself from the competition by demonstrating your understanding of the customer’s business through a process called “value mapping.”

Advancing is how you advance the opportunity through the stages to a closed deal. Now, you are ready to move the customer through the buying cycle (Not your sales process). You understand where they are, what they need, and how you need to approach them.

Get the full paper and insights here

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

“To Confront Biases Better – Know How To Empower Truth“ – Negotiation Insight

“Before confronting someone’s biases, know the sources of their beliefs.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)  (Click to get the book)

 

 

No matter if you’re negotiating (you’re always negotiating) or in the most serene environment you can imagine, biases confront you. They appear in the form of how others treat you, think about you, and what they say to other people about you. Even if they don’t know you, sometimes they’ve prejudged you based on the biases they have about you. Thus, you should anticipate how people will engage you and how you’ll address them before entering into their domain. You should also do so during the interaction you have with them. That’s especially true when doing so may enhance or prevent opportunities that might await you. One way to do that is to empower the truth as your aide. That means confronting them with the facts of reality. But as we know, some people create alternative realities as their truth. Thus, you should also be astute about the following.

 

Freudian Slips

When people speak, their words represent the thoughts they’re having. Therefore, if someone makes a Freudian slip (e.g., I think John is great – when they meant to say Bob), the ‘slip’ discloses what was residing in their unconscious mind. And thus, their statement reveals their hidden sentiments about John, not Bob. While they may think Bob is great, too, John is more prominent in their mind. That means the person has higher thoughts about John. And that can prove to be valuable information.

So, what can you do with this information? You can silently thank that person for revealing their real sentiments, knowing that you’ve uncovered their true feelings. Or, you can ask him why he called one name when he meant another (do that while observing how he responds to your query). Note if he becomes frustrated, exasperated, or unnerved? If so, you’ve more than likely probed deeper into beliefs that he’d rather not have exposed. If you believe his bias lacks fairness, and you think it’s appropriate, confront him about it. While doing so, leave room for him to become empowered. Do that by offering him truthful information about his opinion, and back it up with proof. Then, note to what degree, if any, he alters his perspective. His response and altered disposition will lend insight into the type of mindset you’re dealing with, which will allow you to assess the degree of time you’ll exhaust in altering his views. In some cases, it’ll be better to move on. For you, per him, the opinion of the dead can’t be changed.

 

Body Language Gestures That Might Indicate Biases

While body language gestures can convey an array of sentiments, those that follow indicate a dislike for one in the presence of another.

Nose – The upturned wrinkling of one’s nose indicates that a person finds something unpleasant. If the gesture occurs when you enter that person’s environment, he’s signaling displeasure with you. And it’s most likely revealing a bias the person possesses about you.

Mouth – If you observe one corner of someone’s mouth momentarily turning upward, he’s displaying a signal of contempt. That means he’s disgusted by something he perceives about you. If it occurs multiple times when you speak or when you enter his environment, take note of the action. He may not be aware of it consciously, but he’s signaling his bias. And that’s information you can use.

Click here to watch a brief video about disgust.  

Feet – When people are in small groups, and they’re facing one another, their feet will point towards the most thought-provoking person. Not only is it a way to gain insight into whom they may admire at that time, but it also gives insight into the thoughts that others accept. And that can become a barometer as to how well your sentiments will be received. Thus, if they ignore you, the indication might be that you’re not presenting value per the discussion. It might also indicate that others don’t perceive you as being up to their level. Regardless, be mindful of what’s occurring. And, assess how you’ll use that insight to identify why others might be displaying a bias towards you.

 

While these gestures don’t necessarily have to indicate a definitive bias, they can give you insight per where one’s thought may lie about you. If you’re unsure of one’s intent, test them. Do that by observing their response to others in the environment, whom they gravitate to, and the views of those that they accept. That information will give you additional insight, which may serve as confirmation about that person’s perspective.

 

Reflection

No matter the environment, expect biases to be part of it. Thus, to help yourself, be observant about the body language of others, and adopt procedures to overcome the prejudices they may have about you. The insights mentioned will allow you to do just that.

