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Create a Results-Producing Customer-Focused Culture

April 6, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

“If you want to create a customer-focused culture, you must start by being accountable for the results!” Jeannette Seibly

As a leader, creating results-producing, can-do customer-focused teams requires being accountable! You must develop laser-like attention to hiring, coaching, training, and managing your team and team members. If you don’t, you will create a chaotic workplace culture, and customers will fire you and seek out your competition!

Many leaders operate as elite helicopters flying at 30-feet above the action. While they are hovering, they fail to plan for and handle important details. They tend to cause team conflicts and they are often considered a difficult team leader!

Remember, it’s not business as usual! It’s time to get real before you lose customers and top talent!

5 Required Tips for Creating a Results-Producing, Can-Do Customer-Focused Team

Promote the Right Bosses! Yes, it starts here! Stop promoting people that are not already exhibiting good people management skills. Instead, create a separate career ladder for them that recognizes their strengths. Otherwise, they will become toxic bosses and top talent will leave! Your customers will leave with your top talent!
Hire Right the First Time. Use data-driven, objective, and consistent information to select the right people for the right jobs Regardless of what job candidates tell you about their experiences, use the right tools to ensure they fit your job requirements. Hiring great team members will attract top talent and great customers too! Your customers will thank you since they don’t have to keep training new employees that soon leave!
Create Company Values that Inspire. It’s not business as usual. You must set aside your ego and remember your team members are watching and emulating what you do! Dust off the company mission and value statements. Get your executives and bosses onboard and trained! Your customers seek vendors and service providers to give them what they requested the first time!
Value Learning and Development. Creating a customer-focused workplace culture starts with you. Are you holding your teams accountable for meeting customer needs and achieving intended results? Are you ensuring all workshops, online and on-site, include all employees, bosses, and executives as participants? Are you including the right training? Must have training includes: Inclusion, Conducting effective meetings, Critical thinking, True brainstorming, Alignment, and Achieving intended results.

Are you holding your teams accountable for meeting customer needs and achieving intended results?

Your customers value teams that are working on the same page at the same time!

Expand Your Team’s Mindset. Life and work experiences, education, and other beliefs create a person’s mindset. It influences how you and your team members interact with customers and each other. Your job as the leader is to hold your team members accountable for fulfilling the customers’ needs. Your customers experience value by what you do and how you do it!

©Jeannette Seibly 2021

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Do you want your team to be part of the elite 10% that achieves intended results? MUST READ! “7 Reasons Why Teams Don’t Resolve Conflict” Reason #2 is especially important!

A Note about Creating a Results-Producing Customer-Focused Culture from Jeannette. Do you consider yourself the type of leader that operates like an elite helicopter flying at 30-feet above the action? Do you know that by hovering, you fail to plan for and handle important details? Do you know you also become a difficult team leader? If you want to inspire your teams to produce intended results, contact me to start a confidential conversation.

Are Your Mental Abilities Feeling Foggy?

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

“A new challenge emerging from the pandemic is not recognizing people, things, and situations as we remember them.” Jeannette Seibly

A couple of weeks ago I called a consultant who does HR work. We’d talked off and on for the past 18 months about using assessments. He had several clients that needed to resolve management issues. In the meantime, he had introduced me to a new client needing to hire someone. The last time we talked was in December 2020. I called him a couple of weeks ago to follow-up. He told me, “I don’t know who you are, and I remember faces.”

Whoa! What a surprise. He was sure we’d never spoken with each other before. I painted a picture of our call in December. His response was, “I receive 116 emails daily.” So, I sent an email for a Zoom meeting, but doubt I will hear back from him.

You are not alone if you have had a similar experience. If you’re in sales, business development, management consulting, or leading virtual teams, you are more likely to face this new challenge for remembering people, completing normal tasks, and recalling specific points during a conversation. Many find they are “not functioning with normal mental quickness or struggling to find the right word.” (Why Your Brain Feels Broken, NYTimes Parenting)

Also, there are the memory challenges experienced by people who are COVID long-haulers, working baby boomers, and people multi-tasking instead of listening. Additionally, mental health challenges (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress), can lead to false memories too. (PsychologyToday.com)

As you physically go into offices and business meetings, you must interact with people as they are today, not as you remember them from over a year ago! People change. These changes will impact conversations and situations since perspectives have changed too.

Some of you will even question your own memory if you failed to listen and allowed distractions!

