Team

Negotiation Skills Are Required for Success

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“Do you want to expand your results? First, ensure win-win-win outcomes through good negotiation skills.” Jeannette Seibly

Being able to negotiate is not optional. It’s a required skill that most professionals never learn to use effectively.

Too often, people settle, assume, or avoid the conversation altogether, costing them opportunities, money, and relationships. True negotiation is not about winning at someone else’s expense. It’s about creating win-win-win outcomes where everyone benefits and the agreement builds trust, clarity, and long-term success. (Resource: Get Your Brag On! Chapter 14)

“If you want to win, you need to support them winning too.”  Jeannette Seibly

Basic Preparation for Effective Negotiation

Rule #1 – Prep Work

  • Define clear goals and write them down.
  • Identify three “Must-Have” outcomes—rank, circle, and keep them visible.
  • Review your “brag” work and be aware of your metrics (e.g., results, wins, successes, accomplishments, and achievements).

Rule #2 – Research

Rule #3 – Be Ready to Walk Away

  • Know your bottom line and ensure ROI beyond just money.
  • Avoid clouding your judgment with emotional attachment to what they are offering. (Hint: It may sound good or amazing, but is it what you really really really want?)

Now, You’re Ready!

The Meeting

  • Be present and mindful.
  • Use agendas, take notes, and write down agreements immediately.
  • Let them talk first; listen actively.
  • Ask open-ended questions to uncover solutions and to clarify uncertainties.
  • Allow silence, don’t hedge, and address issues directly.
  • Seek common ground, restate agreements clearly. Write them down. (Remember, memories are faulty.)
  • Stay flexible, avoid adversarial tactics.
  • Review agreements at the end and don’t gloss over details.

Finalize Agreement

  • Document terms, responsibilities, and timelines. Send info asking them to include anything missing or needing clarification.
  • Include an escape clause in the event things don’t work out as agreed on.
  • Keep all notes organized for clarity and legal accuracy.

You can successfully negotiate everything you need and want. But it requires a win-win-win mindset!

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy-driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Amazon Best-Selling Business Author. For over 33 years, she has empowered thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve sustainable success through strategic hiring, values-based coaching, and intentional leadership development. Her work blends clarity, accountability, and soulful impact—activating performance and purpose at every level.

Are you struggling to negotiate your goals, or unclear how to begin? Let’s talk.

Spotting Hidden Talent Easily

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“Spotting hidden talent can be easy and will increase employee, customer retention, and profitability.” Jeannette Seibly

Did you know hidden talent can be easily spotted using a well-designed job-fit selection system?

While many complain about the difficulty of finding “hidden talent,” the reality is that the right person may be sitting right in front of you. Unfortunately, biases often cloud our ability to see candidates as they truly are. Other barriers—such as lack of objective data, unrealistic expectations, and flawed assumptions—can further obscure their potential. The list goes on.

Bottom line: We miss spotting hidden talent due to a lack of good, reliable, and replicable objective data when making hiring, promotion, and job transfer decisions.

Ways to Avoid These Common Pitfalls

Prepare Job Applicants. Send them a helpful video about your interview process and what to expect. For many, this is their first time talking with your company. Provide several interview questions (and be sure to ask at least one or two of these) so they feel comfortable with your selection process. Also, send them a link to the brag book: “The Secret to Winning the Job: Start Bragging!” Many applicants have hidden talents that they need to learn how to share effectively.

Use a Valid Honesty/Integrity Assessment. Make sure it’s a direct admission tool and use only for pre-employment purposes (not current employees). This can help weed out candidates who are good at selling themselves but have things to hide. They also help create safer workplace environments. Be sure to check local and state statutes to avoid asking inappropriate questions (e.g., age, marital status, children, etc.). Contact me for a product brochure.

Conduct Phone Screen Interviews to Gather Objective Data. Ask questions designed to reveal facts about past employment and education. Verifying and documenting are essential. Too often, candidates aren’t honest about their past … they just want the job. (For help creating questions, READ Chapter 10, Hire Amazing Employees)

Too often, we rely on intuitive hiring rather than using a strategic job-fit system and obtaining objective data. Then, we are surprised 2 hours, 2 weeks, or 2 months later when we realize the person who showed up isn’t the one we interviewed. This is avoidable.

