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Entrepreneurial Leaders Who Believe They Know Everything Will Fail

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“There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.” Donald Rumsfeld

A CEO shared ideas with an executive team member on how to achieve better results with her team. Instead of listening and learning, she replied, “I already know that.” OR “I’m already doing that.” In other words, she was not willing to admit what she was doing wasn’t working! She believed her past successes would somehow resolve the current issues. But, when she was unable to improve her results, six months later she left. Her parting comment was, “I don’t know what I could have done differently or better.”

Clearly, there were things she didn’t know that she didn’t know.

Many entrepreneurial leaders believe it’s important for young leaders to be open to learning new things. The truth is, it’s important for ALL leaders! Even long-time leaders don’t know everything!

The #1 challenge that gets in our way is our egos! Especially those with long-time experiences in a profession or industry. We stop being open and learning from others and believe we know everything! Or, we fear being thought of as incompetent by hiring a coach, even though, most leaders have coaches! As a result, failure is right around the corner for those leaders who believe they know it all!

Remember, knowing something doesn’t mean you have the skills to perform at the level required.

5 Tips to Expand Your Ability to Learn

  1. Listen to Learn. Building a confident team that produces consistent and intended results starts here! As an effective entrepreneurial leader, listening is a two-way street. You need to listen to your team, just as they need to listen to you! Provide persuasive listening training and attend as a participant!
  2. Practice is Required for Mastery. A new leader had done two board room presentations with his boss. He believed he now had the skills to go solo and would hit his goal for a promotion. When his boss recommended he take a workshop to learn the fundamentals, he declined. “I have it handled and don’t have time,” he replied. But, during the next two presentations, he failed to keep the board members engaged and answer questions truthfully. Instead of a promotion, he was sidelined. Effective practice depends on the quality of the practice. As every martial arts person will tell you, the right practice is required daily, over and over, even as a master. It starts with learning the basics, practicing them, then, expanding on them.
  3. Pay Attention to Job Fit. Many leaders fail to get real about their strengths and weaknesses and that of their team members! They believe anyone can do anything well. This arrogance results in miscommunication, missed deadlines, and customers leaving! Take the time to get clear about “why” you and your team members are successful…and, why they are not! Now, use this objective information to build a solid foundation for your business, teams, and customers to succeed.
  4. Learn How to Be An Effective Coach. When your team does not follow your advice, you will label them as not being coachable. Your attitude will get in the way of expanding your skills to become an effective entrepreneurial leader and coach. 

Questions to ask yourself and review with your coach:

  • Have you asked them about actions already taken?
  • Have you been clear that their performance isn’t hitting the goal?
  • Are you clear about your expectations? Are they realistic? Have you used straight talk when explaining them?
  • Are you using a “Rule of 3” to deep dive into their responses by having a two-way conversation, not an interrogation?

Note: To be an effective coach, you, yourself, must be coachable.

  • Who is your coach?
  • How often do you talk?
  • What stops you from listening when your coach shares knowledge you don’t like or disagree with?
  1. Critical Thinking. Remember, not all ideas will provide a positive ROI! Get real by deep diving into a topic and understanding the pros and cons. This requires reading more than the headlines on social media posts. Also, it requires you to talk it out with several industries and/or company contacts to get the inside scoop. The most important questions to ask, “Why did it work there? What are the challenges for it to work here?” Once you set aside your belief that you know how it should work, you can build on the structure you already have in place with your team.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results CoachJeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding entrepreneurial leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A note from Jeannette about know-it-all leaders. As an entrepreneurial leader, success requires being open to new ideas, systems, and people. When you are willing to set aside your beliefs that you know how it should work, you can achieve dynamic results. When you hit a wall (and you will), reach out. It can mean the difference between success and so-so results! Contact me for a confidential conversation.

How Do You Build a Confident Team?

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“Your team’s success depends on you building their confidence.” Jeannette Seibly

Building a team that is confident and focused on achieving intended results takes time, energy, and awareness. As the leader, it’s one of your key job responsibilities. And, when you pay attention, the results can be fabulous!

The challenge is when you have team members concerned by what others think, fearful of asking for feedback, and are not coachable. That is the time for you to zero in, build their confidence, and help them succeed. If you don’t, it will diminish their (and your) results.