7 Tips to Create Mental Clarity

Paint a Picture. If someone says, “I don’t remember …” or they appear not to remember, paint a picture of the last conversation. Describe where you were. Include any unusual situation (the coffee shop didn’t sell tea). Stay factual.
Offer Your Name. Don’t play the guessing game. This will leave someone frustrated or upset they can’t remember. Instead, give them your name, business focus (10 words or less), and a quick overview of your last interaction. If you don’t remember your last interaction, start fresh and have a conversation about today.
Stay Focused by Putting Away Distractions. “A lot of people think they are good at multi-tasking. The sad truth is they are not.” (Dr. Sanjay Gupta, author of Keep Sharp: How To Build a Better Brain at Any Age) If you multi-task during discussions, you will miss hearing important information and feel lost in future conversations. Some of you will even question your own memory if you failed to listen and allowed distractions!
Send an Email. Recap and outline three key points. Do this before a scheduled meeting to get both of you on the same page faster. Be aware, if the person remembers it differently, ask for his/her version. Again, stick with the facts.
Listen Anew. Put aside what you believe you already know or remember about the person, thing, or situation. Remember, you can be right or you can be effective. Instead, build a new bridge from yesterday to today by listening and being curious. It’s a great opportunity to create a “new normal.”
Exercise, Eat, and Stay Active. This keeps your brain sharp. Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, and word games are several ideas to help keep your brain active. Eat a healthful diet and get up from your desk every hour and move for a few minutes. (Gupta)
Remember to breathe when you feel agitated, frustrated, or you’re struggling to remember a word, phrase, or person! This is a simple and effective technique. It calms your brain from its automatic reaction of fight, flight, or freeze. Also, it reduces your stress of having to get it right and calms you so you can be present during the current conversation.

©Jeannette Seibly 2021

Want to know what egos and team results have in common? Get your answers by click here.

A Note about Feeling Mental Fogginess from Jeannette. “At the University of California Irvine, research is beginning on how the lockdown has affected people’s memories. It’s been reported that even some of those amazing people who usually remember events like buying a cinema ticket 20 years earlier because they have highly superior autobiographical memory are finding they are forgetting things.” (BBC) The bottom line is, be kind to yourself and to others when memories are not clear as usual. If you want clarity on how to build a bridge from yesterday to today when talking with people, contact me to start a confidential conversation.

The #1 Reason Teams Don’t Zap Conflict

March 9, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash — “If you want great team results, value different points-of-view while managing the process and moving the conversation forward.” Jeannette Seibly

The #1 reason team members are unwilling to zap team conflict is the fear of consequences (80%*).

The result surprised me because not much has changed over the years.

Years ago, I facilitated a team and there was a guy named Rob who didn’t like listening to people with different ideas. And, gave me a hard time for giving everyone a chance to speak. In fact, he would make snide comments like, “That’ll never work” or “You’re wrong” creating no-win disagreements with others. One time he wrote about me, “Must be her time of the month!” I felt humiliated.

But, as the facilitator, I didn’t allow it to deter the purpose of the team. Ironically, Rob was being fast-tracked by executive management. So, when Rob’s comments continued, I mentioned it to my VP. He responded, “You’re overreacting.” But, for whatever reason, Rob stopped attending the meetings to the relief of everyone on the team. The conflict he created was gone. They were now able to do a great job of achieving the intended results without Rob as a roadblock.

There are a lot of programs available on conducting effective meetings and managing conflicts. Every team leader and member must access this information to improve their confidence and their team’s results.

Remember, “If you’re waiting for someone else to take the initiative, so are they!” Jeannette Seibly

Keep in mind, team conflict is not a bad thing. But how you manage team discussions makes all the difference. If you don’t learn how to resolve team disputes constructively, your team will fail. Unresolved team quarrels are why only 10% of teams achieve their intended results! (Pritchard)

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash — “If you’re waiting for someone else to take the initiative, so are they!” Jeannette Seibly