Use a Qualified Job-Fit Assessment. It’s crucial to see the “whole person” (e.g., thinking style, core behaviors, and occupational interests). Using the wrong assessment allows applicants to present themselves as they want to be seen—not as they truly are. With over 3,000 published assessments available, it’s easy to select ones not designed or compliant with Department of Labor standards for pre-employment use. How do you know the difference? Ask for a technical manual and check for distortion, predictive validity, reliability, and validity coefficients. (See Chapter 9, Use the Right Assessments and Skill Tests, Hire Amazing Employees) Using the correct assessment, the right way, makes all the difference in the selection process!

Using a qualified job fit assessment helps alleviate concerns about the legalities of who you are hiring.

Interview for Job Fit. Too often, our beliefs about required skills are sabotaged by subjective biases (e.g., good at math = good accountant; friendly = great boss). Ask job-related questions and listen! Hidden talent will reveal itself when you deep dive into their responses using the “Rule of 3” to determine the depth of their skills. (For additional insights on the “Rule of 3” and creating job-related questions, READ Chapter 10, Hire Amazing Employees)

Conduct Due Diligence. It’s not uncommon for applicants to list education, job titles, and companies that don’t exist! Conduct background, licensing, education, and other checks. Using a third-party provider often ensures a thorough and consistent process. (SEE Chapter 17, Types of Checks, Hire Amazing Employees)

Require Onboarding for Best Results. Start when the job offer is accepted and continue over several months. Otherwise, your newest talent may “leave” while still on the payroll. (READ Chapter 20, The Success of a New Hire Is Up to You!, Hire Amazing Employees)

© Jeannette Seibly 2024–2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve remarkable success over the past 33 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Spotting hidden talent is easy when you use a well-designed strategic job fit system. When was the last time you reviewed your hiring practices? If you want to improve your retention, results, and revenues, contact me.

Want to Be Motivated? Take Action!

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“The hardest part of a project or venture is getting started. It starts with the first small step.” Jeannette Seibly

The hardest part of any new venture or project often comes after the initial excitement fades. You’re staring at the plan you created, and overwhelm begins to creep in.

You notice missing pieces.

Your inner psyche chirps, “You cannot do this.”

Your doubt screams, “What were you thinking?”

Or worse, “What will others say?”

Even if you’re not fully aware of your doubts and fears, they will sabotage your progress unless addressed in a positive, proactive way.

Here’s the truth: action creates motivation—not the other way around, despite what many of us were taught to believe. We often use a lack of motivation as an excuse to play small or avoid taking any action at all. But attempting big steps too soon will sabotage your efforts.

What’s the solution?

Take action by identifying the smallest possible step—then, do it.

Take One Small Step

  • Want to lose weight? Put on your walking shoes. Nothing else. Then, the next day, put them on again. Soon, you’ll be out walking! (Yes, this really works.)
  • Want to save money? Set aside 1% each time you receive any money. Before long, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ve accumulated.
  • Want that promotion? Take the smallest action possible—like buying your Get Your Brag On! book. This helps you avoid overwhelm and prevents you from missing critical details that could sabotage your efforts.

Make Sure Your Environment Is Supportive

This includes both physical and emotional spaces.

  • If your home office is in the basement and you dread going down there, move it somewhere you enjoy.
  • If your team members constantly naysay everything, it may be time for new ones. But beware: if they’re pushing back on your habit of constantly changing things, listen. That habit may be your saboteur—not them.

Celebrate Progress

Remember: Your new project or venture isn’t overwhelming. You simply need to take small actions, make thoughtful adjustments, and stop sabotaging yourself. Enjoy the process of creating results one step at a time. Your actions will feed your motivation to continue to move forward.

© Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy-driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Amazon Best-Selling Business Author. For over 33 years, she has empowered thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve sustainable success through strategic hiring, values-based coaching, and intentional leadership development. Her work blends clarity, accountability, and soulful impact—activating performance and purpose at every level.

Ready to take action—but unclear about what you really, really, really want to achieve? Let’s talk.

Want to Hire Job Loyalists? First, Evaluate the Costs and Benefits

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“To grow, a company’s leadership must embrace change and hiring job loyalists can create positive legacies.” Jeannette Seibly

Many GenXers and Millennials who have been job hoppers are now looking for an employer for “life.” As an employer and as a ‘job loyalist,’ it’s important to become aware of the costs and benefits of job longevity.

