Stop Entertaining Excuses and Get into Focused Action

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imagesRPBZWUCVIt’s only the second week of the new year, and many people are already starting to entertain excuses and negative beliefs about achieving their 2018 goals.

Why?

They may have failed to:

  • Complete what happened during 2017
  • Create true goals (that are specific and measurable)
  • Take focused action steps
  • Put aside their feelings of entitlement
  • Get out of their own way

It’s time to exorcise these excuses and set aside the doubt and beliefs that have prevented you from taking focused action steps. Remember, December 31, 2018 will be here in 356 days, and you will want to say, “I did it!”

Excuses Be Gone!

Have You Completed 2017? Completion of 2017 is critical to support achieving your 2018 goals. Write down specifically what worked and what didn’t work last year. While some may fear looking backwards, I promise you, there are wonderful lessons to be learned if you are willing to take the time now. (Remember, you are only getting complete with the past, not pitching a tent there!) Next, acknowledge yourself for every accomplishment in 2017. This creates a strong foundation for overcoming the inevitable excuses and staying in action during 2018.

Are Your Goals Specific and Measurable? Expecting to make a million dollars in three months without a viable system in place is unrealistic and wishful thinking. Create true goals before putting together a focused action plan – goals you will recommit to daily, regardless of how you are feeling. Remember, achieving your goals will take concentrated actions throughout the entire year.

Focused Action Is Required. Creating a million-dollar result may require new clients and/or successfully providing additional services. Creating effective lead generation programs, attending specifically focused networking meetings and conducting laser-like presentations require you to step outside your comfort zone. Hire a coach, and stop believing you have it all handled! (Note: This type of thinking will get in your way!)

Feeling Entitled Stops You from Taking Focused Action. Entitlement is not just a stereotype for millennials – it applies to everyone with a similar outlook. It usually occurs when people expect to succeed quickly, fail to achieve intended results or don’t believe they need to improve their skills! (These attitudes usually signify the person is in the wrong job or career. If you find yourself thinking this way often, now is a great time to review your career choices.) Successful people without an entitlement mentality always take the time to learn the basics about their company’s products and services. Plus, they develop their competencies through diligent practice and mastery.

We All Have Fears. Fear of failure or fear of success won’t move you forward. These pesky fears seem all too real, but they are only your outdated beliefs about yourself getting in the way. To quickly overcome them, create or update your Brag! statements. Now, share them. With this new level of clarity and confidence, you can develop your competencies and attract new opportunities for success.

Now is the time to let go of excuses and get into focused action!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2018

Are you ready to create a robust 2018? Jeannette will guide you through a powerful exercise designed to complete 2017 and prepare you to design a robust 2018! One new client created an amazing business of her dreams by completing 2017, allowing her to uncover the negative beliefs that got in her way … now she’s ready for a successful 2018. To learn more, contact Jeannette Seibly @ http://SeibCo.com/contact. 

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Do you need to learn how to work together as a team, conduct effective meetings and develop powerful solutions for 2018? Check out her website, or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

It’s That Time of Year to Set Your Goals!

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goals.3Yes, it’s that time of year for you and your company to set new goals. However, if you are like a lot of people, you may be avoiding it. Some people are even afraid to set goals. Why? The possibility of failure. In today’s culture, we read a lot about successful people who created BIG goals and achieved them. What they often don’t share are the many failures they experienced before the big win!

The truth is, when designed correctly, goals can help you grow professionally, financially and personally. They provide opportunities to learn new skills, become resourceful and resilient when faced with limitations, and build on “soft skills” you didn’t even know you had or needed.

Stop! There Is One Step to Complete First!

Don’t start the new year operating on what happened during 2017 – whether it was good, bad or so-so. (Use an experienced facilitator to create a powerful foundation to build 2018.)

  • –Write down objective data regarding what worked and what didn’t in 2017. (See It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition, Chapter 14.)
  • –Review the data with your coach and/or your team. As you are sharing, quantify and add often-overlooked items (e.g., what you learned, new and unexpected opportunities, improved relationships, etc.)
  • –Acknowledgment is important. Have your coach acknowledge you. Then, individually recognize each team member, no matter how small their contributions may seem. This will strengthen each and every person’s desire to move forward together or to be stronger if someone is leaving.
  • –After you’ve completed the above steps, create your goals for 2018!