11 Tips to Guide You to Resolve Team Conflicts and Build Better Result

Be Intentional. Most team members attend meetings with the intention of “just getting through it” and use the time to think about other things. Attend each meeting with the intention of listening, learning, and ensuring the process is moving forward, great results will follow.
Park Your Ego at the Door. Roll up your sleeves and go into the meeting to move the project or program forward. When issues arise, and they will, listen to the other person’s argument instead of thinking of a rebuttal. You may find you agree! This is required to build better ideas.
Set Up the Team to Win. At the very beginning of a project or program, be clear about the goal, timeline, budget, and get buy-in from all team members. Define who the project or program is for (e.g., company-wide, department, customer, association, etc.). Address any naysayers now. If you wait, it’ll only get worse.
Ensure Everyone Has Chance to Speak. Whether you are the team leader or not, encourage candor. Ask clarifying questions when needed and value each person’s responses. Call on each team member to ensure no one is missed. Allow them to say, “pass” if they have nothing to add. To manage time, remind team members they have 3 minutes each.
Encourage Brainstorming. This is Critical. Brainstorming issues allows each person to share their insights and experiences without comments from others. Don’t make any decisions without hearing from everyone.
Build on Other’s Ideas. To align on ideas, again, give each team member a chance to speak. When it’s your turn, focus on an idea already offered and add any new info. Don’t ever bash others’ ideas.
Don’t Take Sides. When asked your opinion, share the positive attributes of both sides. If you have an idea that is win-win-win, offer it. Then, allow others to take credit for it.
Bring in an Outside Influencer. Instead of feeling disheartened your team is in turmoil, ask for help. An outside influencer will review the facts, provide insights, and guide critical thinking. Remember your intention is to resolve the issue, not assess blame.
Agree or Agree to Disagree. A quick way to resolve a disagreement: repeat back what the person said to his/her satisfaction before offering your own opinion. Have them do the same in return. (Often, you’ll discover that what you thought was a disagreement no longer exists.) This ensures the other person feels heard. Remember, only one person speaks at a time. This deters the triggers that can set people off on new tangents while confusing the core issue.
Seek Out Mentoring and Coaching. Talk with your mentor or coach on how to best handle the conflict. Remember, the focus is not on who is right or wrong, it’s getting the issue(s) resolved. Don’t forget, bosses want results-producers that are committed to fulfilling the intended results.
Learn and Master the Art of Working with Difficult Team Members. These skills will support you in all group and team efforts. You must practice them to master them!

*The stat came from people responding to an online survey or participating in a focus group I conducted.

©Jeannette Seibly 2021

A Note about Resolving Team Conflicts from Jeannette. Team conflicts can be disheartening to even the strongest of team leaders and facilitators. But team conflicts can be used to produce intended results when managed constructively. There are many training and coaching programs available to develop the skills required for conducting effective meetings. Need help? I’ve been running meetings that have produced unprecedented results for over 30 years…contact me and we’ll brainstorm answers for you. Contact me!

It’s a New Normal. Are You Ready to Get Employees Skill-Ready?

February 23, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

“You will lose key employees and customers if your people are not talent-ready.” Jeannette Seibly

In October 2020, the World Economic Forum released its report of the top 15 skills for 2025. While 2025 may seem a long way off, it’s not.

As you read the list note software development, cybersecurity and technology are not at the top of the list. Instead, it’s about creativity, problem solving, analytical thinking, and innovation.

It is critical companies develop these necessary skills today. Waiting until 2025 won’t work since your company will be left behind its competition. Start training at the top and cascade down now. This reinforces the skills training since your executives and managers will set a positive example.

3 Key Issues Often Overlooked

Discrimination practices will get in the way when designing individual training goals. Insert into your leaders’ job descriptions, “training and coaching the next leaders include each and every person!”
Failure to budget and use that money for training tells customers your business is not ready to be their vendor or contractor.
Hiring, coaching, and managing are much easier and less expensive if you hire and promote based on job fit. This requires using objective data on a consistent basis. Not everyone has an interest in learning and using the new skills appropriately.

Here is the “List of the Top 15 Skills” (click here for the full report):

(Note: most of these are considered “soft skills,” which are often ignored.)

Analytical thinking and innovation
Active learning and learning strategies
Complex problem-solving
Critical thinking and analysis
Creativity, originality, and initiative
Leadership and social influence
Technology use, monitoring, and control
Technology design and programming
Resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility
Reasoning, problem solving, and ideation
Emotional intelligence
Troubleshooting and user experience
Service orientation
Systems analysis and evaluation
Persuasion and negotiation

Are you ready? Happy employees are well trained in all aspects of their work.