Many GenX and Millennial leaders who have spent their careers job hopping every 3 to 5 years are now seeking to find a home or in other words become a ‘job loyalist.’ A job loyalist is intending to stay, contribute, and construct a legacy with a purposeful role. This shift resembles a trend of job hugging; however, job huggers typically plan to pursue new opportunities once economic or external conditions improve.

Job loyalists aim to find one final employer where they can stay and retire—ideally for 10 to 20 years – from job hopping to job holding. Often, this decision is influenced by family needs, health considerations, or personal life pursuits.

Yet both employers and job loyalists frequently overlook a critical reality: those who crave new and exciting work often possess traits such as independence, unconventional thinking, and a need for new challenges – otherwise they become bored. Also, these same traits can mask leadership blind spots that undermine long-term success and the ability to stay with one employer for a long period of time without developing deeper leadership skills.

In today’s fast-paced environment, companies and leaders must balance experience with fresh perspectives, strategic risk-taking, and cultural adaptability to remain competitive. While job loyalist with deep industry knowledge can provide these insights, companies must ask: Can this job loyalist continue to grow without compromising innovation, agility, or strategic clarity?

Costs of Job Loyalists

Being aware of the following pitfalls can help avoid hiring a job loyalist looking for an interim safe place to land.

  1. Risk Aversion and Complacency. Long tenure can foster comfort over courage. Leaders who once embraced bold change may now avoid disruptive innovation to protect their position.
  2. Stagnation in Decision-Making. Without fresh perspectives, strategic choices may default to legacy thinking rather than future readiness. Leaders may prioritize being liked over being effective.
  3. Reduced Agility. Lifelong roles can slow organizational pivoting. Reassigning or reimagining roles becomes difficult when longevity is the job loyalist’s goal. Top talent, your future leaders, will exit if this occurs.
  4. Saboteur of Evolution. Job loyalists may resist cultural evolution, especially in areas like DEI, tech adoption, or emerging leadership styles. “We’ve always done it this way” becomes a silent saboteur.
  5. Complacency on the Job. Remaining in the same company and similar roles may feel comforting to the job loyalist, but it can quietly erode the agility, innovation, digital literacy, and growth every company needs to thrive.
  6. Former job hoppers—now aspiring job loyalists—once thrived on frequent raises, new titles, and fresh challenges. When promises made by new employers are forgotten, ego and lack of trust may prompt them to start job hopping again.

The Benefits of Keeping Job Loyalists and Future Leaders Engaged

Remember, use a strategic job fit selection system including qualified job fit tools to ensure the quality of hiring (including Boomerangs (rehires)), coaching, and managing.

Create Career Pathways and Career Ladders. Talent bottlenecks can be caused by job loyalists. Provide new career pathways and ladders to prevent career blocks for emerging talent and keep current leaders agile. For example: Rather than relying solely on the traditional career ladder, transition executives into board roles or company-affiliated foundations. This opens up new responsibilities and creates opportunities for rising leaders.

Update Current Workplace Culture. Ensure your workforce prioritizes purpose, flexibility, resilience, idea generation, and growth over permanence. Without this shift, attracting top talent becomes increasingly difficult.

Keep Skills Current. Long-tenured employees may avoid reskilling or adapting to changes in technology, human development, finance, and operations. Job loyalists often prioritize personal comfort over company-wide changes, leading to mismatches between role demands and stakeholder expectations. Make skill adaptation and accountability non-negotiable across the company.

Keep Succession Planning Current. Sudden exits can create leadership vacuums and operational disruption. Never assume someone will always remain in a role—or that the #2 person is ready.

One individual served as the #2 for over a decade. When promoted to #1 after his boss retired, he lacked decision-making and critical thinking experience at the enterprise level. He was fired six months later by the board of directors. As an independent consultant, his lack of tech and leadership skills led to closing his consulting business within a year.

Reframe From Keeping a Lifelong Job to Being a Lifelong Contributor. Instead of anchoring leaders to longevity, companies can:

  • Promote lifelong learning and legacy-building by requiring ongoing management development through symposiums or conferences (e.g., encourage leaders to share ideas and facilitate breakout workshops that activate strategic thinking and peer engagement).
  • Encourage role evolution through horizontal or vertical job expansion to meet new business demands (e.g., lead AI initiatives, spearhead wellness programs, drive goal completion, and transform employee development).
  • Design contribution pathways that honor experience without stifling innovation (e.g., mentoring, college and trade school presentations, onboarding support). Ensure the job loyalists have developed engaging and talent-attracting presentations by requiring public speaking training (this applies to all presenters).