5 Ways to Create and Pursue Powerful Goals

1.Envision Specific Goals before Turning Them into Written Ones. Envision what is desired or required by company mandate before brainstorming. Create and fine-tune the goals without worrying about how you and the team will achieve them. Many people will rise to a new level of skills when they’re required to do so. Then, as a group, align on written goals and focused actions that will achieve the intended results. Remember, true goals include a deadline, are simple and realistic, and achieve numerically declared results. For example, by 12-31-2018, the launch of a new CRM program will result in 1,000 new clients and 100% customer satisfaction scores.

2.Schedule Focused Action Steps to Make a Positive Difference. Design realistic daily, weekly and monthly action plans that will keep you focused on intended results. Remember, in your excitement, you and your team will initially want to achieve everything very quickly. However, real, sustainable goals take much longer. For example, achieving a million-dollar sales goal in the first three months of 2018 may not be possible for a small company. However, specifically creating a 12-month plan to effectively hire, coach, train and manage your sales team during 2018 will get you there!

3.Tracking Progress Is Critical. Create a simple tracking system to remind the team that they are making positive strides forward. Share numeric results on a consistent and frequent basis. Remember to schedule celebrating the milestones along the way. For example, set up an intranet system that shows the sales results and customer satisfaction scores on a daily basis. This will reinforce the goals and remind everyone to stay focused on the right things.

4.Watch for Things That Don’t Look Right. Here’s what is normal: people miss deadlines, social media venues change algorithms, mistakes and failures occur at key moments, and progress doesn’t happen fast enough for most people (including your boss). Unfortunately, these normal unplanned circumstances often create the no-win blame game! To counter this, on a consistent basis, objectively review what worked and learn from what didn’t work. (See It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition, Chapter 14.) This will strengthen and recommit your team, uncover cover-ups and incorporate overlooked items required to get back on track. (Note: Whatever you do, do NOT change the goal!)

5.Hire a Coach. While you may strongly believe in yourself and your team, this view will only take you so far. The right coach can quickly help you and your team uncover blind spots and get back to reality while holding each and every one accountable for taking focused action steps and achieving intended goals.

Are you ready? Now is the time to complete this year’s goals and create 2018 goals.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017-2018

Are you ready to create a powerful 2018? Jeannette will guide you through a powerful exercise designed to complete 2017 and prepare you to design a powerful 2018! One new client created an amazing business of her dreams by completing 2017, allowing her to uncover the negative beliefs that got in her way…she’s now ready for a successful 2018. To learn more, contact Jeannette Seibly @ http://SeibCo.com/contact. 

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Do you need to learn how to work together as a team, conduct effective meetings and develop powerful solutions for 2018? Check out her website, or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Do This Daily to Encourage Success

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Cocky LederMany leaders and bosses wait until the end of the year to acknowledge their employees, management team, vendors and customers. However, success is built when you recognize everyone on a daily basis. When you make this a positive habit, you will build a productive team and confident employees every day, and you’ll receive exceptional service from your vendors and encourage customers to stay.

Acknowledge Everyone

One-on-one: Don’t be shy. Tell your co-workers, peers, boss, customers and vendors how much you appreciate them both verbally and in writing. Be specific and positive.

Team: Let everyone on the team know that you’ve appreciated their efforts this year. Successful leaders take time to complete the year by reviewing what worked and what didn’t work, and by acknowledging each and every person’s contributions. Applaud the results they’ve achieved, regardless of the project’s status.

Self: Look in the mirror and tell yourself out loud that you are fabulous, terrific and amazing! (I know, most people will not immediately see the value of positive self-talk … do it anyway!) Also, complete (or update) the five amazing steps to sell yourself – your brag factors! Brag statements can and do improve your success … as reflected in your paycheck, bottom line, business and career opportunities, and business relationships.

Please and thank you: Make it a common practice to acknowledge others each and every day of the year.

I appreciate and acknowledge each and every one of you!

Thank you and Happy Holidays to all!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator to successfully address company issues? What conflicts have you been ignoring that need to be resolved for a successful 2018? Contact Jeannette Seibly. She will provide confidential, laser-focused coaching that works! 

Jeannette Seibly has been called a catalyst. She is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant who guides her clients to achieve unprecedented results. Are you ready to challenge your status quo? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Improve Your Career During Meetings–It’s the Fastest Way

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Millennials Lead.2“But … ,” you lament, “meetings are boring, uninspiring and a waste of time! Why should I bother?”

