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October 27, 2013
4 Key Strategies to Engage Your Employees
You have more influence over employee engagement than you might think.
Many managers and supervisors tell me that they wish their employees would be more engaged. They want to see higher degrees of enthusiasm, ownership, commitment and accountability throughout the ranks on a daily basis. Maybe you have felt this way. But as a manager, you have more influence over employee engagement than you might think. Read on to learn 4 ways that you can positively influence employee engagement.
As managers, we dream of having employees that...Continue reading
By Claire LaughlinPosted in Management on October 27, 2013
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October 24, 2013
Thought Leadership a ‘Must Have’ - Not a ‘Nice to Have’
Develop that extra edge that will help you gain new customers and retain existing ones.
Here’s the thing. You cannot claim to be a thought leader. However, if you are a thought leader, it would be sinful not to claim your leadership. Get it?
Brian Clark, the incredibly talented and insightful founder of Copyblogger, is of the opinion that thought leadership, in the realm of content marketing, is derived from authority; That a thought leader is ‘selected’ by the intended audience and cannot ‘claim’ to be one. Quite right.
However, if we...Continue reading
By Karthik NagendraPosted in Marketing & Innovation on October 24, 2013
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October 22, 2013
Customer Service Management Lessons from The Karate Kid
How you can be more like Mr. Miyagi with your customer service department.
“Wax on- wax off!” Admit it. The original Karate Kid movie is great. In it good triumphs over evil and the mean people get their just deserts. I somehow feel more motivated to fight the good fight myself after watching a rerun. I have secretly wished that I had a Mr. Miyagi in my life; someone who could impart wisdom for all of life’s trials and keep me accountable to doing the right thing.
In the movie, young Daniel did not understand the value of waxing...Continue reading
By Lori MillerPosted in Customer Service on October 22, 2013
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October 20, 2013
Mentor Me?
Asking, Answering and Amplifying When The Question is Popped
Not to be confused with the great Bruno Mars’ song Marry Me, we do have an engagement of sorts when we ask for someone’s hand in helping to develop our career. Whether it be an informal or formal relationship, there are great ways of asking for -- and making the most of -- a mentor’s assistance.
For the mentee, how do you approach a potential mentor? How do you maximize the value of this burgeoning relationship? How do you best communicate your challenges without sounding...Continue reading
By Sherri PetroPosted in Professional Development on October 20, 2013
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October 17, 2013
How To Avoid Putting On A Costume At Work
3 simple steps to be true to who you are as you step in the door at work.
Does how you act at home or outside of work, match how you are at work?
Are you nice, funny, and relaxed at home but mean, straight laced, and stiff at work?
At home are you easy to approach, but at work people are afraid to ask you questions?
As I’ve been working with clients lately, I’ve noticed something interesting. Somewhere along the line, people got the impression that when they moved into their new role as a manager or supervisor, they needed...Continue reading
By Emilie ShoopPosted in Management on October 17, 2013
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October 15, 2013
Asking Questions with Purpose – Tools for Effective Selling
An Interview with Deb Calvert, author, executive coach, facilitator, Master Sales Coach, Master Trainer and expert in Sales Leadership and Productivity Solutions.
I am inspired by my recent discussion with Deb Calvert, President & Founder of People First Productivity Solutions. Inspired by the way she depicts the simplicity of selling, a topic that so many of us stress over, struggle to achieve, over complicate and most importantly…need to build our businesses. Her curiosity and tenacity over the last 25 years to document sales methods-what works, what doesn’t and why, has brought her to a point where we can all benefit. No matter...Continue reading
By Dan WoodsPosted in Sales & Business Development on October 15, 2013
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October 13, 2013
The Weight of Your Words
Your words have weight. That’s why you should wait to speak them.
As a senior-level manager, your words are weightier than they used to be. When you speak, people listen and respond. This is both a blessing and a curse.
Of course, it’s helpful that your words (backed by your authority) are taken seriously and compel action. But there’s another side of the coin to consider. Do people sometimes put more stock in what you say than what you intended?
This can happen when you forget your role and speak casually about almost any topic. I recently...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on October 13, 2013
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October 10, 2013
How Best-In-Class Companies Hire Differently
Learn to distinguish pegs and holes to determine how they match against success.
I heard someone comment the other day about round pegs not fitting in square holes and it reminded me of a specific area where confusion exists in hiring.
Most people know that square pegs won’t fit in round holes. That’s easy.
Obviously, square pegs fit in square holes and round pegs fit in round holes. That’s even easier.
But round pegs will generally fit in square holes – they just don’t fully occupy them.
What does this have...Continue reading
By Joseph SkurskyPosted in Human Resources on October 10, 2013
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October 8, 2013
“Why wouldn’t you buy our product?”
Learn to counter-balance a customer’s concerns. Don’t confront them.
It was an unusual sales approach. At a county fair, a lady on a solar energy booth grabbed me as I walked past, and without introduction, popped the question:
“Why wouldn’t you invest in solar to reduce your home energy bills?”
My mind then promptly produced several excellent reasons for precisely why I wouldn’t buy solar to reduce my energy bills, and these reasons all came to me despite my notorious passion for inflicting all sort of green gizmos on our...Continue reading
By Peter PaskalePosted in Communication Skills on October 8, 2013
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October 6, 2013
The Changing Role of Human Resources
Effective Human Resources Management Involves All Leaders & Managers
A little over three decades ago as a young undergraduate I made a decision to pursue a career in what at that time was called Personnel Management. Unlike many of my peers it was a cognitive decision. I believed that there was something fundamentally flawed in how we viewed the relationship between employers and employed.
Candidly my academic advisors weren’t terribly supportive. They encouraged me to have a backup plan in case I wasn’t able to find meaningful employment. I took their...Continue reading
By Mark HerbertPosted in Human Resources on October 6, 2013
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