Joni Daniels' Blog: Personal and Management Development

How to – Draw Out Solutions from Others

2009-11-19T19:51:00.001-05:00

The biggest error managers make, no matter the industry, level, or years in the job is thinking that they need to have all of the answers. If you want to get the job of “getting work done through others” accomplished, you need to engage them so that they feel valued. Sure, you can give them “atta boys” and “atta girls” and provide clear and concise direction, but that isn’t a strategy to engage them. The best way to show people that they are important is to ask for their input when you are problem solving.

The job of the manager is to facilitate their development, not just make decisions and assign work. As the boss, you are not the one to whom all problems should come for solutions. You are one who is supposed to be developing problem solvers. If you think that a great manager is to the person to come up with the best solutions, think again!

Tips for Effective People Management

• Know how your employees differ. Ask them to describe their ideal manager to learn who wants firm direction and who wants more; then treat them accordingly.
• Ask more questions of employees who seek to be more involved. Ask them to come to you with options for solutions, not only problems.
• Ask more questions to find out what they think. Then be quiet and listen to what they have to say.
• Manage expectations by making your role clear. Make sure they understand the benefits of your taking a more facilitative and supportive role. Explain that you want to engage them and foster broader ownership rather than be the “one with all the answers.”
• Hold regular one-to-one meetings and ask them what went well and what didn’t since your last meeting. Encourage them to think of at least 2 things they did that they are pleased about. When you move to what hasn’t gone well, use questions to encourage ideas for improvement from them.
• Think strategically about which decisions you have to make and which decisions need to be drawn out of others.
• Don’t keep all the “fun and ‘sexy” stuff for yourself - delegate real developmental challenges.

Remember that one size will not fit all. To manage people effectively, broaden your role to include being a catalyst, and flex your style for the needs of different employees.

How to – Plan to Lead

2009-11-06T13:58:00.001-05:00

At its most basic, leading is setting direction and guiding others to follow that direction. A critical skill for leaders is the ability to manage their own learning. If you are a highly motivated and self-directed professional, you learn by reading, listening to mentors, asking questions and being a good observer of people and your organizational culture. If you are responsible for the development of your organization’s future leaders, you have some guiding to think about.
Leadership Development in your Organization:

• What is your impression of the areas of knowledge and skills recommended for effective leadership? Does your organization have a list of core competencies for leaders?
• Is training and development for leaders informal, formal, other-directed or self-directed?
• How does your organization handle the short life span of useful knowledge that can result in training?
• How is the passing down of acquired competencies to succeeding employees dealt with?
• Can your firm accommodate the demands of productivity while providing for the continuity of learning?
• Does your organization pursue activities that correspond to different learning styles and needs or is it “one size fits all?”
• Does your organization have a formal mentoring program, or does it allow for leaders to obtain professional support in the way of coaches, consultants or counselors?

Without a well thought out and developed plan for leaders, employee growth will be haphazard at best and a waste of time at it’s worst. If you want your future leaders to learn how to set direction, influence others, provide guidance and feedback, develop persistence, initiative and risk – ask them if they see these leadership characteristics in you.

How to – Lead the Best

2009-10-23T06:27:00.000-05:00

You know that list of qualities you use as a leader in your organization? Creating and exporting your vision, confidence in yourself and others, a unique charisma that inspires followers as well as your experience, skills, expertise, or your network of associates and colleagues. Other leaders share some or maybe all of these qualities with you.

The potential contribution of the leaders who work for you is critical, but the opportunity for friction is even better if you don’t manage these relationships carefully. How do you leverage the assets of these talented and powerful employees while making sure that their egos remain intact?

You may be aware that the following behaviors are critical to people who are leading the leaders. The exceptional leader knows that these skills need to be attended to on a daily basis in an observable way.

To lead your organization’s leaders well:

§ Unite your leaders into a cohesive group and make your stars a team.

§ Provide direction and negotiate a vision for the organization that other leaders will buy into.

§ Mediate and resolve conflicts over turf and power among other leaders so the organization can move forward.

§ Develop other leaders, providing education for people who think they are already knowledgeable.

§ Motivate leaders and figure out how to move those who already seem “to have everything” to do the right thing for the organization.

§ Trust creativity by obtaining and keeping other leaders’ trust, the vital capital that your own leadership depends on.

How to – Be the Best Manager

2009-10-11T15:02:00.003-05:00

Everyone has a different idea about what makes a great manager and most people can tell me what their boss does wrong. The Manager has to communicate Executive Management’s objectives to employees and convey their employees concerns to upper management. It’s a squeeze play that can leave even the best of us anxious, vulnerable and lonely. If you are unable to manage these feelings, you can end up dumping on your employees. That may get you the results you want in the short term, and turnover and dissatisfaction in the long run.

Some Managers are more concerned with the content of their work than in developing and coordinating the work of others. Employees run around getting minimal management support while the boss is doing what they think is more interesting or more important.

