Creating an ideal future can often make present problems irrelevant.
Here are five ideas to help you make your future fix-it free.
The title for this column came from a trusted mentor, author, and futurist Watts Wacker.
I heard this at a conference in 1999, and as a mantra it's given me
direction through every hardship, battle, and challenge. Sometimes it
drives me to create major change,
which can be uncomfortable, but it also allows me to look forward and
shake off unproductive legacy thoughts and ideas that may hold me back
from my preferred destiny.
My son graduates Georgetown University in less than 60 days. And as I
look forward to his bright future ahead, it occurs to me that he
luckily may not yet have too much of the present to fix. Still, with a
tough job market ahead, he could use a few more tools to help him create
a worthy future. And whether you are just beginning like him or on a
rocky path to your desired success, here are five critical concepts you
and he should master to get there.
1. Collect People Not Things
No question I am an individualist, but I totally appreciate those
around me and am a much better collaborator than a solo artist. When
times are tough, my network helps me cope, gives me guidance, and
presents opportunities when I am ready. They also most importantly save
me from myself when I'm not ready. These people are willing to sacrifice
comfort to tell me the truth so I can be a better person. Our
relationships are built on reciprocity.
Naysayers are constantly amazed at the ways unrelated people are
willing to step up and help with resources, connections, insights, and
most importantly their time. In good times we share opportunities and
successes together. I respect these supporters by answering every
communication, sharing freely and being open to learn from them. The
people whom are closest are those who, when approached right, will move
heaven and earth for my family and me because they know I would do the
same.
2. Find the Economic Model to Do What You Love
There is an economic path in just about any direction. It's not
always clear, but there is great joy in figuring out how to generate
money from fun activity. I love to brainstorm
and surface ways for turning new ideas into cash. Of course the path to
get there may take a few years and you may have to do some real work to
make it happen. (I define WORK as the things you have to do in order to
do the things you LOVE to do.) But ultimately most skills and activity
can lead to a decent living if properly applied and the material
expectations are realistic.
3. Gain Through Giving and Gratitude
Little of my success today is my own. I have a circle of brilliant
people who engage with me, challenge me, and help me grow. I do the same
for them because a rising tide raises all boats. I work hard to make
sure that I bring respect and value to every encounter whether I know
the person or not. Because of this I have been blessed with many
opportunities. It did not happen overnight. Today opportunities come as
much from people I helped over a decade ago, as they do from recent
contacts. Share your value. Give with confidence, strength, and
appreciation. Then people will want to engage with you and create
success together.
4. Put Your Ego in Your Wallet Where it Belongs
It took me decades to overcome my natural insecurities and stop
focusing on achievement for achievement sake. I realized years ago that
money while not innately good or evil, is a necessary resource to
accomplish anything of significance. This lens helps me validate every
opportunity and decision so that I am always heading down a path of
independence and financial security. I really don't care if I am right
or wrong. I am happy to be wrong if someone has a better way that will
bring happiness and success faster and more sustainably. As my beloved
Grandmother Ethel (RIP) always said: "I've been rich and poor. While
there's no shame in being poor, I'd rather be rich."
5. Be Responsible for Your Own Experience
I don't understand people who need to blame. There are always factors
outside your control. Everyone has hardships and opportunities. All
people have choices to make. Certainly some are more advantaged than
others. But ultimately success depends on how you define it and how
willing you are to escape your own comfort zone to achieve it. It's the
journey that matters since most never know when the end is coming. I
choose to make each day an awesome experience so that I never look backward in regret. Then I can celebrate feeling one step closer to my desired future every day.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/dont-fix-the-present-create-the-future.html
3/19/13
7 Things Confident Leaders Don't Do
In a world full of wannabe entrepreneurs and leaders, don't try to be what you're not.
If you've been around long enough, you begin to realize that success is just as much about what you don't do as what you do. Any CEO, entrepreneur, or venture capitalist will tell you that lack of focus is one of their most insidious enemies.
It's always been true, but the temptation to try to do more or give in to distraction has never been greater than it is today.
Don't get me wrong. Some people do manage to find ways to capitalize on their natural tendency to get easily sidetracked. I should know. I'm one of them. Still, it's a constant battle that I fight to this day. No kidding.
In my experience, and I've worked with hundreds of successful executives and business leaders, there are certain things they simply don't do. I don't know if they're instinctive or cognitive, but I've noted seven things they rarely, if ever, do.
1. What everyone else is doing.
Quite the contrary, they tend to have a natural tendency to question conventional wisdom and challenge the status quo. Fads, cultural norms, groupthink, forget it. They don't worry about their personal brands, personal productivity, or social media.
That is, unless that's their competency, their passion, who they are. I'm sure Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey manage to update their Facebook and Twitter pages from time to time.
2. Worry about weaknesses.
Maybe they should. For all I know, maybe that's the difference between successful people and really successful people. All I know is, they're usually confident and comfortable with who they are. They're not plagued by the fear and self-doubt that derails so many people. They don't fixate on what they're not. They accept it.
Don't get me wrong. They are human. They have fear. But one of the key reasons why they're so successful at what they do is because it is their passion. They've found their true path. When they're doing what they love, they're comfortable with it, not fearful of it. And it shows in their work.
3. Waste a lot of time.
It's not that they're concerned with productivity or time management. They don't waste a lot of time because they have a vision--a mission. They truly want to spend their lives on whatever it is they love doing, so that's what they do. Period.
They don't indulge activities that so many people waste their lives on. They don't try to get inside other people's heads. They don't ask why things happen or why people do the things they do. That is, unless it's a problem they really want to solve.
They don't wish for things to be different. They make things different.
4. Try to be successful.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying they're not savvy business people. What I am saying is they're usually just trying to accomplish something. Then they're trying to accomplish another thing. Then another. Most successful people are driven to do, to accomplish, to win. It's one thing at a time. Success just comes with the territory.
5. Breathe their own fumes.
There is a downside to being too indoctrinated with your own vision. You can become blinded by it. That's what ultimately takes down lots of people who are initially successful but can't sustain it. They stop asking questions, succumb to their own status quo, stick with flawed ideas.
Highly accomplished people do not surround themselves with yes-men, give in to group think, or accept anything other than the genuine unfiltered truth. Sure, they might bite your head off at first. But that doesn't mean they're not listening. What can I say; that's how it is.
6. Fear competition.
They understand competition, know their competition, are comfortable with competition. They're generally confident in their abilities and courageous in the face of competitive battle.
That said, they're not fools. They're not sure they'll prevail. It's just that, the question doesn't usually enter their minds. They just do what they do best and give it all they've got. After the fact they may look back and see that they've won, but only briefly. By then, they're usually on to the next battle.
7. Try to be what they're not.
Not a single successful executive, VC, entrepreneur, or business owner that I've ever known has ever gotten to where he is by being something he's not. Not a single one. Anyone who tells you to focus on self-promotion instead of doing whatever it is you love to do just doesn't get it.
It sounds so simple, but this is the big takeaway that will set you apart. In a world full of wannabe entrepreneurs and leaders, where everyone's a CEO of their own little world, don't try to be what you're not. Just be you.
http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/7-things-successful-people-dont-do.html
If you've been around long enough, you begin to realize that success is just as much about what you don't do as what you do. Any CEO, entrepreneur, or venture capitalist will tell you that lack of focus is one of their most insidious enemies.
It's always been true, but the temptation to try to do more or give in to distraction has never been greater than it is today.
Don't get me wrong. Some people do manage to find ways to capitalize on their natural tendency to get easily sidetracked. I should know. I'm one of them. Still, it's a constant battle that I fight to this day. No kidding.
In my experience, and I've worked with hundreds of successful executives and business leaders, there are certain things they simply don't do. I don't know if they're instinctive or cognitive, but I've noted seven things they rarely, if ever, do.
1. What everyone else is doing.
Quite the contrary, they tend to have a natural tendency to question conventional wisdom and challenge the status quo. Fads, cultural norms, groupthink, forget it. They don't worry about their personal brands, personal productivity, or social media.
That is, unless that's their competency, their passion, who they are. I'm sure Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey manage to update their Facebook and Twitter pages from time to time.
2. Worry about weaknesses.
Maybe they should. For all I know, maybe that's the difference between successful people and really successful people. All I know is, they're usually confident and comfortable with who they are. They're not plagued by the fear and self-doubt that derails so many people. They don't fixate on what they're not. They accept it.
Don't get me wrong. They are human. They have fear. But one of the key reasons why they're so successful at what they do is because it is their passion. They've found their true path. When they're doing what they love, they're comfortable with it, not fearful of it. And it shows in their work.
3. Waste a lot of time.
It's not that they're concerned with productivity or time management. They don't waste a lot of time because they have a vision--a mission. They truly want to spend their lives on whatever it is they love doing, so that's what they do. Period.
They don't indulge activities that so many people waste their lives on. They don't try to get inside other people's heads. They don't ask why things happen or why people do the things they do. That is, unless it's a problem they really want to solve.
They don't wish for things to be different. They make things different.
4. Try to be successful.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying they're not savvy business people. What I am saying is they're usually just trying to accomplish something. Then they're trying to accomplish another thing. Then another. Most successful people are driven to do, to accomplish, to win. It's one thing at a time. Success just comes with the territory.
5. Breathe their own fumes.
There is a downside to being too indoctrinated with your own vision. You can become blinded by it. That's what ultimately takes down lots of people who are initially successful but can't sustain it. They stop asking questions, succumb to their own status quo, stick with flawed ideas.
Highly accomplished people do not surround themselves with yes-men, give in to group think, or accept anything other than the genuine unfiltered truth. Sure, they might bite your head off at first. But that doesn't mean they're not listening. What can I say; that's how it is.
6. Fear competition.
They understand competition, know their competition, are comfortable with competition. They're generally confident in their abilities and courageous in the face of competitive battle.
That said, they're not fools. They're not sure they'll prevail. It's just that, the question doesn't usually enter their minds. They just do what they do best and give it all they've got. After the fact they may look back and see that they've won, but only briefly. By then, they're usually on to the next battle.
7. Try to be what they're not.
Not a single successful executive, VC, entrepreneur, or business owner that I've ever known has ever gotten to where he is by being something he's not. Not a single one. Anyone who tells you to focus on self-promotion instead of doing whatever it is you love to do just doesn't get it.
It sounds so simple, but this is the big takeaway that will set you apart. In a world full of wannabe entrepreneurs and leaders, where everyone's a CEO of their own little world, don't try to be what you're not. Just be you.
http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/7-things-successful-people-dont-do.html
10 Things Really Amazing Employees Do
Here are ten traits that any great employer should recognize and reward instantly.
As a longtime employer of dozens, I was always grateful to have good employees. It takes a lot to recruit and maintain top talent. Every once in a while special employees come along that just really seem to get it. They drive the entire company forward in ways that were unimaginable. Advancement and reward is never an issue for these rock stars because they understand the power of cause and effect, and only a worthy company can retain them and afford them.
Here are 10 things amazing employees seem to do effortlessly. Here's how to help your great employees be even more amazing.
1. Enthusiastically Learn All Aspects of Business
They understand they're part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just their job. They look to learn other areas of the business and be fluent in finance and management so they'll positively impact multiple areas of the company.
What you can do: Invest in material and seminars on business basics like accounting, marketing, and management so all employees have easy access to learn and grow.
2. Steward the Company
They treat the company as if it were theirs. They look to make prudent decisions about expenses and opportunities with the long-term future of the company in mind. They easily assess risk vs. reward, selflessly when making decisions.
What you can do: Be transparent in your business. The more you share your financials and philosophy, the easier it is for employees to make the right decisions.
3. Generate Viable Opportunities
You don't have to be in sales or marketing to help a company grow. Strong networkers from all divisions see company growth as a collective effort and constantly keep their eyes open for ways to more than pay for themselves.
What you can do: Make sure all your employees understand your value proposition and can easily identify opportunities. Then reward them openly for their efforts.
4. Resolve Issues Before They Are Issues
My favorite days running companies are when I notice positive change in procedure when I was totally unaware of the need for change. Amazing employees are always looking to improve systems proactively, and they do.
What you can do: Communicate a clear written vision of where the company is going and encourage initiative so people feel safe and empowered to make change.
5. Tell It Like It Is
Amazing employees understand that hiding bad news helps no one. They find kind ways to bring uncomfortable information to the surface, but they DO bring it to the surface. They tell people what's necessary before major damage is done.
What you can do: Foster an open communication environment where people are not only given permission to tell the truth, but also absolutely required.
6. Demonstrate High Standards, With Low Maintenance
I always feel relaxed when I can trust an employee to perform a task to the same high standards I would expect from myself. Not all can do this without constant attention or difficulty. Amazing employees quietly drive their own high standards.
What you can do: Set the example and the tone for high performance with minimal drama. Publicly reward those who can execute in the same manner.
7. Grow Themselves, and Others
They not only drive their own career but they inspire others to do the same. These employees lead by example in how to advance without creating animosity or resentment. They see and create their perfect future, and also bring others along.
What you can do: Encourage personal development and peer growth through dedicated group time and learning for career advancement.
8. Research, Apply, and Refine
No employer expects people to know everything. In this fast changing world, I choose employees who will learn over those who know. The best employee proactively explores options, takes action and then improves without direction from the top.
What you can do: Invest time in exploration and expansive thinking. Encourage people to explore deep visionary projects with time and reward for the findings.
9. Stimulate Happiness
Amazing employees aren't always sunshine and roses. They do know how to keep it real. But they understand the dynamics of people, stress, and the blend of work, life and friendship. They are self-aware and able to direct their own path that brings out their best with family, friends and career. They exude positive energy even in stressful times and share it around, making for a happier office.
What you can do: Create an environment where people can openly express themselves. Encourage them to work hard in fulfilling ways and achieve their dreams.
10. Facilitate Amazing Bosses
Amazing employees make me grow as an employer. They self-confidently get their value and help me get mine. They make me want to be worthy of working with somebody of such high caliber, without ever saying it directly of course.
What you can do: Make effort to genuinely show appreciation for any of the behaviors above so people feel their value and will grow to full potential. Then they will do the same for you.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-things-really-amazing-employees-do.html?nav=pop
As a longtime employer of dozens, I was always grateful to have good employees. It takes a lot to recruit and maintain top talent. Every once in a while special employees come along that just really seem to get it. They drive the entire company forward in ways that were unimaginable. Advancement and reward is never an issue for these rock stars because they understand the power of cause and effect, and only a worthy company can retain them and afford them.
Here are 10 things amazing employees seem to do effortlessly. Here's how to help your great employees be even more amazing.
1. Enthusiastically Learn All Aspects of Business
They understand they're part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just their job. They look to learn other areas of the business and be fluent in finance and management so they'll positively impact multiple areas of the company.
What you can do: Invest in material and seminars on business basics like accounting, marketing, and management so all employees have easy access to learn and grow.
2. Steward the Company
They treat the company as if it were theirs. They look to make prudent decisions about expenses and opportunities with the long-term future of the company in mind. They easily assess risk vs. reward, selflessly when making decisions.
What you can do: Be transparent in your business. The more you share your financials and philosophy, the easier it is for employees to make the right decisions.
3. Generate Viable Opportunities
You don't have to be in sales or marketing to help a company grow. Strong networkers from all divisions see company growth as a collective effort and constantly keep their eyes open for ways to more than pay for themselves.
