Effective Leaders Don’t Use These 7 Excuses!

“Leaders must be accountable and stop offering excuses for their poor results.” Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders say and do things they believe will make them look good! But worse, they often blame others, thinking it will excuse their poor results!

The problem? When leaders don’t take responsibility for their results, teams and bosses feel demoralized and not valued by these thoughtless excuses that make them the scapegoats.

If you want to be effective as a leader, you need to remember “words matter!” Actions and “no excuses” do too!

It’s up to you to roll up your sleeves and get involved in creating solutions, not excuses!

Don’t Use These 7 Excuses!

  1. “I need better people to get the job done.” It’s time to do a better job of hiring the right people for job fit! Improve your interviews and selection tools.
  2. “My team doesn’t know what they’re doing.” Just because a person has a certificate doesn’t mean they have the experience to use the skills! Effective leaders provide continuous training and opportunities to develop people and their “hands-on” technical, financial, operational, and people skills. Examples include diversity, listening and asking questions, budgeting, critical thinking, project planning, execution, etc.
  3. “If this person doesn’t work out, I’ll just fire the person and hire a new one.” Have you calculated the cost of a hiring mistake? It’s very expensive.
  4. “If I just had the right team, the client wouldn’t have canceled the contract.” Unfortunately, ineffective leaders lack the interest, experience, and coachability to get the intended results! It’s important to remember that every successful project has a technical/financial side (e.g., budget, plan, online project calendars) and a human side (e.g., assigning tasks based on job fit, brainstorming ideas, managing team conflict). Effective leaders have learned how to manage both simultaneously.
  5. “My boss is an idiot. We need better resources and a larger budget to get the job done.” I’ve seen leaders fired over this statement, not for the obvious reason! It’s because they did not take the initiative and find the resources to get the job done by working with and through their team! Effective leaders are accountable.
  6. “We’re stuck, and no one is helping.” If you’re waiting for someone to rescue you (e.g., boss, vendor, or co-worker), they’re waiting for you to ask for help! Don’t delay! The answers to your questions are in others’ heads, not your own. Talk with your executive coach, professional network, and brainstorm with the team. Only pick 1 or 2 suggestions and run with them!
  7. “I’m too busy to deal with it now.” Busyness is a popular excuse that conveys “you’re ineffective as a leader.” Remember the famous quote? “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” (Benjamin Franklin)

Your primary job is to provide the resources, coaching, and clarity when your team needs help to get the job done. It’s how unprecedented results are achieved! It’s what effective leaders do!

©Jeannette Seibly 2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. For the past 29 years, she has been an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, keynote speaker, and author. Having challenges finding, hiring, and keeping top talent? Don’t wait! It won’t get better the longer you wait! It’ll only get worse and more expensive. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about effective leaders and excuses: Many leaders say and do things they believe will make them look good. They use these as excuses for their poor results! The problem? Most teams and bosses don’t hear these excuses and instead feel the blame! If you want to be effective as a leader, you need to remember that “words matter!” Actions do too! Need help improving your effectiveness as a leader? Let’s Chat!

Is your boss tired of your excuses for why your team is not performing? Then, it’s time to update your hiring practices. To improve your interviewing skills, grab your FREE copy of the best 16 Tips to Conduct Effective and Productive Hiring Interviews Today.

Do You Want to Improve Your Leadership? Stop Pouncing on Others!

“As a leader, when you pounce, it limits your ability to build team confidence and achieve results.” Jeannette Seibly

Cats love pouncing on their prey — a mouse or toy. It’s their way of playing and can reduce the stress or frustrations they may be experiencing.

But what happens when a leader pounces? It isn’t enjoyable for team members and can be very disruptive. Instead of alleviating anyone’s stress or frustrations, it creates mistrust, lack of loyalty, and loss of top talent. And, is often irreversible!

Here’s the definition of pounce: Notice and take swift and eager advantage of a mistake, remark, or sign of weakness.

As a leader, when you pounce, you are not only being ineffective but also being destructive.

Leaders pounce when triggered by:

  • Mistakes made with no responsibility taken
  • Deadlines missed due to mismanaged team conflict
  • Projects over budget due to a lack of resourcefulness
  • Teams stuck due to frustrations or upsets
  • A situation perceived as making them look stupid

A good leader doesn’t use these excuses to pounce since they focus on building good, solid team performance.

