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Author: C-Suite Network

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Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development

Belle’s World – Personal Relationships

Original Prompt published on July 16, 2017 on Belle’s World.

Do your personal relationships affect your business success?

If you were to look at the world of business, many successful executives have business coaches. Business coaches focus on helping a leader become more charismatic, lead better, manage people or situations better and even become self-aware of themselves (a small list.)  I’ve had multiple business coaches, in my career and they have supported me in very specific situations. Over time they helped me manage my emotions, the process of dealing with the situation and making me a better business woman.  In all instances, they delved into my personal life, personality and way of thinking based on my experiences.

My first business coach spent more time on my personal life than on the business situation. I only had three sessions with my first business coach (Brandon) but our conversation Day 1 became a turning point for where I am today. Brandon was a year ahead of me in B-School and came back after he graduated to coach students still in the MBA program.  I started talking about my aspirations of becoming a Fortune 100 CMO one day.  On paper – I was on track – I had 4 years of marketing and branding experience at a Fortune 200 company and additionally, had 1.5 years with a top 10 global advertising agency.  However, within 10 minutes he started asking me about my life – my personal life. At the time, I was living with my, to be second husband and dealing with hiding it from my parents.  I was struggling with opening myself up to my parents about a large piece of my life and yet was living as the dutiful daughter completing her MBA and going on to bigger and better things.  Emotionally I was all over the place and my coach could see that in the first 10 minutes.  He started taking me down a path of helping me understand, that I was shouldering a lot of emotional responsibility for multiple people.  He described it to me as a 2 story burning house. I could only save one person at a time including myself.   My decision on who I saved wasn’t based on the fact that I did love or didn’t love the people in my life.  However, he was trying to show me that burning house was my constant, in my everyday life and at some point would burn me.  He gave me the example because my emotional dial was always burning and I wasn’t putting any emotional effort into what I wanted. If I wanted to be successful at business, I was going to have to learn to be honest, with those around me that I loved and additionally, with myself.  Over the next two sessions, I started making progress on mentally understanding the path I needed to take to get myself in a good place to be the business woman I wanted to be.  The self-awareness process took about 5 years including a second divorce, multiple promotions and eventually leaving the corporate world 3 years ago.  The business success of multiple promotions happened when I truly remember starting to own my personal emotional health and it opened myself to becoming a better employee and leader.  If you get a chance check out Brandon Smith who was my first business coach and made the biggest business impact on my life by focusing on my personal side.

My second business coach was given to me as a reward for dealing with a very intense personnel issue at work.  I was leading a project to get data and evidence that a leader in our organization had committed fraud with the company and additionally was not doing any work.  The individual and I had a good relationship because they didn’t like conflict.  However, I had to change my personality to be strong about the situation and collect the information and yet keep a civil attitude in the situation.  After the situation was taken care of, the company provided me a business coach, to groom me for the next level in my career. About halfway through our first meeting, my coach had somehow come to the topic of my second divorce, which had just happened, in the 6 months prior to this incident.  She realized there were still some lingering emotions and conflicts that I was dealing with personally that were not allowing me to take my current job to the next level.  Over the next six months we spent 50% of our time talking through and giving me homework on managing my emotional baggage and 50% of the time setting a specific goal for my role.  To be honest, I spent more time on working through my personal stuff which in turn helped me exceed my professional goal we had set.

Over the years, I have met very successful business people and when we meet, we don’t talk about business.  We talk about life – their families, their travels, their fears and other vulnerabilities that they don’t want to talk to others about.  With me, I show them that I value my personal world as much if not much more than my business world even though I am an ambitious business woman.  However, I give them stories on how each time I dealt with personal issues (whether relationships, money, love, family, health etc) that allowed me to take my business career up one level because of the lessons I learned from dealing with the issue, having honest conversations and processing the emotions that came out of it. The stories are based on a current issue that they are facing. Every time life throws a lemon, I try to make a stiff lemonade that will take me through an array of emotions and may not be the easiest thing to deal with (hence a stiff lemonade.)

