Assessments

Momentum Is the Key to Achieving BIG Goals

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goals.4Many of us create goals to either check off a box for our bosses or to make a positive difference for ourselves and others. Yet regardless of why we have created the goal, it requires:

  • -Commitment
  • -A vision BIG enough to get everyone on board
  • -Focused action to create and sustain momentum

Momentum is not like gravity, always there regardless of what we do, say or think about it. While momentum is readily available, it requires commitment to achieve BIG goals and taking focused actions steps over time. It’s not about waiting for the right moment, right team or right amount of money.

The reason momentum can be hard to create is that many people are risk averse. Yes, they want to achieve their goals financially, personally and professionally. But they are fearful of stepping outside their proverbial comfort zone. After their goals have been created, many times their initial excitement and momentum wanes, and so do they. Get into focused action early. Do not wait.

Create Momentum Now

(Note: This article assumes that you have created true goals that are BIG, with a focused action plan and the right team committed to getting outside their comfort zones. If not, I would recommend hiring an experienced facilitator to get you on the right path now, before the struggle irrevocably hinders fulfillment of the goal.)

Assemble the Right Team. Assembling the right team is critical to achieving a BIG goal. It requires going beyond what people agree to do now. Ask if they have the interest and long-term willingness to support the project to the end. This is often a question people will say yes to but fail to fulfill. Use a qualified assessment to take the mystery out of whether or not they can and will contribute to the BIG goal.

Manage and Coach for Solutions. A common mistake leaders make is micromanaging individual efforts when team members become stuck. Instead, encourage them to talk out issues with other team members to resolve the problem, not create a conspiracy as to why the project won’t work.

Take Focused Actions. The No. 1 saboteur in any project is when busyness is used as an excuse for giving up. Here’s a secret: Taking the right focused action steps will create new skills and confidence … not the feeling of more work! When obstacles occur (and they will), true brainstorming, resourcefulness and initiative are required. Then, immediately take focused action steps. (This is not the time to change the BIG goal!)

Delegate to the Best Person. Stop attempting to do everything yourself. Trust your team members. Delegate a task or portion of the project to the right person (e.g., give the financial analysis portion of the project to the person who has the skills and interests to get it done). Utilize qualified assessments to understand each person’s best role on the team.

Stay in Communication. Stay in weekly communication. Face-to-face conversations and electronic updates keep the momentum moving forward. It’s harder to hide out on a team call when you’re specifically asked for updates. When problems or excuses arise, have a couple of team members or a vetted, qualified outside resource work together to resolve it (it’s best not to use the whole team – it slows the momentum).

Get Objective Outside Feedback. Talk about the components of the action plan with a small, select group of mentors and your business coach. (Don’t forget to use a nondisclosure agreement [NDA] for people outside the company.)  Listen respectfully to alternatives or points missed. Remember, you asked for their input, and often, seasoned experts offer the greatest insights.

Manage Self-Talk. Your internal mental chatter and word choices when talking about others make a significant impact on fulfilling the BIG goal. Remember, each and every person’s contribution is important. To keep everyone aware of what they have provided and what others have accomplished, use “It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition” to create and share Brag! statements.

You will fulfill the BIG goal if you take the right focused action steps to create and sustain momentum.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2018

What conflicts are you blind to that need to be resolved for a successful 2018? Hire Jeannette Seibly as a speaker or facilitator to successfully address company issues. She will provide confidential, laser-focused coaching that gets results! 

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

Speak Up! It’s Good for Your Career Success!

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speak upI’ve seen, too often, employees in group meetings speak up and lose their jobs, credibility and opportunities for pay increases. And, there are times I’ve heard people speak up and save the company money, time and top talent.

What gets in the way?

When we hear a perception that’s different from our own, our egos can get in the way of listening and conflicts can escalate. Communicating persuasively, listening and building solutions are thrown out the window when we feel attacked, ignored or overruled. When you don’t own your point of view while respecting others’, you will miss the opportunity to share and build win-win-win solutions.

Today’s bosses are encouraging employees to speak up. They are breaking through long-standing barriers and fears for both women and men. However, the challenge still remains: many of us encourage coworkers, bosses and leaders to speak up—until they challenge the status quo. Then, often, our fears kick in and we silence what is being said. We become resigned about making any changes.  Yet, we applaud those that have the courage to speak up and wish we could be more like them.