The good news is, if you improve your leadership results, you will stop pouncing.

How to Stop Pouncing to Improve Results

Manage Self:

  • Develop emotional intelligence. Take responsibility for your feelings, frustrations, and upsets.
  • Work with an external executive coach. Address leadership and communication challenges when working with and through others.
  • Use a job-fit assessment and 360-degree feedback assessment. These tools clarify challenges, why they occur, and how to work through them.
  • Find and listen to an internal company or industry mentor. S/he can broaden your perspective by sharing others’ challenges and how they worked through them.

Manage Team: 

  • Listen and be open to new possibilities. Manage problems by encouraging new solutions.
  • Use mistakes as learning moments. Stop the blame game.
  • Create a quality-focused mindset. Stop allowing mediocrity or consistent mistakes by ensuring job fit and providing additional training.
  • Develop structured team reviews of a project. Get unstuck quickly with the exercise, What’s working? / What’s not working?
  • Expand your team’s Listen to ideas and build on them.
  • Manage team members to be resourceful. Engage them in critical thinking (e.g., ROI, impact on others, implementing change, etc.).

When you stop being triggered and stop pouncing, you will improve your leadership and, more importantly, your results.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2010-2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, and keynote speaker. Still unable to achieve the results you need to keep your customers, team, or job? Don’t wait! It won’t get better without help! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about pouncing: when leaders pounce, they are not managing their upsets, triggers, or frustrations. While it may seem like an excellent way to express and relieve tension and frustration, pouncing creates more stress and upset for everyone! When you feel stuck and frustrated, it’s time to work through it and not pounce! Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Are you feeling frustrated and unable to find the right person for the job? Take the time and use a well-designed interview process to facilitate a conversation and clarify their fit with the job. It’s time well-spent. To improve your interviewing skills, grab your FREE copy of 16 Tips to Conduct Effective and Productive Hiring Interviews Today.

Assumptions Limit Leaders’ Ability to Influence Positive Results

“Too often, we allow assumptions to get in our way. The truth is, we can stop them but usually don’t!” Jeannette Seibly

Leaders often take the tiniest bits of information and make various assumptions. The problem? It lacks accurate, objective data. These assumptions cause a lot of mischief, brouhaha, and negativity in the workplace. Also, these assumptions influence the ability to work with and through the team to achieve intended results. Sadly, once they occur, they are often irreversible.

The truth … we are often wrong about our assumptions. Yet we use them to justify how we treat people and view situations. And as a current or future leader, these assumptions can sideline your career.

With his boss’s support, a young man presented at his company’s board meeting. The presentation went well. The problem occurred when a board member said, “S*#T.” So, the young man mimicked him, believing it made him sound business-like. Based on this one utterance, the board assumed he didn’t have the career maturity or potential they had hoped for. His career was sidelined and he was never told why!

These types of issues occur too frequently when we rely on our assumptions. Here are some ways to avoid this career trap and cause your results to improve dramatically.

Seven Tips to Reduce Assumptions and Improve Results

  1. Check the facts. Read more than the salacious headlines from news media by deep diving and researching for the truth. In addition, ask for guidance from mentors and/or your executive coach.
  2. Embrace listening and curiosity. Leaders that listen objectively, ask good questions, and engage others in conversations are more successful. Why? People feel honored to be asked, heard, and valued! It reduces assumptions and creates new possibilities.
  3. Stop making things mean so much. When you overreact, you lose objectivity for people, situations, and things. Just because someone didn’t smile at you or return your “good morning” greeting doesn’t mean they are upset with you. Stop. Ask, “How are you today?” Then, listen. Often, their reaction had nothing to do with you!
  4. Stop invalidating people for the risks they take. Example, a condo owner listed his home $50K above market. His neighbors assumed that he was taking an unnecessary risk and that it would not sell! But when his condo sold at $20K above-market a month later, his neighbors increased the equity in their homes! (You’re welcome!) This is an example of a win-win-win! Where have you listened to someone who invalidated you and/or your risk based on poorly informed assumptions?
  5. Learn how to negotiate. It’s good to negotiate a price when buying certain items. Some businesses will allow these types of transactions, while many will not. Remember, the critical factor in making it a win-win-win process is setting aside your assumptions (e.g., they won’t give me what I want). Keys: Do not become emotionally attached to your position, price, or how it should work! This ensures a rewarding outcome for both parties.
  6. Develop emotional intelligence. Stop making everything about you. If others can easily trigger you, work with a therapist to become more astute as a leader. If you’re black and white in your thinking, learn how to include the human factor in your decisions.
  7. Stop inferring or making assumptions about people’s personalities. This is true when hiring, coaching, and managing people. For example, we infer that if a person didn’t bring a pen to a job interview, they don’t come prepared to meetings! Or when a person makes a mistake, they are in the wrong job. Nonsense! Get real! Use qualified job-fit assessments to discover a person’s true job fit traits and how to coach them for success.

