executive career coach

#1 Strategic plan failure

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Designing a company’s strategic plan can be fun and exciting. However, after the one- or two-day workshop, it’s time for the real work of implementation. The #1 strategic plan failure starts at the top with the company’s president if he or she isn’t accountable and exercising leadership. During planning sessions it’s important to incorporate how, what, when, and where the team will get started when they return to the office. It’s the president’s job to ensure actions taken are focused on achieving the desired goals and any problems or plan failures are immediately addressed.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

The importance of careless words

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Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. This attitude often hurts careers and ruins companies’ reputations. It’s important as a leader that you pay attention to what you are saying and when and with whom you are sharing your thoughts and ideas. Racial, ethnic, or gender slurs can and will get you in trouble with others, as will gossip about employees, clients, and competitors. Remember, many careers are derailed and companies reputations tarnished by the wrong person overhearing your words from the next table, or the next room.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Do you hold your hiring managers accountable?

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Very few companies manage their hiring processes by holding their hiring managers accountable. Instead, they experience high levels of turnover and increased difficulty finding qualified candidates because managers reliance on gut reactions or play the blame game.  Neither will resolve systems or bias issues when new employees fail. What would happen if instead your hiring manager’s compensation was tied to employee turnover and performance? A bad manager would either step aside or improve in order to create an environment for employee success. (http://ow.ly/mL7n0 (Bad Managers eGuide)) They would improve their use of qualified hiring tools to ensure the best objective information is being utilized and reviewed to ensure laser-like coaching for employee success. (http://BizSavvyHire.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Are you really ready?

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You, like many employees today, may believe you are ready to move forward in your company to take on more responsibility. The bigger questions to first ask yourself: Do my customers, co-workers, partners, and management agree? It’s not enough for you to believe you can do it. Others need to have faith that you can and will deliver the intended results. A qualified 360-degree assessment can help you clarify what you need to do to advance. Hiring an executive coach can help you close the gap from where you are now to where you need to be in the near future. (http://SeibCo.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly

Inspire your momentum!

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Alert to future leaders! True leadership is taking the bull by the horns and making your career happen. Stop waiting for your boss and company to do it for you! Although it’s shortsighted of your employer to not offer help to improve your leadership potential, by taking the initiative on your own you’ll be well recognized when it comes time for awarding coveted projects, promotions, and pay increases. Contact an executive coach today. The right coach will help you navigate away from being sidelined and toward earning favorable kudos from co-workers and management. (http://SeibCo.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Have you waited too long?

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Many bosses and managers wait too long before calling a business advisor. Why? It’s hard to admit they need someone else’s help. They falsely believe asking for help diminishes their credibility, and they hope if they wait long enough the issue will simply go away. Instead, the situation often continues to get worse. Eventually, a once simple fix will no longer work! While you may be able to initially outtalk your employees and board’s concerns, it’s simply a matter of time before your job is on the line. Get into action now. Contact a business advisor today. It will be the best call you ever made! That call may save your job. (http://SeibCo.com)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Cross-Train for Success

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With summer vacations approaching, it’s a great time to be cross-trained in other jobs to learn new skills. Sell your boss the idea, as well as the person who currently holds the position. Also, it’s a great occasion for bosses to get realistic hands-on experience doing their employees’ work! Be sure your own work responsibilities are handled, and that you meet current deadlines. These new opportunities will provide you with a breadth of knowledge on how your department and company work and additional Brag! statements (TimeToBrag.com) when seeking future promotions and pay increases. Remember, do the job as it’s been structured by not making any changes—being labeled a meddler will limit your future success.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Be a Leader without Being the Boss

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Many times risk-adverse leaders and business professionals hate their jobs. They see the position of boss as a great opportunity to make more money and attain a coveted title.  Yet they are unable or unwilling to develop the people and project skills required to be boss. They are afraid of stepping outside their comfort zone or have done so without success. Without learning from your mistakes and developing new sets of attitudes and behaviors, it can be difficult to get and keep these positions. It would be better to develop a career ladder within your company where you can increase your influence and paycheck, and be a leader without being the boss. It’s OK if you don’t have the interests or skills to be the boss!

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Revealing Your Vulnerabilities

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“We all have a habitual tendency to act in a particular way – often unconsciously – that thwarts our results.” Jeannette Seibly

As rising stars within our companies, we are careful not to show our emotions and to hide our sensitivities. We fear doing so shows incompetence or weakness. Revealing your vulnerabilities has derailed many upwardly mobile professionals, especially when they are simply sharing to share. They don’t have a point, wish to join the “ain’t it awful” club, or want to minimize someone else’s experiences.

As a leader, learn how to disclose your experiences with the intention of showing others how to learn from your mistakes. Start with the end point before including any other information. Communicating personal experiences can help when talking with idealistic or difficult employees in order to get them to open up. Be open to admitting you don’t have all the answers, and talk straight. Revealing your vulnerabilities appropriately builds trust!

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013

Do you know when to trust the data or your instincts?

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Successful leaders have to grapple with this dilemma often. They believe their intuition is telling them what the true answer is. Or, they want to trust the numbers. However, intuition can be wrong and 100 percent reliance on data can send you down the wrong path too. Developing a strong business balance between statistics and your sixth sense takes experience, time, and practice. As business owners and executives know, making the wrong decisions can cost the company more than money. It can also cost their reputation, clients, and top talent.

What do you do when you don’t trust the data? Trust the process. For example: When you hire a person based upon your gut reaction, even when the facts disagree, you didn’t trust your selection system. The truth is, failure to pay attention to good objective information will negatively impact your decisions.

Better questions to ask yourself: Do you know how to correctly use qualified hiring tools and follow a strategic selection process? (BizSavvyHire.com)  Do you have an unconscious habit of hiring and firing until you find the right person? (Hint: Honestly look at your turnover numbers.) Asking these types of questions can help you determine the underlying (aka real) reason you may not trust the data. 

Which one do you trust when your data or intuition is contrary to others’ opinions? Trust yourself and be open to being right and wrong. For example, many times when a company is experiencing difficulty achieving results, it’s because a controlling leader or dominating team member made erroneous judgments based heavily on facts or feelings. Learn to ask good business questions and listen to people’s responses. Being open to changing your mind doesn’t mean you have to. However, being adamant that you are right is usually a sign of impending disaster.

Strong leaders trust themselves and know how to develop win-win outcomes by working with and through others. They are prepared for the downside of any decision. They use their results as dashboards to develop trust in themselves and others when making balanced factual and intuitive decisions.

©Jeannette L. Seibly, 2013