Leadership

Improve How You Speak to Create Better Results

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“Your manner of speaking will create followers or detractors.” Jeannette Seibly
  • Have you ever attended a meeting where the F-bomb was used too often?
  • Do you or others use too much jargon or innuendos, leaving people annoyed?
  • Do you stop listening to people who talk for the sake of talking?
  • Have you been uncomfortable when sexist or racial comments are made?
  • Do you need to let everyone know when you are frustrated or upset?

When we’re honest with ourselves, we can all answer “yes” to the above questions.

The truth is that communicating with others can be exhausting when poor speaking habits are used. As a current or future boss, leader, and influencer, improving your way of speaking will create better results for your team, customers, and business.

How to Transform Your Speaking Style to Achieve Positive Results

Start your comments with the end in mind! This will keep your words on point, making you less likely to ramble. When sharing, focus on moving the conversation forward, not rehashing what’s already been said. It keeps your listeners listening!

Stick with common words. Use simple words. For example, use ‘generous’ instead of ‘magnanimous.’ Using common words gets everyone on the same page faster and keeps everyone’s attention. Remember, when writing (emails, memos, manuals, articles, or books), people do not look up the big words and will stop reading if you use more than one.

Stop talking to talk. Many people talk too much and too long. Then, they use inappropriate words, jargon, or innuendos to bring back the team’s attention. Instead, learn to share a personal experience or story. Keep it smart and simple! Really, really, really smart and simple! (Hint: Stay away from the details!)

Define jargon. Use the actual words when using jargon. Example: A/R, A/P, and ROI use Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Return on Investment). It keeps the audience listening to you! Remember, while those listening will say they understand, they are embarrassed to admit they don’t. It also prevents miscommunication when the audience relies on their interpretation.

Refrain from innuendos and gossip. It hurts your credibility since 99 percent of the time, you don’t have the facts. Get the facts and share them with the person who can make a difference (e.g., theft – talk with security or HR; not doing their share – talk directly with the person; poor job of hiring the right people – talk with the hiring boss, HR, and your CFO/Controller).

©Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for bosses and teams delivering intended results. Does your company or department have a persistent problem? Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom guides clients to achieve intended dynamic results consistently! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about improving how you speak and the results you achieve: Do you want to improve your results and those of your team? Improve how you speak, your choice of words, and pay attention to your audience. Contact me for a confidential conversation about becoming a great communicator! 

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? A great boss works with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs. Remember, your effectiveness, influence, and confidence will accelerate when you have a coach.

You Need These 5 Confidence Builders to Achieve Amazing Results

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“Building confidence that never fails requires ongoing and consistent attention.” Jeannette Seibly

Building your confidence is essential for you to do each and every day, especially when dealing with daily demands on your time, attention, and energy. Remember to be aware of saboteurs (e.g., your team, boss, customers, and co-workers). Paying conscious attention will help you achieve outcomes faster while continually building your confidence and competence.

Here are ideas to develop and build your inner power and confidence!

  1. Believe in Yourself. It’s difficult when you experience a failure, mistake, or rejection. Breathe. Learn for the experience. Now, get back into the conversation for focused action!
  1. Be Present. Allowing your internal mental chatter to get in the way limits results and relationships! When having conversations and attending meetings or events, give 100% attention to the speaker. You’ll be amazed by what you can learn, even if you believe you already know it all! 
  1. Be a Results Producer. Going through the motions without a conscious intention to improve the quality isn’t taking focused action!
  • Get honest about the actions you are taking by hiring a coach.
  • Have the tough and needed conversations.
  • Don’t overlook quality. And focus on performance challenges, not personality differences.
  • Now, you can achieve the goals you used to dream about.
  1. Be Coachable. You don’t have all the answers, and frequently, you do things the hard way with limited results. Hire the right coach and watch your confidence grow with clarity and calmness.
  1. Get Your Brag On! Pay attention to your daily activities and wins by keeping a written log of your achievements. When it’s time for a job promotion, job interview, board meeting, sales presentation, or pitch for your book or product, you’re ready! Your brags make a big difference in building your confidence. They also build your reputation and ability to influence others!

©Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for bosses and teams delivering intended results. Does your company or department have a persistent problem? Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom guides clients to achieve intended dynamic results consistently! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about building your confidence each and every day: Consciously building your confidence each day requires recognizing when it is being sabotaged! Contact me for a confidential conversation about identifying and eradicating saboteurs!  