Here’s the answer: The reputation you create at meetings can easily improve or derail your career opportunities!

Be Part of the Solution

Successful people want to work with key contributors. They gauge your effectiveness by how well you prepare, participate and interact in meetings. They are a golden opportunity to shine in the spotlight, showcase your leadership skills and participate in reaching win-win decisions … all important ways to blaze a pathway to career success. Remember, you never know who is watching and listening, so always be ready!

10 Ways to Be a Positive Contributor

1.Show Up On Time. Be in your seat (or on the call) 5 minutes before the actual start time. Ask everyone to turn off electronic gadgets and put phones away to minimize distractions. If you are the facilitator or presenter, ensure the room is set up and conference calls and presentations are working before the scheduled time. Also, manage your agenda so you end on time.

2.Come Prepared. Read all documents, agendas and other materials before the meeting. Bring the information, along with written notes and questions, with you. Provide graphs and short summaries to participants prior to the meeting, and review them as a group. Note: When meetings drag on, it’s usually because attendees did not prepare. No decisions should be made without proper preparation.

3.Be Mentally Ready. Good leaders and active participants rehearse key points they want to make or questions they want to ask. They have role-played (even if it’s their mind) any concerns and pushback they believe will occur, and they are prepared to address them.

4.Leave Your Laptop Behind. It distracts both you and others around you from learning, according to research conducted by the University of Michigan. Researchers found that using paper and pencil to take notes is a better alternative!

5.Take Turns. Call each person by name and give them the opportunity to talk. Also, if you are not running the meeting, feel free to ask others for their input. Otherwise, people will feel bored and stifled, and that will limit the team’s ability to make the best decisions.

6.Encourage Differing Opinions. Respect all perspectives and value everyone’s input. Otherwise, your fear of possible conflicts and inability to manage them will sideline your career. (For further insight, read Do You Know How to De-escalate Conflict?)

7.Listen! This cannot be emphasized enough! When you play with electronic gadgets or multitask by doing other work, you miss out on important information. Actively listening is the best way to develop the insights to resolve issues and formulate new ideas for products and services. It’s a skill everyone must develop in their careers.

 8.State Your Point Upfront. State your point first, then provide any supporting information to reinforce it by keeping it simple and staying focused. This will help you stay away from monologues, inappropriate gossip or sidebars, technical terms (aka jargon) or lengthy responses.

9.Ask Good Questions. Everyone is a valuable contributor in their own way. Drill down by using a positive tone of voice to clarify concerns and ask further questions. Then, build on their points and resolve their issues before moving forward. You usually won’t get to the real underlying concern without asking three or four clarifying questions.

10.Build Alignment. Align on decisions. Attempting to reach consensus is a waste of time, since it delays making decisions and encourages people to take sides without resolving the true issue. Questions to ask: Can everyone live with this decision? Is it workable and doable? If not, what needs to be added or changed so that everyone is on the same page moving forward?

The fastest way to build your career is to show up and positively contribute in every meeting.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2016-2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s management group? Have issues to address or conflicts to resolve that you have been avoiding? 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 need to learn how to work together as a team to find the best solutions? Conduct effective meetings? Get out of your own way? Check out her website, or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

 

Can Boomerang Employees Be Valuable Assets?

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What Are Boomerang Employees? hiring costs

Boomerang employees are people who have left the company, worked for a different employer (or started their own business), and then came back. In the past, employers simply did not rehire former employees. Today, according to Accountemps, 98% of human resource professionals are open to hiring former employees, mostly due to the current shortage of qualified talent. Boomerangs can be valuable assets when rehired the right way.

Understand Why They Left: A 2-Step Process

Step 1: Learn the Reasons

  • They believed the grass was greener somewhere else.
  • The job or career path didn’t fit them.
  • Career advancement was limited.
  • They blamed their former boss for their problems.
  • They wanted a better paycheck and/or benefits.
  • They needed to relocate due to family, partner or other factors.

Step 2: Were there any bridges burned that can’t be repaired? This is critical. If they left on a negative note, blamed others or didn’t do their job well, they may have a very difficult time showing that they have changed. Other issues, including theft and drugs, are usually nonnegotiable.