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve remarkable success over the past 33 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Remember, use a strategic job fit selection system including qualified job fit tools to ensure the quality of hiring (including Boomerangs (rehires)), coaching, and managing.

Why Expedient Hiring Can Backfire and How to Resolve It

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“When you hire too fast, you will miss important character factors that impact your company’s future.” Jeannette Seibly

A tech company’s president left after two years of poor results—the third person to exit in five years. The CEO stepped in temporarily, but soon demanded of his management team, “Get that new person hired immediately and have them start tomorrow.”

Instead of using a strategic job fit process, the CEO let a committee of the president’s former reports choose the candidate—without using validated assessments, multiple interviews, or stakeholder alignment. Several weeks later, they picked someone they liked. The CEO rubberstamped the hire to relieve his stress.

In their haste, they rehired a well-liked former president with the same leadership gaps: weak strategy, poor accountability, and a focus on being liked. The CEO’s stress would soon return—and ripple through employees and customers.

Sadly, when companies need to hire now, many find themselves relying on excuses for why their selection failed instead of implementing a valid hiring process. They ignore the fact that taking the time to hire the right person the first-time costs far less—in time, money, and morale—than repeating the cycle of hire, train, and replace.

By implementing and following a strategic job fit system, the hiring process becomes not only easier but far more effective.

Why Expedient Hiring Usually Backfires

  • Missing Soft Skills: Quick hires often focus on technical qualifications, overlooking traits like empathy, adaptability, and communication—qualities that shape team dynamics and customer interactions. Many job candidates are well versed in talking around a subject and don’t know how to talk straight.
  • Cultural Misalignment: Without thorough vetting, you risk onboarding someone who clashes with your company’s values or work style, which can erode morale and productivity.
  • Customer Experience: Employees who lack emotional intelligence or problem-solving skills may struggle to deliver the kind of service that builds loyalty.
  • Financial Impact: A bad hire can lead to turnover, retraining costs, and lost productivity—ultimately hurting your bottom line. Worse yet, customers often leave.

What Strategic Job Fit Hiring Looks Like

  • Structured Interviews: Go beyond resumes—use structured behavioral questions to uncover how candidates handle real-world challenges. Don’t be afraid to deep dive into their responses – asking three questions that ultimately reveal the truth (SEE “Hire Amazing Employees,” Chapter 12) (e.g., Tell me more about ….).
  • Job Fit Assessments: Most assessments do not meet legal and scientific requirements for selection use (e.g., hiring and promotions). Use those that assess fit with the job responsibilities and reflect the true whole person: core behavior, thinking style, and occupational interests.
  • Team Involvement: Let multiple team members weigh in to assess fit from different angles.

Don’t overlook issues noted by objective data:

  • Job fit concerns
  • Interest in key job responsibilities (e.g., low interest in financials when hiring for CFO, controller, financial planner, or accountant positions)
  • Issues when conducting due diligence
  • Unable (or unwilling) to answer, “Tell me about your most recent mistake and what you did to correct it?”
  • Patience Pays Off: Waiting for the right candidate feels like it will take too long, but it’s often more sustainable than fixing the fallout from a rushed decision. When you follow a well-designed strategic job fit system, you will find qualified candidates that don’t always make it through an “expedited process.”

Note that using a strategic job fit selection system does NOT lengthen the process. It uncovers those areas of concern before you hire them, which saves you a lot of money, time, and customers! The added bonus … you will keep your top talent too.

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve remarkable success over the past 33 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Bridging Communication Gaps to Unlock Better Results

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“Bridging communication gaps aligns your team to unlock better results.” Jeannette Seibly

For many bosses and leaders, bridging communication gaps or resolving communication issues feels like an overwhelming challenge they’d rather avoid.

Instead, they wait, try to control or manipulate their team members, or shift responsibility—and blame—to someone else.

Why? Because they either don’t know how to fix it, fear making things worse, or hesitate to ask for help and follow through.

But when you bridge communication gaps, you foster stronger working relationships, reduce project errors, and boost retention and revenues. In other words, your results become truly remarkable.