What you can do: Make sure all your employees understand your value proposition and can easily identify opportunities. Then reward them openly for their efforts.
4. Resolve Issues Before They Are Issues
My favorite days running companies are when I notice positive change in procedure when I was totally unaware of the need for change. Amazing employees are always looking to improve systems proactively, and they do.
What you can do: Communicate a clear written vision of where the company is going and encourage initiative so people feel safe and empowered to make change.
5. Tell It Like It Is
Amazing employees understand that hiding bad news helps no one. They find kind ways to bring uncomfortable information to the surface, but they DO bring it to the surface. They tell people what's necessary before major damage is done.
What you can do: Foster an open communication environment where people are not only given permission to tell the truth, but also absolutely required.
6. Demonstrate High Standards, With Low Maintenance
I always feel relaxed when I can trust an employee to perform a task to the same high standards I would expect from myself. Not all can do this without constant attention or difficulty. Amazing employees quietly drive their own high standards.
What you can do: Set the example and the tone for high performance with minimal drama. Publicly reward those who can execute in the same manner.
7. Grow Themselves, and Others
They not only drive their own career but they inspire others to do the same. These employees lead by example in how to advance without creating animosity or resentment. They see and create their perfect future, and also bring others along.
What you can do: Encourage personal development and peer growth through dedicated group time and learning for career advancement.
8. Research, Apply, and Refine
No employer expects people to know everything. In this fast changing world, I choose employees who will learn over those who know. The best employee proactively explores options, takes action and then improves without direction from the top.
What you can do: Invest time in exploration and expansive thinking. Encourage people to explore deep visionary projects with time and reward for the findings.
9. Stimulate Happiness
Amazing employees aren't always sunshine and roses. They do know how to keep it real. But they understand the dynamics of people, stress, and the blend of work, life and friendship. They are self-aware and able to direct their own path that brings out their best with family, friends and career. They exude positive energy even in stressful times and share it around, making for a happier office.
What you can do: Create an environment where people can openly express themselves. Encourage them to work hard in fulfilling ways and achieve their dreams.
10. Facilitate Amazing Bosses
Amazing employees make me grow as an employer. They self-confidently get their value and help me get mine. They make me want to be worthy of working with somebody of such high caliber, without ever saying it directly of course.
What you can do: Make effort to genuinely show appreciation for any of the behaviors above so people feel their value and will grow to full potential. Then they will do the same for you.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-things-really-amazing-employees-do.html?nav=pop
7 Habits of the Ultra Wealthy
Is the secret to success hiding in plain sight? Here's what you need to know about getting ahead (that others don't).
How many times has your success depended on knowing something that most people don't? The survey research I did for my new book, Business Brilliant, uncovered just how frequently highly-successful people think and act differently from the great majority of people with identical levels of education and smarts.
There are certain elements of success that everyone agrees on--ambition, hard work, persistence, and a positive attitude. But my survey showed how some people have "business brilliance," a distinctive take on getting ahead that is often at odds with the more pervasive mindset.
If you want to get an edge and separate yourself from the common herd, take some cues from the seven beliefs and habits of the most successful people:
1. An equity position is necessary to get wealthy.
Ninety percent of the super-successful say this is true, versus fewer than half of the masses. More importantly, 80 percent of "business brilliant" people say they already have an equity stake in their work. Just 10 percent of the middle-class have an equity position of any kind, and the vast majority (70 percent) say they're not even trying to get one.
2. I'm always looking to gain an advantage in my business dealings.
About 90 percent of "business brilliant" individuals say they are always trying to grab an edge, compared with just about 40 percent of the middle-class. Gaining even small advantages in a series of deals can have a cumulative effect on your wealth, but since most people aren't even looking for one, they're that much more likely to end up on the disadvantaged side of every deal.
3. Doing things well is more important than doing new things.
Getting wealthy usually means you've taken an ordinary idea and executed it exceptionally well. That's what 9 in 10 "business brilliant" people believe. Most other people, though, think that wealth requires a big, new idea. Unfortunately for them, big ideas are rare and risky. Too many people are waiting on the sidelines for the perfect big idea to come along, while the most successful people have jumped in the game, and busily honed their skills at execution.
4. I hire people who are smarter than I am.
Exceptional execution requires those who are business brilliant to focus on the two or three things they do very well. So they get their work done by building teams with complementary capabilities. Surveys show that most people, though, would rather learn to do tasks they're bad at than get others to do them. The business brilliant know that you get to the top because of your strengths, not your weaknesses.
5. It's essential I really understand my business associates' motivations.
If you're dependent on other talented employees, you'd best know what makes those talented people tick. That's the belief of about seven in 10 people in my "business brilliant" cohort, compared with fewer than 20 percent of the middle-class. My survey suggests that your willingness and desire to really get to know and understand your business associates is a sure marker of success--and one that most people don't have.
6. I can easily walk away from a deal if it's not right.
The "business brilliant" know that bad deals, like bad marriages, can be painful--and costly. So if the deal on the table isn't right, 71 percent say they have no problem cutting bait and moving on. Only about 22 percent of the middle-class say the same. Most people are willing to take their chances on deals that don't seem right from the start, even though it's less risky to walk away.
7. Setbacks and failures have taught me what I'm good at.
Those who are "business brilliant" have, on average, more failures than members of the middle-class. But they use those failures to help them succeed on the next attempt. Just 17 percent of the middle-class say they learn from their failures in this way, which is really a shame. Everything worth trying contains an element of risk, after all. If you fall on your face, you might as well learn from the experience to help you succeed on your next try.
http://www.inc.com/lewis-schiff/habits-strategies-of-ultra-wealthy.html
How many times has your success depended on knowing something that most people don't? The survey research I did for my new book, Business Brilliant, uncovered just how frequently highly-successful people think and act differently from the great majority of people with identical levels of education and smarts.
There are certain elements of success that everyone agrees on--ambition, hard work, persistence, and a positive attitude. But my survey showed how some people have "business brilliance," a distinctive take on getting ahead that is often at odds with the more pervasive mindset.
If you want to get an edge and separate yourself from the common herd, take some cues from the seven beliefs and habits of the most successful people:
1. An equity position is necessary to get wealthy.
Ninety percent of the super-successful say this is true, versus fewer than half of the masses. More importantly, 80 percent of "business brilliant" people say they already have an equity stake in their work. Just 10 percent of the middle-class have an equity position of any kind, and the vast majority (70 percent) say they're not even trying to get one.
2. I'm always looking to gain an advantage in my business dealings.
About 90 percent of "business brilliant" individuals say they are always trying to grab an edge, compared with just about 40 percent of the middle-class. Gaining even small advantages in a series of deals can have a cumulative effect on your wealth, but since most people aren't even looking for one, they're that much more likely to end up on the disadvantaged side of every deal.
3. Doing things well is more important than doing new things.
Getting wealthy usually means you've taken an ordinary idea and executed it exceptionally well. That's what 9 in 10 "business brilliant" people believe. Most other people, though, think that wealth requires a big, new idea. Unfortunately for them, big ideas are rare and risky. Too many people are waiting on the sidelines for the perfect big idea to come along, while the most successful people have jumped in the game, and busily honed their skills at execution.
4. I hire people who are smarter than I am.
Exceptional execution requires those who are business brilliant to focus on the two or three things they do very well. So they get their work done by building teams with complementary capabilities. Surveys show that most people, though, would rather learn to do tasks they're bad at than get others to do them. The business brilliant know that you get to the top because of your strengths, not your weaknesses.
5. It's essential I really understand my business associates' motivations.
If you're dependent on other talented employees, you'd best know what makes those talented people tick. That's the belief of about seven in 10 people in my "business brilliant" cohort, compared with fewer than 20 percent of the middle-class. My survey suggests that your willingness and desire to really get to know and understand your business associates is a sure marker of success--and one that most people don't have.
6. I can easily walk away from a deal if it's not right.
The "business brilliant" know that bad deals, like bad marriages, can be painful--and costly. So if the deal on the table isn't right, 71 percent say they have no problem cutting bait and moving on. Only about 22 percent of the middle-class say the same. Most people are willing to take their chances on deals that don't seem right from the start, even though it's less risky to walk away.
7. Setbacks and failures have taught me what I'm good at.
Those who are "business brilliant" have, on average, more failures than members of the middle-class. But they use those failures to help them succeed on the next attempt. Just 17 percent of the middle-class say they learn from their failures in this way, which is really a shame. Everything worth trying contains an element of risk, after all. If you fall on your face, you might as well learn from the experience to help you succeed on your next try.
http://www.inc.com/lewis-schiff/habits-strategies-of-ultra-wealthy.html
Stop Bargaining and Start Negotiating
A good negotiator knows how to get the bargainer off his or her script.
For me, the term “bargaining” conjures up a chaotic, aromatic scene in one of Taiwan’s night markets, where haggling over the price of pineapples, slippers, or just about anything else is a national sport.
When I first arrived in Taiwan, I couldn’t really participate, much to the disappointment of the vendors. Once I learned my numbers and a few other key words, though, the vendors really lit up. As an American, it felt awkward, but I slowly got used to it.
More recently, I attended a seminar on negotiation led by management consultant Jack Kaine. He wasn’t talking about pineapples, of course. He focused on negotiation for entrepreneurs, making a big distinction between bargaining and negotiation. I was caught off guard and drawn in at the same time. Aren’t bargaining and negotiation the same thing?
Not at all. And not just because I’m selling product development services rather than chicken feet.
Something about this distinction really sank in for me, and I found myself using it almost immediately without realizing it.
The distinction goes like this:
Bargaining is about focusing on who is right. It is competitive and win-lose.
Negotiation is about focusing on what is right. It is cooperative and win-win.
To truly engage in a negotiation, you must have trust and openness between the parties. Otherwise, it is impossible to find the common win-win.
When I found myself in a conversation with a bargainer who was trying to nickel-and-dime some services that had been requested by his more win-win-minded colleagues, I went off-script and asked what he really needed. I agreed with him that I was asking for a lot of money, and asked him what he wanted me to eliminate from the scope of work. After all, scope and pricing are judgment calls, and I was merely trying to provide him with a good outcome.
That stopped the bargaining in its tracks. Who wants to be the person in their organization responsible for a sub-par outcome?
Negotiation often requires creativity to ask the right clarifying questions and figure out what is truly of value to the other party. It may not be what you think until you ask.
To stay on a negotiation script and get off the narrow-minded bargainer’s script, focus on these three things:
Education. Questions, questions, questions. Learn what is truly important to the other person. Creatively push on the boundaries to explore what may not be obvious at first. This will enable you to address value in the deal and get away from focusing solely on numbers.
Expand the pie. Instead of subtracting things, figure out what you can add to get to a win-win. If you ask enough questions, you’ll know how to add extras that may not even cost you much, but may be of huge value to the other person. Perhaps they are totally off the main topic of the deal, but who cares if it gets you to a place where everybody wins?
Make it personal. Yes, you may be doing a deal with a behemoth, but you are negotiating with people who have their own issues, problems, and agendas within the behemoth. Don’t lose sight of the people! Find out what they need in the deal to make the most effective use of your time together. Build trust. Never back them into a corner.
Bargaining in the night market was good training. I remember all the antics my friends engaged in, like stomping out of the stall and having the vendor chase you down the alley lowering the price, only to return and continue the game. It was passive-aggressive drama at its best, but kind of fun if you didn’t take it too seriously. Of course, when the only thing at stake is a pineapple, it’s a little easier to play hardball than when you are desperate to get a new contract for your company.
Still, the best way to learn to negotiate well is to do it. And in the best negotiations, everyone walks away feeling like they got a good deal-;making them more likely to come back and do business another day.
http://www.inc.com/laura-smoliar/the-difference-between-bargaining-and-negotiating.html
For me, the term “bargaining” conjures up a chaotic, aromatic scene in one of Taiwan’s night markets, where haggling over the price of pineapples, slippers, or just about anything else is a national sport.
When I first arrived in Taiwan, I couldn’t really participate, much to the disappointment of the vendors. Once I learned my numbers and a few other key words, though, the vendors really lit up. As an American, it felt awkward, but I slowly got used to it.
More recently, I attended a seminar on negotiation led by management consultant Jack Kaine. He wasn’t talking about pineapples, of course. He focused on negotiation for entrepreneurs, making a big distinction between bargaining and negotiation. I was caught off guard and drawn in at the same time. Aren’t bargaining and negotiation the same thing?
Not at all. And not just because I’m selling product development services rather than chicken feet.
Something about this distinction really sank in for me, and I found myself using it almost immediately without realizing it.
The distinction goes like this:
Bargaining is about focusing on who is right. It is competitive and win-lose.
Negotiation is about focusing on what is right. It is cooperative and win-win.
To truly engage in a negotiation, you must have trust and openness between the parties. Otherwise, it is impossible to find the common win-win.
When I found myself in a conversation with a bargainer who was trying to nickel-and-dime some services that had been requested by his more win-win-minded colleagues, I went off-script and asked what he really needed. I agreed with him that I was asking for a lot of money, and asked him what he wanted me to eliminate from the scope of work. After all, scope and pricing are judgment calls, and I was merely trying to provide him with a good outcome.
That stopped the bargaining in its tracks. Who wants to be the person in their organization responsible for a sub-par outcome?
Negotiation often requires creativity to ask the right clarifying questions and figure out what is truly of value to the other party. It may not be what you think until you ask.
To stay on a negotiation script and get off the narrow-minded bargainer’s script, focus on these three things:
Education. Questions, questions, questions. Learn what is truly important to the other person. Creatively push on the boundaries to explore what may not be obvious at first. This will enable you to address value in the deal and get away from focusing solely on numbers.
Expand the pie. Instead of subtracting things, figure out what you can add to get to a win-win. If you ask enough questions, you’ll know how to add extras that may not even cost you much, but may be of huge value to the other person. Perhaps they are totally off the main topic of the deal, but who cares if it gets you to a place where everybody wins?
Make it personal. Yes, you may be doing a deal with a behemoth, but you are negotiating with people who have their own issues, problems, and agendas within the behemoth. Don’t lose sight of the people! Find out what they need in the deal to make the most effective use of your time together. Build trust. Never back them into a corner.
Bargaining in the night market was good training. I remember all the antics my friends engaged in, like stomping out of the stall and having the vendor chase you down the alley lowering the price, only to return and continue the game. It was passive-aggressive drama at its best, but kind of fun if you didn’t take it too seriously. Of course, when the only thing at stake is a pineapple, it’s a little easier to play hardball than when you are desperate to get a new contract for your company.
Still, the best way to learn to negotiate well is to do it. And in the best negotiations, everyone walks away feeling like they got a good deal-;making them more likely to come back and do business another day.
http://www.inc.com/laura-smoliar/the-difference-between-bargaining-and-negotiating.html
3/15/13
10 Reasons to Pick Up the Phone Now
Today fewer people get on the phone, preferring to text, chat, and
e-mail. Here are 10 scenarios where a live voice is still the best
option.
I've noticed recently that the Millennial generation's trend of phone avoidance is quickly spreading to people of all ages. It started with smartphones. Texting replaced leaving voicemails and whole conversations now take place with our thumbs. Calling someone has now become low on the communication priority list and even frequently disparaged.
Certainly written communication has its advantages.
