Jeannette Seibly

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, keynote speaker and business author for more than 32 years. Her expertise is guiding leaders to hire, coach, and manage teams to achieve unprecedented results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation @ JLSeibly@SeibCo.com

Don’t Be a Nitpicking Boss … You Need to Change

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Bosses, do you constantly criticize your employees? Did you know this nitpicking style sabotages your employees’ successes as well as your own (think: career, paycheck, bonuses and promotions)?

While bosses need to ensure employees are providing great customer service and quality products, only focusing on the negative hurts everyone. There is a fine line between ensuring the best results and nitpicking. It starts with your ability to focus on what needs to improve and having the right attitude and behavior when working with and through others to make necessary changes.

You Determine the Outcome

Your Lack of Clarity. Many times, bosses manage others without having learned the tasks themselves. Then, they believe they know how to do the work better than their employees and start nitpicking. This 30,000-foot critical view doesn’t build new awareness and skills for either party.

Your Fear Works Two Ways. When you want your employees to fear you, you come on too strong and loud. This can be belittling. When you fear they won’t like you or will gossip about you, you may make poor decisions, gloss over specific areas that need improvement or work late fixing the issues yourself.

Your Choice of Words. Poor coaching and management skills will only make the issues worse. But clamming up is no better. Not saying anything will not change anything.

Stop. Ask for Help. Fine-Tune Your Skills.

Develop Your Style. Hire an external coach and internal mentor. Be open with them when sharing what is working and what is getting in your way. Participate in workshops and attend trade conferences to build your inner awareness and confidence. This will improve your openness to learning from employees and talking with them effectively. It will also help you treat them as smart and skilled people.

Learn from Your Mistakes. We all make mistakes. Admitting them is key. Learning from failure is critical. Sharing mistakes can also help when done appropriately. This will lessen your need to uber-control others, hoping they won’t make mistakes. When mistakes are made (it’s inevitable), use them as mutual teaching/learning opportunities. Together review the processes or interactions to determine where changes can be made next time. This will bolster your confidence and their willingness to learn from you.

Build Your Confidence. Being a new boss can be a challenge when you are promoted from within the company and former co-workers are now your employees. Being a boss with a new employer can also be a challenge if there are employees who felt they should have been given the job. Take time to talk with each and every employee. Learn from them. Listen to their ideas and brainstorm solutions (nitpicking is not allowed here – save the details for later). When you value them, they will in turn learn to value you as their boss.

As a boss, stop nitpicking. Learn how to work with and through others in a positive manner. It will determine your success.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s executive group? Have issues to address? Conflicts to resolve? Contact Jeannette Seibly. She will provide confidential, laser-focused coaching that works! 

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Are you a boss who wants to excel? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

High-Impact Hiring Practices for Amazing Results

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strategic hiring4We all love to celebrate amazing hires. These exceptional candidates make our day. Yet rarely do we take the time to strategize about how to find more of them.

When creating CRM systems (customer relationship management), managing sales teams or producing quality products, we take the time to review specific changes that are required to ensure the right results: in other words, what worked and what didn’t work. How can we use the same process to positively impact our hiring and selection practices? In short, by learning how to improve our selection practices rather than relying on gimmicks, false promises and cute ads.

First, Get Real about the Costs

Many companies believe that if their turnover is less than the industry average, they are doing well. The truth is, turnover still impacts the bottom line, leads to the loss of top talent and is a red flag to qualified candidates. Additionally, it also negatively impacts current and future customers because turnover can translate to a less-than-satisfying experience. Use our New Hiring Calculator to get the real picture about your hiring costs!

Second, Review Less-Obvious Concerns

Inexperienced Interviewer. Experienced job applicants need good and honest conversations about what to expect from the position, company and career opportunities … not canned answers.

Lengthy Application Process. Shorten the process and feature your company’s benefits and job requirements. Include short video clips about why the company is a great employer.

Bad Interview Questions. Failing to ask job-specific questions and deep-dive into candidate responses will create a false impression and lead to candidates turning down job offers.

Focusing Only on the Money. Remember, today’s employees are very interested in training for career advancement in addition to a competitive paycheck. Talk about both.

Poor Job Fit. According to a Gallup poll, over 71 percent of employees are working in jobs that don’t fit them. Use incredibly accurate qualified assessments for hiring, coaching and managing. These effective tools can improve job satisfaction and your hiring success.