5 Key Factors to Prepare Your Company for Success

Create a strategic plan for ongoing training and skill development. Make sure your budget includes consistent communication reminders on how to use these new skills!
Develop skill levels (basic, medium, and advanced) required for different job responsibilities. For example, non-tech salespeople need systems awareness but don’t need advanced systems analysis and evaluation.
Select trainers who are shining examples of using these skills (internal and external). They must be able to engage participants and answer questions. Otherwise, your leaders and employees will lose interest.
Provide easy-to-access workshops, videos, coaching, and 1:1 training to reinforce skills. Ensure manager/executives receive the training first. This will set an example for all team members.
Encourage team members to work in cross-functional groups and rotate who leads the team. This will expand everyone’s knowledge on how to apply these new skills in different situations.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021

A Note about Getting Your Employees Talent-Ready from Jeannette. 2021 is not business as usual and employees are frustrated with the lack of new opportunities for skill development. (Yes, even your newly hired team members.) Now is the time to develop everyone, from the top-down, to expand their skills and knowledge. It gets team members excited to come to work each day! Need help? Yes, we all need help from time-to-time. Contact me!

How to Prevent Overconfidence from Hurting Team Results

February 2, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

“Remember, 90% of the world’s information is in people’s heads, not the internet!” Jeannette Seibly

Overconfidence is a tendency to hold a false and misleading assessment of our skills, intellect, or talent. (Corporate Finance Institute)

Now, more than ever, confidence is important. It encourages your team, customers, and communities to follow your lead. But problems arise when you are overconfident. This occurs when you fail to understand that business is not the same as usual and fail to adjust for the “new normal.”

A leader worked in an IT company that had great financial success during 2020. But when he oversold a new project, the team balked when he shared the requirements! His overconfidence failed to consider the team was unwilling to come into the office and go into the customer’s office to work on it. The added challenge was, he lacked the skills to manage the new project virtually. He listened to his mentor and reached out to his coach. He got the help he needed. He learned a lot and learned how to brag about his skills in a business-savvy manner rather than be overconfident.

Remember, we’re in a new normal…what you did before may not work today. So, stop, listen, and welcome new ideas. Then, transform how you manage your team, projects, and results asap.

6 Tips to Develop Healthy Confidence

Be aware of your communication style is important. Learn to be aware of words or actions that signal you’re being overconfident (e.g., “I’ve got this handled!” “I never fail!” “This always works.”). Work with your coach to see what you may be stepping over or failing to address when this happens.

Be honest about your skills. Take the time to conduct an accurate assessment of yourself and learn about your blind spots. Work with your coach and use objective data from scientifically validated job-fit assessments. These tools guide you to go beyond how you want to be seen. Instead, they help you discover what it’s like to work with you from the team’s perspective!

Stop comparing yourself with others. Too often, we blame others for mistakes they make, but excuse our own! Develop your emotional intelligence (EI). Learn how to use compassion and empathy to work through mistakes and learn from them. This strengthens your ability to achieve intended results.

Test your assumptions before declaring your decisions. When we make decisions based on fragments of information, we’re often wrong. Develop your critical thinking by deep diving into the factual pros and cons. Use your network to test your assumptions. Remember, 90% of the world’s information is in people’s heads, not the internet!

Listen to others’ feedback and concerns. Leaders welcome brainstorming and hearing others’ ideas. Learn how to manage healthy disagreements and ensure all team members can express their concerns and ideas. Remember, a healthy skepticism will save your career and the financial impact of a bad decision. Most importantly, learn to listen to what you don’t want to hear to improve your results.

Recognize when it’s the right time. While many ideas may work with modifications, it may not be the right time or place to put them into action. Avoid using circular logic to push through ideas your business and customers are not ready to handle.

“Overconfidence can derail results when your ego gets in the way.” Jeannette Seibly

How to Work with Overconfident Leaders

Stay aware and mindful in conversations. Listen up when your leader is sharing a decision s/he is making or about to make. It will impact you, your project, team, and budget, either directly or indirectly. Ask open-ended questions for clarification rather than debating the leader’s decision.

Stand up and speak up. When leaders are overconfident, we tend to question our own point of view. (Harvard Business Review) Stop! Be assertive and have a conversation armed with the facts. Remember, diplomacy is critical. While you may be right, overconfident leaders will ignore you when their ego feels threatened. The outcome of these types of conversations can impact your future projects and results as well.

If the leader’s idea or assertion does not impact you, avoid confrontation. Choose which issues to pursue. If you confront every issue, the leader and team will stop listening to you. Instead, address major issues that will impact you from a win-win-win perspective.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019-2021

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note About Being an Overconfident Leader from Jeannette. It’s not business as usual. During this new normal, take the time to develop your emotional intelligence (EI). Skills include listening, critical thinking, and managing virtually. Developing these skills now will impact the quality of your results, today and tomorrow.