So today, I work with business executives to understand their personal lives – the trials and tribulations they are going through.  Understanding what are the hidden fear or issues they are dealing with that they don’t want to speak to others about, for fear of looking like they don’t have it together.  I give them a safe space to unleash what’s in their mind by using me as a sounding board that gives no judgment but helps them become accountable for their thoughts and actions.  I take them out of their comfort zone for a while so they can dig deep into what they truly want and how they want to move forward in their lives.  All the self reflection and hyper awareness makes them cognizant of their actions and behavior in the business world allowing them to take themselves up a notch so they are not dealing with a burning house in the background but instead hearing the birds sing as they move forward.

So why do many executives roll their eyes when a life guide / coach comes to them to prioritize their personal life which in turn will make them better leaders / business person? 

 

Welcome to Belle’s world. Everything in this world is based on a bell curve. Our media concentrates on giving advice to make everyone be a part of the masses.

This is a weekly series of Urvi’s insights on her perception of the world. They say perception is reality and she lives in her own fantasy world. This allows her to delve into the human element of our lives, helping individuals decipher their own souls, to understand, who they are and what they want, in the journey of life.

Belle’s world explores the extremes and goes beyond the surface. Ready to read about some of the “elephants in the room?”

Contact urvi, for a free, 30 minute consultation, if you want to build your emotional wealth and enhance your life based on your inner core. #thehumanelement

Categories
Growth Personal Development Women In Business

Women Executives, Leaping from C-Suite Executive to Entrepreneur

Have you been thinking about making a leap from C-suite executive to entrepreneur? There are many women executives that are working hard to help make someone else’s dreams a reality. Although many people want to make the change from C-suite to entrepreneur, it’s sometimes a lot easier said than done. Yes, you already have a good, steady job, and feel as though it’s not worth the risk. However, you should ask yourself one question. “Does this feel like the reward I have been longing for?”

Unfortunately, the professional road for women isn’t always easy. Most women have to put in twice the effort. This is especially true for women that are looking to start their own business. As a matter of fact, you may find yourself worrying about that hour of sleep you’ll be losing reading this. Although our road to success is often littered with potholes, that doesn’t mean we can’t switch lanes to avoid them, and be unstoppable together. There are many women that have traveled down this road before you, and there are many women that are willing to give you some much needed advice.

As I mentioned before, making the leap from C-suite to entrepreneur doesn’t always come easy. So any concerns you may have are completely understandable, and normal. However, you have to keep reminding yourself that these fears and hurdles are manageable. Don’t scare yourself out of achieving your goals. There are a lot of excuses that can come between you and your dreams. However, before you overcome your fears, you have to identify them. Some of the most common concerns most aspiring entrepreneurs have include:

  • Fear of losing a steady a paycheck
  • A lack of knowledge and skills
  • The ability to get the job done and succeed
  • And considering all the hard work that women executives put in to be in a high level position, a fear of losing your professional status

Once you have identified your fears, it will be easier for you to push through and overcome them. Yes, it will be a challenge. Yes, there will be hurdles, and no, it won’t always be easy. You will have to work hard and be focused. As women, we’re used to working overtime to reach our goals. Make sure you keep that in mind when you’re having doubts. You are more capable then you think. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a women executive, so there is no question that you can do this. Remember when you succeed you help open a door for another woman striving to reach their goals. This five-step formula will help you conquer your fears so that we can be unstoppable together.

  1. Process

There are a lot of people that think a change implies that you’re trying to fix something that wasn’t doing well. However, the reality is that change represents growth and progression. In fact, you can’t run a long lasting business without making a change here and there. Everything is a process when you’re going from C-suite to entrepreneur. First you have to have a vision, because without a vision you have nothing. Learn how to use your competitive nature to your advantage with promotions and proposals. Your ending goal should always be to turn each client into a lifelong business relationship. Every successful business has a process, and over time you will learn how to create your own system.

  1. Position

Women executives that are leaping into entrepreneurship have to position themselves for success. Positioning yourself the right way can be a game changer. If you stay focused on what is most effective for you, you will learn the fundamentals of becoming an unstoppable DIVA. Learn how to research your market effectively, and get to know your clients a little deeper. Use your credibility as leverage with strategic alliances, and become an expert in your field.

