14 Tips for Leaders to Positively Influence Their Future Leaders

“When you positively influence your employees, they want to become future leaders.” Jeannette Seibly

Today, 33 percent of employees don’t want to be bosses, while more than half are happy not climbing the leadership ladder. Many of these employees desire a work-life balance and flexibility over pay or the power of a job title. 2024 Randstad Workmonitor study

Why does this matter? This can hurt the company’s retention, growth, and profitability goals!

Take a moment:

  • Think about the worst boss you’ve ever had.
  • Now, think about the best boss.
  • What was the difference?

Many of you would say the difference was how the best boss applauded their efforts and ideas, while the bad boss was dismissive and negative.

Now, consider bosses are leaders in the company. Leaders influence employees by how they interact with them. Good leadership practices include listening to new ideas, guiding them through challenges, and encouraging them to meet (and exceed) customer demands.

If you are a good leader, employees want to take the initiative required to become leaders. If you are a bad boss or leader, they will only focus on doing their jobs and avoid becoming future bosses or leaders! This will hurt the company’s retention, growth, and profitability!

Create a Positive Influence with Your Employees

  1. Build Confidence. Point out progress. Focus on only one challenge at a time. Guide progress to overcome inevitable challenges.
  2. Brag on Them! Share with others about the team’s results and individual accomplishments.
  3. Be Courteous. Say “Please” and “Thank you.” Ask, “Do you have 5 minutes to talk?”
  4. Learn from Mistakes. When you help your employees learn from mistakes rather than berating them, their confidence will grow.
  5. Handle the Politics. Every company has internal politics (aka factionalism, unresolved team conflict, elephants). Protect your employees by stopping gossip, addressing complaints, and dealing with microaggressions. Remember to keep confidential issues confidential!
  6. Ask Questions. Instead of assuming you already know everything, be open to learning something new!
  7. Get Both Sides of the Story. When a problem arises, get both sides by asking questions without sounding like an interrogator. Only then will you learn the truth.
  8. Provide Real Goals. Provide stretch goals instead of just providing tasks camouflaged as goals.
  9. Be Fair. Don’t have favorites when handing out assignments. Build on team members’ strengths; this builds a stronger, more cohesive, and more agile team.
  10. Support Personal and Professional Goals. Be a resource and guide to help them achieve both.
  11. Be Ethical. Show a good work ethic and be the type of leader that is honest. Remember, your employees and current bosses and leaders will mimic you!
  12. Think Bigger! Be open to thinking beyond the norm and welcome each team member’s ideas. Encourage all team members to take part when brainstorming.
  13. Trust and Value Them. Allow your team to do their work without being micro-managed. If problems arise (and they will), keep your door open. Trust and encourage them to work with and through others to create viable solutions.
  14. Use Objective Data to Develop Their Strengths. Using qualified job fit assessments can provide leadership insights that clarify areas where they have natural abilities and how to improve their effectiveness.

©Jeannette Seibly 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner for over 31 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about this state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tool or how to coach and manage your people to achieve extraordinary results.

A note from Jeannette: With over 51 percent of employees not wanting to climb the leadership ladder today, a good boss or leader takes responsibility for changing this mindset. Future leadership that is ready to lead is critical for company retention, revenues, and results. Contact me for a confidential conversation if you want to talk about where to start.

It’s time to unleash your inner leader! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Unleash Your Inner Leader

“Stop waiting for the company to provide you opportunities to develop your leadership opportunities – unleash your inner leader now.” Jeannette Seibly

Unleashing your inner leader requires taking the initiative to prepare your skills for professional and leadership growth. It’s not about waiting until you have the job title—it’s about preparing yourself in advance for new job responsibilities and accountabilities so you are ready when they become available.

The problem? Most future leaders (and bosses) are waiting for their employers to offer these opportunities. However, today, companies are not providing training and opportunities for leaders to develop since their practices are often outdated. As a result, their future leaders (and bosses) are not ready for today’s challenges!

To be ready and not overlooked for the next job promotion or opportunity, it’s up to YOU to take the initiative NOW by discovering and unleashing your inner leader.

How can you lead without a leadership title and develop the essential traits now?