5 Key Strategies to Align Your Team and Achieve Intended Results

Each letter in ALIGN stands for a strategic step that turns communication breakdowns into collaborative breakthroughs and drives your team toward intended, impactful results:

Action and Description to Align Team:

Appreciate Differences. Utilize objective job fit assessments to identify hidden strengths and mitigate conflict. The right tool brings clarity and answers the “why” behind people’s behaviors and motivations.

Listen to Learn. If you already have an answer when someone is speaking – you’re not listening! Take time to share goals, budgets, and timelines openly, and invest in training teams to communicate and strategize effectively. This is critical to fostering stronger buy-in and commitment to excel.

Include All Ideas. Acknowledge all contributions to build trust, even though not every idea can be implemented. To quell naysayers, create five ways an idea could work—and truly listen. “Ah-Ha” moments often come through attentive listening and off-the-wall ideas that spark new threads of thought.

Generate Solutions. Facilitate brainstorming by starting conversations with open-ended questions to stimulate thought and dialogue. Allow space for unconventional ideas and set aside judgment to discover fresh possibilities. Remember, the thoughts and attitudes that created the problem will not solve it!

Name the Wins. Celebrate successes and reflect on what worked and what didn’t. This exercise helps teams get unstuck, recognize contributions, and fully appreciate efforts—individually and collectively—at project milestones, during weekly reviews, or at quarterly checkpoints.

Bridging communication gaps isn’t just about addressing what was said and done—it’s about building a culture where every voice is heard, every strength is valued, and every challenge becomes an opportunity for growth. When you align your team, you empower them to move beyond conflict and confusion toward collaboration and meaningful results.

©Jeannette Seibly 2023-2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices to achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while guiding those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Ready to bridge your team’s communication gaps and unlock their full potential? Begin with a job fit assessment or schedule a clarity session to set your path. Reach out anytime at SeibCo.com/contact/ I’m here to help you create lasting impact.

Are Your Employees Aligned for Business Today?

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“Aligning employees with today’s business needs is an ongoing effort for every leader.” Jeannette Seibly

A long-time employee asked his boss, “Do you even know what we’re doing anymore?”

This question revealed more than frustration—it exposed a leadership gap. When change happens but communication stays static, people lose their sense of purpose. External demands, shifting priorities, and unclear messaging breed confusion, erode engagement, and drain morale—even your best employees feel it.

What’s missing? Clarity. Connection. Strategic alignment. Being on the same page.

Why is alignment missing in business today?

  • Unclear priorities – too many external challenges
  • Siloed and factional communication – we impact others when making ad hoc changes
  • Change fatigue and disengagement – leads to mediocre quality of products and service

What You Can Do—Starting Now

Clarify Purpose and Performance. When teams are aligned, there are measurable improvements in productivity, retention, and customer satisfaction scores. These aren’t just numbers—they’re proof that clarity and consistency matter.

  • Remind people why their work matters and the difference the company makes for its customers.
  • Hold people accountable for following policies and procedures – this creates a foundation that employees can trust.
  • Communicate stats about the number of customers, increase in sales, safety, and other metrics that are meaningful to employees and the well-being of the company. 

Communicate with Impact. Lead with empathy by acknowledging that change is hard.

  • Ask employees how they’re doing—not just what they’re doing. This builds trust and keeps morale strong.
  • Talk straight by sharing goals, changes, and expectations clearly. Keep your comments short and on point!
  • Don’t make promises that you cannot keep.
  • Acknowledge team members individually and as a group. Do this frequently.

Delegate Work and Train Appropriately. This allows you to concentrate on resolving challenges and pursuing possibilities.

  • Encourage cross-team collaboration and don’t allow silos or factions to consume everyone’s time and energy.
  • Invite employees to lead mini-projects or suggest improvements – that way, alignment becomes a shared responsibility.
  • Offer training that aligns with new business needs. Make these online and onsite workshops available to anyone wishing to improve their job skills: communication, decision-making, AI experience, personal financial goals, etc.

Strategic Selection Based on Job Fit. Make hiring, promotions, and job transitions based on objective data, and stop relying on subjective rational. Too many times, employees say “yes” not fully comprehending the changes required (e.g., relocation, longer hours, or full-time in the office).

For example, if someone has a high interest and skill in working with financials, train them to take over budgeting or cost analysis duties.

How to Keep Moving Forward Together

As a leader:

  • Conduct regular check-ins with each and every employee
  • Provide feedback – 1:1 and in groups
  • Listen and get the facts — don’t make decisions based on assumptions or emotional reactions
  • Ask open-ended questions, and look for patterns in feedback that reveal deeper concerns or missed opportunities.
  • Remember, silence does not mean alignment!

