Jeannette Seibly | SeibCo, LLC

Be a Respected Leader and Achieve Intended Results

October 23, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

“Respect grows based on the quality of the decisions you make.” Jeannette Seibly

Being a respected leader (or boss) and achieving intended results requires taking responsibility for each situation, discovering the true issue, and making the best decisions to improve results. And? Asking for help!

The biggest challenge I’m seeing today is leaders focused on being well-liked by employees and customers, and disregarding the importance of being respected.

A general manager (GM) for a company was well liked by employees and clients. It was a surprise and shock when he was reamed by a new board member about his poor management of the company’s satellite office. After the board session, the GM resigned. After the employees and other board members convinced him to stay, he rescinded his resignation. But nothing was done to resolve the real issue of poor financial management. Several months later the GM was fired.

In this situation, the GM was liked but not respected. He did not ask for help, and no one addressed the real issue of poor financial management.

5 Keys to Build Respect as a Leader

Select the Best People. Stop intuitive hiring practices! Respect begins by hiring, promoting, and job transferring your management and employee teams into positions that fit them! (It’s called job-fit.) Before selecting people, craft a well-designed selection process to collect objective, valid, and reliable data about the person’s ability to be effective in the job. This requires using qualified job-fit assessments, conducting job-focused interviews, and implementing a six-month onboarding program.
Make Faster Decisions. When done right, you will make better decisions. Taking days, weeks, or months to make decisions is often due to poor leadership, and the fear of not being linked. Instead, have the tough conversations and get to the heart of the issue. Remember, integrity, critical thinking, and paying attention to the impact on others will create better decisions now and in the long-run.
Talk It Out. Communication is everything. Too often, leaders don’t pay attention to their own words, as well as not paying attention. When talking it out, go around the table to get everyone’s input until there is nothing new being added. The process includes eliciting responses from those you normally don’t listen to. The answers reside inside the quality of the conversation! Yes, it can take more time. But in the long run, it builds respect for you as a leader, and provides support when implementing less-than-popular decisions.
Build Good Working Relationships. This facilitates getting things resolved faster, with faster buy-in. This is key to developing respect. When are allowed to make statements and offer opinions about how things should be done or how should be viewed before listening to people, relationships falter (and sometimes destroyed). Remember, listening, learning, and asking questions of those involved will always build stronger relationships.
Plan for Your Replacement. Succession planning and development are crucial for future leaders. When you plan for your replacement, you build respect because you are showing your commitment to the longevity of the company, more than your own personal interests. You never know when your successor will need to step up, either short or long-term, due to illness, death of family members, and other issues. The key? Make sure the person is the right one. (SEE #1 above) Too often, a good #2 person does not make a good #1 leader. Don’t skip #1.

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for success. As a leader, do you have bosses that are difficult for teams to work with? Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom comes from 31 years of transforming bosses from hated to respected! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about being respected as a leader: Think of a leader you respect … what was the #1 trait that leader had? Now … think of a leader you liked but didn’t respect. What were the differences? Often, it comes down to how they made decisions that impacted the company, employees, and customers. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation about how to become a respected leader.

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? As a leader, do you have bosses that are difficult for teams to work with? Or are you one of those bosses? With my depth of experience and wisdom, I transform bosses from hated to respected! Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Why Do You Need a Leadership Coach?

October 12, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

“Every successful leader has a coach … or two.” Jeannette Seibly

The short answer: In today’s world, many unknown factors occur when you create new systems, design new products and services, and handle people challenges to meet customer demands.

Change (real and perceived) causes anxiety for you, team members, boards, and customers. When you (or they) are uncomfortable or confronted, it feels like a mosquito constantly buzzing. Then, you (or they) may do mischievous things to make the annoyance stop (make bad decisions, focus on personal impacts, hideout).

On October 7^th, I celebrated having been a leadership, executive, and people coach for over 31 years!

I’ve worked with:

Tough leaders that continually get themselves in trouble.
Other leaders that have the capabilities but not the drive and willingness to address the “tough issues” or have the “tough conversations.”
Successful leaders that are the guiding light for others and understand they still need an objective sounding board when making those “tough decisions.”