1. When You Need Immediate Response
The problem with text or e-mail is you never know when someone will get back to you. You like to think the other person is sitting there waiting for your message, but it's not always true. These days when someone sees your name on the ringing phone, they know you are making an extra effort to speak to them. Of course if they are truly busy, in a meeting, sleeping, or hiding from you, the caller ID will tip them off and you go to voicemail, which they rarely check anyway. At least now you can express yourself with heartfelt emotion.
2. When You Have Complexity with Multiple People
My wife Van was recently coordinating an overseas engagement for me and there were six different people in multiple time zones involved in the logistics. After five cryptic e-mail conversations that created more confusion, she was literally screaming at the computer. Finally I suggested a conference call. In 30 minutes, all questions were answered, everyone was aligned, and Van went from frustrated to relieved. She is now a newly recruited phone advocate.
3. When You Don't Want a Written Record Due to Sensitivity
You never know who will see an e-mail or a text. True, phone calls can be recorded...but not legally in most states without prior notification or a judge's order. Unless you are absolutely comfortable with your message getting into anyone's hands, best to use the phone for conversations that require discretion.
4. When the Emotional Tone is Ambiguous, But Shouldn't Be
Sometimes a smiley face is not enough to convey real emotion. Emoticons help broadly frame emotional context, but when people's feelings are at stake it's best to let them hear exactly where you are coming from. Otherwise they will naturally assume the worst.
5. When There is Consistent Confusion
Most people don't like to write long e-mails and most don't like to read them. So when there are lots of details that create confusion, phone calls work efficiently to bring clarity. First of all, you can speak about 150 words per minute, and most people don't type that fast. Second, questions can be answered in context so you don't end up with an endless trail of back and forth question and answers.
6. When There is Bad News
This should be obvious, but sadly many people will take a cowardly approach to sharing difficult news. Don't be one of those callous people. Make it about the other person and not you. Humanize the situation with empathy they can hear.
7. When There is Very Important News
Good or bad, if there is significance to information, the receiver needs to understand the importance beyond a double exclamation point. Most likely they will have immediate questions and you should be ready to provide context to prevent unwanted conclusions.
8. When Scheduling is Difficult
After going back and forth multiple times with a colleague's assistant trying to find an available date and time, I finally just called her. Now I didn't have to worry that the time slot would be filled by the time she read my e-mail. We just spoke with calendars in hand and completed in five minutes what had exasperated us over three days. Later that day I watched one of my foodie friends spend 20 frustrated minutes using Open Table and finally suggested he simply call the restaurant. In three minutes he had a reservation and a slightly embarrassed smile.
9. When There is a Hint of Anger, Offense, or Conflict in the Exchange
Written messages can often be taken the wrong way. If you see a message that suggests any kind of problem, don't let it fester--or worse try and repair it--with more unemotional communication. Pick up the phone and resolve the issue before it spirals out of control.
10. When a Personal Touch Will Benefit
Anytime you want to connect emotionally with someone and face-to-face is not possible, use the phone. Let them hear the care in your voice and the appreciation in your heart.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-reasons-to-pick-up-the-phone-now.html
I've noticed recently that the Millennial generation's trend of phone avoidance is quickly spreading to people of all ages. It started with smartphones. Texting replaced leaving voicemails and whole conversations now take place with our thumbs. Calling someone has now become low on the communication priority list and even frequently disparaged.
Certainly written communication has its advantages.
- You can get your message out whether or not the other person is available.
- You can respond without concern for time zones or sleep patterns.
- You don't have to waste time with unwanted chatty gossip.
1. When You Need Immediate Response
The problem with text or e-mail is you never know when someone will get back to you. You like to think the other person is sitting there waiting for your message, but it's not always true. These days when someone sees your name on the ringing phone, they know you are making an extra effort to speak to them. Of course if they are truly busy, in a meeting, sleeping, or hiding from you, the caller ID will tip them off and you go to voicemail, which they rarely check anyway. At least now you can express yourself with heartfelt emotion.
2. When You Have Complexity with Multiple People
My wife Van was recently coordinating an overseas engagement for me and there were six different people in multiple time zones involved in the logistics. After five cryptic e-mail conversations that created more confusion, she was literally screaming at the computer. Finally I suggested a conference call. In 30 minutes, all questions were answered, everyone was aligned, and Van went from frustrated to relieved. She is now a newly recruited phone advocate.
3. When You Don't Want a Written Record Due to Sensitivity
You never know who will see an e-mail or a text. True, phone calls can be recorded...but not legally in most states without prior notification or a judge's order. Unless you are absolutely comfortable with your message getting into anyone's hands, best to use the phone for conversations that require discretion.
4. When the Emotional Tone is Ambiguous, But Shouldn't Be
Sometimes a smiley face is not enough to convey real emotion. Emoticons help broadly frame emotional context, but when people's feelings are at stake it's best to let them hear exactly where you are coming from. Otherwise they will naturally assume the worst.
5. When There is Consistent Confusion
Most people don't like to write long e-mails and most don't like to read them. So when there are lots of details that create confusion, phone calls work efficiently to bring clarity. First of all, you can speak about 150 words per minute, and most people don't type that fast. Second, questions can be answered in context so you don't end up with an endless trail of back and forth question and answers.
6. When There is Bad News
This should be obvious, but sadly many people will take a cowardly approach to sharing difficult news. Don't be one of those callous people. Make it about the other person and not you. Humanize the situation with empathy they can hear.
7. When There is Very Important News
Good or bad, if there is significance to information, the receiver needs to understand the importance beyond a double exclamation point. Most likely they will have immediate questions and you should be ready to provide context to prevent unwanted conclusions.
8. When Scheduling is Difficult
After going back and forth multiple times with a colleague's assistant trying to find an available date and time, I finally just called her. Now I didn't have to worry that the time slot would be filled by the time she read my e-mail. We just spoke with calendars in hand and completed in five minutes what had exasperated us over three days. Later that day I watched one of my foodie friends spend 20 frustrated minutes using Open Table and finally suggested he simply call the restaurant. In three minutes he had a reservation and a slightly embarrassed smile.
9. When There is a Hint of Anger, Offense, or Conflict in the Exchange
Written messages can often be taken the wrong way. If you see a message that suggests any kind of problem, don't let it fester--or worse try and repair it--with more unemotional communication. Pick up the phone and resolve the issue before it spirals out of control.
10. When a Personal Touch Will Benefit
Anytime you want to connect emotionally with someone and face-to-face is not possible, use the phone. Let them hear the care in your voice and the appreciation in your heart.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-reasons-to-pick-up-the-phone-now.html
What a 14-Year-Old Can Teach You About Management
Six business lessons an entrepreneur gleaned from her daughter's first job.
My daughter Lily is fourteen. Over the holidays, she had her her first job. She was employed as a Christmas elf in Santa's grotto at our local farm shop. She is studying business at school but she learned a lot more on the job.
So I asked what she'd learned after three weekends of solid elfing:
1. People need to know what you offer.
Her grotto was a little hidden and even I, looking for it, thought it was hard to find. She told her boss they needed a bigger sign, which they got the next weekend. Children piled in.
2. It's more fun being busy.
No matter how thrilling or dull a job, it is always more fun being busy than sitting around. If you have employees who aren't busy, find something for them to do. Down time breeds discontent.
3. Colleagues make or break the experience.
Her last day, Lily had a bad cold and didn't feel like working. I did not suggest she stay home; I just asked if she was up to it. She bridled, insisting that, however she felt, she couldn't let Ross--the Santa Claus--down. She'd instantly absorbed the fact that people in a business aren't loyal to the company but to each other.
4. It's more fun doing a great job.
Over time, my daughter got better at her job and, as she did, she said she enjoyed it more. "Now I think about ways to keep the kids entertained," she said. "They can't spend more--it's a fixed price--but it's more fun when the customers are happy."
5. Money you earn is different from the money you're given.
Receiving her first pay packet was a great moment for Lily. She's about to go on a school trip to Russia. Is she planning to spend all her earnings there? "No!" she insisted. "I'm saving that money; I earned it."
Lily's first job has been a lot more positive than mine was. I worked, at the age of 16, as a receptionist for a psychotherapist who could never explain what he wanted. He fired me after two weekends. Lily's been lucky to have a great boss and good co-workers.
Watching her also reminded me that most people do want to do a great job. If they aren't excellent, it might not be their fault.
http://www.inc.com/margaret-heffernan/management-observations-of-first-time-employee.html
My daughter Lily is fourteen. Over the holidays, she had her her first job. She was employed as a Christmas elf in Santa's grotto at our local farm shop. She is studying business at school but she learned a lot more on the job.
So I asked what she'd learned after three weekends of solid elfing:
1. People need to know what you offer.
Her grotto was a little hidden and even I, looking for it, thought it was hard to find. She told her boss they needed a bigger sign, which they got the next weekend. Children piled in.
2. It's more fun being busy.
No matter how thrilling or dull a job, it is always more fun being busy than sitting around. If you have employees who aren't busy, find something for them to do. Down time breeds discontent.
3. Colleagues make or break the experience.
Her last day, Lily had a bad cold and didn't feel like working. I did not suggest she stay home; I just asked if she was up to it. She bridled, insisting that, however she felt, she couldn't let Ross--the Santa Claus--down. She'd instantly absorbed the fact that people in a business aren't loyal to the company but to each other.
4. It's more fun doing a great job.
Over time, my daughter got better at her job and, as she did, she said she enjoyed it more. "Now I think about ways to keep the kids entertained," she said. "They can't spend more--it's a fixed price--but it's more fun when the customers are happy."
5. Money you earn is different from the money you're given.
Receiving her first pay packet was a great moment for Lily. She's about to go on a school trip to Russia. Is she planning to spend all her earnings there? "No!" she insisted. "I'm saving that money; I earned it."
Lily's first job has been a lot more positive than mine was. I worked, at the age of 16, as a receptionist for a psychotherapist who could never explain what he wanted. He fired me after two weekends. Lily's been lucky to have a great boss and good co-workers.
Watching her also reminded me that most people do want to do a great job. If they aren't excellent, it might not be their fault.
http://www.inc.com/margaret-heffernan/management-observations-of-first-time-employee.html
Why 'Win-Win' Negotiating Is the Surest Way You'll Lose
When it comes to deal-making, you should master this simple three-step strategy of the self-made wealthy instead.
Everybody loves a win-win answer to a problem. It's great when a potentially-contentious situation ends up with everybody coming out ahead. And isn't that the way most business deals should go, too? Let's all sit down and find a way for everyone to win. What could be better?
But when I surveyed people for my new book, Business Brilliant, one group overwhelmingly disagreed with the the idea that "win-win solutions are best." That group was self-made multi-millionaires, people whose net worth exceeds $30 million.
What do these super-successful people know about win-win deal-making that nobody else does?
It turns out that if you look at the very best in negotiation thinking, the notion of "win-win" is widely regarded as a dangerous trap. Even the late Stephen Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and hardly an advocate of cut-throat business practices, was wary of win-win. He cautioned that the win-win ideal often tempts good-hearted people to buy into bad deals that they later come to regret, sometimes for years.
Here's why. Let's say, for example that you adopt a "win-win" attitude with someone who has an "I-must-win" outlook. Covey and others would say that your "win-win" perspective almost guarantees you'll be the only one offering concessions in order to reach agreement. Then you're not playing win-win at all. You're playing wimp-win. You're the wimp and the other guy wins.
So what should you do? Almost all guides to negotiating more or less recommend the same three-step alternative to win-win: First, write down your wished-for goals. Second, study what the opposition wants. Third, write down the number and conditions at which you will walk away. Negotiation guru Michael C. Donaldson calls these three steps "wish, want, walk."
Simple enough? Not really. Research shows that executing on each of these steps makes most people feel awful. For instance, setting high goals means you'll almost always miss those goals, but you'll achieve more than if you had set lower, more realistic goals. Most set low goals because of that enjoyable feeling you get when you succeed. People actually feel better when they ask for $50 and get $50 than when they ask for $100 and get $60, even though you're obviously better off with $60 than you are with $50.
Researching the other side's position and probing for weaknesses to exploit doesn't feel very good, either. The survey research I did showed that about 75 percent of middle-class people don't agree with exploiting weaknesses during negotiations. Among the multi-millionaires, though, 100 percent agreed! Exploiting weakness is the name of the game.
And as far as walking away from a deal? Just 22 percent of middle-class people say they have an easy time abandoning a business deal "if it's not just right." But for multi-millionaires, it's unanimous. Take a walk if you can't get what you want: 100 percent agreement.
Of course, negotiating is a psychological game, but to be successful at it, it's important to know the obstacles inside your own head that make each step of wish, want, walk so difficult to execute. If you're like most people, you'll avoid setting a very high goal at the start of a prospective deal because you feel better about yourself if you're reasonable and realistic. You're also likely to feel reluctant to investigate and exploit the other side’s vulnerabilities because that’s not something that a nice person does. And, walking away because you haven't gotten what you want? That makes the whole process feel like a waste of time. Who wants to go home empty-handed after all that work?
If you're dealing with an experienced negotiator, that negotiator is trying to use all these psychological biases and social norms against you. He'll thank you for being reasonable (hoping to cow you into abandoning your highest goals). He'll remind you of your own weaknesses, having thoroughly studied your position. And he'll dare you to be rude enough to walk away. He'll exploit what's known as "the norm of reciprocity," by telling you how smart and considerate you are--and then he'll make a ridiculous low-ball offer. His flattery creates inside you a natural psychological urge to reciprocate by accepting the offer, when the thing you really need to do is tell him that you're ready to walk away if that's the best he can offer.
Self-made multi-millionaires know this. It's how they got where they are. Now that you know it, too, will you make use of it? Stephen Covey used to say that negotiation is all a matter of courage. When you settle for a "win-win" deal that you really don't care for, Covey said you're basically choosing to sell yourself out. You're telling your negotiating opposite, Covey wrote: "I'll be so considerate of your convictions and desires that I won't have the courage to express and actualize my own."
http://www.inc.com/lewis-schiff/negotiating-successfully-strategy-win-win.html
Everybody loves a win-win answer to a problem. It's great when a potentially-contentious situation ends up with everybody coming out ahead. And isn't that the way most business deals should go, too? Let's all sit down and find a way for everyone to win. What could be better?
But when I surveyed people for my new book, Business Brilliant, one group overwhelmingly disagreed with the the idea that "win-win solutions are best." That group was self-made multi-millionaires, people whose net worth exceeds $30 million.
What do these super-successful people know about win-win deal-making that nobody else does?
It turns out that if you look at the very best in negotiation thinking, the notion of "win-win" is widely regarded as a dangerous trap. Even the late Stephen Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and hardly an advocate of cut-throat business practices, was wary of win-win. He cautioned that the win-win ideal often tempts good-hearted people to buy into bad deals that they later come to regret, sometimes for years.
Here's why. Let's say, for example that you adopt a "win-win" attitude with someone who has an "I-must-win" outlook. Covey and others would say that your "win-win" perspective almost guarantees you'll be the only one offering concessions in order to reach agreement. Then you're not playing win-win at all. You're playing wimp-win. You're the wimp and the other guy wins.
So what should you do? Almost all guides to negotiating more or less recommend the same three-step alternative to win-win: First, write down your wished-for goals. Second, study what the opposition wants. Third, write down the number and conditions at which you will walk away. Negotiation guru Michael C. Donaldson calls these three steps "wish, want, walk."
