Manager

How to Acknowledge Fears Due to Uncertainties

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“It’s important to keep moving forward responsibly during the uncertainties being experienced right now.” Jeannette Seibly

While uncertainties are a natural part of life and can be challenging, they also offer opportunities for growth and adaptation.

There are many uncertainties today due to natural disasters, economic and political confusion, and global impacts. These often elicit fears – fear of change and fear of the unknown. As a boss/leader, it’s essential you acknowledge your own fears and manage them first. Your reactions can encourage innovation, business growth, and new systems … or keep you and others stuck in fear.

Fear is contagious! Don’t disregard your own! (Yes, I’m repeating it since many bosses/leaders fail to acknowledge their own fears!)

• Take the time to talk with your executive coach and stay in action moving forward.
• Use a job fit assessment leadership report to uncover your leadership blind spots … during times of uncertainties, people are more sensitive to your words and actions.
• Keep up-to-date on any industry, business, and company changes, no matter how small.
• Focus on moving your team forward and keeping them engaged. Remember, team members will mimic how you handle these challenging moments of uncertainty.
• Do your homework, admit to not having all the answers, and talk straight.

How to Acknowledge Fears Responsibly

Acknowledge your fears privately. Acknowledge your fears and treat yourself with compassion. Take time for self-reflection. Answer, “What is keeping me awake at night?” Start a private journal (for your eyes only) to address your actual concerns and possible solutions. Also, write down new insights and opportunities that pop up – no matter how off-the-wall they may seem.

Share your concerns appropriately and responsibly. Recognize situations or thoughts that trigger your reactions. These may be unrecognized biases and fears. Acknowledge that they are natural and normal human responses that everyone experiences. But don’t hang onto them. During team meetings, set aside fears and create a “What if …” time for new ideas to flow. Stay away from “How to do it” – that comes later after the brainstorming phase.

Focus on what you can impact. With your team, develop a plan that will provide a sense of direction using new strategies. Set manageable goals by breaking down milestones into small, achievable steps. These “wins” are essential.

Don’t step over acknowledging others’ contributions. Appreciation can minimize others’ fears of change and uncertainty which cause anxiety and impact performance. Share your own fears and growth appropriately and with brevity.

Practice mindfulness. Be aware of words and attitudes (yours and others) that get in the way of team members and others feeling that they are part of the process. Stay present during conversations and other interactions, especially about any issues or team conflicts. Get them resolved immediately. Remember, breathing practices can help calm the mind, alleviate feelings of fear and indecisiveness, and improve the quality of win-win-win outcomes.

Stick to the facts and use numbers/metrics to de-escalate any upsets. Speak responsibly and factually. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t have an answer at the moment.” This builds trust, credibility, and influence. If you engage in hyperbole, your board, team, or client will stop listening and trusting you. Remember, what you say and do will be repeated and possibly recorded.

Stay connected. Again, don’t attempt to go it alone. When confronted by a problem, talk it out with your executive coach, one or two trusted confidants, and with your management team. (Don’t post on social media!) Also, attend trade, industry, and professional meetings — these can provide insights from shared experiences and give a sense of community, making it easier to cope with uncertainties while pursuing new opportunities.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 32 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 33 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Fear due to change and uncertainty is contagious! As a boss/leader, it’s essential to take care of yourself and your team dynamics during times of uncertainty. This week’s article addresses considerations to guide you and your team to move forward and address the natural fears that are arising at this time. Contact me to start a confidential conversation and address how to resolve what seems unresolvable.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Want to Improve Your Hiring Decisions?

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“If predicting job success were easy, or quick, we wouldn’t see expensive early hiring failures!” John W. Howard PhD

As you know, hiring and investing in your people costs money. Too often, mistakes are made despite all the interviews and other pre-employment rituals. Your retention, revenues, and results suffer.

The problem occurs when you hire, transfer, or promote people into jobs that don’t fit them. This often results in the person leaving your company and taking other top talent with them. For example, taking your top salesperson and promoting them to the manager role is a frequent misstep.

