Articles

Would you allow 2 miles or 2 minutes to get in the way of achieving your results?

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Unfortunately, many of us do. We are afraid to ask for help or clarification on a project, or get a reality check on an idea. We won’t ask for directions on how to get to a meeting.  We don’t plan or prepare for meetings, rationalizing we are too busy. After a networking meeting, we don’t take two minutes to connect via email or LinkedIn.  These lost opportunities cost companies millions!

A true story! When someone was late for a meeting due to lack of planning on where the restaurant was located, they simply gave up. They didn’t use technology (411 (directory assistant), GPS, or MapQuest). The restaurant was only 2 miles away!

Question: Would you work with someone who gave up so easily? What opportunities were lost? 

Answer:  We’ll never know!

Get in focused action. Stop rationalizing why you don’t want to or shouldn’t have to! These excuses take the same amount of energy and time as getting into action!  The question to ask yourself: What is the best use of my time? Now write down a brief outline of what needs to be done and take the first step.

Ask for advice. You look competent when you ask others for their opinions. It shows you wish to solve an issue, move forward to complete a stopped project, or get where you are going. The key is to take the recommendations and follow-through – these few minutes will set you apart from your competition.

Ask the right questions up front. Working smarter means asking for clarification (e.g., timeframe, budget, important information) at the beginning of a project or a plan to resolve any challenges. It takes less than two minutes to ask, and saves mega-time, money and frustration.

 A critical question to ask: What needs to happen for this project to be completed on time and within budget while achieving the necessary goals and outcomes? Yes, the response may take 20 minutes. (Hint: 20 minutes now vs. 20+ hours later)

Plan ahead for 100% success. Plan for breakdowns and pitfalls. They are a reality. When they do happen, do not allow them to stop you. That is what speed dial and social media connections are for — ask your network for input, be responsible for any confidential issues. Meet with your business advisor or coach (or retain one) to clarify what the true issue is. (Hint: If the issue persists, you haven’t gotten to the source of the problem and taken the right actions required to resolve it. Keep digging.)

Taking the two minutes or driving the two miles will make you unstoppable, and have you create unprecedented results!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2010-2015

It can be lonely at the top! An experienced business advisor, always accessible and at a nearby desk can make a positive and powerful difference for you, and your employees. My goal is to be your in-house advisor, your ally and sounding board as you navigate the complex world of your business! (Contact: JLSeibly@SeibCo.com OR 303-917-2993)

Transform your failures into greater success. Get my copy of “We all fail! How can we use failure to create greater success?” http://ow.ly/Kp34R

 

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Highly effective bosses have highly effective employees

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As a boss, you love those days when you and your team feel productive and appreciated — you’re in the zone! Everything is going well. Your projects are done on time and within budget, and healthy disagreements are kept to a minimum. It gets even better when a new idea from your department has saved the company (and client) money and time — solidifying your reputation as a highly effective boss with highly effective employees. Everyone is happy and satisfied.

These types of days don’t happen by accident. They are created by design when you have the right people and you are the right boss.

Hire for Success.  Use objective and scientifically qualified pre-hire assessment tools to assess accurately for job fit, including: thinking style, core behaviors and occupational motivation/interests. Create a 180-day Success Plan and On-Boarding process that helps the new person get up to speed quickly and become an integral part of the team.  Also, use these validated tools to help you build a strong team, by knowing where the strengths and weaknesses lie.

Coach for Results. Use laser-like coaching to get better results. It starts with believing your employees are great contributors, and allowing them the freedom to do their work. It builds trust and loyalty.

Build the team.  Provide learning moments when they make mistakes or there has been a failure. Don’t forget to provide on-going training and outside coaching to help your employees soar to new levels.

Share your expectations. Clarify your expectations of others, and then be a great role-model. For example, as the boss, you arrive on time for meetings and actively participate.

Set the tone for appreciation. Celebrate and acknowledge your employees individually and as a team, on a daily basis.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

It can be lonely at the top! An experienced business advisor, always accessible and at a nearby desk can make a positive and powerful difference for you, and your employees. My goal is to be your in-house advisor, your ally and sounding board as you navigate the complex world of your business! (Contact: JLSeibly@SeibCo.com OR 303-917-2993)

Transform your failures into greater success. Get my copy of “We all fail! How can we use failure to create greater success?” http://ow.ly/Kp34R

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Valuable Advice for Accelerating Leadership Success!

