More Money Does Not Equal Better Results

Many start-ups and young businesses today use inconsistent or arbitrary compensation practices. They do this because it’s hard to know when realistic financial incentives get the job done or attract the right team members. Even well-established companies have bosses that give out financial (and non-financial) incentives without understanding the impact these gestures have on the organization as a whole.

As the boss, your inconsistency in compensating people appropriately will develop mistrust in your management style, diminish loyalty and weaken the desire to work hard for you. It can become a no-win situation that needs to be addressed quickly. A Gallup study (2015) found 50% of employees leave due to bad bosses. The bottom line is, when employees don’t trust their bosses’ to do the right things the right way, they quit their jobs.

Money is not a prime motivator!

Many employees have the false perception that money will indeed motivate them! The truth is, money doesn’t motivate people to do more or improve their job performance. Great bosses, job fit and appreciation are key motivators when done right!

Develop good employees into great performers and keep them

Hire for job fit. Poor job fit is the number one reason employees don’t produce great results, even though they may appear to have the technical or interpersonal skills. These employees rationalize their mediocre performance on extrinsic factors, including the amount in their paychecks. Additionally, your top talent is more likely to leave when there has been a lot of turnover, or they continually have to work around those coworkers that aren’t doing their jobs well. It’s important to use qualified assessments and due diligence tools to ascertain a person’s ability to fit the work requirements and company expectations before you hire them.

Set clear expectations. Start on Day One by providing each new hire with an up-to-date job description, 180 Day Success Plan*, and an internal mentor. (For those companies with critical goals, hire an external business advisor for key employees.) Keep all employees focused on the right things by involving them in strategy creation, goal setting and focused action planning. Quarterly, use a qualified 360-degree feedback assessment to help identify areas for improvement, keep employees focused on the right things and provide spot-on training insights. Keep these processes separate from your annual compensation adjustments.

Keep your promises. When you offer financial incentives, be prepared to honor them. Performance will diminish individually and collectively when you are unable or unwilling to fulfill upon these promises. Consider offering non-financial incentives that are meaningful for the whole group (e.g., pizza Friday, company-wide recognition, movie passes, etc.).

Focus on performance results. When managing your employees and team for results, it’s wise to include individual stretch goals to help each person excel beyond their perceived performance capabilities and internal beliefs in themselves. Use non-monetary and monetary incentives for each person, and the team as a whole, based upon the completed metrics for each milestone.

Your key to developing good employees into great results-producers requires you to consistently and frequently share the goals, appreciate employees individually, acknowledge the team as a group, and objectively measure progress. Then, compensate them well with monetary and non-monetary rewards.

*180 Day Success Plan – How do you create them? Get your copy of “Hire Amazing Employees” available at BizSavvyHire.com

For information on using qualified assessments, contact http://SeibCo.com/contact  

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Her unique combination of strategic and tactical people and business experiences includes being execution-oriented, customer-focused and business results-focused. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. She is an innovator who loves producing amazing results with and through others, on time and within budget, as a team.

 

Asking for Help Makes You a Better Leader

It’s the trademark of many successful business leaders.

Here’s why we don’t ask:

  • – We rationalize we don’t have time to ask for help.
  • – We are afraid to ask for clarification of a project due to our pride.
  • – We naively believe we know what our boss, company and clients need without asking them for their input.

As a result, we lose countless hours of productivity and fail to achieve intended results. These lost opportunities cost companies millions and may sabotage your career!

A true story! Someone was late for a meeting due to lack of planning on where the restaurant was located. They couldn’t find the restaurant and simply gave up. They didn’t ask for help or use technology (411 (directory assistant), GPS, or MapQuest), and, the restaurant was only 2 miles away!

Question: Would you want to work with someone who won’t ask for help? 

Answer: Probably not. And, we’ll never know the opportunities they lost out on!

Get in action. Stop rationalizing why you are afraid to ask others for their input. Asking questions of others takes less time and energy than rationalizing! When seeking advice, we become more competent and confident. The process helps us resolve issues, move forward to complete stopped projects, or achieve our intended outcome faster. Asking for help allows us to follow through and sets us apart from our competition.

