I appreciate you reading.

Thank you so much for sharing a little bit of your day with me.

Take care,

Julie

I also multi-task. This, according to current research lessens my IQ and makes me more unproductive. Tough habit to break! I am working on it.

Okay, so done with the preface…. As I multi-tasked today and listened to a seminar, waiting for the promised deliverables I was once again sadly disappointed with the apparent lack of usable content. I am not saying I am an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I do however expect to get what was promised. Maybe I didn’t get the message because I was multi-tasking. Or perhaps I did get the message in the final few minutes of the product. After 100 minutes of leading conversation.

The speaker talked about “salting” your conversations. That, he says is the ultimate “weapon” of successful speakers making the big bucks.

“What?” you ask, “ is salting the conversation”.

Maybe you know. Maybe you don’t I will explain it in a bit. But first I wonder how many of the information junkies, entrepreneurs (either forced or by choice) are out there are grasping at straws, hoping to find the fix to their organizational ills? Or they are working on a fix to their lack of revenues, lack of customers or lack of cash flow? Only to find unlimited resources filled with “salt”.

In 2009, more hexabytes of information, words and data were created. That is more data than all of the previous 500 years combined.  

I think I knew about salting the conversation. But never really thought that the concept had a name. It does explain why so many of us leave seminars, books and conferences unfulfilled.

The presenter said that it was important to include some value along with the “salt”.  But seriously, he led the listeners on for a long ride with the catharsis being that one of the big secrets of great presenters is to salt the conversation. Think of politicians, many motivational speakers, self-help experts and the like. Why do you feel just a little lacking when the talk is over?

How often are they telling you what they are going to tell, after just two more steps, and wait, you need to know this first, and after that then we can tell you what it is we promised to tell you only first though you must understand this concept and after you understand that concept, then there are three more steps and then after that we promise to tell you what we were going to tell you, once we know you are on the edge of your seat, waiting for what it is we promised to deliver to you????? Seriously, that is the secret? No wonder some of this stuff leaves us feeling a bit cheated.

Perhaps my ignorance is showing but I thought better of people. I would not have imagined there was a word for not providing the content you promised.

As consumers of information we desire more and more value in the content we consume. We are finding  ourselves faced with a virtual buffet of new information minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day only to find increased cravings as our needs go unfulfilled. The tidbits of information we are thrown are barely feeding our addiction (strong word) for continuous learning. Kind of like carbs, sugar or salt. The more we eat the more we crave. Our drive for continuous learning and growth is being fed with a lot of salt, carbs and sugar and not a lot of content. Thus more and more self-help books and information are being creating to fulfill a need. Yet more and more people leave the table unsatiated. People are spending more money and getting broken promises and empty calories. Imagine how grateful they would be if we actually gave them nutrients and truly fulfilled their needs.

I understand creating anticipation, excitement, etc. But come on folks, do what you say you are going to do and deliver the results you promised. Your subscribers, followers and clients rely on you to provide them with true value. People are reaching out to you, the expert, to partner with them to solve their problems.

Are you feeding your constituents a healthy diet or something less?

 Thank you for reading.

Julie

In the article, Rhett Ricart, the Ricart CEO is quoted as saying “they (customers) don’t even know what rear-end kissing is” and “no one’s had their rear end kissed like this.”

I found the article very interesting. In this shaky economy it seems a large bet to make on a high end vehicle. While others are discontinuing their luxury vehicles. Hyundai and Ricart are wagering on a steady customer base for the Equus.

My blog however is not about the car, but the comment Ricart made about “rear end kissing”. I wondered if the commitment to serious rear end kissing will provide the dealer with a competitive advantage. Is serious rear end kissing somehow different than other customer service? Does that come with the territory of the high dollars associated with the Equus and the door to door service that Ricart and its sales team will provide to prospective customers?