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? A great boss works with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs. Remember, being coached accelerates building your effectiveness, influence, and confidence.

How to Improve Your Ability to Communicate with Anyone Everywhere

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“Your ability to communicate effectively with anyone everywhere builds your career and promotability.” Jeannette Seibly

Working with a demanding boss or team member, or co-worker is something we all avoid whenever possible. The problem? It hurts your work results and relationships and limits your ability to be promoted.

You may believe you are good at hiding your true feelings about others. The truth? They know you don’t like them and find them difficult to talk with. And if they don’t see it, others will let them know! (Hint: You can count on that!)

How to Improve Your Communication Skills and Stop Avoiding People

Know Yourself. Use qualified job fit and confidential 360-degree feedback assessments. When you do these, you can now objectively clarify your strengths and weaknesses when working and interacting with others. Debrief with your coach, boss, and team members. Allow them to provide additional insights that build your effectiveness in work and communication with others.

Develop Compassion. You’ve not walked in their shoes, and they’ve not walked in yours. Have compassion for others’ difficulties. Ask them about their personal and business experiences, life, and goals. Genuinely listen. Everyone has an interesting back story that you can identify with and appreciate. Take the time to do this … the results will be amazing.

Level Up Your Listening. We all have automatic ways of listening to people. And we rely on our justifications about why. Instead, set aside your own biases and inflexibilities (aka insecurities). Listen with an open mind. It’s amazing what you can learn … and you’ll find others will suddenly become easier to work with. (Yes! It’s true.)

Build Your Confidence. Use your “brags” to build your confidence. Then, you’ll feel less fearful when talking with others and working with them to resolve issues and create solutions. Confidence can transform a relationship; they will now have your back and value your opinions.

Take Communication Programs. Take several … not just one! Too many business professionals, bosses, and leaders today have poor communication skills. (Yes, it’s hard to believe!) Take a Toastmasters, Landmark, or other program that focuses on communicating with others, building positive relationships, and making presentations. These skills are invaluable and can be used anytime and everywhere!

Now, these difficult and sometimes evil people you feel forced to work with are not so bad! And others will recognize your ability to work with anyone anywhere and at any time. It’s how you will positively influence others and enjoy those job promotions and accolades!

©Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for bosses and teams delivering intended results. Does your company or department have a persistent problem? Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom guides clients to achieve intended dynamic results on a consistent basis! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about your ability to communicate with anyone everywhere: Working with a difficult boss or team member, or co-worker is something we all avoid whenever possible. The problem? It hurts your work results and relationships and limits your ability to be promoted. Contact me for a confidential conversation about how to work well with anyone, anywhere, and at any time.

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? Great bosses work with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom in guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams. Along the way, they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching program. Remember, coaching accelerates your communication effectiveness and influence.

Tough Times Require Resilient Bosses to Achieve Results

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“Bosses … resiliency during tough times is the key to achieve amazing results and future career opportunities.” Jeannette Seibly

Today’s workplaces are undergoing tough changes and need resilient bosses! But, instead, many bosses allow their frustrations and inability to transform relationships and situations to get in the way.

Do you:

  • Believe hiring for job fit is nonsense and takes too much time?
  • Believe your team should get their jobs done faster by doing it your way (aka micromanaging)?
  • Feel your customers demand too much from you? Your team?
  • Hate your team constantly bringing you problems and making your job more difficult?
  • Believe it takes too much time to get others’ input, especially when you won’t use it anyway?

If you are being truthful, you will answer yes to at least one of these questions.

As a boss, it’s usually easier to achieve intended results during the good times. But it’s during the tough and uncertain times that team members will either value and follow you for your resiliency and “can-do” attitude, or post negative ratings!

How to Build Your Resilience to Achieve Results

Develop Your Inner Power. Your self-esteem is important. It’s a reflection of your inner power and resiliency when mistakes occur and problems arise. Take the time to work with an executive coach. Also, consider talk therapy with a licensed therapist. Take part in workshops focused on developing your confidence and communication skills, while upgrading your project and people management talents.

Ask for Help and Feedback. Now, more than ever, you cannot go it alone, especially during tough times. Learn how to ask for help and ask for feedback from your team, co-workers, boss, and others when making decisions. Make sure you’re really listening! Be open to expanding your point-of-view … remember, it’s not business as usual. Example: When a customer is unhappy, ask for specific feedback of what didn’t work! Now, get the team in focused action to create and implement solutions, not excuses!