©Jeannette Seibly 2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, and keynote speaker. Still unable to achieve the results you need to keep your customers, team, or job? Don’t wait! It won’t get better without help! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about making assumptions. We’ve all heard the saying, “Assuming makes an ass out of you and me.” The problem is, we still do it way too often! This trap hurts our relationships, results, and ability to keep great talent and customers! Do you need help overcoming this insidious habit and mindset? Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Overcome your assumptions during the hiring and selection process. It’ll increase your retention, revenues, and results! To improve your interviewing techniques, grab your FREE copy of 16 Tips to Conduct Effective and Productive Hiring Interviews Today.

Embrace New Ideas to Build Loyalty

Recently, I talked with a business leader who wanted people to show up and do their work. “I know what needs to be done; they simply need to do what I tell them to do.”

While this type of mindset worked decades ago, it no longer does. Instead, every successful leader must create an innovative workplace culture that embraces new ideas while focusing on intended results. That’s how you build loyalty to yourself, your company, and company brand. And, the bonus is that your top talent will stay and continue to excel (think, improve retention).

Four Tips to Build Loyalty for Required Results

LISTEN as though your results depend on it … because they do! Your team members often have the best answers. Put aside your automatic judgment about the idea’s feasibility and who offered it. Now, listen.

Exercise: Ban electronic gadgets and ensure everyone has the opportunity to voice their ideas or concerns. When you run into naysayers, have them create five reasons why the idea could work. Now, review and allow these reasons to spark new solutions everyone can align on.

LEARN how to brainstorm … it’s not hard … get out of the way. You will not build loyalty or innovation when you are an automatic “No!” Authentically brainstorm new ideas, processes, and procedures. Be willing to go outside the box of how things have been done normally.

Exercise: Put together your goal, action plan, and timetable. Then, move the timetable back by 50% (example: if the goal is due in one year, make it six months). You’ll be surprised by the loyalty, commitment, and new ideas that can cause you to succeed when you don’t overthink them.   (Read about Pfizer’s achieving the impossible by getting the COVID vaccines to market quickly and effectively.)

OPEN your mind to new possibilities. While this sounds easy, it’s genuinely not. It’s very easy to stay comfortable, not rock the boat, and allow your biases to get in the way! Now is a great time to expand your thinking, the way work is done, and improve harnessing your team’s ideas!

Exercise: To build loyalty and new ideas, you must acknowledge each and every idea that is shared. It doesn’t mean you’ll use these ideas. But when you say, “Great idea” or “Interesting idea, tell me more,” you open up the conversations and people’s minds for new solutions.

BE RESPONSIBLE and manage for results, not personalities. Manage the project and plan of action every day or week (depending on how soon the result is needed). Stay focused on the processes and milestones.

Exercise: Ask the tough questions to ensure people are on track and not just telling you what you want to hear. Remember, it’s better to learn about problems now than after the plan or project has been launched! If there’s team conflict, resolve it by using straight talk.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2010-2022  All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, and keynote speaker. Still unable to achieve the results you need to keep your customers, team, or job? Don’t wait! It won’t get better without help! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about building loyalty for required results: Too often, you fall into the trap of wanting your team to do the work assigned and not offer new ideas. You might believe those ideas will make your job more time-consuming. Sadly, this belief keeps you in your comfort zone and will not build loyalty or retain top talent! Building loyalty and exceptional team results is not hard but requires you, as the leader, to get out of the way! Still having challenges getting your team to excel and achieve required results? Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Building a solid team that excels requires selecting the right person for the right job! Team results reflect your ability to hire and choose the right team members. Unfortunately, too many bosses today rely on intuitive hiring. Then, they wonder why only 10% of their teams produce the required results! To improve your interviewing techniques, grab your FREE copy of 16 Tips to Conduct Effective and Productive Hiring Interviews Today.