7 Tips to Build a Confident Team

  1. Patience is a Virtue. When a team member is too concerned about others’ opinions, it can be frustrating. Be patient and take time to listen to their concerns. The problem could be they don’t see the value of the goal or they don’t feel comfortable with the process of getting there. Partner the person with a team member to review the written timeline, milestones, and goals. Also, have them create a graph and/or talk through different scenarios. This helps the team member gain confidence, alleviate his/her concerns, and get on the same page with the team.
  2. Everyone Make Mistakes. When you have team members that fear making mistakes, it will often bring out their insecurities. Use the three-step process and debrief: “What Worked?” “What Didn’t Work?” “What Would You Like to be Acknowledged For?” Beware of the same mistake being made over and over because that indicates additional training is required.
  3. Use a Qualified Assessment. These help team members value and become aware of different thinking styles, core behaviors, and occupational interests. Using the right assessment shows natural differences and builds confidence.
  4. Believe Your Team Members Can Develop Solutions. When your team hits a wall (and they will) or has an overwhelming problem, first(!) clarify the true problem. This will require straight talk and listening. Then, brainstorm the solution. Do not interject your ideas until after each team member has shared. If you do, you risk shutting down your team and diminishing their confidence.
  5. Provide 1:1 Constructive Feedback. Many times, when team members are feeling insecure, they can be defensive. When this occurs, within 48 hours provide 1:1 feedback. For example, “During our weekly team meeting, you ignored a team member’s idea to resolve your issue. This resulted in you losing feedback that would have moved the project forward. Plus, you diminished the other’s confidence in you to create a solution.”
  6. Acknowledge Each and Every Person. When acknowledging team members, take the time to be specific and generous. Remember, whatever you acknowledge them for, it builds confidence and encourages more of the same great behaviors and attitudes!
  7. When Nothing Is Working. Since you’ve already made changes without success, you need objective input! Work with your executive coach to determine changes required. Otherwise, you’ll continue hurting your team’s confidence and their ability to achieve intended results.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding entrepreneurial leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A note from Jeannette about building a confident team. As a leader, one of your key job responsibilities is building a confident team. A confident team achieves intended results. If you’ve hit a wall with your team’s confidence or your own confidence needs a boost, contact me for a confidential conversation now before mischief shows up.

Are You Using Your Interview Time Effectively?

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

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

How do you…

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

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

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

How to Create Good Interview Questions to Attract Top Talent

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

Ask and brainstorm:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results CoachJeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. These types of results start with hiring the right person the first time! Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Do You Bring Your A-Game to Work Each Day?

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“It’s fun to experience your A-Game at work…but it’s up to you to bring it with you each day!” Jeannette Seibly

Your A-Game occurs when you are playing like a top-performing leader. This means you are working well with people, focused on the right business challenges, and bringing resources to your team. And, getting the results you want. It’s a great feeling. At the end of the day, you want to do it again!

But top performance doesn’t happen by accident. It takes doing the right things the right way…and starts by being present and aware.

How to Experience A-Game Days

  1. Self-Care Is Critical. Taking care of yourself is important. It’s difficult to operate at top performance while denying your health and well-being. Hire a coach if your normal days seem like B-type days.
  2. Resolve Conflict Instead of Hoping It’ll Go Away. Team conflict doesn’t mean you’re off-track. It means you need to address the core issue(s) you’ve been ignoring. This will make the difference between achieving dynamic results or experiencing costly hit-or-miss results.
  3. Delegate to Your Team and BELIEVE They Will Come Up with the Answers. Your belief and trust in others will make projects easier to accomplish. (Or, more difficult if you’re micromanaging.) Remember, your team can take the initiative, be resourceful, and wants to be trained. A-Game leaders value the learning process and lead by example.
  4. Brainstorm Solutions and Then Get Out of the Way. Lack of true brainstorming is a key reason teams fail! Trust the process of brainstorming and don’t latch on to the first and easiest answer. Now, get out of the way and allow your team to explore these new options.
  5. Keep Your Eye on the End Results While Managing the Process. There will be times you will go off-track and into the weeds! It’s important to objectively ask and answer whether or not the current actions will lead you to the desired results. Watch out for busywork that occurs when a team member doesn’t have the skills or interest in using these skills to get the job done. Now, manage the process to stay on track. Remember, don’t manage your team members’ personalities, manage their actions.
  6. Dial-Down Your Ego. Being humble every day is important when bragging about your successes! It also builds trust from your team.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results CoachJeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A note from Jeannette about bringing your A-Game to work each day. Your A-Game occurs when you are operating at top performance levels. But those levels don’t happen by accident. They require you to consistently do the right things the right way…and that starts with you being present and aware. If you find that many of your days are B-, contact me to understand how to reach A-Game levels consistently!