Simple enough? Not really. Research shows that executing on each of these steps makes most people feel awful. For instance, setting high goals means you'll almost always miss those goals, but you'll achieve more than if you had set lower, more realistic goals. Most set low goals because of that enjoyable feeling you get when you succeed. People actually feel better when they ask for $50 and get $50 than when they ask for $100 and get $60, even though you're obviously better off with $60 than you are with $50.
Researching the other side's position and probing for weaknesses to exploit doesn't feel very good, either. The survey research I did showed that about 75 percent of middle-class people don't agree with exploiting weaknesses during negotiations. Among the multi-millionaires, though, 100 percent agreed! Exploiting weakness is the name of the game.
And as far as walking away from a deal? Just 22 percent of middle-class people say they have an easy time abandoning a business deal "if it's not just right." But for multi-millionaires, it's unanimous. Take a walk if you can't get what you want: 100 percent agreement.
Of course, negotiating is a psychological game, but to be successful at it, it's important to know the obstacles inside your own head that make each step of wish, want, walk so difficult to execute. If you're like most people, you'll avoid setting a very high goal at the start of a prospective deal because you feel better about yourself if you're reasonable and realistic. You're also likely to feel reluctant to investigate and exploit the other side’s vulnerabilities because that’s not something that a nice person does. And, walking away because you haven't gotten what you want? That makes the whole process feel like a waste of time. Who wants to go home empty-handed after all that work?
If you're dealing with an experienced negotiator, that negotiator is trying to use all these psychological biases and social norms against you. He'll thank you for being reasonable (hoping to cow you into abandoning your highest goals). He'll remind you of your own weaknesses, having thoroughly studied your position. And he'll dare you to be rude enough to walk away. He'll exploit what's known as "the norm of reciprocity," by telling you how smart and considerate you are--and then he'll make a ridiculous low-ball offer. His flattery creates inside you a natural psychological urge to reciprocate by accepting the offer, when the thing you really need to do is tell him that you're ready to walk away if that's the best he can offer.
Self-made multi-millionaires know this. It's how they got where they are. Now that you know it, too, will you make use of it? Stephen Covey used to say that negotiation is all a matter of courage. When you settle for a "win-win" deal that you really don't care for, Covey said you're basically choosing to sell yourself out. You're telling your negotiating opposite, Covey wrote: "I'll be so considerate of your convictions and desires that I won't have the courage to express and actualize my own."
http://www.inc.com/lewis-schiff/negotiating-successfully-strategy-win-win.html
Want Smarter Employees? Quiz Them
The act of taking a test actually helps you learn. It's one more tool to help your employees be the best they can be.
Your teachers who used to torment you with pop quizzes and complex final exams weren't just trying to torture you. (Okay, maybe some were.) They wanted to see what you had learned, in order to know what help you needed in order to master the material. (I may be overly optimistic when it comes to teachers.) But, we've known for years that the act of actually taking the test--recalling information--actually helps you learn. It's not just the studying for the test that helps you, the test-taking itself cements the information.
Turns out that this is just as valid for adults in the office as it is for children in school, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association. People in the study performed better on a final exam when they had taken a test previously, when compared with those people who just studied the material.
So, what does this mean for your business? Well, you probably don't want to break out the No. 2 pencils quite yet. Your employees may not be thrilled to have to take tests. And giving them frequent tests may just result in a super high level of turnover. But when new information needs to be learned by your staff, a test may be just the way to cement their knowledge--not just proof that they were listening in the first place.
For instance, if there are regulations that are critical for your employees to know, give them the material to study and then give them a test on it. The test needs to be difficult enough that their brain actually has to work to pull up the new information. Tests that people can pass without actually learning anything new are a waste of time for everyone.
Or, if you are running your whole company through sexual harassment training, consider giving them a real test three or four days after the presentation. Not only will you see what they learned in the training, they'll remember the information better for the future.
You can also do self-testing as you learn new skills. Things change constantly, and if you want to be on top of things, learning about a new topic and then taking a test on it may just well help you master that information.
Testing may increase the knowledge base of your employees. And that is something that can help you succeed.
http://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/want-smarter-employees-quiz-them.html
Your teachers who used to torment you with pop quizzes and complex final exams weren't just trying to torture you. (Okay, maybe some were.) They wanted to see what you had learned, in order to know what help you needed in order to master the material. (I may be overly optimistic when it comes to teachers.) But, we've known for years that the act of actually taking the test--recalling information--actually helps you learn. It's not just the studying for the test that helps you, the test-taking itself cements the information.
Turns out that this is just as valid for adults in the office as it is for children in school, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association. People in the study performed better on a final exam when they had taken a test previously, when compared with those people who just studied the material.
So, what does this mean for your business? Well, you probably don't want to break out the No. 2 pencils quite yet. Your employees may not be thrilled to have to take tests. And giving them frequent tests may just result in a super high level of turnover. But when new information needs to be learned by your staff, a test may be just the way to cement their knowledge--not just proof that they were listening in the first place.
For instance, if there are regulations that are critical for your employees to know, give them the material to study and then give them a test on it. The test needs to be difficult enough that their brain actually has to work to pull up the new information. Tests that people can pass without actually learning anything new are a waste of time for everyone.
Or, if you are running your whole company through sexual harassment training, consider giving them a real test three or four days after the presentation. Not only will you see what they learned in the training, they'll remember the information better for the future.
You can also do self-testing as you learn new skills. Things change constantly, and if you want to be on top of things, learning about a new topic and then taking a test on it may just well help you master that information.
Testing may increase the knowledge base of your employees. And that is something that can help you succeed.
http://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/want-smarter-employees-quiz-them.html
The Deadly Cost of a B-Player
Here's how mediocre employees can take down a business. Don't let it happen to you.
I recently attended VatorSplash here in San Francisco, and I had the fortune of listening to Renaud Laplanche, CEO of Lending Club speak about a variety of topics. The one that struck me most wasn't about innovation (which is one thing Vator is all about) it was about hiring. My ears perked up.
There's no shortage of information about hiring on Inc.com; Tony Hsieh let us in on the hiring snafus at Zappos. So I'll add this article to the list because it seems so obvious but it's not. It's about how a B-player can ruin your business, or at least take years away from where your business "should be."
Renaud laid it out simply: when you hire a B-player, they'll do an okay job and there's not really a reason to fire them. But B-players can do a few damaging things to your business:
How have you dealt with B-players on your team? I'd love to hear your challenges and successes.
http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/the-deadly-cost-of-a-b-player.html
I recently attended VatorSplash here in San Francisco, and I had the fortune of listening to Renaud Laplanche, CEO of Lending Club speak about a variety of topics. The one that struck me most wasn't about innovation (which is one thing Vator is all about) it was about hiring. My ears perked up.
There's no shortage of information about hiring on Inc.com; Tony Hsieh let us in on the hiring snafus at Zappos. So I'll add this article to the list because it seems so obvious but it's not. It's about how a B-player can ruin your business, or at least take years away from where your business "should be."
Renaud laid it out simply: when you hire a B-player, they'll do an okay job and there's not really a reason to fire them. But B-players can do a few damaging things to your business:
- They'll either hire mediocre people just like them or even worse, C-players, making an increasingly larger portion of your business run by them.
- Your A-players will leave because they don't want to work on a mediocre team and they get sick of the general feeling of not being able to get things done.
How have you dealt with B-players on your team? I'd love to hear your challenges and successes.
http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/the-deadly-cost-of-a-b-player.html
3 Things You Don't Know About Sales
Ideas are great, but no start-up can survive without sales--and a
mastery of the psychology behind selling. (Hint: manipulation skills are
not required.)
Sales can be a daunting task for any young entrepreneur.
If you're working on a start-up, you're spilling your heart and soul into your idea. Now, you somehow have to convince others to buy into--and literally purchase--your idea too. The truth is, most entrepreneurs don't know the first thing about getting an effective sales process up and running, let alone how to pitch customers.
Since we created ElasticSales, which is essentially a sales team on demand, I've had the opportunity to work with several different young companies. I always start by teaching them about the psychology behind sales. Why? Because most people think a sale is about manipulating or pushing people into making a decision. That couldn't be further from the truth.
Here are the most important things I tell my clients (and my own salespeople) again and again about the psychology of sales:
1. People don't buy products or services. They buy emotions.
By "emotions," I mean: A desired feeling. Superiority. Love. Comfort. Excitement. Security. Or sometimes, the opposite--fear.
These and more are all emotions around which you can position your product or solution. However, you have to know what emotion your customers are actually looking for. If you don't, you won't understand how to sell to them.
The best way to determine this is to ask the customer what's important to them and what they need. Once you know this, you can position your solution around their needs and then sell your benefits--NOT your features.
2. Emotional states dictate buying (and all other) decisions.
Have you ever been in a "shopping rush?" A state in which you wanted to buy something desperately, though the feeling has very little to do with what you are about to buy?
This phenomenon happens in both consumer and enterprise sales. Make sure you pay attention to what emotional states your customers are in before selling them anything. Are they depressed? If so, they really shouldn't be making a big purchasing decision. Are they in that "shopping rush" where they have no idea what you're offering? Then the last thing you want is your customer to feel buyer's remorse because you pressured them into a purchase.
Above all, make sure you're in a good state for your customers as well! Customers can pick up if you're not in a good state to sell them your business.
3. Communication is all about tonality and body language--it has little to do with content.
This is a very old truth, but it's still surprising to most people. If your lips are saying "buy!" but your body and voice are communicating "don't do it," you won't win many deals. Listen to your phone calls or record yourself conducting a presentation. Make note of your tone and posture and ask yourself, "Would I buy from this person?"
If the answer is "no," then you have to adjust your pitch. Be conscious of your tone and body language to make improvements everyday. After a few weeks, you'll see improvements in your tonality, body language, and sales.
http://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/rules-to-work-by-steli-efti.html
Sales can be a daunting task for any young entrepreneur.
If you're working on a start-up, you're spilling your heart and soul into your idea. Now, you somehow have to convince others to buy into--and literally purchase--your idea too. The truth is, most entrepreneurs don't know the first thing about getting an effective sales process up and running, let alone how to pitch customers.
Since we created ElasticSales, which is essentially a sales team on demand, I've had the opportunity to work with several different young companies. I always start by teaching them about the psychology behind sales. Why? Because most people think a sale is about manipulating or pushing people into making a decision. That couldn't be further from the truth.
Here are the most important things I tell my clients (and my own salespeople) again and again about the psychology of sales:
1. People don't buy products or services. They buy emotions.
By "emotions," I mean: A desired feeling. Superiority. Love. Comfort. Excitement. Security. Or sometimes, the opposite--fear.
These and more are all emotions around which you can position your product or solution. However, you have to know what emotion your customers are actually looking for. If you don't, you won't understand how to sell to them.
The best way to determine this is to ask the customer what's important to them and what they need. Once you know this, you can position your solution around their needs and then sell your benefits--NOT your features.
2. Emotional states dictate buying (and all other) decisions.
Have you ever been in a "shopping rush?" A state in which you wanted to buy something desperately, though the feeling has very little to do with what you are about to buy?
This phenomenon happens in both consumer and enterprise sales. Make sure you pay attention to what emotional states your customers are in before selling them anything. Are they depressed? If so, they really shouldn't be making a big purchasing decision. Are they in that "shopping rush" where they have no idea what you're offering? Then the last thing you want is your customer to feel buyer's remorse because you pressured them into a purchase.
Above all, make sure you're in a good state for your customers as well! Customers can pick up if you're not in a good state to sell them your business.
3. Communication is all about tonality and body language--it has little to do with content.
This is a very old truth, but it's still surprising to most people. If your lips are saying "buy!" but your body and voice are communicating "don't do it," you won't win many deals. Listen to your phone calls or record yourself conducting a presentation. Make note of your tone and posture and ask yourself, "Would I buy from this person?"
If the answer is "no," then you have to adjust your pitch. Be conscious of your tone and body language to make improvements everyday. After a few weeks, you'll see improvements in your tonality, body language, and sales.
http://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/rules-to-work-by-steli-efti.html
8 Most Common Complaints About the Boss
What are you doing that really drives your employees crazy? You might want to give this list a close read.
Two facts of professional life:
So I asked Jim Hessler and Steve Motenko, leadership coaches and hosts of The Boss Show (a podcast "for anyone who is or has a boss") to list the most common complaints employees have about their bosses.
Why these guys? Their list is based on thousands of confidential discussions with employees and bosses.
They hear things your employees will never tell you.
The good news? Their list contains no real surprises.
The bad news? Their list contains no real surprises--meaning, most employees have the same issues with their bosses.
The great news? If you deal with the issues below, you'll immediately stand out as a great boss--and your business will be seen as a much better place to work.
Here's the list. My boss:
According to Hessler, The Boss Show provides a constant reminder that even in a hierarchical relationship, leadership is a two-way street. Rather than regarding disgruntled workers as "victims" of their bosses' incompetence or disengagement, he and Motenko often highlight the employee's responsibility for making things better.
"Ranking on the lower level of the professional totem pole seems to make a lot of people passive," Motenko says, "or perhaps they are there because they are passive."
So what can you do? Take a look at the list. Take a hard look at the list. How many items apply to you--even if not consistently but only occasionally?
Then get to work. If you believe your employees are your most important assets--and you should--start treating them with the consideration and respect they deserve.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-most-common-complaints-employees-have-about-their-boss.html
Two facts of professional life:
- Every employee has a boss, and
- Every employee has at least one complaint about his or her boss, including, unfortunately, you.
So I asked Jim Hessler and Steve Motenko, leadership coaches and hosts of The Boss Show (a podcast "for anyone who is or has a boss") to list the most common complaints employees have about their bosses.
Why these guys? Their list is based on thousands of confidential discussions with employees and bosses.
They hear things your employees will never tell you.
The good news? Their list contains no real surprises.
The bad news? Their list contains no real surprises--meaning, most employees have the same issues with their bosses.
The great news? If you deal with the issues below, you'll immediately stand out as a great boss--and your business will be seen as a much better place to work.
Here's the list. My boss:
- Micromanages me
- Doesn't listen
- Doesn't want to have his/her opinions and ideas challenged
- Doesn't follow through on promises
- Assigns deadlines without considering what's on my plate
- Doesn't have time for me
- Doesn't give helpful feedback about my performance
- Is disorganized and reactive
According to Hessler, The Boss Show provides a constant reminder that even in a hierarchical relationship, leadership is a two-way street. Rather than regarding disgruntled workers as "victims" of their bosses' incompetence or disengagement, he and Motenko often highlight the employee's responsibility for making things better.
"Ranking on the lower level of the professional totem pole seems to make a lot of people passive," Motenko says, "or perhaps they are there because they are passive."
So what can you do? Take a look at the list. Take a hard look at the list. How many items apply to you--even if not consistently but only occasionally?
Then get to work. If you believe your employees are your most important assets--and you should--start treating them with the consideration and respect they deserve.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-most-common-complaints-employees-have-about-their-boss.html
Before Delivering Your Next Speech, Ask These Four Questions
Leaders rarely have enough time to prepare for the communicating they have to do. Here's a shortcut.
Steve Sargent, president and CEO of GE Australia and New Zealand, runs through a four-point checklist--sometimes in just 30 seconds--before every organized communication event, from small meetings to large speeches.
The four questions he asks himself seem obvious, but that’s exactly why they’re on his checklist: They’re essential.
They also allow him to customize his talks, depending on the situation, because every communication event exerts its own particular strategic pull: Stock analysts require one thing, internal meetings with the product development team require quite another. The critical goal is to be clear about what needs to be accomplished and tailor the messaging accordingly. This list helps Sargent do that on the fly, and he says he’d always forget one of these four questions if he didn’t check each one off.
http://www.inc.com/thebuildnetwork/4-questions-before-delivering-a-speech.html
Steve Sargent, president and CEO of GE Australia and New Zealand, runs through a four-point checklist--sometimes in just 30 seconds--before every organized communication event, from small meetings to large speeches.
The four questions he asks himself seem obvious, but that’s exactly why they’re on his checklist: They’re essential.
They also allow him to customize his talks, depending on the situation, because every communication event exerts its own particular strategic pull: Stock analysts require one thing, internal meetings with the product development team require quite another. The critical goal is to be clear about what needs to be accomplished and tailor the messaging accordingly. This list helps Sargent do that on the fly, and he says he’d always forget one of these four questions if he didn’t check each one off.
http://www.inc.com/thebuildnetwork/4-questions-before-delivering-a-speech.html
Master the Art of Customer Loyalty
If you don't have a loyalty program, you're not taking advantage of your happiest customers. Here's how to get started.
Marketing your small business is easier said than done. Maybe you’ve tried Google AdWords or created a Facebook page but were disappointed with the results or complexity. You may have considered daily deals but realized that selling products at negative gross margin to one-time customers is not a winning combination. So what’s your next move?
There are no silver bullets in marketing, but I learned one important lesson from the Fortune 500 clients I consulted for at McKinsey--the power of customer loyalty. For many small businesses, loyalty marketing may be the only marketing they need, because it builds upon their greatest asset: their most satisfied customers. Bain & Company famously wrote that it costs 6 to 7 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Though you probably can’t invest in loyalty like a Fortune 500 company would, there are steps small businesses can take to begin loyalty marketing.
First, invest in service. Zappos pioneered the mantra that customer service is the new marketing. An American Express study showed that 70 percent of Americans would spend more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service. Service is the strength of most small businesses, so you should be able to do this well immediately.
Second, build a robust loyalty program that:
http://www.inc.com/victor-ho/master-the-art-of-customer-loyalty.html
Marketing your small business is easier said than done. Maybe you’ve tried Google AdWords or created a Facebook page but were disappointed with the results or complexity. You may have considered daily deals but realized that selling products at negative gross margin to one-time customers is not a winning combination. So what’s your next move?
There are no silver bullets in marketing, but I learned one important lesson from the Fortune 500 clients I consulted for at McKinsey--the power of customer loyalty. For many small businesses, loyalty marketing may be the only marketing they need, because it builds upon their greatest asset: their most satisfied customers. Bain & Company famously wrote that it costs 6 to 7 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Though you probably can’t invest in loyalty like a Fortune 500 company would, there are steps small businesses can take to begin loyalty marketing.
First, invest in service. Zappos pioneered the mantra that customer service is the new marketing. An American Express study showed that 70 percent of Americans would spend more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service. Service is the strength of most small businesses, so you should be able to do this well immediately.
Second, build a robust loyalty program that:
- Increases Customer Visits. Remember the first time you joined an airline frequent flyer program? Initially you were probably comfortable spreading your miles across a few airlines, but as you neared a reward in one, you started to stick with your preferred airline. And then once you experienced the benefits of airline status, you were hooked. When you build your loyalty program, make the first reward easily attainable, so customers experience the thrill of getting a reward early on. Then add additional tiers to earn even more memorable rewards and maybe bonuses after a certain number of visits. Even if you use a simple punch card, you should be able to launch this kind of program. Companies that implement simple visit-based loyalty programs can increase customer visits by 30 percent with very little cost.
- Increases Spend Per Visit. As a second step, consider rewarding customers not just based on visits but spend. For example, if you are a restaurant, give a point for every $5 in spend. This encourages customers to not only come more frequently but also spend more per visit. This has a multiplicative impact on sales.
- Increases Revenue from Promotions. Fortune 500 companies love loyalty program signups because you are no longer just an anonymous customer to them. Once you’ve joined, they have your contact info and can reach you with promotions. Do you collect emails when you sign up customers to your loyalty program? It’s a small step that will give you an additional revenue stream when you send them relevant promotions on holidays or special events.
- Increases Word-of-Mouth. Do you encourage your loyalty program participants to follow you on social media as well? You’ll have another channel to share news and promotions, and they can amplify word-of-mouth about your business to hundreds of friends.
http://www.inc.com/victor-ho/master-the-art-of-customer-loyalty.html
8 Promises You Should Make Every Day
Make a difference--at work, in your personal life, and in the lives of
others. Say these vows to yourself daily--and then follow through.
You can be an analytical, data-driven, steely-eyed businessperson all you like, but business is ultimately about people.
That means business is also about emotions: both yours and those of the people you interact with every day.
Want to make a huge difference in your life and in the lives of the people you care about, both professionally and personally?
Say these things to yourself every day--and then vow to follow through on the commitment you make:
I will answer the unasked question.
Maybe they're hesitant. Maybe they're insecure. Maybe they're shy. Whatever the reason, people often ask a different question than the one they really want you to answer.
One employee might ask whether you think he should take a few business classes; what he really wants to know is whether you see him as able to grow in your organization. He hopes you'll say you do and he hopes you'll share the reasons why.
Your husband might ask if you thought the woman at the party was flirting with him; what he really wants to know is if you still think he's flirt-worthy and whether you still find him attractive. He hopes you'll say you do and he'll love when you share the reasons why.
Behind many questions is an unasked question.
Pay attention so you can answer that question, too, because that is the answer the other person doesn't just want, but needs.
I will refuse to wait.
You don't have to wait to be discovered. You don't have to wait for an okay. You don't have to wait for someone else to help you.
You can try to do whatever you want to do. Right now.
You may not succeed. But you don't have to wait.
Don't wait.
I will appreciate the unappreciated.
Some jobs require more effort than skill. Bagging groceries, delivering packages, checking out customers--the tasks are relatively easy. The difference is in the effort.
Do more than say "thanks" to someone who does a thankless job. Smile. Make eye contact. Exchange a kind word.
All around you are people who work hard with little or no recognition. Vow to be the person who recognizes at least one of them every day.
Not only will you give respect, you'll earn the best kind of respect--the respect that comes from making a difference, however fleeting, in another person's life.
I will give latitude instead of direction.
You're in charge. You know what to do. So it's natural to tell your employees what to do and how to do it.
In the process you stifle their creativity and discount their skills and experience.
Letting another person decide how is the best way to show you respect their abilities and trust their judgment.
In a command and control world, latitude is a breath of freedom and is a gift anyone can give.
I will stop and smell my roses.
You have big plans. You have big goals. You're never satisfied, because satisfaction breeds complacency.
So most of the time you're unhappy because you think more about what you have not achieved, have not done, and do not have.
Take a moment and think about what you do have, professionally and especially personally. At this moment you have more than you once ever thought possible.
Sure, always strive for more but always take a moment to realize that all the things you have, especially your relationships, are more important than anything you want to have.
Unlike a want, what you have isn't a hope, a wish, or a dream. What you already have is real.
And it's awesome. And it's yours.
Appreciate it.
I will look below the surface.
Sometimes people make mistakes. Sometimes they piss you off.
When that happens it's natural to assume they didn't listen or didn't care. But often there's a deeper reason. They may feel stifled. They may feel they have no control. They may feel frustrated or marginalized or ignored or not cared for.
If you're in charge, whether at work or at home, you may need to deal with the mistake. But then look past the action for the underlying issues.
Anyone can dole out discipline; vow to provide understanding, empathy, and to help another person deal with the larger issue that resulted in the mistake.
After all, you might have caused the issue.
I will make love a verb.
You love your work. When you're working that feeling shows in everything you say and do.
You love your family. When you're with them does that feeling show in everything you say and do?
Hmm.
Love is a feeling, and feelings are often selfish. Turn your feelings into an action. Actively love the people you love. Show them you love them by words and deeds.
When you make love a verb the people you care about know exactly how you feel. Make sure they do.
I will be myself.
You worry about what other people think. Yet no matter how hard you try, you can't be all things to all people.
But you can be as many things as possible to the people you love.
And you can be the best you.
Be yourself. That is the one thing you can do better than anyone else.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-statements-that-transform-your-professional-and-personal-life.html
You can be an analytical, data-driven, steely-eyed businessperson all you like, but business is ultimately about people.
That means business is also about emotions: both yours and those of the people you interact with every day.
Want to make a huge difference in your life and in the lives of the people you care about, both professionally and personally?
Say these things to yourself every day--and then vow to follow through on the commitment you make:
I will answer the unasked question.
Maybe they're hesitant. Maybe they're insecure. Maybe they're shy. Whatever the reason, people often ask a different question than the one they really want you to answer.
One employee might ask whether you think he should take a few business classes; what he really wants to know is whether you see him as able to grow in your organization. He hopes you'll say you do and he hopes you'll share the reasons why.
Your husband might ask if you thought the woman at the party was flirting with him; what he really wants to know is if you still think he's flirt-worthy and whether you still find him attractive. He hopes you'll say you do and he'll love when you share the reasons why.
Behind many questions is an unasked question.
Pay attention so you can answer that question, too, because that is the answer the other person doesn't just want, but needs.
I will refuse to wait.
You don't have to wait to be discovered. You don't have to wait for an okay. You don't have to wait for someone else to help you.
You can try to do whatever you want to do. Right now.
You may not succeed. But you don't have to wait.
Don't wait.
I will appreciate the unappreciated.
Some jobs require more effort than skill. Bagging groceries, delivering packages, checking out customers--the tasks are relatively easy. The difference is in the effort.
Do more than say "thanks" to someone who does a thankless job. Smile. Make eye contact. Exchange a kind word.
All around you are people who work hard with little or no recognition. Vow to be the person who recognizes at least one of them every day.
Not only will you give respect, you'll earn the best kind of respect--the respect that comes from making a difference, however fleeting, in another person's life.
I will give latitude instead of direction.
You're in charge. You know what to do. So it's natural to tell your employees what to do and how to do it.
In the process you stifle their creativity and discount their skills and experience.
Letting another person decide how is the best way to show you respect their abilities and trust their judgment.
In a command and control world, latitude is a breath of freedom and is a gift anyone can give.
I will stop and smell my roses.
You have big plans. You have big goals. You're never satisfied, because satisfaction breeds complacency.
So most of the time you're unhappy because you think more about what you have not achieved, have not done, and do not have.
Take a moment and think about what you do have, professionally and especially personally. At this moment you have more than you once ever thought possible.
Sure, always strive for more but always take a moment to realize that all the things you have, especially your relationships, are more important than anything you want to have.
Unlike a want, what you have isn't a hope, a wish, or a dream. What you already have is real.
And it's awesome. And it's yours.
Appreciate it.
I will look below the surface.
Sometimes people make mistakes. Sometimes they piss you off.
When that happens it's natural to assume they didn't listen or didn't care. But often there's a deeper reason. They may feel stifled. They may feel they have no control. They may feel frustrated or marginalized or ignored or not cared for.
If you're in charge, whether at work or at home, you may need to deal with the mistake. But then look past the action for the underlying issues.
Anyone can dole out discipline; vow to provide understanding, empathy, and to help another person deal with the larger issue that resulted in the mistake.
After all, you might have caused the issue.
I will make love a verb.
You love your work. When you're working that feeling shows in everything you say and do.
You love your family. When you're with them does that feeling show in everything you say and do?
Hmm.
Love is a feeling, and feelings are often selfish. Turn your feelings into an action. Actively love the people you love. Show them you love them by words and deeds.
When you make love a verb the people you care about know exactly how you feel. Make sure they do.
I will be myself.
You worry about what other people think. Yet no matter how hard you try, you can't be all things to all people.
But you can be as many things as possible to the people you love.
And you can be the best you.
Be yourself. That is the one thing you can do better than anyone else.
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-statements-that-transform-your-professional-and-personal-life.html
3/12/13
Most Important Task You're Ignoring
Answering emails, putting out fires--those are important. But one
founder suggests something else should take up at least 25 percent of
your day.
Businesses are built on a few key pillars: the idea, the team, the plan, and the execution. However, one pillar that is often neglected in the fast-paced world of email and social media is good old-fashioned relationships--with employees, investors, suppliers, customers, the press, and probably many more people involved in your business. For me, this is what holds everything together.
Too many founders I've met speed through their days on autopilot, putting out fires to keep all the balls in the air. You know the drill: get into the office, check calendar, respond to urgent emails, drink too much coffee, avert crisis... and repeat! Maybe you squeeze in some relationship building at the end of the day. It’s an easy trap to fall into, but in my experience, relationship building should trump all of these things. In fact, I'd say founders should spend 25 percent of their time building, fostering, and growing relationships.
It’s actually quite easy when you break it down. Here is how I look at it:
Step 1: Write down your list.
Pick five people in each category above who are critical to your success. Make a list. Refer to it weekly.
Step 2: Make (genuine) contact.
Pick up the phone and see how things are going. Be sincere. Get to know them. Use your commute to knock this one out, so you won't be distracted with other work.
Step 3: Date.
Plan dinners, break bread, go to happy hours, go skiing. Build a friendship. People like to do business with people they like--full stop. (Note: If you truly don’t like a person, don't force it.)
Step 4: Repeat. Frequently.
A few years ago, Yes To hit a bump in the road (well, HUGE obstacle might be more accurate). After two years of phenomenal growth, we faced a major production issue with a key retailer that had the possibility to cripple the company. Our supply chain was clearly at fault and we admitted so to the retailer. Upon learning of this issue, I immediately left my family vacation and flew with my entire executive team to the visit the retailer. We rolled up our sleeves and worked with them until we found a solution. We apologized. Profusely. And together, we successfully brought this account back from the brink.
A year after this debacle, Lance (my business partner) and I sat with the CEO of this company. He leaned over and said with a smile "if it wasn't for me, you guys would have been long gone." He emphasized to us that because he gotten to know us as people, he truly wanted to be part of our success rather than our failure. This was someone with whom we spent years building a true friendship, someone we trusted, and someone who truly changed our lives. The four easy steps came through for us that day.
http://www.inc.com/ido-leffler/relationships-make-break-your-business.html
Businesses are built on a few key pillars: the idea, the team, the plan, and the execution. However, one pillar that is often neglected in the fast-paced world of email and social media is good old-fashioned relationships--with employees, investors, suppliers, customers, the press, and probably many more people involved in your business. For me, this is what holds everything together.
Too many founders I've met speed through their days on autopilot, putting out fires to keep all the balls in the air. You know the drill: get into the office, check calendar, respond to urgent emails, drink too much coffee, avert crisis... and repeat! Maybe you squeeze in some relationship building at the end of the day. It’s an easy trap to fall into, but in my experience, relationship building should trump all of these things. In fact, I'd say founders should spend 25 percent of their time building, fostering, and growing relationships.
It’s actually quite easy when you break it down. Here is how I look at it:
Step 1: Write down your list.
Pick five people in each category above who are critical to your success. Make a list. Refer to it weekly.
Step 2: Make (genuine) contact.