Hire for Job Fit. Job fit is why teams excel! But too many hiring bosses believe anyone can do any job successfully. The problem is, if the person doesn’t have the interest, thinking style, or core behaviors, they will fail to achieve intended results. Poor job fit often results in miscommunication, conflict, and other mischief (aka a lot of extra problems, work, and sleepless nights)!

Coach and Manage for Quality Results. Stop settling for mediocrity and accepting excuses, especially when you can make a huge impact during uncertain times. (Think, your competition has already given up.) Learn to ask good business questions designed to get your team thinking outside the box, and critically thinking about how to fulfill customer demands. Learn to brainstorm and do not dismiss off-the-wall ideas! (Hint: They are usually the best ones!)

Mindfulness and EI are Still Important. Your emotional intelligence (EI) and ability to be present during conversations are the marks of a good boss. Life and business are never easy all the time. Example: It requires continually developing your resilience and willingness to say, “I/we made a mistake … this is how I/we plan to fix it.” Then, get it resolved immediately!

Don’t Shy Away from Tough Conversations. Remember, your voice matters! Stop going into meetings believing your ideas won’t matter! Instead of being defensive in these meetings, state your commitment and concerns first. Second, ask questions to discover and uncover others’ true hesitations or differing opinions. Listen. There will be areas of agreement that you can build on. Be a parrot when necessary, and don’t become emotionally attached to the outcome. Remember, the goal is win-win-win.

Keep Developing You, Your Individual Team Members, and Your Team as a Whole. Guard your budget dollars to ensure ongoing training and development. Now is not the time to dismiss developing everyone’s skills because you cannot afford it! If there’s a will, there’s way (think, taking initiative and being resourceful). Remember, tough times don’t last, but tough bosses do!

©Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for bosses and teams delivering intended results. Does your company or department have a persistent problem? With Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom, she guides clients through sticky situations and challenging relationships for dynamic results! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about being a resilient boss during tough times: Remember, tough times don’t last, but tough bosses do! Do you know how to be resilient when you want to pull the covers up over your head and call-in to take a personal day? This week, discover and put into action at least one tip to develop your resiliency. Contact me for a confidential conversation about hiring, coaching, and managing for profitable success during tough times.

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? Great bosses work with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom in guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams to achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching program. Remember, coaching increases your resiliency and has you succeed during tough times!

Bosses impact retention, revenues, and results each and every day by how they engage employees. To improve your bottom line, use the PXT Select to see the “whole person.”

Bosses Engage Their Employees to Build Profitable Companies

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“The right bosses are the keys to your company’s profitability and employee success!” Jeannette Seibly

According to Workplace by Gallup®, economic growth has slowed and created low employee engagement. Loss of customers and profits. And poor management of people, resources, and revenues.

Building a profitable company requires bosses that engage their employees!

As a management executive, did you know:

  • 82% of the time, bosses are chosen for the wrong reasons (e.g., technical ability, length of employment, likeability)
  • Employees feel being unemployed is better than hating their jobs, and their bad bosses
  • More than 75% of employees are quietly quitting (not engaged) or loudly quitting (actively disengaged), hurting profitability and customer retention
  • More than 50% are not engaged and put in minimal effort to get by, blaming their bosses

“Employee engagement has an even stronger connection to performance outcomes during tough economic times.” (Workplace, Gallup®)

It’s why you need to hire, promote, and job transfer the right people into “boss” positions.

It’s Essential Bosses Improve Engagement, Productivity, and Profits

#1 Start with how you hire, promote, and job transfer people into “boss positions.”

Many employees want to be bosses since it means a bigger paycheck, perks, and title/status (and sometimes they want the power). The problem is that many people may know their jobs well but make poor bosses in your workplace environment for various reasons. Remember, not everyone is cut out for a boss/leadership position, so it’s important to provide alternative career paths to keep top talent. The question to ask: How can they continue to grow and be positive contributors to your business?

Example: A great salesperson was transferred into a boss position. It didn’t take long for employees to complain about her poor “boss style.” Instead of giving her back her former job, they fired her! She left and took several large clients with her!

Job fit is key! There are over 3,000 assessments published today. Yet, only a few provide valid, reliable, and predictive data. You and your company must see people for who they really are, not how they want to be seen. Clarity about the “whole person” is a crucial factor in your ability to develop great bosses. Otherwise, your training, coaching, and management efforts will be thwarted!