My philosophy: Good leaders with leadership coaches produce their intended results while guiding their team members to grow.

Having a leadership coach will:

Sharpen your skills
Help you be coachable
Teach you to accept feedback from customers, bosses, teams, and others
Provide a committed listener to reduce anxiety, stress, and frustrations
Improve decisions, relationships, results, and bottom lines
Show you how to develop team members to excel and achieve unprecedented results

6 Traits Required to Grow Your Leadership

Influence Others. Being an influencer depends on your ability to work with and through others! Making good decisions and providing clarity during the murky times is the leader’s opportunity to influence while growing the team. Your leadership coach guides you in your critical thinking, working relationships, and basic knowledge.

For example, if you have a team conflict, it’s essential to address it immediately because it never gets better. (Or, I would have already!) As an influencer and leader, develop a strategy with your coach. Start the process using a qualified job-fit assessment to help the team see why they are pointing fingers at each other and how to achieve the intended results. (Objective data)

Listen While Building a Workable Plan. Listening is critical for everyone, especially a successful leader. It’s amazing what you’ll hear and the ideas that pop up as a result of true listening. Remember, not every idea has a positive return on investment. Work with your coach to ensure everyone is encouraged to contribute solutions and that the plan meets budgets, timelines, and customer needs.

Make Good Decisions. Too often, leaders want to be liked. As a result, they fail to make good decisions or any decisions. They lose the respect of others, including their board, top talent, and customers. A leadership coach helps you formulate good business questions to ask before having the required conversations to make better decisions.

Work with Difficult People. There will always be nay-sayers, those jealous and upset that you have what they want (e.g., job, title, results, money). It’s impossible to avoid these types of co-workers and employees. But don’t ignore the gossip they create, and include them in discussions by asking for their advice. (Use mindful resilience techniques when triggered by their comments or actions.) While this minimizes the negativity, it won’t stop them from their critical critique of you. (It’s not personal – if it wasn’t about you, they would criticize someone or something else … and often do.)

Clarify Leadership Blind Spots. Work with your leadership coach to discover your leadership blind spots. Remember, you can build on strengths. Focusing on weaknesses only keeps them around.

Avoid Excuses! Time and money are the #1 excuses and rarely the real issues. Look beneath these excuses to identify the fears you and others attempt to cover up. Are the fears something that can be addressed? In most cases, yes. Working with your coach keeps the conversation moving forward, ensures it stays on point and provides realistic goals/results.

A note from Jeannette about working with a leadership coach: Successful leaders have coaches! Let me repeat this! Successful leaders have coaches! (think Michael Jordan, Tom Brady) A coach helps improve your results, people management, and ability to navigate complicated relationships and situations. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation about how to hire the right leadership coach for you!

Are You Listening or Simply Hearing?

October 9, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

“To be a great boss, listen!” Jeannette Seibly

Listening and hearing are critical skills for every boss today. But they are not the same skill!

Listening is paying attention to a message to hear, understand, and physically or verbally respond to it.
Hearing is the process, function, or power of perceiving sound. (HandyHandouts.com)

When you listen to what your teams and employees say, you’ll gain respect, solutions, honesty, and better results. If you are hearing the words (like many bosses do), it’s not good enough. You will lose customers, top talent, and career opportunities. (The list is endless!)

Listening to Be a Great Boss

Be Present! Focus and stop multi-tasking. While listening, set aside electronics, negative feelings, replaying old conversations, and other distractions (e.g., people-watching). When listening or speaking, stay focused on the current discussion! You’ll be amazed by what you can learn, even if you believe you already know it all!

Breathe to Stop Triggers! When you notice you are triggered or offended, breathe in for 5 counts. Pause. Exhale for 5 counts. (Or any number that works for you.) Repeat this breathing pattern 3 times. Breathing reduces the fight, flight, or freeze stress response triggered in your brain. Note: If you need to do this often, discuss it with your executive coach and/or a therapist.