Are Likable Leaders Really Effective Leaders?

“If you want people to relate to you as an effective leader, focus on respect and likability.” Jeannette Seibly

When a leader’s primary need is to be likable, it’s a fool’s game. If this is your focus, you will make poor decisions, focus on yourself (aka ego), and accept mediocrity while failing to provide much-needed feedback to your team!

Over 90% of employees complain that communication issues make their leaders ineffective. (Inc.com) These leaders focus on being likable and are unable (and unwilling) to provide truthful feedback, acknowledge others’ efforts and ideas, and even fail to learn their employees’ names.

In other words, they are ineffective leaders.

So, what is missing? Respect!

To be an effective leader today, focus on developing both: being likable and respected! Being both requires YOU to focus on others while improving team development, customer satisfaction, performance, productivity, and profitability.

Common Ways to Boost Being Likable and Respected

Develop Your Emotional Intelligence. Be present and aware, and use mindful resilience to guide you in developing your teams and team members. Remember, as a leader, your focus is on having them excel.

Ask these questions:

  • What do they need? Ask, listen, and make it happen!
  • What are their professional and personal goals? Ask, listen, and offer them opportunities!
  • How can I acknowledge their successes? Look for ways to say, “Great work!”

Share Feedback by Talking Straight or Soften Your Approach. It’s best to tell the truth appropriately. While some welcome the straight-talk approach, some team members may be uncomfortable or intimated. Example: “Is that report done yet?” In these cases, soften your approach. Keep it short and simple. Example: “I have an early morning meeting and would like to review the report before my meeting. Is it possible to get it this afternoon?”

Ask for Input and Build Results. When you come across as a know-it-all, team members stop participating. It shows blatant disrespect! Instead of talking over them or ignoring their ideas, ask questions to learn more. Then, use their input to build better outcomes and results. (Don’t forget to say, “Thank you for your great ideas!”)

Give Assignments Based on People’s Strengths. Use a qualified job fit assessment to help you effectively manage and coach your team. Remember, assigning the “bad jobs” to people you don’t like, or the “fun or good jobs” to your favorites will cause dissension and possible litigation (e.g., EEO lawsuits). Also, you can use this same assessment to build a diverse team and train team members to appreciate everyone’s differences.

Seek Ways to Develop Each and Every Team Member. Use 1:1 meetings to ask about their goals and offer opportunities to develop required skills. Example: If someone wants to become a manager of a big project, offer to hire a coach NOW for the person to develop the right presentation, people management, and project management skills.

Make the Right Decisions and Share “Why” with the Team. Making win-win-win decisions is crucial—sharing “why” with your team builds trust. To avoid trial and error and common miscommunication, hire yourself an executive coach. You will broaden your perspective before, during, and after decisions are made (your decisions create an impact: good, bad, and not-so-good). Also, find one or two industry mentors to guide you along the way. Now, ask for help, listen, and be coachable!

©Jeannette Seibly 2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant and keynote speaker. Still unable to achieve the results you need to keep your customers, team, or job? Don’t wait! It won’t get better without help! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about being a likable and respected effective leader: Can you be both likable and respected? Yes! Both are required to be highly effective in today’s workplace. What do you need to develop for your team to like and respect you? Are you feeling challenged in this area? Contact me for a confidential conversation.

I’ve been interviewing people for jobs for well over 30 years. Although the economy and types of jobs have changed dramatically, many hiring practices have not. You will miss out if you have not upgraded your interview and selection processes to attract top talent. To improve your interviewing techniques, grab your FREE copy of 16 Tips to Conduct Effective and Productive Hiring Interviews Today.

How Do You Improve Being Coachable, Especially When You Don’t Want To?