Third, Include These Practices to Positively Impact Results

Define an Exceptional Hire. Ask yourself and your team, “What does an amazing hire look like today? In three months? Six months? A year from now?” Now, rewrite the job description with those answers in mind. Ask your marketing department for their input when you create an exciting and enticing job posting to advertise this newly conceptualized position.

Make Promises. Ask yourself and your team, “Why should applicants want to work for us? How will this job help their career now and in the future? What specific training and development can we offer them?” Now, keep those promises!

Create a 180-Day Onboarding Plan. The plan should include on-the-job training, meetings (one-on-one and in groups), company and trade conferences, etc. Keep this list short and on point. Remind applicants during the interview process and the 180-day onboarding period to listen, learn and ask questions. rather than talk too much.

Assign an Internal Mentor and an External Coach. An internal mentor can help a new employee or executive navigate the written policies and unwritten expectations of your company. An external coach can confidentially allow them to vent concerns and not hurt their chances for future promotions or job assignments. Both can guide them to make better decisions, work effectively with and through others, and achieve intended goals. These are important skills for all employees to develop.

Use Qualified Assessments. Using objective data will accurately show you the inherent strengths and weaknesses of a candidate. Knowing these details will expedite selecting and onboarding job candidates for great results. Remember, while people may have the skills, they may not wish to use them! For example, selecting an applicant as a bank loan officer requires more than previous experience. Are they good at working with people, are they proficient with numbers and do they have an interest in networking? If not, they will not normally succeed.

Customize Individual Career Pathways. Clear pathways should begin immediately upon hire. Use the data from the qualified assessment and what the employee wishes to achieve when designing them. Provide alternative career paths and compensation packages that include two options: managing others or being an independent contributor.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s executive group? Have issues to address? Conflicts to resolve? Contact Jeannette Seibly. She will provide confidential, laser-focused coaching that works!

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Do you have unresolvable issues that you need to transform? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Improve Productivity by Focusing on the Right Things

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Smarter.Not HarderMany busy professionals today are feeling overwhelmed because of their many commitments—to work, family, elder care, community and so on. They allow things to creep on to their to-do lists, often unconsciously. By failing to say no and take the right actions, their ever-growing list becomes overwhelming. Anxiety and exhaustion soon follow. Productivity falters, and often they develop a bad attitude.

Reduce Overwhelming Commitments Before They Reduce Productivity

Acknowledge Everything. Write or type a weekly to-do list of everything that needs to be done. Get the vague, undefined list out of your head to stop disruptive mental chatter. Include the simplest things (change a light bulb) to the most difficult (a presentation for the boss). Stay out of the details at this point.

Get Real. Next, cross off those things you will NOT do. Even a superwoman or superman can’t do everything and be a happy, productive person. Review the list again and cross off more items – tell the truth — you know what you will (or must) do and will not do. (This will require you to have conversations with family, friends and employees, letting them know up front what you are doing to keep your relationships strong.)

Clarity Is Key. Now, circle ONLY the top three items that must be done. Rank them. Get into action and focus on number one, now!

Focus and Stay in Action

Outline a Plan. Type or write out a short plan for each action item. Get with others to see what is missing from the plan and who can help. Then, create a timetable. Now, get into immediate action to ensure a feeling of productivity.

Focus. Talk with your boss and clarify the specific results he or she wants. This usually eliminates your mental chatter and clarifies what needs to be done. Focus only on result-oriented items and stop making the process bigger or more complicated than it needs to be.

Delegate. Who can you delegate the whole plan to, or specific items? Watch out for any control issues you may have. Understand that others will not tackle things the way you would. That’s OK. You will often find that they do a better job than you would have. During the process, review actions taken and expected results together. Fine-tune. You’re done!

Work with Your Team. Who can you include to make sure the results are great? At home, kids can load a dishwasher (remember, there are over 100 different ways to do it). Others on a committee can pitch in and help with setup and cleanup after an event. Employees can learn how to do a job, often more quickly than you think they can! Don’t nitpick their approach; focus on the right things, like the customer, outcome, number of attendees, timetable, etc.

Acknowledge. It is very important to appreciate others and their efforts, individually and as a team. Stop micromanaging. (Yes, I need to keep repeating this point.) Instead, fine-tune what is expected of others and brainstorm together to resolve any issues before they become problems.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s executive group? Have issues to address? Conflicts to resolve? Contact Jeannette Seibly. She will provide confidential, laser-focused coaching that works!

