Being a Boss Is Not Easy…Learn How to Excel

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leadership stress3

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

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

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

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

See if any of these situations apply to you:

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

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

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

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

Third, It’s No Longer Just About You

And, here’s why…

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

Fourth, Ongoing Development Is Required

What does that mean?

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Improve Your Success by Resolving Conflicts Now

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

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

5 Major Challenges to Overcome

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

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

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

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

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

Resolving Conflicts Powerfully

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Excellent Advice to New Executives: Hire a Coach Now

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

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

A Coach Will Help You:

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

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

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

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

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

Hiring a Coach!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Future Leaders Need to be Ready Now

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

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

First, Identify and Qualify Them

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

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

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

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

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

Second, Develop Them

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

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

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

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

What If Future Leaders in Your Company Are Not Ready?

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Effective Bosses Know How to Communicate

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

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

Why Is This Important?

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

9 Ways to Communicate as a Great Boss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Are You a Leader Who Actually Leads?

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

7 Keys to Being a Leader Who Leads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Cocky Leaders Get in the Way of Success

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Cocky Leader.3Recently a colleague attempted to work with a vendor who just couldn’t and/or wouldn’t respond in a timely manner. He wouldn’t hear from the vendor for weeks, and then, out of the blue, she would send the information he requested. When he “fired” the potential vendor, she wrote back, saying, “We didn’t need the opportunity—our business is doing extremely well!”

Confident leaders inspire others to work smarter, share ideas and successes, and work in a win-win-win manner. They attract like-minded people who want to work with them. Unfortunately, when leaders become overconfident, particularly after a big sale, completion of a project or promotion, they can become cocky. When their egos get in the way, others stop following them. Their influence is diminished and their career or business falters—sometimes for a very long time.

Get Out of Your Own Way for Success

Be Present. Wearing your Bluetooth as jewelry, watching your newsfeed on your cell, or playing games on your electronic gadgets during meetings (either one-on-one or groups) is verboten! Ways to be present: listen to others, encourage the exchange of ideas and incorporate others’ opinions to develop a better product, service, presentation or system.

Inspire. Cocky leaders often feel entitled and allow their egos to get in the way of common courtesies. They fail to inspire others. After a big win and celebration, get back to your everyday work activities as soon as possible! Failing to follow up or follow through on texts, emails and phone calls, or to fulfill promises, will hurt your reputation now and in the future. Enjoy the great feelings of your success now and graciously respond to all acknowledgments.

Be Respectful. Many well-respected business owners, executives, entrepreneurs and presidents of not-for-profits are more humble than egotistical. These leaders learned long ago (and sometimes the hard way) that being cocky could, and often did, come back to haunt them. The key is balancing your ego with being humble and showing respect to one and all.

Have Compassion. Many times up-and-coming leaders do not have compassion for others. Learn to dial up your awareness, compassion and understanding for others and their challenges (we all have them).  Volunteer to work for not-for-profit organizations as a “worker bee” in addition to serving on their boards.

Check Your Ego at the Door. No one is so special that they cannot be replaced! Remember, every business goes through cycles of ups and downs. Keep your teams working with you and for you by sharing the spotlights and successes, and acknowledging their contributions.

Brag! Learn how to share your wins in a business-savvy way. And, teach your team how to do the same. It’s a very important skill that can be developed. Take the time to complete the five amazing steps in It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition.

Be the successful leader others want to follow by developing these skills.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Believe it or not there is still time to achieve a powerful 2017. Contact Jeannette Seibly and she will guide you through an amazing exercise designed to get you back in action! The clock is ticking … contact her now.

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

Managing Failure Is the Key to Success

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Failure.SuccessAsk yourself: The last time you made a mistake, did you try to bury it or openly learn from it?

No one likes to fail, yet managing failure is the key to success. It’s how we learn to blast through our fear of making mistakes. Bosses, leaders and executives today must inspire their employees to want to learn, take risks and be willing to make mistakes. By providing them with opportunities to build determination, curiosity and resilience—the attributes required for success—employees will learn how to work through failure and become strong team members.

When Failure Occurs, Learn from It

The Human Factor in Projects. Too often, we fall into the trap of bashing the concept or idea behind a project when it fails. In reality, people’s attitudes, abilities and willingness to learn will often make or break a project! Coach your team members (or hire a seasoned coach) to work effectively through conflicts, egos and misperceptions. Provide ongoing interpersonal skill development to ensure your employees are present, listening and building alignment in all conversations.

Conduct Effective Meetings. Meetings can be very boring! Because of this, frequently meetings are the source of mistakes and misperceptions. Train yourself and all of your employees to conduct effective meetings and encourage everyone to participate to reduce the probability of overlooking good ideas or buying into false information.