“Why have a coach? Because a coach has you do what you don’t want to do so you can become amazingly successful!” Jeannette Seibly

We’ve all been coachable and uncoachable. It’s part of being human.

Being coachable: You listen for feedback from people regardless of your feelings about them.

Being uncoachable and challenging to work with: You refuse to listen to others even when they are great results-producers.

Why are you uncoachable? It could be your:

  • Readiness to hear the feedback or advice
  • Humiliation of what occurred (e.g., poorly done presentation)
  • Low self-esteem or ego
  • Workplace environment views coaching negatively
  • Need to do it your way or on your own

Regardless of your reasoning, it’s critical to develop your listening skills and be coachable.

The bottom line is that every successful leader, boss, and high-performance person has a coach! Think of the NBA, business leaders, and sales teams with excellent sales results. They know that while the advice and feedback may not be delivered flawlessly to their liking, it’s important to listen and be coachable. Setting aside their ego avoids costly errors, team conflict, and poor customer results.

How Do You Improve Being Coachable and Achieve the Success You Really Want?

Be Present and Make the Time. “Is it an appropriate time to talk?” For example, some bosses may call you when your kids are demanding your attention or you’re in a department store. When this happens, ask, “Can I call you back in ½ hour when I can hear you?” Then, make the call in ½ an hour! Why? When distracted, you cannot present what is being said and will overlook critical feedback details.

Listen to Feedback About You. Listen carefully when the feedback originates from a team member, customer, or executive. There is an important lesson to learn here. To be coachable, listen without defending your actions, words, or thoughts about the person who complained. Instead, a couple of questions to ask: “Can you be more specific?” and “What would you recommend that I do?”

Transform Your Mindset When You Make Mistakes. There will be days you don’t do your best, create team conflict, or say the wrong thing. When someone complains, your ego will feel the need to defend your actions and blame others for the results. Breathe! Apologize! Stick with the facts and not your feelings about the person, situation, or other factors. Instead, ask, “What can I specifically do to change the outcome?” Remember, your future career options require taking responsibility and being coachable!

Review All Project Results Before, During, and After. Too often, you’re open and ready to hear feedback when a project is working. But when a project has or is about to fail, you become defensive, stop listening, and turn it into a debate. Remember, there is always room for improvement. In preparation for these crucial conversations, complete this exercise: “What Worked?/What Didn’t Work?”

Seek Out Coaching When You Need Clarity. There is a myth that you need to know the answer before asking for help. It’s not true! Instead, be open to listening to the feedback and be coachable. For example, ask, “Do you have 5 minutes? I’m unclear what I need to do to make this project work?” Share the specifics about the goal and actions taken. Always say, “Thank you.” Even when you don’t like their answers be coachable. It could make the difference between successful results or failure.

Listen for the Gold … especially when the little voice in your head is chirping, “I don’t want or need to hear it.” It takes practice to master the skill of being coachable. In turn, you will accelerate your leadership development, relationships, and business results.

©Jeannette Seibly 2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant and keynote speaker. Still unable to achieve the results you need to keep your customers, team, or job? Don’t wait! It won’t get better without help! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about being coachable: you have one month left in Q1! BE COACHABLE! Make the time count and start practicing. Start by talking with a coach or boss about resolving a challenging situation or relationship. Then, get into action to transform the results! Still feel stuck? Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Being a top influencer in 2022 requires being coachable. When we are stuck, we can no longer influence others. To get out of this career-limiting trap, get into action today and grab your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.

 

Focus on These Top 5 Attributes and Watch Your Sales Increase

“If your salespeople are continually leaving money on the table due to poor negotiation or numerical skills, it’s time to get real about how you hire and manage salespeople.” Jeannette Seibly

Great salespeople have the attributes required to succeed in their jobs. They genuinely love what they are selling and have a genuine interest in their customers’ growth! They enjoy increasing sales results!

Given that we all want great salespeople, what is the #1 challenge to hire and manage them today?

First and foremost, too often, the person they hire is not the person they interviewed. So, how did they get hired? They looked the part and talked the talk! AND … You failed to use objective data to ascertain the actual ability, interest, and thinking style required to call, prospect, and close sales!