Let Them Finish! They’ve been rehearsing what they want to say for a while. If you cut them off because you’re impatient or think you know what they will say, they will start all over again … at the beginning! Since some people are poor communicators, they may ramble, lack clarity of what they want to say, or fear saying what they really want to say — help by inviting them to share the main point of what they want to say. Pay very close attention to your tone of voice – remember, you’re asking them, not ordering them.

Check Back! Being on the same page in a conversation is crucial to being considered a great boss and listener! When someone is finished sharing their thoughts or ideas, check back to be sure you heard them. Never assume you did! The best practice is to use the same words they used. For example, if they say “generous,” use the same word, not something else. Then ASK THEM, is this correct? Note: Refrain from using slang or inappropriate words since the conversation will be repeated with others!

Build on Their Ideas! Working together, take their ideas and build on them. This not only improves your results; it keeps others in the conversation. Be open to listening to their additional ideas, too.

Expand Your Perspective. Listen and honor differences! If you have difficulty listening to others’ points of view, you will limit your ability to be a great boss. Participate in training programs and workshops, and hire an executive coach to help expand your thinking. I have found that while qualified assessments significantly improve job fit, they also provide an ability to listen beyond your perception of what others can accomplish on the team!

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for success. As a leader, do you have bosses that are difficult for teams to work with? Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom can transform those bosses from hated to respected! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about listening to be a great boss: I’ve been saying this for years. Bosses need to listen beyond just hearing the words. It improves team members’ willingness and abilities to communicate their ideas, thoughts, and solutions! It starts with you and how you listen! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation about being a great boss who listens!

Your Commitment to Cross the Finish Line Requires You to Believe You Can

October 2, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

“Crossing the finish line requires an inner belief that you can, plus doing the work required.” Jeannette Seibly

Crossing the finish line and achieving the goal requires believing AND doing the work required!

The challenge? We give up too soon … and spend more time creating excuses and talking with others who support our reasons than looking for guidance to cross the finish line!

We have heard of the fable about the tortoise’s and the hare’s efforts to cross the finish line. Today, most people believe they must be the hare to cross the finish line — be faster, smarter, and make more money. But it’s the tortoise that crosses the finish line to win! The hare burned out, stressed out, and gave up too soon due to poor job fit, poor work practices, and an overconfident ego.

Example: Jeremy got his degree in engineering due to his parents’ expectations and financial support. But his genuine desire was to start a nonprofit to support refugees. After getting his engineering degree, he worked for an engineering company. He took advantage of the company’s education and volunteer programs to learn how to establish and run a successful nonprofit. Jeremy honored his commitment by not giving up, crossed his finish line, and now runs a nonprofit. Currently, he’s looking for the next finish line (a new goal)!

What Do You Need to Do to Cross the Finish Line?

Know Your True Self. Take time to get honest about what you’d really really really like to accomplish. Use a qualified job fit assessment to clarify your strengths, and work with an executive coach to develop them. (Just because you’re a math whiz doesn’t mean you should be an accountant or a financial planner!) Remember, no one is born a leader, design engineer, or financial trader … it all requires doing the work!

Set a Timeline. When do you wish to achieve your goal? Be realistic and work with a career coach. In your current job, use the company’s education plan to get the training and certificates required to support your goal, or seek out other options.

Make a Financial Plan that Works. It’s the foundation for reaching your goal. Also, create a business or career plan. Know what you need financially to cross the finish line and achieve your goal. Be realistic about the numbers and expenses, and start saving and working on your plan today!

Understand Expectations. Regardless of your finish line (new job, create a business, travel, etc.), ask and learn about the required hours and experience and other expectations. Example: A new air controller was excited about his new job. But when the work schedule for the upcoming month was passed around, he crossed out the times he was listed to work since he didn’t want to work those hours. His new career was short-lived because of his unrealistic expectations.

Ask for Real Help! Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help! Many people have not been where you want to go, and their counsel isn’t based on reality. Look for people who have achieved or helped others achieve your goal. Crossing any finish line requires an industry mentor, executive coach, and other supporters! Beware when someone insists you do it their way. Say, “Thank you,” and move on.