When using these insights, know that exposing someone to the truth about their beliefs may cause them to reject you. But when confronted by practical information, unless they don’t want to accept your premise due to their biases, they will be left to look foolish. And that will leave them out of step with reality. If that’s so, it may be the best place to dispense of them – move on. Don’t waste your time with them. The people that accept your premise will be the individuals that display an open mind. They’ll also be the ones that’ll aide you most in your quest. 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 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/

 

 

#Biaes #Truth #csuitenetwork #thoughtcouncil #Bodylanguage #readingbodylanguage #Negotiations #Control #Conversations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

Categories
Best Practices Growth Leadership Personal Development

How to Encourage Your Team to Develop Their Writing Skills

Writing skills are more important than ever. People do judge your company by the quality of its communication.

If you are convinced that grammatically correct writing skills are essential to your team and, ultimately to your business, you need ways to implement methods by which your team members can acquire or sharpen these skills.

Be aware that most members of your team may have acquired poor habits in these areas. A generation accustomed to the abbreviations of texting may have little patience for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Even people who do have the skills needed report that constant exposure to misspellings, habitual breaking of punctuation rules, and other repeated errors, can override the rules they learned.

The team leader’s job is to convince his or her team members that these foundations of communication matter.

Points to Emphasize

 To summarize from the previous article, the following skills require writing ability:

  • Video,
  • Audio,
  • Social media,
  • B2C copywriting,
  • Sponsored content,
  • and B2B copywriting.

This list highlights the importance of team members being able to write with competence, but the need for clear communication goes deeper.

In a well-functioning team, each member feels invested in fulfilling the goals of the group. People operate cohesively to achieve these goals. In order to do so, they need to communicate.

Some of this communication is verbal, but a large part of it is written. It may be in the form of memos, emails, or the more substantial form of a proposal.

Make the Investment

Poorly written, spelled, and punctuated writing costs a company money. Investment in better skills for a team will pay for itself.

The foundation of competent writing is understanding the rules of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Many courses in these areas are available online.

EdX (https://www.edx.org/learn/grammar) offers a variety of free courses.

Udemy (https://udemy.com) has a number of low-cost courses, averaging $12.99 per course.

An Internet search will bring up many other possibilities. You can choose or let your team members choose the options that work best for them.

Don’t be deterred if a course or learning site looks as if it’s aimed at junior or senior high school levels. That could be an advantage. The lessons are probably easy to understand.

It helps, too, that many of these learning portals offer 30 days free. You and your team members will get the chance to evaluate their effectiveness.

You’ll find that some of these sites also offer courses specifically oriented to business writing. These, too, will likely be worth the investment.

The Importance of Patience and Encouragement

This is where team-building skills can shine. Encourage the team members to support each other. Some will have stronger skills than others. Encourage them to look over a memo or report and make suggestions.

Always keep in mind that people may feel insecurity and low self-esteem about their lack of skills. Encouragement and praise for improvement will help them to grow.

Have particular awareness that some team members may speak English as a second language. They may need a specially designed program.

Probably the most important thing to emphasize is that the members of a team depend on each other. As in every area of teamwork, when one of them succeeds in improving written skills, everyone succeeds.

And when your team produces noteworthy written products that make their point without the distractions of poor grammar, punctuation, and spelling, others will take notice.

Pat Iyer is a C Suite Network Contributor, one of the original 100 contributors. As an author, editor and ghostwriter, Pat helps her clients share their brilliance without having to do all of the work. Reach her at WritingToGetBusiness.com.

 

Categories
Personal Development Sales

Why Sales Training Does not work

The company’s most senior executives, Sales Managers, and professionals are gathered. The theme and content are strong. The location is superb. The ballroom is decked out with A/V bling. All of the speeches are written, and all of the slides complete.
What could possibly make the event better?

Our experience tells us that a change in information does not equal change in behavior. The enduring belief that speech-driven sales training or off-site will change behavior is unwise. While some new information may be absorbed, very little will stick—and even less will happen afterward.

The audience is undoubtedly filled with some of the best minds in your organization. These are people your company should be investing in to bring out their best thinking, leadership, and action. A PowerPoint slide fest from the stage is not enough.

To create shared ownership of a strategic initiative and inspire the motivation to execute, leaders must be actively engaged in designing the changes to come. All attendees must become active participants to accelerate the mindset shift and liberate the energy needed to achieve change.

