Assessments

How to Stop Struggling to Be an Effective Communicator

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effective communicatorHave you ever noticed words coming out of your mouth that you vowed you would never say? To make matters worse, your tone sounds harsh or critical. Believe it or not, we often sound like our parents did when we were growing up. Imagine sounding like a critical parent when you’re speaking to your boss or teammates. Yikes!

Why Is Communication So Important?

When you fail to produce intended results and develop good working relationships, it is due to a poor communication style. Lack of respect, tone of voice, words used, and promises not kept (to name a few) hurt your effectiveness.

Instead of blaming others, take time to learn how to become an effective communicator.

8 Traits to Become a Savvy Communicator

  1. Change Beliefs. You must set aside your judgments and beliefs about 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 believe or think about them (over 80 percent of communication is non-verbal!).
  2. Learn to Influence.  Instead of telling others what to do and stating how things “should” be done, ask for their input. Engage all team members by sharing the bigger picture. Now, allow them to handle the details on a project without micromanaging.
  3. Listen to Learn! Develop a positive attitude and authentic belief that others have great solutions! (Really, they do!) Listen and learn from them and incorporate their ideas. Give each person bragging credits.
  4. Treat People Right. Treat people with respect by listening and valuing them. Hang around effective communicators to learn how they do it. Take away insights that will encourage you to become an effective communicator. (Hint: Understand you will never communicate just like them!)
  5. Understand Your Style. Use qualified assessment tools to understand “why” you talk and work well with some people and not others. Armed with accurate insights into your thinking and behavior styles, work with a coach to improve your communication effectiveness with anyone, anywhere at any time.
  6. Pay Attention to Tone and Word Choices. 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 any past and upcoming complex situations. These sessions can guide you on how and what to improve. As you become a more confident communicator, your style will naturally improve.
  7. 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 faster. Then, shred. NEVER send a letter spewing your upsets, no matter how justified you believe you are.
  8. Develop Confidence. Often, your innermost and deepest fear is that you are a fraud and everyone is going to find out. To awaken your “inner communicator talent,” get the book It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition, and complete the five steps to effectively communicate with confidence. Remember, there are no shortcuts!

Become an effective communicator by developing these 8 traits and enjoy the results!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017-2019

Jeannette Seibly has been an award-winning champion for people and results for the past 26 years. She has guided bosses and teams to excel in using powerful communication tools.  Contact Jeannette today for straight talk with dynamic results.

Run more effective meetings by managing this #1 challenge:  http://ow.ly/Maox30oTBr6

6 Ways to Effectively Manage Difficult Top Performers

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Manage Difficult Top PerformersAs a boss, managing top performers can be the biggest challenge you will face. While some top performers can be easy to work with, many can be difficult and will push anyone in their way to the edge.

Most of these top performers know they know their stuff. Since they believe others are less knowledgeable and less capable than they are, it taxes them to listen. Even listening to their boss can be a challenge, particularly when they don’t respect him or her!

If you are the boss of difficult top performers, learning how to manage these VIPs is important. It requires you keeping them engaged and growing.

If these difficult top performers are causing you sleepless nights, it’s time for you to improve your management skills. Not, get rid of them. (Remember, we love their results!) If you’re not willing to go the extra mile, consider a different job.