The best managers can absorb the pressure from above; and they enjoy and get satisfaction from seeing employees growing, developing, succeeding and having fun at work.

Want to be the Best Manager you can be?

Control your emotions: handle the pressure from above without jumping all over your employees.

Manage the expectations of your boss so you can minimize the stress being placed on you in the first place.

Spend 80% of your time managing, training, coaching, delegating, training, facilitating and motivating your team. The other 20% should be spent dealing with the strategic matters that you find most interesting.

Spend time each week with individual employees, learning about what they are doing, how they are doing, and listening to what they are saying.

Get the input of the people who are doing the work. You show them they are a valuable resource when you ask them to contribute their opinions and ideas.

How to – Lead Leaders

2009-09-25T15:29:00.001-05:00

One thing that defines Leaders is that they have Followers. For organizations that want to grow and thrive, that just isn’t enough. Leaders also need to be able to find and develop Leaders. Granted, not everyone can be a Leader and not everyone should be a Leader.

There are certain things Leaders do to produce Leaders:

Talk – tell others about the experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from the successes and non-successes.

Coach – provide feedback and opportunities for guidance and direction so others can learn with someone helping rather than waiting.

Train – review the strategy planning required and the skills needed to insure strategy success. Provide opportunities for management development programs where they develop critical skills and you support the application of what they’ve learned.

Mentor – be the touchstone for potential leaders and provide the support they need to risk successfully.

Above all else, this requires the most precious commodity: Time. To grow Leaders actual time must be set aside to teach, show by example, and discuss how leading is actually done. Few people learn leadership well by being tossed into the leadership waters to see who can swim. The best leaders spent a significant amount of their time developing the leadership skills of others rather than looking how best to develop their own career.

Think about if you are a true Leader, or simply a person who is eager for followers. Your employees already know which you are.

How to – Seek Risk

2009-09-11T10:38:00.001-05:00

It is often cited that while managers are risk-averse, Leaders are risk-seeking. When a Leader has a vision that they want their employees to embrace, they consider it natural to encounter hurdles that must be overcome along the route to success. Leaders are comfortable with risk and may see routes that hold potential opportunities that others avoid because they view them as potential problems. Leaders can see the possibility of an advantage and are willing to break a rule or two to get things done.

Ask yourself:

• Do you seek change or stability?

• Are you thinking long-term or short-term?

• Are you proactive or reactive?

• Do you seek to take risks or reduce risks?

• Do you take the blame or give it to others?

• Do you break rules or make rules?

• Do you have followers or subordinates?

Ask others how they see you to get a more objective picture of how you appear to others. You can see yourself as both a Leader and a Manager, but how you see risk can reveal how other people see you.

How to – Stop Workplace Bullying

2009-07-24T08:34:00.004-05:00

In an ideal world, a bully may be a childhood rite of passage that we deal with as we learn how to become adults. In reality, they exist in the workplace and drain of us of energy and focus needed to do the job. They are present at ALL organizational levels, in all industries, and in all functions.

Bullying behaviors in the workplace involve a lack of regard for others and include observable behaviors such as:
• Verbal intimidation
• Harassment
• Incivility
• Teasing
• Gossiping
• Physical intimidation
• Withholding business information
• Overruling decisions without a rationale
• Sabotaging team efforts
• Demeaning others

Suggestions to regain control of the situation and diffuse the impact of a bully include:

Get out of the Crowd
Address them by name in a calm, low voice and suggest that the conversation be moved to a more private area.

Turn down the Volume
If they are yelling or the volume begins to escalate, remember to keep your voice calm and speak in a normal tone. Many people cannot sustain a shouting match if they are the only ones doing it.

Slow Things Down
Tell them you need to think about what they’ve said. Give yourself some space to think about things by walking away.

Is This Business as Usual?
Determine if this person often exhibits over the top behavior or if something unusual has happened to set them off.

YOU are in Charge of You
It is your responsibility to take care of yourself, not theirs. If your rights are not being respected, you may have to refuse the request.

Keep it Short
Be brief in your response. Forget about explaining why you are unable to comply with their demand. You don’t want to get into a negotiation.

Let Them Know Their Impact
It can be very powerful to simply state: “I don’t know if you are aware of this, but your behavior (screaming) is really scaring me right now.”

Déjà Vu
A bully doesn’t like it when they don’t get what they want and may want to get involved in “Round #2.” Simply repeat your stand using the same concise phrases.

Disengage
Without an audience or a target, a bully has nothing to do! Agree to disagree and depart.

While you may not be able to eliminate a bully and their boss may not be able to manage their behavior, you can reduce the impact they have on you.

How to – Ask the Right Questions When Interviewing Candidates

2009-07-14T09:36:00.006-05:00

When job candidates tell me some of the questions they are asked during their job interviews, I cringe.