***

Final Thought

Aligning employees with today’s business needs is an ongoing effort. The question to ask is, “What am I doing today to make sure my team is truly aligned?”

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve remarkable success over the past 32 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Empower with Confidence: Host the workshop: “Get Your Brag On!” to help your team articulate their value, align personal strengths with business goals, and boost morale. Several of my clients have hosted these brag sessions quarterly — these offered clarity, acknowledged contribution, and built confidence in times of change. When employees know how to articulate their value, they’re more likely to stay engaged during the process of change. Contact Jeannette for further information.

The Leadership Upgrade: Turning Blind Spots into Breakthroughs

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“Identifying your blind spots and overcoming these hurdles is critical to developing your savvy leadership.” —Jeannette Seibly

Leadership isn’t static—it’s a continuous upgrade. And the most powerful upgrades begin when you’re willing to confront what you haven’t yet seen.

🌟 Emerging Blind Spots in Today’s Leadership Landscape

As leaders, we’re navigating more than just team dynamics—we’re steering through shifting expectations, hybrid work environments, and the pressure to “always be on.” These changes have introduced new blind spots that weren’t on our radar five years ago. And if we’re not paying attention, they’ll quietly erode trust, impact, and results.

Here are a few blind spots noted by research that I’ve seen surface in recent coaching conversations:

Favoritism. With hybrid working options, are you unintentionally favoring the team members you see more often than others? Many publications have talked about the assumption that visibility equals productivity – but that’s a blind spot. (Harvard Business Review and Inc.com)

Leadership Upgrade: Build scheduled check-ins and recognition systems that include everyone, regardless of location.

Fixed Leadership Style. Studies show that 54% of managers default to a single leadership style (e.g., collaborative, directive, or hands-off) (Blanchard LeaderChat). This often leads to micromanaging or a lack of employee and team engagement.

Leadership Upgrade: Flex your style. Ask yourself: “What does this situation need from me right now?” Not “What do I usually do?”

Digital Perfectionism. In a world of polished Zoom calls and social media posts, attempting to hide behind a perfect image will often backfire when they meet you!

Leadership Upgrade: Leadership isn’t about being flawless—it’s about being real. (OurMental.Health and Arxiv Research) Sharing your process is just as important as sharing the results you’ve achieved. Let them see the truth of your leadership journey — it builds trust.

“Blind spots aren’t flaws—they’re invitations. When you’re willing to see what you’ve been missing, you unlock a deeper level of leadership.” —Jeannette Seibly

🔄 How to Flip Blind Spots into Savvy Leadership

Here’s how to turn blind spots into strengths that elevate your leadership:

  1. Use Assessments and 360-Degree Feedback. Leverage tools that reveal how you want to be seen, how you actually show up, and how others perceive you. These insights offer a powerful trifecta of clarity. But the real transformation begins when you partner with an executive coach to interpret the results, create a focused action plan, and engage in hands-on conversations over a period of time.
  2. Hire the Right Executive Coach—and Listen. Being coachable is key. A skilled and experienced coach helps you bypass trial-and-error and zero in on what truly needs attention. Avoid overanalyzing your blind spots—just listen, adjust, and implement. Your coach isn’t there to fix you—they’re there to help you see what’s been hiding in plain sight.
  3. Engage with an Industry Mentor. Mentors offer insider knowledge about your company, team dynamics, and industry politics. Together with your coach, they help you navigate complex situations and accelerate your growth. The key to effective mentorship is to show up, listen up, and do the work!
  4. Welcome Feedback from Your Team. Your team wants you to succeed—but you must create a safe space for honest feedback. Use structured 360 assessments to gather insights, then act on them with intention.
  5. Dial Up Your Humility. Participate in emotional intelligence workshops and leave your ego at the door. Mastery requires authentic practice, effective coaching when using the

skills, and a willingness to grow.

  1. Sharpen Your Communication Skills. Strong communication is non-negotiable. Take workshops to uncover biases and build confidence in how you write, speak, and connect with others.
  2. Identify Triggers and Biases. We all have them. Work with your coach—and if needed, a licensed therapist—to uncover subconscious patterns and develop healthier responses.

🚀 Ready to Lead Today with Impact?