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Do you have unresolved issues that you need to transform? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Happy 25th Business Anniversary!

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jls.2011.3Acknowledging everyday successes and milestones are important in life and business! They encourage us to do our best.

On October 7th, I will be celebrating my 25th business anniversary. I couldn’t believe I was actually going to overlook this significant achievement and downplay it. Having written three books on the importance of bragging (“It’s Time to Brag!”), it would have been an epic mistake! (Whew! Thanks to my friend and coach Diane for reminding me to brag. We all need friends like her!)

There are many posts on social media about people not fulfilling their dreams and goals for a variety of reasons. Over 90 percent of businesses fail in their first five years. So, it is important for me to share what I’ve accomplished. You should too. I hope this will be a great reminder for all of us to brag, share and inspire others.

So, here goes!

In 25 years of helping my clients become successful, I have directly worked with over 1,000 business owners, executives, family businesses, boards, entrepreneurs and key employees in many different industries, helping each of them become successful.  There have been times I’ve loved it … and times it’s been a challenge. Fortunately, I’ve only had to fire two clients.

I have been told my trademark is my uncanny ability to help business professionals identify hidden roadblocks and help them blast through those barriers to produce unprecedented results. This creates the possibility for bosses and their teams to effectively communicate with each other, achieve intended goals independently and as a team, and confidently hire the right people for the right jobs. Along the way, I also guided the creation of three millionaires (this was an amazing and unexpected outcome!).

During these past 25 years, I have also fulfilled several dreams and goals:

  • -I’m a published author (with five books and over 400 articles focused on leadership, management and hiring challenges).
  • -I live in sunny Colorado, where I can view the gorgeous Rocky Mountains daily. (A lifelong dream.)
  • -My business has been awarded with high accolades four times.
  • -I’ve created noteworthy events to fulfill a need and celebrate accomplishments (the Job Summit Association and NAWBO Detroit Women Business Owners of Distinction are just two of many).
  • -I’ve advised hundreds of business owners and executives on expanding their definition of “strategy” to fulfill their goals and dreams.

So, what’s next?

My intention is to publish more business books, expand into writing a fiction series and continue to advise top-level bosses on achieving unprecedented results for themselves and their team members. Personally … yes, I have my bucket list, and will continue to knock things off that list.

Being a Boss Is Not Easy…Learn How to Excel

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Being a boss today is not easy and learning how to excel is surprisingly not hard. But it does take time, energy and an interest in developing and using the necessary skills.

According to a Gallup poll, over 71 percent of employees are in jobs that don’t fit them (and includes people in “boss” positions). Bosses with poor managerial styles are often the No. 1 reason employees leave.

So, although it is not easy being a boss today, you can improve your boss savvy. Here’s how.

First, Not Everyone Should Be a Boss! (We need to get this out of the way.)

See if any of these situations apply to you:

  • -If you have been (or are) a top performer, you excelled as an independent contributor. While you may have the necessary people or project management skills, many times you don’t have the interest in managing people on a daily basis. If this is the case, redesigning your job responsibilities or going back to being an independent contributor would be best for your career.
  • -If you do have the interest in developing the skills, ask for help. The key is to hire a coach and follow through as part of your normal daily actions.
  • -Remember, if you are fired, talk about your failures and successes with a therapist or career coach who can help you get real about future careers that fit you!

Second, Improving Your Boss Skills Requires Interest, Time and Energy on a Daily Basis

First, ask yourself if you are really interested in putting in the time and energy to develop yourself to be a great boss. If you answered yes, here are actions you can take:

  • -Take workshops to develop project and people management skills (e.g., learn how to hire well, coach people, manage for unprecedented results, make better decisions, etc.).
  • -Select an internal company mentor. He or she can help you navigate written policies and unwritten expectations.
  • -Hire an external coach to confidentially eliminate the controversial “shoulds” of how employees are supposed to act. Being able to vent and not worry about future promotions and job opportunities is critical. Work with a coach who uses qualified assessments and qualified 360-feedback assessments to guide you in developing a natural style that works for you and others!