Current Problems Most Companies are Experiencing

Relying on:

Intuitive Hiring. Yes, it’s easy to rely on our “intuition/gut” to tell you if the person is the right one. The problem is two-fold. #1: There is no objective data, which often results in the collection of false information and hiring mistakes. #2: Your retention, reputation, revenues, and results suffer.

The Resume. Over 80 percent of resumes contain inaccuracies, embellishments, or lies. Many resumes today are created using AI, online templates, or professional resume writers. The question is, “How valid is the information?” Remember, you need objective and reliable data to improve your hiring decisions. The resume alone will never give you that.

Any Assessment. Over 95 percent of assessments today are not validated for pre-employment or job selection use. It’s time to learn about the science and legality of using objective job fit assessments. (See Chapter 9 in Hire Amazing Employees)

Overcoming These Challenges Requires Using Real Systems

Use the interview, assessments, and due diligence equally in hiring decisions. Do not rely solely on the interview; stop asking questions that are not job-related. (SEE Chapter 1 in Hire Amazing Employees)

Select a job fit assessment with the validity, reliability, and predictive validity that comply with the Department Labor Guidelines for pre-employment and selection use. (Most hiring bosses don’t do this.) The proper assessment will guide you to hire the right people with your eyes open to any challenges you may encounter. Remember, no one is perfect, but you cannot teach a cat to become a dog.

Train your hiring bosses. Use an intracompany system that provides all the tools and resources required. This will save you and them from hiring mistakes, costly turnover of current employees and clients, and legal challenges. (See Chapter 3 in Hire Amazing Employees)

Don’t Overlook Hidden Talent: Many talented people are already employed in your company. You overlook them based on biases and other subjective factors and seek top talent from outside the company.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Is the way you hire people working for you? Are you happy with your hiring results? Improving your retention, revenues, and results creates a positive reputation for you and the company. Contact me for a free, confidential conversation on how to improve your selection process and hiring decisions.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Want to Be a Great Leader? Stop Focusing on Your Weaknesses

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“We can all be good-to-great leaders if we’re willing to focus on our true strengths.” Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders can be their own worst critic and give reasons as to why (e.g., bad boss, wrong employees, unreasonable customers, etc. etc.)!

But focusing on weaknesses only makes the weakness more of a problem!

It doesn’t serve you, your employees, or your customers!

Being a good-to-great boss/leader requires getting real about who you are and getting the coaching necessary to develop you and your team members.

How to Focus on Improving Your Leadership

Know Thyself … Not by how you want to be seen because people can see through a fake. Instead, use a leadership report from a qualified job fit assessment to clarify traits that are strengths and how those same strengths can also be considered weaknesses. For example, a sales manager who loves meeting people may have poor listening skills.

Knowing yourself is critical to developing the real skills required to be a great boss/leader.

Hire an Executive Coach. Ninety-nine percent of good-to-great bosses/leaders have an executive coach. The right coach provides a sounding board and someone to guide you through sticky situations and political factions at work.

Complete What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? Use this exercise when you are experiencing a project or team failure. Or, as a way to complete the day/week/month. Don’t forget to include the human side of your job and projects, too.

Stay focused on your strengths and what matters most in building your company, employees, and customers.

Get Frequent Feedback. Use an objective 360-degree feedback assessment — using formal ones provide needed confidentiality and compare you with the working population. Too often, internally developed feedback assessments nitpick at things that don’t matter and reflect the opinions of a few employees. It doesn’t mean you overlook these types of concerns. However, the results from the formal assessment provide objective insight that is needed before having conversations individually with team members and making any adjustments to your leadership style.

Network to Stay in Touch. Reach out on a consistent basis to a select few leaders to talk through company or industry issues.

Develop People Leadership Skills. This is key to being a great leader! While you may have charisma or technical/financial skills, you may lack good interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills. Take workshops every year to develop your emotional intelligence, communication, diversity awareness, and team development skills.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: You can become the leader you’ve always wanted to be and visualize yourself to be. First, you need to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses, then do the work to improve on your strengths on a consistent daily basis. Need guidance on developing your leadership from good to great? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Is Your Team Not Hitting the Results Required?

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“Teamwork requires working together to achieve better results while not ignoring issues.” Jeannette Seibly

While only 10 percent of teams produce the intended results, it doesn’t mean you, and your team needs to be in the 90 percent range!