Are you frustrated that your team loves conflict and chaos more than achieving intended results? Discover how to step up and work through these saboteurs now, before it’s too late!

Have You Uncovered Your New Leadership Blind Spots?

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“Uncovering new blind spots occurs daily during this new normal.” Jeannette Seibly

Due to “new normal” changes, your leadership blind spots have changed too! Now is the time to uncover them. If you don’t, it will cost you and your team business results, job satisfaction, and career advancement.

What Are Blind Spots?

Leadership blind spots are the specific areas where a leader…even a very successful leader…is missing something. A blind spot can be a lack of attention to a certain area or a part of your skillset that never really developed. All leaders have blind spots. Exceptional Leader’s Lab

Self-analysis is of little value. By definition, it’s impossible to know what your blind spots are and how they impact others.

Common Leadership Blind Spots to Get You Thinking

Research by Dale Carnegie revealed that many leaders have blind spots around:

  • Showing appreciation
  • Admitting when they’re wrong
  • Truly listening
  • Honesty with self and others

Other blind spots include (just to name a few):

  • Believing you have all the answers
  • Allowing team conflict to be the norm
  • Treating your commitments casually
  • Failing to understand the difference between virtual and on-site meetings

6 Tips on How to See These Blind Spots and Become Effective

Use assessments and 360-degree feedback to discover your inherent strengths and weaknesses. There are three types of assessments: 1) assessments that reflect how you want to be seen, 2) assessments to show who you truly are, and 3) assessments that share how others see you. All three provide you with 20/20 insights. But, now, the real work begins. Review your results with a qualified executive coach. Then, create a plan (e.g., workshops, videos, weekly coaching calls, etc.) to develop these new skills during this new normal.

Hire an executive coach and DO THE WORK. Hiring the right executive coach to guide you through this discovery process is priceless. It eliminates the normal trial and error that otherwise occurs. Hire one that supports you to be in action. Stay away from conceptual discussions since these will not improve your leadership effectiveness or your results.

Engage with an industry or company mentor. The right mentor is an invaluable source of information. His/her knowledge about your industry and company can guide you through complex situations and sticky political relationships.

Listen to your team’s feedback. Your team wants you to succeed. And, while you may believe you want to hear feedback from your team, many of you would rather not. For valid feedback, use a qualified 360-feedback assessment. This will encourage team members to be honest when sharing their insights and feel comfortable doing so.

Dial up your humbleness. Take part in emotional intelligence workshops and learn how to tame your ego! It’s the biggest challenge for many leaders and where most blind spots live. Create awareness of your impact on others. And, hire a coach to guide you to create win-win-win outcomes, especially when your ego is the loudest!

Improve your all-important communication skills. Your ability to write, speak, and talk with others is crucial to your success. Improve these skills by recognizing your biases (and, yes, your blind spots). Take responsibility when talking with different people and focus on everyone getting on the same page.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2020-2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results CoachJeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

It’s awful to be the leader of a project that is full of conflict and saboteurs. What do you need to do to manage these before they end your career?

A Note from Jeannette about uncovering new leadership blind spots due to the “new normal.” There have been many business changes since the pandemic. These “new normal” changes also impact your leadership blind spots, since they have changed too! Now is the time to uncover them. If you don’t, it will cost you and your team business results, job satisfaction, and career advancement. Contact me for a confidential conversation.

I Want My New Career Opportunities Now…I’m Ready

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“Ambitious people believe they are career-ready for their next opportunity. Unfortunately, many lack the required set of skills to succeed.” Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders and ambitious business professionals want their new career opportunities right now. The challenge? Many times, they are not ready!

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with a college junior. He’s a go-getter. He’s in a hurry to graduate and get on with his career! This summer he has an internship, a part-time job, and is taking two classes.

I shared with him, “Slow down. Consider you’ll most likely have more than 7 careers in your lifetime. So, it’s important now to build a solid foundation of skills in each job and class. Take the time to learn and grow. Sometimes you don’t get a second chance when attracting great career opportunities.”  

This ambitious young man will go far as long as he’s able to curb his impatience and build a strong set of foundational skills as he moves forward in his career.

Many ambitious people leap too fast into new jobs and career opportunities. They’re not skill-ready.  And, they lack the awareness of what these skills are and are impatient while waiting to move up to the “next level.”