How to Use Adversity to Make You Stronger

January 19, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

“Want to take advantage of new opportunities this year, then, learn from 2020.” Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders, bosses, and businesses experienced difficult challenges, hardships, and misfortune during 2020. This includes closing companies, losing top talent, and facing financial hardships. And, many also dealt with health and family challenges.

It takes brave and committed leaders to use adversity as a launching pad to transform a situation, project, and/or relationship. Doing it the right way makes individuals, teams, and businesses stronger.

Working through adversity is never an easy process, especially when it’s forced on you. But the good news is, you can do it.

A year from now in 2022 when you look back to 2021, you will see how you turned adversity into a great opportunity. You’ll also experience how it made you, your team, and your business stronger.

Now, not tomorrow, is the time to do the right work and use 2020 adversity to make you stronger.

“Seeing situations from others’ points of view make it easier for people to feel heard by you.” Jeannette Seibly

6 Tips to Make You and Your Team Stronger

Get Real About What Happened. Everyone has experienced failure and unexpected adversity. There’s no shame in it. Breakdowns in projects and relationships can be due to things you did or didn’t do. Some catastrophes were beyond your control. (COVID) Regardless, it’s important that you stop and assess what truly happened and tell the truth. Putting frosting on mud pie and calling it a cake doesn’t change it from a mud pie!

TIP: Infuse objectivity into conversations by completing the year, project, and/or situation. Complete this exercise: What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? Then, ask, “What were the lessons learned?” This exercise must be done before you can move forward powerfully.

Develop Empathy. This can be difficult when you have little empathy for yourself and others. But it’s important during 2021 and beyond to develop emotional intelligence (EI). Seeing situations from others’ points of view make it easier for people to feel heard by you. It will also make it easier for them to listen to you!

TIP: To develop your empathy skills, talk with a qualified coach or therapist, and do the inner work required.

Develop Inner Confidence. Fake it until you make it is an old cliché where people imitated confidence, competence, and an optimistic mindset. The problem is today, fake confidence can be easily spotted. Instead, develop true inner confidence which in turn creates success.

TIP: To develop your inner confidence, work on a project with your team. Hire the right coach to guide you and the team along the way to ensure success and keep everyone focused.

Be Responsible for What You Are Saying and Sharing. Today’s focus on transparency can backfire when relying on TMI (too much information). It can damage relationships and the ability of people to trust you! This includes what you share with customers and top talent.

TIP:

Keep a private journal and write down your thoughts and feelings. Not everything needs to be shared.
Develop mindful resilience by forgiving yourself and others. (This is an inner exercise for you only. Do not tell others, “I forgive you.” Why? Because doing so only creates more adversity.)
Work with your coach and craft conversation points to share with your team and customers.

Focus Forward. Stop rehashing what happened by completing your “What Worked? / What Didn’t Work?” exercise. Remember, emotionally strong leaders lead the way by focusing on what’s next, not in the past. Look for new opportunities inside adversity.

TIP: Work with a trained facilitator to guide you and your team through this inquiry. In the process, you will uncover new systems, products, and services for 2021.

Practice Thanks! Everyone loves appreciation. Saying “please”, “thank you”, and “great work” is important. When done authentically, your teams grow and your customers feel valued.

TIP: Get your copy of “It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition”. Learn how to brag in a business-savvy manner. Then, share with confidence the successes you, and your team and customers have had without sounding like a braggart!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021

A Note About Using Adversity to Make You Stronger from Jeannette. 2020 was a good year for some and a bad year for many. Stop lamenting about the awful things that happened. Instead, get unstuck and focus on moving forward. 2021 will be a great year if you learn from adversity and become stronger as a leader. Now is the best time to get started!

How to Be a Better Boss When Your Team Believes You’re a Bad One

January 5, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

“Being a good boss is an inside job. It requires mindful resilience and emotional intelligence to succeed.” Jeannette Seibly

Being told you’re a bad boss isn’t fun. But it can be a gift. Remember, it took courage for your team member or team to tell you they hate your bad management style.

It’s 2021 and time to get busy. Use the feedback as a great opportunity to get real about how to manage your team members. It will improve your results and make you more coachable.

