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Every Monday morning - I give you four proven plays great leaders use to solve problems in how you Hire, Manage, Develop, and Retain great people.
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NOTE: David is no longer writing this newsletter. Visit www.simpleliberty.com to read his latest posts.
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MANAGEtoWIN Integrated with ConnectWise
We are now offering a full integration of our talent management software with ConnectWise, the leading business management solution for service providers, MSPs, technology consultants, integrators, and developers.
We are excited to partner with ConnectWise to help their customers to run their IT businesses better. Our integration brings employee information, hours worked, utilization forecasts, and other key data from ConnectWise into MANAGEtoWIN. ConnectWise partners can use that information to pay their employees based on hours worked and utilization rates. They no longer have to do duplicate entry of data.
In addition, ConnectWise partners can leverage MANAGEtoWIN to motivate employee performance like world class companies – in software. MANAGEtoWIN allows them to set and track automated goals, write reviews in half the time, automate career paths, manage benefits, track job history, document positive/negative employee behavior, track recognition, encourage more pay-for-performance compensation, and much more. We have dozens of ConnectWise partners that have been requesting this integration. It’s exciting to introduce it at the largest IT Nation event ever.
We will be presenting the MANAGEtoWIN-ConnectWise integration in booth 604 of the IT Nation event in Orlando, Florida on November 8-12, 2011. Special show pricing will be available to attendees and online during the show.
Lawsuits Growing
Leaders are employers. Therefore you need to fully comprehend the risk of not fully, systematically hiring, managing, developing, and retaining employees. Here are just two examples:
1. 99,947 Charges of employment bias were filed during fiscal year 2011 with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This is a new record. Part of the problem is the economy has people trying to get money from former employers. Another possible reason may be an increase in age-related claims and this is going to get worse because:
2. The EEOC has approved a final regulation stating an employment practice that adversely impacts older workers is discriminatory unless the practice is justified by a "reasonable factor other than age" (RFOA). This should increase age-related claims in the days ahead.
Are we having fun yet? Need more? Okay, just one:
3. A timber company has to pay the family of a truck driver killed in a 2008 accident in Arkansas $7 million in damages because the company did NOT do a basic background check before hiring the truck driver who caused the accident. If they had done a search, it would have revealed a history of unsafe driving that included having his license being revoked twice.
That jury award, if not just the trial costs alone, would put many of us out of business.
I know you do not have any extra time, but moving into 2012 PLEASE invest some time to improve your systems for hiring, managing, developing, and retaining your people.
MINIMUM EFFORT: Buy a copy of my latest book with Rob Betzel, The Company Culture Challenge and make one improvement a quarter. Now on sale at Amazon for only $11.10!
MEDIUM EFFORT: Engage me or someone else as a coach to hold you accountable to improving your leadership skills and processes so you avoid lawsuits, lost productivity, and having a toxic workplace.
MAXIMUM EFFORT: Sign-up now for our STORY program of one year of coaching to implement The Company Culture Challenge and video development to promote your company. There are only 4 openings left in this program. Email me for details.
Don't miss our upcoming webinars.
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
1. Hiring. During the past year, have you hired someone: - Who is no longer working for you? - Without a background check and it has cost you? - And they did not show-up the first day of work? - Who was a different person than they were in the interviews? - Is not working out as expected. If any of these are true for you, or other problems have occurred, then attend our free Hire The Best Avoid The Rest webinar on December 20. 2. Managing. Have you experienced any of the following situations? - Billable resources do not enter time daily in your system? 3. Developing. Your people need to understand their future to be fully engaged. Do any of these statements describe your company? - We do not have career paths. 4. Retaining. Retention is a game of keeping great employees and moving others along in life to work for someone else. Do any of these statements describe your company? - We do not do retention interviews (what's that?). If you need help, contact me. |
One Way to Give Thanks
1. Make certain they understand why their work is meaningful and confirm how they are personally fulfilled in their career with your organization.
2. Sincerely appreciate them.
Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to reinforce #2. Suggestion:
1. Go to a stationery store and buy nice, funny Thanksgiving greeting cards for your direct reports. Buy for quality because it reinforces a sincere message, not based on price.
NOTE: Buy them only for your direct reports. Set the example this year and your managers can thank their people in a similar way next year.
2. Handwrite a brief note thanking them for being on your team and reminding them of one specific thing they did recently that you really appreciated.
3. Place it on their desk late this evening or early tomorrow morning so they may read it without you present.
4. If they thank you for the card, then just smile and say you really appreciate them being on your team. Wish them a happy Thanksgiving.
5. If they do not thank you, and some will not, then ask yourself what you are doing wrong in leading that person which would lead them to behave this way. The lack of thanks is a leadership issue first, and an employee issue second.
Have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving overflowing with laughter!
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
I outlined one approach to saying "thanks" above. For a team meeting, I suggest a research project. 1. Receiving #1. Ask your employees, when was the last time they received a compliment from a coworker or their boss? Why were they thanked or appreciated, and what was said? 2. Giving #1. Ask your employees, when was the last time they complimented a coworker or their boss? Why did they thank or appreciate them, and what was said? 3. Receiving #2. Ask your employees, when was the last time they received a compliment from a client? Why did they thank or appreciate you, and what was said? 4. Giving #2. Ask your employees, when was the last time they complimented a client? Why did they thank or appreciate them, and what was said? You cannot do everything yourself. Develop a culture of gratitude and it will help you retain great employees and clients. If you need help, contact me. |
Your Story
Direct mail is dead. TV, radio, and print advertising are too expensive for most companies to use to develop business-to-business sales. Email is overwhelming all of us, and the content on even the best designed websites is starting to sound the same.