Tips to Prepare as a Future Leader

  1. Focus on Communication:
    • Communication skills are #1 and required for advancement.
    • Communication includes listening, speaking, and writing.
    • Take classes and workshops online and in person.
    • Remember, actual development happens on the job and working through miscommunication, microaggressions, and other communication snafus. (Note: You will make mistakes – how you handle them makes all the difference.)
    • Your word choice matters. Learn what company and industry jargon really means and use it appropriately.
    • Talk with people, not at This starts by using words or phrases they readily understand, not what your ego believes everyone should already know.
    • Learn how to speak up in a way that influences others and has them listen. It starts by building on others’ thoughts and ideas, not just yours.
  2. Master Your Competencies and Confidence:
    • Hire a Coach. You will make mistakes! Trying to hide them or pretend they don’t matter makes it more difficult for others to follow you. Using the do-it-yourself way of excusing the mistake or not getting to the core ensures it will happen again (and again!). Remember, your ability to be coachable and work through difficult situations and working relationships will make or break your career choices.
    • Select a Mentor. A company and an industry mentor can help you understand current issues and how to address them.
    • Become an Influencer. Many believe you are ready for the next job when you’ve learned the technical skills of their current one (e.g., financial, technology, operations). This belief is false. Often overlooked is that advancement to management and executive levels requires the ability to influence by using good interpersonal, decision-making, and emotional intelligence skills.
    • Actively Participate in Classes and Workshops. Then, use these skills appropriately each day by working with your coach, mentor, and boss.
    • Address Strengths and Weaknesses: Taking an assessment that reflects how you want others to see you provides little value regarding your true strengths and weaknesses. Use objective job-fit assessments to address your “true” thinking, behavioral, and occupational interests. Also, use a 360-degree feedback assessment to clarify your impact on others. Objectivity is key! Professionally developed tools provide the science (e.g., predictive validity), confidentiality, and insights to help you grow and unleash your inner leader.
    • Growth is a Process. You will feel uncomfortable developing your leadership and boss muscles. Learn to handle this by immersing yourself in an issue and overcoming your fears. For example, most bosses fear resolving team conflict for win-win-win results. Work with your coach, and talk with your boss and human resources. Now, you’re prepared to fix it.
  3. Broaden Your Awareness:
    • Get Involved in Work, Customer, and Corporate Teams. These experiences expand your awareness and improve your decisions. But working in any group will require understanding the difference between “group think” (going along to get along with others) versus “taking a stand” for win-win-win decisions. Use your coach and mentor to understand the differences in each
    • Actively Participate in Trade or Professional Associations. Putting yourself on a committee or board position can give you leadership experiences and connections you cannot get within your company. Remember, your reputation will precede you – so honor your word and make good decisions. They will matter.
  4. Review Progress Regularly:
    • Stay Consistent. When mistakes or failures happen (and they will), use a well-developed system to handle the grief, humiliation, or other feelings that naturally arise. Self-care, team care, and a professional approach with integrity and responsibility are essential traits for influential leaders.
    • Don’t Assume Your Promotion Equates to Being on the Right Track. While it’s essential to be agile and flexible, it’s important not to take on promotions that don’t fit or support you. For example, many people take on being a boss of people without any interest in working 24/7 with their employees. The problem? Your assumption that a promotion is developing your inner leader can be false. As a result, those that fail have their careers sidetracked. Ask for help if you find yourself in the wrong position. Then, seek different career options to continue developing your leadership skills.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner for over 31 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about this state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tool or how to coach and manage your people to achieve extraordinary results.

A note from Jeannette: Are you ready to be a future leader in your company or organization? Too often, we wait for the company to provide the help and guidance required. Unfortunately, many companies today do a poor job of providing the skills and tools that make a positive difference in leadership development. Want to tap into my 31+ years of experience in developing influential leaders and bosses? Contact me now with your questions!

It’s time to unleash your inner leader! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

How to Ask the Right Questions to Achieve Results

“Want to be a better leader? Ask the right questions to improve results.” Jeannette Seibly

Today, many leaders and bosses fear asking questions because they believe people are easily offended, view comments as microaggressions, or feel uncomfortable being put on the spot. But asking the right questions the right way and getting people thinking and talking is how you generate new ideas, resolve problems, and manage conflicts.

How to Ask the Right Questions to Improve Results

Understand Your Approach Matters. While many people fear direct questions or straight talk, they can elicit great responses. But in some cases, candid questions may be too difficult for people. Choose appropriately.

Examples:

  • Direct approach: “Good morning! What’s the progress on xxx?”
  • Softer approach. “Hi. Great to see you. I have a question to ask you. Is now a good time?”

Actively Listen to Learn. As many people know, we listen to respond and fail to hear what the other person has said. Actively listen. Then, ask questions to learn more before responding. But, remember, this is not an interrogation!

Use Silence! Ask your question. Then, become silent. Allow them time to answer and avoid jumping in to answer for them. Remember, you’ve been thinking about your idea. It’s probably the first time they’ve heard it!

Give Feedback by Asking Questions First. Get their side of the story or point of view on an issue before providing feedback. Sharing back and forth helps both of you listen. Then, ask, “What do you believe we should do to move forward?” This process will improve your decision-making and team results.

Use a Neutral Tone of Voice. Being overly excited or hyper as the norm makes it difficult for calmer team members to feel comfortable responding. Use a neutral tone to avoid escalating a conversation into a conflict because the more hyper you become, the calmer your team members will become – neither of you will feel heard. If you are unaware of your tone of voice or the impact you have, contact me.