6 Ways to Improve Your Management Skills

  1. Address “issues” positively with straight talk. Top performers want to feel heard and valued! Unfortunately, they also create conflicts. Don’t avoid conflicts, bulldoze over them, or tell others “it’s the way it is.” This only creates animosity and more conflict! Instead, set a positive example by talking straight and listening to learn from them. Be open to new ideas since top performers have plenty of them!
  2. Engage these results-producing performers with challenges and new opportunities. Stay away from giving them busywork, which they are quick to spot and resent. A real challenge can look like this: transition a top sales producer to selling in a different market or selling a new product line. First, before transitioning them into a new role, assess the person for job fit with the new challenges and responsibilities. This is critical! A top performer’s skills may not transfer well from the old job to the new one (e.g., success in inside sales does not equate to success in outside sales). Remember, if you move them and they fail, they will leave, taking ideas, results, and other top performers with them.
  3. Expect good people skills. Too often, we overlook top performers’ interpersonal skills since they are top producers. The problem is they often create chaos and are typically lone-rangers. When there are relationship spats (and there will be), don’t step over or attempt to personally resolve them. Instead, expect them to reach a collaborative resolution within a set period of time.
  4. Adhere to systems and policies. Too often, difficult top performers believe they are exempt from following systems and adhering to policies. If you managing this, there will be a negative impact on others. Hold them accountable and responsible.
  5. Focus on developing tangible skills. Don’t manage their personalities. This bears repeating…do not manage their personalities! A qualified 360-degree feedback assessment is an invaluable guide on where to focus. Review the objective data to uncover leadership, communication, and project management skills that need improvement. Only address one or two areas at a time.
  6. Remember, money is not a motivator. While your difficult top performers may demand more and more money, higher salaries will not keep them or make them easier to work with. Find other ways of compensating them based upon results (e.g., perks, vacations, gift certificates, industry recognition, etc.).

©Jeannette Seibly, 2010-2019

Managing difficult top performers can be one of the most difficult challenges bosses face.  As an executive coach, Jeannette Seibly has been championing people and results for the past 26 years. Contact Jeannette today for straight talk with dynamic results.

 Run more effective meetings by managing this #1 challenge:  http://ow.ly/Maox30oTBr6

 

 

Want to Improve Your Results? Expand Your Vision

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expand your vision.better results.2Bosses and leaders exist to maximize results. This often unwritten job responsibility includes “approaching problems through a lens of opportunity.” (Forbes, 2013)

The ability to expand perspectives and design the right game plan will improve your results. It requires expanding the lens of your vision to create what your results could be. Embracing and engaging in this approach is a career and results changer.

What Gets in the Way?

Many bosses rely on linear thinking. From their POV, they find it easier and less work when they do what they’ve always done. They believe that change can rock the boat and hurt their upward mobility and paycheck. Unfortunately, these narrow points-of-view cause bosses to miss out on new opportunities and promotions! Remember, doing the same old things the same old way will disengage teams, hinder customer satisfaction, and turn the bottom line red.

Don’t miss another opportunity to improve your game plan by sharpening your vision and expanding your results!

6 Ways to Develop an Expanded Vision

Be patient. Developing an expanded vision take years of disciplined practice to master the ability to fine-tune your results. To achieve mastery faster, use the PXTS Leadership Report. It covers the six essential, time-proven leadership traits (Wiley, 2019) needed to achieve intended results.                                        

Commitment. It starts with you. You must practice broadening your awareness and POV. When you have grandiose and unrealistic expectations, it will limit the quality of your results. Once you implement your game plan you will hit snags, and, at times, a concrete wall. Keep your vision focused on the game plan without changing the intended results! This honors your commitment to work past these snafus.

Get to the Root Cause. Linear thinking bosses fail to get to the heart of the issue and continue hoping for the best results. Non-linear thinking bosses also fail by relying (and hoping) on the helicopter approach. But, hope is not a strategy! Use persuasive listening skills and be open to discovering the root cause. Armed with this expanded vision, you can now produce amazing results.

Develop True Brainstorming Processes. Most companies do a horrible job of brainstorming. They rely on the first good idea or succumb to the boss’s vision of how it should be. Write down ALL ideas, no matter what they are, before discussing the pros and cons. Many times we laugh or criticize off-the-wall ideas. Yet, these can ignite team members to create a broader vision and build expanded results.

Get Real. Many goals sound great on paper or in your head. Yet, your observations of what will work may not work inside your company. This is true even if the idea worked for a competitor. To combat this, ask questions and listen to others (e.g., team members, functional areas in the company, and 1 or 2 business advisors). Be select when asking the right people for input and observations. Remember, too many opinions will muddy the perspectives of what to do next.

For example, have you ever seen postings on a social media site asking for help? Usually, they will receive 10+ ideas. Then, inevitably, the people posting the request express being confused, overwhelmed, and not knowing what to do next. Too many opinions will cloud your lens making your vision murky. Doing it alone will not work either.

Avoid Circular Logic. This is the biggest hurdle in achieving your intended results. Instead of straight talk, you hear what you want to hear and muddle your discernment of reality. Clarity is crucial. Use an experienced executive coach to guide you through the inevitable complex issues and confusing situations you will face.