Work smarter, not harder, means asking for clarification up front. Ask relevant questions, truly listen and stay on point in the conversation. It can take less than two minutes to ask a question, and that simple act can save mega time, money and frustration so you don’t do unnecessary work. Although the response may take 20 minutes, pay now or pay later. (Think, 20 minutes now vs. 20+ hours later attempting to resolve the issue and save the relationship.)

Plan ahead for 100% success. Ask your advisor, vendor, co-worker or boss about potential breakdowns and pitfalls. They are a reality. Known challenges will not stop you when you plan for them. It’s the unknown that limits our ability for a successful outcome.

Don’t be afraid to stretch the limits. Use technology, ask people, meet with advisors and review systems for new opportunities that allow you to push the envelope. But, don’t have them cost you price, service or functionality. New ideas are great, but, may not be beneficial if implemented without the proper due diligence and asking enough questions of the right people.

©Jeannette L. Seibly, 2010-2015

 Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Her unique combination of strategic and tactical people and business experiences includes being execution-oriented, customer-focused and business results-focused. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. She is an innovator who loves producing amazing results with and through others, on time and within budget, as a team.

How to Recognize When You’re Being Too Stubborn

  • Are your employees scared or apathetic about sharing ideas?
  • Do they simply tell you what you want to hear?
  • Are your ideas the only good ones?
  • Do you cling to your decisions, even when they are clearly wrong?
  • Do you allow your frustrations with others to get in the way of being effective?

Stubbornness is simply being attached to your point of view and unwilling to entertain other alternatives. Good leadership is about being clear, moving forward, and at times being flexible. Yet, too much flexibility makes you a poor leader, especially when it takes you off track from fulfilling your goals.

No one likes to be wrong. Your team will get frustrated, and at times angry, when you are being stubborn and insist your way is the only right one. Your fears, insecurities and other control issues will limit your ability to create a profitable company with great people.

Three keys to being less stubborn – and becoming a more effective leader

Openness. Allowing others the opportunity to share ideas and recommendations without fear of being told they are wrong is important. No one person has all the answers. No one person knows all the right questions to ask. No one person is right all the time. Working together collaboratively will open up strategic opportunities and resourceful ways to be successful.

A vice president was a terrible boss and always seemed to know what was best. In his arrogance, he would go through the motions of soliciting others’ ideas. Then, he would disregard any idea that didn’t support what he had already decided to do. Because he was afraid of losing his job, he was very controlling and refused to listen to others’ input. He was fired a few months later.

Confidence. Some falsely believe that being confident and stubborn are the same. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Confidence is not insisting that your way is the only way. Confidence is being open to hearing new ideas, while working with and through others to determine workability and ROI. Remember, there are 100’s of different ways to wash dishes, manage a profitable company and achieve great results. Have the confidence in yourself and listen to your team.

One business owner wasn’t open to others’ ideas. She insisted that her way was the right one due to her fear of failure. She would fire anyone that disagreed or failed to do it her way. The problem was she had very high turnover and was continually looking for the “right” employees. She never found them and had to close down her business.

Clarity. It’s important to stay focused on your plan and the actions that will support fulfilling it. This is where perseverance (often confused with stubbornness) pays off. When we are not clear, too often our employees will create mischief. The problem occurs when we fail to address their unwillingness or inability to take focused action. It’s important for both leaders and their employees to learn how to trust themselves and each other. Don’t be afraid to get the coaching and training required.

Years ago I had a boss who wasn’t open to anything new. His ideas often were reactive. Proactive ideas were normally considered time consuming and an unnecessary expense. When I approached him with a plan to help employees feel comfortable about their pension benefits, due to the pension plan being terminated, he thought it was a stupid and time-consuming idea. He was right about it being time-consuming. However, a well-designed communication process is rarely stupid. In this case, it helped employees feel less fearful about their future pensions. Interestingly, years later, he showed me a system he thought was brilliant. I smiled and reminded him that it had been my idea, and the work I had done!