When considering rehiring boomerangs, listen to both the cheerleaders and naysayers on your staff regarding the person’s return. However, be careful about relying 100% on their input. Too often, the cheerleaders want someone who is known while the naysayers are afraid of changing the current status quo.

The Value of Rehiring Boomerang Employees

New Skills. Former employees can be great assets when they can bring updated industry skills, new networks and the fresh insights needed to take your company to the next level. They also can bring a competitive edge if there is a mutual willingness and attitude to move forward.

Faster Training. Most new hires take 6 to 18 months before they are fully trained for their position. By rehiring boomerang employees, you may save time and money, depending on their willingness to adapt to any changes.

Cultural Awareness. Learning the dos and don’ts is often a new hire’s biggest challenge. When you rehire a boomerang employee, they often already know what to expect from your company. 

Reengage Current Employees. If the boomerang employee was well-liked and respected, bringing them back can be a big morale booster. The fact they are willing to come back also speaks well of the employer. The lessons they learned can remind any current top talent who are thinking about leaving that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere.

Don’t Shortchange the Selection and Onboarding Process

Conduct Complete Due Diligence – As You Would for Any Unknown Candidate. Whether they are coming back as a full-time, part-time or contract employee, use the same strategic application and interview process you would for lesser-known candidates. Talk through today’s goals, vision and workplace expectations. Remember, your company has evolved. Just because the boomerang employee was a top performer in the past does not mean they can perform at the same level now.

Take the Blinders Off – Nobody Stays the Same Forever. Clarity is key. Collect as much objective data as possible. Use qualified assessment tools to help determine job fit today.  Remember, the challenge isn’t what you can see and remember — it’s what you don’t see or have forgotten about.

Prepare Them for Success – Change Is Inevitable. While boomerang employees may understand change conceptually, they may not be fully prepared. During the onboarding process, review the organization’s changes – good and bad, written and unwritten. Review the mission, values, systems, procedures, culture, company direction, employees, products, services, vendors and clients. Assign them an internal mentor who can help them navigate changes that may not be readily apparent.

When you rehire boomerang employees the right way, they can often become your greatest asset.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015-2017

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 ready to challenge the status quo? Do you have a hiring system that actual works? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

 

Your Beliefs Determine the Quality of Your Results

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BeliefsMany emerging leaders think they know what is required to spearhead larger projects, successful teams and projected outcomes. They trust their knowledge on how to design, develop and execute projects and believe that is all they need for success. However, what you know doesn’t guarantee success. The truth is, your belief in yourself, the team and the project will better determine the quality of your results.

Let Go of Limiting Beliefs

Limiting Belief #1: I Already Know All About Me. We want to believe that others see us the way we see ourselves. This is rarely the case. When you lack awareness of your impact on others or assume you already know what they think, it limits your ability to influence them. If you really want to know how you are perceived (and real leaders do), use qualified assessment tools and an executive coach to uncover your blind spots, release limiting beliefs and help you get out of your own way.

Limiting Belief #2: Failure Is Not an Option. Many of today’s business professionals have been taught to believe there is no such thing as failure! However, being unable to admit mistakes or blaming others when the project doesn’t look like you think it should discourages others from wanting to work with you. Believe in the process by working objectively through the plan’s design, development and execution. Allow yourself and your team to uncover errors, make mistakes and even fail. Remember, this won’t necessarily be fun, but it’s the quickest and the best way to learn.

Limiting Belief #3: All Change Is Good. Change can be great when it’s required – but change for the sake of change doesn’t usually work. Believe in the process of change and don’t shortchange it. Build on others’ ideas, encourage conflicting opinions (yes, I said conflicting) and align on team decisions before proceeding forward.

Limiting Belief #4: I Have the Wrong Team. Did you know that many leaders think they have the wrong team? Get over it! Team members will make or break your success, depending on your belief in them! Put away your laundry list of why they can’t or won’t do the job. Believing and trusting your team members to handle their responsibilities can and does produce unprecedented results.

Limiting Belief #5: Asking for Help Shows Weakness. This limiting belief is deadly. When you can ask for help, you are showing strength. Asking for help and advice from your team members, business advisor and/or boss is the best place to start. Only fools believe they have all the knowledge required.