For example, your intended results impact employees. Yet, you fail to include them during the design, planning, and implementation stages. Your excuse, “I don’t have time.” This will get you in trouble. You can either take some time now or take a lot of time later. (Think, hours vs. months or years.) Always remember, employees can embrace your game plan or silently thwart your envisioned results!

To expand the lens of possibilities, expand the direction of your envisioned results.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019

Being a great boss requires working through complex issues and confusing situations. Jeannette Seibly has been an award-winning champion for people for the past 26 years. Contact Jeannette today for straight talk with dynamic results.

Has your game plan by thwarted by your team? Want to know why?  http://ow.ly/Maox30oTBr6

How Can I Be a Boss When I Hate Managing People?

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Boss.Hate Managing People.SeiblyI have many clients who don’t enjoy and actually hate working with people. After working with me, some have grown so much they now excel at working with people. Others have made job changes that don’t require managing others…and are now successful in their careers. Some became entrepreneurs, believing it would prevent them from having to deal with managing people. Yet, they found that in order to make money, they needed acceptable people skills.

Whether you like managing people or not, good people skills are critical for success.

Managing people can be confusing:

  • -They say one thing and do something different.
  • -They get upset with you for telling them the truth.
  • -They ignore your advice and do it their own way…to the detriment of others.
  • -They lie about how difficult it is to work with you in order to further their own career.

Gordon is a manager in a technology company and has 10 team members that report to him. When there is a problem, he uses the ostrich approach and only gets involved when it’s absolutely unavoidable. He pits team members against one another by not filtering his comments. He says he detests chaos, but, actually thrives in it because he can swoop in to save the project and client.

After hearing many complaints, Gordon’s boss mandated he works with a coach. At first, he tried to manipulate the coach into believing he had the wrong team members. After all, it wasn’t his fault people were difficult to work with. But, the coach had a lot of coaching experience and started the process with a qualified job fit assessment on Gordon.

The assessment results showed Gordon he didn’t like managing people. He remarked, “True, but, there is no other way of making more money and landing a better position in the company.”

Over the next several months, he listened, became coachable, and used the advice the coach gave him to handle specific situations. He enrolled (and actively participated) in “soft skill” workshops. These built his confidence and competence. He still did not enjoy managing people, but, he learned how to effectively work with them and through them to achieve the intended results. A year later, he was promoted to the director level.

What Can You Do When You Hate Managing People?

  1. Clarify. Do you actually dislike working with people OR do you lack the training and experience to do so? To gain a realistic POV, use a qualified job-fit assessment. Using objective data will help you understand why you feel the way you do. It can also help you understand your team members and gain insight into how to improve your working relationships.
  2. Resolve Past Circumstances. When past issues have not been resolved (work, personal, and family), they’ve not been forgotten, even if you don’t consciously remember them. Take the time to talk out concerns (e.g., trust) and gain a healthier perspective by working with a therapist.
  3. Take Part in Soft Skills Training. Participate in workshops that focus on experiential processes, not concepts or theories. These will provide breakthroughs in how to work effectively with and manage people like a boss. Areas to focus on include: conflict resolution, active listening, building alignment, creating win-win-win outcomes, etc. As the boss, you probably will not love managing people, but, you will develop an effective management style over time.
  4. Hire an Executive Coach. And, find an industry mentor. Each can help you work through confusing situations and political relationships. As the boss, the keys are to listen and be coachable.
  5. Focus on the Project and Results. Focus on empowering your team. As the boss, provide clear goals, budgets, milestones, and expectations for projects. Manage according to milestones and provide needed resources for the team. Don’t manage people’s personalities. When conflicts occur due to team members being difficult, personally resolve it or bring in a facilitator. Remember, it does not mean you’ve failed when you bring in an outside executive coach to resolve a major issue. It actually makes you look successful.

 ©Jeannette Seibly, 2019

Being a great boss requires working through complex issues and confusing situations. Jeannette Seibly has been an award-winning champion for people for the past 26 years. Contact Jeannette today for straight talk with dynamic results.