7 Important Tips to Become a Better Boss

Listen to Learn. This is key! Usually, bad bosses are poor listeners. They listen to defend, minimize their responsibility, and blame others. STOP! Don’t fall into that trap. You’re better than that. Remember, listening is a lifelong skill that you must develop each and every day.

Value Feedback. Complete a 360-degree feedback assessment. Then, review with each of your team members. Do this to learn about how they feel about working for you. This is NOT to find out who said what about you. This very important feedback can advance your career if you’re willing to listen and learn. Remember, your team members may feel hesitant to tell you what they really think. Give them permission to tell the truth and DON’T HOLD IT AGAINST THEM!

First, ask, “What’s the #1 thing I do that upsets you?” Listen to understand, not defend or out-talk them.
If you’ve offended them in the past, apologize.
Then ask, “How do you believe I should handle this type of situation differently in the future?” Listen to understand, not defend or out-talk them!
Thank them.
Now, talk it out with your coach about what to do next

Learn How to Delegate. Too often we give our favorite team members the best assignments. These may not be the ones with the best skills to get the job done. A good boss delegates to people’s strengths and gives them opportunities to expand their skills. Your focus as the boss is to manage the process and coach your people to grow and succeed while meeting customer deadlines and budgets. Note: If you’re a micromanager, stop it! Learn how to trust your team members to get the job done and focus on managing the results.

Developing your people is one of the key job responsibilities for any good boss, manager, and/or leader.

Develop Your People. This is one of the key job responsibilities for any good boss, manager, and/or leader. What are you doing today that is helping your team members excel? What do they need from you to help them achieve their personal and professional goals? What can you do to provide them the necessary resources to excel? Ask them … never assume you know the answer.

Stop Hiding Out. When things get tough, and they can at inconvenient times, be ready to get involved. This normally requires resolving conflict, project snafus, and/or customer upsets. Plan on rolling-up your sleeves and become your team members’ assistant. Focus on uncovering the issue and providing needed resources to resolve it, not assessing blame.

Set Expectations. One of my expectations as a boss was for employees to get along. And, they did. Whenever one person would come to me with an issue, I’d ask if they had talked it out with the person. Then, added, “If you need me to get involved, let me know. But I know the two of you can resolve this.” Normally they resolved it better than if I had gotten involved. One of the keys for this to work is being clear about your expectations. Keep them real and not pie-in-the-sky. Also, remember, if you expect your team members to get along, you need to get along with others too.

Hire a Coach. If you haven’t done so already, hire the right coach immediately. Successful bosses have coaches. Have the coach include a qualified assessment as part of the process. This high-quality assessment uncovers your blind spots and provides insights to overcome them. Plan on talking with your coach weekly to ensure you’re moving forward. It’s easy to go off into the weeds when you attempt to use an approach you found on social media.

Remember, becoming a good boss is a process, not an event. Make 2021 the year you enjoy the journey.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021

A Note About Being a Good Boss from Jeannette. Becoming a good boss isn’t easy. Many companies make the very costly mistake of promoting their best team members into boss roles. Too often these are not the best career paths for these once successful employees. Work with the right coach to help you learn the skills necessary to manage people. If this isn’t the best job for you, move on once you can. But use the time to learn how to work with and through others to achieve win-win-win outcomes. It’s a priceless skill.

Are You Ready to Make 2021 Amazing?

December 29, 2020 by Jeannette Seibly

2021 is just around the corner … are you ready?

Are You Ready to Make 2021 Amazing?

Recently I enjoyed my end-of-year conversations with clients and business associates. From some, I heard about their off-the-charts year! They excelled!

Being curious, I asked why? At first, they focused on external factors. But with some guiding questions, they uncovered the inner beliefs they had transformed. They had stopped viewing themselves from a limiting perspective and stopped doing things that didn’t support their forward movement. Overall, they had their best year ever.

Here Are the 7 Key Points Shared

1. Self-Care. This was #1 on everyone’s list! Need I say more?

2. Gratitude. Each person was thankful for their inner growth and the results they achieved by staying focused on doing the right things.

3. Shifted Beliefs from “I Can’t” to “I Can.” This may sound like a simple mind shift. But it’s not always easy to do since it reflects a big internal change. At first, many were not present to this shift. They attributed their success to external factors (e.g., presentation style, being in the right place at the right time, openness to learning, etc.). The truth is, success is an inside job. They had transformed the little voice in their heads from “I don’t know if or how I can do it” to “I can do it and I did it!”