Consider for a moment people getting what they want before they are ready:

  • 70% of lottery winners end up broke (National Endowment for Financial Education)
  • 40% of executives fail within the first 18 months (Business2Community)
  • It’s typical to find the grass is not greener in the next job or career (Forbes)

It’s important to build a solid foundation of skills in each job and task now. This enables you to take those skills and enjoy the benefits of your success tomorrow.

Build a Solid Foundation of Skills Today to Prepare You for New Career Opportunities  

Get Real. Many times, you will create goals based on ideals (e.g., being a millionaire, having the title of boss or executive, leading larger projects, etc.). The problem is…and I’ve seen it happen too often in my 28 years of coaching…you’re not ready! You lack the skills required to succeed at the next level (e.g., build good working relationships, execute intended results, resolve team conflicts, etc.). Work with your coach to clarify your career direction and avoid latching on to “job titles,” “paychecks,” or other compensation as “the goal.” If you don’t have your own coach, get one!

Hire a Coach and Find a Mentor. Remember, you cannot snap your fingers and transform your skillsets. It takes time, practice, and more practice before you become a master. Instead of relying on the normal DIY approach and struggling through the inevitable trial-and-error, fast-track by hiring your own coach. Don’t rely on the company to do it for you. Also, find an industry or company mentor. Make sure both of these people can guide you through difficult relationships, projects, and company politics. Next, it’s up to you to be coachable.

Conduct an Honest Evaluation About Your Current Skills. All business leaders and ambitious professionals have blind spots. Use a qualified job fit tool and a 360-degree feedback assessment to uncover them. Armed with this info, work with your coach to develop the skills required for the next level of job responsibilities.

Persist by Doing the Work. There are no short-cuts. It’s easy to go off-track and avoid potential failures or after you’ve experienced failure. Work with your coach to clarify and develop a strategic career plan that works for you. Remember, the experiences of both success and failure make you a better fit for future jobs IF you take the time to build your skillsets now.

Thank, Brag, and Celebrate!

Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results Coach
Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results Coach

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021  All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

It’s awful to be the leader of a project that is full of conflict and saboteurs. What do you need to do to manage these before they end your career?

Note from Jeannette: I Want My New Career Opportunities Now…I’m Ready! How many of you have heard the motto “30 and out?” It’s when employees have worked in the same company, and often the same job, before retiring after 30 years! But this is no longer a career option. Most of you, when you retire, will have had more than 7 careers in your lifetime! The challenge? As ambitious professionals and leaders, you will probably jump into your next career opportunity too soon. You won’t be ready. This is why it is important to build a solid foundation of skills in each job along the way. If you’re struggling to determine your career direction, contact me for a confidential conversation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Key Places to Improve Your Selection Process

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

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

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

Leaders: Talk Straight for Teams to Trust You

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“Want better results? Want your team to trust you? Try straight talk.” Jeannette Seibly

The past year has been challenging for everyone everywhere. It’s been difficult to find out what is true and who is “blowing smoke.”  As leaders and team members, we must do our best to listen, hear, and talk straight. Straight talk gains the trust of our bosses, team members, and customers.

However, straight talk can be tricky if your workplace culture doesn’t support honesty. Many of us fear sharing the truth because we are afraid of the consequences. And, these fears can be very real!

But when you rely on “white lies” or spin the facts, you will suffer the consequences. And, so will your company. The truth will emerge in the future. When it does, your boss, customers, and team members will feel hurt, angry, and betrayed because you didn’t talk straight!

Years ago, I learned this the hard way. There was a controversy going on within my department. When the VP of a different department asked me what I knew, I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head. I lied by saying, “I don’t know.”

Later, when the truth came out, he said to me, “In the future, say, ‘you cannot talk about it.’ Otherwise, I won’t trust you.”

When leaders and team members talk straight by telling the truth, results can be amazing. It develops trust and allows team members to get unstuck. They can now share real problems and ideas while developing new and better solutions.

“When leaders and team members talk straight by telling the truth, results can be amazing.” Jeannette Seibly

4 Overlooked Ways to Speak in an Honest, Truthful Manner (aka Straight Talk)

Deliver or Receive Bad News with Respect. When leaders and teams only want to hear good news, competitors will steal their clients and top talent will leave!

How to do it:

  • Don’t shoot the messenger—Make it easy for others to tell you the truth.
  • Share bad news first by saying, “You’re not going to like what I’m going to say…” OR “I’m afraid you won’t like what I need to say.”
  • Share your fact-based message. Fine-tune it so it is meaningful to your boss and/or team and/or customer. For example, some leaders want to hear the financial issues and are not interested in employee morale. Pay attention to your audience.