Have The Other Person Go First. Ask a question to get the conversation started. Instead of asking, “How’s your day going?” (It will only elicit yawns or complaints.) Ask, “What did/do you love about this project? What do you see as the next step?”

Be Responsible When Asking ‘Leading Questions.’ “You got that task done, right?” It is a question that implies a right or wrong answer. Instead, “How’s the progress on resolving the customer issue?” Listen. Offer, “Let me know how I can assist in getting it resolved faster.” This is a critical skill to learn because it reduces potential conflict.

Encourage Discussion by Asking Open-Ended Questions. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How are the start of asking open-ended questions. Why is this important? We’re not wired to ask open-ended questions, and not doing so limits results. Use open-ended questions and have at least three questions ready to get your team talking. This method works well during brainstorming or generating new ideas when the team is stuck.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner for over 31 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about this state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tool or how to coach and manage your people to achieve extraordinary results.

A note from Jeannette: Asking questions seems mundane until you consider how you use this critical management skill. Asking the right questions in the right way can elicit better responses from team members, generate new ideas, and manage conflicts. Want to tap into my 31++ years of experience in developing influential leaders and bosses? Contact me now with your questions!

It’s time to unleash your inner leader! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Being In the Driver’s Seat Is Required to Navigate for Results

“Bosses and leaders need to navigate to achieve results rather than settle for mediocrity.” Jeannette Seibly

Too many articles talk about navigating for results but not how to put yourself in the driver’s seat to achieve them.

I’ve led many new projects or projects requiring new results (e.g., increasing attendance, financial revenues, etc.). Every time, there were many bumps along the way in the form of naysayers, economic challenges, and team conflict. But I learned how to stay in the driver’s seat, even though periodically I wanted to bail! Instead, I worked through my uncomfortableness, relied on team counsel, and kept everyone on the same page. The accomplishment? We did it! We won! We celebrated!

In last week’s article, I discussed Are You Driving Your Results?

The question I received was, “How do I put myself in the driver’s seat in the first place?” It’s an interesting question that is seldom asked.

The answer: It’s a conscious mindset of making the decision and commitment to be the driver and set up yourself and your team to win!

How Do You Drive Results Without Being Pushed into the Passenger Seat?

Be Uncomfortable. When you feel uncomfortable today, it’s easy to use that as your excuse and get off track. Many times, you do it covertly and allow your fears to dominate. The problem? You give up the driver’s seat and the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to acquire the experience! In the book Hidden Potential, Adam Grant talks about how people acknowledge their uncomfortableness as they begin a project and work through the discomfort to become highly proficient and achieve unprecedented results.

What is the reality for you as a boss and leader?

Be Willing to Participate. Too many want to sit back and observe and not participate in the creation process, managing differing opinions, and the ups and downs of getting and keeping everyone on the same page (hint: this is an ongoing process – not an “I did it once and now I’m done.”). The problem? Once you’ve given up the driver’s seat (to observe), it isn’t easy to get it back and steer towards the intended results!

Find Counsel. Asking for help is different than looking for advice on social media or asking all of your co-workers for their ideas. Hire an experienced executive coach who provides counsel by listening and guiding. Just because you’re in the driver’s seat doesn’t mean you have the experience to move a team from start to finish without challenges and have everyone satisfied with the results.

To keep everyone on the same page and moving forward:

  • Share your experience in working through past challenges.
  • Speak with the end result in mind.
  • Be open to brainstorming new ideas when the current ones are not working.
  • Acknowledge initiatives and steps taken by team members, individually and as a group.
  • Be authentic, and know you don’t have all the answers!

Being open to new ideas is how you stay in the driver’s seat and make a positive difference. An experienced executive coach will keep you thinking as the driver.

Celebrate! Too many drivers forget to honor their team members individually and as a group. Or, only do so if there is a win! It’s important to remember that even a failure can provide positive learning opportunities. Conduct a group debrief of What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? Celebrate. Create brags! The process honors you as the driver and your team members, too!

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner for over 31 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about this state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tool or how to coach and manage your people to achieve extraordinary results.

A note from Jeannette: How do you put yourself in the driver’s seat? It’s not hard, but it requires a conscious mindset to decide and commit to being the driver, especially when you feel uncomfortable and ready to bail! Want to tap into my 31++ years of experience in driving results? Contact me now with your questions!

It’s time to get honest and genuine! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are You Driving Your Results?

“Bosses and leaders need to be in the driver’s seat to produce intended results, not in the back seat criticizing everyone.” Jeannette Seibly

Driving your results requires being in the driver’s seat – not in the back seat or passenger seat criticizing other’s efforts. When bosses or leaders are riding in the back seat, they lose their inner power, create mischief, and limit the results possible for their teams and customers.

