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Growth Health and Wellness Leadership

Are You Working on Survival Mode?

Most of the time, when I ask someone why they don’t drink enough water every day, the answer is… because I don’t have time to go to the bathroom. Wait… you are thirsty and you know you are getting dehydrated, but you still don’t drink any water?

What is the problem here?

The problem is not the water, the water is just the symptom. The problem is time. Our relationship with time is… complicated. In our busy modern lives, time is the new currency and we cut corners to save time. We multi-task and juggle as much as possible on our to-do list and we try to do it in less time, but I think you and I can agree, it is not working. We don’t get more done it just feels that way. And we are more busy than ever and when we look back on the day, we might wonder, where did the time go and how much progress did we make?

What does water have to do with it?

A lot actually. Because when we are dehydrated we don’t think as well; we lose focus and attention faster, we get more easily overwhelmed and we might even find ourselves more confused. You might also be more irritable and impatient. Yup… Next time you are in a meeting with an impatient, slightly passive aggressive person, pass them a glass of water and see if it helps.

When we are running low on water, our most basic and essential inner fuel, our bodies think we are under survival stress. Your body does not know that there is water in the faucet just around the corner from your office, your body thinks you are in the middle of nowhere and you have not yet found water, so it will try to preserve its energy and keep you from using it, by slowing things down until you find a waterhole again. Because why else would you starve yourself from what keeps you going right…?

When you are on survival-mode, your hormones run the show. Actually, your hormones always run the show, but when you are smart about your fuel, essentially you are the master of your hormones. When you are on survival mode your hormones take over, because their job is to save you from extinction. At the office that means your hormones are trying to save you from yourself. Or rather from your work which is keeping you from pausing for things like water and toilet-breaks. So in a round-about-way you are just working against yourself.

The time you spend, is time saved.

When it comes to self-care, and probably many other things in life, we save time at the end, when we spend some time up front. With self-care it works this way: the more you take care of your essential foundational needs for water, food and sleep, the more you optimize your human performance. It is really pretty simple, so simple that we don’t do it.

And yes, being dehydrated is not going to save you time, it makes you spend more time getting things done, because you are not focused. More time solving issues in meetings, because you are overwhelmed and cannot think straight. And simply being in-effective because you have to comeback to the same task over and over, because you lose your attention. Survival-mode will do that to you. And maybe all you needed was some water through out the day and a couple of 10 min. toilet-break here and there, and you could have saved yourself hours of being unproductive, unfocused, and unhinged. So instead, go drink some water and see how it makes you feel. You might just realize it is the quick-fix to unstressing, getting more work done, and the foundation for you performing at your best. As a CEO told me the other day, “I was having a hard time focusing and I felt tired before my meeting, then I drank a whole bottle of water and I felt fine again, I was ready for my meeting right away.”

Now go drink some water! And take a pause to enjoy it as well.

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

Are You Afraid Of Achieving More In Your Life?

“Greater achievement starts with the right mindset. To acquire the right mindset, build on your past achievements.” –Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Do you lack the confidence to become bigger, better? If so, do you really know what’s holding you back? The answer is, you!

Some people are so comfortable in their life, they forget to grow. They forget, the same attitude that allowed them to grow is the same attitude they can build on to continue that growth. Do you remember that attitude, what that mindset was, for you?

As long as you’re alive, you should continuously explore the outer reaches of your grasp. That’s the way that you continue to grow.

Don’t let your current lack of drive be the inertia that prevents you from moving to higher levels. You’ll only climb as high as you think you can go, and you’ll never know how high that is until you attempt to go higher.

So, when it comes to moving higher, move higher. First, start the process in your mind. Then, put your thoughts into action. You may not succeed to the degree that you thought you would, but you’ll no longer be where you were before you started your ascension. Note any progress as progress made, no matter how slight it might be. That progress will combat the inertia that previously occupied your thought process, which means you’ll be clearer in the future for higher takeoffs … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

In a negotiation, if you play it ‘too safe’, you could dampen the gains that you would have otherwise realized. Plus, you’ll display to the other negotiator your pallet for risk. Displaying that will allow him to calibrate the offers he can make, based on the degree of risk adversity you display. Depending on the value of what you’re negotiating, such a move could make you negotiate against yourself (e.g. Other negotiator: This is the last one and I have someone else that’s interested in it. You: I’ll take it!)