THE GOAL? From Passive Attendees to Active Participants

See how these 6 Sales Training Best Training practices could help your organization. Click here to find more.

Categories
Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Negotiator – This Is How To Communicate Better Quickly” – Negotiation Insight

“To communicate better, use impactful words. People will act quicker and follow you faster.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

 

“Negotiator – This Is How To Communicate Better Quickly”

 

“Come go now, and here later,” does not succinctly convey the message, “go now, and come here later.” Even though they are the same words, the intent delivered in the first message can be confusing, which can lead to misunderstandings. Thus, to improve any situation you’re in, you must communicate effectively. But what does that mean exactly?

Sometimes, people speak at, or past one another, and wonder why the intent of their message is not received. It’s usually due to a lack of clarity that contributes to that challenge. But, going forward, you can prevent that from occurring to you, and here’s how.

 

Speak the language opponents understand

Most groups have a particular jargon that’s generic to the group. It’s a way members of the group connect, distinguish themselves from other groups, and communicate with one another. And, if you don’t use their lingo, you immediately identify yourself as an outsider. And being recognized as an outsider can instantly put you at a disadvantage sometimes. At other times, it can prove to be the deciding factor for others to assemble for or forgo their support for you. Thus, to enhance situations, when it’s advantageous, sound like those you wish to follow your lead. But also be aware of when to use loftier or modest language to improve your persona. You don’t want to appear too pompous or humble. You have to exact a fine balance between those two perspectives. Therefore, you should base your word choices and how you wish others to perceive them on the actions you want them to adopt, the beliefs of the group, and how difficult it might be to have them alter their perspective.

 

Keep communications simple

Simple is as simple does. And the simplicity of something is determined by those making the assessment. Do you understand what that means? Depending on the educational level, background, or familiarity with phrases of those with whom you attempt to influence, it may behoove you to keep your communications simple. By doing that, you lower the conception level of the information, and the ease in understanding it, which makes your content easier to grasp.

But, you also have to be mindful of giving the perception that you’re dumbing-down your message. Some will perceive that as a slight or outright insult. As with most things in life, perceived balance is most often the victor. Thus, determine when simplicity or duplicity will serve your purpose best.

 

Use the opponent’s language to galvanize your supporters

You can also use the words of your opponent to influence and galvanize additional supporters to embrace your opinions and perspective. In such cases, you’d highlight his points in which others disagreed. Your efforts would become geared at positioning him in a less-than-flattering light. If your attempts to do so are successful, you’d also place him on the defensive because he’d have to defend your accusations, lest he runs the risk of being viewed even more unfavorable. While he’s doing that, he’d be less likely to attack you or your position.

To the degree your opponent’s followers see him as not being the person that leads them, you can also use his words to fracture his supporters. To enhance the process, first, note the strength of his base. Ask yourself, to what degree others are committed to following him. While some staunch supporters would go through fire for their leader, that would be the stopping point for others.

When you make that determination, assess what would need to occur to peel-off the less enthused. Then, ferment an occasion that would incite that situation. You can even dig into the archives of your opponent’s past sentiments to manufacture a condition. The point is, you can wreak havoc that leads to chaos for him. And while he’s addressing that, you can promote your perspective with less interference from him.

 

Use news and social media for credibility

There is a multitude of tools that you can use to shape the perspective of others and alter their thought process. You can use such tools to heighten the perception of your credibility while having your opponent’s credibility lowered. You can use them to better position your suggestions while having dispersions cast about his. They can also be used to create the perspective of fairness or heavy-handedness.

For that purpose, social media is an excellent tool that brings opposing positions together or disperses them. And thus, it does the same for the opinions of people. Social media can also serve as a viable tool to disseminate disinformation. So, be careful about how you use this tool. It runs a two-way thoroughfare that can end up on another unintended path. Thus, you must be very mindful of controlling your message when using it. To do that, prepare to offset a potential backlash you may encounter should others attempt to use your words against you.