Leadership upgrades don’t happen by accident. They happen when you choose to see, listen, and act with intention. What blind spot are you ready to transform today?

With over 32 years of experience, I’ve helped leaders get out of their own way and into focused action—transforming blind spots into stepping stones for savvy, results-driven leadership.

📩 Contact me to learn more about my one-on-one coaching programs and PXT Select® job-fit assessment tools.

© Jeannette Seibly, 2020–2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve remarkable success over the past 32 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Are You Stuck? It’s Time to Move Forward!

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“Everyone gets stuck! Moving forward requires taking actions that make it happen.” Jeannette Seibly

Do you remember watching Wile E. Coyote in those classic cartoons? No matter how many times he slammed into a wall, he’d shake it off, only to hit the same wall again. Over and over. No new results.

Lately, I’ve been speaking with business professionals, bosses, and leaders who feel stuck, waiting, and hoping for change. When asked what actions they’re taking to move forward, every single one said, “I’m waiting to see.”

Many of us do this, wait and see. Feeling stuck can be excruciating—whether you need money, a promotion, or a resolution to a family drama. But waiting isn’t the answer. Staying stagnant drains your inner power and confidence. It limits your choices. It keeps you playing small, hoping for the best.

Getting unstuck requires action, step by step.

Get Unstuck Today!

Recognize the “Grass is Greener” Syndrome

Comparing your job, life, or circumstances to others can spark jealousy or frustration. You start believing that life would be better if only you had what they have. But the truth is—the grass isn’t greener elsewhere. It’s just different.

The solution? Get into action. Meditate to maintain momentum, work with an experienced coach, and commit to the steps that move you forward.

Change Your Perspective—Shift Your Mindset

A CPA named Darla was once a great employee. Then, she became negative and disengaged. After reviewing her job fit results (she was a great fit), I asked, “What’s the problem?”

Her answer? “I want to travel.”

I replied, “Then aren’t you in a perfect job that allows you to do that? Your workload is heavy in the first quarter, but after that, you can schedule travel!”

She paused, then agreed. A simple mindset shift changed everything.

Know What True Job Fit Means

Over 80% of people are in jobs that don’t fit them (Gallup). Too many believe they can succeed in any job, but that’s just not reality.

We get stuck thinking we should be our own boss or that we could get rich using someone else’s game plan or blueprint. But here’s the thing—many employed people do make great money when they manage their career choices wisely and invest their money well.

Want clarity? Use a qualified job fit assessment and work with an experienced coach. Then, take action before fear, doubt, and anxiety creep in.

Expand Your Responsibilities—Not Your Busywork

This isn’t about piling on mindless tasks. Busywork creates boredom, frustration, and emptiness—the very essence of feeling stuck.

Instead, focus on work that naturally aligns with your thinking, core behaviors, and occupational interests. Expanding responsibilities the right way keeps you engaged.

Want a change? Develop your brag statements, then pitch the job shifts that will serve you and your company.

Work Smarter—Not Harder

It’s time to ditch the trial-and-error do-it-yourself approach. I know—you think you’ve got it handled. But if you stay stuck too long, or keep experimenting without direction, you’ll drain yourself emotionally and financially. The essence of staying stuck.

Work with a coach who specializes in moving people forward. Stop relying on friends who just tell you what you want to hear.

Take David—a former executive fired after 15 years. He spent five years chasing opportunities, trying new roles, even buying a franchise. Exhausted and financially strained, he finally reached out to his coach (me). That conversation changed everything.

Now? He’s thriving in a six-figure job he loves.

Break Through the Ceiling—Before You Jump

Feeling maxed out can push people toward drastic decisions—selling their business, quitting their job, moving, or retiring. But making choices while emotionally drained can limit opportunities.

Before you leap, take time to talk it out with a coach. Do the brag work. Use an objective job fit assessment to clarify where you excel in today’s business world.

One young woman was pressured by her father to work for him, despite her own career aspirations. She hired me, followed the steps outlined in this article, and made her move. Years later? She’s still making six figures and loving her life.

You Can Do It Too

It all starts with the courage to say: “Yes! My goals and my life matter.”

Now, take actions that make it happen.

©Jeannette Seibly 2021-2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, specializes in delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges. Over the past 32 years, she has empowered business owners, executives, and managers to achieve remarkable success. With a steadfast commitment to excellence, Jeannette champions those eager to elevate, expand, and excel in their results.