Breaking free of these limiting beliefs will make a profound difference in the quality of any project’s results.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s management group? Have issues to address or conflicts to resolve that you have been avoiding? 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 need to learn how to work together as a team? Conduct effective meetings? Break free of limiting beliefs? Check out her website, or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

How Do You Make a Positive Impression?

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leadership6A businessman is very knowledgeable about his profession. However, people don’t return his phone calls or invite him to work with them on projects. Why? He gossips. He tells people they are wrong in front of others. He mocks them when he doesn’t understand their point of view. The result? The negative impression he has created limits his ability to make a positive difference.

Many people today are in a big rush and rarely slow down when they communicate with others. Miscommunication occurs and can leave the impression that they are difficult to work with … one of the fastest ways to derail a career. Don’t let this happen to you. Understand that ALL of your actions, words, attitudes and behaviors impact others. While you cannot control everyone’s impression of you, being mindful of how you interact with co-workers, bosses and clients will allow you to create a positive impact.

Be Mindful in Your Communication

Texts and Emails. Slow down! Consider how your communication will be interpreted before sending that email or text. Your digital interaction is the #1 way to create an impression that you are able to communicate well with others.

Social Media Postings. When you post pictures or statements that may be considered offensive or spam, they will determine others’ willingness to work with you. While you may believe self-expression is your right, poorly thought-out postings can create an impression that you are difficult to work with. They can even impact your ability to get a job offer, receive a promotion, close a sale or receive funding for a product, idea or book.

Meetings. When working with a team, it’s important to outline and communicate expectations and group rules and provide training on how to handle team meetings. As the leader, a little planning goes a long way. It creates the impression that you respect your team’s time and are committed to their success and the intended results of a project.

Gossip. Gossip hurts others, and many times it’s based on fragments of information that are not the whole truth. It may even be considered harassment. Instead of participating in gossip, shift the conversation and be supportive of each and every team member to create a positive impression of the team.

Truth. Lying to others will diminish trust. Know that eventually the truth will surface and your excuses will only create an impression that you cannot be trusted. Tell the truth using the facts only, regardless of the situation. Remember, you may need to say you are unable to share the details of an issue due to confidentiality.

Feedback. While you want to hear great things about your efforts, your boss, co-worker or client may provide a different perspective. It’s important to listen to them and say thank you. Your ability to graciously receive feedback provides the impression that you are open to learning from your mistakes. It’s a great way to make a positive impression.

Transform Negative Impressions

Talk It Out. When you believe you’ve created a negative impression with one or two people, have a conversation. Do it now. Sit down one-on-one and ask, “What is your impression of me?” Listen nondefensively. Apologize for any misperceptions before talking further.

If it is with your team, conduct a 360-degree feedback process using a qualified assessment tool. After the results are back, sit down one-on-one and review it for additional insights.

Remember, you create a positive or negative impression each and every time you interact with someone. These impressions will determine others’ willingness to work with you in the future.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s management group? Have issues to address or conflicts to resolve that you have been avoiding? 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 need to learn how to work together as a team? Conduct effective meetings? Check out her website, or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

If You Want to Be Successful, Develop Resiliency

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resiliency

 

“There will always be someone who wants to knock you down. Develop resiliency so you can get up and keep moving forward.” Jeannette Seibly

 

Experiencing a major mistake or failure means you have fallen down and need to get back up. Being able to bounce back requires developing resiliency. Although it’s not a difficult process, you do need to be aware of what actually happened.

The good news is that resiliency is not a gene you are born with. Resiliency is a skill you develop and build on while working through difficult issues or problems. Over 95 percent of the population has dealt with adversity before the age of 20. Those who become adept at managing adversity are the people who get ahead.

Overcome Adversity by Learning from It

Resilience

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, resilience is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Our ability to rally quickly after difficulties and learn from them helps us develop stronger leadership capabilities, greater confidence and positive outcomes. In fact, adversity can build character, compassion and help pull everyone together. How do you learn to overcome adversity?  Talk it out confidentially with a business advisor, coach or therapist. Write it out (but do NOT send what you’ve written to anyone). Walk it out … exercise improves your serotonin levels. The key is to work through the disappointment, embarrassment and other feelings you and your team may experience. Denying these feelings will only hinder your ability to move forward.