Your stubbornness can be transformed into an effective leadership trait. Trust yourself and learn how to work with and through others for amazing results! Contact a coach today!

Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Her unique combination of strategic and tactical people and business experiences includes being execution-oriented, customer-focused and business results-focused. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. She is an innovator who loves producing amazing results with and through others, on time and within budget, as a team.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

 

Are You Inspiring Focused Action for Results?

Many companies have business plans, 3-year goals and other strategic programs written down. As the leader, the challenge is taking them out, dusting them off and getting into focused action. Pronto! You have plenty of time to achieve your 2015 goals, if you start now. Get in communication with your team and inspire them forward for success.

Success requires effective communication

As a leader, it’s your job to communicate the goals of the organization, while ensuring the game plan is being played in alignment with the core values of the company. Consistent and frequent communication is critical to fulfill the goals you want, while getting and keeping everyone on the same page, moving forward together.

5 key questions to ask yourself:

  1. How well do you communicate the current mission and future vision?
  2. Have you put together a strategic blueprint to fulfill the goals?
  3. What focused actions are you and your team taking to fulfill them?
  4. Are those actions achieving the intended results?
  5. If not, have you contacted your business advisor for laser-sharp coaching?

Winning the game requires consistent and frequent communication

Be a parrot! Consistent and frequent repetition reminds you and your team of the purpose and the intended results. This keeps the team focused and on the same page, ensuring buy-in. When team members don’t buy-in they will unconsciously sabotage efforts. Their unwillingness to rock the boat can get in the way of moving forward.

Walk the talk. If you do not have a clear plan and are not equipped to climb that mountain towards the goals, your employees won’t be either. Manage your words and communication efforts to inspire focused-actions. Handle all internal obstacles that get in the way. If you don’t, top talent will leave to showcase their capabilities elsewhere.

Come down to reality. Stop the 3,000-foot helicopter view and get out of the world of “should’s”. Roll up your sleeves and become a resource for brainstorming, problem solving and resolving challenges together with your team. Do not change the goal to accommodate activities – instead help them blast through their fears and move outside of their comfort zones.

Ask for input. Busy work and excuses don’t equal focused action. And, rarely leads to achieving intended results. Don’t just tell people what you expect — ask for their input. Instead of saying “yes” or “no” to their ideas, ask them “how?”

Acknowledgement. Consistent verbal praise is required to transform old thinking styles and habits. The key is to provide acknowledgement of all efforts, no matter how small.

It’s critical that you, as the leader, are communicating to inspire focused action and take responsibility to get, and keep, everyone on the same page. Start now — there’s still time to achieve amazing results in 2015!

Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Her unique combination of strategic and tactical people and business experiences includes being execution-oriented, customer-focused and business results-focused. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. She is an innovator who loves producing amazing results with and through others, on time and within budget, as a team.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

7 Sure-Fire Ways to Derail Your Leadership

Leaders today are busy addressing new challenges in this growing economy, many times without considering their own behaviors and attitudes and how others perceive them. This can be detrimental. Leaders need followers: loyal employees, suppliers, vendors and customers. It may be time to slow down, assess and repair any damage before it’s too late.

You cannot transform anything without getting to the source of the issue. And the issue may be your leadership style.

Ask yourself if you are derailing your leadership with these 7 behaviors:

Speaking up without thought. Don’t confuse fearlessness with confidence. Be responsible for what and how you say anything, both spoken and in writing. Otherwise, people will tune you out. Those taken aback by your message will scrutinize your actions. Truly listen. Hear things you don’t want to hear. Respond diplomatically. Become genuinely effective.

Accusing others of sending spam or junk. Too often social media connections are viewed as a way of accumulating numbers. Accusing others of sending spam or junk when they reach out to you can hurt your ability to attract new clients. You never know who they know! Relationships are important … develop them now. Conversely, learn to reach out to others to make a difference – not just make a sale— and respond appropriately. If you don’t wish to receive their information, simply unsubscribe.