Only one thing works, and will only be stronger in the years ahead: Effectively telling your unique story. Stories entertain, engage, and sell your company to job candidates, clients, and vendors better than anything else.
Let me tell you what we are starting December 1. You may want to participate, or learn from our efforts to do something similar on your own.
1. Develop Our Culture: I will coach up to 12 companies for one year to develop their company culture according to the book we just released, The Company Culture Challenge ($19.95 on our site or go to Amazon for e-book). We have only a limited number of openings still available. If you want inspiration, accountability, and mentoring through the process of developing your company culture as part of this Story program then contact me immediately. Or, follow the 7-step system in the book and develop your company culture (and your story) on your own.
2. Video: We and our clients will be videotaping the progress of developing our cultures. They will be submitting footage to us, and have the option of flying our video guru to their location to film employees and client testimonials quarterly for only travel expenses. Our video guru will then edit and produce a series of videos that help tell each company's story for their website, YouTube, and our upcoming Company Culture Challenge website.
3. B.H.A.G.: As Jim Collins says, have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal for your story. For us, we want our collection of client stories to be good enough for The Company Culture Challenge to be considered for a business makeover television show. Therefore we must be successful with our coaching and make a significant positive difference in the clients participating in this program. What goal could a stronger story about your company help you achieve over the next 12 months? A stronger company culture should increase your bottom line by 50-100% within 1-3 years. What are you waiting for?
4. Reputation: Your story is your legacy. It is your reputation. It is what people say when your company comes up in conversation. I am putting my reputation the line in promising the companies participating in our Story program MUST SUCCEED... or else we do not prove The Company Culture Challenge system works. (Certainly there could be circumstances out of our control, but... I am not expecting that.)
Therefore I encourage you to invest in your company culture in 2012. Zappos grew from basically bankrupt in 1999 to selling itself to Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009. The difference: Company culture.
Why wait? Invest about 5% of your time in our program and we will help you develop a much stronger and profitable company culture. Or, do it on your own, which will take a bit more time. Either way, DEVELOP YOUR COMPANY CULTURE to live your dreams, and empower your employees to live theirs.
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
1. Employees. Ask your employees in casual one-on-one conversations, "What's a story that comes to mind when you want to give an example of what our company stands for?" If the answers would sound weak to a prospective new employee, a client, or a vendor, then it is time to do something about it. 2. Clients. Ask your clients in casual one-on-one conversations, "If someone asked you about our company, what story would you tell or how would you describe us?" Your clients should be passionate evangelists for your organization. If the answers would not convince you to do business with your company, then it is time to take action. 3. Vendors. Ask your vendor reps in casual one-on-one conversations, "If you were to tell a story about our company to someone who asked about us, what would you say?" Your vendors should be strong advocates for your organization. If the answers would not convince you to do business with your company, then you need to get to work on your company culture. 4.You. What would be your story for your company, if everything was going right? Is that your story today? If you are honest, virtually all of us would admit there is work to be done on our company culture to truly have the company of our dreams. If your story today does not match your dream company then how much longer are you going to focus on adding new products or services, or improving a process rather than developing the company culture that you yearn for? Wake up! We only get so much time to live. Two clients of mine have had 35 year old friends die recently, yet I know multiple IT solution provider owners who have been doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result for over 20 years. These people are still not meeting their goals. Do you really want that to be your legacy? At least read my book to see if it inspires you to do something different. If you need help, contact me. |
To Do Lists
Here is what works for me. I'm open to your ideas, please send or post them:
1. Goals That Work: The starting point for my lists is clear, measurable goals for the year. I explain this in my books as Goals That Work. Each week and day, I make certain my planned activities support these goals. A sample is available in the Free Stuff section of our website.
2. Success Plans: This is a weekly plan of DO IT NOW activities related to my Goals That Work. I use this tool at times, but not consistently. I would like to develop a mobile app to track my priorities and time, but no funding for that at the moment... A sample is available in the Free Stuff section of our website.
3. DO IT NOW list: This is the "to do list" that I use daily. I have it in Microsoft Outlook as a task and a reminder for 6:00 a.m., which I move from day to day. Activities are listed in order of priority. Other important activities I would like to get to, but are not urgent, are a separate list below my DO IT NOW items. This has been very successful for me.
4. Personal Journal: I am NOT a journaling guy, but a couple of months ago I started a new practice. I enter a bulleted list during and at the end of each day of the highlights of my day in my cell phone. Every 1-2 weeks I email it to my laptop and copy it to my password-protected personal journal. It is a mix of personal and professional events, emotions, and faith. I love to review the lists and quick descriptions of events from past days. I hope after I'm gone this journal will remind our children and grandchildren how much I love them. Although I do not like to journal, I highly recommend you consider this approach.
I hope to see you at IT Nation in Orlando this week or the SYNNEX Varnex event in Las Vegas next week!
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
ONE ANSWER: Focus more on what is truly important. I suggest you have an open discussion with your team about setting and pursuing clear, measurable goals in 2012. Here are some ideas: 1. Review 2011. Discuss your company goals. How could they have been more clear and measurable? Are you exceeding them? How can you close the gap on any goals that are lagging? NOTE: Almost achieving a goal is NOT GOOD. "Almost" only counts in handgrenades and horseshoes. 2. How are people staying on track? Have an open discussion of how people are staying focused on achieving their Goals That Work. What is working for people and who is struggling? How can people learn from one another? 3. Accountability: Are you using Success Plans, weekly one-on-one meetings, or daily huddles to keep people on track? You should be talking with your people at least every two days, but preferably daily. Managing "by a long leash" is not managing at all. If that's your style, go work as an independent rep. 4. DO IT NOW: How are your people focusing on what is truly most important to achieve each DAY? Days add-up to weeks. Weeks add-up to months. Then suddenly... your year is over! Do not overlook the importance of achieving meaningful progress in small steps daily. 5. Journal: Encourage people to keep a journal in a way that is meaningful to them and an effective use of their time. What they write is typically no one else's business. If you need help, contact me. |
It's Their Body
CALENDAR ITEM: I am giving an updated Hire The Best Avoid The Rest presentation at the SYNNEX Varnex event in Las Vegas on November 14-15. I hope you attend. Email me in advance if you would like to meet before or after my talks to discuss your greatest employee challenges.