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“The mark of a true leader is working with and through others to achieve goals.”

True leaders in this global market must understand the importance of being competitive and collaborative! Accelerating results requires leaders manage people and projects to meet intended goals with a competitive edge. Also required is an ability to learn lessons from their successes and failures, while working collaboratively with and through others to achieve required results. While it may seem time-consuming to work with others to achieve the company’s goals, being the lone ranger will limit the success of the company, project, and, your career!

How do you develop these valuable skills? It requires being involved–it goes beyond reading books, attending workshops and watching videos. It requires you participating, hiring a coach and being in focused action. Today’s effective leaders have others wanting to work with and for them to learn from their amazing experiences and results.

Set and achieve intended goals.

With your team, it’s important to develop a strategic plan with focused action steps to support it. Alignment of others that will be impacted by the plan is also critical. Develop a structure to review what is expected, the timetable and actions to be taken. Beware of busy-ness that often hinders the process from moving forward. Remember, some of your team will be uncertain about the where, what, when, why and how to do the necessary work. Your coaching, or hiring a coach, provides accountability and develops trust when handled in an effective manner.

“Communication can resolve issues; but first we must have the conversation!”

Communicate powerfully.

Don’t be afraid to have those difficult conversations when you’re stuck. Effective leaders are bold. Healthy disagreements can actually clear the air and provide quantum leaps towards the end result. As the leader, learn how to state your point so that others can hear you. Staying in the conversation when it gets tough allows you to build on others’ comments in a positive manner. These skills will make a huge difference in moving forward and having others feel valued.

Facilitate meetings that have value.

Conducting an effective meeting is critical. When leaders have poor facilitation skills, it can lead to their downfall. Learn how to manage the logistical and human sides of meetings efficiently and effectively, either one-on-one or in a group. Remember, to include off-site groups in a way they will feel part of the team.

Develop others.

First — appreciate their contributions. Second — trust your team members to do their jobs and don’t micromanage how they are doing them. Third — manage their progress and check in to ensure efforts are focused on intended results. These are keys to success.

Celebrate!

Celebrating your successes is important. So, is celebrating failures (yes, that seems strange) – however, failures are our learning lessons. Too often we only celebrate what has worked and miss out on the opportunity to learn the important lessons. As an effective leader, it’s up to you to bring forth these valuable distinctions.

©Jeannette L. Seibly, 2015

I specialize in straight talk with immediate results. With proactive and extensive “people” management experience, I have been particularly successful in coaching and training business owners, their executives and managers, to achieve unprecedented results by working with and through others.  Get my copy of “We all fail! How can we use failure to create greater success?” http://ow.ly/Kp34R

Your Biggest Investment Can Be Your Greatest Expense

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As an investor, the biggest and most expensive investment is not the intellectual property, idea or product. It’s the inventor!

Most entrepreneurs/inventors will promise you anything! They have been coached to tell you the right stories and will express a great interest in learning from you. The fact is, many see the bright shiny object called business ownership and using someone else’s money as their answer. They fail to understand the money that has been invested may need to be repaid and that debt can limit future endeavors.  However, it will become your issue if you decide to invest in them and they are not ready.

How can you tell if the person you’re investing in is really the one that can make you money? Most investors buy an idea. The challenge can be the inventor comes along as a key element in the investment. As the investor, you need a way to determine whether or not the inventor has the enterprising interests or capabilities to setup and run a company. And, the willingness and ability to follow your directions!

When push comes to shove in any investor-inventor relationship (and, it will), many will push back and fail to follow-through. The problem is natural entrepreneurs, whether they have experience or not, don’t take well to being told what to do, how to do it, or be held accountable for the intended results that are not their ideas.

They generally are not coachable – they falsely believe if they can envision it, it will happen. They are often unaware of the focused actions required and how to be resourceful outside of themselves.  Their lack of hands-on experience and business knowledge can limit the successful launch of the product/idea and your profitability.

People are like icebergs. You only see about 10% of their skills, experience and education. The rest of the iceberg becomes known after you’ve invested in them.  By then, it may be too late to recoup your money.

What can you do to ensure you’re picking the right people to invest in? Know the person. Yes, it’s their idea that you are buying. They’ve probably invested their entire life savings, have second or third mortgages and received money from their parents, friends and other family members! They truly believe in their idea. However, consider this:

  • Did they use a strategic process to create it?
  • Do they have the mental engine to create a company?
  • Do they have the willingness to follow your lead and work collaboratively with you?