Not following up. Many people today don’t follow up if they don’t readily see a purpose in doing so (Think, Hot prospect ready to buy now). Unfortunately, people can be very shrewd about what they share with you. Too often you find out later they purchased from your competitor who did follow up. Learn to listen and hear more than just the words. Probe and be open to learning more about the customer’s company, products and needs first.

Telling employees, “Do it my way.” Leaders in their quest to keep their bottom lines positive forget that their employees usually know their jobs better than their bosses do. Stop pretending to listen to their ideas! Ask employees for their input and incorporate their ideas appropriately. Ensure they feel valued. Make ongoing training and development a priority.

Making decisions based on fragments of information. We make decisions and declarations based upon the tiniest pieces of information. Many times there is no factual basis for the decision. This behavior will make others see you as a poor decision-maker. Respect differences in opinion and balance them with facts. Disparaging or bullying others to your way to thinking will not elicit the best response from others or improve your decisions.

Delaying important decisions. Uncertainty about which path to choose is understandable. Continually using it as an excuse is not. Your co-workers and employees are tired of hearing about it! Ask the right people for input – not just what you want to hear. Hire a business advisor for guidance. Make certain you understand the pros and cons of an issue. Don’t dismiss legal and financial implications as unimportant or as something that won’t happen to you. Develop sustainable practices to ensure replicable results. Don’t put off today what needs to be done today … or you’ll lose credibility and top employees.

Having no strategic direction. It’s time to dust off your goals for 2015. Review, recharge and get back in action to wrap up Q3 and generate a positive Q4. Work with your business coach to determine which goals that seemed promising last January will provide the best ROI now. Reliance on your own mental monologue will not provide the clarity required to move forward. Establish focused action steps and stay away from busywork. Learn how to manage for results while building your team for success.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of over 300 articles and 4 books designed to help business leaders lead successfully. Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette at http://SeibCo.com/contact.

Re-hire the Right Employees the Right Way

Employees who have left your organization may be the best candidates to provide the help and insight needed to take your company to the next level. Regardless of their contributions in the past, keep in mind they will usually bring new experiences to give you a fresh competitive edge. Their fit with your current corporate culture depends on their attitude and willingness to leave the past behind and their ability to adapt to the current way the company operates.

3 Keys to Onboard Former Employees for Success

Conduct complete due diligence – as you would unknown candidates. Be clear as to why you want them to return. Take the time to talk through changes in systems, procedures, culture and clients. Some former top performers may no longer fit the company, and may be unable to effectively work within the new structures that evolved during their absences.

Take the blinders off. Even though you think you know them well, use qualified validated assessment tools to help determine current job fit. Conduct the same strategic interview process as you would for lesser-known candidates. Remember the challenge isn’t what you can see and remember — it’s what you don’t see or have forgotten about the former employees. Just because they were top performers in the past does not necessarily mean they will be able to perform at that same level now. Listen to their cheerleaders and naysayers, but be shy about relying 100% on their input. (Too often the cheerleaders simply want someone who is known, while the naysayers are afraid of changing the current status quo.) Addressing everyone’s perspectives upfront and realistically will support the returning employees’ abilities to get their jobs done and help you move the company forward.

Prepare them for success. Many returning employees fail to understand change is inevitable. They may understand it conceptually, but, may have a difficult time acclimating if they have not acquired the right additional skills during the time they were gone. Review the organization’s changes – both good and bad – to the mission, values, systems, procedures, culture, company direction, employees, products, services, vendors, and clients. Inevitably, standard operating procedures will have changed, written or not. This can impede people from quickly getting on track if they are relying upon their memories of how it used to be. Or, they will run into unresolved brick walls when they attempt to make changes too fast. While they may be more aware of the company and its history, it’s critical they participate in an employee onboarding program as if they are new. Team them up with internal mentors who can help them navigate changes that may not be readily apparent.