Tackling People Problems: A Leadership Imperative

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“Good leadership requires having tough conversations that address people challenges – if ignore, the consequences can be very costly.” Jeannette Seibly

Leaders who proactively address people problems cultivate trust, inclusion, and accountability. In turn, performance, profitability, and workplace cultures thrive.

Leadership is often defined by the ability to make tough decisions, yet addressing people-related challenges remains one of the most avoided tasks in management. Many leaders hesitate due to unconscious biases, emotional discomfort, or fear of repercussions. However, ignoring these issues only amplifies their negative effects—eroding employee and customer trust, damaging morale, and diminishing productivity.

7 Reasons Why Leaders Delay Addressing People Issues

  1. Avoidance & Discomfort – Difficult conversations can be uncomfortable, causing even experienced leaders to procrastinate. Worse still, some deny the impact the issue has on the company, customers, and team members, which allows small problems to snowball into major disruptions.
  2. Optimism Bias – Hoping a situation will resolve itself without intervention can result in costly top talent attrition and client loss. Leaders who delay or ignore taking action risk undermining their own credibility and the company’s reputation.
  3. Lack of Clarity – Without clear expectations, leaders may hesitate to define damaging behavior, fearing they are overreacting. So, they choose to do nothing.
  4. Fear of Fallout – Pushback, legal concerns, or interpersonal conflict can make action feel risky, even though inaction allows problems to escalate.
  5. Time Constraints – Addressing people issues often takes a backseat until they become too big to ignore, leading to reactive, rather than proactive, leadership.
  6. Emotional Bias – Leaders may struggle to hold accountable top performers and other employees they once favored or personally valued, leading to inequitable decision-making.
  7. Lack of Skills or Support – Without structured tools and objective data for addressing conflict, leaders usually default to avoidance. If they rely on others to handle the situation, the problem often grows worse due to lack of agreement about the true issue.

The Solution: Tips to Resolve People Challenges

Leadership and employees thrive in a proactive workplace culture. Waiting too long to address and resolve people challenges erodes trust and weakens outcomes. Leaders must learn to strip away assumptions, biases, and excuses to tackle these issues directly. And, keep in mind this is not easy to do.

Here’s how to address people problems constructively:

  1. Identify the Core Problem – Is the issue behavioral, a misalignment, or a leadership blind spot? Objective assessments, such as job-fit evaluations and qualified 360-degree feedback tools, can clarify the root cause with valid data.
  2. Assess the Impact – Who is affected? How does the issue disrupt productivity, team dynamics, or organizational culture? While ignoring it will widen the ripple effect, misdiagnosing it can cause great harm too. Talk with one or two trusted confidants to broaden your perspective.
  3. Challenge Avoidance Patterns – Leaders must remove emotional biases from their decision-making. Examples: 1) relying on the first piece of information or gossip without delving into the truth; 2) refusing to consider contradictory evidence; or 3) allowing the group’s bias to override the facts. Executive coaching and job-fit assessments can provide clarity, but decisive action based on facts remains key.
  4. Reframe the Narrative – Instead of believing tough conversations are hard, reframe to: these conversations invest in your company’s long-term success. While discomfort is inevitable, accountability fosters growth. Partner with an experienced executive coach and consult an HR or a legal professional to navigate complexities effectively and with confidence.
  5. Provide Coaching and Training – Structured feedback models, coaching techniques, and communication strategies build leaders’ confidence in handling people challenges. Communication, emotional intelligence and integrity, and other interpersonal training provides for a workplace culture of positive and constructive feedback for everyone.
  6. Develop Accountability & Follow-Through – Addressing issues is only the first step. Consistent follow-up—through coaching, retraining, role transitions, and interpersonal skill development—ensures lasting change. Reinforcement builds trust and shows employees they are supported and that you care.

Final Thoughts

Leaders who proactively address people problems cultivate trust, inclusion, and accountability. In turn, performance, profitability, and workplace cultures thrive. Emotional integrity, constructive feedback, and structured problem-solving require stripping away assumptions and biases. By embracing clarity and decisive action, strong leaders foster workplaces that are equitable, resilient, and empowered.

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, specializes in delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges. Over the past 32 years, she has empowered business owners, executives, and managers to achieve remarkable success. With a steadfast commitment to excellence, Jeannette champions those eager to elevate, expand, and excel in their results.