The USA Today article explains Affinia Hotels, a boutique five location chain, hired a body language expert this past summer to train staff how to intelligently guess what a guest may need just by looking at them.
How many times have you misread a coworker, client, or vendor and said something that upset them, or at least did not achieve your objective? When was the last time you put your foot in your mouth up to the kneecap with the love of your life or friends?
Training like this may help. Here are some quick thoughts:
1. I like this training because this skill enables Affina hotel staff to improve their personal lives as well as their professional ones. It is relational.
2. The question is, how are they following-up on this training to confirm their staff is practicing the new skill, being further trained in its application, and helping new employees to develop similar skills?
3. Maybe some of us should stay at an Affinia Hotel and see if we can sense their people using this new skill... or not?
I used to watch the TV show, Lie to Me. It got cancelled earlier this year, but past episodes are available on Netflix. The show gave examples of how human facial and behavorial cues enable you to determine whether a person is telling the truth.
Email me if you think we should develop a training like this for our clients.
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
Here are some questions to ask at your next meeting with your team to consider the benefits of better understanding the mood of others BEFORE and as you engage them in conversation: 1. What are the five most recent problems we had with clients? How could each of these situations been resolved easier if our people had better read the mood of the client? 2. Do our clients lie to us? How would it help us if we could know when clients, vendors, or coworkers are lying to us? 3. If we could learn cues to understand a person's mood, as we begin a conversation and as the discussion continues, how would that help us serve clients better? If you need help, contact me. |
Hire The Best
CALENDAR ITEM: I am giving an updated Hire The Best Avoid The Rest presentation at the SYNNEX Varnex event in Las Vegas on November 14-15. I hope you attend. Email me in advance if you would like to meet before or after my talks to discuss your greatest employee challenges.
The good news is I am talking with a lot of companies that are hiring. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind:
1. Have a clear system for hiring someone so you expose great actors and people who may be nice folks, but their identity is not a match with your organization.
2. Update your hiring system annually. Have a group meeting and walk through it. Debate what is working and what is not. Identify ways to improve it. Even minor changes can yield big results.
3. Pose typical scenarios the person will face on the job. This is one of the best interviewing methods you can use. Years ago one client remarked that she had a superstar apply for a position, but the guy bombed the in-person interview.
She was surprised. She paused to think after the guy left, and she actually thought: "What would Dave do?"
Then she contacted the guy and laid-out a scenario he would face on the job and asked him to arrive for his next interview with a solution. The guy returned with a complete walk through that was very impressive and more consistent with what she had expected. She hired him.
These scenarios are great because when done properly as open-ended questions, they get candidates talking outside of their script. Typical on-the-job scenarios are also great to use with the candidate's references.
For those of you who cannot join me in Las Vegas next month, we will be offering a special, limited time discount on our UPDATED Hire The Best Avoid The Rest system. Stay tuned.
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
RECOMMENDATION: You will be able to purchase our updated Hire The Best Avoid The Rest system with new content for only $99 ($299 value) for a limited time in mid-late November. Consider scheduling your hiring process in late November or early December so you can review our unique materials as part of your meeting. Consider following the outline of the Hire The Best Avoid The Rest System to consider how to improve your hiring process: 1. Systematic Power: Where are we systematic in our hiring process and where are we inconsistent? 2. Team Member Strategic Plans: How can we improve the way we are defining each opportunity (job)? 3. Recruiting: How can we improve our methods for recruiting so we have more great candidates to consider? 4. Interviewing: Yes, our interviewing process may seem good, but is it the best it can be? 5. Talent Assessments: Do we really know the on-the-job behaviors and values of our top candidates before we risk our time and money on them as an employee? 6. References: How can we get beyond yes/no answers? 7. Background Checks: Are we doing these right? (Sign-up with our partner for thorough, online background checks.) 8. Offer Letter: How can we improve this process so great candidates look forward to joining our team? 9. First Day: How can we improve the first day experience for new hires? 10. Never Stop Selling: How can we follow through better on what we promise during the interview process? If you need help, contact me. |
7 Year Makeover
Why?
Because you get complacent, set in your ways, bureaucratic, stale... So what do you do?
This guy's solution was to "totally change everything" every seven years. He seemed to credit their lasting success on this principle, although certain aspects of his business and leadership systems must also be key to their enduring impact.
NOTE: "Totally change everything" does not mean every single thing, but it does encourage us to take aggressive action to fully review our business and consider better ways to do things.
When is the best time for your 7-Year Makeover to occur? When you are wildly successful. Certainly there is tremendous value to your company to take similar action when growth is flat or your organization is struggling.
Actively seek input from your employees and clients. Get outside feedback from a consultant, vendors, clients, mentors, etc. as you consider changes also... BUT consider all input carefully. Not all ideas are good.
The changes you make should be consistent with your identity (see last week's post), but enable your organization to grow into new opportunities.
Until now, I have not known anyone who does this... but I do not a lot of companies who should have been doing it!
The ROI from this type of action is HUGE and it provides a significant competitive advantage.
How about you?
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
What would happen to HP if they really changed things while retaining their core identity? What about Microsoft? Will Windows 8 be their tipping point, or will they be unable to break out from their bureaucracy? What would happen to a major IT distributor if they really helped reseller partners build a stronger business? I do not want to offend anyone. The fact is every organization can be better, but earlier this month I met an IBM guy who was feeling sorry for HP because they so desperately need a 7 Year Makeover. He wondered, how can Meg Whitman, who has no channel experience and has been on HP's Board approving actions through their recent problems, make a difference? The fact is too many organizations are stuck in the past and filled with people who are distracted by working in their business instead of on their business. So ask your team: 1. When was the last time we really looked at everything we do and made significant changes? 2. We are rapidly approaching 2012. What is the risk of doing a 7 Year Makeover now so our 2012 is our best year ever? 3. What could we gain from a total makeover of our company culture and business activities? 4. Do we need to hire someone - David Russell or another catalyst for change who understands our business? If so, who is that person, who will contact them, and when will we make a decision whether to invest in their services? 5. What is the ROI on investing in change vs. the cost of doing nothing? What do we lose if we do not change anything significantly? Discuss these types of costs: Opportunity, employee productivity, competitor takes away market share, we lose top employees because they are not challenged, technology changes and it significantly hurts us, ... The bottom line is that doing nothing risks your entire company. If you need help, contact me. |
What's Your Identity?
Consider the core identity of your company.
We require our employees to demonstrate certain behaviors and achieve specific goals, but these are results. They are not who the person is (their identity), or the core identity of your company.
Behaviors and goal achievement follow identity.
Employees are instructed to be "good," and there are many definitions of what "good" is, whereas really we want them to become new. By "new" I mean we encourage them to become someone who represents our organization in a manner consistent with our four company culture cornerstones: Mission, values, vision, and standards of accountability.
The identity of your company is the bedrock beneath your four company culture cornerstones.
It takes time, training, mentoring, and encouragement for new employees to grow into the fullness of their new professional identity, because even the best people you hire need to develop.
But most leaders do not train, mentor, and encourage employees because they feel there is no time to make these interactions a priority.
Why not? Because they would rather do other things with their time.
This creates an opportunity for you to outgrow your competition.
Do you really want to be the best? Then focus on your people. It takes time away from other "stuff," but great leaders find the time to hire people whose identity matches their company's. Then they constantly engage their people in activities to develop their capabilities.
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
1. What is the core identity of your company? Your mission is why you are in business. Your values are how you do business. Your vision is where you are going as a business. Your company's identity is the bedrock beneath this foundation. You cannot have enough rules, values, policies, and procedures to cover every situation. So at some point the decisions your people make are based on how they define the identity of your organization. What is it? 2. What is your personal/professional identity? 3. How does your identity align with and differ from your company's identity? 4. Basic truth: A tree bears fruit in accordance with its identity. Similarly, people's behaviors are consistent with their identity. Consider one of your company's top performers and one who left the organization because they did not work out. Avoiding gossip and do not divulge confidential information, but discuss why these people are and were not a fit in your organization due to how well their identity matches your company's. If you need help, contact me. |
Missing the 4th?
What is missing? Most leaders and consultants would say, "nothing."
I suggest in my new book, The Company Culture Challenge, this approach leaves your company without a fourth cornerstone upholding your company. This means it can tilt, fall prey to the winds of temptation, and not withstand the storms of human mistakes.
The missing cornerstone is accountability. Without accountability your mission, values, and vision are just paper on the wall, emails in the trash folder, and empty phrases of motivation that are forgotten moments after being communicated.
Accountability is processes or systems to confirm your employees are fully engaged and taking ownership for happy clients in ways that are consistent with your mission, values, and vision.
This is a key benefit participants will gain in our 5-month intensive S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) coaching program for companies that want a fast transformation from a nice company without a clearly defined culture to a more rapidly growing powerhouse that is taking full advantage of opportunities.
This game changing experience starts November 1. It is called the Company Culture Challenge Competition and the results will be a stronger company culture as we implement time efficient, leadership effective systems to more fully engage employees and improve the experience clients have working with your people.
You also gain a comprehensive video case study plus lots of video clips for your website that show your organization as a preferred partner. Many companies are asking their top vendor to sponsor them in this exercise so the vendor can also use these video case studies to prove their organization is a great channel partner.
Email me to learn more.
And... if you already have a mission statement, company values, a vision statement, and accountability, then my question is: What's the greatest challenge you have today with employees?
Let's talk about it.
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
My suggestions for a meeting discussion are just some basics. To more thoroughly consider all four of these company culture cornerstones pick up a copy of my latest book, The Company Culture Challenge. 1. Write a list of how you train people to make decisions based on your mission, values, and vision. 2. Is the role-playing effective in your training, if it exists at all? How could the role-playing be improved? Create a new role-playing exercise now. 3. How often are you shadowing people to listen to how they are applying your mission, values, and vision in their day-to-day decision-making? Are you consistently praising what they are doing right, or just nailing them with "gotchas?" How can you develop more balance in your critique of team member performance in this area? 4. How are you, or should you, reinforce training on your mission, values, and vision - methods, dates, recording in MANAGEtoWIN or other talent management software? If you need help, contact me. |
What Comes First
I suggest in my new book, The Company Culture Challenge, this approach puts the proverbial cart before the horse. This is because what you want your clients to experience should drive your definition of why you are in business, how you do business, and where your organization is going.
But it is tough to do it this way. People want to hurry.