These are only three of the many questions that need to be asked and answered before you invest in them.

Discover the other 90% by using scientifically qualified assessments that will provide objective information about his or her learning style, core behaviors and occupational interests. It will open your eyes (and, usually theirs) about what type of entrepreneur, and future business owner, they will be.

  • Can the person create and build a company?
  • Will they work in a win-win manner beyond verbally agreeing with you and their new Board of Directors (or Advisory Board)?
  • Are the results they produce the intended ones?
  • Were they able to produce them on-time and within budget?
  • Does the leader have the mental engine to grow a financially successful business?
  • Do they even have the interest and discipline to do so?

As an investor, you will save a lot of time, energy and money knowing up front the type of inventor you are investing in – because, again, she or he can either be your biggest investment or your greatest expense.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

It can be lonely at the top! An experienced business advisor, always accessible and at a nearby desk can make a positive and powerful difference for you, and your employees. My goal is to be your in-house advisor, your ally and sounding board as you navigate the complex world of your business! (Contact: JLSeibly@SeibCo.com OR 303-917-2993)

Excerpt from We all fail! How can we use failure to create greater success?

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(Get your copy at http://ow.ly/Kp34R )

“Failure is inevitable. Failure is never final—unless you believe you don’t have a choice. It’s part of life. The question is, how do you handle it and not let it derail you? Thomas Edison found 1,000 ways not to make a lightbulb. Michael Jordan missed more baskets than he scored. Steve Jobs was fired by the company that brought him back to create his (and their) well-earned success.

Mostly, we haven’t learned how to handle failure. Failure is when things, people and situations don’t work out to our expectations. It’s why the divorce rate, employee turnover, business closures (in 2014, they were greater than the number of business start-ups) and financial bankruptcies have hit all-time highs. Instead of learning from our mistakes, creating systems that work and looking inward, we blame others or the situation while moving forward hoping failure won’t happen again. We fear others will think less of us if they know about our mistakes. We do our best to hide our failures, hoping they won’t resurrect their ugly heads in the future and expose us.”

We all make failure mean too much! How do we transform it into greater success?

Get your copy of We all fail! How can we use failure to create greater success?  http://ow.ly/Kp34R

Creating a Job-Fit Company

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Are the right people in the right seats on the right bus?

When employees (and bosses) are in the right job (job-fit), it creates a fun and rewarding work environment! The team and individual members make significant contributions to the success of the organization. Everyone experiences high levels of job satisfaction and loyalty. There is a synergy of ideas and working relationships that excel beyond the norm. Sales increase. Customers experience higher satisfaction working with the company. Profits soar. These are the results of job-fit.

Unfortunately, more than 63 percent of the working population do not fit their jobs! Why? We rely upon traditional selection methods and then rationalize hiring failures as “not our fault.” We accept poor job-fit mistakes as part of the norm. We fail to create and follow a hiring and selection system. The fact is a business is often better off leaving an “empty seat on the bus” rather than randomly filling the position with someone not well-suited to the job.

Hire the Right Person. We are often snookered by verbally adept candidates. We fall into this trap when someone has the ability to sell themselves, whether they possess true interest or capability to do the job well or not. Studies show, poor job-fit produces unhappy employees. Those who are unhappy in their work create miscommunication, make more mistakes, fail to focus on critical elements, and blame others for their inability to produce required results. They are overly focused on things that don’t matter rather than solutions that fit the vision and values of the company.

Understand the Financial Impact. Hiring people who do not fit your job requirements and your company’s culture will cost you time and money. They may even irrevocably damage your reputation. The wrong person can actually increase your business and product liability.  Unfortunately, there is no line item on your financial statement about this costly outcome. But if you analyze the true expenses, tangible and intangible, you’ll be shocked and dismayed by these hidden costs. For a quick and easy calculation, read Page 20 of Hire Amazing Employees, Second Edition (http://BizSavvyHire.com) or contact me at JLSeibly@SeibCo.com

Select the Right Tools. Develop promotion and selection processes built upon gathering reliable, valid, relevant information. This can be a challenge since we consider using scientifically designed assessments as costly, and not as important as our gut feelings. The added falsehood is that we believe we can coach, train and motivate anyone to do anything. This is wrong!