Is your team over budget and missing their milestones? Do you know why? http://ow.ly/Maox30oTBr6

 

How to Be a Proactive Boss and Stop Fire-Fighting

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boss.fire fighting.proactiveEverywhere, exhausted bosses hate having to put out “fires.” The sad truth is, many of these “hot issues” are preventable by being proactive.

I remember reminiscing with a former coaching client last year. We laughed at the many stories we had addressed when he was the director of a technology company.

One of the most powerful stories was, he never seemed to worry about anything. His normal response, “I understand that maybe I should be worried … and I am concerned … but, I don’t see how running around will change anything.”

His new version: “If there is a fire in the building, I need to get involved instead of sitting and roasting marshmallows.”

He was right. Over-reacting is just as bad as not-reacting. It’s why our coaching calls focused on becoming a proactive boss that prevented “fires” from occurring.

Get Into Action Now

Stop Waiting for “The Perfect Time.” It’s a myth! Waiting until the situation or issue is “really hot” makes it more difficult to “put out the fire.” Attempting to drench it with a fire hose only has team members drown in chaos. In the chaos, the real core issue is camouflaged by smoke and mirrors. Listen up! Be open to hearing what you don’t want to hear. It’s the only way to be proactive and put the fire out now.

Two co-team facilitators sniped at each other during team meetings. Many team members stopped attending and blamed each other for the conflicts. When the boss heard about it, she simply stated, “People will be people.” It wasn’t until her top employee left that she decided she better listen! He blamed her for his need to leave. Perplexed, the boss asked why he felt that way. He replied, “All you had to do was care enough to be proactive, instead of waiting for the inevitable fires.”

Uncover “Why” There Are Upsets and Frustrations. Have you been hearing gossip and sparks of dissension?  If there are complaints, it’s past time to get involved! First, address what you have been afraid of hearing. Then, listen and ask questions to get to the heart of the matter. Don’t fall victim to the popular blame-game often used by others to deflect their responsibility. Straight talk and openness are required to create solutions. Note: If the fire is serious enough, before plunging in and making matters worse, dowse it by hiring an executive coach.

Badgering or Micromanaging Will Not Fix the Issue. Many times bosses feel helpless to resolve a current fire or a spark about ready to ignite. They default to nitpicking, playing the blame game, or steamrolling to get the results. These traits do not build high-performing teams, nor resolve the heart of the issue! When asking good business questions listen to your team members. Remember, you can fix the process, but, you cannot fix personalities.

Everyone Needs Training. Most fires are preventable with proactive actions. It starts with training everyone in how to conduct effective meetings, in-person and virtually. Remember, proactive training is ongoing. Focus on listening, conflict resolution, building trust, and holding each person accountable for the results.

Acknowledgement Work Wonders. It’s the boss’s job to let each and every team member know they are valued for their efforts. This can prevent fire-fighting. Why? When team members feel they matter, they are more likely to proactively prevent sparks from turning into out-of-control fires.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019

Being proactive as a boss is one of the most difficult challenges you will face. It’s difficult to know when to step in and when to simply advise. Jeannette Seibly has been an award-winning champion for people for the past 26 years. She has guided bosses and teams to excel. Contact Jeannette today for straight talk with dynamic results.

Hope is not a strategy to get your team unstuck! Learn 10 ways to do it now.

How to Be a Great Boss and NOT Steamroll Your Team

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Steamroller.Boss

  • -Do you fail to listen and interrupt your team members constantly?
  • -Do you ignore others’ opinions when trying to brainstorm solutions?
  • -Do you fail to coordinate with others and consider your impact on them?
  • -Do you fail to build alignment to get everyone on the same page?

If you answered yes, you probably consider yourself a results producer and expect others to overlook your steamroller approach. Consider this story.

Joelle was looking forward to working with her new boss, Jake. During the interview, Jake asked all the right questions and said all the right things. When Joelle asked good basic questions, he appeared to listen to her by nodding his head.  She was excited to accept the job offer. However, Joelle had failed to deep dive into Jake’s expectations and management style.  

At the very first team meeting, Joelle experienced Jake’s true style as a boss…a steamroller.  During the two hour meeting, he ignored others’ ideas. When he allowed others to speak, he vetoed them or talked over them or talked as if they hadn’t spoken. He acted like he knew the right way to do everything.