  1. Package

Professional, successful businesses always create nice packaging for their clients. You have to learn how to be crafty and unique with your packaging ideas. You can also use this to practice your competitive edge. You’ll obviously have to create a product or service to market before you can package anything. Both your product and your packaging should be desirable, irresistible, and they should have a high value within your market. You can use platforms like YouTube, TV, radio, and social media to learn all you can about packaging.

  1. Promotion

At this point, you’ll have a clear message that you can introduce to the world and start to become the unstoppable DIVA that you were meant to be. You can use social proof of your credibility to help you become newsworthy. Make sales and promotions clear when you present proposals. Engaging with others will help you, and your business achieve more. You will be unstoppable together.

  1. Performance

Always make sure you have good budgeting and financial planning practices. Implement performance reviews in every aspect of your business as it accelerates. Remember, accountability is everything and without it, your business will start to crumble. Your training should always be ongoing. Learn, engage, and you will always achieve more. If you follow these 5 steps you will become the unstoppable DIVA that you’ve always aspired to become.

 

Be Unstoppable Together,

Connie Pheiff,

Unstoppable DIVA

Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post? Want to know how to apply them, or how to help others with them? If so, contact me at connie@pheiffgroup.com or CLICK HERE to schedule a 20-minute discovery call to discuss with you personally.

Categories
Best Practices Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development

You May Not Be As Influential As You Think Are

Click here to watch You May Not Be As Influential As You Think You Are

Today’s fast-paced business environment requires leaders who can create influence others with sound communication practices.  In today’s world of emails and text messages, it’s easy to overlook the importance of face-to-face communication and the discipline required to be influential Monday to Monday®.

How you deliver determines whether or not others see you as credible, knowledgeable and trustworthy. Without doing this effectively, you inhibit your potential to: influence, increase profits and build a reputation you’re proud of Monday to Monday®.

Message take-aways

  • What influence is and what it is not.
  • What it means and takes to be influential Monday to Monday®
  • Sabotaging your influence without knowing it
  • What are the misperceptions of influence?

Categories
Growth Human Resources Leadership Skills

Belle’s World – Age

Original Prompt published on July 15, 2017 on Belle’s World.

Age is something we don’t really talk about. So my question is why?

As our cultural paradigms are shifting, individuals are redefining what age really means.  When people tell me, I look young or they mention an age much younger than my age, I used to feel frustrated. Today, I take it as a compliment and very proudly announce I am 40 years old and at the tail end of the X-Generation.

Why is it important for me to let someone know my age?  It’s important because if someone assumes I am much younger they are not giving me credit for the experience (professional and life) that I bring to the table.  I appreciate the world giving me the compliment of being youthful but I also want to be known for my knowledge and the impact I can make.

Each age brings something to the table and we should appreciate the individual, for their life journey and what they offer rather than having a bias on age.  It’s important for us to engage the benefits of being in a certain generation based on age.

Millennials were brought up with technology and are adept at learning to use them and make things efficient or easier through it.  They spend much of their time interacting with each other through their devices and have always had information overload since they were children.  Millennials worry about the generation coming after them, that have had technology in their hands since they were born.  Let’s utilize the Millennials ability to be comfortable with technology to teach other generations especially boomers how to make it useful in their lives.  They may not have as much life experience but they are the driving force of how we interact with technology going forward and how most businesses are transforming to engage with them as consumers.

The X – Generation created many of the technologies that were the forefront of our technology acceleration today.  They are the conduit between technology and the human element of still interacting with people to build relationships.  They have 20 – 30 years of business experience and are able to translate much of the technology paradigm shifts along with cultural paradigm shifts.  They are going through an awakening of understanding they have a much longer life span and are still not in the prime of their lives like they expected to be.  They are sandwiched between the Millennials and Boomers and are quietly trying to transform how we live, work and play while the media focuses on the outer generations.