When it comes to exploring higher possibilities, be an explorer. Even if you have to bluff yourself into believing that you can obtain more, do so with vigor. Make your belief believable to yourself and your negotiation colleague. He, in turn, may see you in a new light, one in which he grants you more respect and more concessions.

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 #Fear #leadership #HowToImproveYourself #Achievement

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Management Personal Development Women In Business

Intention Makes Attention Valuable

Ever thought about the value of paying attention?

Attention sometimes gets a bad rap in today’s society. Perhaps that is because we’ve come to associate the concept of attention with unrelenting selfies that scream “look at me’ and the constant sharing of eery details of one’s life on social media. That is not the type of attention I want to discuss. The type of attention that truly matters and makes a difference in our lives is intentional attention – the kind that helps you show up as the best version of yourself in all roles of your life.

We all want and need attention from the people who are important to us. We want to feel we are the center of somebody’s attention, even if we don’t want to be the center of everybody’s attention.

Attention is critical throughout all aspects of our lives – including our jobs. We need focused attention from our leaders and employees to get work done, to achieve results, and to succeed. our customers and our teams need attention, too. People want to be seen and heard and to know that their concerns are being addressed.

Attention is not optional; it’s vital. It is attention that drives the results we all want and need.

Perhaps this why we always hear the phrase “Pay attention!” Our parents told us to pay attention. Our teachers told us to pay attention. We tell our kids to pay attention. These are all valuable life lessons.

The issue is that most of us are giving distracted, unfocused attention (like texting while driving) to everything and everyone we come in contact with. That kind of attention is worthless. It sends the message that the focus of our attention has little value, meaning, or importance to us.

Intention is what makes attention valuable.

Intentional attention is active. it involves seeing, hearing, and thinking about who is with you and what needs your focus right now. it requires us to choose consciously, act deliberately, and invest transformationally with our attention.

If you are ready to intentionally invest your attention in what matters at the moment; the people you are talking to, the priorities you are acting on, and the passions you are pursuing, it’s time to pick up a copy of Attention Pays and start paying attention to what matters most.

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

What Frequency Are You On?

“The frequency you’re tuned to determines what you hear and how you act. Be attuned to the frequency that serves you best, when it’s the best that you need to serve you.” –Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“… We just can’t seem to #communicate! I don’t know what’s wrong with you.” Such were the sentiments of one person to the other.

Being on the same frequency as someone that you’re attempting to communicate with, is essential for the transmission of your thoughts and ideas; it’s also pertinent for the assembly of the other person’s thoughts and ideas. If you’re not on the same frequency, at best you’ll misconnect, at worse, you can destroy a relationship.

As my astute friend and thought leader David Dadian, CEO of #Powersolution states when referring to frequency, there’s a commonness to the words one uses when communicating with someone else. That commonness enhances the communications; that, in turn, decreases the incidents of #miscommunications. Thus, when people are on the same frequency, they’re communicating on the same level, they’re tuned to the same station, the same network. One is not at 97.5, while the other is at 107.2.

One way to determine that you’re on the same frequency is by the energy level you experience. A higher energy level of experience denotes a positive flow, while a low level can be the signal of miscommunications. A low level also tends to drain people of their energy.

The next time you’re engaged in what you determine to be a serious conversation, note the level of energy present. Even if you’re discussing something of sorrow or glee, they’ll be a degree of energy that’s locked into the exchange of thoughts and ideas. As long as you can relate that energy to being on the same frequency, you’ll know, at least, that you’re really communicating with the other party. If you observe a whimsical appearance, displays of confusion, or any sign that the person with whom you’re speaking is not getting your message, that will be an indication that there’s a frequency mismatch. That should also serve as a signal to reconnect; you’ve lost your WiFi.