As an effective boss/leader, you must be able to diagnose team issues and communicate the changes effectively as soon as possible. Allowing problems to linger, or ignoring or denying them will sabotage your results now and in the future.

Secrets to Achieving the Required Results

Ensure the Goal is a Real One. Goals should be ten words or less! If it is longer, the true goal may be camouflaged in vocabulary and sabotaging actions. Shorten the goal to be crystal clear and flat as a pancake without add-ons. Now, review the milestones and actions being taken. Do they support fulfilling the goal?

Manage People for Results, Not Their Personalities. The foundation for successful results is bring the right people onto the team by using objective job fit data and assessments. If they later decide to leave, let them. Focusing on the work that needs to be done and the best people willing to make it happen is critical. Manage team conflict and different personalities to ensure everyone’s opinions are heard, and everyone is valued. Do not allow name-calling or blaming — since those actions are not easily forgotten nor forgiven.

Complete What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? When done correctly, this exercise will provide insights into progress made and what stopped the team/project from moving forward. Have everyone complete this exercise individually since collectively are less likely to skim over critical details that initially seemed meaningless. Now, review all the results together as a team.

Address Miscalculations, Bad Data, or Other Critical Thinking Issues. Ask one or two experts from outside the team for input when this happens. It doesn’t mean you do it the way they recommend, but it does require incorporating their insights appropriately.

Brainstorm. Focus on the top three issues. Address one problem at a time while knowing one can impact other concerns and current non-issues. For example, reworking the budget can impact money already spent. Ask open-ended questions and ensure complete work is being done.

Go Round Robin. Encourage everyone to speak. While this may seem like it takes longer to resolve the issue, it doesn’t. If someone withholds information (e.g., not being asked for their opinion), the person may end up withholding important information delaying a resolution later in the process.

Alignment Not Consensus. Waiting to reach a consensus will limit the speed of moving forward since factions have agendas. Doing complete work upfront makes decision-making easier. Address everyone’s issues and aim for alignment (for the details click the link).

Inspect Results. By reviewing the numbers, did you achieve the intended outcome?  What is the impact on others and their thoughts? Address further actions to be taken. Don’t forget to acknowledge each and every team member for their work.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette:  Only 10 percent of teams achieve intended results. How do you intervene when your team is failing to achieve the target? Communication is one of the keys to improving results! Need guidance in transforming your team efforts? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are You Doing Complete Work?

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“What we say we will do and actually do matters!” Jeannette Seibly

One of the most difficult challenges for bosses/leaders today is ensuring they’re doing what they say and doing “complete” work.

What does “doing complete work” mean?

  • Taking action to research and present all data needed to approve new ideas or solutions.
  • Providing all necessary information for bosses, employees, and customers to make good, well-informed decisions.
  • Completing duties to the highest standards.

Due to busyness, fear, lack of motivation, or poor communication skills, many bosses/leaders today fail to ensure they and their teams are doing complete work. When shortcuts are taken, quality and customer and job satisfaction are negatively impacted, and challenge the bottom line.

Do you …

  • Ignore resolving team conflicts by agreeing there is an issue/conflict but fail to resolve it?
  • Have great policies but fail to enforce them?
  • Have well-designed systems but fail to coach, train, and manage others to use them effectively?
  • Complete part of the job and hope others will “clean up” after you?
  • Wait to feel motivated to do the complete work – and then, just keep on waiting?
  • Fail to focus (e.g., mind wandering) or allow yourself to multi-task?

It’s essential to be the type of boss/leader who gets the job done by doing complete work.

How to Do Complete Work

Hire for Job Fit. Use objective job fit data to select, coach, and manage team members for better results. Many surveys show that outcomes can be spectacular when people fit their job responsibilities and are given opportunities to learn and grow. The outcome … retention, revenues, and results increase!

Communicate Clearly. It starts with you providing transparent and effective communication. Be clear about expectations and goals, and provide the training required to achieve them. Remember, word choice matters. Be open to hearing honest communication from your employees.