After talking with several business owners and consultants that manage great salespeople, they mentioned 5 top attributes (yes, this is not a scientific study, but it can provide important insights for a great year).

Top 5 Attributes of Successful Sales People

Hire for job fit. Job fit is crucial when hiring the right salespeople the first time. Nothing drains the energy of a top sales team and their customers more than hiring the wrong people. The challenge is hiring people with the thinking style, sales behaviors, and occupational interests that fit the job requirements. If they do not fit the job, you cannot train, motivate, or coach anyone to be a great sales success. Design a strategic hiring process and use objective data. Now, pay attention! Remember, you lose customers, not because you have a lesser product or service, but because they are tired of training your bad hires, over and over!

Be present. Being present in all conversations is a top attribute great salespeople have developed. It starts with excellent listening skills! It’s essential to emphasize that multi-tasking is a myth …  physically doing or mentally thinking of other things during conversations! Instead, train your sales team to engage their full attention in the conversation by actively listening and asking great business questions. These probing skills will uncover additional information and allow people to feel heard. And remember, this is all done before offering solutions.

Know your products and systems. Having a genuine interest in what you are selling and talking with people is critical. Otherwise, the buyer will experience “buyer’s remorse.” When your sales team is well versed in the legalities, systems, and other nuances of using your products and services, your customers will develop trust and rave about their results. Develop this attribute by keeping your team up-to-date with 15-minute morning sessions and monthly training programs.

Be persistent and persevere. Not everyone is ready to buy when your sales team meets with them. Develop easy-to-use systems to stay in touch regularly. Send prospects (and current clients) periodic articles or other noteworthy gems. Show up at networking meetings, and trade shows ready to brag in a business-savvy manner. Stay in touch on social media by “Liking” their posts and accomplishments. This is how persistence and perseverance pay off.

Develop great relationships. This attribute is more important today than ever before. Over time your sales team needs to be a resource for current and future clients to answer their questions. Always follow up and follow through within 24 to 48 hours. Building credibility and integrity is critical. These can be easily sabotaged when you and your sales team fail to treat people as VIPs (very important people).

©Jeannette Seibly, 2016-2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant and keynote speaker. Recently, she was able to add another brag. She has been an Authorized PXT Select/PXT Partner with Wiley/Profiles International for 30 years, guiding companies to hire the right person the first time … including hiring and managing salespeople! Have questions? Need help? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about the top 5 attributes of successful salespeople: some people love selling while others look for the fastest way to a better paycheck! During the hiring and selection process, you must uncover if the candidate will call, prospect, and close a sale. Use objective data instead of relying on your gut or intuition (which is often wrong). The reason you lose customers is that they are tired of training your bad hires over and over! Do you want to learn the fastest and best way to select the right salespeople the first time? If yes, contact me for a confidential conversation.

Being a top influencer in 2022 is a great goal. But now, you need to put the right action plan into place and follow it! So get started today with your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.

2022 is the Year of Hiring!

“Hiring the right people to fit the right positions creates stellar performance, productivity, and profitability.” Jeannette Seibly

This is the year of hiring! The Great Resignation saw a record 4.5 million Americans quit or change their jobs in November (Washington Post). Many of you are now attempting to fill these positions. Or review changes to current employees’ work assignments, which will lead to more employees leaving due to poor job fit with their new job duties.

It’s important to remember that this is a great time to level up, or your company will be left behind!

Here are 4 often overlooked tips as you move forward in your selection and hiring process. And, remember, when you use a qualified job fit assessment, you will improve your hiring decisions with objective data. If you have any questions or need someone to bounce off ideas, let me know. I’ve been hiring, coaching, training, and managing people for over 30 years.

Keep your word. Recruiters and hiring managers can give your company a bad name. While it may be obvious, there are way too many stories about recruiters and hiring managers not keeping promises. Or, they ghost candidates and/or lie about the job responsibilities. Consider how you treat candidates will impact your sales results and ability to attract top talent.

Can they work remotely? Not all employees are capable of working independently in a virtual environment due to a variety of reasons. Therefore, it’s essential to establish your expectations upfront and design your interview to ask the hard questions.