Driving your results creates control, success, and recognition for you and your team.

Driving results does not mean dismissing your team’s ideas or the boss, management team, or board’s directives.

It’s learning to be flexible and resilient while developing decisive, confident, and solution-oriented approaches. These approaches occur when you learn how to work with and through others when driving over smooth and inevitable rough terrain to achieve intended results!

Shifting into The Drivers Seat and Achieving Results

  1. Responsibility and Accountability. Take time to write down results from the past year (or any time period), “What Worked?/What Didn’t Work?” Be specific about your successes and failures. All successful bosses and leaders make mistakes – own them! Now, create Brags! for your accomplishments. Then, have your team do the same work and share. These exercises will honor the job done and lessons learned and bolster you and your team’s confidence that together, you can drive the results required.
  1. Create What’s Next and Stay Out of the Trap. Instead of attempting to replicate what worked the last time, play the “What if …” game. “What if we could achieve this new result? What would it require?” Stay out of the trap of buying into each other’s fears. When they arise (and they will), have the person name the fear (“I fear the customer will be angry about this change in the project.”). Now, write down at least 5 ways it could work! (e.g., “I could ask my boss to talk with the client.”)
  1. Now, Write Down the New Stretch Goals! Develop them with the team. Ensure everyone’s voice is heard. Talk with the nay-sayers to see what needs to be reassessed or is being ignored. Don’t forget to get buy-in from your boss, other teams, and customers that the changes will impact.
  1. Hire an Experienced Executive Coach. Since you’re now in the driver’s seat, select the right coach for your leadership and business growth and your team. Remember, focus on the coach’s experience and ability to work with different types of people and produce intended results since no two teams will operate similarly. 
  1. Use a Qualified Job Fit Assessment. It’s a highly effective way to distinguish differences between team members and to work effectively with them. These high-quality tools include long-term predictive validity needed to assess where you’re at today (the real you) and where you and your team members will be during the next year or so. These tools also focus on who you are (your natural thinking, core behaviors, and true occupational interests) and not how you want to be seen (more of the back-seat way of thinking). For example, selecting someone to handle the budget who hates working with numbers will only alienate others on the team, especially if you’re going over budget and the customer refuses to pay the additional costs!
  1. Do the Real Work! Real work is required (and experience, too) to drive the intended results. You can acquire the experience if you’re taking focused actions, being coachable, and driving the results (not attempting to hitch a ride in someone else’s vehicle)! Driving for results means asking for status reports, listening for actual work done, being open to new initiatives, and being willing to provide the resources needed. Remember, No Focused Action = No Intended Results! Stop settling for good enough (aka mediocrity), which is more of the back-seat way of thinking.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner for over 31 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about this state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tool or how to coach and manage your people to achieve extraordinary results.

A note from Jeannette: Do you want great results from your team? Then, it would be best if you got in the driver’s seat to achieve the intended results. Want to tap into my 31++ years of experience? Contact me now with your questions!

It’s time to get honest and genuine! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are Your Future Bosses and Leaders Ready to Lead the Way?

“Preparation is the key to success – that includes developing your team’s talent as future leaders too!” Jeannette Seibly

“Leader and manager development” is at the top of the list of priorities for HR leaders during 2024, according to Gartner’s annual HR Priorities survey.

According to the survey, here are several of the factors driving this priority:

  • Productivity anxiety
  • Employee conflict
  • Mutual distrust between employees and bosses
  • Pressure for operational proficiency

Also:

  • Bosses (managers) are overwhelmed by the growth of job responsibilities
  • Bosses (managers) are poorly equipped to lead change

The bottom line – here are the mistakes we often make:

  • We wait until the new leader or boss has been given the job title before we provide the tools and training required to do the job. But that is not enough!
  • We assume there is no difference between being a top performer versus being the boss. But leveling up and the added responsibilities will cause failure. (Level up = emotional intelligence, flexibility, and resilience to name a few).
  • We subscribe to the traditional sink or swim mentality of letting them figure out their new job on their own! (Yes, there are still employers that rely on this poor practice.) We only intervene when it’s necessary to put the new leader or boss on a performance improvement plan or fire them if there is too much turnover, conflict, or other nefarious outcomes!

All of these costly mistakes ensure loss of top talent and customers, while negatively impacting business revenues and results.

How to Prepare Future Leaders and Bosses

Start with:

Develop a Career Pathway.

  • What are the person’s primary interests and goals?
  • How can they achieve these in your workplace culture?
  • What type of training and education is required to meet the company and the person’s goals?

Map out the career pathway in writing and provide the dollars necessary. Remember, not all people should be or want to be bosses or managers of people to move up in the company. This often-overlooked issue can be very expensive when the person fails and leaves the company.  All their knowledge, experience, and other attributes go with them! And, your reputation as an employer suffers too. Create different career ladders and opportunities for employee growth. This should include exposure to cross-training and other customer related opportunities.