 After the meeting finally ended, Joelle was exhausted. She asked one of her new team members, Jon if Jake was having a bad day. Jon shrugged his shoulders and said, “Its Jake’s normal style. At least he wasn’t yelling and blaming us for the current challenges we’re facing.”

Joelle immediately texted the recruiter and told him to find her another job pronto! She wasn’t going to work for a steamroller.

Steamrollers are considered results producers who know how to get the job done. However, they also are considered pushy people who go to great lengths to get what they want when they want it. They have the need to prove they are right about everything.

The real challenge for a steamroller boss is to learn how to reduce team frustration caused by their steamroller approach.

Managing Your Steamrolling Style

Know Thyself. If you’re a steamroller, it’s important to know why. Use objective data from scientifically validated job fit assessments. This tool allows you to discover your natural style and why teams react towards you the way they do. As a company president once stated, “There will always be breakdowns with team members. Knowing ahead of time what can happen and how to address it allows me to sleep better at night.”

Art of Talking It Out. Not listening and being a “know-it-all” hinder your teams from being top results-producers. When talking with others, it’s important for you to ask questions and listen to their responses. Build on these ideas and deep dive to ensure you understand the meaning of their comments. Be fearless when addressing conflicts and get them resolved for win-win-win outcomes.

Fix Your Own Problems. Too often steamrollers create havoc. They expect others to clean up the messes they make, particularly in relationships. It’s important YOU make the effort to learn from your mistakes. It starts by apologizing (without any excuses) and making amends.

Be Proactive, Not Highly Reactive. Steamrollers are always pushing the panic buttons because they don’t believe their teams are operating the right way. STOP! Your constant badgering and micromanaging are getting in the way. It hurts innovation and team camaraderie. Plan your work and trust others to contribute to the plan. Don’t forget to acknowledge each and every team member for their efforts.

Develop Awareness. The good news is a steamroller can produce intended results. The bad news their process can be fraught with upsets and frustrations. Steamrolling discourages team members from wanting to work with you and for you. Hire an executive coach and use a qualified 360-degree feedback tool. These will provide insights and clarity. Ask your coach: “How do I stop being a steamrolling boss and still produce intended results?” Then, listen, consider what has been said, and take corrective actions.

Be a Straight Talker. Remember, just because you have a frank and direct way of speaking does not make you a steamroller. People today feel comfortable with fluff and indirect conversations. However, these types of conversations can be time-consuming and produce limited results. Become the type of boss that talks straight without steamrolling. Remember to let your team know before you make comments they don’t or won’t want to hear.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019

Developing your team is one of the most frustrating and difficult roles as a boss. Jeannette Seibly has been an award-winning champion for bosses for the past 26 years and has guided teams to succeed. Contact Jeannette today for straight talk with dynamic results.

Is your team stuck? Is the situation only getting worse? How do you fix the #1 issue all teams experience? Get your answer http://ow.ly/Maox30oTBr6

How Bosses Can Overcome the Entitlement Trap

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Entitled Boss.4Entitlement has become an epidemic. Many people feel entitled to have what they want when they want it. However, for bosses, entitlement can become a trap and lead to career and business derailment and failure.

What do these traps look like?

Traits of entitled bosses:

  • -believe they are more deserving than their employees (e.g., pay increases, bonuses, perks, etc.)
  • -lack compassion for others’ challenges and believe they should just get over it
  • -brag about their team’s results using the word “I”
  • -willing to confront anyone to get what they want, regardless of the impact on others
  • -disregard company policies and rules believing they don’t apply to them
  • -considered bullies, egotistical, ruthless, manipulative, or liars

When you “assume you’re entitled to something, you stop working to get it and begin waiting for it to come to you. That’s a sure-fire way to fail.” (HR Daily Advisor)

To avoid these entitlement traps, it requires awareness and emotional intelligence work.

Remember, success is an inside job.

Entitled bosses (this includes both men and women) can be difficult for people to work with and for. Boss entitlement is why top talent leaves, teams fail to perform, customers go to the competition, and the bottom line isn’t so black.