 

Reflection

When seeking to improve communications, you should attempt to control the narrative. And the best way to do that is to control the message by controlling the words you use. By instituting the information outlined, you’ll enhance your efforts and increase the odds of making situations better. 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 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/

 

 

#communication #communicator #csuitenetwork #thoughtcouncil #Bodylanguage #readingbodylanguage #Negotiations #Control #Conversations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

“How To Avoid Assault By Observing Aggressive Body Language” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“To foretell assaults, observe someone’s body language. All insights into someone’s mind starts there.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)       (Click to get the book)

 

 

“How To Avoid Assault By Observing Aggressive Body Language”

 

One moment, he was standing there, and everything was fine. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was punched in his eye. As he winced in pain, he thought, I didn’t see that coming. His lack of focus on the changing demeanor of his assailant led him to be unprepared. And now, he was under attack.

Such assaults can occur in business settings and your personal life. And while they may not always be physical, the emotional pain caused by such attacks can still be traumatic. But there are ways you can avoid potential assault, be it verbal or physical, by observing body language that foretells aggressive behavior.

 

Facial Features

Wincing – Imagine for a moment that some form of annoyance happens to you. What’s your reaction? Depending on the stimuli you imagined, you may have swiped it away, winced at it, or made another gesture to ward it away. Wincing is one such gesture that indicates someone’s annoyance. When you see it, understand what it means and what thoughts may be occurring in the mind of the person displaying the gesture. He’s just given you a glimpse into his mind, notice it and heed the signal he’s sending. It could be the moment a situation begins to escalate to aggressiveness.

 

Eyes – When someone narrows their eyes and become fixated on you, they’re pinpointing their focus and attention. That means, in their mind, they’re dispersing outside distractions so they can lend their full attention to what’s occurring between you and them. If this happens in a situation that’s begun to become heated, interject an action to defuse it, or prepare for the festering aggression that will follow.

 

Hands

Someone’s hands can be the most reliable indicator that they’re about to become aggressive, which can then lead to an assault. If you observe someone flexing their hand(s), opening and closing it, take note of the speed at which it occurs. The faster the speed, the more aggressive will be the behavior that follows. The moment someone’s hands close into fists can indeed indicate that there may only be seconds before an attack occurs. Before that happens, take steps to escape the environment or prepare to defend yourself. An alternative is to go on the offense. That can take the form of talking the other party down or taking physical action before he initiates his. Either way, the more equipped you are for the inevitable, the better positioned you’ll be to deal with it.

 

Feet

When two people are confronting one another, and both individuals have their feet directly aligned with the other person, they are in full commitment to each other. That means, if you observe someone pointing their foot away from you after they previously had their feet aligned directly with yours, they’re in the process of disengaging. That doesn’t mean you’re out of harm’s way. They could deliver a sucker punch, physical or verbal, as they depart. So, don’t let your guard down until you’re sure of the act they intend to commit has occurred, and you know you’re safe.

Stance

Have you observed when two professional fighters are brought to the center of the ring to hear the rules before the fight confront one another? They cast a no-nonsense demeanor that’s usually accompanied by a death stare to indicate the seriousness that they’re adopting for the battle to come. To a degree, some of the posturing’s are an attempt to psychologically defuse the other fighter’s mental energy, which would cause him to doubt himself and whether he can win against such a worthy opponent.

Anytime you’re in an environment when you note such actions (i.e., someone, in your face), they’re also sending you a message. If you step back, you’re saying, take my space, and I’ll back down. If you hold your ground by not moving, you’re stating, I’m not backing down from you, nor I’m I afraid. Now, what are you going to do? Again, be prepared for what may occur next. If you’ve observed other signs of aggression, at this point, they may escalate or deescalate. Be ready in either case to take control of the situation.

Contradictions

Contradictions can lead to frustration, which can serve as a vehicle that delivers a crisis in confidence. When people become frustrated, they lose a form of rationality. That means, they can become more mentally unstable, which can lead to aggressive actions that they might not have participated in if they were in a calmer state of mind.

Always be aware of someone’s heightening level of frustration. It can be the bellwether to assault-like behavior to come. By becoming psycho astute, which means paying attention to the changing psychological mood of other people, you’ll enhance your vigilance about the mental mood shift of others before it occurs.

 

Trigger Words

Words cause reactions in people. And some words will generate more of an emotional charge than others. To that point, be aware of terms or phrases that trigger someone to adopt a negative point of view. Such as the ‘N’ word or alligator bait with some people of color, holy roller, or bible thumper for those of some religious persuasions, and Ayrab or Abbie of people from other ethnicities – all such words or phrases can lead one to adopt an unreceptive demeanor. Then, depending on that person’s temperament, it can lead to more significant hostile actions.