Third, It’s No Longer Just About You

And, here’s why…

  • -Being a great boss means it’s no longer about you! (Yes, that needed to be repeated!) You need to be available for your employees, find them the necessary resources and support their efforts.
  • -You have a responsibility to balance the needs of the company, your peers and all employees in an ethical and fair manner, while supporting customers and vendors too!
  • -You have to be willing to do the right things the right way by following policies and procedures. AND, you have to know when to step outside of the norm to handle special circumstances.
  • -Lack of integrity (e.g., fudging numbers, gossiping, theft, playing favorites), lack of compassion, failing to listen or stealing others’ ideas are the fastest ways to torpedo your success.
  • -Your potentially biggest pitfall? If you want to be liked more than respected. Many times, this type of boss makes ineffective or inappropriate decisions. Great bosses are both liked and respected.

Fourth, Ongoing Development Is Required

What does that mean?

  • -Great bosses hire a coach and do the work. They know there are no shortcuts.
  • -Take courses or programs (e.g., supervisory, communication, leadership and project management) designed to help you understand yourself and your hidden biases. Workshops give you insights into fine-tuning your approach to get the results you want to achieve.
  • -Annually (yes, once a year) take a refresher course on employment and legal updates. Focus on how to prevent negative issues from occurring.

By paying attention to the challenges and solutions raised in this article, you will learn how to excel and be a great boss…if you have the interest to do so.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s executive group? Have issues to address? Conflicts to resolve? Contact Jeannette Seibly. She will provide confidential, laser-focused coaching that works! 

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Are you a boss who wants to excel? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Improve Your Success by Resolving Conflicts Now

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delegate2Conflicts aren’t fun for most people. But problems aren’t going to go away if you stick your head in the sand. Conversely, taking the in-your-face combative approach only causes others to take sides, with no resolution in sight. Both cost time, money, hurt feelings and your success as a leader.

Your effectiveness is determined by your ability to listen, build agreement and get the work done with and through others. That’s why it’s important to improve your success by resolving conflicts now.

5 Major Challenges to Overcome

1.Being Righteous and Positional. No one likes to be told they are wrong. Understand there is no one right way to do anything! Did you know there are a 100 different ways to wash dishes? The same is true in business. There are many different methods to get to the best solution.

2. Being Combative. Some people falsely believe standing their ground makes them a better leader. Not always true! Being combative in order to stand your ground does not convey confidence. In fact, just the opposite is true.

3. Believing It Will Take Too Long. Taking 20 minutes now to resolve a conflict will require much less time than continuing a fight or disagreement for days, months or even years!

4. Multitasking. Multitasking in front of others conveys you either don’t believe they are valued team members or shows you have a limited ability to listen and learn! Both are career-limiting.

5. Killing the Messenger. You will miss out on important information if you kill the messenger before letting them say what they have to say. Being impatient with others’ communication styles and making them work too hard will ensure they avoid you.

Resolving Conflicts Powerfully

  • -Listen to others as valuable sources of information.
  • -Hear what is said and not said. (Nonverbal communication accounts for over 80 percent of the message.)
  • -Take turns sharing points of view. Repeat back what was said before offering your opinion.
  • -Consider that others may be right. Be humble, not egotistical.
  • -No one likes to be told they are wrong. Listen as if they are right. (It doesn’t mean you agree 100 percent.)
  • -Be willing to see more than one side and expand your thought process.
  • -Be willing to agree to disagree.
  • -Keep it simple and talk straight. Start with the point, then expand as needed.
  • -Take responsibility for how, when, why and where you communicate your thoughts, opinions, feelings and ideas. (This is critical!)

Listen and learn as though your success depends on resolving conflicts…because it does!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s executive group? Have issues to address? Conflicts to resolve? Contact Jeannette Seibly. She will provide confidential, laser-focused coaching that works!

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and executive coach for over 24 years; along the way, she’s guided the creation of three millionaires. She is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. She also has extensive experience resolving seemingly unresolvable issues and challenges. Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Excellent Advice to New Executives: Hire a Coach Now

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Did you know that almost 40 percent of new executives fail within 6 to 18 months? These positions are often filled by people who are well liked and have the political savvy to say what people want to hear. However, these same subjective reasons are why they fail!

Many aspiring business professionals desire coveted executive positions because they want a larger paycheck, perks and an impressive title. But they fail to understand that a new level of responsibility requires developing a new level of business savvy. That’s when a coach can offer invaluable guidance.

A Coach Will Help You:

Be Open to the Unknown. Every new level within any company brings with it new challenges, unforeseen expectations, and requires the ability to talk straight (and diplomatically) when faced with conflicts. If you believe you already know it all, you will fail!