• “What are your three biggest strengths?”
• “What are your three biggest weaknesses?”
• “Tell me about yourself.”
• “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

If you are asking these questions, consider yourself among the lazy hiring managers who deserve exactly what they get: a poor fit for the job, the department and the organization.

There are many things that go into a good, targeted job interview; and questions that probe weaknesses and validate strengths are essential. The next time you find yourself sitting across from a potential employee, ask questions that will get you some useful information to help you make a better hiring decision:

How much can you learn about them to determine if they will be a good fit?

What did you think of our website?

How do you think we compare with our competition?

What unique attributes, skills or talents could you bring to our team?

How do they deal with stress?

Can you tell me about an ongoing and stressful part of you last job and how you dealt with it?

What makes you the best fit for this position compared to the others I’m interviewing?

What type of person is the most challenging for you to deal with as a co-worker and how do you address that?

Can they do the job?

When you worked at ABC Financial, what was the most challenging part of learning their system?

When you ran the HR department at XYZ Systems, what were the steps you took to create your senior team?

I see you were in charge of a system conversion at 123 Bancorp. How did you transfer data and maintain field integrity?

How to – Create Teams at the Top

2009-06-27T15:18:00.002-05:00

A lack of alignment between members of the Executive Team is a recipe for disaster. Confidence on the part of customers, stockholders and employees is deeply rooted in the perception that the top tier of the organization can execute strategy efficiently and effectively.

An aligned senior team is one where the members act as caretakers and overseers of the organization as well as drivers of its success. They view their membership of the senior team as taking precedence over their functional responsibilities, and they are open and supportive of one another.

What does it look like when your top team is a high performing team?

• The incentive system rewards the team, not the individual.
• The members collaborate rather than compete.
• Top team members marshall all organizational resources to accomplish organizational goals.
• They develop a business strategy to deliver value which in turn creates financial results.
• The business strategy is clear, measurable and specifies the competitive advantage of the organization.
• The business strategy is clearly communicated to all employees.
• The team spends significant amounts of time together.
• Members have time to ask for help from each other, share learning and celebrate success.
• Non-team behavior is not tolerated.

An aligned Executive Team is the focal point of strategy execution. A CEO that can handle the bumps of effective team development will be rewarded with an effective team that is built at the same time that the work is getting done.

How to – Raise the Bar for ALL Employees

2009-06-11T21:51:00.001-05:00

The old 80-20 Rule is alive and well in the way that most managers manage their employees. Many think that only 20% of their direct reports are of “go-to” caliber.

Even with the current economic downturn, a model popularized by Jack Welsh many years ago at GE (that 20% of the employees are in the top performance category, 70% are in the middle range, and 10% are at the bottom) is still a management philosophy that is widely implemented today.

This approach is holding organizations back from leveraging the full potential of their workforce. Since times have changed, it only makes good business sense to change your view about talent development. There are things you can do to change with the times and develop your workforce effectively in today’s business climate.

• Increase performance levels and raise the expectation level of everyone who works for you.

• Make assignments strategically, providing people with opportunities and the managerial support they need to accomplish them.

• Coach all of your employees more frequently.

• Encourage some risk taking.

• Reward those who demonstrate the success, skills and strategies you are looking for.

• Broaden the talent of everyone. Now is the time to invest in your people (and invest in their development).

• Connect development (training) directly to achievement.

When you help employees connect the dots from performance standards to increased expectations, from training to accomplishment, you are making a case that your organization’s leadership understands – ROI.

Admittedly, I’m a little biased. But not investing in training and development now makes perfect sense.

How to – Get the Attention of Generation Y (and Keep It)

2009-05-27T14:22:00.003-05:00

With approximately 76 million Gen Y’s coming into the workforce, employers are waking up to the exciting (lots of new potential, clients, and consumers) and overwhelming (multi-tasking, twittering, blog-reading, ambitious) challenges that they present. While many weigh the pros (tech savvy, fast moving, trendsetting) and cons (work ethic problems, over confidence, a lack of respect for authority), this generation wants to rise quickly at work, make lots of money, and find their passion. Many managers want to know how to get their attention and maintain it over time.

While I don’t like stereotypes and their oversimplification, here are some ideas that will work for the general population of Y’s:

• First impressions are technological. Y’s will learn about you via Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter. Be visible there.

• Forget the lead in and lead up because Y’s don’t really care. Tell them what the solutions and take-aways are. They are focused on the end.

• Speak in sound bites. Y’s like things short and to the point. Don’t bother with lots of text and long paragraphs.

• Give Y’s airtime. They love to talk and they really love to talk to each other.

• Be direct and to the point. Let Y’s know when, how, and where you want something. Use a variety of mediums to communicate your message such as video, blogs, articles, audio, and email.

• Make them feel special. The more about them things are, the more you’ve got their attention.

• Be genuine. Capture their attention by being upbeat, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about your work.