The problem is, entitlement today is so pervasive that it’s like the air you breathe. You don’t think about it until something triggers it.

You’re not entitled to anything in this life!

This statement can be hard to read and harder to accept after listening to many motivational gurus. However, actually, it can provide clarity. The truth is, entitlement creates misery, not success. Developing healthy emotional intelligence and doing the inner work required, creates the real success you desire.

Get Started

Find an industry mentor and hire an executive coach to help you recognize your entitlement traits and develop better strategies.  One common example is when entitled bosses get angry when employees make mistakes. They exclaim, “They should know better, it makes me look bad.”

Become Aware of Common Entitlement Pitfalls that Sound Like These:

“Bad things shouldn’t happen to me.” There is no voodoo or anything else to prevent unfortunate circumstances. Life happens. Life is unfair to everyone. Develop resiliency and compassion for yourself and others.

“What’s in it for me?” Bad decisions are often based on entitled bosses’ self-interest, favoritism, faulty data, and biases. These will derail your team and your career. Use real objective data and create win-win-win outcomes for better decisions.

“I deserve to be respected.” Entitled bosses are easily disappointed in employees, results, and everything else in life. Remember, the attitude you lead with boomerangs back to you! Respect is earned, regardless of the job title. Adjust your beliefs by helping each and every employee, client and vendor excel. Use your coach to help you gain respect.

“I got this handled.” The minute we think we have something handled we stop paying attention. As a management guru once stated, “Then, we’re screwed!” Allow yourself to be a beginner and get back to the basics. Build on success. Mastery requires the discipline of practicing the right things over and over.

“I don’t make mistakes.” Really? If you hear yourself say this, call your coach immediately. Everyone makes mistakes. They either learn from them or repeat them. Learn how to genuinely apologize and correct the mistakes made by you and your team.

“I deserve nothing but happiness.” While the right team members and projects will make you happy for a short period of time, the honeymoon will end. Every project runs into snags or huge mountains. Set aside your ego, believe in your team, and become a resource to bring the project in on time and within budget.

“I should always win.” Remember, you are not entitled to have everything you believe you want in the way you think it should happen. (Read that again!)  When you rely on your ego to justify why you didn’t win, you miss out on a critical learning opportunity. Winners ask and answer, what worked and what didn’t work to deep dive into “why.” Then, move on.

If you stay out of the entitlement trap by developing awareness and emotional intelligence, you will become a successful boss. And always remember …  Success is an inside job.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019

Jeannette Seibly is an experienced award-winning executive coach with over 26 years of experience. Her clients create fun, earn 6-figure incomes, and successfully work through confusing situations. Develop your executive persona and stay out of the entitlement trap. Contact Jeannette for straight talk with dynamic results.

Did you know 90% of teams are not top performing and are unable to produce intended results? Do you want how you can fix the #1 reason why? Get your answer http://ow.ly/Maox30oTBr6

How to Manage #MeToo Fears with Courage as a Boss

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#MeToo.Managing.4“60% of male managers are uncomfortable interacting with female co-workers.” (Sheryl Sandberg, Interview on CBS This Morning, 5/17/2019)

Today, many male bosses are fearful of accusations of sexism or harassment due to #MeToo. It is why male bosses refuse or avoid 1:1 meetings, travel, and work dinners/lunches with women.

This trend is hurting women and others in the workplace.  “Business is a team sport and we must engage all genders in our quest to create a better future.” (Rachel Mushahwar, VP & GM at Intel)

In addition, many women are not mentored and overlooked for promotions. They are rated on “how people feel about working with them,” while their male colleagues are evaluated on “the quality and results of their work.”

Reality: a true high-performing team is representative of everyone.

The truth is, all bosses need to remember ignoring fears won’t make them go away. It requires courage and a new level of awareness for bosses to learn from and move past #MeToo fears. This is how you prevent accusations of sexism, harassment, and other discrimination.

7 Tips for Building Awareness

Job Fit Assessments. These tools help bosses (men and women) manage by reducing subjectivity. They improve the boss’s ability to hire, coach, manage and train with more objectivity. When you use factual data, everyone wins.