When it comes to frequency, the better you and your partner are attuned to the same station, the greater the chance you’ll communicate at a higher level than otherwise would be the case … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

In every negotiation, the outcome rest on your ability to communicate effectively with your counterpart. Some people don’t communicate as efficiently, because they allow mitigating circumstances to sideline their efforts. That can come in the form of not liking someone appearance, ethnicity, gender, etc.

To enhance your negotiation efforts, be attentive to the distractions that might prevent you from being on the same frequency as your negotiation partner. When both of you reach that plateau, you’ll sense it. It’ll be like the two of you just click when exchanging offers and counteroffers. That’ll also be the time to pursue your negotiation objectives more fervently. That’s the power of being on the same frequency. You and the other negotiator will hear the same things, and you’ll be using common words to speak the same language.

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 #Communication

Categories
Best Practices Growth Management Personal Development

The One Big Reason Your Process is the Path to Profit

Everyone loves a process when it produces results. But what about when it doesn’t? What happens then?

I’m a big process guy. I founded my company around them, to the point that the profit-driving selling methodology we teach to our clients is rooted in the process. We believe that when you find and adopt systems that work, you can radically improve your sales using the same baseline methods. You just need to trust the process, follow through and let the results take care of themselves.

In truth, it’s easy to follow processes when they work. They create true workplace cultures by placing value on the same things, generate certainty with your employees, and they drive profit in a way that more spontaneous approaches simply can’t.

The tough part is staying true to the process in the event it doesn’t produce the desired outcome. Those are the true gut-check moments, and if you want to continue growing, it’s key to stick to your guns and trust in the process.

The New England Patriots learned this lesson the hard way in the Super Bowl. Malcolm Butler was the Patriots’ best cornerback for the entire 2017 season, and he played 98 percent of the team’s snaps up to the Super Bowl. Then, suddenly, he was riding the bench. He played just one play in the big game, a meaningless play on special teams. Other than that, he sat and watched from the bench with the rest of us.

The big question: why?

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is also fond of his processes, so much so that it’s become known as the Patriot Way. Whether it was because of a team infraction or just because the matchup favored the backup, Belichick opted to stick to his system and sit Butler. It didn’t work so well. The Philadelphia Eagles racked up 374 passing yards, backup quarterback Nick Foles threw three touchdowns and the Eagles scored 41 points. They also won the game.

It’s all too easy to criticize the Patriots’ system when things don’t go right. Surely they would’ve had a better chance if they started Butler, right? If this was the result, shouldn’t the Patriots overhaul their system so this doesn’t happen again?

This same conversation happens over and over in corporate offices and boardrooms every day. An otherwise successful process doesn’t produce the desired result, and suddenly it’s time to throw it out and start over again. The problem with this thought pattern is that it doesn’t leverage past success and takes a nearsighted look at a farsighted concern.

The Patriots’ system is without a doubt the most successful in the history of the NFL. Under Belichick they’ve won the AFC East 15 of 17 seasons and won five Super Bowls since 2001. But it also hasn’t been perfect. They’ve lost three Super Bowls and even missed the playoffs twice. The temptation during those trough periods is to blow it up and start over. Clearly the process has failed, so it’s time to move on. Or so many of the prevailing theories go.

The truth is that what separates the Patriots from everyone else is that they stick to the process even when they don’t reach their desired outcome frame now and again. Setbacks are inevitable in life. No process is perfect, and even the Patriots undergo some necessary tweaks and maintenance every year. But that relentless and repetitive focus on the process over the results is the reason why the Patriots win so much, not the reason why they lose.

So even if the decision to sit Butler didn’t work out on an individual level, the systematic framework that created that decision is the entire reason why the Patriots were there in the first place. The same adherence to the process produced the Tom Brady draft pick and everything that came after. That’s why Belichick had no regrets about his decision after the game. He trusts his process in all circumstances.

Psychologists call it tunnel vision. In a crisis or a setback, it’s easiest to focus entirely on what’s happened in the moment as opposed to seeing the grand plan you’ve already put in place. Think of a child knocking down an entire Lego village they’ve built because they messed up the placement of a window in one of the houses. You’d teach them to fix the window and keep the rest of village standing, wouldn’t you? It’s vital to view your company’s processes the same way.

