Hiring Solutions

Are You Using Your Interview Time Effectively?

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Use a qualified job fit assessment and the provided interview questions to deep dive. https://www.pxtselect.com/SeibCo

Most hiring managers believe they conduct good interviews with job candidates. Unfortunately, they are not getting enough of the right information to make good hiring decisions. The added challenge they experience is that many candidates come well-prepared, but rely on canned answers to the same common questions.

How do you…

  • Prepare the right interview questions to get a real picture of the job candidates?
  • Use good objective data to provide consistent job fit insights?
  • Know if candidates have the right technical and people skills?

Using your interview time effectively requires asking the right questions. Then, you can have a conversation to determine job fit. It’s important to remember the interview should be only one part of a well-designed strategic hiring process. The other key parts include assessments and due diligence.

Note: It’s easy to fall for candidates who say the right things. (We’ve all been guilty of doing this.) Instead, invite them back for a follow-up interview. Do this after you’ve selected at least two other job candidates for follow-up interviews. This practice prevents surprises!

How to Create Good Interview Questions to Attract Top Talent

1. What are you looking for? While this may seem obvious, too often, hiring bosses don’t spend enough time answering this question. This is where you get real about what and who you need. Then, brainstorm the required skills for the position. Remember, it’s a new normal, and business requirements have changed.

Ask and brainstorm:

  • What actual qualities are required?
  • What does the right candidate need to accomplish in 30-60-90-180 days?
  • What job fit assessment is best to see the “whole person?”

For example, if you’re seeking someone who can sell, can they generate leads, close, and provide good customer care? Use a qualified job fit assessment and the provided interview questions to deep dive.

2. Do your questions meet legal requirements? Too often we want to ask about recent books and movies a person has read or seen. Unless you are a bookseller, this can get you into trouble. Why? You will infer characteristics about the person without factual data. As you already know, stay away from questions about a candidate’s lifestyle, childcare, age, race, religion, or gender type, to name a few.

 For example, a hiring manager asked a candidate about the most recent book he’d read. He said, “Jaws.” She refused to talk with him further inferring he was an angry person.

3. Keep your questions focused on required job skills. When you ask good questions about job skills, use the Rule of 3. It will help you determine the depth and breadth of their skills.

 Here’s an example of using the Rule of 3 to hire a project manager:

  • How do you handle team conflict? Can you give me an example?
  • What were the results?
  • If I talked with the team, how would they describe your leadership skills?

4.Are they willing to take on new assignments and learn new processes? Many will say, “sure.” Again, use the Rule of 3 to determine their true willingness. When you deep dive, you’ll hear their willingness (or unwillingness) to learn new things. Don’t dismiss their reactions!

5. Listen for how they interact with others. Ask about working relationships with previous work teams, bosses, and customers. Ask for examples and don’t be afraid to deep dive to determine their ability to use good people skills.

Many years ago, I conducted a final interview with an experienced general manager for a business owner. Each time she talked about her past three jobs and working relationships with each business owner, she was negative. When I asked if she was aware of her negativity, she gave me an honest, “no.” I then shared with her that this company likely would be no different.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results CoachJeannette 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. These types of results start with hiring the right person the first time! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

New Normal Hiring Has Changed How You Select Top Talent! Are You Ready?

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“Increase your hiring accuracy today by fine-tuning your strategic hiring system and quality of tools. Otherwise, you’ll experience loss of top talent, customers, and business growth.” Jeannette Seibly

Recently, I heard from a job candidate that during her third group interview the hiring boss threw up his hands and left the room. Later she learned, the hiring boss had been talking with customers about their business changes and was left wondering what type of job candidate he really needed. The good news was, he prevented hiring and letting go of a new employee when the new job requirements became clear.  

We have forgotten that “new normal” includes new hiring and selection processes, and cannot be treated as business as usual.

Unfortunately, in our haste to get jobs filled today, we dust off old job descriptions and job postings. Then, tweak here and there before posting…believing we’re saving time! The problem is we’ve forgotten that NEW job skills are needed to support our customers and businesses. Plus, many job candidates’ skills have been dormant for the past year and could be rusty.

This “new normal” is the time for you to create a strategic hiring process and update selection tools focused on the future growth of your company. Otherwise, you risk customers and top talent leaving, frustrated with your company.