Boomers have experience and have built relationships over many years.  They also are living longer and healthier lives.  Retirement as it once stood has been turned on its head and many boomers are continuing to work because they enjoy it and not necessarily because they need to.  They have been doing it for so many years that it’s become a part of who they are and it continues to motivate them to enjoy their life journey.  The Boomer generation didn’t grow up with the technology, but many of them are very open to learning it and have adopted it as part of their life.  It’s key to remember that adopting technology takes a mental shift and those Boomers who are adapting are critical to our changing lifestyles.  If we have an open mind that they are more than just “old” people we could be utilizing their experience and loyalty to help move us forward.

Lastly, the silent generation, who aren’t around much but those that are live their life and are proud of how far they have come and truly appreciate the people in their life.  If we all have something to learn, it is to understand what really matters in the long run. The one main idea they all resonate with are the experiences and people in their life matter today.  The work, the money, the success are all part of the journey but they are not what brings them to happiness today.

Be proud of your age / generation and what you bring to the table.  There are no rules anymore of what you should be doing or how you should look at your age.  Own this valuable piece of your life journey and let others know what you can do to make an impact on their organization or in life.

 

Welcome to Belle’s world. Everything in this world is based on a bell curve. Our media concentrates on giving advice to make everyone be a part of the masses.

This is a weekly series of Urvi’s insights on her perception of the world. They say perception is reality and she lives in her own fantasy world. This allows her to delve into the human element of our lives, helping individuals decipher their own souls, to understand, who they are and what they want, in the journey of life.

Belle’s world explores the extremes and goes beyond the surface. Ready to read about some of the “elephants in the room?”

 

Contact urvi, for a free, 30 minute consultation, if you want to build your emotional wealth and enhance your life based on your inner core. #thehumanelement

Categories
Entrepreneurship Personal Development Women In Business

How Did Eight Senior VPS Perform Against All Odds

Companies large and small have an opportunity to create a culture of success from looking at the lens of the employee.

Case Study

My business success and acumen presented me the opportunity to be the CEO of Girl Scouts. It was a position I will cherish forever. As CEO, my responsibility was to serve our staff, board members, girl and Adult membership. Girl Scouts is an organization to serve every girl everywhere. However, competition was growing fierce and girls were seeking other opportunities ~ opportunities that would compete with the Girl Scout programs.

Stakeholders were concerned with the loss of girl membership and quality of programs. Being the CEO allowed me to use my skill of Emotional Engagement; which means getting people to ‘want’ to do something. People don’t want to be told what to do. People in general ‘want’ to do what is right for the organization.

The culture was clear, the Girl Scout organization has a mission to serve the girls~ it’s not what’s in it for the organization… it’s what we can do for our members.

The outcome of the year was unexpected. As this was the year the Girl Scouts would realign its boundaries. The leadership team was under pressure to perform knowing that at the end of the year each would be re-applying for their position, myself included. That didn’t hold them back. A clear path was set, each were determined to work side-by-side to get the job done.

Creating a culture of Emotional Engagement was the strongest it had been in years. The council ended the year exceeding the membership goal by 86%, the number of Gold Award participants and individual Scout awards increased by 48% and philanthropy giving increased by 42%. The board grew in size while gaining members of influence and staff-rating scores set a record high because of the advocacy, pride, and enjoyment of the job. The organization flourished because the culture of emotional engagement flourished from the Camp Staff to the Board of Directors.

 

Be Unstoppable Together

Connie Pheiff, Unstoppable DIVA

 

Do you have questions or comments about the content in today’s post; want to know how to apply Emotional Engagement in your business, or how to help others grow a successful business? If so, contact me at connie@pheiffgroup.com or <CLICK HERE> to schedule a 20-minute discovery call to discuss with you personally.

Categories
Entrepreneurship Leadership Marketing Personal Development

Use Podcasting to Share Your Story

These days, you can’t run a successful business and be in a position of leadership without being connected to the online world. However, getting your business started online isn’t always easy. Just knowing where to start can be a challenge. It can be overwhelming and confusing, but you don’t have to do this alone. Podcasting is a great way to get your name out there and share your story, services, and even your products online. There are a lot of podcasts that cater to women in leadership and entrepreneurs. I know, this may sound a bit challenging for someone who’s not sure how to even get themselves started online, but don’t worry you’re in the right place. Here are 5 steps that will help you get booked on a podcast so you can share your story with listeners.