It is true that the dollars associated with the potential sale probably warrant the rear end kissing in the eyes of the seller and buyer. But what about everyone else? Is it too much to ask for some serious rear end kissing in our every day transactions? Imagine going to the local grocery store and the clerks greet you warmly by name. Imagine your surprise when the oil change guy compliments you on the outfit you are wearing. Wow, what if the fast food folks noticed that you order the same thing every time you walk in, greet you and ask if you want the usual? Aren’t those the places you want to visit over and over? The ones that made you feel just a little more special.

On “Undercover Boss” last night, the COO of Waste Management (WM) performed entry level jobs incognito to learn about the company. The man was obviously passionate about taking better care of his teams and ultimately his customers. One of the most poignant scenes were the COO’s tears at a letter a customer had written to the WM employee who picked up her trash on a weekly basis. Wow, what a special person that WM associate had to be in order to get a thank you note from a customer! Now that is SERVICE. When was the last time you thanked your trash person?

Customer Service as many of you know is my passion. Those organizations, that truly put customers and the employees who interact with them first, all reap the rewards of the strong relationship. Granted these organizations seem to be getting fewer and fewer. The ones that get it though, have demonstrated in their profitability the value of the outstanding and memorable service they provide.

Not all customers deserve nor expect serious rear-end kissing. That is not what I am suggesting. As customers we do however appreciate being treated with respect and recognized for our support of the business. As a matter of fact, the majority of us will happily accept the latter.

As service providers (and we all are) perhaps it is time for a little introspection. Are you focusing, truly focusing on taking care of your employees so they can take care of their customers? Are you recognizing and respecting your customers? Do you really understand the acquisition costs of a new customer? Are you doing your best to retain the customers you do have? Are you listening to your customers and thanking them for their business? Are you meeting the needs of your customer and creating sustainability for your organization? What have you done lately to show a customer you cared?

I’ve recently teamed up with Gemstone Partners Inc. An amazing group of people dedicated to common sense solutions for business. We bring a unique perspective and collaborative approach to solving today’s business challenges. Please check us out on http://www.gemstonepartnersinc.com

Thank you for reading!

Julie

A few months ago I posted a question on LinkedIn. The responses seemed to have a couple of common themes – communication, particularly listening and one of servant leadership. Servant Leadership is giving priority attention to the needs of their colleagues and those that they serve. Servant-Leaders are often seen as humble stewards of their organizational resources (human, financial, & physical).  Robert K. Greenleaf wrote an amazing book called Servant Leadership: A Journey into Legitimate Power and Greatness.  If the notion of servant leadership is intriguing please take a look at Greenleaf’s book.

I have blogged before about the idea that leaders and made and not born (with very few exceptions). So, in my own personal journey as I tried to improve my leadership skills I found the idea of servant leadership enthralling. So simple – take care of your people and they will take care of you. Take care of your resources and they will continue to produce for you.  

Markets are unstable, executive salaries continue to be based on some arbitrary figure which is not grounded in reality and trust in management is at an all time low. The average CEO in 2006 made 365 times the average worker in their organization. It is time to change this unhealthy approach.

I know for me, once I changed my approach, opened myself up to my employees and looked at my role differently then I was able to allow my employees to fly. I blocked and tackled and they scored the goals.

What about you? Do you expect your employees to follow you and demand respect because you have a title? Or, do you serve your employees and remove the barriers so that they can be successful? I propose the latter will help both you and your employees to be far more successful than you ever imagined. Your customers will notice a difference as well. Engaged employees create engaged customers.

Paul Claro

• Communication – Make sure that you communicate with your subordinates whether it is good, bad, or indifferent.
• Set the Proper Expectations – So that you do not set your subordinates up for failure, with failure comes resentment which leads to mistrust and the inability to manage properly.
• Pay very close attention to detail so that nothing slips by.