Select assessment tools that meet Department of Labor (DOL) guidelines (for a copy of the guidelines, contact me at JLSeibly@SeibCo.com) and that provide information regarding how well their mental engine, their ability to drive the engine, and their interest in doing so, fit within your company, for any specific job.

Train the Interviewers.  Many interviewers rely upon their intuition and perceptions (their guts). The pitfalls are only hear what they want to hear. They don’t catch or ignore conflicting signals. The facts are, job candidates say all the right things and make the right type of promises to get the job offer. How often has this happened to you? Use a structured interview process to discern candidates’ depth of job skill. Implement use of qualified and scientific assessments that contain interview questions. Then, use these behaviorally based questions to provide a structure to ascertain reliable job fit.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2010-2015

Are you looking for business advice and laser-coaching to resolve an issue or situation? Contact me. I’ve been a business advisor and author for over 20 years. I’ve guided the creation of new solutions for 1,000’s of business challenges and published the book, Hire Amazing Employees (BizSavvyHire.com). Check out my website: SeibCo.com.

Are Elephants Monopolizing Results?

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Most of us have heard the expression “there’s an elephant in the room.” Elephants are those unspoken issues that hang around because no one wants to talk about them. They limit our ability to achieve intended results. Yet for a variety of reasons, people fail to address the elephants for fear of personal or professional reprisals. Ironically, expressing those concerns in a professional way can make a significant difference in resolving them.

While some may use the excuse, “it doesn’t matter” or “it’ll go away on its own,” elephants will monopolize and limit the results of any company, association and/or project when ignored.

Sensitive Elephants. If there is a topic that needs to be addressed that can be embarrassing or hurtful to others, have a private conversation with the few people who can resolve it.  Don’t get caught up in recycling “ain’t it awful” or “it shouldn’t be that way” or “it’s too hard.”  Come up with a workable outcome everyone can live with – even if everyone does not wholeheartedly agree.

Overwhelming Elephants. While the issue may seem enormous, start the conversation simply and slowly. Allow others the opportunity to voice their concerns without fear of reprisal. Many will find the elephant isn’t so big after all. Once everyone is on the same page, brainstorm solutions and create focused action plans to disappear the elephant.

Dancing Elephants. When you don’t tell the truth, the elephant will dance from one area of the company into another. Remember, the truth is required when addressing the details, creating new systems and adjusting attitudes of the people involved.

Get help from an outside business advisor to ensure the elephants in your company are no longer monopolizing its results.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2011-2015

It can be lonely at the top! An experienced business advisor, always accessible and at a nearby desk can make a positive and powerful difference for you, and your employees. My goal is to be your in-house advisor, your ally and sounding board as you navigate the complex world of your business!

(Contact: JLSeibly@SeibCo.com OR 303-917-2993)

 

Want to Achieve Faster Results?

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Do you …

  • Allow people and circumstances to limit your results?
  • Fail to listen to sage advice because it doesn’t fit your point of view?
  • Accept excuses instead of creating openings for action?

These ineffective management styles will limit your ability to achieve faster results. Your skill in working with people, systems and issues to create win-win outcomes is required for success. Failure to acquire new skills will derail your career!

The world of work is changing. It requires executives, business owners and entrepreneurs to develop a new level of guidance, direction-giving and implementation approaches that work.

Listen for required change. Change for the sake of change can be time consuming and expensive. Mimicking your competition will not guarantee a positive return on investment. It pays for you and your team to listen to the marketplace, while strategically customizing solutions that work for your company and customers!

Stay in focused action. Don’t buy into the common excuse, “I’m too busy.” As the leader, it’s up to you to provide the direction and ensure what needs to be done is accomplished. Get everyone on the same page and guide a clear course of action. It doesn’t work when you change the goal to fit the actions taken. Handle the uncomfortable details and make the hard decisions now, with integrity.

Hire a coach. When you hit a wall, and you will, don’t slug it out alone. A coach helps you recognize your blind spots, and those of your team. These insights, when put into workable action, will elicit the best in others, making them (and you) easier to work with and open to listening to others’ input.Enjoy achieving faster results.

 It can be lonely at the top! An experienced business advisor, always accessible and at a nearby desk can make a positive and powerful difference for you, and your employees. My goal is to be your in-house advisor, your ally and sounding board as you navigate the complex world of your business! (Contact: JLSeibly@SeibCo.com OR 303-917-2993)

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

 

Superiority is a Career Stopper!