Pick up the phone and see how things are going. Be sincere. Get to know them. Use your commute to knock this one out, so you won't be distracted with other work.
Step 3: Date.
Plan dinners, break bread, go to happy hours, go skiing. Build a friendship. People like to do business with people they like--full stop. (Note: If you truly don’t like a person, don't force it.)
Step 4: Repeat. Frequently.
A few years ago, Yes To hit a bump in the road (well, HUGE obstacle might be more accurate). After two years of phenomenal growth, we faced a major production issue with a key retailer that had the possibility to cripple the company. Our supply chain was clearly at fault and we admitted so to the retailer. Upon learning of this issue, I immediately left my family vacation and flew with my entire executive team to the visit the retailer. We rolled up our sleeves and worked with them until we found a solution. We apologized. Profusely. And together, we successfully brought this account back from the brink.
A year after this debacle, Lance (my business partner) and I sat with the CEO of this company. He leaned over and said with a smile "if it wasn't for me, you guys would have been long gone." He emphasized to us that because he gotten to know us as people, he truly wanted to be part of our success rather than our failure. This was someone with whom we spent years building a true friendship, someone we trusted, and someone who truly changed our lives. The four easy steps came through for us that day.
http://www.inc.com/ido-leffler/relationships-make-break-your-business.html
Why You Should Never Compromise
Forget about trying to appear diplomatic. When you compromise, you willfully give in to mediocrity.
I was in the middle of a conversation with a team member the other day and I caught myself almost committing to what I consider to be one of the worst sins of business leadership.
I almost compromised.
In that moment of weakness, I saw myself almost head down a path from which it is often hard to return. It would have been so easy to just give in, to let it happen.
The slip-up almost happened while I was discussing the final approvals for a marketing campaign that was intended to generate online "clicks" that would turn into leads. I wanted to use a bold headline and concept. I knew it would work.
My team member wanted to soften the message, which in turn would soften the impact and the result. We had been back and forth for a couple of weeks about this particular campaign--massaging the wording, perfecting the call to action. Frankly, I was tired of talking about it.
It would have been so very easy in that moment to decide to compromise, in the name of giving in and keeping the peace. Then I could move on to something else on my long to-do list.
It's in this kind of compromise that some of the greatest companies fall off a cliff and enter the realm of mediocrity.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying don't listen to others' ideas or don't listen to reason. You should surround yourself with a team that is constantly challenging you and making your company and your approach better.
I am saying that you should never sway from your stance if you know you are right. It's your company, it's your vision, you carry the burden if something fails. You also reap the greatest reward.
In my research, I have found that the bigger your company grows, the more likely it is for compromises to start creeping in. Many leaders, especially entrepreneurial leaders, are ready to get on with it, move forward. The danger lies in this impatience.
It is up to you as the leader to set the tone. Once others see that you're willing to compromise for no good reason, they'll start to do the same. Compromise then grows like a cancer and turns your great company into something average to far worse.
That's why it's important when you do back down from a decision or decide to move in another direction that you explain why you have made this new choice. Providing the reason not only shows your willingness to listen, it also provides important insight into how you make decisions for the company, so staffers learn to do the same.
When I thought about how I would explain the change in that marketing campaign's wording, I realized I was about to compromise--that I didn't agree with my team member and he hadn't provided me with a good case for why we should change direction. I knew if I allowed the campaign to be changed, and if I was asked, that my only answer could be "because I was tired of talking about it."
Check yourself when you start to give in to a suggestion or recommendation as you grow your company. If you feel you can justify it, and the change is backed by good evidence, then you're making a good decision. If the answer is anything less, then reconsider, because you're probably about to compromise.
http://www.inc.com/eric-v-holtzclaw/why-you-should-never-compromise.html
I was in the middle of a conversation with a team member the other day and I caught myself almost committing to what I consider to be one of the worst sins of business leadership.
I almost compromised.
In that moment of weakness, I saw myself almost head down a path from which it is often hard to return. It would have been so easy to just give in, to let it happen.
The slip-up almost happened while I was discussing the final approvals for a marketing campaign that was intended to generate online "clicks" that would turn into leads. I wanted to use a bold headline and concept. I knew it would work.
My team member wanted to soften the message, which in turn would soften the impact and the result. We had been back and forth for a couple of weeks about this particular campaign--massaging the wording, perfecting the call to action. Frankly, I was tired of talking about it.
It would have been so very easy in that moment to decide to compromise, in the name of giving in and keeping the peace. Then I could move on to something else on my long to-do list.
It's in this kind of compromise that some of the greatest companies fall off a cliff and enter the realm of mediocrity.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying don't listen to others' ideas or don't listen to reason. You should surround yourself with a team that is constantly challenging you and making your company and your approach better.
I am saying that you should never sway from your stance if you know you are right. It's your company, it's your vision, you carry the burden if something fails. You also reap the greatest reward.
In my research, I have found that the bigger your company grows, the more likely it is for compromises to start creeping in. Many leaders, especially entrepreneurial leaders, are ready to get on with it, move forward. The danger lies in this impatience.
It is up to you as the leader to set the tone. Once others see that you're willing to compromise for no good reason, they'll start to do the same. Compromise then grows like a cancer and turns your great company into something average to far worse.
That's why it's important when you do back down from a decision or decide to move in another direction that you explain why you have made this new choice. Providing the reason not only shows your willingness to listen, it also provides important insight into how you make decisions for the company, so staffers learn to do the same.
When I thought about how I would explain the change in that marketing campaign's wording, I realized I was about to compromise--that I didn't agree with my team member and he hadn't provided me with a good case for why we should change direction. I knew if I allowed the campaign to be changed, and if I was asked, that my only answer could be "because I was tired of talking about it."
Check yourself when you start to give in to a suggestion or recommendation as you grow your company. If you feel you can justify it, and the change is backed by good evidence, then you're making a good decision. If the answer is anything less, then reconsider, because you're probably about to compromise.
http://www.inc.com/eric-v-holtzclaw/why-you-should-never-compromise.html
3 Keys to Business Excellence
Excelling in business isn't necessarily rocket science. In fact you just have to master these three things.
I was recently fascinated by an intriguing video of author and screenwriter Neil Gaiman giving a commencement speech to the 2012 University of the Arts graduating class. There were several marvelous insights in the speech, which you can see here. About three quarters of the way through, Gaiman eloquently articulates the path to business excellence for freelancers. It applies very nicely to business across the board.
Entrepreneurs, managers, and employees alike take heed, if you want to be considered excellent at business, you need to master these three simple things.
1. Be Efficient --Turn in work on time.
2. Be Effective--Do great work.
3. Be Congenial--Be a pleasure to work with.
Of course this makes perfect sense. But Gaiman goes on to point out that even any two of these will keep you in business if you can't master all three. Here is why:
Gaiman has done an excellent job of identifying the typical approach to business: Two out of three ain't bad. That means those of you who are diligent enough to be efficient, effective, and congenial, can achieve excellence and roar past your mediocre competition with ease.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/3-keys-to-business-excellence.html
I was recently fascinated by an intriguing video of author and screenwriter Neil Gaiman giving a commencement speech to the 2012 University of the Arts graduating class. There were several marvelous insights in the speech, which you can see here. About three quarters of the way through, Gaiman eloquently articulates the path to business excellence for freelancers. It applies very nicely to business across the board.
Entrepreneurs, managers, and employees alike take heed, if you want to be considered excellent at business, you need to master these three simple things.
1. Be Efficient --Turn in work on time.
2. Be Effective--Do great work.
3. Be Congenial--Be a pleasure to work with.
Of course this makes perfect sense. But Gaiman goes on to point out that even any two of these will keep you in business if you can't master all three. Here is why:
- If you do great work and are a pleasure to deal with, then most people will put up with a deliverable arriving a little late.
- If you turn in work on time and you are a pleasure to deal with, then most people will put up with your work being a little less than perfect.
- And if you turn in great work and you turn it in on time then people are more willing to put up with you being unpleasant.
Gaiman has done an excellent job of identifying the typical approach to business: Two out of three ain't bad. That means those of you who are diligent enough to be efficient, effective, and congenial, can achieve excellence and roar past your mediocre competition with ease.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/3-keys-to-business-excellence.html
3 Leadership Skills That Trump All Others
Leadership doesn't necessarily come from being the best at your trade. These three skills can make all the difference.
The first job I accepted after college was with a large home builder in Phoenix. In my first year, the company had been taken private, carved up, and the pieces sold off. During this span of time, I worked for three different companies all while sitting at the same desk.
I stopped buying business cards for a while.
When the dust finally settled, I had managed to tag on with a small group of people who made up the Phoenix office for a California home builder entering the Arizona market. None of us had the experience to become the division president or CEO, so the "higher-ups" brought in someone from the outside.
They brought in an accountant.
Given this was a construction company, I was a little confused why we would hire someone who didn't understand the intricacies of construction. On top of that, in an industry that consisted mostly of rough, coarse and hammer wielding men, our new leader was a woman.
A female CPA named Kathy, running a construction company. This was not what I was expecting.
Also disconcerting to me was that, in an era when technology was creeping its way into every aspect of business, Kathy's time management system consisted of sticky notes placed in an "accordion styles" folder that, when a specific day was opened, reminded her of specific deadlines that were due. In contrast, I was methodical with time management, often keeping spreadsheets to manage my to-do's and being an early adopter of PDAs, as evidenced by my expensive Palm VII paperweight.
I had serious reservations about how her background and management style could lead such a complex business.
As time wore on, however, I became better acquainted with Kathy, as did everyone in the office and in the field. That's because while she was at the top of the organization, she made it an early priority to spend a great deal of time with everyone in the company. From the office purchasing staff to the accountants to the dusty field personnel. She was personable and outgoing, and had an air of confidence that was contagious. Over the years, she went on to lead the company to amazing growth, and we became one of the top home builders in Phoenix.
Kathy was able to lead our team and achieve this success by having a set of skills that trumped any specific skill needed to build a home or develop a piece of property. She created cohesion and motivated her team by being:
1. Engaging
Kathy may not have known the fine details of post tension slabs or H-25 framing ties, but she knew how to manage the people who did. Weekly manager meetings, which she oversaw and facilitated, were some of the most efficient I have seen. She would maneuver around difficult construction issues by simply engaging all of the managers at the table and getting to a solution. She knew everyone's strengths and weaknesses, and she allocated "us" accordingly. Maybe more important, she did everything in a manner that was personable and often humorous, but never disrespectful or derogatory.
2. Encouraging
Kathy was great at encouragement. Over my years with the company, I had been recruited a few times by other companies. When this happened, I would always discuss it with her, both to get an understanding of where I stood with the company as well as emphasize my desire for more responsibility. Somehow, she always managed to encourage me to stay and did so without ever promising anything (including, unfortunately, any pay bump). Eventually, the ultimate encouragement came when she promoted me to director of purchasing.
3. Enforcing
At some point in time, a sticky note with your name would end up surfacing in Kathy's filing system. That meant you had a deliverable or task due. If you had not completed it, you waited nervously for the phone call or the casual visit to your desk. If you missed your deliverable around the time of a manager meeting, you were undoubtedly going to be on the hot seat. Somehow, she had a way to instill fear for missed deadlines, which always motivated us to get things done. She also took a great deal of responsibility herself, and we never wanted to let her down. I have no idea how she did all of this, which is probably why she was so good at it.
We had an amazing team during my early years with this home builder. I was incredibly fortunate to have had a few mentors during this time, but I perhaps remember Kathy most profoundly because while she was the least likely person I would have pegged as a role model, her management style was most influential to mine.
I haven't spoken with Kathy in years, and I understand she has retired at the top of her game and is enjoying much deserved time with her family. I suppose it's time to follow up with her ... so I suppose I'll paste a sticky note in my planner to remind me soon.
http://www.inc.com/peter-gasca/3-leadership-skills-that-trump-all-others.html
The first job I accepted after college was with a large home builder in Phoenix. In my first year, the company had been taken private, carved up, and the pieces sold off. During this span of time, I worked for three different companies all while sitting at the same desk.
I stopped buying business cards for a while.
When the dust finally settled, I had managed to tag on with a small group of people who made up the Phoenix office for a California home builder entering the Arizona market. None of us had the experience to become the division president or CEO, so the "higher-ups" brought in someone from the outside.
They brought in an accountant.
Given this was a construction company, I was a little confused why we would hire someone who didn't understand the intricacies of construction. On top of that, in an industry that consisted mostly of rough, coarse and hammer wielding men, our new leader was a woman.
A female CPA named Kathy, running a construction company. This was not what I was expecting.
Also disconcerting to me was that, in an era when technology was creeping its way into every aspect of business, Kathy's time management system consisted of sticky notes placed in an "accordion styles" folder that, when a specific day was opened, reminded her of specific deadlines that were due. In contrast, I was methodical with time management, often keeping spreadsheets to manage my to-do's and being an early adopter of PDAs, as evidenced by my expensive Palm VII paperweight.
I had serious reservations about how her background and management style could lead such a complex business.
As time wore on, however, I became better acquainted with Kathy, as did everyone in the office and in the field. That's because while she was at the top of the organization, she made it an early priority to spend a great deal of time with everyone in the company. From the office purchasing staff to the accountants to the dusty field personnel. She was personable and outgoing, and had an air of confidence that was contagious. Over the years, she went on to lead the company to amazing growth, and we became one of the top home builders in Phoenix.
Kathy was able to lead our team and achieve this success by having a set of skills that trumped any specific skill needed to build a home or develop a piece of property. She created cohesion and motivated her team by being:
1. Engaging
Kathy may not have known the fine details of post tension slabs or H-25 framing ties, but she knew how to manage the people who did. Weekly manager meetings, which she oversaw and facilitated, were some of the most efficient I have seen. She would maneuver around difficult construction issues by simply engaging all of the managers at the table and getting to a solution. She knew everyone's strengths and weaknesses, and she allocated "us" accordingly. Maybe more important, she did everything in a manner that was personable and often humorous, but never disrespectful or derogatory.
2. Encouraging
Kathy was great at encouragement. Over my years with the company, I had been recruited a few times by other companies. When this happened, I would always discuss it with her, both to get an understanding of where I stood with the company as well as emphasize my desire for more responsibility. Somehow, she always managed to encourage me to stay and did so without ever promising anything (including, unfortunately, any pay bump). Eventually, the ultimate encouragement came when she promoted me to director of purchasing.
3. Enforcing
At some point in time, a sticky note with your name would end up surfacing in Kathy's filing system. That meant you had a deliverable or task due. If you had not completed it, you waited nervously for the phone call or the casual visit to your desk. If you missed your deliverable around the time of a manager meeting, you were undoubtedly going to be on the hot seat. Somehow, she had a way to instill fear for missed deadlines, which always motivated us to get things done. She also took a great deal of responsibility herself, and we never wanted to let her down. I have no idea how she did all of this, which is probably why she was so good at it.
We had an amazing team during my early years with this home builder. I was incredibly fortunate to have had a few mentors during this time, but I perhaps remember Kathy most profoundly because while she was the least likely person I would have pegged as a role model, her management style was most influential to mine.
I haven't spoken with Kathy in years, and I understand she has retired at the top of her game and is enjoying much deserved time with her family. I suppose it's time to follow up with her ... so I suppose I'll paste a sticky note in my planner to remind me soon.
http://www.inc.com/peter-gasca/3-leadership-skills-that-trump-all-others.html
3/4/13
10 Skills You Need to Be the Next Great Entrepreneur
If you're not deemed management material, you never get your shot at
the big-time. Period. You never get the chance to learn or hone those
skills that will enable you to someday start your own business.