When you re-hire the right employees the right way, often times, they can be great resources and assets.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of Hire Amazing Employees (http://BizSavvyHire.com). Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette at http://SeibCo.com/contact.

Poorly Managing Conflict Will Derail Your Success

When you handle conflict poorly—by overreacting to it, ignoring it, or avoiding it by failing to speak up with your concerns— it hurts your business and career opportunities. The yelling boss whom everyone complains about is no different from the silent screamer who fails to notify someone in authority of a problem. Both cause loss of customers, poor-quality products and services, and disregard for others.

As the leader, it’s vitally important to learn how to step up when no one agrees with you in order to make a difference! However, it’s more important to recognize when you are the cause of the conflict!

A long-term employee questioned her boss’s boss in front of her team. She didn’t understand why he wanted to move in a different direction when the facts didn’t support it. He didn’t know why either. Instead of admitting it and creating a win-win conversation, he took the bully approach and wanted her fired! She stepped up to the plate by having a one-on-one conversation with her boss after the meeting; then, coached him on how to have the necessary conversation with his boss about the direction he wanted to take. Because she was able to turn the disagreement into a constructive process, she was given a promotion and pay increase.

While you may want to fire those who do not rubber-stamp your ideas or get rid of your boss for not hearing your concerns, failure to listen to what you don’t want to hear creates conflict and consequences. The truth is, when employees speak up without fear of retaliation, they share great ideas and find hidden resources! It’s your job as a leader to uncover workable and win-win solutions. This means you need to get out of the way, listen to what you don’t want to hear and handle disagreements along the way.

3 Ways You Can Reduce Conflict

Honor Your Word. Little white lies build up over time, and others stop trusting what you have to say. When you’re a naysayer, you stymie a conversation before it begins because you’ve not listened to others in the past or don’t follow through on promises you’ve made! Before these upsets escalate beyond your control, listen and learn about the heart of the matter. While human emotions are rarely based on facts and change frequently, this doesn’t mean there is not value in them. Welcome others’ input by brainstorming ideas and creating win-win conversations to elicit workable resolutions. Then follow up and follow through to ensure intended results.

Listen to Others. You’ve lulled yourself into thinking, If it doesn’t matter to me it shouldn’t matter to others. As a result, you block out annoying suggestions made by your employees, even your bosses! Once the company has closed its doors or lost a big contract, these same employees dissect and voice what went wrong – including critiquing your behavior and attitude. Step up and be the leader others want to follow! Listen! And don’t just talk about it— take focused action steps to resolve it!

Maintain a Sense of Urgency. You have become adept at putting off handling issues as they arise, thinking you’ll handle them when you have enough time. However, that time never comes without more upset and conflict being created first. If you took the same amount of energy to resolve the problems that you use to deflect them, your business would flourish and your career would be unstoppable. Pose these three important questions to the right people now: What is the preferred outcome? What needs to happen? What can be done to resolve the issue? Handling issues as they arise will prevent conflicts from becoming long-term unresolvable elephants.

©Jeannette Seibly 2015

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of over 300 articles and 4 books designed to help business leaders lead successfully. Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette at http://SeibCo.com/contact.

Can an Apology Save Your Career?

Most of us believe we are not responsible for our expressions and actions. Many leaders and co-workers reinforce poor interpersonal practices (saying, “That’s OK.” “No problem.” “I do that too.”). We fail to address the aftermath of any damage done by our actions and words. In our busy-ness we often allow ourselves to be distracted in our conversations because we are thinking of other things we need to do or formulating rebuttals. By the time we open our mouths, out pops something critical or negative and not on point in the conversation.

The problem is twofold. First, we take it personally when others express themselves frankly and truthfully. Second, we expect others to get over the things we say or do at their expense, including when we violate an agreement. Sadly, we are so adamant about our right to be right that when they extend an olive branch to let us know they are concerned or upset and wish to resolve the problem, we swat them down.