  • Identifying The Podcast That’s Right for You
    • The first thing you have to do is identify the podcast that will be right for you. Knowing which podcast is right for you is probably a lot simpler than you think. All you have to do is figure out what your demographic is. For example; If you are in a c-suite position, you should find a podcast that caters to people in high level positions like yours. If you’re an entrepreneur striving towards leadership and success, you’ll want to find a pod cast that focuses on entrepreneurs.
  • Make Sure You Do Research
    • After you have found a podcast that suits your agenda, make sure you do some research. Find out how many listeners the podcast has on average, listen to a few of the podcasts to make sure it’s a right fit, and make sure you are dealing with professionals. If you’re booked by a podcast that has unprofessional hosts with no experience, you will not be helping your business or cause at all. In fact, it can even do damage to your credibility.
    • You should also see what kind of topics the podcasts that you research covers. Up or Out with Connie is a podcast on the C-suite network that often covers topics surrounding both entrepreneurs and people that work in high level C-suit positions. It’s perfect for someone that is looking to go from C-Suite, to successful entrepreneur.
  • Devise A Plan
    • Before you can approach a podcast about sharing your story you’ll have to devise a plan. Think of what you would like to talk about on the podcast, and how you would like everything you say to come across to listeners. Figure out what your key points are as well. After you have done that, work on putting your plan on paper. You should also plan how you’re going to approach the podcast about sharing your story. Believe it or not, you may even be able to get some good advice about this listening to Up or Out with Connie. She’s all about lifting up women in leadership, and helping them to grow.
  • Reach Out
    • Now that you have done some research, devised a plan, and found the podcast that’s right for you, it’s time to reach out. Contact the podcast that you believe would be a good platform to tell your story. You can send them an e-mail or message with your plan attached. Remember, it’s not a marriage. You don’t have to stick to one podcast – so don’t get discouraged if someone turns you down. It’s always good to have a few prospects.
  • Crush It
    • Don’t underestimate the benefits of telling your story on the right podcast. If you don’t practice and don’t have everything together it can damage your bottom line. So make sure you study your plan, have some things memorized (especially your key points), and speak clearly. Don’t be shy either. If you show up with confidence it will show strong leadership skills, and you are guaranteed to get your point across to their listeners.

 

Be Unstoppable Together!

 

Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post? Want to know how to apply them, or how to help others with them? If so, contact me at connie@pheiffgroup.com or CLICK HERE to schedule a 20-minute discovery call to discuss with you personally.

Categories
Best Practices Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development

Eve of Disruption – Future of Work – People

Are you providing the environment and support for your employees to be ready for the changing environment of the Future of Work?

Last week, I wrote about the high level impacts and components that are impacting the future of work.  This week, we will explore your employees, that are following the path to have a stable work career but are being affected by the rapid change in the way we live, work and play.

Life expectancy is growing at a rapid rate with health and technological advances.  For the boomers and many in the X-generation, the path forward was having one career, in a specific function or company which was very linear.  However, the work environment and how individuals think have changed the trajectory of what a career looks like.  As a leader, you adapt to change through your own motivations and drive to sustain and move your company forward. This mindset is not shared by most of your employees or staff.  They are there for a stable JOB to support their families and lifestyles.  As a leader, as change happens and employees no longer have the skill(s) set to run your company, you displace them. The impact on these individuals is devastating, emotionally and financially.  These employees were taught to do good work and stay in one place to provide continuity for their companies and stability for themselves.

These employees have developed a loyalty to your company, as each year goes by.  They also get comfortable with the status quo and are probably the least adaptable to change.  Their engagement is high if you don’t make massive changes but they are also the biggest dissenters as they feel the pressure of their little world crumbling away.  However, leaders need to think about keeping them and engaging them as they move forward.  Loyalty is something you can’t buy through a paycheck.  It happens over time through years of working, in a company, that supports the employee’s motivations for working. Relationships solidify the loyalty through understanding the individual and stability over the years.  As we know, in today’s day and age, the younger generation does not stay in one company or job very long and they are in fact, guided to have multiple experiences, so they are well rounded.  The boomers and X-generations were always taught to be in one place otherwise you don’t have the ability to follow through and be a good worker.  So, they put their heads down and stuck around and in turn became complacent. However, many of them are still great workers but don’t have the motivation or understanding of how to change to keep up with the times.  They are soft wired in how they think and you have the ability to impact their mindset.

