C-Suite Network™

Menu
Search
Close this search box.

Category: Personal Development

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

Leadership Tips to Motivate Your Team to do the HARD Work

The reality is that nothing great has ever been achieved without hard work. The old Puritan work ethic states, “In life, you work hard and then you die. Period.*” (*I took the liberty of paraphrasing there.) It’s true for leadership, it’s true for teamwork, it’s true for achieving career success.

I also heard this quote the other day and it resonated with me: “We all pray for a harvest (success), but we forget that when harvest time comes, it’s a lot of work.” It reminds me of how my grandmother, (“Mimi”), used to tell us, “Mais cher, be careful what you pray for, because you just might get it!”

Today it seems that the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. Leaders want a quick fix – business success via microwave. Think about the popularity of books such as “The 4-Hour Workweek,” and then others that promote the idea that if we just hold a vision in our minds of success, we’ll attract it while sitting on our butts and sipping a strawberry daiquiri. Although I believe in the Law of Attraction, I also believe in the law of Hard Work and Dedication,* (*Not a real law. I just made that up.)

While watching a television interview with Mike Rowe, host of TV’s “Dirty Jobs,” he said that during “The Great Recession” in 2008-2009, when they were filming “Dirty Jobs” at businesses across the country, each one of those organizations had “help wanted” signs in the window. The economy was in the tank, people were out of work, and yet nobody wanted to work in those jobs. Yikes.

It can be challenging as a leader when you’ve got employees entering the workplace who have grown up in a world where everybody gets a trophy, where, (God forbid) we can’t keep score, and kids get recognition just for participating. Don’t forget the ones who are addicted to comfort or feel entitled. (Sorry to be such a Negative Nelly.)

So as an executive, a boss, a team leader, an executive leader, how can you get team members engaged and committed and willing to roll up their sleeves and do the HARD work?

Keep in mind, work doesn’t have to be synonymous with drudgery, nor should it be considered a four-letter word. Here are a number of

Leadership tips to set up yourself, your team, and your organization for success:

Plan, strategize, and prepare. Effective leaders never lose sight of the vision for the organization and are able to see what is coming down the pike. Prepare for the harvest time to be busy, but also plan to conduct maintenance on your equipment and invest in developing your team members during the not-so-busy times. Having the view from the top of the hill is your responsibility. That’s why they pay you the medium-sized bucks.

Identify Strengths. We’ve all got ’em. Just like we’ve all got weaknesses. Taking the time and effort to identify those areas where you have a talent or a strength is well worth the investment. First, develop your talents into strengths, then encourage and enable your team members to do the same. Next, put those strengths to work for your organization. In making such an investment, you will find that employees blossom, become more engaged in their work, and contribute their best. (Call me about the work that we do with leaders and teams using the StrengthsFinder® assessments.)

Create a culture of teamwork. As soon as your team members are working in their areas of strength, you need to ensure that you’re all rowing in the same direction. Successful teams are a product of a shared vision, a strong foundation of trust, and transparent communication. And NEWSFLASH: creating such a culture begins with you, the leader.

Take a Time Out. We all have a tendency to spend lots of time working IN our business. Carve out time where your team can come together to work ON your business. Focus on creating alignment, building collaboration, and nurturing relationships. (Call me to work with your team using The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™ instrument.)

Lead the way. Effective leaders set the example. Their dedication and hard work inspire their team members to give the best they’ve got to give. Lead the way by walking your talk, keeping your word, and never expecting someone to do something that you wouldn’t do. It’s as simple as that.

As you can see, although ‘work’ really is a four-letter word, it should not be considered profane, tedious, nor is it to be dreaded – if you, the leader, set yourself and your team up for success.

CHIME IN:

  • What leadership tips would you add to the list to get your team to roll up their sleeves and do the tough stuff?
  • What employee motivation strategies have worked for you in the past?
  • Please leave a comment on our blog below and share your insights with our community.

 

To receive solutions to your people problems in your inbox every month, and to receive our report: “7 of Your Biggest People Problems…Solved,” click here.