Gen Y is a view of the world, less defined by a birth date and more defined by an outlook and behaviors. If you tend to be a multi-tasking, quick moving, Ipod listening information junkie, you might be more Y than you think.

How to – Improve Your Networking and Improve Your Network

2009-05-15T09:16:00.002-05:00

If you want to improve and possibly expand your professional network, the best way is to hone the skills needed that create those connections in the first place. Although a few professionals think that meeting people and networking are synonymous, most of us know that this is simply not the case. In fact, how you network can mean the difference between being known and having a network that really works for you. And that difference is a big one.

Some tips for developing a successful professional network:

Go it alone – It’s easier to create an impression, develop rapport, and make a strong connection when you are alone and you connect to someone who is also alone. While it may seem as if a group provides some comfort, a person who is one their own is probably more pleased that you are interested in them and have taken the initiative to introduce yourself.

Think “who”, not where – Ask yourself “Who do I want to know?” Knowing “who” you would like to connect to and be aligned with will help you figure out where those folks hang out. There may be specific events, associations or conferences that they attend. Ask your existing connections if they know those people you hope to meet and if they can introduce you.

Focus – Shut off the phone, pager, or Blackberry. You don’t want to be distracted when you are making a first impression. Meeting them is the reason you are there, and it’s the most important thing you have to do. Don’t look around to see who else might be in the room or is trying to contact you when you are talking to someone. Plainly put - it’s rude.

What could you do for them – Do what you can for your new contact. Send them an article that might dovetail with their interests, provide information about meetings they might be interested in attending, suggest books they should read, or other people they should know. If you think highly of them – refer them (a lot). Relationships happen with shared experiences and their foundation is built on trust.

Strength is quality, not quantity – Sometimes the people you would most like to meet aren’t attending the events where you might meet them. Ever wonder why? They are strengthening their existing network, not focusing on creating a larger one! Make sure you give plenty of referrals and information to the folks in you network who are credible, competent, and ethical. A good networking partner practices reciprocity.

A good network is a lot like a good garden. You don’t just throw some seeds out in the dirt and hope for the best. If you want to see good things develop, you check on your plants or vegetables with regularity, pull weeds, provide food, and nurture and care for them as they grow and thrive. The same can be said for your professional network.

How to - Manage Others

2009-05-01T07:47:00.007-05:00

If managing other people well was easy, people would have lots of stories about great managers who not only get work done through others but inspire, motivate and develop talent so that those employees are able to accomplish and surpass the goals and objectives that have been set.

If you are having trouble getting a group or team of people to be more effective, than it could mean that you need a refresher in the key aspects of managing others. While there is an art to being an effective manager, there is also a structured science that you should be applying to your art.

• Good managing starts with good planning. Good work usually starts with a clear and well articulated goal. Once you know where you are going you can devise the best route to that destination. Examine the resource you will need as well as the resources you are lacking and then figure out how you will acquire the missing. Not only should you review the likely scenario; some time should be spent thinking about worst case scenarios and developing a back up plan should those occur. And ask the people who will be involved in the work that needs to be accomplished. Don’t overlook this valuable resource when crafting the best plan for the goal
• Once you know what you want to do, get organized. Do you have the right people involved? Do they have the right training and skills to get the work done? Will people get what they need in time to use it properly? If you are handing work off to another group, will they be ready to receive it at the right time? Do your homework and make sure that everything is available when it is needed. Be clear and communicate to people what their role is in the overall success and goal accomplishment
• Tell people what they need to do. Like a movie director, your job is to provide direction, let people know when to start, stop, come in, how to act, and when to exit. You’ve hired the actors, arranged for the props, costumes and set, and provided the script. Now get their attention. Say, “Action”, and provide direction.
• Oversee the process. Keep an eye on what’s going on and make sure it’s going according to plan. If it isn’t, guide things back on course. If a problem occurs, review your contingency plan. The manager needs to always be aware of what is going on so adjustments can be made. If something needs to be fixed, resources should be organized to make things work out well.

Managing people can be a rewarding challenge although it’s rarely easy. Managers that do an outstanding job improve their efforts with lots of practice.

How to – Cut, Earn and Learn

2009-04-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

Everyone is trying to figure out how to thrive in these tough economic times. OK, maybe not thrive; maybe just tread water until better times arrive. Reacting to the pessimistic economic reports and the hand-wringing commentators might have you discounting prices only to find that the perception is that you’ve discounted quality and service as well

Think before you act and come up with strategies that make sense now and will bode well for the future too:

Timing is Everything – Focus your promotion on discounted prices when your customers have the most to spend. Think about budget cycle, payday, or the beginning of the quarter.

Tailor a Solution – Ask your clients what they need and then create a mix of offerings, products or devices to meet the need they have, focusing on the affordability.

Create Something New – Create a discounted brand or offer coupons for specific products. If things are slow on a Monday or Friday, focus the deals on those days.