3 interview questions to get started:

  1. Why do you believe you would enjoy working in a remote job?
  2. Have you done this before? If yes, what did you like and dislike?
  3. Do you prefer working in a hybrid or fully remote position? Why?

Ask about mistakes. While everyone makes them, many job candidates don’t feel comfortable sharing them. But when they share the error and what they did to correct and learn from it, you’ll know they have the confidence and self-awareness needed for your company. If not, they will most likely become your future blamers and complainers.

One example (remember to keep the question open-ended): “Everyone makes mistakes. Please tell me about a recent one and what you did to correct it.”

Most expensive mistake companies make when promoting an employee! Failure to conduct due diligence before promoting employees IS a costly mistake. Avoid this by going through the same interview hiring process as an outside candidate. If you don’t, and they fail, they will leave taking other top talent and top customers. Use a selection process designed to include objective data.

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, and keynote speaker. Recently, she was able to add another brag. She has been an Authorized PXT Select/PXT Partner with Wiley/Profiles International for 30 years, guiding companies to hire the right person the first time. Have questions? Need help? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Being a top influencer in 2022 is a great goal. But now you need to put the right action-plan into place and follow it!  Get started today with your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.

 

Stop Sabotaging Your Results with Busyness

“Busyness is the #1 bad habit we need to disrupt for an amazing 2022!” Jeannette Seibly

The best advice I can provide you this new year is to stop busyness from sabotaging your results!

But how? What is getting in the way?

You have dreams and goals you hope to achieve someday. Some of you want a job promotion, early retirement, to travel, or to write a book. Consider that someday is today!

That’s why busyness must need disruption.

Busyness is a mindset, a bad habit. People pride themselves on being busy. It’s their way of feeling fulfilled and living a purposeful life. But they lose sight of what really makes them happy, fulfilled, and living a life on purpose.

Yesterday I wrestled with my own “busyness” and resisted writing this article/blog post. So, I took my own advice and went for a walk! It was just the disruptor I needed. I came back and wrote two articles, including this one! Then, I completed the other items I resisted that were on my list too!

For a successful 2022, let’s make it a year of success now and stop sabotaging future results with today’s busyness!

7 Ways to Stop Busyness from Sabotaging Your Results!

  1. Find Work that Is Important to You. With the Great Resignation, there are many employers today begging for employees. The challenge? Over 70% of you hated your job because it didn’t fit your natural thinking, core behaviors, and occupational interests! So first, use a qualified job fit assessment to clarify what engages you objectively. Then, work with your executive coach to design the job and goals that engage and inspire you into action.
  2. Limit Social Media. It’s a big-time suck! The biggest issue? You compare your life to others and become depressed, which gets in your way of taking the required actions. Remember, these posts are only quick snapshots of a moment. They don’t reflect the efforts needed! Do something you enjoy for a few hours a week if you feel stuck. Not social media. Volunteer for a cause. Help a neighbor or friend. Take a fun class or get a certification. This “feel-good” will expand into other areas of your life and inspire you to do the work necessary to achieve your results!
  3. Get Out in Nature. Many times, taking a 20-minute walk can rejuvenate you! Don’t listen to podcasts or talk on your cell. Walk. Breathe. Stop the inner mental chatter. Enjoy the sights. Now, you’re refreshed and ready to focus on the next step in your action plan. Just like I did yesterday.
  4. Create Something New. Don’t be afraid to stretch and create a new process, product, or book. But don’t let it take you off-track from your goal (which often happens when you allow busyness to intercede). You don’t have to be highly creative. Instead, ask yourself, “How can I simplify this to save time?” This question energizes your mind, body, and soul to expand, which they love to do!
  5. Truly Listen and Engage in the Conversation. Truly listening to others stops the distracting internal mental chatter. Nothing is more rewarding than the feeling of being truly heard! When you listen to others, they will listen to you. Together, you can create fantastic new opportunities in life and business!
  6. Enjoy Silence. Instead of running off to the next meeting or task, set aside a few minutes to enjoy the silence. Taking the time will reenergize and de-stress you while making you more alert for the next meeting or task.
  7. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple and Smart! We often love to make everything too complicated (and, at times, impossible). It sabotages your self-confidence and the results needed to achieve your dreams and goals. Number 1! Hire the right coach for you to get unstuck and create clarity. Number 2! Take focused action. It’s the best way to overcome the busyness saboteur! Number 3! Start right NOW!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2020-2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, she has become an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, and keynote speaker. Recently, she was able to add another brag. She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner with Wiley/Profiles International for 30 years, guiding companies to hire the right person the first time. Have questions? Need help? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about achieving results now and overcoming the busyness saboteur! You have dreams and goals you hope to achieve (e.g., a promotion, early retirement, travel, writing a book, etc.). The question I have for you … “Why can’t you achieve them now?” The answer … You allow busyness to get in the way and use it to sabotage your results. Do you feel stuck and not clear on how to get started? If yes, contact me for a confidential conversation.

