Empathy is one of the building blocks of healthy business relationships. Source: headspace, July 2023. Link. Being able to recognize and relate to the feelings of others does not come in degrees. Like any skill, it is there, or not. INSIGHT: The ability to suspend your own point of view for the moment is confidence. Also see: Search results for: Empathy, AHD. Link. … [Read more...]
Customer experience thoughts for managers
Managing and coaching a group of people hasn’t really changed over the years. Today, however, customer experience is at the forefront of every interaction and transaction. Source: Repertoire, October 2023. Link. You just have to find out what is important to that customer and how your product/service meets that need.” – Patrick T. Malone INSIGHTS: Malone shares the best … [Read more...]
Building rapport with questions
When the customer has answered that initial question and you have acknowledged their response, the next appropriate follow-up question is, “And what else?” Source: Vet Advantage, December 2022. Link. By asking “what else” you are demonstrating that you really do care, and the customer is more likely to reveal the real issue. INSIGHT: ALWAYS acknowledge the customer’s … [Read more...]
Less is more
One of the bigger problems in the modern workplace is wasting time on things better handled by someone else . . . or not done at all. Source: AXIOS, July 27, 2023. Link. It's striking how often I find people doing things we once cared about but no longer do. INSIGHTS: Be ruthless when allocating your time and energy … [Read more...]
Self-coaching helps motivate you
We need to step onto the field as our own coaches and motivators. Here are a few ideas to build your “tough situation” self-coaching skills. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, June 21, 2023. Link. When bad days hit get moving.” INSIGHTS: Tough situations are inevitable. How you react is manageable. … [Read more...]
Goal setting made easy
Most would agree that goals are important but many get bogged down because the process is too difficult. Here is a simple way to get started and be successful. Source: TIME, January 4, 2021. Link. Narrowly defining a goal helps you clarify the tasks necessary for reaching it. INSIGHTS: Trying to boil the ocean leads to failure and frustration. Start small. … [Read more...]
Filtering is a critical skill
One of the hardest things to do in leadership, and life, is to filter out BS. Source: AXIOS, June 29, 2023. Link. You need one or two people (intimate truth-tellers) who know your warts and worst instincts. INSIGHT: Balance – you are not as bad as your critics claim, nor as good as your supporters believe. … [Read more...]
You’re capable of courage
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to act despite it. Source: Giant Leap Consulting, June 14, 2023. Link. It is precisely those times when your knees are shaking, when your voice is unsteady, and when your stomach is teeming with rioting butterflies that you are being courageous . . . provided, of course, that you are moving through your … [Read more...]
The hard truth
The biggest lie we tell ourselves is: We crave truth. But the truth is hard and often uncomfortable. Being honest with someone is actually more respectful than holding back. Source: AXIOS, June 22, 2023. Link. INSIGHTS: Be blunt, respectful, factual and actionable Also see: How to deal with people who pretend to know more than they do, Fast Company, June 28, 2023. … [Read more...]
Agreement or commitment?
An agreement is a contract for mutual benefit. A commitment is deeper and more comprehensive. Commitments are worth the extra time and effort.” Source: gearsmagazine.com, March 5, 2021. Link. With commitment, there’s no going back – no limitation is recognized. It is the equivalent of the modern phrase, “I’m going all-in!” … [Read more...]
Quiet quitting or setting boundaries
Employees need to take a more active role in improving their work lives, rather than a passive one. Source: TIME, September 9, 2022. Link. If you’re really upset about something, you can often overestimate how unsolvable it is and you don’t need to quiet quit to get out of a situation. INSIGHTS: You are your best advocate. Also see: Search results for quitting, AHD … [Read more...]
Sympathy versus empathy
Last week I suggested there is an enormous difference between these two words. Based on your feedback, I believe it is important to understand that difference. Simply put, sympathy is feeling for someone, while empathy is feeling with someone. Source: SimplyPsychology, May 4, 2023. Link. INSIGHTS: Empathy requires your respect for another’s point of view at that … [Read more...]
How to deal with an angry client
Since you’re in business to serve your customers, you’ll likely encounter rude or angry individuals at one time or another. While this article suggests sympathy, I suggest it means empathy . . . an enormous difference. Source: Forbes, August 2, 2013. Link. After the situation has been resolved and the customer is on her way, it is helpful for you to take your own … [Read more...]
Building trust
Trust is essential for in-person teams and remote workers. Without it, any employee is likely to be less motivated and productive. Source: Achieve, September 22, 2020. Link. Workers at high-trust companies report 74 percent less stress, exhibit 50 percent higher productivity, and experience 40 percent less burnout. INSIGHT: Begin by trusting yourself. … [Read more...]
Set clear, actionable goals for yourself
While the thrust of this article is goals for a business, you are a business and will benefit by having clear and actionable goals for yourself. Source: Bplans, June 2018. Link. You don’t have employees, but you do have a team that could include your spouse, children, parents, mentor, college friend, co-workers etc. INSIGHT: If you don’t know where you are going, how will … [Read more...]