4. Held a Strong Inner Conviction When Challenges Appeared. When each person shifted to I can, their brains automatically focused on the “how to get it done.” They didn’t concentrate on the obstacles. Most got in communication with the right people that could help them succeed, including their coach. They didn’t entertain, “it’s too much work,” “I don’t have the money,” or “my boss wouldn’t approve.” They just stayed in focused action.

“Want to achieve an amazing year? Hire a coach to stop you from believing in your limitations.” Jeannette Seibly

5. Developed a Mindful Resilience. When failures or major mistakes occurred (and they did), they didn’t sugar coat them or hoped they would magically go away. They knew hope was not a strategy. Instead, they did the work to complete any problems with integrity.

6. Aligned Their Goals with Their Values. Several had to get real about “how” to conduct their business due to the pandemic. For example, one inquired into what she needed to change to be happy. She found a program that pulled her out of her comfort zone and enrolled as a student. Naturally, as she transformed, so did her clients. 2020 was her best year ever!

7. Got Real About Job Fit. When your work responsibilities align with who you naturally are, amazing results can happen. As an executive coach for the past 28 years, I love getting people unstuck and in action for real results. I use the PXTS assessment as the first step in the 90-minute process with my clients. Afterward, most are ready to pursue their dreams and goals with clarity. For example, I recently worked with a super salesperson who was suffering burnout. Why? He believed he had to be a sales manager to grow his sales team! His sales suffered and turnover was high! The PXTS results showed his strengths were in selling, not in managing people! He immediately felt a big-huge-tremendous sense of relief. My coaching to him: Go sell! Stop trying to be someone you are not. When you’re ready, we’ll talk through how to build a sales team that excels.

Where are you stuck? What do you need to move forward and have 2021 be amazing? Contact me for a free confidential conversation. You, your career, and your business goals will thank you!

A Note About Achieving Success in 2021 from Jeannette. Getting out of your own way can be a challenge. We’ve been conditioned to do things a certain way and view ourselves from a limiting perspective. Make 2021 your year to let go and achieve amazing career and business successes.

Don’t forget to hire a coach to accelerate your growth and keep you focused on the right things for an amazing 2021!

How to Raise Your Visibility and Get Positively Noticed

December 1, 2020 by Jeannette Seibly

Business-savvy bragging builds natural confidence and attracts new opportunities.

Everyone would like to believe that working hard and getting assignments done on time will get them positively noticed.

But the truth is, it doesn’t!

Bosses think, “Of course s/he gets things done on time…it’s what I pay her/him to do.”

If you want to be considered a high-performer and/or leader, you need to step up your visibility in a positive way.

6 Keys to Get Positively Noticed!

1. Learn How to Brag! Bragging or self-promotion in a business-savvy manner makes a big difference. Saying you’re great, wonderful, and fabulous only has your boss (and others) stop listening to you! And, seen as a braggart! Instead, get the book, “It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition” and raise your natural confidence and ability to brag to become positively noticed?

2. Talk with Your Boss. Whether you like your boss or not, s/he is the key to getting positive attention. Have a weekly 1:1 meeting, come with a written agenda, ask questions, and listen. When you’re discussing what’s working and what’s not working, make sure you don’t blame or complain. Instead, this is the time to listen, learn, and offer solutions.

Questions to Create a Dialogue (remember…listen more than talk!)

What is your opinion about …?
Can you help me understand …?
What do you recommend …?

3. Be a Solutions Provider. Come prepared. Read agendas and minutes from previous meetings before scheduled meetings. This allows you to listen and hear new ideas offered by others. This simple preparation will help you develop the ability to create win-win-win outcomes. And, help build a positive reputation.

Questions to Uncover Issues/Concerns (remember…. listen more than talk!)

“What is your #1 concern right now?”
“Tell me more about it.”
“Why is this important?”
“What solutions do you recommend?”
“How can I help you achieve this goal?

4. Create Positive Relationships. Integrity, communication, and speaking well of others are important when creating good relationships. This will also enhance a positive visibility. And, while you may not agree with someone or frustrated by their actions, take the higher road. Make sure to get both sides of the story without passing judgment. Plus…don’t burn bridges.

5. Hire a Coach. When you move up the company ladder, old habits can become bad habits. And worse, you may not even be unaware of them! (aka blind spots) Hire the right coach to uncover the bad habits and build the good habits, skills, and mindsets needed for positive visibility.