You might also like:

Leadership Team Accelerated Results Program

12 Powerful Questions to Stash in Your Leadership Toolbox

Leadership Lessons to Push Past Homeostasis

Jennifer Ledet, CSP, is a leadership consultant and professional speaker (with a hint of Cajun flavor) who equips leaders from the boardroom to the mailroom to improve employee engagement, teamwork, and communication.  In her customized programs, leadership retreats, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, she cuts through the BS and talks through the tough stuff to solve your people problems.

Photo

Categories
Growth Leadership Operations Personal Development

How to Create a Customer-Centric Culture

Want to create a customer-centric culture? That’s a lot of words that begin with C. However, we’re going to focus on D’s in this article. No, not the kind that you get in school – that’s not a very good grade! And when I went to school, “D” was slang terminology for a demerit, which meant a Saturday morning spent at school in study hall – not a fun Saturday for a kid. But our D’s today are of a different variety. They will lead you and your company on the path to building a customer-centric culture and offering great customer service.

The Six D’s of Creating a Customer-Centric Culture 

Define – How can you deliver customer service as part of your brand promise if you don’t have a clear picture of what it is you want the customer to experience? Define your customer service promise in clear and simple terms. Ace Hardware, for example, calls itself the “Helpful Hardware Place” and is known for its customer service. It has defined its service with just one word – helpful – and that guides its hiring, training and customer interactions.

Disseminate – Now that you know the type of service you want to deliver, don’t keep it a secret. Train your employees on what you want and how to make it happen. There are many ways to keep your brand promise foremost in your employee’s minds. The Ritz Carlton hotel chain has laminated cards with its “credo” and several other important core values printed on it.  Employees carry the cards with them, and many have it memorized as well.

Deploy – Once you have your brand promise defined and employees trained, you must follow through and act on the customer service promise. This holds true for everyone in the organization, not just the front line employees who interact with the customer. Others must support their “internal customers”.

Demonstrate – Customer service is everyone’s job. From the leaders to the most newly hired employees, once everyone has been taught and trained, they must demonstrate the customer service brand promise. Leaders must be on board and show how it’s done, but anyone can be a role model for delivering amazing customer service.

Defend – Upholding your promise to customers is so essential that if you see someone doing anything contrary, you must step in to help. This is not about reprimanding someone for doing something wrong, rather a teaching opportunity that keeps your culture and employees going in the right direction.

Delight – Take time to celebrate the success you have built with your employees and your customers. Delight in the company and the individuals who work to advance your vision and deliver amazing customer service.

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

Being High From Happiness

 “Happiness can be elusive. When you need happiness the most and you can’t find it within yourself, make someone else happy. It’ll find its way back to you.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Are you happy when you’re high? Depending on your interpretation of ‘high’, that may or may not have the same connotation to you as others.

Being high can stem from a myriad of sources. It can stem from the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs. It can also stem from a more natural source.

If you seek a natural high, one that’s unencumbered by a false sense of spirited motivation, you can experience the true sense of happiness. The challenge becomes where to find, corral and keep that sense of happiness so you can call on it when needed.

No one can be on a natural high all of the time. But, if you evoke it without false insemination, you are on your way to unlocking one of the keys to a successful life; that key is happiness.

Here’s the point. One day none of what you think is important will be important. None of the challenges you have will be important either. That day will occur when you’re no longer able to influence your thoughts or those of others. That’s the day that you will have transitioned from this life into another realm of being. So, make yourself as happy as you can, while you can. And, when you can’t make yourself happy, make someone else happy. That act will come back to you in the form of happiness … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

When you negotiate, be extremely protective of your mind (i.e. the way you think and feel) and your thought process. If you’re able to contemplate happiness in the face of adversity, happiness may not appear to be that daunting. That will allow you a freer thought process, one that’s not encumbered by dread.

It’s the thoughts fueled by negativity that causes our negotiation efforts to become derailed at times. The thought of being happy can keep your thoughts on the right track. It may sound quirky but, try it. Act happy when experiencing dread during a negotiation. At a minimum, it will cause the other negotiator to wonder what’s occurring. That may give you the time needed to assemble a more robust rebuttal.

Think happy thoughts, be happy. You really don’t have anything to lose and you might discover something that’s unique about your negotiation abilities than you previously realized.