Delegate and Empower. Believing in yourself and your team members is critical. Giving them opportunities to excel and expand their skills makes for a positive work experience. It shows up in the quality of the work completed and their willingness to admit mistakes, be coachable, and enjoy learning.

Provide Resources. Ensure you’re providing appropriate tools and training — it makes a visible difference.

Share Feedback in Real Time. Don’t wait until performance appraisal time since waiting allows minor incidents to expand into upsets and conflicts. Use the direct or sandwich approach to share feedback, which must occur now to make a positive difference.

Monitor Results. Without micromanaging, use digital tracking to ensure tasks are on track. Make the scoreboard available for all to see. Check for progress daily or weekly so there are no surprises or issues occurring that can sabotage results. Remind teams frequently about the purpose of the project or job and the value they provide.

Be Accountable. Accountability starts with you! It means taking responsibility for showing up, asking for help, and accomplishing the results you said you’d produce. Hire an executive coach to discover your blind spots that get in the way. For example, overcoming the fear of talking to team members about mistakes without being heard as critical. Don’t forget to face head-on the obstacles that get in the way (e.g., factions, silos, difficult team members, etc.).

Encourage a Culture of Excellence. This isn’t about perfectionism. It’s about doing quality work that elicits favorable responses from others. Don’t forget to reward and acknowledge each and every person for their efforts – it encourages more of the same complete work.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette:  What does doing complete work mean? Many bosses/leaders today are incredibly busy. They do just enough to get by and hope someone else will take care of the rest. The problem? Failure to do complete work impacts everyone!  Want to better understand this required work practice? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are You the Leader You Want to Be?

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“Are you the leader you want to be? Or are you hoping someday things will change so you can be?” Jeannette Seibly

Some of you would say, “Yes!” While others would say, “I’m working on it.”

The next question is, “Are you making the right moves and building on these skills? Or are you allowing distractions to take precedence in developing your management and leadership skills?” (Hint: These are also known as excuses.)

Yes, I know. Everyone is busy. But being busy and developing your skills go hand-in-hand. They happen simultaneously, not independently of one another. (Yes, read that again.)

Your Keys to Your Leadership Success

Know Thyself. Not from “how you want to be seen,” but from “who you really are.” Authenticity makes a big difference in being an influencer, results producer, and great leader. Addressing leadership blind spots is critical. Use a qualified job fit assessment that provides objective clarity, insights, and leadership coaching for best results.

Be Aware of Your Impact on Others. All leaders impact others and influence their job satisfaction. Ask yourself, “Is it positive? Inspiring? Do others wish to be included on my teams?” If not, it’s time to address what is getting in the way now (e.g., failure to develop others, resolve team conflict, address factions, improve poor quality).

Practice Great Communication Skills. Your most significant impact on others is your ability to listen, talk, and write meaningfully. While you may believe you are a great communicator, your employees, business associates, boss, board, and clients may disagree. Get into their world or listen from their perspective to better understand this invaluable skill. Also, keep improving on it! Use a 360-degree feedback assessment to get to the truth.

Have an Executive Coach. Do-it-yourself leadership development usually fails to produce the required results. Why? Your leadership blind spots will always sabotage you without objective review. All great leaders have an executive coach. They also have an industry mentor. Make sure the people you’ve selected are helping you grow and do not simply agree with your perspective when addressing sticky situations or political workplace relationships.

Develop Resilience, Flexibility, and EI. All of these traits become good or bad habits. If you make a mistake or experience a failure, do you have the flexibility to shake it off and use your emotional intelligence (EI) to move forward? Languishing in the hurt or upset is not a good leadership trait. (Hint: We all experience frustrations – how well you recognize them and move forward builds your leadership savvy.)

Grow Retention, Revenues, and Results. Yes, all three are critical indicators of your success as a leader, regardless of why you’ve not achieved one or more of them. How you hire, coach, and manage makes a profound difference in the quality of your team, their responsiveness to challenges, and their ability to deliver on time and within budget in a quality manner!