Mark Roeske

• Shut up and listen
• Set the example
• Embrace, communicate and present the vision so that others understand, believe and can do the same

David Javitch, PhD

• Know what you want to accomplish
• Know your people
• Know how to make them successful

venkatakrishnan subramaniam

• Honesty
• Transparency
• Trusting others

Vikas Kumar

remember a story…..be like an elephant…move in herd (take everyone along with you), Big ears (listen more), Long nose (poke around and learn as much as you can), comparatively small mouth (talk less); narrow eyes (be sharp); Big teeth (dig deeper)……..and on a lighter note – Big belly (you are allowed to eat more)! Cheers!!!

Lori Leavitt Evans

• Integrity
• Consistency
• Clarity

Ravindra Dhapola

• Listen, Listen, Listen
• Be consistent
• Develop people and get the best out of them
• Look 3/4 years ahead

Javier Martin

Understand clearly what is your mission, why have you been elected for the job and what are your seniors ‘objectives… So your objectives are lined up with theirs!

(1)    BNET, In 2006 the average CEO pay was 364 times the average worker.

 Thank you for reading!

Julie

“What is your best advice to a woman starting a business? Do you have any great mentor recommendations?” I responded with the following and elaborated the response for this blog. The answer does not apply only to women. The answer will help you to get much further, quicker and will help you avoid some of the barriers that so many new business owners run up against.

1. Know WHY you want to go into business.

• WHY is probably the most important question you can answer. You must know “why” so you can explain it and help others to understand it. We often times figure out the “what” and “how” before the “why” and that is counter-intuitive. The best business process in the world can not support an unknown “why”.

2. Be able to clearly state who you are and the value you provide! Know it, practice it and live it!

• How often do you go to networking events and ask people what they do only to get a response such as “umm, well, I ……”? Be convincing so others can help you to support your business and your cause.

3. Clearly understand your target market so others can help you to find them.

• Be able explain to your colleagues and network who your target market is then how can they help you. “I can help anyone” is not a target market. Identify the characteristics of your best customers and perhaps that is your target market. Who do you like working with best? What group are you passionate about serving? The more specific you are the greater likelihood others will be able to help you find them.

4. Understand the “pains” your target market experiences and know how to help them to address their pains.

• Addressing a “pain” of your target market and your sales process will be infinitely easier. You can’t create the pain. You need to understand what it is and offer a solution. 

5. Know your worth. Understand the value you provide, the pains you address and the needs you fulfill. Price your services accordingly.

• This happens constantly. Know your costs, the margin you need to make and then price accordingly. People are less likely to value something they have been given for free. Giving discounts will become an expectation of your customers and you will have difficulty asking for more. 

6. Learn to love yourself (start with liking yourself if that helps) and know when to give yourself a break. Starting your own business is an arduous ride. Celebrate your wins and learn from your mistakes!

• If you are like so many small business owners we constantly ride ourselves about our misgivings. Loving (or even liking yourself) is tough. People are making millions and millions telling us how to do this.  There is no magic bullet. You learned to hate and berate yourself and you have to learn how to like and love yourself. Baby steps here. It will not happen overnight. We are often our own worst enemy. We wouldn’t have friends that talk to us the way we talk to ourselves. There are lots of remedies out there for “curing” our habit of negative self-talk. Work to find one you relate to and work on improving every day. 

7. Believe in yourself!

• Ditto the comments above. Believe in yourself so others can to. 

8. Know when to ask for help.

• You don’t know what you don’t know and you can’t be expected to know everything there is to know about starting your own business. Focus on your strengths and seek others to help in those areas where you don’t possess expertise.

I hope this sheds some light on some of the issues you are struggling with. You aren’t alone. Business owners face these same challenges day in and day out. Find a support group (Mastermind/Power Circle) that can help you work through your opportunities and you will create a greater likelihood for success.

Feel free to reach out to me for additional support.

Thank you for reading!

Julie

http://www.phoenixconsultingalliance.com

Julie@phoenixconsultingalliance.com

How does that definition make you feel? If you are a leader; does it excite you? Does it bore you? Maybe it makes you strive to want to do better? Does it bring to mind goals you had when you first started managing people or leading a team? Wow, a chance to make things different. I know I can do it better than my predecessors, you thought.