5 Key Places to Improve Your Selection Process

1. Envision the New Job. Take time to envision the new job with the key players. Focus on what you and your company need to accomplish. THEN, write up the new job description.

Here are the top 5 key changes (Insperity, April 2021):

  • Remote work
  • Flexibility and work-life balance
  • Technology use
  • Compliance with laws and regulations
  • Cybersecurity

2. Create a 180-Day Success Plan. Note specific goals (no more than 3 per month) the successful person needs to complete in the first 30-60-90-180 days! Be realistic and share with job candidates during the interview process. Pay close attention to their reactions.

3. Infuse Energy in Job Postings. Job postings may be the first time applicants hear about your company. Infuse them with positivity and opportunities for job candidates. Your goal is to attract top talent with new skills or people that are flexible and willing to learn quickly. Post on ATS site that is super easy for job applicants to use.

4. Use Job Fit Assessments that Provide Objective and Consistent Data. Job fit is the #1 reason people succeed (Harvard Business Review). Many people interview well and can tell you what you want to hear. It is why successful companies use scientifically developed job fit assessments. These state-of-the-art tools provide real data and insights about the candidates. It’s important to know before you hire the true strengths and weaknesses of your candidates. Make sure you can objectivity and consistently answer with real data: “Can they do the job?” “Will they do the job?” and “How will they do the job?” These answers will impact the quality of work done and relationships with customers and team members!

5. Bring Back Due Diligence. Many companies have stopped obtaining verifiable due diligence data. Remember, over 40% of people lie on resumes. The most common areas are education, previous dates of employment, and previous salary. (Indeed, February 2021) Yes, these are some of the key areas we use to determine the job candidates we will interview!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

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.

It can be embarrassing to you when your team produces results that do not meet customer or company needs. Discover how to work through team conflicts before they sabotages your career.

A Note from Jeannette About: New Normal Hiring Has Changed How You Do It! Are You Ready?      How you hire today has changed from how you hired in 2019 and 2020. If you haven’t updated and upgraded your selection systems and quality of tools, it will show in your results. High turnover of top talent and customers will hurt your business growth, now and in the future. And, your reputation will take a hit too (think, social media reviews). Are you stuck working with hiring managers resistant to making these critical changes? Contact me for ideas to overcome their resistance and start achieving dynamic results.

A Costly Management Practice That is Avoidable

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Employees today feel stressed, unclear about new expectations, and ready to bail for another job.

Companies not knowing what else to do, attempt to soothe and keep these employees by providing promotions or job transfers.

This IS the most expensive unrealized management practice in companies today. And, has been for a very long time. Why?

Promoting someone before they are ready or moving someone into a job that is not a good fit will have them leave. (Remember, they were once good employees.) They will take with them customers and top talent.

How do you stop this costly management practice?

There are 3 places you can impact your employees and keep top talent:

Ø  Hire: The least expensive and most effective place to start. When was the last time your company designed a selection process that used real objective data to achieve consistent results?

Ø  Coach: Most bosses and executives are poor coaches. What is the cost of hiring qualified coaches for bosses vs. top talent leaving?

Ø  Before They Leave: Bosses ignore the signs and offer more money (or other perks) to keep them! What are you doing to keep top talent engaged and looking forward to work each day? (Hint: Giving them more money or perks doesn’t last since they’ll still leave in the near future. Same with ill-advised promotions or job transfers.)

Is there a better way? Definitely! If you’re struggling or uncertain how to use the right tools and practices to stop this expensive management practice, contact me. We’ll start a conversation of how to improve your management practices. JLSeibly@SeibCo.com Or if urgent, 303-917-2993

It’s the 2nd Quarter! Let’s create a new normal that supports each and every employee.

Your customers, top talent, and bottom line will thank you!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

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.

Create a Results-Producing Customer-Focused Culture

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“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

  1. 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!
  2. 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!
  3. 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!
  4. 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!

  1. 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.

The #1 Reason Teams Don’t Zap Conflict

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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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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

 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.

 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?

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“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

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.

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

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“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.

2021 Is Here … It’s Time to Get Unstuck for Success

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“2021 will only be as good as your willingness to do the work.” Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results Coach

Many of you have thought about your goals and resolutions. Some of you have written them down. Far fewer of you have taken focused action steps to make them happen.

One of my long-term goals has been to write a novel. I even have over 100,000 words written. Over the past decade, I’ve updated. Made changes. Added and deleted characters. Et cetera. Et cetera.