Create Daily Practices. It takes small steps consistently taken over and over, like the tortoise, to cross the finish line and achieve your goal! When you become good at your work, it’s not time to stop! Be a student, be curious, and keep doing the basic work, even when bored! Remember, good basic practices are required to develop mastery to win. (Like building physical strength, it takes many repetitions over and over.)

Develop Communication and People Skills. Regardless of what you wish to accomplish, you need good written and verbal skills (beyond texts and emails) and good interpersonal skills (even though you may not like talking with others). Take workshops, attend a social event weekly, and learn the art of talking with anyone anywhere at any time. If you wish to travel, include a foreign language.

Remember, the tortoise kept going regardless of the circumstances– their commitment to cross the finish line never wavered. It may seem impossible at times for you, but there is no greater satisfaction than honoring your commitment to cross the finish line and achieve your goal!

A note from Jeannette about crossing the finish line and achieving your goal: Remember the fable about the tortoise and the hare? The tortoise kept going regardless of the circumstances that got in the way and crossed the finish line. What is getting in your way of crossing your finish line and achieving your goal? Have questions about what you need to do? Contact me!

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? A great boss has goals and a commitment to achieve them. When circumstances and life get in the way, asking for help is important! I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

What to Do When Given a Career Opportunity Before You Are Ready

September 25, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

“Success is never guaranteed, especially if you’re not career-ready.” Jeannette Seibly

Congrats! You’ve received an offer for a new career opportunity. The problem? You’re not ready! Here’s the dilemma. Taking it can cause potential failure. And not taking it could limit future opportunities. It’s a difficult decision to make.

Samantha accepted a position as a manager of her department. She had the administrative skills required but lacked the experience of leading a team, having always been a team member. Instead of asking for help and guidance, Samantha faced potential failure when she complained about the same things to her boss as when she was a team member! Samantha failed to realize it was now her responsibility to provide the solutions, not complain about them!

Accepting new opportunities before you’re ready can derail your future. Too often, you’re in a big hurry to get a new job title, make more money, or enjoy the prestige of moving up in the company. But suffering through the struggles of being unprepared is not worth sacrificing your peace of mind and derailing future career opportunities.

Tips to Prepare for Future Opportunities

Job Fit. According to Gallup, over 80 percent of people don’t like their jobs. They blame their boss, the company, and their co-workers. The truth? They don’t fit their job responsibilities! To avoid this, use a valid job-fit assessment. The reports provide objective awareness of the strengths required for your new position before you say “yes.” It also provides insights into your challenge areas. For example, as an account manager, you may have been fearless in talking with others (strength). But as a sales manager, this same strength can get in your way of listening to the sales team (weakness).

Get Real. New opportunities require moving forward outside your comfort zone. They also will require new levels of communication, project management, and emotional intelligence, which are hindered by leadership blind spots. Because many of these job requirements are unwritten, shadow the incumbent in the job. Ask questions. Don’t assume you won’t have similar challenges. (You will.) Before you say “yes,” ask them, “What did you do to overcome these issues?”

Hire an External Coach and Seek Out an Internal Mentor. Be coachable! Ask for help and seek guidance immediately before you get mired in sticky situations or political relationships that sabotage your current and future career opportunities.

Do the Real Work. While mantras can keep you focused, they don’t replace doing the actual work. For example, if you ignore team conflict and respond with mantras (e.g., “Patience is a virtue.”), you’ll be sidelined or fired. The resolution requires having tough conversations, making difficult decisions (unpopular), and holding others accountable (your team may not like you). Work with your executive coach now to avoid these types of career derailments.

Emotional Intelligence. Mindful awareness and resilience are required in many positions today, especially as a boss and leader. There will be mistakes made and failures, too. Your ability to handle and learn from them greatly affects your career opportunities.