This is what separates companies that have long term success over flash-in-the-pan companies that have quick success and then fade away. Companies like Apple and Space X developed processes they trust even when the market dives, or when a product doesn’t work as intended. Companies that hit bankruptcy either didn’t develop a successful process, or they didn’t follow the one they already had.

This is every business’s greatest challenge and greatest reward. Develop a process that works and stick to it through tough times. You’ll be amazed at the results on the other side of the setback.

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

Employee Engagement is the New Safety

Recently, I overheard a business leader referring to “his workers.” For a minute there, I wondered if I’d been transported back to 1920 and he was referring to a sweatshop of some kind. But alas, that is how this leader referred to team members. It seemed like a very outdated way to refer to the people who serve his customers and produce results for his company.

If you see employees as working FOR you or working FOR your company, therein may lie the problem. Employee engagement is not something you do FOR or TO employees, it’s something you do WITH employees.

We’ve ALL got skin in the game. 

If you want to have engaged employees, you’ve got to treat them like they’ve got skin in the game – and they DO have skin in the game.

In my work with clients, whether it’s one-on-one coaching, team coaching, training, or any other of a variety of services, we start out the same way. I remind them that I am responsible TO them, but I am not responsible FOR them. I am responsible TO present information in an engaging and insightful way and to challenge them to think and apply their learning to their work. However, I am not responsible FOR how they participate and whether or not they put the knowledge into practice.

This concept applies to employee engagement. We’ve got to stop thinking of employee engagement as some kind of obligatory HR program, policy, or initiative. Employee engagement is something you do WITH employees. Take responsibility for your behaviors and how you influence others to either be engaged or to be disengaged at work. Urge team members to take ownership of their own engagement. Otherwise, the burden will always be on the leader. Employees will stand there with their arms crossed defiantly saying “Just try to engage me!”

Employee engagement is the new safety.

Do you remember waaay back in the day – like the 80’s, when employee safety was a soft, feel-good catch phrase? The safe “policies and practices” of many organizations went from the admonishment, “Just don’t do anything stupid!” to a carefully crafted HR policy and wordy procedures. It wasn’t until leaders and organizations started making it ABOUT employees and made it everyone’s responsibility, that it became more widely embraced and practiced. To me, that is why employee engagement is the new safety.

The moment employee engagement is no longer a buzzword, but becomes part of the fabric of our organization, a given, if you will, then we know that it’s sustainable. Programs, projects, those things usually have a finite life span. Engaging employees – a verb – should be part of the everyday behaviors of executive leaders and team members.

Focus on relationships and results.

An employee will be more or less engaged and loyal to an organization based on the relationships she has within the organization. The relationship with her manager, boss, supervisor, superior is HUUUGE. As a leader, how well you cultivate positive relationships, build trust, and serve your team members will play a critical role in the results that you achieve.

Don’t commit assumicide. 

All you gots to do is ASK what elements of his job your employee likes, and which elements he dislikes. Find out what challenges he’s facing. You know what happens when we assume. So, don’t do it. Ask learning questions instead of making assumptions. Be genuinely interested and curious.

Ditch the fancy surveys. 

Once upon a time there was a company that invested approximately a guh-zillion dollars on a fancy-schmancy employee engagement survey. Once the results were in, they were filed away and completely ignored. There’s no point in conducting engagement surveys if you’re not going to act on the results. If you’ve got buckets of money that you don’t mind throwing away, then rock on with your bad self and continue to do these surveys. Otherwise, simpler is better.

Engaged employees equals engaged customers.

The former CEO Doug Conant who completely turned the Campbell Soup Company around said, To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace. It’s a pretty weighty statement and a Jeopardy-esque quotable phrase, but it turns out that there’s research to back it up.

Employee engagement is directly linked to customer satisfaction, and customer satisfaction is directly related to financial performance. And the knee-bone is connected to the shinbone. Therefore, employee engagement affects your bottom line.

Realize that it’s a moving target. Each time I work with, and coach teams and leaders, we want to continue to advance to get to the next level. It’s about making constant forward motion, but you never really arrive. Professional golfers don’t hire a coach, master one aspect of their game, and then just stop working at it. Team members need to feel that they are making forward momentum in meaningful work to be engaged. It’s all about progress.