Respect

Respect yourself. Respect your team. Respect the process. We have all made bad decisions. Deal with them and move past any disappointments. Life can be unpredictable…things happen beyond our control. It’s what you do about it that makes or breaks you as an effective leader and team member. Set aside your ego and thoughts that life’s not fair. Apologize where appropriate. Move forward by reviewing what worked and what didn’t work before making any changes. This will get everyone on the same page and produce unprecedented results. Keep in mind, too, that this is a good time to review the process and a great opportunity to rewrite it.

Listen and Be Heard

Listening to others’ opinions can be difficult when you are feeling vulnerable or exposed due to a mistake or failure. Being heard while telling the truth requires taking responsibility for what you and/or your team did. Do it responsibly and appropriately. Immediately have a confidential conversation with your business advisor and follow his or her advice. Then, work with your boss, board and/or attorney to say what you need to say, put together a plan to clean it up and help others impacted by the mistake or failures. Remember, it may take time for others to trust you again.

Success is built when you and your team members overcome adversity and develop these all-important skills.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Need a speaker or facilitator for your company’s management group? Have issues to address or conflicts to resolve that you have been avoiding? 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 need help learning from adversity and developing resiliency? Learn from someone who has been there and done that successfully! Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

When You Have a Disgruntled Team Member…Resolve It!

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Disgruntled Team Member.2jpg

 

You are leading a meeting and need to have a detail handled. You ask the person taking notes to record a comment a team member just made.  He declines, saying, “I didn’t write down your comments so I’m not going to write down his comments either.”

You think, “Huh?”  Then, to keep the meeting moving forward, you simply start creating your own notes for future reference.  

In case you’re not sure, that was an early warning sign that you may have a disgruntled team member.

Unfortunately, disgruntled team members can subtly appear out of nowhere! They are often unaware of their reason for being upset and so they project their dissatisfaction onto you. Left unaddressed, they will disrupt a team, diminish team members’ efforts and hurt the results of a project. Ignoring them isn’t an option.

Why Must They Be Addressed Now?

Creep Factor.  Negativity expands faster than positivity. While it may start with subtle comments made by one or two team members, it can grow exponentially—even if no one understands what the real issue is. Other signals include disregard for the group’s (or company’s) rules, disparaging remarks or gossip, reluctance to share ideas, being late for meetings and assignment deadlines, etc.

Bias Barriers. Even when they’ve had awareness training about harassment, learning differences and life choices, team members often don’t know how to work with and through different perceptions.

Team Cynics. Your team cynics may be bored or don’t feel heard and will undermine you, the project or others’ efforts. They lack the appropriate communication skills to build agreement in a positive and profitable manner.

Avoiding the Inevitable. If you create ways to work around disruptive team members instead of addressing the issue, you will thwart the process, deplete everyone’s energy and blow the budget. Failure to effectively address issues now will sideline and potentially kill your career.

How Do You Address Disgruntled Team Members?

Voice It. There are times you’ll need to stop a meeting and voice the issue. Ask everyone for their input. Initially, they may deny there is a problem. Share your perception and wait it out. Don’t allow external blame or “everyone’s tired” to be the excuse. The core issue must be identified in order to transform it. Putting beautiful decorations on a mud pie still leaves you with a mud pie. Get rid of the decorations and dig into the mud to see what the real issues are. This may be messy … but doing it allows you to identify and address the necessary changes.

Hold Them Accountable. Integrity issues (lies, theft, mischief and gossiping) will sabotage the team and its goals. Taking a hard line will be unpopular; however, uncovering what’s in the “mud” will pay off in the end.

Stick with the Facts. Facts are important. Make sure they are accurate and share them. The team skeptic(s) will challenge you, and initially others may readily agree with them. Encourage everyone to share their point of view. While uncovering misperceptions, offer reminders about the facts and goals – this process will realign team members to get everyone on same page.

Ongoing Training. Team members today love to blame conflict on personality differences, believing it lets them off the hook … so they stop listening and fail to resolve the issue. Use qualified assessments to identify and talk through differences – we are all unique in our own ways. Team training should be an ongoing part of your team development process.

Review Project Scope. Team members will bicker when the project isn’t stretching their capabilities … mostly because they are bored. Delegate key opportunities, consider alternatives and think about monetizing the project in other areas of the company. Strategic visioning, true brainstorming and training (how to handle the technology, communication and people aspects of meetings) are required for each team member to interact, expand and excel.