Practice Self Care! Taking care of your mental, physical, and spiritual health is essential to being the leader you want to be. Set up a consistent schedule to keep you healthy.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Here are great questions to ask yourself: Am I being the leader I want to be? Am I inspiring and developing others? Do others want to be included on my team? It’s time to address your skills and blind spots to become the leader you know you can be. Contact me for help in becoming a great leader that makes a positive impact.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Want to Accelerate Career Options? Make a Lateral Move

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“Want to accelerate your career options? Prepare for and make a lateral move within your company.” Jeannette Seibly

I remember talking with a woman who had been unemployed for a while. When I suggested she ‘stretch’ from finance into operations by making a lateral move, she looked at me like I’d grown another head.

“Oh no! I’m very committed to staying in my profession.” She exclaimed.

I replied, “It doesn’t mean you will not return to finance. However, gaining operational experience in running a department or team can greatly boost your business acumen. Lateral moves can provide you a diverse skill set, increased visibility, and credibility as a future leader.”

What are lateral career moves? (Indeed)

  • Switching to a job at the same level and similar pay within the same company or between different employers.
  • Typically involves different duties or responsibilities.
  • May not result in a significant increase in salary or title.
  • Can be beneficial for learning new skills or securing your future.
  • Not recommended if you make too many of them or face a career setback.

Making a lateral move doesn’t mean you were not qualified in your current profession or previous position. A “stretch position” can accelerate your career growth and options because it provides broader exposure to business challenges, making you a better boss/leader, decision-making, and business professional.

How to Prepare for a Lateral Move

Job Fit Assessment. Be clear about your strengths and weaknesses before making a job transition. Use an objective job fit assessment that provides a “job fit pattern” for the lateral position. This helps you (and your new boss) understand where to focus when coaching and managing you for success.

Get Your Brag On! Complete the five easy steps outlined in the book for the results you’ve already achieved. Sharing these during networking meetings and interviews for the lateral position will make a difference. Remember, there will be “cross-over” skills, and you must emphasize them (e.g., communication, finance, technology) since you will not have the job titles, professional experiences, and job responsibilities they normally seek.

Networking Works. Do your homework — go out for coffee or lunch, or Zoom with several people already working in the profession. What do they enjoy about it? What are the challenges? How can you, with your current experiences, make a difference? Use open-ended questions to learn more.

Prepare for the Interview. You will be ready for the interview after following the first three recommendations above. Be sure to conduct your due diligence during all interviews for the lateral position about expectations, goals, and any challenges in the position. It is important to address any reluctance of the company, team, or hiring boss upfront without being defensive.

Key for Success: Learn the basics, listen more than talk, and have a positive can-do attitude. Hire an executive coach to discuss the inevitable sticky situations and political work relationships. Also, take the time now to develop essential leadership skills in emotional intelligence, communication, critical thinking, and project management. These are valued “cross-over skills” in any position.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Have you considered making a lateral move? If you’re bored, unemployed, or looking to expand your business growth, using a “stretch position” is a great way to accelerate your career options. Always start with a job fit assessment to ensure you’re clear about your strengths and weaknesses in the new position. Contact me for additional coaching recommendations to ensure a smooth job transition!

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are you using your talents and abilities effectively? Many of us are not! Click Here for a Free Download on how to use your talents and enjoy a rewarding career!

Remove Limitations Sabotaging Your Goals

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“We are only limited by our beliefs about ourselves.” Jeannette Seibly

Our career and life goals are often limited due to perceived limitations. It could be the perception of not having enough of the right education, money, options, and support from friends and family. Yet, many successful people overcome these limitations and find resources and support to move forward.

Limiting perceptions include:

  1. It’s my bosses fault I’m unhappy in my job. The truth is, developing a can-do attitude and ability to work with your current boss provides you the skills required for the next job.
  2. There is no point in speaking up about the poor team results – they don’t care. Good bosses/leaders don’t fall victim to mediocrity and poor team progress. They work with and through their teams to overcome challenges and achieve intended results.
  3. Being your own boss is the only and easiest way to be happy and successful in your career. The truth is, working in a job that fits you is the key to job satisfaction.

What gets in your way of removing your limitations? It could be your inner voice, the people you interact with and hang out with, social media, and the unwillingness to step outside your comfort zone. Removing limitations requires courage, confidence, and commitment, as well as gaining the experience, education, and reality necessary to succeed!