Employee engagement is a daily practice, not a program. The sooner we take it from a responsibility of HR and weave into the very fabric of our organizations, the better off we’ll be. As an executive leader, what that means for you is making engaging actions every day.

CHIME IN:

  • How do you build relationships with team members and colleagues in your organization?
  • How are you creating an environment where employees feel that they are making progress in their work?

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.

 

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

Overcoming Adversity

Have you ever felt ready throw up your hands in frustration, and give up? It’s so easy to be convinced that the odds are against you and feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. If this sounds familiar and need a new perspective on things, my client Pete’s story will help you persevere and encourage you to discover untapped strength you didn’t even know you had.

Pete’s story is a double-whammy of seemingly impossible situations:

First, the 28-year-old Kenyan designer was framed for murder, denied legal rights, wrongfully convicted and – because it was required by law in Kenya – sentenced to the death penalty. For 18 years he awaited the date when his name would be called, with no projected time frame ever given. The “tunnel” was as long and dark as it could possibly be, and he wondered how he could find the strength to get through each day.

But in the process, he was provided an opportunity. He was given the chance through a non-profit organization called the African Prisons Project to study law via a correspondence program – and I mean old fashioned paper correspondence; no internet in prison! – at a British university. He completed his degree and used that opportunity to fight and clear his name, ultimately emerging as a free man with a presidential pardon. Now that’s perseverance through adversity!

The second challenge – which pales in comparison but would make anyone else freeze in their tracks – happened in the fall of 2017. Pete was at the TED Global (not TEDx) conference in Tanzania, and was unexpectedly offered the opportunity to share his story on the main TED stage in a five-minute TED talk – with TWO DAYS NOTICE!

That’s when he reached out to me. From seven time zones away, Pete and I worked together to hone his message and craft his story, and ensure he could deliver it all with the impact that he wanted, all in two days. What was his message, you ask? No matter how dark things may seem, every day, take one step forward.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t have that kind of perseverance,” or “I could never do that,” I’m pretty sure Pete would have said the same thing about himself, until it happened to him.

Need some inspiration to help you get over the next hurdle? Listen to Pete.

No matter how big your challenges are, just remind yourself: if he can get through that, I can get through this. Dig deep: you are stronger and more resilient than you think.

********

Are you planning to give an important talk or presentation, and want some help to ensure that your message lands correctly and your delivery seals the deal? Email laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to set up a 20-minute focus call to discuss it with me, personally.

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

12-Step Program to Detox Your Team

Does your workplace culture or your team environment resemble a daytime soap opera? Do new workplace dramas unfold among your team members each Monday morning? Are spats and tiffs between team leaders the norm? (Do you often hear music crescendo in the background and then cut to a commercial break?)

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives…

If so, then your workplace culture is ill, and I’m afraid it’s not a make-believe disease a` la General Hospital, nor can it be cured in a 30-minute episode. You may be suffering from “Toxic Team Syndrome!”

I’ve been hired to play doctor to cure these toxic work environments. It’s tough to diagnose your particular problem. I’m no doctor, and no – I don’t even play one on TV. But I’m willing to bet that these problems are merely symptoms of leadership failings and missteps, such as:

  1. Lack of leadership vision
  2. Poor leadership communication
  3. Failure to develop team members
  4. Leaders who are unconscious and unaware of their impact on others
  5. Team members forced to compete against each other (and actually, that statement is an oxymoron)
  6. “Leaders” function more like managers in that they focus only on managing processes, systems, things, and pay little attention to mentoring, engaging, or inspiring people
  7. Bored team members
  8. Leaders who use a one-size-fits-all approach
  9. No emphasis/effort in creating a positive work culture

Thankfully, for you as the executive leader, it’s not a fatal disease – if you catch it early. The first step is to recognize that you have a problem. Don’t be in denial. The bottom line is that you can’t cure the disease if you don’t admit that you’re sick.

So many leaders are absolutely clueless to the work environment they’ve created.