In high school and college, we had school counselors who helped us navigate our skill sets, likes and subjects.  We would take tests to understand what we were good at and what subjects we would need to take to have certain types of jobs.  This counselor was separate from the person in the main office that would deal with school issues, attendance, etc.  Their sole purpose was to help guide us as we took a step forward on our path (not all of them were good!)   As we adapt to the future of work, we need to look at the structure of our companies and make some drastic changes.  Now, everything to deal with an employee sits in HR.  However, HR has become a very process driven organization versus a human driven organization.  Due to the nature of laws, there are so many policies in place that everyone becomes a box and can’t bring their entire self to the organization. (This is a whole other topic for another day.)   There is no one in HR or a company, that truly works with individual employees to look at the future of their career in a company and helps them adapt.

Companies should be creating a new department with work counselors.  Their sole purpose is to work with employees as movement happens in the market and therefore inside the company.  The counselors work with individual employees to understand what skill sets they currently have and match them to future roles.  In the meantime, as new roles are being created these employees are trained by the company with the support of keeping their job if they can adapt, to their new stability.  This allows the loyal and experienced employee to continually be engaged with the company and not miss a beat.  This creates a deeper sense of purpose for the individual and provides the benefit of prior knowledge and a cost savings to the company.  Instead of spending the money looking externally for the skill set you build the skill set in house with the right employees that you can train to do new and different jobs based on their prior skill set and personality.  Employees want their employers to support this on their journey versus going about it alone. As business leaders, we know the change is coming and need to bring the human element to our employees.  Employees are beginning to understand their own paths and if a company can support them in their journey they will benefit.  Take advantage of loyalty, experience, cost savings and a powerhouse of knowledge right in your backyard to move your company forward as the future of work manifests for each of us.

What programs and processes do you have in place to help support navigating your employees to the future?

 

Eve of Disruption – A weekly series depicting what the future fabric of our society could look like and ideas that could propel your company forward. There is a changing paradigm in how we live, work and play. Are you and your organization moving with the times and adapting to the massive and rapid changes happening right now? The Eve of Disruption looks at ideas that could be 5 – 10 years in the future but most likely will happen in the blink of an eye.

Contact Urvi for a free 30 minute consultation to see how she could infuse the innovation mindset into your organization and help you move to the future.

#jointhejourney

Categories
Best Practices Economics Growth Leadership Personal Development

Eve of Disruption – Future of Work

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words “FUTURE OF WORK?”

I recently went to a well curated panel event hosted by The Freelancers Conference on the topic of “Future of work.”  The first thought in one of the panelists was fear.  Fear of what is going to happen and how do we go through the change and accept it.  There was fear that “robots” (technology) would replace entry level jobs. There was fear of the implications of remote working on infrastructure if people didn’t drive to work on a normal basis.  There was fear of what does career mean versus work.  There was fear on how the continued interaction between all the generations in the work force will affect the “stability” of what is work today.  With the entry of the millennial into the workforce and the proliferation of technology (social media, phones) there has been a shift in the path, individuals are taking for their career.  For those in the Gen-X generation and older, we were taught to go to college, maybe get a graduate degree, get a corporate job, go up the ladder and on the way get married, have children, buy a house and car.  This would bring about stability so we could retire and enjoy life when we were “older.”