Overcome Your Fears. Your fears can be real. But it is important to address concerns even if your boss, customers, and team won’t like it! Failure to share negative information can trigger bigger issues about safety, employment, or financial impacts (to name a few).

How to do it:

  • Stick to the facts and use metrics.
  • Conduct audits and update policies, practices, and tools to ensure compliance.
  • Use communication channels (e.g., intra-company, group training, etc.) to address “new normal” operating procedures.

Train for Straight Talk. Many teams and leaders don’t know how to talk straight. They talk around a point, wing it, or are evasive because they are afraid to tell the truth and/or don’t know the facts. This results in miscommunication, unclear directives, and poor ethical practices at every level in your organization. All of these are avoidable with straight talk.

How to do it:

Take Responsibility. Telling and/or hearing the truth can be challenging. Many companies have sacred elephants, are afraid to rock the boat, and have team members that are well-liked but fail to get the job done.  These are just a few of the reasons why only 10% of teams achieve intended results! Straight talk encourages you to tell the truth in a way that others can hear and listen to you.

How to do it:

  • State the facts and review them with your business advisor, CPA, or attorney before talking with decision-makers.
  • Document facts and the costs/benefits of solutions.
  • Share this information with your boss or board in a way they can hear it, and continue the conversation until it’s resolved.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2017-2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Do you fear telling team members the truth because it’ll create conflict? You’re not alone. Learn 3 keys on how to talk through team conflict now. “7 Reasons Why Teams Don’t Resolve Conflict” 

A Note about Leaders: Talk Straight for Teams to Trust You from Jeannette. Talking straight can be difficult because people fear the truth. They don’t want to hear anything negative. They accept mediocrity and make excuses believing they did the best they could.  But for leaders everywhere, it’s pay now or pay later because the truth will come out. Need help to feel comfortable talking straight and telling the truth? Contact me to start a confidential conversation. It could save your career and your business.

How to Make It Easy to Create Viable Solutions

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“Win-win-win solutions means: you win, I win, and others impacted win too!” Jeannette Seibly

Many of us are struggling today to create viable solutions during this new normal. The challenge is we don’t have a crystal ball to foresee new options. As a result, we default to the same old ways because it seems easier and faster. But problems will arise when outdated solutions get in the way of real results because we missed important details.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to work with and through your team for solutions. The process builds confidence and trust in each other, while creating new momentum for better solutions. So, stop relying on your own counsel and set aside the excuse that it takes too much time to ask for others’ input! Listen now or pay later!

“Listen now or pay later!” Jeannette Seibly

6 Ways to Create Win-Win-Win Solutions

  1. Identify the real issue. How many times have you created solutions only to learn it wasn’t the real issue? This occurs when team members are afraid to tell the truth. They fear the consequences of speaking up and being judged. Company politics also squelches getting real. To overcome these barriers, deep dive by asking good open-ended questions. Be willing to listen to what you don’t want to hear (e.g., poor team performance, bad system design, lack of training, etc.). Armed with the truth, you and your team can now create win-win-win solutions.
  2. Accept potential solutions that are not your own. How many times have you stopped listening to ideas that were not your own? Yes, this happens more often than you think! This bad habit limits your teams from offering new possibilities. Be open, listen, and be curious! Create three viable options (Rule of 3) before determining which one to pursue first.
  3. Encourage each team member to share. Inclusion is key. Ask each and every team member for their input. Go around the table, whether it’s virtual or on-site. Then, do it again. Write everything down so all team members can see the information during the meeting.
  4. Value contributions. Don’t judge! While you may argue some ideas are nonsense, be patient and trust the process. Some ideas will be off-the-wall, some ideas may be before their time, and others will be the same old ones. But these will spark solutions if you value each person’s ideas! The process also creates energy and momentum for moving forward.
  5. Use critical thinking before aligning on the final solution. Conduct due diligence to uncover any legal, financial, or other limitations that will impact your chosen solution. This requires you and your team to deep dive behind the internet headlines. Remember, while the solution may have worked for your competition or in your best friend’s company, it does NOT mean it will be appropriate for you and your business. That’s why you use the “Rule of 3.” When you don’t become emotionally attached to only one solution, you are less likely to overlook critical key points.
  6. Manage the bumps and distractions along the way. Team conflict, new budget constraints, or new legal concerns (to name a few) can derail any solution. Don’t let it stop you or get you stuck! Talk with your coach to work through the challenges and learn from them. It’s your role to manage these roadblocks along the way and create win-win-win solutions.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Discover why team upsets and frustrations cannot be ignored. No! Waiting it out won’t solve it!