6. Build a Results-Oriented Team. “Only 10% of teams achieve intended results!” (Prichard) Bragging about your team and your results will have you gain high visibility.

Here are 3 ways to do it:

Manage difficult team dynamics and conflict.
Be a master at inspiring and motivating team members during crises. (Don’t forget self-care.)
Celebrate all accomplishments together as a team.

Remember, hard work alone isn’t enough to get positively noticed and valued. Use these 6 keys to raise your visibility and get positively noticed.

A Note About Getting Positively Noticed from Jeannette. Again, as mentioned in this article, grab the book, “It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition”, hire a coach, and follow the above-referenced tips. These will get you the positive visibility needed to be promoted, improve job satisfaction, and make more money!

Feedback Is the Gift of Sharing Your Experiences

November 24, 2020 by Jeannette Seibly

“Many leaders hesitate and avoid giving needed feedback out of fear of retaliation.” Jeannette Seibly

Why do many of us hate giving or receiving feedback?

Because feedback triggers our brains for flight, fright, or freeze. When our boss (or someone else) provides feedback, our point of view about ourselves typically feels threatened. And, too often, feedback has people avoid one another out of fear that their self-perceptions are wrong. Yes, it’s unwarranted. But it happens way too often.

Why feedback is important:

It allows us to grow as successful leaders
Our projects to go from so-so to having stellar results
We broaden our perspectives about working with different people, including “difficult team members”

As a leader, be open to sharing experiences that only feedback can provide you. This mindset sets the tone for your team members to do the same. Remember, feedback requires tact and diplomacy. Otherwise, you will escalate conflict or create hurt feelings.

“Giving and receiving the gift of feedback creates stronger leaders.” Jeannette Seibly

6 Tips to Develop the Gift of Giving and Receiving Feedback

Be Open to Receiving. People will provide feedback, regardless of whether you ask for it or want it. Strong leaders listen, regardless of their feelings about it. If you don’t, you may miss some important information. Ask questions for clarification without sounding defensive. Then, review the feedback with your coach before making any changes.

Use a Qualified Job Fit Assessment. This type of assessment addresses your thinking style, core behaviors, and occupational interests when you embrace this feedback. You will gain job insights into how to effectively work with others, while appreciating their differences. Objectivity helps you accept the things you cannot change, while improving your effectiveness.

Value 360-degree feedback assessments. Use these quarterly, annually, and/or after major projects. These tools are great gifts for feedback when developing leadership strengths. The problem is many companies create their own 360-degree surveys. Because these tools lack objectivity and confidentiality, they fail to offer valid feedback that makes a positive difference. Make sure to select the right tool that has the validation and reliability for providing laser-like feedback.

Ask for Feedback. After a project or meeting, ask for feedback from several key employees. Start by asking “What worked? and “What didn’t work?” Listen. Take notes. Then, review with your coach before attempting to put any changes in place.

Develop a Straight Talk Approach. When offering feedback, talk straight. If you filter too much, you camouflage the true issue.

For example: A VP-HR provided feedback to the VP-Finance about gossiping. During the next coaching call, his coach could tell the VP-Finance didn’t understand what the VP-HR had said. The VP-HR had sugar-coated it. Straight talk is important when behavioral changes must happen…no matter how hard it might feel.

Learn Different Feedback Methods. The same approach doesn’t work for everyone!

2 different approaches to get you started:

Direct approach works for people who want to know the truth. Be clear about the facts and share them, after getting their permission to do so.

For example: “Josie, are you open to feedback from your presentation this morning?” She nods yes. “Super. There was too much information on your slides and you read it to us. It’s important to engage the audience, not lecture them, when we need to learn about these new safety procedures.”

Sandwich approach is for less tough-minded people. Share 2 positives, 2 specific areas that need improvement, and wrap-up with 2 positives.

For example: “Joe, you’re a valued member of our team and we appreciate your involvement.” (2 positives)

“However, we need you to read the minutes before each meeting and put away your phone during the meeting. It’s very distracting when you’re not fully engaged in the conversation. Remember, multitasking is a myth.” (2 specific areas for improvement)

“Again, we appreciate your commitment to the company and achieving our goals.” (2 positives)

These 6 tips will provide you the opportunity to share your experiences while giving and receiving the gift of feedback.

A Note About Using Assessments from Jeannette. Scientifically validated and reliable assessments are the key to a great 2021.

They can help you: