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Growth Leadership Personal Development

12 Questions Thriving Leaders Ask Their Team

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

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

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

Henry David Thoreau said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 Questions Thriving Leaders Ask Their Team

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

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

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

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

Voltaire says,

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

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

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

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

YOUR TURN:

  • What is one question you are asking your team each day?
  • What are your best techniques for engaging team members?
Categories
Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Management Negotiations Women In Business

The Best Way To Be a Good Bully Negotiator

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

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

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

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

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

Do You Dance Between the Raindrops?

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

Into everyone’s life, some rain must fall.

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

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

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

What does this have to do with negotiations?

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

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

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

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Project Confidence

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

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

2. Do Your Research

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

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

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

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

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

3. Rehearse Your Opening

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

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

4. Speak in Your Best Voice

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

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

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

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

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

*****

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

Categories
Best Practices Growth Health and Wellness

Sleep Deprivation Kills Productivity in the Workplace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make better use of your brain!

Categories
Growth Personal Development

Too Busy to Write? Use These Shortcuts

You’d love to see your name on the cover of a book. You know that a book is a powerful tool for an executive for building a brand. It not only helps to establish your expertise in your market, but it can also exponentially expand your audience.

There’s virtually no downside to writing a book. Except the time needed to write it. If you don’t consider yourself a writer, you may think the benefits are out of your reach, but even self-avowed non-authors have options or shortcuts.

Outsource. If you want a book that’s in your voice without having to do the work? Hire a ghostwriter. A ghostwriter is a writer who you pay to write for you. These professionals will work with you to create a book that is uniquely yours, and in the end, you’ll have a well-written book with your name on it, all without typing a word. A ghostwriter typically interviews the author and creates the chapters from the transcripts. The ghostwriter puts in all the time to eliminate the dialogue and make the content organized and coherent.

A ghostwriter is the ideal person to work with when you are busy or lack the writing skills to create well-written content. The best time to use a ghostwriter is when you recognize you should be producing more content, but you’ve been putting it off. You’re not sure how to fit one more thing into your life. Working with a ghostwriter will take time, but far less than if you wrote the content from scratch.

Repurpose. This easy and popular option makes use of the hundreds or even thousands of pages of content you’ve already created. You will need to create an outline, organize the content and group it into chapters to create a smooth flow. In the process of doing so, you will see gaps in the material that you’ll need to write.

Blogs, white papers, podcast transcripts, and articles are all material that you can repurpose. I completed 2 books last month that were solely drawn from podcast transcripts and blogs. After my assistant edited out the transcript dialogue it took me less than a day to complete each book.

Dictate. If you are one of the people who finds it easier to talk than write, dictating content may be the right option for you. After organizing your thoughts, you record your content, get it transcribed and then start rearranging and filling in gaps. You can also create a book based on interviews you record, which form the basis of the content you expand upon.

Having a published book can work wonders for your business growth. It will bring you clients, expand your audience reach, and even attract some press. But it can’t do any of that if you don’t write the book in the first place. Take one of these ideas and get your book written. You won’t regret it.

Pat Iyer is a ghostwriter who works with authors to develop materials that share their brilliance. She has written or edited over 800 chapters, books, online courses, case studies or articles. See her website at editingmybook.com or reach her at patriciaiyer@gmail.com.

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

Are You Talking Too Much?

“Talk less and you could learn more. Talk more and you could end up not knowing what’s being talked about at all.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

You talk too much! That could be the thought of someone you converse with. It would mean that you don’t allow that person to exchange her ideas in the conversation, turning what could be a monolog into a dialog. Not only would your actions indicate that what she’s attempting to say is not important, it also states that you believe what you’re saying is so important that it doesn’t require additional input. That can be a serious turnoff when attempting to exchange information. It becomes a more serious problem when two people are in a relationship. Such behavior can be the slow march to the uncoupling of the relationship.

When you’re really interested in someone, display that interest in the way you communicate. That should be done verbally and nonverbally. The nonverbal display can be made by the nodding of your head at appropriate moments, and/or even the sound of a grunt; just be cautious that a grunt is not perceived as a negative disagreement if that’s not your intent.

In order to communicate more effectively with others, you must display the ability to let the other person feel that you’re being attentive to what they’re saying. To do less than that demeans the other person and places you on a pedestal, from which it may be difficult to descend. Even if you do descend, you may have lost the opportunity to gain greater insight per how that person thinks, which could lead to the loss of greater insight from which you could think on a broader perspective.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

When negotiating, the person that speaks the most will tend to give away his negotiation position, and information that might better be kept undisclosed. That information may also be used against him. That’s one reason why good negotiators will ask follow up questions, while great negotiators will answer a question with a question; it’s the latter’s attempt to gather more information.

When engaging in a negotiation, be an astute listener. Listen to what’s said, how it’s said, and listen for what’s missing. Don’t over talk the other negotiator and don’t be so gabby that you miss the opportunity to gather more information. Once you’re adept at listening more and talking less, the more you’ll be able to see and hear what you’re missing in the negotiation. You’ll be able to magically see the other negotiator through a brighter light of transparency. That will leave you in a very powerful negotiation position … and everything will be right with the world.

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 #Bully

Categories
Growth Human Resources Management Skills

Engaged Employees Make Happy Customers

Are your employees engaged?

Shep Hyken sits down with Julie Ann Sullivan, author of Blueprint for Employee Engagement: 37 Essential Elements to Influence, Innovate & Inspire, discussing the impact that engaged employees can make on customers.

Top Takeaways:

  • When employees feel like they are making a contribution to the company, they are going to become problem-solvers and idea-makers.

 

  • When employees feel acknowledged and valued, they exude that to customers. This leads to listening to the customer and showing them that they have value.

 

  • A few of the Essential Elements to Influence, Innovate & Inspire:

 

  1. Communication – Even just one word can change the whole meaning of a sentence.

 

  1. Service – When your job is in customer service, it truly isn’t about you. It’s about the customer. The motive behind service should never be because you have to. The motive should be that you love the company and you want the customer to love it as well.

 

  1. Patience – You may never fully get rid of your impatience. But if you are aware of when you are impatient and can catch yourself, then you can change.

 

  1. Purpose – When people know the purpose behind what they are doing, they can do it much better.

 

  1. Relationships – They grow over time. You don’t meet someone and immediately know them and care for them. Relationships must be nurtured. It’s the same with customers and clients.

 

  1. Leadership – People need to feel, without fear, that they can ask questions. If you have a business culture where people are too afraid to approach the leadership about problems, more mistakes get made. Leaders must be able to let go. They must trust their people and give them the power to do what is right.

 

  1. Respect – You must give it to get it. You can’t just demand it.

 

  1. Gratitude – A little bit goes a long way. The more you are grateful, the more things you find to be grateful for.

About:

Julie Ann Sullivan is the author of Blueprint for Employee Engagement: 37 Essential Elements to Influence, Innovate & Inspire. Julie Ann works with organizations that want to create a workplace environment where people are productive, engaged, and appreciated.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

Quotes:

“Customer service is people to people. If the people who are giving out customer service are not happy, that’s what they’re going to portray to the customer.”

“When you have a good workplace culture, people are more productive. And, they’re more careful in what they do so they make less errors.”

“Customer service is easy when everything is going well. I only know how good a company is when things don’t go well.”

Questions:

  1. How can I engage my employees?
  2. How can I be a better example to my employees?
  3. How can I be more approachable to my employees?
  4. How can I be a better manager?
  5. What can I do about employee turnover?
Categories
Best Practices Marketing Personal Development

Brand Performance Is Determined by Recognition, History, and Placement

Yesterday, we ran into a new brand. Literally! It was on the floor of our local grocery store, right in the middle of the aisle. We had to maneuver our cart around it just to avoid an accident. But, we noticed a new brand in the process! We found out later that it wasn’t selling fast enough after being on the shelf for months, so it was getting closed out and discontinued. And the store knew that making people “trip” on it would help get rid of it—and fast. In other words, people wouldn’t have to be aware of the brand or be on the lookout for it. They’d just inevitably see it. And we did! It worked!

We wondered why that brand builder didn’t introduce his brand with a floor stack display in the first place. Getting yourself into a store is by no means a guarantee of success. In fact, it’s dangerous, because the store is now measuring your brand’s performance, starting with the day your product arrives in the store and ending with the day it leaves checkout. That timeframe is the speed of the “turn.” In other words, it’s how quickly your brand moves in that specific store.

We understand how difficult it is to get on the floor in a new store without recognition and history. That’s why we recommend that brand builders start slow, building a history of rapid growth—even if that growth is in just a few stores. We like to say, in the beginning, don’t sell your product farther than you can drive in a day. Why? Because your brand’s future performance is at stake!