A Note about Creating Viable Solutions from Jeannette. Too often we review the tactics we’ve used in the past to create solutions for today. The problem is, relying on the same old ways of doing business during the new normal will derail results. “Listen now or pay later!” Take the time to create new viable solutions. It doesn’t need to be time-consuming or difficult! Review this week’s 6 Tips to keep you moving forward! If you get stuck, contact me to start a confidential conversation.

Are Your Mental Abilities Feeling Foggy?

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“A new challenge emerging from the pandemic is not recognizing people, things, and situations as we remember them.” Jeannette Seibly

A couple of weeks ago I called a consultant who does HR work. We’d talked off and on for the past 18 months about using assessments. He had several clients that needed to resolve management issues. In the meantime, he had introduced me to a new client needing to hire someone. The last time we talked was in December 2020. I called him a couple of weeks ago to follow-up. He told me, “I don’t know who you are, and I remember faces.”  

Whoa! What a surprise. He was sure we’d never spoken with each other before. I painted a picture of our call in December. His response was, “I receive 116 emails daily.” So, I sent an email for a Zoom meeting, but doubt I will hear back from him.

You are not alone if you have had a similar experience. If you’re in sales, business development,  management consulting, or leading virtual teams, you are more likely to face this new challenge for remembering people, completing normal tasks, and recalling specific points during a conversation. Many find they are “not functioning with normal mental quickness or struggling to find the right word.” (Why Your Brain Feels Broken, NYTimes Parenting)

Also, there are the memory challenges experienced by people who are COVID long-haulers, working baby boomers, and people multi-tasking instead of listening. Additionally, mental health challenges (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress), can lead to false memories too. (PsychologyToday.com)

As you physically go into offices and business meetings, you must interact with people as they are today, not as you remember them from over a year ago! People change. These changes will impact conversations and situations since perspectives have changed too.

Some of you will even question your own memory if you failed to listen and allowed distractions!

7 Tips to Create Mental Clarity

  1. Paint a Picture. If someone says, “I don’t remember …” or they appear not to remember, paint a picture of the last conversation. Describe where you were. Include any unusual situation (the coffee shop didn’t sell tea). Stay factual.
  2. Offer Your Name. Don’t play the guessing game. This will leave someone frustrated or upset they can’t remember. Instead, give them your name, business focus (10 words or less), and a quick overview of your last interaction. If you don’t remember your last interaction, start fresh and have a conversation about today.
  3. Stay Focused by Putting Away Distractions. “A lot of people think they are good at multi-tasking. The sad truth is they are not.” (Dr. Sanjay Gupta, author of Keep Sharp: How To Build a Better Brain at Any Age) If you multi-task during discussions, you will miss hearing important information and feel lost in future conversations. Some of you will even question your own memory if you failed to listen and allowed distractions!
  4. Send an Email. Recap and outline three key points. Do this before a scheduled meeting to get both of you on the same page faster. Be aware, if the person remembers it differently, ask for his/her version. Again, stick with the facts.
  5. Listen Anew. Put aside what you believe you already know or remember about the person, thing, or situation. Remember, you can be right or you can be effective. Instead, build a new bridge from yesterday to today by listening and being curious. It’s a great opportunity to create a “new normal.”
  6. Exercise, Eat, and Stay Active. This keeps your brain sharp. Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, and word games are several ideas to help keep your brain active. Eat a healthful diet and get up from your desk every hour and move for a few minutes. (Gupta)
  7. Remember to breathe when you feel agitated, frustrated, or you’re struggling to remember a word, phrase, or person! This is a simple and effective technique. It calms your brain from its automatic reaction of fight, flight, or freeze. Also, it reduces your stress of having to get it right and calms you so you can be present during the current conversation.

 ©Jeannette Seibly 2021

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Want to know what egos and team results have in common? Get your answers by click here.

A Note about Feeling Mental Fogginess from Jeannette. “At the University of California Irvine, research is beginning on how the lockdown has affected people’s memories. It’s been reported that even some of those amazing people who usually remember events like buying a cinema ticket 20 years earlier because they have highly superior autobiographical memory are finding they are forgetting things.” (BBC) The bottom line is, be kind to yourself and to others when memories are not clear as usual. If you want clarity on how to build a bridge from yesterday to today when talking with people, contact me to start a confidential conversation.