Think Like a Customer – What do your customers want to see? A 13 item dozen? Price points such as $99.95, or $4.99? Highlight the percentage saved on products and services. Create a discount for quantity. Throw in shipping.

Negotiate – Flexibility can indicate that you are more interested in the relationship than the specific sale. Offer a menu of options to choose from. As long as you are talking to current and potential clients, there is the possibility of doing business. Keep the conversation going by learning about their constraints and goals.

Our economic situation will improve eventually and when it does, you will have been able to keep your customers and perhaps attract news clients as well

How to – Get to the Triple Bottom Line

2009-03-27T08:28:00.002-05:00

Every year there are new trends in management. While they can appear to be simply the latest fad in a long line of “flavors of the month”, many are grounded in the current thinking about the best way to manage an organization that aims to thrive in the current economic climate.

If you (or your boss) are inspired to try a new business model, resistance and reservation can be seen as an impediment. Given the desire to try new things (in tough times OR in good), the Triple Bottom Line is getting attention. Knowing what it is and how to get there can give your workplace focus and renewed energy. You may already be working toward these three bottom lines, but in the near future it may become that standard for staying in business.

3BL
The Triple Bottom Line looks at 3 P’s:
• Planet – improving the environment
• People – developing Human Capital
• Profits – economic viability of the organization

Why
Have a compelling reason for change. Joining the ”flavor of the month” club isn’t going to get anyone on board.

What
What are you changing from and what will you be changing to? Is it going to replace something?

Who
Transitions and initiatives need champions: the people that carry the flag, rouse the troops, cheer people on, and generally keep employees focused on the goal(s). People can get distracted easily, and in tough times, lose their focus.

Where
Change needs to be addressed on a wide variety of levels: employees, customers, partners, vendors, shareholders, and executives. Each group needs to know "What’s In It for Them".

How
What is the method by which your organization will get to this future state? There should be a plan with steps and systems in place that support the processes that will shift.

When
Expectations need to be managed about how easy this will be, how soon this can happen, and what the signs are for both success and trouble.

As with any change, initiative, or transition, there are clear stages for 3BL and time well spent in each one will help prepare you and your firm for success. Make sure you take the needed time to assess your organization’s readiness; design and plan the change implementation plan, the metrics needed for measuring movement and the corresponding communication, implement the change, troubleshoot issues and challenges as they arise, and maintain/evergreen as things continue forward.

How to – Make Presentations like a Professional

2009-03-12T09:07:00.016-05:00

We have become a TV/Computer screen society and people today expect you to make presentations that are engaging, informative and polished. Professional presenters do not leave success up to chance. They plan for it by crafting a program that is customized for the audience with the outcome in mind.

You can use the same old program that you feel comfortable with, adding the tired PowerPoint that holds no excitement for anyone (including you) and make an adequate presentation. Or you can present to others in a way that shows your ability to address their informational needs with a powerful and creative style.

Ask - Start with asking the right questions: Who is the audience? What do they want to know? What do you want them to do as a result of your presentation? What do they need to know in order to do that?

Strong Opening – Grab their attention right at the start. Tell a story, use a surprising statistic, ask a question, share an example of the consequence of inaction, show a picture or video, or talk about the benefit or the happy ending if ideas /suggestions are adopted.

Hello – First impressions matter. Make it the right one with professional attire, eye contact and a confident smile (whether you feel it or not). If it’s a little more formal, provide a well written introduction of who you are and why you are the person to make this presentation.

Logical Progression – Create a logical sequence for your talk. It can develop like building blocks, have a beginning, middle, and end, or start simply and grow to become complicated. Start where the audience needs to begin and design a map to get them where you want to end up.

Customize – Create a presentation where the focus is one the audience’s need. If they are beginners, start them out with basics. If they have a good grasp of the basics, focus on application. If you have a mix of knowledge levels, make sure to offer additional resources, websites, articles, and books on your subject.

Stop Talking – Allow for questions, discussion, comments or reflection. Not only will you engage your audience, you can determine if they are moving in the direction you had hoped.

Multiple Paths – Use a variety of approaches. Use stories, facts, statistics, pictures, models, terms (and their definitions), examples, handouts, or quotes in your presentation.

Plan for Questions – Anticipate questions and prepare answers. Have examples ready to demonstrate.

Strong Close – Just like your opening, your closing should be strong with a call to action. As a result of your presentation, what are you asking for? Do you want them to know something new, learn about themselves, believe, get motivated, act, buy, or communicate to others?

2P's – Preparation and Practice draws the line between savvy and stupid! Rehearsing reduces nervousness by up to 75% and decreases the chance of errors by even more!

Match the needs of your presentation to your audience and your invitations to speak and be seen as a valuable resource will increase. Communicating effectively is one of the most needed and valued professional skills.