The world has changed since we have grown up and the future of work is definitely in a different place.  Between 1975 and 2015, life expectancy at birth increased from 72.6 to 78.8 years for the total U.S. population. We are living longer for multiple reasons including better: health systems, infrastructure, food sources etc.  It also means that we have a longer span to support our lifestyles and many people are not retiring to just live out the rest of their lives and have fun. The boomer generation is not retiring  as we expected and the millennial generation is entering the workforce at the same time making a paradigm shift on how work should be done and what matters.   Millennials are driving the notion that work should be purpose driven. They want to have experiences in their life now. We have generations in the workforce who didn’t expect to be working past retirement or having multiple careers.  On the flip side you have generations coming into the workforce who know they will have longer lives and be working multiple jobs throughout their lives.  The definition of career versus work has changed dramatically and means different things to every person.

This trend is showing that more people are thinking about their individual path in the scheme of helping our world survive as we go through these massive changes.  As business people we are digitizing individualization through social media, technology such as AI and big data to see products and services.  These technologies also change how people conduct their own work.  Technology will make it easier to do many jobs in a more efficient manner.  Interestingly, many companies are cropping up to help corporations focus on their “employees” (stated loosely as it could include freelancers etc).  However, if you go into many large corporations they still struggle providing the same environment inside their business as their employees are living outside.  A large Fortune 10 company based in a small town wants to be the retailer of the future.  Yet Airbnb, Uber and other tech companies in the sharing economy are still “new” fangled companies in 2017.  If your employees are not experiencing or researching the end customer, you won’t be able to keep up with the times and you will also lose employees very quickly as opportunity to be engaged and grow is everywhere.

The trust level between employees and employers is starting to deteriorate and that will be one of the many downfalls of the current system. Individuals are beginning to realize they have more freedom in their lifestyles as freelancers and the numbers are growing rapidly, to 1/3 of the American workforce.  This changes the dynamic of businesses who are hiring individuals who want to work remotely, don’t really care for employee benefits or the physical spaces in offices.  This will change how office space is designed and how HR processes are managed.  Yet, these individuals want to be seen as people and the human element comes into play.  When we are taught that scale drives business and revenues, it will get harder to engage employees for the individual mindsets that they bring to the table.

There are lots of aspects of the future of work that are being worked on by many different groups right now.  There are businesses that help executives understand their new workforce which is multi-generational, diverse and has a new mindset on the future.  Other companies help businesses to design their future physical space and separately companies who help create the technology infrastructure to manage remote employees.  Focusing on individualization of employees is going to be critical as we move forward and new ways of doing business come about.  Laws, retirement age, work hours, work ethics, rules, HR processes, physical space, city infrastructure, products and services are just the tip of the iceberg on what will change as we move forward.

What does Future of Work mean to you as an individual and what changes do you see right now?

 

Welcome to the Eve of Disruption. A weekly series depicting what the future fabric of our society could look like. There is a changing paradigm in how we live, work and play. Are you and your organization moving with the times and adapting to the massive and rapid changes happening right now? The Eve of Disruption looks at ideas that could be 5 – 10 years in the future but most likely will happen in the blink of an eye. #jointhejourney

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Entrepreneurship Personal Development Women In Business

The 2 Things You Must Look For in a Mentor

I was at a crossroads. My social media agency was just a couple years old and I was struggling on what steps to take next. Should I double down on my investments and expand? Should I slow down and take time to learn. How should I handle the issues in my marriage and parenting that the business growth was causing. I decided to look for a mentor. But, I had no idea how to find one and what type of person to look for. In the end, I found two incredible mentors, both of which I’ve had meaningful relationships with for the past 6 years and I learned there are two things you must look for in a mentor.

First, find a mentor who works the way you want to work.

I found my first mentor, Tom Niesen, in my Vistage group. Vistage is an amazing group for CEO’s where you are surrounded by your peers to discuss your success, failure and needed learnings both personally and professionally. Over the months, I couldn’t help but be impressed. Tom is the CEO of Acuity Systems and often talked about how he groomed his employees and ways to bonus them in that truly meant something to them personally. Tom owns Acuity as well as a few other companies (including a coffee company in Hawaii, because he loves coffee). He takes 8 weeks of vacation a year and actually unplugs from work to enjoy them. Tom has been married forever and has an amazing and loving family. When I saw Tom speak, I thought he was captivating and engaging. I realized I wanted to work more like Tom. I don’t think I ever asked Tom to be my official mentor but over the years I’ve watched him and modeled some of my behaviors after him. When I have questions or want an opinion I respect, I ask to see him and he always guides me in the most honest way he can. Plus, the guy is just hilarious. One of my proudest moments is when my administrative specialist, Brisa Castillo, outgrew the opportunities at my company and left to pursue other options. She later went on to work for Tom, where she is flourishing.