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

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

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

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

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Investing Management Negotiations News and Politics Sales Women In Business

How To Best Combat Misinformation and Disinformation in Negotiations

“Misinformation can be disinformation. Know the difference between the two to better address the inherent intent of its dispenser.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Someone once said, “All is fair in love, war, and #negotiations.” If that’s true #misinformation and #disinformation are armigers that some negotiators use as weapons of mass destruction.

In order to best combat misinformation and disinformation in negotiations, you must know the difference between the two before you can address either. The question is, to what degree are you prepared to deal with this type of ploy?

Misinformation can be daunting when deciphering the truth. Coupled with disinformation, the truth can become darn near undetectable. Observe the following to make the distinction less elusive.

1. Misinformation Versus Disinformation

Understand that there’s a difference between misinformation and disinformation. While the distinction between the two may have similar appearances, their usage is what really sets them apart.

Misinformation is erroneous information delivered to intentionally or unintentionally alter your thought process. It can also be used as a way to insulate one’s self (e.g. I didn’t mean to misquote that information). Later in the negotiation, that tactic can turn into a trap that detracts from the user’s credibility, if used too frequently.

Disinformation is the intentional attempt to spread false information for the purpose of deceiving you. That makes its usage more dangerous in a negotiation. It also speaks to the character of its user. If you know the user’s intent to persuade you, you’ll have insight into which of these modalities he may use to accomplish his objectives.

2. Know Character of Negotiator

When you know someone’s character, you can more accurately assess and determine their intent. Thus, knowing a negotiator would not venture into the territory of disinformation could lead you to be more understanding if he misquotes information. On the other hand, if you know you’re dealing with a devious individual, one that doesn’t have a relationship with the truth, you’d be wise not to grant him forgiveness when he misquotes information. In such a case, you may have just caught him in a lie that he’s aware of. Let him stew in this dilemma and assess what he does. Doing so will also give you great insight into the possibility of the information being disinformation or misinformation. You can further address the type of information that’s being passed to you by referring to a higher authority that refutes what’s been delivered. You can do this, even if the authority and/or information you cite is not real. It’s called bluffing.

3. Identify Timing and Intent

After addressing steps 1 and 2, assess the intent of the information that you’ve been given. Do so with the thought of what impact it’s intended to have on you, what actions are you to engage in as the result of the information. Also, consider the timing of its deliverance. If you assess that it’s intended to evoke a particular action or thought, assess what the overall intent might be and where such actions might lead. If you sense that something’s not right, don’t continue. Instead, question what you should be paying more attention to.

While misinformation and disinformation may offer challenges during a negotiation, being mindful of how to combat them can lessen their potency. Once you adopt a heightened mindset when dealing with them, your negotiation efforts won’t be fraught with the degree of dismay that otherwise might exist. Thus, by adopting these strategies when dealing with information, you’ll have a better perspective about the information you deal with … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

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

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

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

Categories
Best Practices Management Personal Development Sales

You Can’t Test Your Way to (Sales) Performance

In the sales performance space, there is a growing disconnect between performance focus and learning focus.

If my email and voice mails are any indicator, there is an explosion in learning technology options crowding into the sales enablement world. An important part of my business is learning about these powerful tools for knowledge dissemination, especially as they apply to sales forces.

Learning and training tools are more accessible, more available, more efficient and more effective than ever before. There has never been a better time to be involved in the adult learning industry. However, adult learning is the least interesting part of my business. My true business is achieving lasting results for my clients.

There are two big differences between a learning focus and a results focus:

  1. Improving sales performance requires far more than knowledge acquisition.
  2. Knowledge acquisition isn’t the weak link in the chain.

My own company, The Miller Heiman Group, is innovating in many areas including improving the learning portion of the “sales performance improvement” chain. The chain metaphor fits: knowledge transfer without behavior change achieves little of lasting commercial value. If all my firm became known for was innovation in learning, we would fail our clients. “Watch this space” for exciting innovative performance management tools, though.

Sales performance improvement is far more than “training…poof!”

A great instructor can teach all of the techniques of a golf swing—grip, stance, backswing, body motion, hand action, hip turn, follow-through, etc. – in a couple of hours. That couple of hours won’t land anyone on the pro tour, though. That’s even if the student scored 100% on a post-training assessment; confirming that they acquired every atom of the instruction.