How to – Stay Upbeat

2009-03-06T10:56:00.003-05:00

The so-called “school of positive psychology” gets extra attention during difficult economic times. People are trying to balance the continuing deluge of bad news with an optimistic outlook. Today’s economic headlines certainly test our ability to find hope.

Happiness feels better than anger or depression and there are studies that actually measure the effect an upbeat attitude can have on the bottom line. Almost ten years of research suggests that being happy at work can improve revenue, employee retention, customer loyalty and even creativity. While I don’t advocate acting as if the current downturn isn’t happening, I do think it makes sense to focus on what you CAN do, what you are good at doing, and what brings joy into your life.

Take Action
Upbeat professionals and optimistic organizational leaders behave in ways that generate positive energy. Apply some of these tactics at work when you feel things dragging you down:

• Communicate positive stories from customers. Not only are you focusing on the people who support your firm, you are providing reinforcement feedback to employees who want to know that what they are doing matters to the recipient of the goods and services of your firm.

• Acknowledge someone who made you more effective. Gratitude and attention improves productivity.

• If someone’s strengths don’t align with their job responsibilities, see if you can adjust the job. People like to “go to their strengths” and tend to solve problems faster when they are feeling capable of doing so.

• Hire for fit rather than skill. Skills can be taught but a good fit is worth more to your firm in terms of positive energy and emotional strength, both critical attributes in tough times.

• Focus outward rather than inward. Helping others can be empowering; and keeping your attention on what may be going wrong tends to drain. Complaining may be the default mode of choice, but it IS a choice. Choose to concentrate on ways you can take action or support others

• Suggest something fun. “Wacky Hat Day,” “Ugly Sweater Day,” or even a scavenger hunt won’t change the business climate; but they can create an opportunity to lighten up, have some low-cost fun, and help people focus on having a good time. Smiling can be contagious and the physical act of laughing is an exhale that relaxes the muscles.

• Take time to inspire and create. Retreats that focus the team on their work can keep them focused on how their contributions fit into the larger purpose of the organization. When things improve, you’ll be poised with new ideas, strategies and focus. You can also get the team to explore ways to save money collectively, rather than simply making a unilateral decision to cut budget or people.

Note:people may feel upbeat as a result of your positive outlook. Don’t forget however, that it’s a temporary way to address the problem of the economic downturn.

Hope can vanish if left to flourish on its own, so doing nothing at all can make the workplace a drain on people’s psyche. Your goal should be to help folks stay focused on doing what they CAN so they will be more upbeat. Since each person is unique, employees will define happiness at work differently from each other.

How to – Create Sustainable Service Initiatives

2009-02-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

Corporate service initiatives are quickly becoming standard for firms seeking to attract and retain employees eager to align with organizations that weave social and community responsibility into their corporate culture. But if they turn into a one-time event, it won’t really engage or develop employees. Both employees and community members will see it as “lip-service” and a way for the company to project an image that is out of sync with its corporate practices.

Service initiatives are not a fad. Corporate responsibility is an issue that comes up more and more for prospective employees. If you want to integrate socially responsible efforts and avoid superficial “feel-good” efforts, there are some things you can do:

• Use your existing talent. Ways to help the community should be integrated into the daily activities of the employees. Helping out at the local homeless shelter at Thanksgiving is a nice thing to do, but helping out every week or month makes a different and more powerful statement.

• Look down the chain. Ask your suppliers and vendors what they do as community service initiatives and determine if they have service programs. Their activities can reflect on your business.

• Keep it quiet. One aspect of responsible corporate service programs that seems consistent is low visibility. This is not an opportunity for PR getting attention; it’s simply the way we do business.

• Is it making a difference to the recipients? That’s how you know it’s of service!

• Not every program will work. Low participation or unexpected negative outcomes can cause you to reevaluate or stop an initiative. That’s called learning. Not every idea will be successful but every effort is an opportunity to integrate service programs into the company culture.

• Inventory what can be reused or donated to help others. Make activities fun, simple, and streamlined. Measure the results and make sure people are aware of the impact.

• It doesn’t have to just be for the community. It can be a staff morale booster. An internal program that supports employees going through an especially difficult or challenging situation can provide much needed help to an employee in addition to an emotional lift to the organization.

NOTE: One thing you don’t want to do is pressure your employees to participate. It undermines the whole effort. Keep service initiatives flexible so that people can contribute in ways that they are comfortable doing so.

Clarify the link between what your employees are doing and the outcomes of their actions. Learning about the impact of your programs and events in the community is powerful. That is the best way to make your service initiatives sustainable.