Maybe you don’t feel like you are a leader and the definition is laughable? “Yeah, right! The only leaders I have had have made my life miserable.” Perhaps you know an extraordinary leader and think the definition is apropos.

Wow, endless possibilities with this one. How well do you fit the definition?  

Do you create the extraordinary? Does your team create the extraordinary?

If you don’t, maybe you can give it a go for a day or a week or two.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Reach out to a couple of your top customers. Let them know how much you appreciate their business. Ask them if there is anything you can do to make their experience better. When was the last time one of your suppliers reached out to you and let you know they appreciated you?
2. Ask your employees to do the same thing. The intent is just to let your customers know you know they exist and you appreciate the relationship. Ask a couple of your employees what you can do to make their jobs a little better? Ask them what is frustrating them. Really listen. Evaluate their comments and implement what you can. If you can’t give a counter-proposal and implement that.
3. Suggest your team sign up for some volunteer activities. Maybe you can read to seniors or juniors? Maybe volunteer at a local soup kitchen? Find out what is available in your area and go for it. What a great team building exercise!
4. Follow some of the greats and give your employees opportunities to create the extraordinary. “FedEx Days” are a great example of creating opportunities where your employees can “show their greatness”.
5.  Give your employee some feedback on their performance outside of the regular performance appraisal cycle. Let them know all the reasons you appreciate them.
6. Ask your employees for feedback on your performance. Ask them what two or three things you can do to be a better leader. This will be tough for some of you. Whatever the feedback, take it without judgment and implement reasonable suggestions.

 This list is by no means complete. What have you done to create an extraordinary experience for the people you lead? I would love to hear what you have to say.

None of these ideas are earth-shattering. All of them are free or very inexpensive. You don’t necessarily need money to create the extraordinary. All you need is a desire to make a difference.

Thank you for reading.

Julie

www.leadershipexcellencecenter.com

So, what are a few things you can do to ensure the existence and growth of your business in the next few years?

1. Start your business for the right reasons. If it is just about making money for you, then stop now. If your business builds upon your strengths, education, talents and skills then you are one step ahead of many of your peers.
2. Know when to ask for help. You went into business for yourself because you are good at something, passionate about something. The reality is that you cannot possibly be good at all facets of owning and operating a successful business. Utilize available resources and ask for help when you need it.
3.  Before you start, create a budget.  Many small businesses fail because they run out of money. Whatever you think your expenses will be then increase them by 30%. Revenues, decrease by 30%. This will give you a fairly accurate portrayal of your financial situation a year from now. Make sure you budget a salary for yourself as well. Too many business owners underestimate the cost of starting their own business.
   1. Once you have a budget please make sure to compare it to actual and then adjust accordingly.
   2. Remember to cut expenses where possible. It is amazing what you can do without. You probably don’t need office space on day one; you don’t need state of the art computers or phone systems. Start off frugal and earn the right to invest more capital in your business.
   3. If you are a brick and mortar business then choose the right location. Do your homework.
   4. Develop a plan. First, establish the “why” and the “what”. Why you are going into business and what you hope to accomplish. What is your mission? A detailed plan must then follow to ensure that the correct steps are taken to accomplish your goals. “How” are you going to achieve your business mission.
   5. Make sure your plan is realistic. So, you know why you are going into business and what you hope to accomplish. You have established goals to get there. Now, make sure this is all realistic. If they aren’t, then rethink the plan. Make sure the plan balances your time. Make sure you can really do all the tasks you have established.
   6. Create a web presence. It gives you credibility.
   7. Create a growth plan. You implemented your plan and things are going great. Now, how do you expand? Make sure as you move forward in your business you know how you are deal with growth. Perhaps you don’t want to grow? Perhaps you don’t want to deal with employees? Figure out exactly how you are going to deal with growth. If you make it past all of the previous 6 hurdles successfully, then growth will happen. Make sure you are prepared.