Here are questions to ask yourself about how you decide whom to hire, promote, or job transfer into boss positions:

  • What objective criteria are being used to determine who will be a good boss?
  • What predictive analytics are being used that provide objective, valid, and reliable data?
  • Do they want to be a boss or have different career goals to pursue? (Hint: Ask them and listen to their response!)
  • As a boss, are they open to developing better communication skills? (Hint: As a boss, communication skills become more critical.)
  • Are they coachable? (Hint: A requirement for them to succeed.)

#2 Profitability requires accountability for how bosses build employee engagement.

Developing your company’s bosses needs a committed team of management executives, external executive coaches, and internal company mentors. Together they can ensure all bosses engage their employees daily. Failure to “check-in” will negatively impact retention, revenues, and results!

Do they:

Develop their team members? To engage employees, it’s important that your bosses ask for and listen to their team’s ideas before making decisions. Also, ensure bosses offer all employees challenging assignments that support their career goals.

Have tough conversations using compassion and experience? Too many bosses focus on likeability. It’s why they fear having tough conversations. While a damaging discussion with a boss can disengage the employee quickly, tough conversations done right ensure retention (e.g., eliminating bullies), revenues (e.g., meeting budgets and timelines), and results (e.g., resourcefulness and resilience).

Focus on results, not personalities? Each team member has natural strengths. Are your bosses building on these strengths? Also, ensure your bosses are not trying to fix a person’s personality (e.g., talks too much, dominates conversations). Instead, they need to provide all employees with appropriate skills training.

Acknowledge team members? This is crucial! Ensure your bosses are specific when praising their teams and acknowledging each and every team member’s contribution. (Hint: Listen to how they talk about their team members with you. It’s a reflection of how they communicate with their employees.)

Have 1:1 meetings weekly with each employee. Every employee needs the boss’s undivided attention. For best results, remind your bosses to turn off their gadgets, listen, and focus on one strength the employee can build on. Multi-tasking disengages employees!

©Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for bosses and teams delivering intended results. Does your company or department have a persistent problem? With Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom, she guides clients through sticky situations and challenging relationships for dynamic results! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about ensuring your bosses engage all employees: Did you know that 82% of the time, bosses are chosen for the wrong reasons (e.g., technical ability, length of employment, likeability)? In today’s workplace, hiring and developing bosses is crucial to ensure a profitable company with engaged employees. Contact me for a confidential conversation about hiring, coaching, and managing for profitable success.

The coach is in! Are you ready to build your confidence and success as a boss? Great bosses work with an experienced executive coach as a sounding board. I have extensive experience and wisdom in guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams to achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching program. Remember, coaching speeds up your ability to manage as a great boss!

Bosses impact retention, revenues, and results each and every day by how they engage employees. To improve your bottom line, use the PXT Select to see the “whole person.”

 

 

Are You Sabotaging Your Employees?

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“Good decisions will not sabotage your employees.” Jeannette Seibly
  • Are you a leader that believes you make good decisions?
  • Are you aware of the times your decisions have sabotaged your employees and others?
  • Have your employees and customers had to clean up issues caused by your bad decisions?

As a boss and leader, you must make decisions in the best interest of the company, its customers, and employees. But, often, due to limited/mediocre/poor critical thinking, playing favorites, or not understanding the core issue, these decisions sabotage your employees and negatively impact others.

Good Decisions Need These Critical Factors

It Starts with Clarity. What is the core issue of the problem? Once it is identified, wait! Before you implement a solution, conduct your due diligence! While you may believe you’ve answered the pros and cons, there is a bigger, often overlooked question, “How does this decision impact my employees now and in the future?”

Ask for Input! While it may seem like an excellent decision, it does not mean others will agree. Talk with employees and customers to better understand the core issue from their perspectives instead of relying on rationalization or circular thinking! Brainstorm possible solutions.

A company needed a better technology application for its core program. The problem? Their solution did not include input from the salespeople that use it, sabotaging sales!

Listen! Instead of pushing your agenda, talking over employees’ objections, and ignoring customers’ and coworkers’ concerns, listen! Or, they will covertly (and overtly) sabotage you! Don’t overlook or ignore the hard questions. For example, “What is the #1 challenge for getting everyone onboard?”

Plan for Impacts. When designing the plan, consider the well-being of your employees. Stress and mental health challenges are at an all-time high. So, plan for the number of hours expected, changes in workflow, and new skills required.