Persuasive Listening. When bosses and employees disagree, most do not know how to talk it out before it becomes a conflict. Do not allow conflicts or rifts in relationships to continue. As a boss, it’s your responsibility to learn how to elicit the best in others when talking and working with anyone.

Keep It Business Focused. When meeting with employees, bosses or co-workers, keep it focused on business. Stay away from sharing gossip, jokes, or personal issues. These can come back to bite you.  When hosting events follow these three fundamental rules: 1) hold them in public venues, 2) limit your intake of alcohol, and 3) never gossip about work or people.

Share Selectively. Women are more likely to share personal and family challenges with others than men. Be responsible for what you share and who you share it with. Sadly, studies have shown women can be less supportive of other women’s challenges, particularly when there is a promotion at stake.

Hire an Executive Coach. Take workshops that help you understand human nature and hire an executive coach. This combination will improve your confidence, competence, and courage. Remember, good management and supervisory skills are developed over time.

Mistakes Happen. You will make mistakes along the way. Apologize and don’t do it or say it again!

Commitment to Success. Successful bosses know the commitment to each and every person’s success creates high performing results-producing teams.

My interactions with men and women bosses have shown that both are fearful of #MeToo.  Courageous bosses have the courage to overcome these fears. When bosses overcome these #MeToo fears they creates a workplace free from sexism, harassment and other types of discrimination.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019

Are you a boss that needs the courage to handle confusing situations with your employees? Jeannette Seibly has been an award-winning champion for bosses for the past 26 years. Contact Jeannette today for straight talk with dynamic results.

Did you know only 10% of teams are top performing results-producers?
Do you want to know why? This download is FREE when you join SeibCo’s weekly eNews.

 

Surprisingly, Listening to Feedback Can Make You Promotable

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feedback.promotable.3A 43-year-old boss was critical and subjective when giving feedback to his employees. They reacted by ignoring him, arguing with him, or simply continue to do it their own way. When his director demanded he learn how to give feedback to motivate his team, he gave in and hired a coach. He quickly learned he didn’t like receiving feedback either! The first lesson for bosses, it’s important to learn to receive feedback as well as give it!

Giving and receiving feedback can be difficult today. The #1 challenge according to research, “we aren’t the reliable raters of other people’s performance that we think we are; …” (HBR, 2019)

As bosses, higher level management encourages us to be critical of others. They believe this motivates everyone to excel. The truth is, most employees don’t listen to feedback, even when it is constructively offered. This hurts everyone’s ability to learn and be promotable.

Consider, you can learn something from anyone. This is feedback and makes you promotable. It requires you to choose to listen and hear what others are saying, particularly when you don’t want to do so. Otherwise, you risk having your career sidelined.

Why We Don’t Want Feedback

When you are emotionally attached to doing it your way, you don’t care what others think and blow off their feedback. You will argue your results are good enough and disregard the outcome or impact on others. This attitude towards feedback will derail your career.

How to Learn from Feedback

Listen Up! Do you want to be promotable? It’s crucial to fine-tune your willingness to hear feedback. When you listen through the filter of being criticized, you will feel criticized. If you listen to someone’s feedback as a gift, you will find it valuable. It’s always your choice!

Role-play from POV. Instead of ignoring feedback, role-play the feedback from the other person’s POV. This is a great way to better understand why they are saying what they are saying.

Listen for Objective Insights. Promotable bosses embrace feedback, even when shared subjectively. Deep dive by asking questions to uncover objective concerns. Remember, there is no absolute correct way to do anything. For example, there are over 100 ways to wash dishes!

Hire a Coach. Learning from feedback gets you promoted faster. Hire a well-seasoned executive coach. This expert will guide you through the unwritten company rules and help you build a strong confident work style.

Build Team Comradery. When you disregard your team members’ feedback, they no longer trust you. Develop an openness and valuing feedback when designing a project or implementing a plan. It will improve your results and limit unwelcomed surprises. Listen and ask good questions to build alignment and don’t ignore nay-sayers. (Hint: Nay-sayers often provide the best feedback.)