Unfortunately, a lot of people who might have turned out well never get the chance to find out or show their stuff. It's a bit of a Catch-22, I know. C'est la vie. There's just no way around it.
Even big-time entrepreneurs like Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg had to learn how to be effective managers. If not, the companies they founded, the Googles and Facebooks of the world, never would have gone anywhere. I don't care how cool their innovations were.
Here are the skills and attributes that executives and business leaders look for in up-and-comers. If you've got some of them or can fake it well enough to convince the powers that be to give you a chance, you might be management material.
Seeing the big picture. When I meet someone who understands markets, how companies operate, how business gets done--who gets it--I think that guy's got potential. If, on the other hand, all you know and are interested in is your own little domain, that's all you're likely to see in your career.
Hunger to achieve. If you live to accomplish things, to make things happen so you can look back and say I did that or I was part of that, managers and recruiters will see it. They look for that sort of thing in up-and-comers. It helps, of course, to have the capability to deliver, but it's a great starting point.
Courage. Very few of us actually possess any meaningful amount of self-confidence when we're young for the simple reason that we haven't had enough experience, enough successes and failures, to develop confidence yet. But if you have the guts to at least act like you do, that's enough to get folks to believe in you and give you a shot.
Functional competence. Whatever it is you're going to be running, if people don't think you've got the expertise to do it effectively, forget it. These days, managers are expected to be the best at what they manage. The best engineers are usually tapped to run teams. The brightest finance minds become controllers. That's how it works.
Prioritization and tradeoffs. The real world isn't like what they teach you in school. Nothing is ever black and white or cut and dried. That's why so much of management competence is your ability to effectively prioritize and make tradeoffs. Make versus buy decisions. Zero based budgeting. Knowing what's critical and what to bump. Every management interview will have questions along those lines. Now you know why.
A motivator of people. Some folks just have this ability to get people moving in unison to accomplish a goal. They can explain things in ways that people understand, that resonate with them, that get them excited. You'd jump through hoops of fire for them. Well, maybe not that, but you get the point. They have executive presence. We say they're born leaders, but in reality, they're just skills we develop along the way.
Decision-making. If you ask 10 people what decision-making is all about, you'll get 10 different answers. Mostly you'll get vague notions about decisiveness and leadership. Decision-making isn't just about being decisive. You have to make the right decisions. That comes down to probing, listening, reasoning, and knowing when to trust your gut. Doing that well is the most important aspect of management, hands down.
Adaptability. We live and work in a fast-paced world. Managers have to be flexible, capable of adapting on the fly to changing conditions. If you can't adapt, you'll never last. You won't be able to face the obstacles that competitive markets throw at you and, not just persevere, but come out on top. And you won't be effective working with a diverse group of peers and executives, either.
Initiative. I became a supervisor in my teens, a manager in my twenties, and a senior executive of a midsized public company in my thirties. How did that happen? Mostly, it was initiative. I literally went out looking for the toughest and highest visibility tasks, stuck my neck out, and went for it. Senior executives love that sort of thing.
Top-down management style. Command and control style management isn't popular these days. Whatever. Call it what you want, getting things done is all about setting the right goals, determining how best to achieve them, and getting everyone executing like their lives depend on it. I call that top-down management. When you're young, we want to see you move heaven and earth and make things happen. There'll be plenty of time to smooth out your rough edges later.
http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/10-skills-to-land-a-management-job.html
Unfortunately, a lot of people who might have turned out well never get the chance to find out or show their stuff. It's a bit of a Catch-22, I know. C'est la vie. There's just no way around it.
Even big-time entrepreneurs like Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg had to learn how to be effective managers. If not, the companies they founded, the Googles and Facebooks of the world, never would have gone anywhere. I don't care how cool their innovations were.
Here are the skills and attributes that executives and business leaders look for in up-and-comers. If you've got some of them or can fake it well enough to convince the powers that be to give you a chance, you might be management material.
Seeing the big picture. When I meet someone who understands markets, how companies operate, how business gets done--who gets it--I think that guy's got potential. If, on the other hand, all you know and are interested in is your own little domain, that's all you're likely to see in your career.
Hunger to achieve. If you live to accomplish things, to make things happen so you can look back and say I did that or I was part of that, managers and recruiters will see it. They look for that sort of thing in up-and-comers. It helps, of course, to have the capability to deliver, but it's a great starting point.
Courage. Very few of us actually possess any meaningful amount of self-confidence when we're young for the simple reason that we haven't had enough experience, enough successes and failures, to develop confidence yet. But if you have the guts to at least act like you do, that's enough to get folks to believe in you and give you a shot.
Functional competence. Whatever it is you're going to be running, if people don't think you've got the expertise to do it effectively, forget it. These days, managers are expected to be the best at what they manage. The best engineers are usually tapped to run teams. The brightest finance minds become controllers. That's how it works.
Prioritization and tradeoffs. The real world isn't like what they teach you in school. Nothing is ever black and white or cut and dried. That's why so much of management competence is your ability to effectively prioritize and make tradeoffs. Make versus buy decisions. Zero based budgeting. Knowing what's critical and what to bump. Every management interview will have questions along those lines. Now you know why.
A motivator of people. Some folks just have this ability to get people moving in unison to accomplish a goal. They can explain things in ways that people understand, that resonate with them, that get them excited. You'd jump through hoops of fire for them. Well, maybe not that, but you get the point. They have executive presence. We say they're born leaders, but in reality, they're just skills we develop along the way.
Decision-making. If you ask 10 people what decision-making is all about, you'll get 10 different answers. Mostly you'll get vague notions about decisiveness and leadership. Decision-making isn't just about being decisive. You have to make the right decisions. That comes down to probing, listening, reasoning, and knowing when to trust your gut. Doing that well is the most important aspect of management, hands down.
Adaptability. We live and work in a fast-paced world. Managers have to be flexible, capable of adapting on the fly to changing conditions. If you can't adapt, you'll never last. You won't be able to face the obstacles that competitive markets throw at you and, not just persevere, but come out on top. And you won't be effective working with a diverse group of peers and executives, either.
Initiative. I became a supervisor in my teens, a manager in my twenties, and a senior executive of a midsized public company in my thirties. How did that happen? Mostly, it was initiative. I literally went out looking for the toughest and highest visibility tasks, stuck my neck out, and went for it. Senior executives love that sort of thing.
Top-down management style. Command and control style management isn't popular these days. Whatever. Call it what you want, getting things done is all about setting the right goals, determining how best to achieve them, and getting everyone executing like their lives depend on it. I call that top-down management. When you're young, we want to see you move heaven and earth and make things happen. There'll be plenty of time to smooth out your rough edges later.
http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/10-skills-to-land-a-management-job.html
14 Revealing Interview Questions
Interview questions: Everyone has them.
And everyone wishes they had better ones.
So I asked smart people from a variety of fields for their favorite interview question and, more importantly, why it's their favorite and what it tells them about the candidate.
1. If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you in this role, what did we achieve together?
"For me, the most important thing about interviews is that the interviewee interviews us. I need to know they've done their homework, truly understand our company and the role... and really want it.
"The candidate should have enough strategic vision to not only talk about how good the year has been but to answer with an eye towards that bigger-picture understanding of the company--and why they want to be here."
2. When have you been most satisfied in your life?
"Except with entry-level candidates, I presume reasonable job skill and intellect. Plus I believe smart people with relevant experience adapt quickly and excel in new environments where the culture fits and inspires them.
"So, I concentrate on character and how well theirs matches that of my organization.
"This question opens the door for a different kind of conversation where I push to see the match between life in my company and what this person needs to be their best and better in my company than he or she could be anywhere else."
3. If you got hired, loved everything about this job, and are paid the salary you asked for, what kind of offer from another company would you consider?
"I like to find out how much the candidate is driven by money versus working at a place they love.
"Can they be bought?
"You'd be surprised by some of the answers."
4. Who is your role model, and why?
"The question can reveal how introspective the candidate is about their own personal and professional development, which is a quality I have found to be highly correlated with success and ambition.
"Plus it can show what attributes and behaviors the candidate aspires to."
5. What things do you not like to do?
"We tend to assume people who have held a role enjoy all aspects of that role, but I've found that is seldom the case.
"Getting an honest answer to the question requires persistence, though. I usually have to ask it a few times in different ways, but the answers are always worth the effort. For instance, I interviewed a sales candidate who said she didn't enjoy meeting new people.
"My favorite was the finance candidate who told me he hated dealing with mundane details and checking his work. Next!"
6. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career.
"I find that this question opens the door to further questions and enables someone to highlight themselves in a specific, non-generic way.
"Plus additional questions can easily follow: What position did you hold when you achieved this accomplishment? How did it impact your growth at the company? Who else was involved and how did the accomplishment impact your team?
"Discussing a single accomplishment is an easy way to open doors to additional information and insight about the person, their work habits, and how they work with others."
7. Tell me how...
"I don't have one favorite question because I believe a great interview takes on a life of its own, becoming more of a conversation than a formal process.
"Ultimately we're looking for people who are motivated, disciplined, good spirited, possessing skills and passion, so I ask indirect questions about the creative process, about articulating and demystifying the process of creating great food and great service.
"Then I trust my instincts. Reading the eyes of the candidate is a final test I've come to rely on--because the eyes never lie."
8. What's your superpower, or what's your spirit animal?
"During her interview I asked my current executive assistant what was her favorite animal. She told me it was a duck, because ducks are calm on the surface and hustling like crazy getting things done under the surface.
"I think this was an amazing response and a perfect description for the role of an EA. For the record, she's been working with us for over a year now and is amazing at her job."
9. Why have you had x amount of jobs in y years?
"This question helps me get a full picture of the candidate's work history. What keeps them motivated? Why, if they have, did they jump from job to job? And what is the key factor when they leave?
"The answer shows me their loyalty and their reasoning process. Do they believe someone always keeps them down (managers, bosses, etc.)? Do they get bored easily?
"There is nothing inherently wrong with moving from job to job--the reasons why are what matters."
10. We're constantly making things better, faster, smarter or less expensive. We leverage technology or improve processes. In other words, we strive to do more--with less. Tell me about a recent project or problem that you made better, faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive.
"Good candidates will have lots of answers to this question. Great candidates will get excited as they share their answers.
"In 13 years we've only passed along one price increase to our customers. That's not because our costs have decreased--quite the contrary. We've been able to maintain our prices because we've gotten better at what we do. Our team, at every level, has their ears to the ground looking for problems to solve.
"Every new employee needs to do that, too."
11. Discuss a specific accomplishment you've achieved in a previous position that indicates you will thrive in this position.
"Past performance is usually the best indicator of future success.
"If the candidate can't point to a prior accomplishment, they are unlikely to be able to accomplish much at our organization--or yours."
12. So, (insert name), what's your story?
"This inane question immediately puts an interviewee on the defensive because there is no right answer or wrong answer. But there is an answer.
"It's a question that asks for a creative response. It's an invitation to the candidate to play the game and see where it goes without worrying about the right answer. By playing along, it tells me a lot about the character, imagination, and inventiveness of the person.
"The question, as obtuse as it might sound to the interviewee, is the beginning of a story and in today's world of selling oneself, or one's company, it's the ability to tell a story and create a feeling that sells the brand--whether it's a product or a person.
"The way they look at me when the question is asked also tells me something about their likeability. If they act defensive, look uncomfortable, and pause longer than a few seconds, it tells me they probably take things too literally and are not broad thinkers. In our business we need broad thinkers."
13. What questions do you have for me?
"I love asking this question really early in the interview--it shows me whether the candidate can think quickly on their feet, and also reveals their level of preparation and strategic thinking.
"I often find you can learn more about a person based on the questions they ask versus the answers they give."
14. Tell us about a time when things didn't go the way you wanted-- like a promotion you wanted and didn't get, or a project that didn't turn out how you had hoped.
"It's a simple question that says so much. Candidates may say they understand the importance of working as a team but that doesn't mean they actually know how to work as a team. We need self-starters that will view their position as a partnership.
"Answers tend to fall into three basic categories: 1) blame 2) self-deprecation, or 3) opportunity for growth.
"Our company requires focused employees willing to wear many hats and sometimes go above and beyond the job description, so I want team players with the right attitude and approach. If the candidate points fingers, blames, goes negative on former employers, communicates with a sense of entitlement, or speaks in terms of their role as an individual as opposed to their position as a partnership, he or she won't do well here.
"But if they take responsibility and are eager to put what they have learned to work, they will thrive in our meritocracy."
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/14-revealing-interview-questions.html
And everyone wishes they had better ones.
So I asked smart people from a variety of fields for their favorite interview question and, more importantly, why it's their favorite and what it tells them about the candidate.
1. If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you in this role, what did we achieve together?
"For me, the most important thing about interviews is that the interviewee interviews us. I need to know they've done their homework, truly understand our company and the role... and really want it.
"The candidate should have enough strategic vision to not only talk about how good the year has been but to answer with an eye towards that bigger-picture understanding of the company--and why they want to be here."
2. When have you been most satisfied in your life?
"Except with entry-level candidates, I presume reasonable job skill and intellect. Plus I believe smart people with relevant experience adapt quickly and excel in new environments where the culture fits and inspires them.
"So, I concentrate on character and how well theirs matches that of my organization.
"This question opens the door for a different kind of conversation where I push to see the match between life in my company and what this person needs to be their best and better in my company than he or she could be anywhere else."
3. If you got hired, loved everything about this job, and are paid the salary you asked for, what kind of offer from another company would you consider?
"I like to find out how much the candidate is driven by money versus working at a place they love.
"Can they be bought?
"You'd be surprised by some of the answers."
4. Who is your role model, and why?
"The question can reveal how introspective the candidate is about their own personal and professional development, which is a quality I have found to be highly correlated with success and ambition.
"Plus it can show what attributes and behaviors the candidate aspires to."
5. What things do you not like to do?
"We tend to assume people who have held a role enjoy all aspects of that role, but I've found that is seldom the case.
"Getting an honest answer to the question requires persistence, though. I usually have to ask it a few times in different ways, but the answers are always worth the effort. For instance, I interviewed a sales candidate who said she didn't enjoy meeting new people.
"My favorite was the finance candidate who told me he hated dealing with mundane details and checking his work. Next!"
6. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career.
"I find that this question opens the door to further questions and enables someone to highlight themselves in a specific, non-generic way.
"Plus additional questions can easily follow: What position did you hold when you achieved this accomplishment? How did it impact your growth at the company? Who else was involved and how did the accomplishment impact your team?
"Discussing a single accomplishment is an easy way to open doors to additional information and insight about the person, their work habits, and how they work with others."
7. Tell me how...
"I don't have one favorite question because I believe a great interview takes on a life of its own, becoming more of a conversation than a formal process.
"Ultimately we're looking for people who are motivated, disciplined, good spirited, possessing skills and passion, so I ask indirect questions about the creative process, about articulating and demystifying the process of creating great food and great service.
"Then I trust my instincts. Reading the eyes of the candidate is a final test I've come to rely on--because the eyes never lie."