Similarly, sales performance is about adopting new selling behaviors; working to turn them into “muscle memory”. Teach those behaviors and test for comprehension all you want, but without coaching and guided practice, little or no performance change will result.

Alarmingly, many learning professionals claim that “training effectiveness” should be measured by testing for effective knowledge acquisition. The trap: testing for knowledge acquisition is easy via (electronically-administered) tests. This is a classic application of John Tukey’s quote “Far better an approximate answer to the right question than a precise answer to the wrong question…”. Testing for comprehension is so much “the wrong question” it verges on criminal: sales training comprehension alone won’t deliver the results sales leaders need. Sales training simply isn’t that kind of simple “know it = do it” material.

The pitfall to “teach-and-test only”:

Knowledge acquisition isn’t the weak link in the chain.

Training events are easy… compared to getting your sales teams to consistently adopt sales methodology behaviors. Behavior adoption requires observation and effective coaching over an extended period. Think about the time to train you to swing a golf club vs. the time it takes to achieve proficiency — then excellence. Also, think of the difference that great coaching can make in ramp-up time.

Sure, training and testing have their place. Training introduces and describes desired behaviors. Testing confirms understanding. Knowledge and understanding are important steps along the adoption path. It’s difficult to coach effectively without a clearly communicated set standards and expectations.  Thus, there is a chain of events –with training and testing for comprehension as one link.

In my experience, a training event ends where the most powerful work starts. That’s where behavior coaching begins, where new habits are formed, and where lasting results are embedded…where a performance initiative becomes consequential.

The “weak” link in the chain is building new habits with your people. I call it the weak link not because of a lack of coaching tools, or ineffective ones. Rather, weak refers to the reality that people and organizations generally struggle with change. Unsurprisingly, changing behaviors is the most common failure point in a sales performance initiative. Organizationally, behavior change requires that you plan, communicate, involve, lead, and commit. Individually, sales leaders need to develop, observe, diagnose, coach, and persist. Once behaviors are instilled, the methodology becomes sustainable. I use the chain metaphor because if a coaching/sustainment piece is missing, the whole initiative risks missing on the desired outcome – and the investment has limited return.

A stronger chain

To achieve strong results, put together all of these elements:

  1. Great sales methodologies…yes, and teach them effectively. I’m aligned with the most successful B2B methodologies in the world, and can tell you why. My company is now a leader in learning innovation, and I’m proud align myself with them.
  2. Great coaching and training tools that help front-line sales managers (one key point of differentiation between success and disappointment) become effective behavior coaches. My clients can access a full set of rich coaching and sustainment tools, plus my commitment to integrate those tools into working solutions that result in meaningful outcomes.
  3. A great execution and change plan individualized for your organization. Just buying “butts in seats” from any training company — no matter how good their material is — runs the risk of assuming away this critical component. This link in the chain doesn’t come from a training company.

Understand: testing for material mastery is not a predictor of outcomes. Not even remotely.

The overwhelming differentiator in successful sales performance initiatives is effective behavior change, not behavior description. Make sure you have a clear change management path before you decide to “train your people”. Be sure you understand how your learners will be coached into becoming performers.

I’ve seen some e-learning tools claiming to perform automated coaching – verifying behavior change. Now that’s a cool concept, and I’m eager to see those technologies mature. In the meantime, feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss behavior change and organizational change management that works. For you, your organization, and your aspirations.

To your success!

Categories
Best Practices Culture Management Personal Development Sales

The Responsibility is Too High

After making a purchase, it’s common to receive a survey asking about your experience. For the most part, companies are seeking to either, see how they can improve or how the customer feels about their business. It’s your chance to express your opinion. Companies put a lot of weight on surveys which means a lot of responsibility for the customer, so careful thought should be given.

Surveys can be about facilities, logistics, or salespeople. The question you should ask before diving in is… What is this survey pertaining to? There’s something the business wants to know. By understanding what they are evaluating your answers will be helpful.

When it comes to a salesperson’s survey, most customers do not know how to answer them correctly. A survey of the person who worked with you is not the time to complain about the company. The survey is about the salesperson. You would be blaming the wrong person for your unhappiness. Here’s what happens.