What’s the first step? The good news is you’ve already achieved success in the past. Take the time to become aware of your accomplishments and wins by doing the five steps in “It’s Time to Brag!” This is a foundation to removing limitations and overcoming those beliefs that limit us.

How can you develop the beliefs needed to achieve your intended results?

Expand your perceptions of what is possible. Many programs, books, and coaching programs are designed to help you expand. Your job is to enroll, attend, and participate fully. Then, hire an executive coach to help you gain “muscle” using these new skills. Remember to focus on the project, not your limitations.

Use a structure to guide you forward. Being committed to achieving results requires a structure to fulfill that goal. Otherwise, your goal becomes a someday; one day, it may happen when XYZ changes. Relying on hope instead of your traits and abilities limits you! Develop integrity and discipline to keep focused when distractions occur – because they will!

Put together the right team. Hire based on job fit, can-do attitude, and coachability. (Grab the book Hire Amazing Employees for practical interview questions and instructions on how to use the right tools.) Now, learn how to manage and coach your team forward for success. Caution: While friends and family may tell you they want to be part of your team, the reality of their ability to work with you can often get in the way.

Be coachable, curious, and ask open-ended questions. Learn the basics, create a strong foundation, and build your project, goal, and dream brick-by-brick; what you can achieve when you’re willing to do the work is amazing.

Celebrate! Smile, accept the applause, and create your next success. Don’t forget to update your brags along the way – they will support you in winning your next goal and dream!

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Winning today and achieving the successes you want in your life and career starts with removing limiting beliefs that sabotage your goals. They will pop up and can be a devastating deterrent if you don’t move them out of the way! Need support to achieve that long-time goal, dream, or project? Contact me!

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are you using your talents and abilities effectively? Many of us are not! Click Here for a Free Download on how to use your talents and enjoy a rewarding career!

It’s Essential to Learn How to Coach Your Employees and Teams

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“Learning and using effective coaching skills improves team results.” Jeannette Seibly

Today, more than ever, coaching is an essential skill for bosses and leaders.

Why? The effectiveness of coaching is reflected in employee and customer retention, employee job satisfaction, and team results.

The challenge? Many bosses/leaders don’t understand what coaching is or how to do it. Or, they’ve tried it, and it didn’t work, leaving employees and teams deflated.

The good news is that bosses and leaders can become good coaches. But like any new skill, it takes consistent practice to improve and become effective.

How to Improve Your Ability to Coach Effectively

First, Let’s Define Coaching. Coaching is not telling employees what to do. That is what supervisors or managers do. Coaching involves guiding, empowering, and helping each employee and team grow by listening, making suggestions for improvements, and allowing the employee and team to stretch – which sometimes means they’ll make mistakes and experience failures.

Let’s Get Started

Create a Learning Environment. When learning, employees increase their natural curiosity and innovative spirits. Ensure you invest in each employee and team and work with them to use the new skills effectively.

Be Specific in Your Praise. Celebrate individual achievements, successes, and wins with specific acknowledgment. Learning how to brag appropriately is also important to build confidence.

Build a Win-Win-Win Decision-Making Model. Involve your team in decision-making processes to build trust and ownership. Remember, this involves true brainstorming, resolving team conflict, and encouraging respectful conversations — each person speaks up and feels comfortable doing so.

Learn from Failure. Everyone has an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and failures – in fact, it’s the best way to learn. This is not the time for “I told you so’s” or other disparaging comments. Instead, use the “What Worked/What Didn’t Work?” and review with the employee or team. Focus on lessons learned and what’s next.

Leverage Strengths. Identify and capitalize on each team member’s strengths using an objective job fit assessment. These objective insights help you, your employees, and your team members grow and develop. With the information provided, you will be able to provide laser-like coaching rather than the hated trial-and-error process which leaves employees disempowered.

Practice Emotional Awareness. Understand and manage your own emotions and those of your team. Use compassion, respect, and a sandwich approach when offering feedback to your team members without being critical or condescending.

Listen. Listen actively and ask open-ended questions. Sometimes, all you need to do is listen and facilitate the conversation. By being a sounding board, it allows the team member to work out the solution and have the confidence to implement it. Don’t forget to ask “By When” it will be done and mark it on your calendar. (An important coaching strategy.)