Influence to Inspire. Your ability to influence individuals and teams will either inspire them to address and handle project issues and resolve conflicts or it will create mischief and miscommunication, making it impossible to get the results you want! The ability to inspire will also determine your continued success as an executive.

Be of Service to Others. Focusing on yourself and failing to speak and act to support your teams will cause a huge rift. Do you have the ability to design and execute plans and programs by working with and through others? Are you willing to let go of controlling every detail? Are you willing to take responsibility for the outcome without blaming everyone else? These are key areas where a coach is important!

Enjoy Talking with Others. Ninety-nine percent of the information you need to positively impact the company and a project is in other people’s heads. Are you able to incorporate ideas from others? Build alignment? Manage a diverse team? Achieve intended results? Talking with others, and learning from them, is a required skill. Are you willing to learn it?

Listening. Executives need to be able to listen effectively to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Do you already have this make-it-or-break-it skill? If not, you may wish to use a coach to develop it.

Hiring a Coach!

Now that you realize you need a coach, how do you find one who’s right for you?

Being an executive can be a lonely job. Coaches are why new executives become effective (and they keep current executives up to speed). It’s important to have a confidential source and ally to talk things out, gain greater perspectives, make better decisions and manage teams and individual employees more effectively.

Being Coachable Is Critical. If you are someone who debates everything, finds fault with others’ ideas and disregards advice, you are not ready to be an executive! You are not coachable.

Use Qualified Assessments. Job fit is the No. 1 reason people succeed or fail. Understand your executive style before taking the position. Learn about your thinking style, core behaviors and occupational interests compared to the working population. This will bring an awareness of what is required to be a successful executive and how to develop the required skills. In addition, using a qualified 360-feedback tool can help uncover expectations of employees, peers and bosses.

Select the Right Coach. Find a coach with experience by asking other successful executives. Can the coach hear what you are saying (and not saying)? Do they have the depth and breadth of experience to help you navigate company politics? Do they know how to manage employees to achieve intended results? Hire a coach based on their project successes and whether they can help you manage interpersonal challenges along the way.

Do the Work! Coaching can only go so far. You have to do the work to become a master. There will be many unknowns that pop up. Becoming aware of them and having the ability to talk them out with your confidential advisor (aka coach) will help you stay on track as changes occur.

Be coachable. Take their advice. Be part of the 60 percent of new executives who succeed.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker for your company’s executive group? Have issues to address? Conflicts to resolve? Contact Jeannette Seibly. She will provide confidential, laser-focused coaching that works!

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and executive coach for over 24 years; along the way, she’s guided the creation of three millionaires. She is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. She also has extensive experience coaching executives and developing future executives for unprecedented results. Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Future Leaders Need to be Ready Now

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Develop Leaders4The old mindset of how to identify future leaders has changed. Due to technology advancements, geographical influences, and financial and people demands, leadership requirements have evolved to a new level. As a result, many companies have waited too long. They now are having difficulty finding and developing the right leadership to handle today’s business challenges.

How are you identifying future leaders for your company? How are you developing them now?

First, Identify and Qualify Them

Competence.  What is their current skill set compared to the skills required of future leaders? Are they able to effectively talk and work with anyone, anywhere, at any time? Can they execute plans and achieve intended results? Do they understand P&Ls? Are they up-to-date on successful marketing and sales programs?

Qualified Assessments. Use them. Start now. They help uncover what you don’t know about them as future leaders. This critical information can come back to haunt you if it is left hidden. Because of the high level accuracy, qualified assessments are invaluable in helping guide the development of future leaders in your company.

Be Responsible for Biases. Identify your own biases and those of the executive team. Set them aside when creating a succession plan and identifying future leaders in your company.

A business owner was having a hard time hiring the right person to take over running his company. He had failed several times. His bias was to hire people he liked who had the right title, the right credentials and came with the right connections. Unfortunately, relying on these biases as criteria to choose a leader did not translate into being able to effectively run and build a financially successful company.

Don’t Promote Too Soon. This is a company’s biggest unrealized expense, whether they know it or not. When managers promote someone who is not ready, lacks the resilience to handle challenges or conflicts, or does not have the interest in developing the skills to be a leader (regardless of what they tell you), they leave. Often, they take training skills and materials, clients and key contact lists, proprietary information and key employees with them when they go. Use incremental titles to help keep Millennials interested and happy in their jobs.