As the world becomes smaller through enhanced communication platforms, you should also be aware of how the same words can possess different meanings to people around the globe. In some cases, those words are the doorway to insults, while in other environments throughout the world, they may solicit a mild reproach or lightheartedness. To avoid a costly pitfall, be aware of the meaning that certain words cast.

 

Reflection

An environment can become hostile at a moment’s notice, and aggression can ensue that leads to an assault. It can do so while not sounding an alarm about the pending state of change to come. And, if you don’t heed such signs, you leave yourself open to the whims of chance, and that can lead to and leave you in an unwanted place and position.

But if you’re aware of the body language and verbal cues mentioned and you adopt controlling actions, you’ll be more aware of their pending occurrence. That will give you more time to react and control imminent assaults. To untie that knot, once you sense mental angst turning into a potential attack, initiate action. It can be in the form of taking a more forceful position (beware of escalating the situation if you do), or it can be in the way of adopting a milder demeanor (be aware of being perceived as someone weak by the other entity). The point is, take action to confront it. 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 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/

 

 

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Categories
Growth Management Personal Development

Leadership Lessons from Battle-Tested Executives

 

Since launching my fourth book, “The Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning Cultures,” I’ve been examining how leaders lead and how they execute in order to scale for growth faster and more effectively. I find it fascinating to see how others operate their businesses and what best practices they put in place in other to make their businesses thrive.

 

As someone who has been in business for a long time and has bought and sold over 250 business, I love hearing some insights from C-Suite Network members and everyone in my circle about what leadership means to them and what principles guide them in order to become better, more effective leaders.

 

Some time has passed since our C-Suite Network Conference in New York City, but the lessons learned there will have a lingering effect in how we operate our businesses and collaborate with one another. Here are few of my favorite quotes from the conference:

 

“The bigger your vision, the more you will sacrifice to achieve it.” – Chris Rabalais, Political Director, The Sports Vote & Managing Director, The New Sports Economy Institute

 

“Brands have moved from words and pictures to experiences.” – Margaret Molloy, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Siegel+Gale

 

“You can’t give birth to an adult.” – Brian Smith, Founder of UGG (talking about birthing a brand)

 

“Figure out what you can do better than anybody else and then do it.” – Brian Smith (when talking about how does one become successful)

 

“Engage micro influencers, even if adversaries, learn from them, show them what you do.” – Mitzi Perdue, Founder & President, Win This Fight! Stop Human Trafficking

 

“Advertise the feeling and emotion you want your customers to feel and get from the product not the benefits itself.” – Brian Smith, Founder of UGG

 

“Be sure everyone in the organization knows what you’re doing.” – Shenan Smith, President, pGSK- PublicisMedia

 

“Success isn’t a future event. Success is w whole series of events that you do successfully.” – Brian Smith, Founder of UGG

 

“People are moved by honesty and being genuine.” – Bob Guccione, Jr., Founder, SPIN magazine and Founder & CEO, WONDERLUST

 

“Entrepreneurs see over the horizon.” – Bob Guccione, Jr.

 

“Get customers to love your brand.” – Helena Verellen, SVP Global Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, Audible

 

 

Business is fast-paced and can be cutthroat. The way we work has changed dramatically and anyone not keeping up better find another line of work because they won’t be in business for long. One adage that I constantly fall back on is “adapt, change, or die.” It couldn’t be more apt for these times of break-neck speed and constant evolution and innovation.

 

In that same vein, the way we lead is also changing. Leadership is not just one person at the top making decisions for everyone. Leadership has become decentralized and this has allowed other employees to feel empowered to make decision to propel the business forward.

 

Ask yourself, what is the definition of leadership? What makes for an effective leader? There’s no right or wrong answer because we all run different operations. While we can agree there are certain traits that make for good leadership, there’s no silver bullet to being a great leader.

 

A great leader motivates, communicates, engages, educates, and evangelizes. For me, a great leader has a charismatic personality, can persuade an audience full of different backgrounds and ideologies, gives credit when credit is due and aligns people and profits.

 

What makes a great leader for you?

 

What were your favorite quotes from the conference?