Yet the novel remains safely hidden on my hard drive waiting to be published and see the light of day!

My current excuse is “Writing a novel is different than writing a business book. It requires different writing skills.” While this is true, it is still an excuse. There are classes and writing activities designed to help authors get their ideas published.

So, I’m stepping out! I am declaring, “This year is the year!” (GULP!)

What will I do now that I’ve been unwilling to do in the past? I’ve made it one of my top 3 must-get-done priorities in 2021. My support includes being part of a weekly author coaching group and attending monthly author events. My focused actions are scheduling time to write and then, writing. (Whether I want to or not!) These actions will provide me the inspiration I need to write and the coaching I need to stay unstuck. Plus, my other coaches will keep me in focused action! (NO EXCUSES IN 2021!)

Questions for You to Get Unstuck

Where are you stuck? It’s a great place to start instead of “why am I stuck?” Is it making a declaration? Is it making the time? Is it finding the money? Be clear and be real. If you’re stuck, write down on one page what, when, where, why, and how you feel stuck. Don’t beat yourself up. This is simply an inquiry. Now reduce it to ONLY ten words. When I did this exercise, it was eye-opening.

What do you really really really want to have? Here’s a simple yet challenging exercise my friend, Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd, has her authors do every year. Take four pieces of post-it size paper. On each piece of paper write down your goal in one or two words (e.g., publish book, lose weight, exercise, get a new job, retire, buy a home, etc.). Now you have four pieces of paper, each stating a goal. Here’s the challenging part. Remove the piece of paper you are least likely to do, want, or have. This will tell you the other three are more important. Now, remove the second piece of paper. Now, remove the third piece of paper. Drum roll …. The last piece of paper is your #1 goal for 2021. Now, it’s time to get busy!

“Doing what you’ve done before will have you stay stuck while hoping for different results.” – Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results Coach

What is the end result? People do things when they feel motivated to do them. What is motivating you to fulfill your #1 goal? Why is it important? Doing what you’ve done before will have you stay stuck while hoping for different results. Hope is not a viable strategy. It absorbs energy and makes you feel bad about yourself and your capabilities. When this happens, get your brag on! Yes, becoming present to your past successes works! (Especially when selling yourself in a job interview or asking your boss for a raise)!

What new possibilities are there? Look at your #1 goal from a 180-degree perspective. Here’s what I mean. Start with the goal and list key milestones backwards that must be met back to today. Doing this helps you see new possibilities to achieve your goal. So while many of us focus on only our limitations, our creativity and innovation are stifled. Remember, the longer you stay stuck and indecisive the more the next step seems elusive.

Are you waiting until the right time? If you’re waiting for the right time, stop waiting. Remember inspiration comes and goes like rain. It’s never predictable. The added challenge is, when it is raining, are you willing to do the work right then and there? Or, do your excuses get louder? (It’s important, to tell the truth!)

Here’s the million-dollar tip! Hire the right coach to help you stay focused on your #1 goal! Then, be coachable. Both of these are commitments are required to get and stay unstuck. And, you know staying focused can be difficult when life circumstances get in the way. But here’s what I want you to consider: One year from now will be 2022. Do you still want to be sharing your excuses…or sharing your successes? Another way to look at it is, if you have 6 months to live, would failure to achieve your #1 goal be your greatest regret?

Here’s to an amazing 2021! Who’s willing to get unstuck and join me?

©Jeannette Seibly 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 Honoring Your Goals from Jeannette. Goal creation and resolution-making are common activities for individuals and businesses each year. Yet the problem remains that these goals are rarely fulfilled. Don’t start 2021 as another year with great goals, ideas, and promises with no structure for fulfilling them. Make 2021 the year you actually make them happen!

How to Optimize Trust When Saying “No”

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“Saying no is less hurtful than saying yes and not delivering on your promise.” Jeannette Seibly

Many of you have learned the hard way that saying “yes” doesn’t always work. When you overcommit, it can come back to hurt your career, business growth, and customer relationships. There can be consequences and the most important is you break “trust.”

There are times it’s better to say, “no.” Yet, saying “no” can feel uncomfortable, especially for people-pleasers and those wanting to be well-liked.

If you say “yes” and are unable or unwilling to honor your commitment, trust is broken. It can become a career derailer when your team, boss, board, and/or customers stop trusting you.