The salesperson’s survey is going to his manager. It does not get to the management or ownership of the business. Unfortunately, many businesses will ask questions on the salesperson’s survey about their experience overall, but don’t be fooled. Whatever you answer will affect the salesperson.

If you are upset with how your last visit went, don’t blame the person you are working with now. When you do, you are rating your current salesperson for what happened. Or if you think it took too long for the service department to get your item fixed don’t blame the salesperson. Unless he’s the one fixing your item, he doesn’t have control over the amount of time it took. He also doesn’t have control over how the cashier treated you. Your opinion will not get to those who can do something about it.

Stay on topic. The survey is about the person who helped you, your salesperson. In some cases, they get paid less. If their normal commission is 25%, it can be cut to 15%, because of someone or something outside the salesperson’s control.

Another example would be if your delivery was late or your items didn’t come in on time. It’s not the salesperson’s fault. They weren’t the ones delivering it to you or the one who will go and pick up the item. Don’t blame the salesperson.

Here’s an example I heard from a single mother with two children. She sold a $187.00 chair to a customer, telling him he has to put it together and that the sale was final. The customer stated he would be able to do it.

When the customer took it home, he decided he didn’t like it. The sale was final, but he wanted to return it. After the store told him no, he decided to blame the salesperson stating she lied to him so the store would allow him to return it, which he did. The customer filled out the survey on the salesperson and rated her a zero. On a scale from 1 to 10 a zero is horrific. But, the customer was happy because he was able to bring the chair back.

The outcome for the salesperson was devastating. As expected, she did lose the commission of $3.37. Okay. The score of zero meant she did not get her $1000.00 bonus that month, all because of a customer. Now you see the importance of filling out a survey correctly.

A problem with surveys is you are not given a key explaining what the scores mean. Some scales are from 1 to 5, or 1 to 10. Without understanding the ratings how can you accurately pick a number? There is a practice widely used and that is; if you score anything lower than the highest rating the salesperson fails in the eyes of the company.

You might notice when you take your car in to be serviced the attendant presses you to take the survey and give him a perfect score. What they are telling you is anything lower than the highest number will affect them negatively. They could lose money, privileges, promotion, even their job. If you are upset with how your car was washed, don’t rate the salesperson who didn’t wash the car. Anything on that survey goes against the service attendant.

Here is the company’s view from your survey. Using a system of 1 to 10 for their rating, it’s not uncommon for the scale to represent:

A score of 9 or 10 is good – it helps the salesperson

A score of 7 or 8 doesn’t hurt or help the salesperson

A score of below 7 is like giving the salesperson a zero

My practice is to give the salesperson the highest score. I don’t want the burden of taking food away from a family. If I have something to complain about I write it in the comment space. I handle a problem with a salesperson by making comments on the survey so their manager will see, but I still give them the highest rating.

I take every survey I am given. Most people only fill out a survey when they are unhappy, which means that one bad survey can blow it for a salesperson. It takes fifteen good surveys to outweigh one bad one. If you were happy with your experience, take the survey and help them out.

Receiving a survey is a huge responsibility, so take it seriously. Score it by only addressing the overall topic. If you are unhappy with the situation or the salesperson give them a high rating, putting in the notes what you didn’t like. Your comment will get to the manager of the salesperson who can address it with them. If you are happy with your experience, send in the survey with the highest grading to counteract those who don’t know the significance of the ratings.

Categories
Growth Operations Personal Development

5 Steps for Physical Product Brands to Stay Relevant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Categories
Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Personal Development

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

“Hold that thought for just a moment.”

“Let me grab this call.”

“Now, where were we?”

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

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

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

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

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

It’s that simple.

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

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

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

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

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

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

Warning Executive Leaders – You Are Playing Too Small

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you’ve been playing small,

Ask yourself these questions to help you play big:

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

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

COMMENT BELOW:

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

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

Categories
Growth Human Resources Leadership Personal Development

2 Foolproof Ways to Ruin Employee Engagement and Cause Turnover

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

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

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

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

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

Impeccable with Integrity

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

Two Simple Statements Which Are Not Easy

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

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

Hold All Staff Accountable to that Same High Standard

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

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

Simple and Not Easy

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

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

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

Bibliography:

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

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

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

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