Yep, I did say that you create the work environment. So if your work environment is like a soap opera drama, you can correct it over time. Here, I have listed my

12-step program for detoxifying your team:

  1. Explain to each team member how his/her work contributes to the bigger picture.
  2. Get to know team members and focus on drawing out the best that they have to give. Serve as a mentor, guide, and inspiration to team members.
  3. Leadership is an inside job. Identify your own strengths, limitations, blind spots, etc. Lead from a place of self-assurance and confidence.
  4. Clue people into the bigger picture – share your vision for the organization.
  5. Treat each person as an individual but don’t play favorites.
  6. Don’t participate in, nor tolerate malicious workplace gossip. Establish a professional atmosphere where all team members are treated in a respectful manner.
  7. Reward, recognize and encourage teamwork and avoid creating situations that require team members to compete against one another.
  8. Provide team members with a variety of development opportunities and cross-train team members where appropriate.
  9. Err on the side of over-communication. Effective leaders know they can’t communicate too much with team members.
  10. Ask for, and really listen to, feedback from team members, customers, and superiors. And then make changes where needed!
  11. Work hard to build and maintain trust and loyalty. NEVER discuss one team member’s issues, problems, or situation with another team member.
  12. Strike a balance between setting yourself above (and superior) to your team and being one of the “guys.” Somewhere in the middle is best.

YOUR TURN! What will you:

  • start doing,
  • stop doing, or
  • continue doing or do differently

to “detoxify” your team and your team’s work environment? Share your action plan with us in the comment box below!

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

How In-Depth Is Your Communication Planning?

“To communicate more effectively, do so based on the mindset of the recipient.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Before communicating with someone, what factors do you consider? Too much information, or information not delivered in the manner expected, can go unconsumed. Too little information can meet the same fate; it can also lead the receiver to seek more insight. So, what should you do to enhance your communication efforts?

Determining the degree of information to bestow upon anyone is guided by many factors. Consider the following factors to enhance your communications.

1. Environment

Always consider your communication environment. One that’s too loud or too quiet might incite unintended distractions, which may impact the reception of your message. Depending on the message and your anticipated impact, assess the best environment to deliver it, based on the person to whom you’re delivering the message.

2. Character/Trust

Knowing the character of the person with whom you’re conversing will determine the depth of information you’ll be willing to share. If trust is not a factor, you’ll be more likely to disclose more insights.

If you know you’ll be in a future situation with someone whose trust has not been vetted, or someone whose trust you question, before giving them the ‘inside story’, give them tidbits of information and see what they do with it. You can accomplish this with multiple people by giving each a slightly different version of the same information, stated as a secret that they shouldn’t share; then, see what version comes back to you through other sources. The originator’s signature will be embedded in the version that comes back. Therein will lie an assessing barometer that indicates the degree of trust you can associate with that person.

3. Mood

A person’s mood can change at any moment. That change influences their perception of information.

To enhance your communications, deliver messages based on the mood of the recipient and how your message ties into that mood. If need be, alter their mood before making your delivery.

As an example, if you have to deliver bad news, avoid times when the receiver is in a depressed state. Do this, unless you’re offering insights that you want him to address that’ll enhance his state of mind. To the degree you control the delivery of information, you control the state of mind you’ll put someone into.

4. Objective

When it comes to parsing information, always consider your objective and outcome sought before doing so. If the mood, character of the person, or environment is not right for the delivery, abstain from doing so. Rushing forward at inopportune times can severely detract from the message and your objective of delivering it. In some cases, you may want to give a snippet of information as a ‘coming attraction’. That’s one way to set the stage for what’s to follow.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

In a negotiation, the factors that determine the impact of an offer/counteroffer are determined by the factors mentioned above. If the mood is one of hostility, there may not be the degree of acceptance to an offer then if the mood was more upbeat and open. If there’s trust in the character of the person you’re engaged with, you’ll extend more trust when such is the pivotal point upon which a negotiation may hinge.

In order to engage in more successful negotiations, you should tend to the factors above. They’ll enhance your negotiation efforts … 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

 

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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.

 

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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.

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