-
August 29, 2014
Looking for Great Talent?
Learn to Recognize a Competent Recruiter.
Have you ever hired someone who seemed perfect for the job but then wasn’t? Have you every tried to hire the “best person for the job” and then they turned down the offer?
Why can it be so difficult to find really good talent sometimes? And by “really good”, I mean the right fit for the job and company culture.
The Selection Process
There are a number of elements that need to work together well (but need not be perfect) to hire great people. The high level...Continue reading
By Miki Jo RestoPosted in Human Resources on August 29, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
August 22, 2014
Selling Dilemma: I’m Trying, But I Can’t “Just Make Goal!”
Sales Management Vs. Micromanagement- Benefits of Activity Metrics
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been hearing a new drumbeat in the world of selling. Actually, it’s not a new sound. It’s a rhythm that was helping us all keep pace a decade ago but got replaced. It’s back because it is a classic beat, one that has always been appropriate and important.
The resurgence of a focus on activity metrics is one that all sellers may not view in a positive light. I’ve heard, then and now, that it feels like micromanagement when a sales...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on August 22, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
August 20, 2014
Grow Up to be Big and Strong: Define Your Strengths
Three things we can do to grow up & make the most of our strengths.
When a parent wanted you to eat your vegetables, were you told something like, “Don’t you want to grow up big and strong?” Mine certainly did. We put a lot of emphasis on being strong -- and for good reason. Being strong is as old as the biblical Samson. Being strong indicates we are healthy. Being strong means we have a shot at being Superman, Superwoman or simply super. Being strong while communicating says we get our point across.
Donald O....Continue reading
By Sherri PetroPosted in Professional Development on August 20, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
August 13, 2014
Leadership Dashboards: How managing the past can hurt your future.
3 Areas Leaders Should Be Focusing Their Time On
What metrics do you use to manage your business? It’s a common question and for many business leaders, generates common answers. Revenue, Unit Costs, Overhead, Operating Profit, Customer Complaints, On-Time Delivery, etc… But when asked, “Are those metrics helping you to grow your business?” the answer is often “No”. That’s because most leadership dashboards focus on lagging indicators instead of those that lead the business to a future...Continue reading
By Lisa WoodsPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on August 13, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
July 29, 2014
What Are We Not Saying?
Actionable Opportunities to Engage Employees with Feedback
A provocative question. This is not about interpreting nonverbal behavior or playing Hollywood Game Night at the company picnic. It’s about being tight-lipped with our employees when we could choose not to. It’s about the messages we could be saying that would go a long way in engaging them, something we keep saying we want but can’t seem to get out of our own way to create.
What do employees want? We have scores of studies that show us. Whether you review Ross DePinto’s...Continue reading
By Sherri PetroPosted in Communication Skills on July 29, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
July 23, 2014
Selling in a VUCA World
How do sales professionals adapt to rapid change?
Ever feel like you have whiplash as a result of the jarring changes and conflicting directions you’re getting from your customers and your company?
You’re not alone.
The swift acceleration of change and the constant struggle to keep up with it (let alone get ahead of it!) causes everyone, at times, to feel like the silver ball inside a pinball machine. Your sales leaders and support departments are in reactive mode, zinging around at lightning speed as they accommodate and...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on July 23, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
July 16, 2014
Team Building for Two
How to Conduct Team Building Activities for Small Teams
Sometimes when an organization is growing or going through changes, the team you may be the new supervisor or manager of includes yourself and only one other person. Many leaders I’ve seen in this position tend to think that team building, good communication skills, or policies and procedures don’t really apply to them. Since they are so small, I can see why it might seem like that is the case. However, no matter how small your team may be, it’s always important to be...Continue reading
By Emilie ShoopPosted in Management on July 16, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
July 10, 2014
Working With Millennials: Turn Your Frustration Into Results
Are you struggling with how to lead and manage Millennials?
Recently I was walking through the lobby of my office building when I overheard a mother at the reception desk encouraging her twenty-something year old son about an impending job interview. The mother said, “Look her in the eyes, sit up straight and believe you can get this job! They need someone as amazing as you. Text me once you come out, and I will bring the car to the front door."
Minutes later that same son was introduced to me as the interview candidate for a new position we...Continue reading
By Jayne JenkinsPosted in Management on July 10, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
July 7, 2014
Leading in a VUCA World
Management Challenges in the New Age
In the good old days (or so they tell me), senior managers could thoroughly research an issue and deliberate on the pros and cons before reaching a sound decision. Those decisions became precedents, clearly defining a path and eliminating the guesswork. The pace of change was measured, controlled by the leader’s preferences and the team’s capacity and capabilities.
Those days are gone forever. The Center for Creative Leadership has coined a new term – VUCA – to describe the...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Management on July 7, 2014
Add to My Toolkit
-
July 2, 2014
First Line Managers Set the Tone for Team Culture
Don't Make This Silly Mistake With Your Culture
First time supervisors or managers are at the mercy of the organization as a whole when it comes to creating a great team culture to work in.
Wrong!
The biggest, silliest mistake I see new leaders making is:
Thinking they have nothing to do with the culture
That they can’t make a difference
That their job is to just keep doing things the way they have always been done.
From large studies like Gallup Polls, to many smaller surveys through job...Continue reading
By Emilie ShoopPosted in Management on July 2, 2014
Add to My Toolkit