Focus on Creating Win-Win-Win Outcomes. Focus on alignment for the solution, not consensus building. Consensus building often sabotages efforts due to the fear of change and office politics.

Keep Everyone Up to Date. Use all forms of communication (emails, internal newsletters, and chats) to keep everyone apprised of the process and results. Include the challenges and wins. Good communication minimizes sabotaging or unexpected changes.

Get Real and Don’t Insulate Employees. When there are tough (and unpopular) decisions to be made, talk straight. Address the alternatives considered. Share the upside and downside of your decision. The worse things you can do are: be silent, hide, or make assumptions (or all three).

Compassion and Sensitivity. This can go a long way towards having your decisions well received with minimal disruption and sabotaging of your employees.

Most Importantly! Don’t Blame Your Employees. Every decision-maker has made bad decisions. But great leaders and bosses understand they must take responsibility for them. What can you do to correct them? Start first by talking with your executive coach and an internal company mentor before doing anything. Otherwise, you can make the outcomes of a bad decision even worse!

(c)Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Right Reserved

If you’d like to help employees to be talent ready, explore using the PXT Select to ensure job fit now and for future opportunities.

Jeannette Seibly is a champion for bosses and teams delivering intended results. Does your company or department have a persistent problem? Her wisdom guides clients through sticky situations and challenging relationships for dynamic results! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.

A note from Jeannette about sabotaging your employees: You and other bosses frequently make decisions believing they are in the company’s and customers’ best interest. But, at times, these decisions can and do sabotage or negatively impact your employees. Contact me for a confidential conversation about how to avoid sabotaging your employees!

Have you considered the benefits of strengthening your superpowers and becoming a great boss? It’s not complicated, but it does require an experienced sounding board. I have extensive experience guiding bosses and leaders to work with and through their teams to achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching program. Remember, coaching speeds up your ability to make better decisions and prevent sabotaging your employees.

Use Qualified Assessments to Ensure Talent Readiness

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A note from Jeannette about using qualified assessments for talent readiness: Attracting scarce skilled job candidates and preparing current employees is critical for talent readiness. Using suitable job fit assessments and skills testing are vital, but require using the correct ones. Contact me for a confidential conversation about how to get started.

  • Are you tired of hiring and promoting the wrong people?
  • Are you finding it challenging to find skilled, qualified job candidates?
  • Are you frustrated because you keep hiring people for the wrong jobs?

The biggest challenge facing many employers today, and in the foreseeable future, is talent readiness! Skilled workers are scarce. And many employees need upskilling and reskilling to meet technological, economic, and greener business practices. (ERE|Recruiting News & Information)

It’s time bosses, and leaders got serious about using qualified assessments and skills testing. These are essential to ensure your employees and job candidates are talent ready. As a leader, you can no longer avoid using qualified assessments without losing customers, top talent, and profitability.

Assessments Are Important to Ensure Talent Readiness

According to Talent Board’s 2022 research, candidates and employees, regardless of gender, race, and age, expressed higher perceived fairness when companies used job-related assessments. It also improved the company’s reputation as a good employer; supported diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives; and improved hiring, promotion, and job transfer results.

Choosing the correct pre-employment assessment is difficult. Too often, leaders and bosses rely on assessments that are only appropriate for team building and communication development. However, they failed to conduct research to ensure the assessment(s) meet Department of Labor (DOL) guidelines for PRE-employment purposes, and post-employment promotions and job transfers. Using the wrong assessment can get you in trouble.

Assessments that meet DOL guidelines have higher validity, reliability, and predictive validity. Some also provide cognitive abilities and occupational interests information. When used as directed, the correct assessments provide superior insights for talent readiness. (READ: Use the Right Assessments and Skills Tests, Hire Amazing Employees, Chapter 9)

Tips to Improve Talent Readiness

Use Qualified Tools. Many hiring managers overlook great candidates and employees by not using qualified tools. Using the right assessments removes the mystery of assessing for actual skills and job fit. Using high-quality assessments and skills testing shows who employees and job candidates are, not how they want to be seen. For example, many job candidates and employees want jobs in sales because they believe it’s where they’ll make the most money. The challenge is they can talk the talk but fail to produce the required results of prospecting, presenting, and closing sales.

Deep Dive Now. Focus on what is actually required for your workforce to be talent ready. Poll customers, talk with employees, and network with industry peers to help determine current and future requirements.