Number five and two are generally the reasons for small business failure. New owners and entrepreneurs fail to develop a plan for achieving their goals and achieving success. And, entrepreneurs are also famous for failing to ask for help. Come on, no one expects you to know everything. There are plenty of resources out there. Make sure to ask for help before it is too late. Don’t become just another statistic.

Thank you for reading.

Julie

executve1@gmail.com

www.leadershipexcellencecenter.com

A big part of why you are not where you want to be is because of your mental blocks and your attitude.

Does any of this self talk sound familiar?

1. “I don’t have what it takes to do it.” You probably have much of the same skills as the other guy. What you don’t have is the right frame of mind to make it happen. Often, what separates the successful from the unsuccessful is frame of mind. Successful people see barriers and overcome them. Unsuccessful people see barriers and run into them. Resolve to overcome each barrier as they arise. Build upon your successes. Overcoming the barriers will then become easier and easier. What barrier have you overcome in the past and how can you take similar actions in the future?
2. “I don’t have the education to make it happen.” First, answer the question WHY are you doing it in the first place. If the “why” is strong enough, then go and get the education. Make sure you are one step ahead of your customers in terms of knowledge and then move forward.  Access to information is greater now than it has ever been. Not knowing is not really a valid excuse. If you don’t have the desire to learn, then you are in the wrong business. What education do you need to make it happen? When are you going to get it?
3. “I’m out there selling and no one is buying.” Well, people aren’t going to buy what they don’t perceive they need. You either need to figure out what the problems are and how you can address those problems. Or, figure out how to meet the people that have the problem you are able to address. Many of you meet people and force upon them your wares and your greatness and can’t figure out why your phone isn’t ringing off the hook. You need to address a problem in order to sell your product or service. What is the problem your customers have that you can solve?
4. “I’m just not as good as so and so.” Bull! You are as good. What you aren’t as good at is dealing with your self-talk. The difference between the two of you is that so and so has figured out how to overcome the negative self-talk and move on. You need to overcome the victim mentality. Once you notice your negative self talk replace it with a more positive mantra. Replace “you aren’t good enough and you don’t deserve this”, with more positive affirmations. You are good enough, you do deserve it and you need to start telling yourself this.    
5. “I spend time networking and am not getting any sales.” People want to do business with people they know, like and trust. Showing up to a networking meeting and talking about yourself and your product will not create the “know, like and trust factor”. See #3 above.

• Determine whether you are going to the networking events where your customers hang out. If you aren’t, then find out where they are meeting and go to those meetings.
• Find three people at the event and ask questions to determine their “pains”.  This is for you to get to know them better. This is not about pushing your wares. This is not about you.
• Follow-up with the three people you met with a note about your understanding of their needs. Perhaps provide them with suggestions of books they can read or whatever it is can help them to start addressing their pain. Add value to their day.
• Work on building the relationship. Remember, they need to know, like and trust you before they will do business with you.

The journey to overcome the negative self-talk is probably one of the toughest you will take. It is not easy. It is frustrating, excruciating and debilitating at times. You have learned this negative self-talk over years, figuring out how to make it go away doesn’t happen overnight. However, you weren’t born with it is possible to overcome. The good news is with directed and concerted effort you can overcome it. Successful people have it figured out and so can you.

I recognize this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of this monstrous negative self-talk we engage in. I also know lots of people write about the same topic. I feel, though, that people just aren’t getting it. I can’t tell you the number of people I meet at networking events that are “ummmming and “awwwing” about what they do. The lack of confidence shows. If you aren’t convinced you are great then how do you expect a prospective customer to know you are great?

More to come on this in the next blog.

Thank you for reading.

Julie

Lack of support and lack of employee engagement is a major struggle for organizations right now. With 70% of US employees either disengaged or actively disengaged it is your responsibility to engage your team, elicit their support and help them to sustain and grow your business. We are being told as the economy rights itself, those employees who have been “hanging on” because their options are limited, will jump ship and join other organizations whose values are more closely aligned with theirs.