Use Valid and Reliable Job-Fit Assessments. It’s important to hire and promote based on job fit. Another benefit of using objective data and predictive validity (the ability to measurement or predict future performance in a job) is the ability to change the job responsibilities to fit the incumbent’s thinking style, core behaviors, and occupational interests! Some job-fit assessments also provide leadership reports with objective data and insights into strengths and areas for development. Remember, people today refuse to work in jobs that don’t reflect their interests and do not provide perceived value to advance them on their career pathway!

Now, Provide Hands-On Training and Development:

Build Expertise. While providing ongoing leadership and management training is important, it’s even more important that they are given opportunities to use the training and develop those skills!

Example: “1 in 5 managers would prefer not being people managers.” Yet, guiding them to learn how to work with and through other people is required in most jobs. But managing people working on projects is different than managing people on a daily basis.

Ideas for development include: leading team projects, working on a corporate team project, being on boards for non-profits and for-profits too, volunteering, etc. The key is to ensure they are actively participating and not just observing!

Proficiency with Technology. Technology and innovation are here to stay! It’s important future leaders and bosses develop an entrepreneurial spirit or curiosity to think like a business leader and drive needed change. If they don’t have the authentic curiosity or interest in technology or business, your company and customers will suffer.

Provide Talent Mobility. Post jobs and allow employees to be considered for them. This provides incentives for them to expand their skills and knowledge – always critical components to improving retention, revenues, and results! Remember to use a strategic job fit selection system for internal job transfers and promotions. Have candidates interview for the job as if they were new job candidates. Also, review their job-fit assessment results and training and education to-date.

Ask these types of questions (these are offered to get you thinking):

  • What was your most recent mistake? What did you do to fix it? What did you learn from it? (Listen for: coachability, awareness)
  • How have you used xxx (pick one or two new skills) effectively? How do you know you were using it effectively? (Listen for: ability to adapt, be flexible, and use skill appropriately)

Also, conduct internal reference checks. Example: True story – a young man was promoted by his boss because of the young man’s likability. The problem? He wasn’t courteous or likable by his co-workers and customers(!) – his overconfidence and ego got in the way too often!  

Use Objective 360-Degree Feedback Assessments. Many companies use internally designed 360-feedback questionnaires. Most of these create a lot of employee apprehension rather than provide valid insights for bosses and leaders. The main reason? There is no objective measurement being used! Pay now or pay later when using internally designed 360-degree tools versus professionally validated assessments.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner for over 31 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about this state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tool or how to coach and manage your people to achieve extraordinary results.

A note from Jeannette: Are your leaders and managers (bosses) ready to lead? Are they comfortable with change? Do they have the interests to develop the skills and competencies required? Want to tap into my 31++ years of experience of developing effective leaders and bosses? Contact me now with your questions!

It’s time to get honest and genuine! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Bosses and Leaders Need to Develop Conflict Resolution Skills

“Resolving conflicts between employees and teams is a top 2024 challenge for bosses and leaders today – but they are not ready!” Jeannette Seibly

Many bosses and leaders today need to focus on conflict resolution between individuals or teams more so than ever. But they are not ready. (Gartner Research) It no longer works (and never did) to rely on “Do as I say.” Or ignore conflicts and difficult employees while hoping the issue will take care of itself. While some will fire the perceived offender, this doesn’t resolve the real issue since it takes more than one person to create conflict.

Unresolved conflict is like a virus – it spreads invisibly into everything we do – and causes top talent and customers to leave!

Reasons conflict resolution has become a top issue during 2024 for bosses and leaders:

Employees are:

  • Taking comments and situations personally
  • Unaware of the negative impact they have when not doing their work as required
  • Unwilling to value the facts over gossip, lies, and innuendos
  • Upset when they feel unfairly treated (I’m right, and they’re wrong)

Boss and Leaders lack the following:

  • Willingness to be effective and instead focus on likability (not rocking the boat)
  • Ability to create win-win-win results (I’m the boss, and I’ll do it my way)
  • Skills or interests to get to the core of the real issue(s)
  • Objectivity is required, and instead, listen to the “loudest” or “favored” person or group
  • Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills are required to effectively manage brainstorming sessions and allow for differing opinions to create new solutions – when this is not managed effectively, it is experienced as conflict

Addressing conflicts requires getting to the core upset or issue. This can be difficult due to the various communication styles and skills in today’s workplace. Additionally, perceptions of how co-workers, bosses, and customers should talk and behave are traditionally handed down through family cultures, communities, and religious beliefs.

The solution? Everything can be resolved through communication. Often, you are unwilling to talk it out and resolve conflicts because you dismiss other’s thoughts and feelings as unimportant.