Second, Develop Them

Recognize Lone Rangers. Many leaders refuse to take advice. These DIYers will take the company and management team down with them rather than ask for help. Provide them board and management team training designed to teach them how to work with and through others, manage conflicting opinions and execute changes. If they are unwilling to participate, change your succession plan now.

Proper Preparation. Assign identified future leaders team projects and have them participate in trade association events and boards. Include them in high-level discussions and ask their opinions. This will help them understand there is more to leadership than having the title. They will either relish the opportunities or dread them. Do not assume they are ready to take on the next leadership role – some may need more time before they are promotable.

The Right Coaching. The laser-like ability to develop talent is a critical skill many current leaders, executives and business owners do not have. Provide key employees with an internal mentor and an external coach to help groom them as future leaders. Help establish specific attainable goals for each quarterly coaching program and check in to ensure they are on the right track as a future leader.

Delegate Projects. As you develop your future leaders, provide written expected outcomes, a budget and team members for the projects you delegate. Check on progress weekly and ensure situations, people and outcomes are not being overlooked. Remember, success is a process of working through issues — pay attention to their ability and willingness to stretch and meet the new level of accountability required as a future leader.

What If Future Leaders in Your Company Are Not Ready?

As you develop your future leaders, there may come a time when you need to bring in someone from the outside to build your future leaders and keep the company on track. Ask your network for recommendations. Have more than one conversation to ensure they can do the job and will achieve the results with the least amount of disruption. Ensure the new leader is able to develop a successful succession plan, work through family business or existing business plan challenges, and navigate internal company politics. Don’t forget to negotiate a win-win exit plan for them when the future leaders are ready.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

What are you waiting for? This is the last month of Q3! The question is, are you in action to accomplish your 2017 goals or have you already given up? If you are stuck, contact Jeannette Seibly. She will provide you the insight required for you to move forward powerfully!

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and executive coach for over 24 years; along the way, she’s guided the creation of three millionaires. She is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. She also has extensive experience coaching leaders and developing future leaders for unprecedented results. Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Effective Bosses Know How to Communicate

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communication skillsToo often, words come out of our mouths that we vowed we would never say. And, to make matters worse, our tone sounds harsh or critical. Believe it or not, as bosses we often sound like our parents did when we were growing up. Imagine sounding like your critical parents when you’re speaking to your employees. Yikes!

Stop sounding like a critical parent when communicating with your adult employees.

Why Is This Important?

Statistically, employees leave their employers because of their boss! But, they will often tell their employer they’re leaving because of lack of pay, benefits, immediate opportunities and other perks. Usually, it is because of their boss’s poor communication skills: lack of respect, tone of voice, words used, promises not kept and promotions that never happened. Right or wrong, they blame the boss!

9 Ways to Communicate as a Great Boss

One. It’s an Inside Job. You are responsible for setting aside your inner judgments and beliefs regarding how people should think, act, talk, dress … ad nauseam. Remember, simply using the right words or jargon will not prevent others from “hearing” what you really believe or think about them (over 80 percent of communication is non-verbal!).

Two. Influence. Learn to influence others instead of telling them what to do, how to do it and when to do it in a commanding tone. Engage them by sharing the bigger picture, and allow them to handle the details without being micromanaged.

Three. Listen! Develop a positive attitude and authentic belief that others have great solutions! (Really, they do!) Listen and learn from others’ ideas, incorporate them and give each person credit.

Four. Treat People Right. Treat people with respect by developing “boss smarts.” Hang around other managers who have a great track record of interacting well with their employees. Take away insights that will work for you and help you respect others. (Hint: Understand you will never be just like them!)

Five. Understand Your People. Use qualified assessment tools to understand why employees either work well together or are not an effective team. These objective products provide incredibly accurate insights and turn you into a perceptive coach your employees will value. When you understand your people, they enjoy coming to work each day!

Six. Understand Your Style. Use qualified assessment and 360-degree feedback tools to help understand your style now that you are a boss. Review the feedback with your coach, mentor and employees to uncover actual strengths and weaknesses, and develop methods to help you become a more effective boss. (Most important: Never hold their comments against them.)

Seven. Tone and Word Choice. The words and tone of voice you use tell a much deeper story than you may realize. Work with an experienced executive coach or licensed therapist to role-play your choice of words in upcoming situations. Learn how to speak with others when describing challenges and opportunities. As you become a more confident communicator, your tone of voice will naturally change.