Make it clear!
One of the most overlooked, yet lethal forms of organizational rot is toxic ambiguity. Basically, killing people with fog. Source: AXIOS, May 4, 2023. Link. Many people feel foggy, even if leaders feel they are clear.” INSIGHT: The top priority is to make it clear to the recipient(s). … [Read more...]
Cope wth work stress appropriately
Effectively coping with job stress can benefit your professional and personal life. Source: Mayo Clinic, June 16, 2021. Link. Even a few minutes of personal time during a busy workday can be refreshing. Similarly, take time off when you can, whether it's a two-week vacation or an occasional long weekend. INSIGHT: Stress is often self-induced … [Read more...]
Establishing rapport
Sometimes we are so enamored with our breadth of knowledge and our point of view that we cannot understand another point of view other than our own. Source: Vet Advantage, April 2023. Link. Too many times we say we understand. Instead prove you understand. INSIGHT: Respect given comes back in multiples. … [Read more...]
Trust lost
Only 21 percent of U.S. employees strongly agree that they trust the leadership of their organization. Source: Gallup, April 17, 2023. Link. Building trust in leadership is necessary to drive the performance that companies seek. INSIGHTS: Hearing and real listening are two distinct abilities. Start by listening. Also see: Leaders, don’t be afraid to admit your flaws, … [Read more...]
Enhancing your customers’ experiences
Customer experience is a key strategy for companies to differentiate their products and services from close competitors. Source: ASCM, October 2022. Link. Customer experience passion must be part of company culture, meaning that employees should never be satisfied with what they are doing for customers today. INSIGHTS: First, someone needs to own the customer experience. … [Read more...]
Busy work
Self-generated busyness can crowd out the important things we need to do in our personal and professional lives. Source: Fast Company, March 20, 2023. Link. Letting go of distraction can feel difficult at first because it requires courage and determination. INSIGHT: Identify your business and social KPIs. Then determine what activities impact them positively. Prioritize … [Read more...]
Managing compassion fatigue
The reality for most people working in the animal healthcare industry is that you will get compassion fatigue. The only question is do you manage it or allow it to control you? Source: AVMA. Link. . . . build a self-care plan that charts the path you think is best designed to help bring your life back into balance.” INSIGHT: Be compassionate with yourself first. Then your … [Read more...]
Different consequences, same skills
While consequences in business are decidedly less dire than in the military, we face similar challenges in trying to determine the best way to achieve our goals. Source: IndustryWeek, November 10, 2022. Link. There are too many variables in today’s world for a leader to have all the answers.” - Kathy Widmer INSIGHT: Shoulder the blame, share the credit. … [Read more...]
Words matter
Sometimes the simplest solution is the best course of action. Source: INC, February 16, 2023. Link. …sometimes tiny changes really do seem to significantly improve how we think about things, leading to more and better solutions.” INSIGHT: Challenges may come dressed differently today but at their core they have changed little over the years. … [Read more...]
The right stuff for success
The right stuff works across industries, professions and occupations. Source: Veterinary Advantage, February 2023. Link. Their focus is on the problem, not the person involved. INSIGHTS: High performance attitudes, characteristics and skills are universal. … [Read more...]
Added value
Think like a product manager and act like you are the product. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, February 17, 2023. Link. Know your value and highlight it in the right way so you are clear on what sets you apart from competition. INSIGHT: Continuous improvement will ensure your value never expires. … [Read more...]
Feedback as a gift
Annual performance reviews are controversial. Some people praise them in public, but most hate them in private. Source: Fearless Culture, April 25, 2018. Link. Regardless of how much training they receive, some managers don’t like telling people the truth.” INSIGHT: When people get used to ongoing feedback, it feels more human, less threatening, and dialogue becomes part … [Read more...]
Attitude, teamwork and resiliency
Characteristics of success for a world champion football team or in a multi-national, multi-billion-dollar corporation also apply to a two-doctor practice in South Carolina. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, February 8, 2023. Link. Whether we think we can or think we can’t, we’re right.” – Scott Bormann, Merck Animal Health INSIGHTS: Add in a culture of continual improvement and … [Read more...]
Dos and don’ts of recognition
Recognition, celebration and appreciation are powerful and renewable energy sources. It starts with valuing people. The next step is how you express this appreciation. Source: The Clemmer Group, January 18, 2023. Link. Don’t make promotions a reward. You’re creating the Peter Principle. INSIGHTS: Spend more time looking for what’s right and recognize that. … [Read more...]
People, power and burnout
Recognizing burnout and taking the steps needed to address it is difficult, especially for leaders. Realizing and acting on our individual mental and emotional limitations is a strength, not a weakness. Source: LinkedIn, January 20, 2023. Link. All too often we see politicians and chief executives who are unwilling to loosen their grasp on power, even when it may well be … [Read more...]