Train Your People. Training for hiring bosses and recruiters is often overlooked due to time and money, and egos. But failure to get real and use and follow a strategic selection system will hurt your company’s agility and survival. Savvy job candidates and skilled talent will leave due to being overlooked for the right jobs and opportunities.

Stop Requiring College Degrees. Focusing on talent readiness predicts job performance more than hiring based on education and past work experience. Employees who don’t feel they are utilizing their skills are 10 times more likely to seek a new job. (World Economic Forum)

Ask Job-Related Interview Questions. It’s a bad practice to rely on pseudo-psychology type questions like, “What’s your favorite color?” “Who’s your favorite author and book?” These do not support talent readiness and can create employment liability issues. Focus on the job skills required and the person’s interest and aptitude to learn the job.

Know Your Employee and Job-Candidate Skills. Use valid skills tests to determine the depth and breadth of job candidates and current employees’ proficiency in using the skills. Contrary to popular myths, employees and job candidates enjoy well-design assessments and skills tests to help them develop and improve their skills and employability.

Clarify Education and Training Required. Provide ongoing training to upskill and reskill your people. Remember, a certificate is not an indicator of the employee’s capability to use critical thinking and create solutions. It’s why skills testing is required. (Consider a recent conversation with a customer service rep who lacked the interest or skills to use the company’s system to resolve your issue. Frustrating, wasn’t it?) Don’t overlook developing communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and resiliency skills too.

Ask an Often-Overlooked Question! Ask job candidates and current employees, “What are your career goals now and in the future!” Their opportunities to pursue career and life goals are crucial indicators of long-term job satisfaction, and will impact your company’s retention. (Talent Board) Develop a personalized career path program, including the necessary education and training required to help employees succeed.

(c)Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Right Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She is an award-winning international executive coach, speaker, and business author. Her wisdom of over 30 years guides clients to work through sticky situations and challenging relationships. Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion. PS: She’s also a three-time Amazon Best-Selling Author!’

A note from Jeannette about using qualified assessments for talent readiness: Attracting scarce skilled job candidates and preparing current employees is critical for talent readiness. Using suitable job fit assessments and skills testing is vital, but it requires using the correct ones. Contact me for a confidential conversation about how to get started.

Have you considered the benefits of strengthening your superpowers and becoming a great boss? It’s not complicated, but it does require an experienced sounding board. I have extensive experience guiding bosses and leaders to work with and through their teams to achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one hour coaching program. Remember, coaching speeds up your ability to be talent ready.

Great Results Require Winning Attitudes!

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“A healthy relationship with ‘winning’ is required to blast through circumstances.” Jeannette Seibly

Winning isn’t everything, but developing a winning attitude is required to achieve amazing results, especially in the face of negativity, misperception, and other limiting circumstances. The bonus? It feels great!

However, many people today have conflicted feelings and attitudes about winning. They find it more comfortable to conform to peer pressure, not exceed others’ expectations, and not rock the boat. Unfortunately, this attitude gets in the way of winning for them and their teams. While it keeps them from overshadowing others, there is a huge personal and professional cost (e.g., being overlooked for promotions, not being selected for key opportunities, low self-esteem, confidence, etc.).

Why is having a winning attitude vital for you?

  • It creates healthy self-esteem while improving your results.
  • It builds your confidence and mindful awareness.
  • It provides you the courage to ask for help, hire a coach, and influence others.
  • It increases your ability to take the initiative, be coachable, and be resourceful.
  • It makes you promotable while having more fun and making more money.

Remember, especially when you want to throw in the towel and say, “I give up,” it’s not about whether you win or lose. It’s about your attitude toward winning. It’s about enjoying the process of gaining new knowledge, skills, and awareness that comes from a winning attitude. And these experiences are priceless.