Talk with Your Coach. As the leader, you are ultimately responsible for the project outcome and the team’s experience of getting there. Going it alone is not a good option! Get help now before you have lost the team, and their respect, forever.

Disgruntled team members can be a blessing if you are willing to dig into what’s behind their behavior and address the real issues.

©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 a project that needs outside intervention to achieve the intended results on time and within budget? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

How to Recover Quickly from a Bad Hiring Decision

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imagesU4QT41U3No one likes to admit they made a bad hiring decision. However, as a hiring manager, it’s always possible you will fail to hire the right person for the right job.

What makes it harder is that you’ve invested lots of time and energy into a long and arduous interview process. However, hanging on to a bad hire isn’t going to change the person! While there are times it will not be a clear-cut decision to reassign someone or let them go, it’s important to never sacrifice your business, great employees or customers by keeping someone who cannot or will not do the job.

First … Get Real about Your Decision

  1. Admit it. Denial isn’t helpful and will hurt you and your company’s reputation the longer you hang on to the bad hire.
  2. Create a professional development plan. For example, if someone has limited outside sales experience, have them shadow several top salespeople. Then, the sales manager should go with them on calls. Well-defined sales indicators (e.g., number of calls, appointments, presentations and new customers) and a qualified assessment can uncover where to focus coaching efforts.
  3. Talk candidly with the person. Many times, she or he did their best to land the job interview without truly understanding the job requirements. This is a good time to review expectations. For example, cold calls are a norm for outside salespeople — something good salespeople enjoy and others despise.
  4. Evaluate them for a different position within the company. Use or review the qualified assessment to determine what you missed when interviewing the candidate. What did you assume? What did you ignore? Did you make your decision based solely on the interview without including the assessment results (which should be 1/3 of the hiring decision)?
  5. Talk with HR and/or legal before terminating them. When you fire someone, make sure to include a key employee during the exit process as a witness. Be sure all passwords and proprietary information are collected immediately. Keep in mind that no exit interview is required.
  6. When termination may be the best solution:
  • – The employee misrepresented his or her skills.
  • – The employee has excellent skills but is a terrible team player.
  • – The employee does not follow basic company policies, despite warnings.
  • – Theft or drugs are involved.
  • – It would cost more money and time to invest in the employee than your company can realistically afford.

According to Insperity, the average U.S. employer spends about $4,000 and 52 days to hire a new person. A bad hire will diminish management, co-workers and customers’ confidence and hurt your P&L. Find out the real costs you incur when a bad hiring decision is made by using the Hiring Calculator. This will help you understand the need to improve your hiring practices.

Second, Review and Improve Your Hiring Decisions

After firing Candidate #1 and before contacting Candidate #2, take a candid look at your current hiring process. (Hint: One great idea is to bring in an objective facilitator to strategically review your hiring process and, if necessary, build a new one.)

Consider the following:

  1. Use an ATS system that pushes job postings to many sites to attract more qualified candidates.
  2. Review the job description and rewrite it to attract better candidates.
  3. Share the rewritten job description and get agreement before restarting the hiring process.
  4. Use qualified job fit assessments to better understand candidates’ natural strengths and weaknesses.
  5. Deep-dive into candidates’ responses to better understand the quality of their skills. (Note: Just because they have skills doesn’t mean they will use them.)
  6. Conduct complete due diligence and use a qualified core value assessment. Remember, over 70 percent of resumes contain inaccuracies. For example, it’s critical to validate the name of previous employers and job titles, actual base salary and actual dates of work, etc. Read Hire Amazing Employees for additional insights.
  7. No one wants to admit their personal biases override common sense. But studies have shown we make decisions within 4.3 minutes of meeting a candidate and spend the rest of the interview validating our biases. Stay out of this trap.
  8. Prepare for the interview. Winging an interview today is simply rude, and many job applicants will say no to the job offer if you are unprepared.
  9. Conduct several interviews with more than one top candidate. Candidates today are savvy and will often say what you want to hear rather than the whole truth. For example, asking, “Are you familiar with QuickBooks?” and having them say yes does not mean they know how to use it. Instead, say, “Tell me about your proficiency in using QuickBooks.” Then, deep-dive into their responses to determine actual skill strength.

Acting wisely and quickly will improve your hiring decisions and make the difference in attracting and retaining great employees.

©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 a hiring system that needs to be updated, really updated? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.