How to Own Your Point of View

Owning your point of view makes it easier for others to listen and hear you! Otherwise, telling others that your point of view is “the truth” will shut down your contribution to the conversation, project and team—potentially sidelining your career success.

Take Responsibility. Never forget that the thoughts, opinions and feelings you are sharing are yours. When you are pointing out a violation of company policy, safety or ethics, take responsibility for sharing the policy, sticking to the facts about the violation, and talking directly with the people who can make the difference.

Expand Your Perspective. We are all limited by our perceptions and life experiences. Don’t become emotionally attached to them. Instead, be willing to expand your awareness by listening to and honoring differences. Participate in a training program, read social media stories about others’ challenges and successes, and hire a coach to help expand your thinking. For bosses, I have found that qualified assessments successfully expand points of view about how to hire, coach, manage and train their teams.

Be Kind. Life does not discriminate against anyone. However, our biases or “truths” often do, and we negatively judge and assess others. Instead, speak well of everyone. Share and build on ideas, and don’t engage in gossip.

Share Appropriately. Indiscriminately sharing your feelings about how awful your job, boss or company is will sabotage your career. Instead, speak up privately and directly to the person or people who can make a difference. Then, take focused action. For example, complaining about a system issue that has always been that way will not change anything. Instead, talk with your boss, propose solutions and offer to lead the project to make the changes. Then, do it. This will actually boost your career success.

Do Your Homework. Frequently, people take the tiniest fragments of information (often found on the Internet or as company gossip) and talk about it as if they know it’s the truth. Our conclusions are rarely true. It’s like reading the back cover of a book and falsely believing you understand the plots and twists in the story. Get the facts! Then, share them. Be open to learning from others’ experiences beyond what you read on the Internet or hear during coffee breaks.

Speak up! Learn how to own and share your point of view appropriately … it’s good for your career growth and success.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2018

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

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

When You Have a Disgruntled Team Member…Resolve It!

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

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

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

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

Why Must They Be Addressed Now?

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

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

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

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

How Do You Address Disgruntled Team Members?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Do you have a project that needs outside intervention to achieve the intended results on time and within budget? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

How to Recover Quickly from a Bad Hiring Decision

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

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

First … Get Real about Your Decision

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

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

Second, Review and Improve Your Hiring Decisions

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

Consider the following:

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Do you have a hiring system that needs to be updated, really updated? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Don’t Be a Nitpicking Boss … You Need to Change

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Bosses, do you constantly criticize your employees? Did you know this nitpicking style sabotages your employees’ successes as well as your own (think: career, paycheck, bonuses and promotions)?

While bosses need to ensure employees are providing great customer service and quality products, only focusing on the negative hurts everyone. There is a fine line between ensuring the best results and nitpicking. It starts with your ability to focus on what needs to improve and having the right attitude and behavior when working with and through others to make necessary changes.

You Determine the Outcome

Your Lack of Clarity. Many times, bosses manage others without having learned the tasks themselves. Then, they believe they know how to do the work better than their employees and start nitpicking. This 30,000-foot critical view doesn’t build new awareness and skills for either party.

Your Fear Works Two Ways. When you want your employees to fear you, you come on too strong and loud. This can be belittling. When you fear they won’t like you or will gossip about you, you may make poor decisions, gloss over specific areas that need improvement or work late fixing the issues yourself.

Your Choice of Words. Poor coaching and management skills will only make the issues worse. But clamming up is no better. Not saying anything will not change anything.

Stop. Ask for Help. Fine-Tune Your Skills.

Develop Your Style. Hire an external coach and internal mentor. Be open with them when sharing what is working and what is getting in your way. Participate in workshops and attend trade conferences to build your inner awareness and confidence. This will improve your openness to learning from employees and talking with them effectively. It will also help you treat them as smart and skilled people.

Learn from Your Mistakes. We all make mistakes. Admitting them is key. Learning from failure is critical. Sharing mistakes can also help when done appropriately. This will lessen your need to uber-control others, hoping they won’t make mistakes. When mistakes are made (it’s inevitable), use them as mutual teaching/learning opportunities. Together review the processes or interactions to determine where changes can be made next time. This will bolster your confidence and their willingness to learn from you.

Build Your Confidence. Being a new boss can be a challenge when you are promoted from within the company and former co-workers are now your employees. Being a boss with a new employer can also be a challenge if there are employees who felt they should have been given the job. Take time to talk with each and every employee. Learn from them. Listen to their ideas and brainstorm solutions (nitpicking is not allowed here – save the details for later). When you value them, they will in turn learn to value you as their boss.