Second, find someone who lives the way you want to live.

When I began to search for my next mentor, I decided I wanted to find a woman CEO/Owner who was married had children. I used LinkedIn and struck gold. When I found Lois Melbourne, the the CEO/Owner of Aquire, I was a bit awestruck. She was doing what I was doing, but on a much larger scale! I reached out to her through LinkedIn and Lois could not have been more kind. She agreed to meet me for lunch to see if we would be compatible for a mentorship. We got along famously and scheduled regular lunches where I was able to pick her brain for an incredibly valuable hour. Lois has mentored me for years and still does today. I’ve watched her navigate the sale of her company, successfully working with her husband, raising her son who is now a teenager, building the most beautiful house I’ve even seen, publishing her first children’s books and now starting a nonprofit. Lois is an incredibly busy woman who never turns me away when I need help or advice about divorce, work, parenting, being a woman executive, selling a company and searching for what fulfills me.

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Entrepreneurship Personal Development Women In Business

Be The Boss of You

Be The Boss of You

Before you are truly ready for a position of leadership, you must first learn to be the boss of yourself. Now that may sound silly to some people, but how can you be the boss of anyone or anything, if you don’t even know how to be a good leader to yourself? Being a good, successful leader is something that starts with you. Passive people that have no discipline are usually never successful, and if they do get a taste of success, it won’t last very long.

You have to be bold enough to be persistent, even when others are trying to stop you, and you have to be strong enough to pick yourself back up when you fail. Arianna Huffington once said, “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes… Understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” Does her name sound familiar to you? That’s because Arianna Huffington is the editor-in-chief of the AOL/Huffington Post. She is also the President of a company called the Huffington Post Media Group, which has 12 international editions.

Although this unstoppable DIVA is now one of the most successful businesswomen in the U.S., it wasn’t always like this. Arianna has had many failures and ups and downs on her road to success. She stayed committed and found the strength to learn from her failures. She used her failures as a tool to learn, grow, and achieve success. Do you think Arianna Huffington would be where she is now, if she had no discipline, and allowed her failures to hinder her? Absolutely not! Through personal development, she acquired the demeanor of an unstoppable boss, picked herself up, and carried on.

Pamela Nicholson is the CEO and President of the largest car rental company in the United States called, Enterprise. She is one of the most powerful business women in the U.S. Pamela was only a management trainee when she first began her career with Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 1981. Through hard work and dedication, Pamela climbed her way to the top. She stayed persistent, which enabled her to keep climbing the corporate ladder until she became the first CEO and President that is not related to the founding family of the company. She is also the first female CEO and President that Enterprise has ever had.

What do these women have in common? They both have fought their way to the top, and never doubted their ability to succeed. It takes a lot of personal development to climb the corporate ladder all the way to leadership. To become a high-ranking leader, you have to have discipline. You have to be able to take constructive criticism, accept occasional failure along the way, and grow from it. The truth is, you have to have the mindset of a leader first, before you can truly lead others. Personal growth should be continuous on your road to success.

You have to learn to be the boss of you, before you can be the boss of others. The best way to start acquiring the mindset of someone who is ready for leadership is to listen to the advice of others that have already achieved success in their careers. Up or Out with Connie is an inspirational podcast show that can help you on your path to success. Connie Pheiff is an unstoppable DIVA. She is a best-selling author, a successful motivational speaker, the chair of “The Pheiff Group”, and she is also the host of the popular podcast show Up or Out with Connie. This show is a breeding ground for personal development, and will help you understand that you are the boss of your own destiny.

 

Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post? Want to know how to apply them, or how to help others with them? If so, contact me at connie@pheiffgroup.com or CLICK HERE to schedule a 20-minute discovery call to discuss with you personally.