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There are times in any leader’s career when they will believe they are superior to others. This arrogance can erupt when they’ve had sudden success or made a poor decision. Some may characterize superiority by using the old adage, get off your high horse; you aren’t as smart as you think you are.  

Beware of these characteristics:

Being defensive and refusing to listen. Ignoring facts and only talking to yourself will only provide the same information, not new solutions.

Know-it-alls. When bosses think they know more than they do and only listen to themselves, they are often surprised by the facts. They rely upon their past successes, don’t allow input, and rationalize with their excuses or sense of entitlement.

Bull-dozing. Inflexiblity, righteousness, disregarding other’s thoughts, feelings or opinions will cause unnecessary hardships on everyone.

Boat-rocking. Change for the sake of change is rarely cost effective.

Labelling others. Calling people lazy, irresponsible, slackers or stupid will limit everyone’s effectiveness and diminish a strong team.

Gossip-mongering. One of fastest ways to hurt your team is to participate in or allow gossip. Using this passive-aggressive style to alleviate one’s frustrations almost always has a boomerang effect.

You may not see yourself in any of the examples provided above. However, as a leader, there will be times when you will exhibit one or more of these traits, and others not mentioned (whether you know it or not). Superiority is a career stopper, which can be avoided when leaders, and upcoming bosses, become responsible for their managerial styles.

How can you be responsible for those times you get on your high-horse?

Listen to what others have to say. Objectively focus on what works and what doesn’t work for a project or situation. When you only listen to yourself, you lose your objectivity and competitive edge.

Talk positive about others. Gossip hurts organizations. If there are work or performance issues, talk directly to the person(s) that can get the problem resolved.

Be open to learning something you didn’t know! Know-it-alls rarely succeed in business.

Receive ideas with openness and appreciation. Creating hurdles for others to jump over or coming up with reasons, “why not”, stops even the most generous people.

Support everyone, whether you like them or not. Encourage and support others to succeed in your organization – it builds profitability and growth, both personally and professionally for you and them.

Incorporate good advice.  Listen to suggestions and facts as helpful, regardless of how they are presented.

Remember …. be open to hearing what you don’t want to hear — it could save your business or job or client.

Jeannette Seibly has been an international business and executive coach for over 20 years. She has guided the creation of three millionaires. Are you the next one? http://SeibCo.com/contact

@Jeannette L. Seibly, 2015

Success requires balanced positivity

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What do you think?

One business man wanted a divorce. Why? His wife asked good business questions about a new venture he wanted to try. But, she wouldn’t agree because he was unable to answer the financial questions in a way that worked for her. He accused her of being negative and unsupportive.

What do you think? Was she negative and unsupportive? Or, being realistic looking for answers?

Being positive has its value. Being a Pollyanna (believing everything is great, even when it isn’t) and not realistically addressing the details can decimate a business, an idea or partnership. It’s important to understand success requires balanced positivity.

Many business leaders have had similar challenges with their executive teams and Board of Directors.

These (overly) enthusiastic leaders were:

  • – Thinking something will work out simply because they said so — not a viable business strategy.
  • – Believing a client, business partner or investor should readily want to provide time and/or money without a viable plan, sound financial projections and the right people — not good business acumen.
  • – Visualizing only a great outcome, forgetting the success or failure is in the details – not good business management.

Many skeptics have saved companies millions of dollars by asking financial, sales, operational, and people related questions about their projects or programs. These questions include the how, what, when, where and why of releasing new technology, launching new vehicles, issuing new procedures or publishing new works of art.  While cynics are not always right, there are lessons to be learned from them.  And, if you’re unable or unwilling to address these questions realistically, you better proceed with extreme caution.

Profitable outcomes require balanced positivity:

  • – Positive vision of what you (or your team) would like the end result to look like.
  • – Declaration of the intended result, in writing (aka goal).
  • – Written focused action plan.
  • – Ensure others’ concerns are addressed and appropriate actions taken.
  • – Value other’s contributions.
  • – Stay unattached to how the process should look.

It takes a strong leader to encourage these types of inquiries and a well-rounded team of committed people to work together to answer them. These questions can make a significant difference in balancing positivity with an intended outcome, saving you innumerable dollars, time and energy.

Jeannette Seibly has been an international business and executive coach for over 20 years. She has guided the creation of three millionaires. Are you the next one? http://SeibCo.com/contact

©Jeannette L. Seibly, 2015