Three Key Communication Skills

Listening Skills. Focus on listening, being present, and hearing what others are saying. Listening takes awareness and lots of practice. It requires being present during conversations and not letting your mind wander. It’s especially difficult when you cite, “I’m too busy,” and fail to listen!

Remember, the longer a conflict goes on, the more mischief, factionalism, and other costly challenges occur (offsprings of the original issue). It’s important to unravel the core problems before you move forward. These conflicts do NOT go away on their own without working through the facts.

It’s up to you as the boss and leader to exemplify the skills required! To improve listening and reduce misinterpretations during meetings (a significant source of conflicts), a good place to start is with no “cell phones” allowed during meetings! Hold your supervisors, managers, and management team accountable and responsible for doing the same! Employees will follow your lead.

Speaking Skills. Many employees have limited speaking skills in the workplace for various reasons (e.g., different primary languages, fear of voicing their ideas, and remote and hybrid work concerns). Learn to speak slowly and carefully and engage all team members during meetings, virtually and onsite. Keep your word choice simple and be able to use synonyms (similar words and phrases) to help employees and team members understand what you’re saying.

Stay away from sound bites or using jargon. When explaining decisions you’ve made, be prepared to answer questions without diminishing any question as unimportant. When you humiliate one team member, others will side with them — causing instant conflict.

Influential leaders know that miscommunication is one of the top reasons for employee conflicts today! The words you choose and whether or not you listen make a big difference in causing or managing conflict. It takes less time to ensure everyone is on the same page today than to deal with tomorrow’s conflict.

Non-Verbal Gestures. While verbal and written skills are essential, non-verbal skills account for 80 percent or more of what people hear (e.g., tone of voice, hand gestures, head nods). Given that interpretations of gestures are often based on family and community cultures, one gesture may mean one thing to one person and something different to another. Take the time to talk through these differences. It’s time to listen and learn.

Three Key Solutions to Diminish Conflict

Hire Yourself an Executive Coach. Many leadership blind spots can create conflicts. Address them as they occur and work through them. You’ll become a more decisive leader and boss.

Training and Development. To reduce conflicts, close the communication gaps. This requires investing money to create onsite workshops and video training libraries. Hold everyone accountable for developing and using these skills—especially all leaders, bosses, and supervisors.

Use a Qualified Job Fit Assessment. How do qualified job fit assessments reduce conflicts and improve communication? They help team members understand objective differences in each other. They also provide a foundation for those difficult conversations about difficulties experienced when working with each other. For example, with objective data, employees are less defensive about traits that impede team progress (e.g., a hyperactive employee attempting to work with an employee who fails to meet deadlines).

Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner for over 31 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about this state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tool or how to coach and manage your people to achieve extraordinary results.

A note from Jeannette: Conflict resolution has become one of the top 2024 issues bosses and leaders must address! But many are not ready to do so for a variety of reasons … and I’ve seen too many to count. Want to tap into my 31++ years of experience? Contact me now with your questions!

It’s time to get honest and genuine! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Hiring for Likability Causes Company Results to Suffer

“Likable job candidates are easier to hire but harder to fire.” Jeannette Seibly

Why is it so easy to hire based on “likability?”

Job candidates:

  • Are positive
  • Listen to what you are saying
  • Smile a lot

The problem?

  • They tell you what you want to hear
  • You fail to ask job-related questions
  • You don’t listen to their actual responses
  • You fear deep-diving into their actual skills and responses
  • All because you like them

The results?

  • Customers are upset they have another person to train on your behalf
  • The new “likable” employee has little to no interest in doing the job as it needs to be done (e.g., the employee lacks the initiative to get answers the customer needs)
  • The hiring boss waits too long to let the person go — in the meantime, the bottom-line results suffer due to loss of customers and top talent (again)

In a recent video, a GenZer claimed that bosses should hire based mostly on someone’s likability. The problem? Most companies have been doing that for decades. Now, turnover and poor job fit are at an all-time high since we have negated the importance of job fit, an important indicator of job success.

A new employee was hired to train employees in an insurance agency — the hiring boss liked her spunk and positivity. But she had no experience working in an agency, having previously worked in the benefits division of a large company. The current employees, who had also applied for the job, were now expected to train the trainer. The new trainer lasted 60 days. While everyone felt she was “likable,” the truth was that she was ineffective in training people to succeed in their jobs due to her lack of hands-on experience and poor job fit. (She worked better in a large corporate setting.)

These Are the Pitfalls When Hiring for Likability

Hiring too quickly. On average, many hiring bosses and leaders make a “yes” or “no” decision within 4.3 minutes of meeting the job candidate based on likability and other biases. For example: “It’s unusual for job applicants to like the color orange – I love orange too.” OR “They attended the same college I did.”). Note: Yes! These situations happen all too often and have no objective basis for job fit!