8. What's your superpower, or what's your spirit animal?
"During her interview I asked my current executive assistant what was her favorite animal. She told me it was a duck, because ducks are calm on the surface and hustling like crazy getting things done under the surface.
"I think this was an amazing response and a perfect description for the role of an EA. For the record, she's been working with us for over a year now and is amazing at her job."
9. Why have you had x amount of jobs in y years?
"This question helps me get a full picture of the candidate's work history. What keeps them motivated? Why, if they have, did they jump from job to job? And what is the key factor when they leave?
"The answer shows me their loyalty and their reasoning process. Do they believe someone always keeps them down (managers, bosses, etc.)? Do they get bored easily?
"There is nothing inherently wrong with moving from job to job--the reasons why are what matters."
10. We're constantly making things better, faster, smarter or less expensive. We leverage technology or improve processes. In other words, we strive to do more--with less. Tell me about a recent project or problem that you made better, faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive.
"Good candidates will have lots of answers to this question. Great candidates will get excited as they share their answers.
"In 13 years we've only passed along one price increase to our customers. That's not because our costs have decreased--quite the contrary. We've been able to maintain our prices because we've gotten better at what we do. Our team, at every level, has their ears to the ground looking for problems to solve.
"Every new employee needs to do that, too."
11. Discuss a specific accomplishment you've achieved in a previous position that indicates you will thrive in this position.
"Past performance is usually the best indicator of future success.
"If the candidate can't point to a prior accomplishment, they are unlikely to be able to accomplish much at our organization--or yours."
12. So, (insert name), what's your story?
"This inane question immediately puts an interviewee on the defensive because there is no right answer or wrong answer. But there is an answer.
"It's a question that asks for a creative response. It's an invitation to the candidate to play the game and see where it goes without worrying about the right answer. By playing along, it tells me a lot about the character, imagination, and inventiveness of the person.
"The question, as obtuse as it might sound to the interviewee, is the beginning of a story and in today's world of selling oneself, or one's company, it's the ability to tell a story and create a feeling that sells the brand--whether it's a product or a person.
"The way they look at me when the question is asked also tells me something about their likeability. If they act defensive, look uncomfortable, and pause longer than a few seconds, it tells me they probably take things too literally and are not broad thinkers. In our business we need broad thinkers."
13. What questions do you have for me?
"I love asking this question really early in the interview--it shows me whether the candidate can think quickly on their feet, and also reveals their level of preparation and strategic thinking.
"I often find you can learn more about a person based on the questions they ask versus the answers they give."
14. Tell us about a time when things didn't go the way you wanted-- like a promotion you wanted and didn't get, or a project that didn't turn out how you had hoped.
"It's a simple question that says so much. Candidates may say they understand the importance of working as a team but that doesn't mean they actually know how to work as a team. We need self-starters that will view their position as a partnership.
"Answers tend to fall into three basic categories: 1) blame 2) self-deprecation, or 3) opportunity for growth.
"Our company requires focused employees willing to wear many hats and sometimes go above and beyond the job description, so I want team players with the right attitude and approach. If the candidate points fingers, blames, goes negative on former employers, communicates with a sense of entitlement, or speaks in terms of their role as an individual as opposed to their position as a partnership, he or she won't do well here.
"But if they take responsibility and are eager to put what they have learned to work, they will thrive in our meritocracy."
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/14-revealing-interview-questions.html
3/1/13
10 Things Really Amazing Employees Do
Here are ten traits that any great employer should recognize and reward instantly.
As a longtime employer of dozens, I was always grateful to have good employees. It takes a lot to recruit and maintain top talent. Every once in a while special employees come along that just really seem to get it. They drive the entire company forward in ways that were unimaginable. Advancement and reward is never an issue for these rock stars because they understand the power of cause and effect, and only a worthy company can retain them and afford them.
Here are 10 things amazing employees seem to do effortlessly. Here's how to help your great employees be even more amazing.
1. Enthusiastically Learn All Aspects of Business
They understand they're part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just their job. They look to learn other areas of the business and be fluent in finance and management so they'll positively impact multiple areas of the company.
What you can do: Invest in material and seminars on business basics like accounting, marketing, and management so all employees have easy access to learn and grow.
2. Steward the Company
They treat the company as if it were theirs. They look to make prudent decisions about expenses and opportunities with the long-term future of the company in mind. They easily assess risk vs. reward, selflessly when making decisions.
What you can do: Be transparent in your business. The more you share your financials and philosophy, the easier it is for employees to make the right decisions.
3. Generate Viable Opportunities
You don't have to be in sales or marketing to help a company grow. Strong networkers from all divisions see company growth as a collective effort and constantly keep their eyes open for ways to more than pay for themselves.
What you can do: Make sure all your employees understand your value proposition and can easily identify opportunities. Then reward them openly for their efforts.
4. Resolve Issues Before They Are Issues
My favorite days running companies are when I notice positive change in procedure when I was totally unaware of the need for change. Amazing employees are always looking to improve systems proactively, and they do.
What you can do: Communicate a clear written vision of where the company is going and encourage initiative so people feel safe and empowered to make change.
5. Tell It Like It Is
Amazing employees understand that hiding bad news helps no one. They find kind ways to bring uncomfortable information to the surface, but they DO bring it to the surface. They tell people what's necessary before major damage is done.
What you can do: Foster an open communication environment where people are not only given permission to tell the truth, but also absolutely required.
6. Demonstrate High Standards, With Low Maintenance
I always feel relaxed when I can trust an employee to perform a task to the same high standards I would expect from myself. Not all can do this without constant attention or difficulty. Amazing employees quietly drive their own high standards.
What you can do: Set the example and the tone for high performance with minimal drama. Publicly reward those who can execute in the same manner.
7. Grow Themselves, and Others
They not only drive their own career but they inspire others to do the same. These employees lead by example in how to advance without creating animosity or resentment. They see and create their perfect future, and also bring others along.
What you can do: Encourage personal development and peer growth through dedicated group time and learning for career advancement.
8. Research, Apply, and Refine
No employer expects people to know everything. In this fast changing world, I choose employees who will learn over those who know. The best employee proactively explores options, takes action and then improves without direction from the top.
What you can do: Invest time in exploration and expansive thinking. Encourage people to explore deep visionary projects with time and reward for the findings.
9. Stimulate Happiness
Amazing employees aren't always sunshine and roses. They do know how to keep it real. But they understand the dynamics of people, stress, and the blend of work, life and friendship. They are self-aware and able to direct their own path that brings out their best with family, friends and career. They exude positive energy even in stressful times and share it around, making for a happier office.
What you can do: Create an environment where people can openly express themselves. Encourage them to work hard in fulfilling ways and achieve their dreams.
10. Facilitate Amazing Bosses
Amazing employees make me grow as an employer. They self-confidently get their value and help me get mine. They make me want to be worthy of working with somebody of such high caliber, without ever saying it directly of course.
What you can do: Make effort to genuinely show appreciation for any of the behaviors above so people feel their value and will grow to full potential. Then they will do the same for you.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-things-really-amazing-employees-do.html
As a longtime employer of dozens, I was always grateful to have good employees. It takes a lot to recruit and maintain top talent. Every once in a while special employees come along that just really seem to get it. They drive the entire company forward in ways that were unimaginable. Advancement and reward is never an issue for these rock stars because they understand the power of cause and effect, and only a worthy company can retain them and afford them.
Here are 10 things amazing employees seem to do effortlessly. Here's how to help your great employees be even more amazing.
1. Enthusiastically Learn All Aspects of Business
They understand they're part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just their job. They look to learn other areas of the business and be fluent in finance and management so they'll positively impact multiple areas of the company.
What you can do: Invest in material and seminars on business basics like accounting, marketing, and management so all employees have easy access to learn and grow.
2. Steward the Company
They treat the company as if it were theirs. They look to make prudent decisions about expenses and opportunities with the long-term future of the company in mind. They easily assess risk vs. reward, selflessly when making decisions.
What you can do: Be transparent in your business. The more you share your financials and philosophy, the easier it is for employees to make the right decisions.
3. Generate Viable Opportunities
You don't have to be in sales or marketing to help a company grow. Strong networkers from all divisions see company growth as a collective effort and constantly keep their eyes open for ways to more than pay for themselves.
What you can do: Make sure all your employees understand your value proposition and can easily identify opportunities. Then reward them openly for their efforts.
4. Resolve Issues Before They Are Issues
My favorite days running companies are when I notice positive change in procedure when I was totally unaware of the need for change. Amazing employees are always looking to improve systems proactively, and they do.
What you can do: Communicate a clear written vision of where the company is going and encourage initiative so people feel safe and empowered to make change.
5. Tell It Like It Is
Amazing employees understand that hiding bad news helps no one. They find kind ways to bring uncomfortable information to the surface, but they DO bring it to the surface. They tell people what's necessary before major damage is done.
What you can do: Foster an open communication environment where people are not only given permission to tell the truth, but also absolutely required.
6. Demonstrate High Standards, With Low Maintenance
I always feel relaxed when I can trust an employee to perform a task to the same high standards I would expect from myself. Not all can do this without constant attention or difficulty. Amazing employees quietly drive their own high standards.
What you can do: Set the example and the tone for high performance with minimal drama. Publicly reward those who can execute in the same manner.
7. Grow Themselves, and Others
They not only drive their own career but they inspire others to do the same. These employees lead by example in how to advance without creating animosity or resentment. They see and create their perfect future, and also bring others along.
What you can do: Encourage personal development and peer growth through dedicated group time and learning for career advancement.
8. Research, Apply, and Refine
No employer expects people to know everything. In this fast changing world, I choose employees who will learn over those who know. The best employee proactively explores options, takes action and then improves without direction from the top.
What you can do: Invest time in exploration and expansive thinking. Encourage people to explore deep visionary projects with time and reward for the findings.
9. Stimulate Happiness
Amazing employees aren't always sunshine and roses. They do know how to keep it real. But they understand the dynamics of people, stress, and the blend of work, life and friendship. They are self-aware and able to direct their own path that brings out their best with family, friends and career. They exude positive energy even in stressful times and share it around, making for a happier office.
What you can do: Create an environment where people can openly express themselves. Encourage them to work hard in fulfilling ways and achieve their dreams.
10. Facilitate Amazing Bosses
Amazing employees make me grow as an employer. They self-confidently get their value and help me get mine. They make me want to be worthy of working with somebody of such high caliber, without ever saying it directly of course.
What you can do: Make effort to genuinely show appreciation for any of the behaviors above so people feel their value and will grow to full potential. Then they will do the same for you.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-things-really-amazing-employees-do.html
Stellar Customer Experience: 4 Tips
I've been thinking a lot about our customer experience lately as
we'll soon be making some sweeping changes to the way we do business at my online marketing company VerticalResponse.
When I see other businesses that do a bang up job with their customer
experience, I take copious notes of how we might incorporate it into the
way we'll do things.
I'd like to focus on a company that originated in San Francisco called One Medical. If you can believe it, they're reinventing the dreaded doctor's office visit! I've broken it down into four customer experience touch points that make a difference for this business and that all of us might learn from.
1. Ease of Use, Right From the Start
You might hear about One Medical from a friend like me, and go to their friendly website where you might sign up and become a member, or log in. Then you see which physicians are available in a location, or a time slot that's convenient for you (Same day? Yup!) and you can make your appointment. Easy? You bet.
Lesson: Ask someone who doesn't know about your business how they feel about visiting your store or website. Is it the experience you want to portray?
2. Comfortable and Short Wait Time
Every One Medical location has nice, tasteful decor. There aren't a bunch of cheap chairs all facing each other, and no cheesy magazines from last month that an employee brought in. The waiting area is divided into comfortable sections and you get a warm and friendly greeting from someone sitting at a desk, not in back of a glass wall with a bunch of color-coded folders behind them. Plus, you always get seen on time. Waiting becomes a comfortable experience.
Lesson: Is your location set up to reflect your business? Are you edgy or subdued? Does your website reflect how you want your business portrayed? Does your team greet your visitors the way you want them to?
3. Friendly and Informational Visit
Each physician has a comfortable office with a laptop where they document your consultation directly into your account so you have a record of it. They put off a kind, approachable vibe, and never make you feel rushed. A rarity these days when most doctors have about 15 minutes tops, to spend with you.
Lesson: Are your salespeople dressed casually or suited up? How do you want them to speak to visitors whether they call in or come to your business? Is the interaction with your team and your business the way you want it to be? Send some people in and have them describe how they perceive what your biz is all about.
4. Quick Follow-up
One Medical physicians email your prescription directly to the pharmacy of your choice (no paper here) and they email you after your visit to find out how you're feeling.
What's more is you can email your physician anything you want to ask, at any time and expect to get an answer within a few hours!
Lesson: Are you thanking your customers for buying? What does your confirmation email say? Does it reflect your style, or is it too stuffy for how you want to sound? Are you set up to get back to customers quickly with chat, or a phone call, or do you even follow up?
Whether your business is online, offline, or both, take a note of everywhere a customer or a potential customer has to interact with you and form their quick opinion. Then make some changes like we are and give your customer experience a clean bill of health!
http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/stellar-customer-experience-4-tips.html
I'd like to focus on a company that originated in San Francisco called One Medical. If you can believe it, they're reinventing the dreaded doctor's office visit! I've broken it down into four customer experience touch points that make a difference for this business and that all of us might learn from.
1. Ease of Use, Right From the Start
You might hear about One Medical from a friend like me, and go to their friendly website where you might sign up and become a member, or log in. Then you see which physicians are available in a location, or a time slot that's convenient for you (Same day? Yup!) and you can make your appointment. Easy? You bet.
Lesson: Ask someone who doesn't know about your business how they feel about visiting your store or website. Is it the experience you want to portray?
2. Comfortable and Short Wait Time
Every One Medical location has nice, tasteful decor. There aren't a bunch of cheap chairs all facing each other, and no cheesy magazines from last month that an employee brought in. The waiting area is divided into comfortable sections and you get a warm and friendly greeting from someone sitting at a desk, not in back of a glass wall with a bunch of color-coded folders behind them. Plus, you always get seen on time. Waiting becomes a comfortable experience.
Lesson: Is your location set up to reflect your business? Are you edgy or subdued? Does your website reflect how you want your business portrayed? Does your team greet your visitors the way you want them to?
3. Friendly and Informational Visit
Each physician has a comfortable office with a laptop where they document your consultation directly into your account so you have a record of it. They put off a kind, approachable vibe, and never make you feel rushed. A rarity these days when most doctors have about 15 minutes tops, to spend with you.
Lesson: Are your salespeople dressed casually or suited up? How do you want them to speak to visitors whether they call in or come to your business? Is the interaction with your team and your business the way you want it to be? Send some people in and have them describe how they perceive what your biz is all about.
4. Quick Follow-up
One Medical physicians email your prescription directly to the pharmacy of your choice (no paper here) and they email you after your visit to find out how you're feeling.
What's more is you can email your physician anything you want to ask, at any time and expect to get an answer within a few hours!
Lesson: Are you thanking your customers for buying? What does your confirmation email say? Does it reflect your style, or is it too stuffy for how you want to sound? Are you set up to get back to customers quickly with chat, or a phone call, or do you even follow up?
Whether your business is online, offline, or both, take a note of everywhere a customer or a potential customer has to interact with you and form their quick opinion. Then make some changes like we are and give your customer experience a clean bill of health!
http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/stellar-customer-experience-4-tips.html
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