You are an influencer! But when you lack awareness of your intentions, it sabotages your results. 2022 is the year to be a positive influencer! Get started today with your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.

Leadership in 2022 … What Skills Do You Need to Embrace to Become Great?

“Every leader, no matter how talented, has skills to develop. What are you doing in 2022 to grow as a leader?” Jeannette Seibly

Do you want to develop as a leader and go from so-so to good to great? Leadership in 2022 is changing how companies grow beyond crunching numbers and using data. Great leaders embrace developing themselves and their teams in less than obvious ways.

7 Key Tips to Develop Your Leadership

Pick one or two areas to focus on with your coach, and enjoy your progress!

Developing emotional intelligence (EI) is crucial. With a record 4.5 million Americans quitting their jobs in November (Business in San Diego), workers want leaders that develop them! But first, you need to create a genuine interest in their dreams and a willingness to help them achieve their goals. The key is to use objective data from a qualified job fit assessment as a foundational guide. This is the fastest and easiest way to appreciate each and every team member for who they are, not whom you think they should be. Sharing the results will create a new level of EI for you and others.

Stop relying on your job title to win people over. Many customers, teams, and businesses are no longer impressed by a person’s job title! In addition, titles say nothing about your character. Instead, focus on showing others you are trustworthy, have integrity, and achieve the results you promised. Remember, focused-actions and results speak louder than words!

Be able to spot shifts and be proactive in making needed changes. Being able to spot shifts in the market, financials, and the company’s culture can help you get ahead of the curve. Conduct meetings by asking good business questions and listening. This is not the time to be a know-it-all. Compile the data to support changes needed and think from a win-win-win perspective (e.g., customer, company, team).

Only give advice when asked. There are way too many people giving unsolicited advice today. People have stopped listening even if you’re an influencer and trusted leader. Realize advice or feedback or coaching often falls on deaf ears. People will resent you for it, especially when you’re right. EXCEPTION: As a leader and boss, it’s your job to offer feedback and make it specific, on-target, and actionable, whether requested or not! For help, contact your coach now.

It’s what you say, not how you look. Looking professional is essential. But building credibility is much more critical. Your credibility is how you engage and call your teams into focused-action. This is where your choice of words matter. Develop clear messages and share a plan to resolve problems. Remember, work with your coach to ensure nonverbal gestures, tone of voice, facial and other body movements convey the same message as your words.

Learning begins with listening. Talking too much is the fastest way to derail your credibility, and ultimately your career. While this isn’t new, leaders often feel the urge to say or post their opinions and feelings on social media. Many call it being authentic until it gets them in trouble. Remember, as a leader, it’s no longer about you. You represent your customers, team members, and company. Listen first.

Self-talk impacts your results. Remember, completing your brag work on a weekly or monthly basis facilitates healthier self-talk and self-confidence.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2022 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. During the past 29 years, her brags include being an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, and keynote speaker. Recently, she was able to add another brag. She has been an Authorized PXT Select Partner with Wiley/Profiles International for 30 years, guiding companies to hire the right person the first time. Ask questions? Need help? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about being a great leader in 2022. As a leader, your work is never done. That includes embracing and developing new skills needed to be a results-producer for your company, customers, and team. Do you have a question (or two) about how to get started or where to focus? If yes, contact me for a confidential conversation.

2022 is the year of the influencer! Become one by learning how. Grab your FREE copy of Eight Tips to Increase Your Ability to Influence.