Relying on fragments of information. Savvy job candidates are likable and are good at telling hiring bosses what they want to hear. Since the hiring boss feels good about the person, s/he fails to ask job-related questions and deep dive to determine if the person has the required work experience. As a result, many hiring managers make decisions based on fragments of information instead of obtaining complete objective data.

Failing to admit we are wrong. When a person is likable, many hiring bosses will defend the job candidate even with data that shows they are not a good fit for the job (e.g., hiring accountants with excellent math skills but no interest in using them). Why? Once we’ve made up our minds, it’s difficult for us to change and admit we were wrong (again). Remember, this happens way too often… you cannot change a person’s fit with the job, but you can change the job to fit the person. Examples: People may learn the skills but lack the interest in using these skills effectively. OR, Former employees from large corporations find it difficult to work in smaller environments where more initiative is expected to keep the customer happy.

Expecting them to clean up issues. While likable job candidates will tell you what you want to hear, they do not have the capability to make the tough decisions and have the difficult conversations to “clean up issues” they were hired to do.

How to Focus on Job Fit and Less on Likability

Create a Strategic Job Fit System. Then, follow it! It’s not complicated. But it does require accountability and responsibility for who you hire and why you hired that person(s).

Use Qualified Job-Fit Assessments. It’s crucial to see the “whole person” (e.g., thinking style, core behaviors, and occupational interests). Using the wrong assessment allows applicants to show themselves as they want to be seen, not as who they are. With over 3,000 published assessments available, it can be difficult to discern which ones comply with the Department of Labor guidelines for pre-employment and selection use. Recommendation: Ask for a technical manual and check for distortion, predictive validity, reliability, and validity coefficients. (See Chapter 9, Use the Right Assessments and Skill Tests, Hire Amazing Employees). Using the correct assessment correctly makes all the difference in the selection process!

Conduct Due Diligence. It’s not uncommon for applicants to provide education, job titles, and companies that don’t exist! (Yes, likable job applicants can lie.) Make sure to conduct background, licensing, education, and other checks. Many times, using a third-party provider ensures a thorough and consistent process. (SEE Chapter 17, Types of Checks, Hire Amazing Employees)

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner for over 31 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about this state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tool or how to coach and manage your people to achieve extraordinary results.

A note from Jeannette: Too often, we hire based on likability and ignore selecting for job fit (employees that fit their job responsibilities and workplace culture). But with high turnover of top talent and customers, poor job fit impacts results and your bottom line. With a well-designed job-fit selection system, let’s make 2024 a great year. Want to tap into my 31++ years of experience? Contact me now with your questions!

It’s time to get honest and genuine! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Stop Sabotaging Your Work Relationships

“Want to make a positive difference in your relationships at work? Do what you say you’ll do.” Jeannette Seibly

Many bosses and leaders don’t focus on building good proactive work relationships. They are in denial, fail to see the value, and sabotage the ability to work well with others.

As a result, bosses and leaders are disappointed in the results when others’ support is required to resolve workplace problems or handle complex customer challenges. Without good work relationships built over time — co-workers and bosses who were ignored or dismissed as necessary — are unavailable or become judgmental, insisting they know what they should have or could have done or how they would have done it!

When Bobby, a middle-level boss, continued to complain about his boss, who was a director, he was instructed by his best friend to hire an executive coach. While he didn’t believe a coach would solve the problem of his boss slashing his quarterly bonuses and failing to provide needed resources, he did it.

The coach outlined a recommendation for Bobby. “Go and have a conversation. Not just any conversation. Have one that will make a positive and real difference. Start building a good work relationship. You don’t have to like him; respect that he is your boss.”

His retort, “If I’d known what you are telling me to do, I never would have hired you.” The coach’s reply, “You did hire me. Now, get it done. You’ll be amazed by the difference it makes.”

Bobby did, and the coach was right. The results from his conversation with the boss were phenomenal. He became one of the few people that could get along with the guy.

The bonus result? The president of the company heard about it. Six months later, the president called Bobby. “I heard you’re doing great things. When you’re ready, I want you to run one of my new companies.”

Building good work relationships, especially with difficult team members and bosses, greatly affects your promotability, results, and career options.

Six Tips to Grow Strong Relationships

Good listening skills are crucial! Yes, I know. I mention this a lot. But unless you really listen, the rest of these tips will do you little good!

Take Responsibility for Biases and Judgments. You love to believe that no one knows how you feel about someone. The truth? It shows up in your choice of words, nonverbal gestures, and work assignments. There are many workshops and courses that can help you blast through old thoughts and beliefs and correct poor communication styles that get in the way. Get signed up and participate! (Sitting on the sidelines and pretending to listen makes no difference.)