Leadership Savvy. Microaggressions, playing favorites, and not listening to others are the downfall for many in new positions. Instead, set a positive example. It starts with you and the team being trained. These training workshops should include conflict resolution, brainstorming, diversity, project management, critical thinking, and execution of projects. Now, develop the habit of using these skills.

Project Management. A critical part of project management is the ability to conduct effective meetings, both onsite and remote. However, many overlook the people and logistical sides of getting everyone on the same page. Both are critical to any project or program’s design, process, and execution.

People side: Develop your team members, focus on their strengths, and include everyone when brainstorming. Allow everyone to develop their talents.
Logistical side: Develop and incorporate budget, technology, operations, sales, and marketing into every project or program.

A note from Jeannette about taking and accepting opportunities before you’re ready: Taking a new job before you’re ready is a surefire way to derail your career. Prepare now and enjoy your new opportunities! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation about being career-ready!

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? A great boss is not easily annoyed and effectively addresses team and project issues. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Your Choice of Careers Impact Your Future Opportunities

September 18, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

“Choose your career based on what you really, really, really enjoy doing.” Jeannette Seibly

“Why are you interviewing for a job you have no interest in doing?” I asked a job candidate.

Her reply was shocking. “Everyone I talk with hates their jobs!”

While over 80 percent of people are working in jobs that don’t fit them (Gallup), it doesn’t mean you cannot take responsibility for making better career choices! These choices impact your future opportunities and paychecks!

There is a lot of pressure today from family, peer groups, and social media. Many believe it’s embarrassing to work in jobs where people get their hands dirty, or they are there to serve others (e.g., automotive tech, server). The truth? Many plumbers, food workers, and cosmetologists enjoy their work, and make more money and have less debt than those working in jobs they hate.

How to Choose Better Career Options

Stop buying into the myth. Mimicking successful people, especially those that claim to have get rich quick schemes, costs time and money you don’t have. Why? They are not you! Very few succeed. Along with losing money, you lose confidence and work experience that creates future opportunities in careers you would love.

Example: Allison exclaimed, “I want to be a millionaire.” This was after buying an expensive package showcased by a self-made millionaire. After countless months, accumulation of debt, and loss of confidence, she was unemployable.

Get real by using a qualified job fit assessment. There are thousands of assessments (many free or minimal in cost) that promise the right career direction. But you only get what you pay for!

Example: Tony worked hard to go from being a financial planner to a financial broker after working with a career counselor. Five years later, he had finally succeeded and only lasted a month before he quit. “I hate it! And feel I’ve wasted my life pursuing something that others expected me to do, and not what I really wanted to do!”

Clarify what you love to do. Write. Talk with people about their jobs. What do you like about their stories? Is that something you would enjoy doing? Ask questions to explore and learn. According to many different surveys, many of you will have seven or more different careers during your lifetime.

Example: Sally loved building and rebuilding engines. But her family frowned on that type of work for females. Instead, she got her college degree and worked in non-profit jobs that she hated; her paycheck and resume showed it, limiting future opportunities.

You will need to start at the beginning! Yes, learning the basics and developing the right attitude make a huge difference in the types of occupations, opportunities, and options available to you! In addition to developing your technical and financial skills, develop the all-important communication, critical thinking, and decision-making skills too!

Example: Rich believed he didn’t need to develop the basic skills required to be a chief financial officer. After all, bookkeepers and accountants were responsible for giving him the numbers. When he was unable to or incorrectly explained discrepancies and variances in the numbers, he was fired.

Get the right education for jobs that fit you and you really enjoy! Most educational debt today is due to getting degrees or certificates in “easy subjects” or in subjects that “interest you” (e.g., history). However, there is not a clear path or career plan of how to use it. Then, you’ll have to settle for any job you can get! Before getting a degree in any field, work in a similar job during school, internships, and summer jobs to see if that is what you really want to do!

Example: A woman was a caregiver for her mother. While there were days, she was exhausted, she enjoyed the work and developed a compassion for seniors. After her mother passed, she pursued a degree in nursing. And, is also exploring other medical assistant type jobs for future opportunities.