Understand Why. Qualified assessments give you the ability to manage and coach with a high degree of clarity. These superior tools provide insights into how the person (and team) communicates, works with others, sells, manages projects, etc. While nothing is 100 percent accurate, qualified assessments help bosses manage in an effective manner (and look good doing so!). They clarify why employees (and the team) do what they do. Their accuracy can turn good employees into great ones and help employees turn failures into successes.

What Worked? Instead of looking at results in a black-and-white fashion of success versus failure, objectively review what happened. What worked and what didn’t work? There will always be positive learning moments in any project if you take the time to review. Have your employees do this as a team to learn from one another. This builds awareness, clarifies misperceptions and solidifies a group of individuals into a successful team.

Teach Ethics. Integrity builds our brand and reputation … personally, professionally and as a company. It may seem easier to cut corners and develop great excuses when mistakes are made, because we usually don’t believe anyone will ever know the truth! Instead, train by example: it’s better to admit a mistake and rectify it than constantly create lies to cover up failures. Remember, the truth will eventually be told!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Are you a results producer failing to produce intended results? Are you a leader or executive who needs to fine-tune your management style? Contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation. She has helped thousands become successful due to her uncanny ability to pinpoint concerns and provide insights on how to be successful.

Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. She has been a business advisor and executive coach for over 24 years; along the way, she’s guided the creation of three millionaires and million-dollar results for employers across the United States and Canada. Also, she is a PXT SelectTM Certified Professional and Authorized Partner. Check out her website, or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Want to Be Successful? Be Coachable.

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coachable3“A coach has you do what you don’t want to do so you can be successful!” Jeannette Seibly

Most people want to be successful in their careers, jobs and companies. Those who have risen quickly hired a coach, either on their own or else their company provided one for them. However, having a coach and being coachable are not the same thing. Successful key employees, leaders and executives know the difference: If the coach asks you to jump, you ask, “How high?” Uncoachable people debate and share all the reasons why the coach’s recommendation shouldn’t, wouldn’t or couldn’t work. Learning how to overcome this resistance and become coachable will uncover your blind spots and expand your leadership, communication and project management skills successfully.

A director hated his boss, a VP. When the coach asked the director to have a conversation with the VP, he resisted, using the excuse “Everyone else hates the VP since he is difficult to work with.” Under the guidance of his coach, the director had a conversation to clear the air with the VP and started treating his boss with more respect. Very quickly, he became viewed as one of very few people who could work well with this VP. Others began to come to him for guidance. The president of the company saw this new and profound difference and, as a result of the director being coachable, offered him a lucrative opportunity.

How to Be Coachable

Note: For the best results, hire a coach to tackle a large project or goal that is beyond the norm for you. Also, rely on your boss and internal company mentor for additional insights. Use a qualified assessment to ensure your boss, mentor and coach see who you really are and not only how you wish to be seen. Why is this important? You cannot build a solid foundation of success based on false data and perceptions!

Overcome Fear. In general, we tend to be afraid of other people and what they think of us. One of the top fears is feeling humiliated. These are difficult blind spots to see! As a leader, it’s important to learn how to work through the internal mental chatter of thoughts and feelings that egg on our fears.

Listen to Learn. Many key employees who want to move up in their careers fail to truly listen. Most successful leaders and executives will tell you that listening and being present in conversations, no matter how boring, make the ultimate difference. It is important to listen to your coach’s advice and hear the feedback from your boss, co-workers and employees. This is a great opportunity to use a qualified 360-degree feedback assessment. The objective information it gives you will help clarify and fine-tune the skills required for your success.

Develop Mastery. Many busy professionals today fail to learn the basics. They falsely believe they can build on what they know about a product or resolve a difficult situation with little experience. Mastery requires diligent practice in developing the right habits in how you treat others, handle good and bad situations, and move forward with new opportunities. It takes time! The quality of your practice will determine your success now and in the future.

Take Advantage of Your Coaching Resources

Select an Internal Mentor. Select someone who has a pulse on the inner company politics and has industry experience. He or she will know how to navigate around challenges to help you get the job done, build a positive reputation and develop a solid network.

Hire an External Coach. An external coach can tell you what you need to hear and maintain confidentiality so that any information you share won’t come back to haunt you in the future. Select a coach who has worked in corporate America, successfully moved up career ladder(s) and has achieved great results. Beware of those who are “certified” without qualified experience in the workplace.

Treat Your Boss as a Valuable Resource. Even if you have a bad boss, you can still learn from him or her. Regardless of your point of view about the boss, find ways to interact in a positive manner—it will build your success! If your boss does not enjoy coaching or does not have the skills to do it, recommend using a qualified assessment that provides managerial-employee and coaching reports. This is a win-win for both of you!

Remember, being coachable is critical key to becoming successful! Why wait … get started today!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Are you a results producer failing to produce intended results? Are you a leader or executive who needs to fine-tune your management style? Contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation. She has helped thousands become successful due to her uncanny ability to pinpoint concerns and provide insights on how to be successful.

Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. She has been a business advisor and executive coach for over 24 years; along the way, she’s guided the creation of three millionaires and million-dollar results for employers across the United States and Canada. Also, she is a PXT SelectTM Certified Professional and Authorized Partner. Check out her website, or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Want to Attract Better Candidates and Great Employees?

by

strategic hiring

Companies today are experiencing difficulties attracting the better candidates they want to hire. As a result, great employees leave because of their frustration with the employer’s turnover, disruption of services and other issues. These issues can be easily avoided by using first-rate hiring systems and selection practices. The question is, are you doing all the right things to strategically improve your company’s results (regardless of the size and revenues of your company)?

Strategically Fine-Tune Your Systems for Better Hiring Results

Did you know that top talent is 3 to 6 times more productive than your average employee? Experiencing actual results and the positive difference great employees provide will have you wanting to hire more of them! Unfortunately, many companies today are failing to attract and select the right people because they rely on gimmicks, post poorly written job ads and use non-qualified assessments. It’s a costly problem that can be resolved by strategically reviewing how to attract better candidates and retain great employees.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do You Know Your Numbers? Get real about the company’s numbers! Unfortunately, many companies do not effectively track the cost of turnover, administrative and training time, and the impact on their customers (to name a few of the tangible and intangible costs of bad hires). Believing you’ve done all you can do when your company’s turnover is less than the industry average is foolish. It only hurts your company’s bottom line and its ability to attract better candidates and retain great employees!

Who Are You Really Seeking? Clarity can help you attract and select better candidates. Focus on what you really need now and in the near future. Too often we simply dust off the job description when someone leaves. Take the time (it doesn’t need to be a long, drawn-out process) to brainstorm and uncover what the company really needs. Hire a facilitator and select a couple of top employees to objectively uncover the traits, job responsibilities and other competencies that will make a true difference in growing your business.

Do You Have the Right Online Presence? Take time to review third-party sites for postings about your company from former employees, then, address them. A company’s negative online reputation is often caused by disgruntled employees, bad bosses and non-competitive pay! This can limit the ability to attract better candidates!

Do You Use the Right ATS? Finding the right job candidates, including passive job seekers, requires that you do your homework. Not all automated tracking systems (ATS) are created equal (like anything else in life). Avoid bells and whistles (aka gimmicks), since they can actually inhibit better candidates from applying.

ATS enhancements you want to have:

  • Use a fast and easy application process that works on mobile devices … if you lose applicants now, they rarely return.
  • Use systems that push job ads to job boards and provide search engine optimization—do not rely on your company’s name and website to draw traffic to you.
  • Better candidates want to know more about the company. Include quick and short bullet-point information about the company, very short (1- or 2-minute) product videos and video testimonials from great employees (remember, applicants today have shorter attention spans).

Are You Posting the Right Job Ads? Applicants today are attracted to on-the-job training, rapid advancement and a competitive salary, so include this information in all job ads. Candidates will overlook your company when job ad titles are misleading, boring or jargony—it’s why companies receive too many non-qualified applications. Remember, it’s important to use the company’s name and address, since blind ads do not attract potentially great employees.

Are You Using Qualified Assessments? Getting to know the real person is critical to hiring great employees who fit the job and company culture! While assessments have been around since the beginning of humankind, most are not compliant with the Department of Labor’s 13 requirements for pre-employment and promotion use. Relying on information from non-qualified assessments only shows you how candidates want to be seen NOT who they really are. When you use smoke and mirrors to hire, you cannot expect to hire top talent!

What Do You Talk About in Your Interviews? The purpose of job interviews is to talk about the job requirements, your company’s goals and the candidate’s ability to excel at the job and in your company. The biggest challenge is that many hiring bosses don’t take the time to improve their interviewing skills and rely on biases and inappropriate interview questions before making job offers. As a result, today’s top talent will simply say no to working for these bosses.

Is Your Due Diligence Thorough? Improving your hiring successes requires collecting the right objective data. While collecting public data from background checks is important, relying solely upon it creates avoidable hiring mistakes. Statistically, 75 percent of resumes and applications contain inaccurate information (and you only have about a 15 percent chance of discovering it during the interview). In addition to conducting background checks (these should include every state in which the applicant has worked), include qualified core value assessments (which measure values such as honesty and integrity), education and employment verifications, and employer and professional reference checks to uncover non-public information.

Remember, great employees are out there! Your success in attracting better candidates requires improving your company’s hiring systems and selection practices. Ask and answer the above questions so you can do the right things in a strategic and cost-effective manner.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

Does your company need a strategic review of your hiring systems and selection practices? Contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation regarding how to get the best answers to the above questions. With over 35 years of experience in hiring, she can pinpoint and resolve issues to positively impact your bottom line!

Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. She has been a business advisor and executive coach for over 24 years; along the way, she’s guided the creation of three millionaires and million-dollar results for employers across the United States. Also, she is a PXT SelectTM Certified Professional and Authorized Partner. Check out her website, or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.