Respect Others. Stop relying on your excuses for not fully supporting the team goal. For example, if you have trouble hearing others during Zoom meetings, be respectful and turn up the volume on your laptop (it may not be a Zoom issue). If you know you’re experiencing hearing loss, take care of yourself by getting your hearing tested. Using excuses to stop listening or failing to ask good questions hurts your relationships and disrespects your team members.

Get Involved. As a boss and leader, you must stay involved and listen during team meetings, especially when your team and co-workers ask for help and resources. It doesn’t mean you micromanage – unless it’s required. Guiding them to take the initiative, expecting them to talk it out, or requiring accountability builds positive relationships and results.

Ask for Help! Others’ input bolsters relationships or hurts them if you ignore their recommendations. Many bosses and leaders don’t ask for help! Unless they are forced into it. At that point, they have no alternative. And although they’ve asked for help, their egos kick in and make it difficult for others to help (e.g., “I already did that.” or “I don’t see how that will work.”). Remember, asking for help doesn’t mean you don’t have the skills or smarts to do the job. It simply means you’re keeping an open mind that there may be better ideas on achieving your goals, working through factional issues, or seeing the issue from different points of view.

Honor Your Word. Don’t talk about what you’re going to do. Do it! Although everyone likes to believe they have integrity, the truth is that most do not. They make decisions in their own self-interest, fail to follow up and follow through as promised, or don’t believe the rules should apply to them. Start small … but start. Example: Concern: I’m expected to talk 1:1 with my employees. Solution: Set up 1:1 meetings with team members once a month to start. Then, increase as needed. Keep in mind, when you do what you say you’ll do, you will build trust and relationships!

Make Win-Win-Win Decisions. The decisions you make impact others. However, some impacts are less noticeable and will negatively influence the team’s ability to get their work done. To make good decisions, hire an executive coach, ask for help, and listen! The willingness to ensure you’re making the best decisions is your way of honoring your word to your team and company. Thereby building stronger relationships. Then, follow up to determine if the results are what is required. If not, conduct a What Worked?/What Didn’t Work? to determine what was missing.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, it always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Good work relationships make a big difference in your ability to get things done, make good decisions, and enjoy your job. Sadly, you may overlook critical qualities ensuring your work relationships work! Have questions? Contact me now!

It’s time to get honest and authentic! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes during 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Talent Mobility Creates a Profitable Company

“Talent mobility (moving people within the company) creates a powerful impact and positive workplace culture.” Jeannette Seibly

Often, companies fail to embrace talent mobility that focuses on hiring employees for job fit, providing laser coaching, and moving these talented employees into the “right” seats. This failure leads to companies experiencing significant layoffs, high turnover, and quiet quitting.

How To Achieve It!

Use Qualified Job-Fit Assessments. Often, we use assessments that are not validated for pre-employment and selection use. It’s one of the reasons employees leave or quietly quit. Instead, use the PXT Select® for hiring, coaching, and managing insights. These reports provide needed information for talent mobility and coaching. They guide bosses, employees, and teams to excel faster.

Develop Individual Career Paths. Use objective data and the employee’s interest(s) to build a viable pathway to fulfill professional and personal goals. Employees (at all levels within the company) will stay longer and do a better job when they feel the employer is supporting their interests and providing needed coaching to build their skills.

Provide Training Consistent with the Employees’ Growth and Needs. Training everyone the same way doesn’t work. (However, one consistent area for growth is teaching employees, bosses, and leaders to listen.) Use the PXT Select® Coaching Report to determine growth needs before promoting or moving someone into a different job. High-quality assessments help leaders and bosses coach and manage employees for success and let them know ahead of time where the obstacles will occur. And issues will occur! Forearmed is forewarned.

Develop Leadership and Boss Skills Before Needed. While everyone can be a leader in their job, not everyone will be a great boss of people! Take the time to train and develop all employees interested in promotion or new work opportunities. Start with the PXT Select® Leadership Report for objective insights into strengths and areas for improvement. Then, set up an individualized training and coaching program (aka career path). For example, training all team leaders and members to conduct effective virtual, on-site, or hybrid meetings is critical to achieving the intended results the customer requires.

Provide an External Coach and an Internal Mentor. Top talent will have questions and want answers. Often, the boss is too busy, doesn’t have the answer, or cannot provide effective coaching. Providing the ability to have a confidential conversation with their executive coach or ask internal or industry questions of a mentor will provide everyone with answers when faced with difficult situations or politically charged relationships.

These five crucial areas will impact talent mobility and the company’s profitability. (Hint: Picking at least one of the five areas above and implementing it will advance the company further than most.)

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, it always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: “Moving people within the company (aka talent mobility) can have a powerful impact on the bottom line, create a positive culture, and grow the company’s, leaders’ and boss’s reputation.” However, too often, we move and change people’s jobs without considering job fit, their true interests, and how to get the best results for our customers and our company. Have questions? Contact me now!

It’s time to get honest and real! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes during 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.