Look beyond your boss. Employees today claim to hate their boss, bowing to peer pressure and social media rants. Instead of leaving a job that you really enjoy, learn the skills to get along with him/her. It will determine your future! Remember, your boss’s primary job is to develop your skills to meet customer needs. It’s not to cater to your happiness like your parents and teachers were expected to do.

Example: A woman was sure she hated her boss and job. After talking with a coach, she realized it was because of her own poor communication skills she didn’t get along with the boss. After choosing to improve her skills, she became recognize as a high potential employee.

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for bosses and teams delivering intended results. Does your company or department have a persistent problem? Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom guides clients to achieve intended dynamic results consistently! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about choosing careers that offer future opportunities: Making career choices is difficult today. There is too much negativity about certain type of jobs that you enjoy doing, and huge financial debt for those pursuing college degrees for jobs they later learn they hate to do! If you’re interested in finding a career that you really, really, really enjoy, contact me!

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? A great boss works with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs. Remember, when you have a coach, your effectiveness, influence, and confidence will accelerate.

Lying to Job Candidates Is a Very Bad Idea!

September 7, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

Photo Credit vchal from Canva.com — “Lying is rarely a good idea because there are always consequences when the truth is revealed.” Jeannette Seibly

Did you know 40% of hiring managers lie to job candidates? (ERE Daily)

When you consider that many believe lying is acceptable, little white lies, unintended lies, and even whoppers don’t seem like a big deal.

Lies can occur:

During the interview when you fail to use a well-designed selection system
When relying on outdated job descriptions to describe work responsibilities
When making job offers and failing to include promises or deny having made them

Examples include:

Plan on a one-hour interview, but it lasts for 2-hours
We have a two-week holiday break in December, but the expectation is that you’ll work during that time
Remote working is touted, but you need to live within a limited distance from the office
Your health insurance starts on day 1, after a waiting period
We provide career pathing, failing to mention it’s a goal, but not a priority
We’ll decide in one week, but fail to communicate when no decision has been made

Why does lying hurt your company, business, and reputation? You lied!

Applicants today are looking for bosses and companies they can trust!

Yes, I understand 90% of resumes contain inaccuracies, embellishments, and flat-out lies!

But you need to take the high road! Why?

Lies have consequences, even though there is a false belief that lying is acceptable.

The reason? It’s called integrity … and you cannot control integrity or manipulate it. Eventually, somebody will tell the truth or the lie will be discovered. Then, job candidates and employees will leave, costing you customers (current and future), reputation, top talent, and EEO claims of discrimination!

Example (this is based on a true story and fictionalized): Michelle interviewed for a position as a purchasing agent. The interviewer and hiring boss lied, saying they would have a job offer extended to her in two weeks. The two weeks came and went without any word from them, nor did they return Michelle’s calls.

In the meantime, Michelle accepted a job offer to be a Purchasing Manager at another company.

In her new role, Michelle was responsible for vetting potential suppliers. She informed the company who lied to her about the job offer that her new employer would not be purchasing their products and services. When they asked why? “You lied. How can I trust you to deliver these orders on time and within budget?

How to Stop Lying!

First, create and follow a well-designed strategic selection system for hiring, job transferring, or offering job promotions. Ensure all hiring managers are trained annually on how to use the system and hold them accountable. Using a selection system reduces the need to lie, embellish the truth, or make promises that cannot be fulfilled. You will see your retention increase and your ability to attract top talent!

Talk Straight. When you make promises during the interview, be sure you have the authority to do so. Write them down and store in an electronic file. Include these promises in job offer letters to ensure everyone is on the same page. Promising to think about honoring the promise in the future spells disaster.

Communicate the Truth. Tell the truth about what the job candidates can expect, especially regarding any known or potential changes.

Example: Do NOT hire a manager (or higher-level boss) to clean up a team or department. The new boss may not agree with your assessment, or the company’s, on who to fire or keep! (Some are more concerned about being liked than cleaning up issues.) Make your team and department changes first! Remember, any new boss hired to “clean up a team or department” will not become a long-term employee since other employees will hold it against them.