It’s critical to remember that developing practical coaching skills is an ongoing process and not a one-time event. Don’t forget to hire your own executive coach to guide you through those sticky situations and political working relationships. This helps you coach others!

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Today’s bosses and leaders must become effective coaches. Coaching is not the same as managing and telling people what to do. Do you need help developing an effective coaching style as a boss/leader without defaulting to the hated trial-and-error approach? Contact me!

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are you using your talents and abilities effectively? Many of us are not! Click Here for a Free Download on how to use your talents and enjoy a rewarding career!

What Are You Investing In? Probably Not Your Talent

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“What you focus on expands, and so do your results!” Jeannette Seibly

Many bosses/leaders have a budget and are looking at the next technology, sales system, or AI they can buy to build their company’s success and attract and keep customers. Sadly, they fail to provide the dollars required to train and develop their most important asset: their employees. They forget that team members are the main reason customers stay or leave.

Investing in your talent impacts your company’s results when:

  • People are promoted to jobs without the necessary training and coaching for success
  • Employees do not receive the proper training to support your client’s needs
  • It becomes challenging to job transfer employees due to a lack of upskilling

Studies have shown that training and development improves morale and retention, attracts top talent, boosts individual and team performance, and keeps customers from straying to your competition.

Many employees today value training and development. Remember, while many technical skills need continuous upskilling, don’t overlook the essential skills of communication, critical thinking, and ethics (to name a few).

Develop the Team Members and Achieve Amazing Results

Job Fit. It starts with hiring and knowing their strengths and weaknesses based on objective data. Hiring the right person for the wrong job equals poor job fit. And no amount of training and development will make them a superstar. Poor job fit can be very costly. If that is not enough to get your attention, studies have shown it can cost over $300K per person when you hire someone who is not a good fit.

Career Pathing. Not all employees are alike! Their career path should reflect the skills required for the success of their job and accomplishing their long-term goals. This makes it easier to upskill and focus on needed training to prepare for job promotions and job transfer. Example: One top employee wanted to return to his hometown in a different state. The company paid for the transfer. However, the employee could not operate independently without the structure of the office environment. Within a year, the employee left to work for a competitor.

Personalize. Similar to the Career Pathing above, not all team members need the same training. Listening would be a better skill to develop for someone fearless in speaking up than focusing on learning how to talk in meetings. Use a qualified job-fit assessment to provide objective insights and clarify areas that must be designed to improve effectiveness.

Leadership and Management Development. Even though many employees today say they have no interest in being a boss or leader, the truth is they don’t have the training and are not given the opportunities to showcase these skills. While they may not want the job title or responsibilities, the training can be priceless in supporting them to lead teams, manage projects, and improve personal job satisfaction.

Critical Interpersonal Skills Are Crucial. Communication, critical thinking, and ethics training (to name a few) are crucial skills needed today more than ever. It requires ALL employees to develop them ongoingly. Remember, these skills can be used everywhere with anyone at any time in their lives.

Use a Mix of Training Delivery. Use podcasts, face-to-face workshops, virtual training, etc. Remember, not all people learn the same way. Ensure the trainer or presenter uses a mix of media, games, and other engaging ways to help facilitate everyone getting value.

Appreciate Progress. All bosses/leaders must acknowledge each employee and their teams for steps taken and growth observed — what you appreciate strengthens the person’s confidence and competence in using their new skills. When a skill is not used appropriately, fine-tune it with spot-on coaching to steer the employee and team forward.

Hire an Executive Coach. Everyone, especially bosses/leaders, must have an external executive coach and an internal mentor. The executive coach can provide objective insights and confidentially address issues while steering you through sticky situations and political working relationships. An internal mentor can guide your ability to work with people through industry, professional, and company silos, factions, and other political elephants.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Are you adequately investing in your employees and teams? Many will spend more time and money on technology and overlook their people’s critical development. Need help fine-tuning your training and development efforts? Contact me!

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Are you using your talents and abilities effectively? Many of us are not! Click Here for a Free Download on how to use your talents and enjoy a rewarding career!