Conversations are a critical part of conducting business, leading teams and interacting with others. Despite their obvious importance, how often do we think about them as a crucial skill? Imagine if everyone on your team became exceptional at having meaningful conversations. Source: skiprichard.com, June 2018. Link. Actually, conversation is powerful, period, whether it’s … [Read more...]
One simple question can help you break out of your bubble
A significant challenge for many leaders is that the higher they rise, the more insulated they become. In other words, they get trapped in a bubble. Subordinates tend to become overly compliant, telling them what they want to hear. And once candid conversations are now not so candid. By explicitly asking others, “What do you think?” leaders can break free of this … [Read more...]
Don’t assume results speak for themselves.
While good results might be the price of admission, do not assume they are enough to get you recognized. This is where the skill of managing “up” in your organization is a necessary and effective to get you where you would like to go. Source: Wall Street Journal, April 10, 2018. Link. (Paywall. Also see: PDF of article. Link.) Employees also need to understand the boss’s … [Read more...]
When your boss isn’t your advocate
Having a great boss (Link) is a potentially life-changing gift. On the other hand, many of us know firsthand that having a bad boss (Link) can cause a lot of drama, headaches, and stress. While it’s easy to love the great bosses and flee the bad ones, there’s one kind of boss that’s much less straightforward to navigate: the boss who doesn’t advocate for you. Source: Harvard … [Read more...]
Help others succeed
How can you help others succeed if you don’t know how they define success? How do you know which benefits to highlight if you don’t know what they value? How can you help others get better if you don’t know where they are struggling? How can you have a successful sales call if you don’t talk about your product? The answer to the first three questions is “You … [Read more...]
Giving feedback is difficult
Why is it so hard to tell our employees (or our spouses and friends, for that matter) that they’re doing something that’s not working and need to change? Most often, we’re worried about the other person’s reaction. What if she gets angry? What if he cries? What if she tells me I’m an idiot? What if he gets super defensive and starts blaming me? Another thing that makes it … [Read more...]
Keep customers coming back
Lots of money, effort and time go into acquiring customers. But, not nearly enough thought goes into keeping them coming back. Sure, there’s the occasional offer or the “We’ve missed you” discount. All too frequently, we don’t pay attention unless they’re unhappy or turn up missing. Then, we get busy and try to get them back. Source: Hampton Roads Business Journal, June 21, … [Read more...]
Create a motivating environment
At some point, every leader has dealt with a person or worse, a group of people, who has lost motivation. It is frustrating. As much as we’ve been there ourselves, sometimes it’s hard to empathize with others who are disengaged from work and are unproductive as a result. Source: Harvard Business Review, March 22, 2018. Link. Despite these difficulties, it is possible for … [Read more...]
Developing leaders properly critical to success
Leadership matters! Most people at least implicitly understand this basic concept. People who have studied, and practiced leadership understand it at a deeper level. Developing and selecting individuals for positions of authority is one of the most important responsibilities of today’s leaders. Source: General Leadership, August 6, 2014. Link. The ability to be steady and … [Read more...]
Enjoy your failure
For many of us, graduation is barely visible in our rearview mirror. Those inspiring words spoken at graduation ceremonies are an even more distant memories. However, the occasional reflection back will clarify our vision moving forward. So, here is graduation reflection to consider as you tackle your next challenge. Source: GeorgiaPol.com, June 4, 2018. Link. In the end, … [Read more...]
When traditional goal setting doesn’t work
A goal should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-sensitive. This is right in most cases. However, in some cases you could spend all your time in the goal-setting process while the market passes you by. So, consider these ideas when you need a non-traditional approach. Source: Fast Company, June 4, 2018. Link. Instead of focusing on changing your habit … [Read more...]
Proper etiquette helps makes texts effective
Texting is increasingly being used for business. If not done appropriately it can cause misunderstandings and reflect poorly on the person sending the text, as well as their company. Source: Smart Meetings, June 21, 2016. Link. Sometimes, people get frustrated when they send texts about urgent, important matters but don’t hear back right away. Realize that the person you are … [Read more...]
Align your job with your motives
Do you ever need to psych yourself up to go to work? If so, your job might not align with your personal motives. This is important because motives are the place from which you draw energy. Consider these five common motives to could identify what drives you. Source: Fast Company, April 30, 2018. Link. A mismatch in job and motives will wear you down and eventually cause you … [Read more...]
Better be early
I have a magic pill to sell you. It will help you make more money, be happier, look thinner, and have better relationships. It’s a revolutionary new pharmaceutical product called Late-No-More. Just one dose every day will allow you to show up on time, greatly enhancing your life and the lives of those around you. Source: Forbes, August 2, 2015. Link. There’s a reason we set … [Read more...]
The demise of cold calling
A colleague in the animal health industry recently asked, “Has door-to-door prospecting in the veterinary world reached obsolescence?” He was serious, explaining that he sets appointments and uses cold calls to fill in the gaps. Finally he admitted, “I rarely get any response or success from a cold call.” This answers his question. Why continue an activity that doesn’t produce … [Read more...]