Transparency is a Good Thing. If there are factions, limited budget dollars, cultural challenges, and/or mediocre quality issues, share them with the job candidate. After all, you want the person you hire to resolve the problems, not make them worse or be complacent.

Respect Starts with You! Yes, many job candidates lie or embellish their credentials. But two wrongs don’t make a right! That’s why you use a strategic job fit system to weed them out! But if you’ve been honest with them about work hours, job expectations, and growth potential, that’s respect!

A note from Jeannette about why lying to job candidates is a bad idea: How do you feel when someone lies to you? While you may believe it’s not a big deal, you stop trusting them! The same is true when you lie to job candidates. Please read about overcoming the need to lie during the selection process; this will improve your ability to attract and retain top talent. Contact me for a confidential conversation about becoming an employer of choice!

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? A great boss uses an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs. Remember, your ability to lead depends on your effectiveness in hiring, coaching, and managing your teams, onsite and remote.

Improve How You Speak to Create Better Results

September 4, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

“Your manner of speaking will create followers or detractors.” Jeannette Seibly

Have you ever attended a meeting where the F-bomb was used too often?
Do you or others use too much jargon or innuendos, leaving people annoyed?
Do you stop listening to people who talk for the sake of talking?
Have you been uncomfortable when sexist or racial comments are made?
Do you need to let everyone know when you are frustrated or upset?

When we’re honest with ourselves, we can all answer “yes” to the above questions.

The truth is that communicating with others can be exhausting when poor speaking habits are used. As a current or future boss, leader, and influencer, improving your way of speaking will create better results for your team, customers, and business.

How to Transform Your Speaking Style to Achieve Positive Results

Start your comments with the end in mind! This will keep your words on point, making you less likely to ramble. When sharing, focus on moving the conversation forward, not rehashing what’s already been said. It keeps your listeners listening!

Stick with common words. Use simple words. For example, use ‘generous’ instead of ‘magnanimous.’ Using common words gets everyone on the same page faster and keeps everyone’s attention. Remember, when writing (emails, memos, manuals, articles, or books), people do not look up the big words and will stop reading if you use more than one.

Stop talking to talk. Many people talk too much and too long. Then, they use inappropriate words, jargon, or innuendos to bring back the team’s attention. Instead, learn to share a personal experience or story. Keep it smart and simple! Really, really, really smart and simple! (Hint: Stay away from the details!)

Define jargon. Use the actual words when using jargon. Example: A/R, A/P, and ROI use Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Return on Investment). It keeps the audience listening to you! Remember, while those listening will say they understand, they are embarrassed to admit they don’t. It also prevents miscommunication when the audience relies on their interpretation.

Refrain from innuendos and gossip. It hurts your credibility since 99 percent of the time, you don’t have the facts. Get the facts and share them with the person who can make a difference (e.g., theft – talk with security or HR; not doing their share – talk directly with the person; poor job of hiring the right people – talk with the hiring boss, HR, and your CFO/Controller).

A note from Jeannette about improving how you speak and the results you achieve: Do you want to improve your results and those of your team? Improve how you speak, your choice of words, and pay attention to your audience. Contact me for a confidential conversation about becoming a great communicator!

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? A great boss works with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs. Remember, your effectiveness, influence, and confidence will accelerate when you have a coach.

You Need These 5 Confidence Builders to Achieve Amazing Results

August 28, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

“Building confidence that never fails requires ongoing and consistent attention.” Jeannette Seibly

Building your confidence is essential for you to do each and every day, especially when dealing with daily demands on your time, attention, and energy. Remember to be aware of saboteurs (e.g., your team, boss, customers, and co-workers). Paying conscious attention will help you achieve outcomes faster while continually building your confidence and competence.

Here are ideas to develop and build your inner power and confidence!

Believe in Yourself. It’s difficult when you experience a failure, mistake, or rejection. Breathe. Learn for the experience. Now, get back into the conversation for focused action!