Eight. Journal for Clarity. This is a great way to see, in black and white, your thoughts about people and/or situations. It gives you a chance to work through complex issues in a more objective and helpful manner. Then, shred. NEVER send a letter spewing your upsets, no matter how justified you believe you are.

Nine. Confidence. Often, your innermost and deepest fear is that you are a fraud and everyone is going to find out. To awaken your internal communication talent, get the book It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition, and do the work in order to communicate with confidence. Remember, there are no shortcuts!

Being a great boss requires improving your communication to elicit the best from your employees, others and yourself.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Are you experiencing challenges that are causing sleepless nights? Is your team avoiding eye contact with you? Are you avoiding anyone on your team? To turn this around quickly … now is the time to talk. Contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation at http://SeibCo.com/contact/.

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and executive coach for over 24 years; along the way she’s guided the creation of three millionaires. She is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Check out her website, http://SeibCo.com, or contact Jeannette for a free, confidential conversation at http://SeibCo.com/contact.

Are You a Leader Who Actually Leads?

by

coachableNo one is born a leader—leadership skills are built over time as a result of experience, practice, commitment and then mastery. When we attain a leadership position within our company, it’s important that we have already learned how to work with and through others to get the job done on time and within budget. Now it’s time to take those basic skills and hone them. At every level of leadership comes a new level of responsibility and opportunity. Are you ready to build on those skills to successfully support yourself and the people you lead?

7 Keys to Being a Leader Who Leads

Engage Others. Forcing others due to your job title, manipulating outcomes or attempting to out-talk your team will not support your efforts to manage effectively. Once your team and others within the company are upset with you, it becomes harder to get them to perform at their best, listen to your ideas and work with you. Acknowledge their great ideas and efforts, and work with them by rolling up your sleeves to produce intended outcomes in a win-win-win manner.

Integrity Is Key. Good people don’t like to work for someone who cuts corners and overlooks important details. Making decisions based upon how you feel rarely works out well either. Learn how to brainstorm for solutions, work through legal and financial considerations, and set up true strategies. Remember, the best solutions may not follow the easiest and fastest pathways. When a mistake is made, own it, apologize and clean it up! It sets a great example for others.

Listen for New Possibilities in ALL Ideas. Being a leader who actually leads means you have really great listening skills. You’ve put down your electronic gadgets and are hearing the spoken words and unspoken messages that are being conveyed. You are able to ask the right questions to elicit the best from others and build on their ideas—no matter how off-the-wall they may initially seem. You become a leader whom others enjoy working with to create solutions.

Respect Others. Your job isn’t to be a critical parent, particularly when some of the people you may be managing are older than you and have lots of great work experience and ideas. Learn to pick everybody’s brains and rely on them to get the job done without micromanaging. Stay aware of the results your employees produce. Acknowledge any progress made, no matter how small. Respect will build an effective team.

Keep Your Skills Sharp. Take management courses to clean out any cobwebs that impede your ability to work effectively with others—it will keep you sharp. Remember, the higher up in the corporate world you climb, the more your people skills will matter (even more than your technical knowledge). Those same skills make being a leader a lot easier too.

Take Care of Yourself. While it’s critical that you take care of your employees and ensure they have the resources they need to get their jobs done, it’s equally important that you take care of yourself. Schedule time to spend with your family and friends having fun! Get involved in activities outside of work that you enjoy (e.g., golf, reading, travel, volunteering, etc.). A happy leader is more likely to have happy and productive employees.

Great Leaders Have Coaches. Don’t be afraid to hire an executive coach to help you navigate the challenges you will inevitably face. The right one will help you make better and timely decisions. Plus, having a coach will help you understand how to be a leader others want to follow!

Being a leader who actually leads comes with a new level of responsibility to others. Review the seven keys. Now ask yourself … are you ready?

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Are you experiencing challenges that are causing sleepless nights? Is your team avoiding eye contact with you? Are you avoiding anyone on your team? Now is the time to talk while there is time to turn this around quickly. Contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation at http://SeibCo.com/contact/.

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and executive coach for over 24 years; along the way she’s guided the creation of three millionaires. She is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Check out her website, http://SeibCo.com, or contact Jeannette for a free, confidential conversation at http://SeibCo.com/contact.