As always, be selective and wisely choose when to say “yes” and when to say “no.”

How to Say “No” and Build Trust

When You Are Asked for Help. As a leader or entrepreneur, it’s your job to guide your team members. If you say “yes” and don’t follow-through, you lose trust. If you say “no,” you can instead recommend who or how they can get their questions answered by someone who is better qualified.

Don’t Offer Excuses. When you say “no,” it does not require an explanation. Offering excuses for the “no” is where many leaders (and others) get themselves in trouble. Instead, plan to negotiate requests that are important to create a win-win-win outcome.

For example, Sabrina was asked to work on a company-wide project for her boss. Because she didn’t have time she said “no.” Instead, she negotiated with her boss to do her part of the project remotely and attend monthly updates instead of weekly update meetings.

There are times it’s better to say, “no.”

When Invited to an Event or Provide a Financial Contribution. Be clear about your values (e.g., family, career, education, religion, etc.). It makes it easier to say “yes” or “no” to these types of requests. When you need to say “no,” here are some effective ways:

  • “No, thank you. I’d love to, but I’m unable to do so right now.”
  • “Thank you for asking and “no” I’m not able to do so.”
  • “Thank you for asking, but that doesn’t work for me right now.”

When You Don’t Have the Time or Interest. When you say “no,” include “That’s a great idea! But I don’t have the time or energy to add one more thing to my schedule. Good luck!”

When You Do Say “Yes.” Honor your “yes” by completing your commitment as promised and make sure to over-deliver. When you can say “yes” and you can say “no’s” to future requests, you will build trust with others.

©Jeannette Seibly 2020

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 “Saying No” from Jeannette. Saying “yes” can be too easy for many people. Yet, there are consequences when you don’t fulfill the promise you made with your “yes.” Learn how to say “no” diplomatically. That actually will help your career or business. Hire a coach to talk you through the pros and cons of “yes” and “no.”

How to Say Thank You to Others Right Now!

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Receiving acknowledgement is something we all say, “I hate!” Many have the same sentiment when others say, “thank you” or “I appreciate your efforts.”

As a result, we end up being stingy, Grinch-like, when it comes to letting others know we appreciate them.

Yet the truth is, we secretly crave acknowledgement and thanks! (Stop denying it!)

Today it’s important that leaders, bosses, and team members say, “thank you.” This simple expression lasts longer than bonuses or other perks.

7 Often Overlooked Ways to Say, “Thank YOU!”

Listen to Their Ideas. Yes, this is a silent way we say, “I appreciate you.” It only requires we set aside our internal mental chatter and electronic distractions. Just listen!

Ask for Their Ideas. Introverts are not as likely to volunteer ideas and solutions. But it doesn’t mean they don’t have good ones. Be sure to ask each and every team member for their input before making decisions. It says, “I value your contributions.”

“Appreciating others’ efforts provides a greater reward than anything else you can do!” Jeannette Seibly

Coach Them to Solve Problems. Every job has its challenges. When team members share their frustrations, ask, “How would you recommend resolving it?” Then, coach them to implement the recommendation. Be sure to follow-up to hear about the outcome. This follow-through speaks volumes and lets them know matter.

Let Them Make Decisions. Allow each person to schedule time off, sign up for training programs, set up brainstorming sessions, or create team get-togethers without asking you for permission. Trusting others is an important way to “acknowledge others.”

Give Praise More Often Than Not. Too often we’re not mindful of the effort required for a team member to get a project or job done. Take the time to be open and curious. It lets you know about any Herculean efforts. Give praise for their ingenuity, commitment, and perseverance to build their self-confidence.

Encourage Participation. Whether it is for a service project, leading a team meeting, or attending trade/industry association meetings, encouraging participation makes a difference. Provide feedback and be available when they feel stuck.

Say “Please” and “Thank You”. These magical words seem too simple to make a difference. Yet they carry an inherent reward when you let team members know they are valued. Say them frequently.

©Jeannette Seibly 2020

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 Appreciation and Acknowledgement from Jeannette. Letting others know you appreciate them can be difficult for many leaders. But you cannot hide behind the excuse that you’re too busy or it’s just their job to get it done. This mindset only encourages team members to seek out other leaders to work for. A simple, “Thank you” is all it takes to get started and can become a fun part of your job! Hire a coach if you are unable to appreciate others…get it resolved…it could save your career!