Be Present. Allowing your internal mental chatter to get in the way limits results and relationships! When having conversations and attending meetings or events, give 100% attention to the speaker. You’ll be amazed by what you can learn, even if you believe you already know it all!

Be a Results Producer. Going through the motions without a conscious intention to improve the quality isn’t taking focused action!

Get honest about the actions you are taking by hiring a coach.
Have the tough and needed conversations.
Don’t overlook quality. And focus on performance challenges, not personality differences.
Now, you can achieve the goals you used to dream about.

Be Coachable. You don’t have all the answers, and frequently, you do things the hard way with limited results. Hire the right coach and watch your confidence grow with clarity and calmness.

Get Your Brag On! Pay attention to your daily activities and wins by keeping a written log of your achievements. When it’s time for a job promotion, job interview, board meeting, sales presentation, or pitch for your book or product, you’re ready! Your brags make a big difference in building your confidence. They also build your reputation and ability to influence others!

A note from Jeannette about building your confidence each and every day: Consciously building your confidence each day requires recognizing when it is being sabotaged! Contact me for a confidential conversation about identifying and eradicating saboteurs!

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? A great boss works with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs. Remember, being coached accelerates building your effectiveness, influence, and confidence.

What Do You Do When Your Team Is Hurting Results?

August 21, 2023 by Jeannette Seibly

Photo Credit keiferpix from Canva — “When a team fails to achieve intended results, bosses and leaders need to look in the mirror first for answers!” Jeannette Seibly

No one likes to think their team is hurting results. But dismissing the issue, believing it’s unimportant, and failing to take responsibility for the systems and outcomes is a no-win for teams, bosses, customers, and leaders! Remember, finding new customers and talent costs a lot of money. And it overlooks the necessity to improve quality and your team’s reputation!

Tips to Discover and Improve Results

Get into Action. Ask questions to get to the core of the issue. Use an objective process: “What Worked? / What Didn’t Work?” Debrief as a team. This exercise will end the usual finger-pointing or the blame game. During this process, use acknowledgment for the “good things that did happen.” Appreciation encourages viable solutions!

Be in Communication. Keep your team and co-workers apprised when there is an issue. Ask questions after conducting your team debrief to see what else may be missing. Do this immediately, BEFORE talking with the customer or other people affected. Keep everyone up-to-date while valuing their input! Promise to resolve the issue(s). (Very Important Hint: Don’t drop the ball … people have long memories when promises are not kept! These memories can stifle your co-workers and team from working with you in the future.)

“Excuses don’t help make things better. They only offer a rationale to avoid trying.”

Simon Sinek

Bring in Outside Expertise. Everyone wants to hide that they failed to achieve the intended results, fearing embarrassment and humiliation. Consider that bringing in outside help takes the pressure off you to have all the answers. (Hint: You don’t; others may not value your opinions right now.) Work with these experts to diagnose the actual issue. Listen. Make appropriate changes. Don’t forget that ongoing and consistent training is crucial when developing new habits!

Use a Qualified Job Fit Assessment. When teams and team members fit their job, it diminishes miscommunication, factionalism, and other mischief! Often, issues can be resolved by using people’s strengths and placing them in the right jobs! First, refine job descriptions and job responsibilities. Second, develop the skills that impact the quality of the results: communication, critical thinking, and team management.

Top-Down Challenge. When results fail, many bosses and leaders focus on the bottom-up (employees v. management). Consider the issue may be you! While many bosses and leaders believe they are above reproach, their rigid perspectives and do-as-I-say mindset get in the way. Remember, it’s not business as usual anymore! Bring in an executive coach/consultant to improve the management team’s coachability and ability to coach others for results. Then, empower each boss and leader and provide the tools to make the necessary team changes.

A note from Jeannette about when your team hurts intended results: Set aside the normal finger-pointing! Now, create conversations and solutions to create win-win-win outcomes. Contact me for a confidential conversation about how to have conversations that produce intended results.

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? Great bosses work with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom in guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching program. Remember, coaching speeds up your ability to achieve intended results for you and your teams!