How to Create a Healthy Winning Attitude

  1. Do the Work Instead of Creating Excuses. We all love our excuses. But they get in the way of winning! When the process isn’t working, don’t let it deter you from achieving the goal! Don’t change the goal; instead, change the process. Remember, the process rarely looks like you think it should! It requires stretching outside your comfort zone and developing a new one.
  2. Take Initiative. Too often, people dream the dream but fail to honor the commitments required. They blame other people and situations. Instead, make a good plan and follow it. To achieve any goal, focus on what’s important to you. Now, get in the game and go for it! That’s taking the initiative and getting into focused action.
  3. When Obstacles Occur, and They Will, Become Resourceful! Everyone hits a wall. Sometimes it’s a massive one. But giving up isn’t an option. Instead, be flexible, resourceful, and resilient. Adopt the winning mantra, “I can do this, and I do it.” Now, take it moment by moment, step by step, and day by day as you move forward. Yes, there will continue to be bumps in the road. But don’t let them stop you.
  4. Celebrate the Wins with Gratitude, not Ego. When you win, it’s important to celebrate and acknowledge your accomplishments! Add the achievements to your resume and bio. Bragging in a humble manner works! Don’t forget to say, “Thank you!” to those that helped you along the way! (You didn’t achieve it without them!)

©Jeannette Seibly 2021-2023 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless 6-figure income professionals. As an award-winning international executive and family business management consultant, keynote speaker, and author for over 30 years, she guides others to make a positive difference. Feel stuck in a political work situation? Want clear advice on how to get out of it? Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note from Jeannette about having a winning attitude and achieving amazing results: Too often, we rely on our excuses for not achieving intended results. The truth is that we need to stop accepting mediocrity and develop a winning attitude. It’s not hard, and there is work to be done. The rewards are: It feels great and can offer external rewards too (e.g., promotion, new home, etc.)! What do you want to accomplish? It’s not too late to get started! Let’s Chat!

Are you frustrated because you are a results producer and now not producing the intended results? It’s time to find out “why” and get back into the game. It requires seeing your blind spots and hiring a coach! I have extensive experience guiding bosses and leaders to work with and through their teams to achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one coaching program over 13 weeks. Remember, coaching speeds up your ability to win.

Want Better Results? Encourage Employees to Speak Up

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“Want great results? Encourage your employees to stand up and speak up!” Jeannette Seibly

Yes, we’re all busy! But taking the time and encouraging employees to speak up ensures better solutions and retention of top talent!

Many leaders fear taking risks, especially today. And in turn, employees fear speaking up to report mistakes, ask questions, offer new ideas, or challenge action plans or decisions. With everyone focused on keeping their jobs or not rocking the boat, projects, and plans fail because no one risked standing up and speaking up!

(Watch “Air,” a film based on true events about the origin of Air Jordan, Nike’s basketball shoe line with rookie player Michael Jordan. An employee had to step up and speak up. It forever changed how players were treated.)

How to Get Employees Talking and Creating Solutions

First, ASK! The #1 key to encourage employees to stand up and speak up!

Second, LISTEN! If you don’t, they won’t speak up again.

Brainstorming! Many leaders do a poor job of brainstorming. They latch on to the first idea that sounds good! However, often, it’s not. Learn how to truly brainstorm. It saves customers, bottom lines, and retention!

Critical Thinking! Take the time to conduct an analysis of essential considerations with all ideas (e.g., budget, ROI, impact on others, company mission and vision, workability, etc.).

Listen, Value, and Build. Use good listening skills and value others’ thoughts and opinions. Then, build on these ideas. Remember, all ideas can spark new ones. Build on these for better solutions. Also, avoid consensus building and focus on alignment with team members before agreeing on a plan.

Encourage Everyone on the Team to Participate. Ask each person several times for their input. Then, allow them to say “pass.” Many times, the second or third time, they’ll offer great insights. So, don’t ignore or overlook them.

Provide Training and Manage Conflicts. While having differing ideas is important, it needs to be a safe space for employees to talk! Ensure everyone is trained on how to participate in meetings (NO! It’s not natural, and learning by trial and error leads to employee disengagement). Manage disagreements by ensuring every employee can share without being criticized, humiliated, or made fun of.

Team Selection Is Important. Most teams fail because they include employees with no interest or time to commit (but meet diversity initiatives). Seek out those with the interest and willingness to attend all meetings. Include those without the skills with someone they can learn from during the project.

Get Out of the Way! Like in the movie Air, leaders do get in the way! It would be best to learn how to work through new ideas without shutting down employees from speaking up. For example: After a 6-month employee project, a company president decided he didn’t want employees offering suggestions to solve a critical issue. The problem? He feared the risks of adopting a new approach to solve an old problem.

©Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She is an award-winning international executive coach, speaker, and business author. Her wisdom of over 30 years guides clients to work through sticky situations and challenging relationships. Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion. PS: She’s also a three-time Amazon Best-Selling Author!