This is part of the reason we are offering a limited number of IT partners an opportunity to do a comprehensive consulting engagement and benchmark their results again similar companies. We want to show you how to this right so your mission, values, and vision fully engage employees and clients.
This 5-month program starting November 1 is called the Company Culture Challenge Competition and the results will be extensive video case studies that show your organization as a preferred partner. Many companies are asking their top vendor to sponsor them in this exercise so the vendor can also use these video case studies to prove their organization is a great channel partner.
And... if you already have a mission statement, company values, and/or a vision statement, then now is a great time to work through Step 1 of the Company Culture Challenge to confirm these cornerstones of your culture actually reinforce the best possible experience for your clients, and fully engage your employees.
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
My suggestions for a meeting discussion are just some basics. To more thoroughly consider these company culture cornerstones pick up a copy of my latest book, The Company Culture Challenge. 1. Read your mission statement. Ask your people whether your employees' behavior consistently reinforces this statement, and if so, how? If not, then why? 2. Read your company values. Ask your people whether your employees' behavior consistently demonstrate these values, and if so, how? If not, then why? 3. Read your vision statement. Ask your people whether the actions of your company are laser-focused on achieving your vision, or are there some activities you need to end so more resources can be invested in your most critical objectives. Discuss your conclusions. If you need help, contact me. |
Reveive My Words
Are you communicating in ways that your people - coworkers, clients, vendors... family - can receive your message?
We have different ways of receiving and processing information audibly. A message that may seem crystal clear to you, may fall on "deaf ears" if it is not said in a way the receiver is willing to, or able to absorb.
One way to assess someone's preferred listening style is to understand their natural strengths, or behaviors they demonstrate on the job. The DISC language can provide great insights. Here are some tips from our Success With People Talent Assessments on how to speak to a:
Driven Person (High D): Prefer summaries, results-oriented, efficient
- Hold them accountable to the bottom line
- Give them opportunities to talk
- Clearly explain the results you expect
- Train and require development of listening skills
- Negotiate any commitments one-on-one (back-up in-writing)
- Confront face-to-face when you disagree
- Expect their need for daily interaction
- Be open to a professional friendship with boundaries
- They want to talk with people
- Provide certain hours of "open door policy" to discuss any issues
- Help them develop their verbal skills and then identify opportunities for them to use them for mutual gain
- Get to know them
- Be clear about their expectations of you and others
- Show them appreciation
- Avoid surprises, particularly negative ones
- Fully consider their opinions when they disagree
- Encourage them to contribute in meetings
- Clearly define your expectations of them
- Know specifically what they expect of you
- Agree upon procedures in writing
- Limit criticism of their work unless you can refer to their expectations, written responsibilities or a better way that is validated by a trusted source
- Confirm their work is being done correctly
- Encourage their contribution in meetings
P.S. The Company Culture Challenge is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBook, and other top booksellers as an e-book. The hardcover version will be released in October. This is a strategic plan, how-to book for entrepreneurs, corporate managers and nonprofit leaders to transform their companies from good to Great (as Jim Collins would say).
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
Although our Talent Assessments provide you with unique "WOW" insights into working with others, you can use the list above to confirm with members of your team how they prefer to receive information. Here are some ideas: 1. Share the lists above and ask people to identify which type of listening is their preferred method. 2. Ask them to add anything to their list that would make it easier for them to comprehend what someone is saying, or their objective. 3. Ask them to prioritize their list based on what is most significant to them and weight their list for importance. 4. Share the lists so everyone has a copy. Ask everyone to review the other person's list before communicating key information to another team members if they need to be reminded of the other person's listening preferences. Ask people weekly for one month how this is helping them work more effectively together. If you need help, contact me. |
Puke
The tail end of last week my family drove to the Hyatt Lake Tahoe for the wedding of our oldest son, Luke. After 4 hours of driving I walked the two youngest of our four foster children into the lobby of the Hyatt Grand Vacations resort.
As I introduced myself to Sonia at the desk, our 2.5 year old threw-up on the stone floor. I apologized in shock. Sonia said kindly, "No problem," as though people puke in their lobby 2-3 times daily.
Then I walked the toddler to the bathroom across the foyer where she threw-up two more times on a throw carpet. Emerging from the bathroom, I apologized again profusely as our daughter cried. Again, Sonia just waived it off as a common occurrence. Although it had only been 2-3 minutes, already someone was cleaning the floor. He also said with a big smile, "No problem."
QUESTION: Have you planned for and trained your people how to handle common problems, but are unprepared for the ugly ones?
Sonia and her associate were awesome. They deserve a 100% score or a gold medal (I tipped them, which of course she tried to turn down). Sonia is fully engaged as an employee. She took ownership for my experience.
Now consider an employee at the adjoining Hyatt Lake Tahoe resort (not the timeshare organization). At the pool area there was a plastic cup and two straws which a guest had dropped on the walkway between two pools.
At least two young ladies who were working at the pool walked right by the cup and straws on the otherwise perfectly clean pool area multiple times without picking them up. An owner would pick them up and dispose of them properly.
Are your employees thinking like owners (Sonia and her associate) or like employees (the young women serving guests at the pool)?
P.S. The Company Culture Challenge is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBook, and other top booksellers as an e-book. The hardcover version will be released in October. This is a strategic plan, how-to book for entrepreneurs, corporate managers and nonprofit leaders to transform their companies from good to Great (as Jim Collins would say).
Be an Intentional, Systematic, Servant Leader.