Being aware and conscious before you say something inappropriate and choosing not to say it works best. When that fails and the words slip out, apologizing can quickly save a brilliant career. When you have offended someone, stop and review your action or words from their perspective. Saying “I apologize,” “I’m so sorry,” “Please forgive me,” or “It was not my intention to … ” can build a healthy bridge toward healing relationships, building trust and loyalty, creating effective work teams, and soliciting better ideas. Remember, your attitude and behaviors carry a lot of weight—use them appropriately.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2010-2015

Jeannette Seibly is a business advisor for business owners and executives of $5MM to $30MM enterprises creating million dollar results, and along the way guided the creation of three millionaires. Contact her at JLSeibly@SeibCo.com for a free consultation of how to achieve amazing results.

To get career fit, contact SeibCo today: http://SeibCo.com/contact

To “Get Your Brag On!” purchase the book, “It’s Time to Brag! Career Edition” go to: http://Time2Brag.com 

 

Optimize Your Selection Process to Attract the Best

As a business leader, it’s important now, more than ever, to have a well-defined selection process, regardless of your company’s size and revenues. Attracting the right people in a job market where job seekers have become more selective can make it more of a challenge to hire the best candidates. Remember, the right employees will help you build a sustainable and profitable company. The wrong ones will have you close the doors, lose a lot of money or have you wanting to leave your own company!

The challenge today is many job seekers have become critical of how a company recruits and selects the best ones. They are focused on your ability to communicate the company’s vision well, have written expectations and have transparency about who you are and what you do. They will also have their own questions that need to be asked and answered before joining your team.

7 Keys to Attract and Hire the Best

To shorten your time-to-hire, be on the lookout for great talent, anywhere and anytime. Invite them to apply at the time you talk with them.

1.Use an on-line applicant tracking system (ATS) that is easily accessed via mobile platforms. This will help you track those interested in working with you now and in the future. Stay in communication by inviting them to connect via social media. Review your application to ensure it is in compliance with local, state and federal statutes. For example, asking “Date of Birth” is not legal. Asking are you older than 18 is.

“70% of job seekers say the application process experience impacts their decision to accept a company’s position or not.” 2015 Hiring Trends, Jobvite, August 2015

2.Use a qualified direct-admissions core value assessment. Spending time interviewing someone with what appears to be great resume (most have over 71% inaccuracies), is a colossal time waster if they don’t possess the integrity and honesty (core values) you require. You will also overlook great candidates, with less impressive resumes, when not using this high-value, inexpensive tool.

3.Follow-Up and Follow-Through. First impressions impact a candidate’s interest in continuing in the company’s selection process. Immediately respond to their application and provide promised information. Stay in contact and provide candidates updates on the interview process via your ATS. Beware, these traits also impact their decision to buy your products and services!

4.Keep your social media fed proactively. Currently LinkedIn and Facebook are the leading venues used when searching for applicants! Use these media outlets to keep applicants interested by sharing PR posts; favorable employee comments; and other socially relevant interests to tell the story about your company.

“People are like icebergs: they only let you see what they want you to see – what you don’t see is more significant than what you do see!” John W. Howard, PhD

5.Job-fit is important. Use qualified assessments to ensure who you are talking with in the interview is the same person that shows up on the job! Hiring the best person the first time helps companies achieve their intended results faster and keeps other top performers.

6.Ask the right questions. (And, legal ones.) Ask questions focused on the job, work requirements, and other important considerations. Today’s applicants, specifically millennials, are savvier and pickier about who they will work for. Asking meaningless questions or those with an underlying intention of “analyzing” them usually will back fire. Use qualified core value and job fit assessments and ask the interview questions contained in those reports. Be prepared — gone are the days of “winging-it” and having one-sided interviews.

7.Job offers. Compensation is the top reason candidates will select your job offer over others. Younger employees only plan to stay for 1 to 3 years before finding their next job. To keep them, ensure they have a great boss, and interesting and challenging work. Keep your compensation, benefits and other perks up-to-date and meaningful to your employees.