Make Feedback Constructive. Use a job fit assessment to objectively clarify why you do what you do. Remember, every strength has an inherent weakness that impacts your outcome. You need feedback to recognize this.  For example, if you are a great listener, you will miss out on being introduced to decision-makers at networking meetings. Why? You allow highly sociable influencers (aka someone who talks nonstop) to get in your way of asking for introductions.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019

Jeannette Seibly is a well-seasoned award-winning executive coach. She has been a champion for people achieving results for the past 26 years. As a result, her clients have created more fun, 6-figure incomes, and success when working through confusing situations. Develop your ability to give laser-like feedback.  Contact Jeannette for straight talk with dynamic results.

Successful bosses have coaches! Sign up for our weekly newsletter to learn how to solve your 3-P concerns (people, project, and performance). When you register, you will receive FREE “How to Select the Best Coach for You!”

Alert! Overconfidence is the Downfall for Managers Today

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Entefy is building the first universal communicator, an AI-powered communication platform that seamlessly connects people, services, and smart things.

Overconfidence has become a management trend today, according to many studies.

A new manager believed he was ready to lead a $25M dollar project, even though he had never run a $1M project before. He sold himself by making bold promises and embellishing his skills. 60 days later he was fired and wanted to know why. He hired a coach and learned he had management potential, but, he lacked the managerial experience required to manage a diverse team. Later, he found why. His team hadn’t trusted him and disregarded everything he said. They believed he was, “too full of himself.” In other words, he was overconfident in his skills and abilities.

The overconfidence dynamic happens when managers overestimate their abilities to perform and deliver.  When they fail, they are sidelined or fired without understanding the specific reasons why. To develop awareness, they need to set aside their I-got-this-handled attitudes. Then, listen, be coachable, and develop true inner confidence. (Hint: inner confidence is not based on ego or feelings; it’s based on a proven track record)

Are You Overconfident?

Awareness and mindfulness are important. At times, everyone has been or will be overconfident in their life and career. Learn to recognize and adjust the words or actions that signal you’re being overconfident. If you don’t, it may be your downfall.

Be honest about your skills. Take the time to conduct an accurate assessment of yourself. This includes talking with co-workers, bosses, customers, and vendors (a 360-degree review).  Also, use a scientifically validated job fit assessment. This type of assessment goes beyond how you want to be seen. It provides objective insights into your strengths, skills, and abilities needed to excel as a leader or boss.

Stop comparing yourself with others. Too often, when you see someone make a mistake, you may become arrogant and believe you would never make a similar mistake. This is one important example of being overconfident and lacking empathy.

Test your assumptions before declaring your decision. Too often we make important judgments and decisions based on fragments of information. We fail to deep dive objectively into the pros and cons. Contact your network!  90% of the world’s information is in people’s heads, not the internet.  Questions to get answered: Why did it work for that company? What are the differences between the companies? What is the “insider” information? This kind of analysis can help you make confident decisions.

Listen to others’ feedback and concerns. While it may seem easier to only focus on the positives, a healthy skepticism has saved many people’s careers and financial outcomes. All feedback is valuable.

Recognize when it’s the right time. While many ideas may be viable with modifications, it may not be the right time or place to put them into action. Beware if you’ve mulled an idea around in your head too long, it may no longer make a positive difference.

How to Work with Overconfident Managers

Stay aware and mindful in conversations. Listen up when your manager’s decision impacts you, your project, team, budget, etc.  Ask good open-ended questions to learn how the decision was made.

Stand up and speak up. While it’s important to be assertive in these situations, diplomacy is critical. Remember, you may be right…but, overconfident bosses may ignore you in the future if their ego feels threatened.

If their idea or assertion does not impact you, avoid confrontation. Choose which issues to pursue. Otherwise, when a major issue needs to be resolved, overconfident managers will not be open to listening to you.

While we’ve all experienced overconfidence at one time or another, learn from the above strategies to avoid downfalls and create healthy inner confidence.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2019

Jeannette Seibly has been a champion for people achieving results for the past 26 years. As an award-winning coach, she has helped 100s of bosses create more fun, 6-figure incomes, and success when working through confusing situations. Develop a healthy inner-confidence by contacting Jeannette for straight talk with dynamic results.

Successful bosses have coaches! Sign up for our weekly newsletter to learn how to solve your 3-P concerns (people, project, and performance). When you register, you will receive FREE “How to Select the Best Coach for You!”