MANAGEtoWIN, Inc.
| MEETING IDEAS |
Any company can handle a happy customer well, or a typical situation or minor problem. Is everyone in your organization prepared to respond calmly, patiently, and with a smile when your clients "puke" on your company? Here are some ideas to discuss problems your people may face less often, but which are still very important to your clients: 1. What are five (or up to 10) situations that could occur where a client "pukes" on our company? 2. If we were our client, how would we want our company to respond so that we retained our dignity, our embarrassment was removed, our problem solved, and our needs met? 3. Two days later I went back into the lobby and Sonia asked me, "How is your little girl feeling?" How can we follow-up after a "pukey situation" to confirm our client has recovered from the disaster? 4. How can we train and role-play these type of events so our people expect them rather than become shocked and part of the problem? If you need help, contact me. |
Fulfilling
I get asked often, "What's the one thing I can do to motivate my employees?"
My reply, "Make certain they believe the work they do for your company is making a positive difference in the world and they feel appreciated."
The August issue of SHRM's HR Magazine has an article titled, India's Management Mind-Set. It is based on a Harvard Business Press book from 2010.
There are four principal practices:
1. Holistic engagement of employees. "Indian business leaders see their organizations as organic enterprises where sustaining employee morale and building company culture are critical to executing strategy. People are viewed as assets to be developed, not costs to be reduced..."
2. Improvisation and adaptability. In brief, you make do with what you have.
3. Creative value propositions. Find a balance between satisfying the needs of demanding, value-conscious consumers and efficiency.
4. Social purpose. "Indian business leaders emphasize personal values, vision of growth and strategic thinking... The social mission for Bharti Airtel Ltd., for example, was to get cell phones into the hands of millions of people who otherwise had no way to communicate with each other. The Tate Nano had a similar goal of getting safer, low-cost transportation to the masses..."
I was surprised to learn two-thirds of the profits of the Tata Group companies go to its charitable foundations. The Godrej Group has constructed schools, medical clinics and living facilities for employees. Dr. Reddy's has guaranteed to meet the health care needs for 40,000 children.
Give your people a clear, sincere vision for how you are improving the world and the pursuit of something greater than themselves will motivate them to give you their best.
MEETING IDEAS
Good intentions will not enable your company to become the best it can be. If you sincerely want to make the world a better place then there is no better time to start than now.
Here are some ideas to discuss how your people can Understand How You Make a Difference (one of the desired results of my Success With People system) in your world:
1. What? Your company may be helping a charitable organization in your community, but the focus of the group may not be meaningful to your employees. Discuss what issue is most important to your people and come to agreement on how you will seek to serve that cause.
2. How much? It is better to make a significant difference in the lives of others by serving one person, one family or one group rather than spreading your organization too thin. It is also good to start small and then build from they are even if you have a grand vision of impact. Discuss what your company can realistically do for others today.
3. Plan. Work with your people to schedule what you want to accomplish for others through 2011 or even into 2012. Be realistic, but visionary. Demonstrate integrity and love. HAVE FUN. Report how your people are improving the lives of others. Take lots of photos.
Last, but not least, thank your people to remind them how they are making a positive difference and how much you value them.
Stocks Drop
On the evening of July 28 I convinced my family to liquidate all our stock holdings into cash, which we did the following day. While many of you attended college for education, I went to U.C. Berkeley to play water polo. I left early and got a 5 year education on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange. My life experience gives me a different perspective than some people.
The stock market has dropped and economic uncertainties will continue, but you don't read this newsletter to hear my stock predictions or views on how to restore America before the dream is gone.
What does the stock market drop mean for you as a leader?
1. Opportunity. Economic uncertainly means opportunity for shrewd business people. Zappos, which was broke in 1999, grew through the dot-bomb economy of 2001-03 and the 2008-09 recession. They sell shoes! And not at the lowest prices, but rather a fair price. If they can make money selling shoes online during multiple economic downturns, then you can too.
2. Habits. In brief, you have to change your habits as a leader so you are more focused on your company culture. This has two key outcomes: (1) It improves the experience of clients doing business with your company so they buy more from you and recommend you to others; and (2) your employees become more engaged so their productivity improves, profitability increases, and personal fulfillment in their careers soar.
3. How. It is not easy, but the way to success is straightforward and systematic. Over the next few weeks we are introducing new low-cost and fairly priced programs to improve your company culture. Watch your Inbox.
We can do this, BUT it takes making a decision to do business differently and then following through.
MEETING IDEAS You have to be realistic about economic uncertainty, but not let the negatives blind you to the opportunities. The way through is to have a clear strategic plan and follow it systematically.
Here are some ideas for how you might discuss the current economic situation with your team:
1. What is the impact so far? Ask your people to confirm progress on client contracts and discuss possible extensions of business. Have everyone report back on their perception of your clients' confidence of current and next-in-line projects.
2. Focus more on value. Overcome fear with financial value. Too often we get focused on selling "stuff" rather than delivering a product or service that improves the life of the client, increases their profits or lowers costs. What is the REAL VALUE of each of our top ten products or services to our clients?
3. Find The Flaw. This is a simple game I recently created from a standard process. One person is responsible for convincing the others one of your top products or services offers a real financial value to your clients. The person starts by presenting why the item increases revenue/profit or lowers costs for your clients. The others can choose sides: (1) To provide additional information to support the person's claims of your offering's benefits; or (2) to question, debate the facts, and politely, professionally challenge the person's claims. THE GOAL: Identify ways to improve the ways clients are served; products and services are delivered; and employees are managed.
HEY, YOU!
What do you call your coworkers? Employees? Team members? Partners? He/she... or when they did something wrong, him/her?
What about your clients? Is it, clients or Clients? Partners? Customers? Them? That _____...?
John DiJulius recently (7/13/11) was quoting something written by Joseph Michelli From The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience, Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Here is how the Ritz-Carlton refers to ALL of their employees:
"The Ritz-Carlton mindset -
Our ladies & gentlemen come from the exact same labor force, background and quality of life as our competitor's labor pool.
We're not paying a premium, we pay the same as others in our industry.
It's really how we select our people and what we do when they join our family.
We create guidelines for how our people are to perform, but for them to really generate the unique and memorable experience, we have to empower them. You just can't micromanage
unique and memorable outcomes."
My Point: Notice how they refer to their employees as "Our ladies and gentlemen..." What would happen if we gave our Employees and Clients (capital "e" and "c") that level of respect?
Considering our people and Clients as ladies and gentlemen should not feel like a foreign language. If it does, then enjoy talking about this at your next team meeting.
Watch for the e-book version of my next book, The Company Culture Challenge, out later this week!
MEETING IDEAS Some companies require their employees to dress at least "business casual" at the office because they have found it improves their focus and work behaviors.
How about your office? Have you become so easy going with your dress code (virtually none), foul language, beer bust Fridays and other often superficial ways to engage employees that you have lost the value of respect and professionalism in your workplace?
Before you call me a snob, please understand I believe each company culture has unique attributes based on the Clients you want to serve. Nevertheless respect and appreciation are powerful attributes of company culture.
Here are some ideas for how you might discuss the way your Ladies and Gentlemen refer to each other, your clients, vendors and community... and why:
1. List how each person refers to coworkers, Clients and vendors on a whiteboard.
2. Confirm you have the entire list, not just what people say in public or to people's faces.
3. Discuss how the way you refer to each type of person (coworker, Client and vendor) indicates your level of respect and appreciation of them.
4. What would happen to your company if the way you refer to coworkers, Clients or vendors was reported on the front page of your local print newspaper or news website tomorrow morning?
5. What could be the benefits of referring to coworkers, Clients and vendors with more respect and appreciation? How do you do that? How do you hold each other accountable without nitpicking everything people say?
Challenges
A client calls and upset about your service/products.
A great employee quits.
Someone does something unexpected that you feel is wrong.
Challenges are part of life. As much as we dream of a life without them, a challenge-free life would be very boring and unfulfilling. We would stop growing.
Just a quick suggestion: The next challenge you face, insult you receive, unexpected interaction that occurs... PAUSE before responding, and simply ask yourself:
"What am I supposed to learn through this situation?"
The answer may surprise you.
Watch for the e-book version of my next book, The Company Culture Challenge, out later this month!
MEETING IDEAS Challenges are a blessing in our lives, yet often it is difficult to separate the learning opportunity from our frustration at not having our expectations or hopes met.
Here are some ideas for how you might discuss the way you and your people respond to challenges with your team:
1. List what you could learn from challenges. For instance, a new behavior, possibly a company value-standard-policy... needs to be changed, the situation indicates you need to train your people better, a client costs more to keep than the revenue they bring in, an employee is not a match with your company culture...
2. List the frustrations, unexpected problems, bad behavior by others and any other challenges you have had during the past week.
3. Openly discuss what you are supposed to learn from each of these situations. At first consider all options. In the end, you may decide you are supposed to apply only 1-2 of the possibilities.
4. Determine how you will take action on what you learned and how there will be accountability to confirm the changes made are occuring and creating more positive outcomes.
Cure Negativity
I often get asked how to deal with negative people in the workplace. There are a number of actions to take, varying on the situation, but here is one thing you can do.
Be nice, and require others to do the same. Here are two examples of how to balance positive comments/encouragement with correction, reprimands or advice:
Example #1: The authors of The Carrot Principle did a huge survey years ago. One conclusion of the survey is 67% of employees have not received a compliment during the past year. I suggest this is not true. The problem is they have received so many reprimands, negative feedback and corrections that the compliments were forgotten.
How do you think your people feel? Could it be the person on your team with a bad attitude is not having their communication needs met - they are different than your other people - so they have developed a negative attitude?
Example #2: (A favorite story of a friend of mine.) Many years ago a man was asked to become the chairman of the board for a non-profit company in my local community. This organization was having serious trouble. The board meetings were long affairs, often lasting until one or two o'clock in the morning as the top executive fought it out with the board members and everyone had to have their say. It was unproductive and contrary to the values of the organization.
To start his initial meeting as chairman, my friend said: "I have two rules on how these meetings will proceed. First, each meeting will end at 11:00 p.m., even if someone is mid-sentence. Therefore please keep your comments brief and try not to repeat what others have already said. Second, if you have something negative to say, you must first say three sincere, positive things."
He then enforced those rules. The situation turned around rapidly.
Notice my friend had carefully considered the situation and then focused on the positive.
Human nature leads many people to build themselves up by putting others down. Being negative does not get results long-term. Look below for some ideas on how to move beyond negativity.
Watch for the e-book version of my next book, The Company Culture Challenge, out later this month!
MEETING IDEAS
Negativity can kill any company culture and destroy how your clients' experience of doing business with your company. This habit is relatively simple to test for one meeting, a week, a month or a full 90-day pilot.
Here are some ideas to consider:
1. At your next meeting follow my friend's approach. Require everyone to say three positives before they can say anything negative.
2. Consider each person who reports directly to you, or with whom you interact regularly as a peer. Are you giving more correction and negativity than sincere, truthful, positive affirmation? Make a commitment to change. Start each day with the commitment and check yourself at the end of the day.
3. Ask your people to tell you when they were last complimented and what the person said about them. This informal survey may confirm everything in your organization is wonderful, or that you have a negativity problem.
4. Remember you have to model the change first, and enforce it gently, professionally and respectfully. Without follow-through, your encouragement or requirement for people to be nice damages your company culture instead of strengthens it.
5. No excuses. I'm too busy... I forgot... is all garbage. You either manage your mouth so people are reinforced positively or not. You can balance your accountability by setting a daily reminder to yourself in Outlook (task) and asking others to hold you accountable, but the bottom line is this is your responsibility.
Apple's Jobs
The Fortune 500 issue is usually not interesting to me, but the May 23, 2011 issue also has an article on Apple everyone should read.
The reason is as leaders we have to decide how involved we must be in decisions at our company. Steve Jobs at Apple makes more than most of us, but the article made me wonder: Have I been making less decisions than I should? (I want a balance.)
Here are some statements from the article to make you think:
"...Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering." (Based on a Jobs' parable - only results matter.)
"...Jobs indoctrinates a culture of responsibility by hosting a series of weekly meetings that are the metronome that sets the beat for the entire company..." (If you think you have too many meetings, think again.)
"...The accountability mindset extends down the ranks. At Apple there is never any confusion as to who is responsible for what." (Or what happens when you make a mistake, because unlike many companies, at Apple there are consequences.)
"...Constant course correction." (The executive team can change direction and apply the change instantly. This has positive and negative impact, but very interesting for a company their size.)
"...One of Apple's greatest strengths is its ability to focus on just a few things at a time... Saying no at Apple is as important as saying yes." (This is something I am working on...)
"...There is a small group at Apple that most certainly has met Steve Jobs. It's called the Top 100, and every year or so Jobs gathers these select few for an intense three-day strategy session at a proverbially secure, undisclosed location." (This is something you should consider. It's a working session, not golf.)
"...Specialization is the norm at Apple, and as a result, Apple employees aren't exposed to functions outside their area of expertise." (Interesting boundary to consider...)
"... He has created a culture that, while not particularly jolly, has internalized his ways..." (Jobs has hired top people to make certain he influences the company even from his grave. Done properly, this is a key way to grow your organization whether your health is questionable or not. Too many leaders speak of company culture, but in reality their company culture is not clearly defined.)
Watch for the e-book version of my next book, The Company Culture Challenge, out later this month!
MEETING IDEAS
Whether you do this on your own or with a group, I strongly encourage you to consider whether you need to be involved in more - or less - of the decisions being made at your firm. To error on either side of the equation causes problems.
Here are some ideas to consider:
1. Forget the reasons causing the mistake for a moment. Who is responsible, how can the problem be fixed so it does not happen again, and what are the consequences for making the mistake, and repeated mistakes?
2. It is not a question of having too many meetings. Are you having the right meetings? Why? Should your schedule change?
3. How is it clear who is responsible for what in our organization?
4. Do we need to improve our ability to change course more quickly? Why "yes" or "no?" Give me specific examples of what would be different if we changed our ability to change.
5. What can we say "no" to today so tomorrow we can work more productively on matters that are going to truly transform our company (and our careers) into the best we can be?
6. Do we need to create a "Top 100" group of people across the company to recognize top performers, and engage them more fully in the future of our organization?
7. What benefits are there to having our people become more specialized in what they do?
8. How can we improve our training programs so our company culture is constantly being reinforced and strengthened?
Fair and Loving
What would happen to your company if you disciplined yourself to make certain every interaction you have with another person is fair and loving?
Now, this can happen to a person of any beliefs, but this example was given by Shane Farmer of Willow Creek Church in his May 1, 2011 sermon (27:19 minutes into it) about a businessman who supervised other people: A man decided he wanted to demonstrate his faith in a very tangible way at work.
He decided it was never appropriate for him to have an interaction at work which could be described as unloving or unfair. He began to apply these two lenses to all of his interactions: Was it fair and was it loving? This change in his behavior has absolutely revolutionized the culture of the environment that he works in. He is so transparent in his approach that his people know they can question any of his words or actions if they feel he has not been fair or loving. Now there is a deep sense of meaning and purpose in their workplace.
In the book, The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, Patrick Lencioni tried to come up with one thing his main character could do that really mattered to his firm. Lencioni instead chose four things, and they are very good actions to take.
However, in the previous example we discover a simple system for employee engagement that is intentional and foundational to servant leadership... basically if we do this one thing well (being loving and fair) it can transform our company culture and enable us to have a meaningful legacy.
Think about it. Consider the questions below to dive into this opportunity a bit deeper.
MEETING IDEAS
Whether you do this on your own or with a group, I strongly encourage you to explore this idea of making sure each interaction with another person is fair and loving.
This is a great opportunity for you to pilot a new behavior (for at least a week) to see whether you can develop this skill and evaluate its impact on your workplace. Here are some questions to consider. Be totally honest.
1. How many times each day do you interact with someone else in a way that is not fair and loving?
2. Identify three times in the past week when someone at work has not been fair and loving to you. List how that made you feel and what happened as a result of their behavior (and your response to it).
3. Define in-writing what it means to be appropriately "loving" in your workplace.
4. List three people to whom you want to make an extra effort to demonstrate professionally fair and loving behavior during your pilot of developing this new skill.
5. Complete the writing of this goal. Write it and post it where you will see it constantly through your workday, even if that means it pops up as a reminder from Outlook or on your cell phone.
"I will be professionally fair and loving in all my interactions and communications with others in our workplace through (date)."
Remember: Pilot this behavior for a week so you can really focus hard on doing it well for a short period of time. If you feel that it is beneficial, then extend your pilot to one month and then determine how to apply this new skill from that point forward.