By using the best selection process, you will attract the best.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of Hire Amazing Employees (http://BizSavvyHire.com). Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette at http://SeibCo.com/contact

10 Career Mistakes You Will Make

I recently talked with a company president, who wasn’t enjoying his job and doing what he did best, sell. As a result, the company was suffering because he wasn’t happy. With my help, he hired a general manager and focused his attention on developing his sales team to sell. He learned by correcting his mistake and moving forward with intentionality — enjoying his job again. The company quickly regained profitability.

Throughout my 23 years of executive coaching, I discovered there are business professionals that quickly excel, and some that take longer than others to “get it.” Some never get there and relive their mistakes, instead of learning from them. Those that move forward in their careers faster know it requires self-awareness, willingness to roll-up your sleeves to learn the job and ability to work with and through others to achieve the intended results.

The common factor for those who moved forward and excelled quickly is they hired an executive coach – to talk and walk them through their career mistakes. Whether you believe you will make mistakes or not – rest assured you will make them. By working with an executive coach, you will be able to identify mistakes quickly and use them as learning opportunities.

10 Key Traits that Make a Difference

  1. It’s not about you. This is probably the biggest error you will make. You will allow your ego to get in the way, and make the career journey all about you — your wants and your desires. Focus on developing your people by practicing humility and appreciation for others.
  2. Be respected and liked. While it’s important to be both, you will probably focus on being liked at the expense of being respected. Unfortunately, likeability is fickle. In order to attract and keep great clients and top employees, learn how to make tough, and at times, unpopular decisions.
  3. Do the right things the right way. It requires taking the time to investigate, ask the right questions and ensure the workability of any idea or change. Too often in your haste — mostly due to lack of experience and failure to listen — the expedient route is taken. This quick fix derails results and deters people from following your leadership.
  4. Patience is not a virtue. While everything is not urgent, having too much patience will actually send the wrong message to your team, clients and bosses. Develop the ability to get priorities done in a timely manner. Design systems to ensure the customer (internal and external) are consistently served in a timely way. Be sure the procedures and policies are being followed.
  5. Healthy conflict. Become a healthy leader by knowing how to disagree without creating a battle, or war. Be comfortable sharing differing ideas and concerns through brainstorming to ensure everyone is heard. This is a great opportunity for you to become a strong facilitator that ensures win-win outcomes.
  6. Build trust. Elicit the best in others — it will build loyalty. Stop using language like punish, discipline and other demeaning words. People do not take well to threats of losing their job, pay raise, bonus, etc. Employees are adults. It’s important for you to treat them as peers.
  7. Compassion. It’s important to empathize with others and their challenges – personal issues will occur. Allow them opportunities to process their grief and upset in a manner that doesn’t detract from the group. However, be aware of employees who create mischief or have too many excuses for not getting their work done. They are often in the wrong job.
  8. Entrepreneurial mindset. Too often you love to talk about the “big” picture, believing you have the greatest insights. However, all talk and no action limits your career. Roll-up your sleeves, brainstorm ideas, create the right team, and design workable action plans. Then, manage the milestones along the way to ensure intended results, optimal performance and profitability.
  9. Take responsibility. With the title and paycheck comes the responsibility for how well your team achieves the intended results, and the process of how they get there. Without micro-managing, check in and ensure people are on-track, customer complaints are handled effectively, and any problems are quickly resolved before they become future elephants.
  10. Have fun and celebrate. Daily, weekly, monthly and/or quarterly take time to acknowledge any and all achievements with the team. Objectively review those items that didn’t work out as expected. Create do-able goals for the next time period and know that together the people on the team can achieve anything.

If your career is not moving upward, talk with an executive coach to help you focus on the issues that will make a positive and powerful difference for you, your team and company.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of two books, Hire Amazing Employees (BizSavvyHire.com) and It’s Time to Brag! (Time2Brag.com). Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette at http://SeibCo.com/contact.

To get career fit, contact SeibCo today: http://SeibCo.com/contact

To purchase the book, “It’s Time to Brag! Career Edition” go to: http://Time2Brag.com