How to – Keep Your High Potential Performers

2009-02-06T10:38:00.001-05:00

Unless you’ve been avoiding all forms of news and burying your head under your pillow, you know that the current business climate is downright depressing. Right now, many firms are focused on getting through the next few months, hoping to weather the economic fallout until things show signs of improving. If your firm is paying attention to short term priorities, it probably isn’t too concerned with managing talent. However, if you are concerned about staying competitive now as well as in the future, then developing your high potential performers is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

In the past, leaders were chosen due to their technical skill. Leadership ability was hoped for but rarely the primary criteria for promotion. Difficult economic times and globalization bring with them new competitive pressures and those, in turn, call for leadership development. But is seems that when times are tough, executives vanish rather than engage promising employees.

You can avoid this damaging behavior:

• Meet with one high-potential candidate for lunch each week.

• Create a monthly meeting for future leaders to talk about organizational issues and strategies.

• Ask high potential performers to analyze future market opportunities in developing regions and markets.

• Share information about competitors with potential leaders to give them a “big-picture perspective” of your industry.

• Discuss trends and legislation that impacts your industry with future leaders.

Many industries are going through a difficult time right now, causing the employees with the most promise to ask themselves if they might not be better off somewhere else. If you are the manager of these promising employees, you should think about ways to retain your talent while they are still yours.

How to – Stop the Micromanaging

2009-01-23T12:23:00.002-05:00

If you have ever had a boss who micromanages, you know first hand that their actions communicate a lack of trust in the professional abilities of their employees. Rather than feel encouraged and independent, the employee feels limited independence at work. Micromanaging interferes with the ability to actually get the job done. Constant monitoring on the part of the boss deprives the employee of learning how to be self sufficient and developing good judgment and ingenuity to get projects and assignments completed.

There are a myriad of reasons that a manager will micromanage: bad history, trust issues, hyper- responsibility, over-the-top need for control. It actually doesn’t matter why because you are not a psychologist and work is not a therapy session. The goal is to create an environment where work goals and objectives can be successfully accomplished and employees can develop and handle increasing levels of responsibility.

If you want the behavior to stop, try negotiating some of the following strategies:

• Send daily email updates of critical work assignments.

• Hold a weekly call/meeting that can serve as a progress report.

• Identify critical milestones that are not negotiable, and dates for review.

• Determine deadlines and soft-deadlines (when an item is due for review, prior to the actual deadline).

• Establish how a need for support and guidance will be communicated.

• Agree on clear and attainable standards for success so that work can meet those standards.

Closely scrutinizing employees is not the best use of a manager’s time. If you think the boss can and should back off a bit, negotiate a process that works for both of you. The outcome can lead to a better work relationship and a better work product.

How to – Get Beyond Corporate Inertia

2009-01-09T12:10:00.003-05:00

A new year! Psychologically, it can signify a new beginning. Many of us are eager to break out of the bureaucratic way of doing business that weighs us down and holds us back from being as responsive and intrapreneurial as we’d like to be. With so many aspects that make up an organizational culture (how things get done), it can be frustrating to determine effective ways to help people break free of stifling corporate traditions and the inertia that can result from pessimistic predictions about the economy. But take heart - evidence exists that there IS something that can be done to get and keep employees engaged and motivated to innovate.

Studies show that when a person’s personal sense of purpose, values, work, organization and community are aligned around a mission, they feel engaged. When people are engaged, they take pride in their work. When they see the link between objectives at work and their personal mission and vision, it makes sense to them to change themselves and innovate in order to achieve those corporate goals.

While aligning your work with your firm’s mission and vision isn’t a new concept, it’s difficult to do - difficult, but possible. In a perfect world, it should start at the top, and requires observable leadership behaviors, such as:

• Testing assumptions and history (“We’ve always done it this way.”)

• Encouraging creativity

• Supporting experimentation

• Not punishing people for failure

• Helping people with their work

Even if a company’s leadership isn’t visionary, there is always something the individual can do. You could build consensus, sow the seeds of change, test an idea, and find people who are like-minded to create a solid foundation for innovation. Change doesn’t always come from the top.

How to – See What Customers See

2008-12-11T09:12:00.003-05:00

Whether you have a service or a product to sell, you know that without customers you have no business. You spend a great deal of your time either trying to attract new customers or keep existing ones. Getting a customer’s attention and keeping it is critical to everything else that follows: sales, service, repeat business, and referral business.

It doesn’t matter what your organization does or what size it may be, first impressions count. Do you know what kind of initial impression your firm makes?

Do a Reality Check:

• Call your firm. What happens? Are your greeted promptly? Is there energy and a smile in the voice at the other end of the phone? Are you put on hold? Are you shifted over to "menu hell" with no chance to escape?

• Walk through the front door. Is there a reception area with comfortable chairs and a person eager to help you out? Is the area clean, well lit, and welcoming?

• Look at your promotional materials. Are they of high quality? Do they look dated? Does your firm’s product or service look like something customers would pay for?

• Visit your website. Is the site easy to navigate? Is the information dated or timely? Does it look professional and polished? Does it convey clearly the products and services you want to promote? Does it invite visitors to take the next step and contact you?

• Google your firm and the CEO. Do articles come up that promote your product and service in a favorable light? Are there photos to view? Do you appear like a dynamic firm?

• Look in the mirror. Do you look like you are ready to do business? Do you appear as a professional or as someone who is about to run errands on the weekend?

Take some time to do a little detective work; or better yet, have an objective colleague check these things out and report back to you about what he or she learned. You need to make sure that current and prospective clients have a positive and professional first impression of you and your organization. You may only get one chance.

How to – Thrive in Tough Times

2008-11-30T09:01:00.001-05:00

Unless you’ve been meditating on the top of a mountain or hibernating in a cave, you are all too well aware of the economic situation in our country and around the world. It’s hard to get through a news cycle without hearing about how hard it is, how challenging it will be, and how more bad news is expected.

You can join in, wring your hands, and bemoan the current situation. Many people are doing exactly that. Or you can behave in ways that bring an upbeat energy to your work and your employees, and may bring business through your doors.

Internal Audit
First you need to review what you are thinking and how it is being translated into the words you speak. If enough people talk about how awful things are in the marketplace, then it not only becomes more of an awful marketplace, but everyone is focused on how bad it is. If you are focused on the negative, it will take you that much longer to recognize anything that may be positive. You can’t change the news being reported, but you can control how much you listen to it. Although you may not be able to get a handle on how concerned you are, you don’t have to be talking about it all the time. Pay attention to the words you speak. Your colleagues, employees and customers are listening.

Other Action Items
Additional things to do when times are challenging:

• Find a consultant, coach, mentor, or business guru who can offer you support and a different view on how to run a business, or identify alternative strategies and goals.

• Volunteer to sit on a panel, speak, or join a committee to provide some additional and fresh exposure.

• Get out to network at least once a week. If you are networking at the same places, try a new organization.

• Connect with local colleges and universities. They can always use expertise, and it may provide you a new avenue for ideas.

• Partner with others to provide added value to customers and develop new products or services.

• Get creative with price. Think about bundling services, or adding discounts for quantity or early sales.

• Thank existing customers by offering them a discount for returning and buying again.

I’m guessing you could add to this list by conducting a brainstorming session of your Advisory Board, Executive Team, Management Staff or employees. Rather than posing it as a question of staying in business, think about positioning the meeting as a way to generate energy and enthusiasm. If current economic conditions are going to be the “new normal”, create an organization that plans to thrive in tough times.

How to – Get Diverse Team Members to Connect

2008-11-13T18:32:00.005-05:00

When teams are made up of homogeneous members, creating connections happens automatically. But when the members of your team are different from each other, you’ve got a challenge.

When you are the one who is different, connecting right from the start, developing rapport, showing credibility, creating a safe place to learn, reading and responding to cues and clues, and adjusting your behavior based on feedback are all challenges that must be dealt with. As a leader, you should help team members connect to one another and create a cohesive team culture. If you believe that everyone is unique, then all teams are comprised of members
who are different from one another.

When people join a group they wonder:
• Will this be a valuable experience?
• Will this be a safe place to learn?
• Will we develop as a community?
• Who are the other members? What will they think of me and what will I think about them?
• Will I find a way to fit into the group?
• Will this be worth my time?

Once these questions are answered, people’s behaviors and contributions will follow. The goal for the leader is to create an awareness of differences and celebrate them as well as leverage them.

As a leader, you need to:
• Make sure each person’s voice is heard
• Highlight and welcome differences in an observable way.
• Create a level playing field.

Assure members who may be less knowledgeable in specific areas that they have a valuable
role to play. Connect them to members who will assist them in developing where it is needed. In this way, learning becomes part of the environment, making the team a developmental opportunity for every member.

How to – Talk to Strangers

2008-11-03T06:49:00.002-05:00

Growing up, you might have been told that you should never talk to strangers. I was taught that too, but I often found that my parents’ behavior was completely different. They could talk to people anywhere and everywhere – in a checkout line at the store, in a waiting room at the dentist’s office, at the bank or in a restaurant. They always seemed to be able to create a conversation in ways that amazed me.

With all of the opportunities to network and create interpersonal connections, it’s a skill that can serve a professional well. Unfortunately, many people are simply terrible at creating conversation. They didn’t grow up learning what people used to refer to as “cocktail party conversation”, and it’s a shame because professional networking events are the “cocktail party” of today’s business environment.

Always look for the welcoming cues: a smile, eye contact, and laughter can be passive invitations. Look welcoming with a smile or a laugh of your own; and hold eye contact for three seconds or more.

If you are hoping to open a door to further conversation and looking for topics to create a connection, try discussing one of these:

• Local places of interest

• The hospitality of those hosting the event

• Aspects of the local culture; museums, food, history

• Accomplishments of the area: new construction project, local park, cultural icons

Sincerity and interest communicated in your opening statement will indicate your hopes and intentions for a connection.