As a boss, stop nitpicking. Learn how to work with and through others in a positive manner. It will determine your success.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

High-Impact Hiring Practices for Amazing Results

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strategic hiring4We all love to celebrate amazing hires. These exceptional candidates make our day. Yet rarely do we take the time to strategize about how to find more of them.

When creating CRM systems (customer relationship management), managing sales teams or producing quality products, we take the time to review specific changes that are required to ensure the right results: in other words, what worked and what didn’t work. How can we use the same process to positively impact our hiring and selection practices? In short, by learning how to improve our selection practices rather than relying on gimmicks, false promises and cute ads.

First, Get Real about the Costs

Many companies believe that if their turnover is less than the industry average, they are doing well. The truth is, turnover still impacts the bottom line, leads to the loss of top talent and is a red flag to qualified candidates. Additionally, it also negatively impacts current and future customers because turnover can translate to a less-than-satisfying experience. Use our New Hiring Calculator to get the real picture about your hiring costs!

Second, Review Less-Obvious Concerns

Inexperienced Interviewer. Experienced job applicants need good and honest conversations about what to expect from the position, company and career opportunities … not canned answers.

Lengthy Application Process. Shorten the process and feature your company’s benefits and job requirements. Include short video clips about why the company is a great employer.

Bad Interview Questions. Failing to ask job-specific questions and deep-dive into candidate responses will create a false impression and lead to candidates turning down job offers.

Focusing Only on the Money. Remember, today’s employees are very interested in training for career advancement in addition to a competitive paycheck. Talk about both.

Poor Job Fit. According to a Gallup poll, over 71 percent of employees are working in jobs that don’t fit them. Use incredibly accurate qualified assessments for hiring, coaching and managing. These effective tools can improve job satisfaction and your hiring success.

Third, Include These Practices to Positively Impact Results

Define an Exceptional Hire. Ask yourself and your team, “What does an amazing hire look like today? In three months? Six months? A year from now?” Now, rewrite the job description with those answers in mind. Ask your marketing department for their input when you create an exciting and enticing job posting to advertise this newly conceptualized position.

Make Promises. Ask yourself and your team, “Why should applicants want to work for us? How will this job help their career now and in the future? What specific training and development can we offer them?” Now, keep those promises!

Create a 180-Day Onboarding Plan. The plan should include on-the-job training, meetings (one-on-one and in groups), company and trade conferences, etc. Keep this list short and on point. Remind applicants during the interview process and the 180-day onboarding period to listen, learn and ask questions. rather than talk too much.

Assign an Internal Mentor and an External Coach. An internal mentor can help a new employee or executive navigate the written policies and unwritten expectations of your company. An external coach can confidentially allow them to vent concerns and not hurt their chances for future promotions or job assignments. Both can guide them to make better decisions, work effectively with and through others, and achieve intended goals. These are important skills for all employees to develop.

Use Qualified Assessments. Using objective data will accurately show you the inherent strengths and weaknesses of a candidate. Knowing these details will expedite selecting and onboarding job candidates for great results. Remember, while people may have the skills, they may not wish to use them! For example, selecting an applicant as a bank loan officer requires more than previous experience. Are they good at working with people, are they proficient with numbers and do they have an interest in networking? If not, they will not normally succeed.

Customize Individual Career Pathways. Clear pathways should begin immediately upon hire. Use the data from the qualified assessment and what the employee wishes to achieve when designing them. Provide alternative career paths and compensation packages that include two options: managing others or being an independent contributor.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

Jeannette Seibly is celebrating 25 years as a business coach, advisor and consultant. Do you have unresolvable issues that you need to transform? Are you willing to make simple and effective changes? Check out her website , or contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

Being a Boss Is Not Easy…Learn How to Excel

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

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

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

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

See if any of these situations apply to you:

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

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

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

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

Third, It’s No Longer Just About You

And, here’s why…

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

Fourth, Ongoing Development Is Required

What does that mean?

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Excellent Advice to New Executives: Hire a Coach Now

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

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

A Coach Will Help You:

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

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

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

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

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

Hiring a Coach!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Future Leaders Need to be Ready Now

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

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

First, Identify and Qualify Them

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

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

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

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

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

Second, Develop Them

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

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

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

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

What If Future Leaders in Your Company Are Not Ready?

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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

Effective Bosses Know How to Communicate

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

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

Why Is This Important?

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

9 Ways to Communicate as a Great Boss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017

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

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