Your Product is Lost on the Shelf. Once you have shelf space, go to that store at least twice a week. Find any reason why your product isn’t selling. You’re up against the clock! Your brand needs the volume in order to validate a display stack. The attention you’ll have to put into just merchandising in these initial stages will prevent brand expansion. But you shouldn’t try to expand until you excel in your first few stores. Through demos, neighborhood events, or in-store sampling, get that store’s customers to buy your brand—quickly! That brand we ran into clearly did not.

Your Reputation Precedes You. After your product flies off the shelf, then you are in a better position to propose a floor display. Even still, you must be persistent and visit the store regularly. Think of it this way—you’re investing in your reputation, even though the merchandising overhead can push you into the negative. You want that specific store to think of your brand as a “hot mover!” And, take note of the display volume sold over the selling period. That is the most important performance report your next retailer will want to see. They will use this to decide whether or not you get into that next store at all, or claim that sought-after floor space. The more floor space, the better the chances your product will sell.

And the Rich Get Richer! After enough effective floor displays, new opportunities will begin to soar. Larger displays from retailers will create heightened brand awareness, quicker brand growth, and of course, more sales. People will see you as a display brand. Unless you can pay large sums for slotting allowances (where legal), you have to earn your way up to this status.

These are only a few reasons why it’s crucial to be a big hit in a small place right off the bat, and double up on your incremental achievements. Happy selling!

For more, read on: http://csnetworkadvis.staging.wpengine.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Women In Business

Without Focus Your Team Will Fail (So Will You)

I can tell a lot about the leadership and culture of an organization just by mingling with the employees. What I often witness is an unintended disconnect between what leadership thinks employees are focusing on, versus what they are. As a result, employees are overwhelmed. They feel overworked and under appreciated as they run frantically on a daily hamster wheel chasing orders they’ve received by leadership.

Leaders, on the other hand, rarely see themselves as the problem. Instead, they get frustrated with employees who don’t make progress, aren’t productive or producing results. Leaders lose hope when their teams frequently ask for deadline extensions or say the work simply cannot be done.

Does this scenario sound familiar to you?

What many leaders are guilty of is initially setting priorities, and then derailing team focus by tossing out non-priority related requests throughout each day. It’s not that any leader wants to see their team fail. They just don’t recognize the frequency of their non-priority requests and the amount of time it can steal attention away from employees’ top goals.

If you want to succeed, you must set your team up for success. The only way to do that is to focus your attention on what matters most, then using this as the filter for all decisions and delegation requests thereon.

Here are 5 ways you can help your team maintain focus, boost productivity, increase engagement and boost profits.

1. Establish a non-negotiable set of goals. Whether it’s each day, week, month or quarter, meet with your team and cover the non-negotiable goals that must be reached for success to occur. Create priorities and tasks necessary to accomplish those goals.

2. Communicate frequently. Remind your employees frequently of the goals you agreed up as a team. Challenge each and everyone of them to use those goals as personal filters for their own work and focus.

3. Empower employees to Say ‘No.’ Employees want to please their boss. They want to pursue solutions to areas of stress and ease the burden of leadership. Their natural need to please can easily derail them from priorities and can make them a target for others to steal focus. Empower and implore your team to say ‘no’ to any requests of their time that don’t directly align with the goals and priorities set. That means even empowering them to say ‘no’ to YOU!

4. Be mindful of your requests. Ever sent an employee an email that started out by saying “Wouldn’t it be great if….” Stop it, now. This is where employees get derailed in their focus and lose time and attention on what matters most. Remember their need to please? Well, if you are tossing out great ideas or concepts without filtering them through your agreed upon priorities, your employees will consider this to be a delegation, not a simple conversation. They will stop what they are working on to pursue an answer for you. Before suggesting or asking anything of your team members, ask yourself if the requests falls square in line with the priorities.

5. Stop messaging them after work. Nothing will burn employees out faster than a non-stop barrage of emails, texts and calls after work hours. Give them the break they deserve. Let them focus on friends, family, home life, fitness, and whatever else matters to them personally. Discourage them from checking work-related emails after hours and encourage their personal priorities. Permit them to rest. In turn, you’ll have a more engaged, well-centered team the next business day.

Company culture and tone starts with you. If you want a well-balanced team who is engaged, positive and productive, start by concentrating your attention on what matters most. They, in turn, will do the same. Together, you can achieve deadlines, establish boundaries and create a happier, more productive and profitable organization.