Communicate, connect for health’s sake
The number of people who identify as lonely has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent in the past 30 years. In that same time, the average number of close friends that people identify having has gone from three to one. Having weak social ties is as harmful to health as alcoholism. It’s also equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Thus, having techniques to effectively … [Read more...]
Value your people so they do their best
Your people need more than a salary and fulfilling work to be their best. They need to know that you see the value in them as individuals and from the results they deliver. These nine suggestions should be an automatic part of your management style. Source: Forbes, November 8, 2017, Link. . . . delivering the tough information – can be a challenge. Nonetheless, it’s one of … [Read more...]
Change is hard. Leading it is harder.
Change is hard. It is especially hard on the person leading the change. Compound this by being new to the organization you are leading through the change and the task can seem insurmountable. These thoughts will help. Source: LinkedIn, July 10, 2017. (Link) Change is exhausting, especially if you have a big vision, so you need to break it down into manageable pieces and … [Read more...]
Be fit to lead
While good health may, or may not a good leader make – or break – it does contribute to good brain function, sustained energy output and being physically resilient. These are important attributes for leaders, but the behaviors that contribute to these qualities are often sorely neglected. Source: Center for Creative Leaders, July 10, 2017. Given all this, we often encourage … [Read more...]
Leadership secrets revealed
Done well, leadership looks easy and effortless, much like a swan gliding across a pond appears graceful and elegant. But, like the swan, there is a lot of work going on below the waterline. So, understanding the following secrets of leadership will help develop your leadership abilities. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, March 22, 2018. Don’t expect the world to look at you as a … [Read more...]
A different perspective helps
I write a regular sales column for distribution reps. It recently occurred to me animal health pros, especially associates in a veterinary practice may benefit from what that I share with distribution reps. My February 2018 column in Vet-Advantage magazine is a good example. Source: Vet-Advantage, February 2018. Act like a customer Act like a marketer Act like an … [Read more...]
Self-management is a long-distance race
This is the work of self-management: building the intellectual, emotional and behavioral muscles to modulate our thoughts, emotions and reactions to triggers that lead to ingrained behaviors. This change doesn’t happen overnight after our big epiphanies. Source: Key Step Media, February 2018. With the right skill-building, supports, and self-discipline, we can build new … [Read more...]
Loyalty is a two-way street
Employers seek loyalty and dedication from their employees. However, they sometimes fail to return their half of the equation. This can leave millennial workers feeling left behind and unsupported. Professional relationships are built on trust and commitment. Working for a boss who supports you is vital to professional and company success. Source: Forbes, December 8, … [Read more...]
Sympathy and empathy are vastly different
Imagine you are in a jungle and happen upon someone who has fallen into quicksand. Sympathy is jumping in with them and agreeing this is bad. Empathy is acknowledging their situation is bad and then getting a vine to help pull them out of the predicament. Source: Rework, February 14, 2018. That's empathy - seeking to understand someone else's perspective and how their … [Read more...]
Create success when you disagree
Whether you are a frontline person, supervisor or middle manager, sometimes you get a decision handed down with which you do not agree. What you do at that point says a great deal about you and your ultimate success or failure. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 9 2018. To convince yourself of the decision, put yourself in the shoes of someone who believes deeply in … [Read more...]
The underdog strategy may make you a winner
Victimhood is a popular excuse these days for being unhappy. It doesn’t have to be this way. Certainly, there are people with greater advantages than you. This simply means you need to work smarter and harder to achieve your version of success and now there is a strategy that will enhance your chances of success. Source: Women@Forbes, February 6 2018. Have the courage to … [Read more...]
Learn to say, “No.”
If you say, “no,” to irrelevant things every day, you can spend more time on work that truly matters. Leaders must be willing to say, “no,” to time-wasting activities so they can say, “yes,” to valuable work. Here are some prime candidates for a “no” response. Source: Women@Forbes, January 30, 2018. With your own team, ask each of your direct reports to make at least two … [Read more...]
Why people quit
People are more likely to quit when they have a horrible boss. But in a recent study, most people who left a job said they were mostly okay with their manager. The decision to exit was because of the work. They left when their job wasn’t enjoyable, their strengths weren’t being used and they weren’t growing in their careers. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 11, … [Read more...]
5 tips to attract and retain associates
As the unemployment rate goes down, many employers find it hard to attract and retain engaged employees. What worked when unemployment was high is no longer effective. Additionally, this millennial workforce has different values than previous workforce generations. These tips about retention will go a long way to reduce turnover and its associated costs. Source: Forbes … [Read more...]
Close, but not closed
One of the more common questions I am asked when conducting sales development classes is, “What do I do when a customer commits but doesn’t follow through?” It usually spurs a lengthy discussion about the difference between close and closed. Source: Veterinary Advantage Magazine, December 2017. At commit, your customer, or the Decider, co-owns the outcome with you and that … [Read more...]