A note from Jeannette about getting employees to speak up: I remember working with a client that bet me a cookie that I could NOT get her employees talking. Yes, I won the cookie! (And I’ve won other similar bets with other clients!) When you are willing to listen and value employees’ input, they will talk! Often, their ideas are better than yours! It’s learning how to do it! Contact me for a confidential conversation about team facilitation.

Have You Considered the benefits of strengthening your ability to ask for and listen to employees’ input about a project or plan? It makes a positive difference in your success as a leader! I have extensive experience guiding leaders to work with and through their teams to achieve unprecedented results. Contact me if you want an in-depth, one-on-one hour over 13 weeks. Remember, coaching speeds up your ability to win.

Ask your employees to share their ideas! This is a superpower that many leaders fail to develop! Then, they experience turnover, shaky bottom lines, and loss of customers. Working with and through others builds confidence and the ability to influence! Take action and contact me for a confidential conversation.

How to Achieve Results While Working through Uncertainty

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“Uncertainty in life is normal. Embracing it fully creates a positive difference to achieve results.” Jeannette Seibly

When you feel uncertain about a decision, it is often due to your fear of making a mistake, experiencing a failure, or not being in control of the outcome. Uncertainty feels uncomfortable. Many people will do everything they can to avoid it, which causes anxiety in their jobs, relationships, careers, businesses, and life choices. But life never provides absolute certainty.

So, how can you make uncertainty a superpower and have it help you create a great business, career, and life? Keep reading!

Tips to Work Through Uncertainty for Great Results

Be Open to Others’ Ideas. Like many leaders, you rely on your thoughts, opinions, and feelings about what is true and certain. But this is short-sighted. Instead, welcome others’ ideas. Learn how to brainstorm. For each idea, develop five reasons it could work, not why it won’t.

Unleash the Power of Others. Delegate! Get comfortable delegating! Allow others the opportunities to explore new ideas, even if you’re uncertain whether or not they’ll work. Their ideas and results can often be better than yours if you get out of the way!

Embrace Not Knowing How to Achieve the Outcome. Otherwise, you’ll feel stuck, paralyzed, and procrastination will set in. Instead, allow for the fact that you don’t know that you don’t know! And not knowing is OK. (Yes, reread those sentences.) Be clear about the goal and outcome you want to achieve. Now, move forward step-by-step with your team and executive coach through the uncertainty.

Develop Inner Confidence. Celebrate each step along the way, no matter how big or small. Develop “brags” to help you gain confidence and believe in yourself. “Brags” remind you that you’ve handled uncertainty and achieved successful outcomes in the past.

Make the Best Decisions for Now. When making decisions, collect factual data and don’t rely solely on your intuition/gut or overthink everything. Remember, no one has a crystal ball that foretells the future. While many believe success demands you move forward, a good decision can also include staying where you are (e.g., signing a new lease with your current landlord). Remember, uncertainty can and will still occur because uncertainty doesn’t go away.

Avoid Group Think; It Impedes Agility. Too often, during times of uncertainty, fear will prevail. Then, the team will adapt to the fear. Instead, share your concerns, and ask good questions.

  • “What would be the best outcome for this project or program?”
  • “What would we need to change?
  • “Give me five reasons why these changes could work?”
  • “Why won’t these changes work?”

Now, allow the team to own the project. Be their champion for winning and working through the unknown factors! And always welcome critical thinking!

If you embrace these six tips, uncertainty becomes your superpower!

©Jeannette Seibly 2023 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She is an award-winning international executive coach, speaker, and business author. Her wisdom of over 30 years guides clients to work through sticky situations and challenging relationships. Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion. PS: She’s also a three-time Amazon Best-Selling Author!

A note from Jeannette about embracing uncertainty in work and life: We seek certainty in everything we do. We think it helps us avoid making mistakes or experiencing failure while staying in control of the outcome. Yet, doing the same old same old will hurt your team, results, and bottom line. Want uncertainty to become one of your superpowers? Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Have You Considered: Strengthening your inherent superpowers? It can make a big difference in your success as a leader! I have extensive experience guiding leaders to work with and through their teams to achieve unprecedented results. Contact me if you want an in-depth, one-on-one hour over 13 weeks. Remember, coaching speeds up your ability to win.

Taking the safe path to avoid uncertainty will never work in your business, career, and life. Develop your superpower and learn how to work through uncertainty. It builds confidence and the ability to influence others! Take action and contact me for a confidential conversation.