How can you as a leader evade this perhaps inevitable erosion?

Create the framework – Shared Vision, Autonomy, Mastery, and Trust.

Build these four attributes into your organization and your team! Doing so will reduce employee and customer turnover, increase productivity, lead to fewer customer complaints and increase your profitability. Constructing this framework will help you to address some of those concerns keeping you (and your employees) awake at night.

Shared Vision – people who achieve maximum results generally do so for a purpose larger than themselves. Add to that, the concept of having been involved in the creating the purpose and you have the recipe for greatness.

Autonomy – create the quality or state of being self-governing. Provide the deliverables and goals for your team and give them the choices in how to accomplish the goals. You provide the “what” they provide the “how”. You say, “oh, but they will take advantage if I do this. If I don’t micro-manage then chaos will erupt”. Not so, I challenge! Examples abound of organizations that get this concept and have the financial rewards as a result.

Mastery – provide the tools, training, resources (time & money) and support your team needs to ensure they have the knowledge of how to deliver on the goals and objectives you have set. We aren’t talking the minutia of the “how”, but the skills, time and knowledge they need to meet organizational goals.

Trust – do what you say you will do. Walk the walk and talk the talk. Lots of clichés around trust. The bottomline is that employees will work harder and deliver more for someone they trust.

 I realize that many of these employee-centric concepts are a hard pill to swallow when many organizations hang on the precipice. And, when market volatility is almost nauseating at times. It is times like these when HR budgets are slashed and training gets dumped.

Research and current writing is counterintuitive at times (Godin, Heath & Heath, Pink, Kouzes and Posner). Invest more in your people. Spend time making them part of the solution. Those organizations that have chosen this counterintuitive approach have reaped the rewards of their risk taking.

Are you up for the challenge?

Thank you for reading.

Julie

Fact – Employees who trust their boss are far more likely to accomplish the goals that have been set for them. Your organization will have greater employee and customer retention.  You will be more profitable.

Fact – Gallup estimates 67% of American workers are actively disengaged or just not engaged at all.

Fact – the cost of the lack of engagement costs the US $300 Billion per year in lost productivity.

While trust is not the only component in ensuring employee engagement it is often a significant contributing factor. Higher trust between management and staff equals greater employee engagement and less negative consequences, (less turnover, accidents and absenteeism). Higher Trust leads to improved employee engagement and more positive consequences, (greater profitability, sales and customer retention).

So, the proof is on the table, in the media, in various blogs and in your face. Yet time and time again we continue to hear and read about the crisis of Trust. I don’t intend to rehash the news. Instead to pose a challenge to my readers.

What are you doing each and every day to instill trust in your team? If you can’t answer the question or have to think hard about the answer then perhaps it is time to take a look at yourself. Do your employees trust you? Again, your inability to answer “yes” quickly might indicate you can improve the level of trust between you and your employees. If you aren’t where you think you need to be in the trust category then perhaps you can consider doing the following:

1. Actively listen to your employees. Show genuine interest in who they are and what they have to say.
2. Don’t make promises you have no intention of keeping.
3. Include your employees in decisions that impact them. They may not have the final say but they should certainly be encouraged to contribute to the conversation.
4. Be a role model. Don’t expect your employees to do something you are unwilling to do yourself.
5. Don’t be a hypocrite. People will see right through you. Walk the talk.
6. Know that you can’t demand trust, you must earn it.
7. Do what you say you will do.

Trust is simple but may not always be easy. If you think you can improve your trust levels, then you probably can. Take a look at the list above. Write your own list. Whatever.

Please, just know that the greater your employees trust you, the more productive, happy, engaged and supportive they will be. When this happens your customers will notice. When your customers notice they will trust you more, want to work with you, want to spend their money with you and want to support you.

Wow, win/win for all!

If you have the distinct honor to be trusted by your workforce then my hat is off to you. I know you are reaping the rewards of the relationship in more ways than one. Good for you!! Your employees and your company are lucky to have you.

Thank you for reading.

Julie