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January 2, 2015
What Are You Focusing On In 2015?
How have you developed as a leader this last year?
Now that 2014 has come to a close and 2015 is upon us, we start to do a lot of planning. It is also a great time for reflection. As a new manager, what are you focusing on in 2015?
There are plenty of business areas that you will need to focus on for sure. How about your leadership skills? How have you developed as a leader this year? Did you just take on the role of leader, or have you been at it for a while now?
Reflect on 2014
Take a step back and look...Continue reading
By Emilie ShoopPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on January 2, 2015
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December 15, 2014
Tying Bonus Potential to Personality
4 Steps to Implement & Manage Positive Change in Your Team
There is nothing worse than an employee that drags down a team, but it happens all the time. Actually, there is something worse…a manager that does nothing about it. This is a common problem in the workplace, it affects morale, and although it may not be obvious in short-term results, long-term negative impact is real.
So what can you do about it? Well, you don’t want to “pick” on your employee, especially if they are a top performer; you want them to continue performing...Continue reading
By Lisa WoodsPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on December 15, 2014
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October 20, 2014
Before You Blaze A Trail, Ask
One of the greatest assets to an organization is a new leader.
One of my clients had recently promoted someone to a manager for the first time. Now instead of doing the work alongside her colleagues, she was in charge. She seemed more than capable and more than willing to step into this new role.
Things started off pretty well as she found her groove with her new team. Everything seemed on track. Then she began to make changes to the team.
As the new leader, she had many, many ideas on how to improve the processes and...Continue reading
By Emilie ShoopPosted in Management on October 20, 2014
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October 10, 2014
3 Types of Questions You Should Avoid Asking in Sales
Quality questions can make the difference between stalling out and advancing the sale.
After conducting research with sellers and buyers for over 20 years, I’ve concluded that there are five kinds of questions sellers should avoid.
1. Avoid Asking “If I Could…” Questions
This is an obvious set-up. The seller asks a question to fabricate a conditional commitment. Then the seller proceeds to deliver on the condition he or she set up with an expectation the buyer will proceed.
When nearing a close or in response to a sales...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on October 10, 2014
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October 8, 2014
3 Little Changes that will Make a Big Difference With Your Feedback
Follow these simple tips to accelerate your results.
"I want your feedback"
We all say it. We all think we want it. We all are surprised when we don’t hear anything.
According to dictionary.com feedback can be defined as “a reaction or response to a particular process or activity” and taken further to “evaluative information derived from such a reaction or response.” I was surprised at how simple, yet not really helpful the definition was. We always think of feedback being a lot more...Continue reading
By Emilie ShoopPosted in Management on October 8, 2014
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October 1, 2014
Why Being Transparent Is So Important in Leadership Roles
Here’s a three-step formula for you to use in becoming more transparent.
Transparency has also been called “the currency of trust.”
As you know, trust is the foundation of any relationship. As transparency increases, trust increases. And the converse is also true.
Transparency starts with opening up the lines of communication and sharing. You offer and receive information and, as you do, mutual trust increases. As you are more transparent, trust grows and the strength of the relationship grows, too.
When a relationship...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on October 1, 2014
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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
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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
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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
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July 1, 2014
How Can a Leader Avoid Accidental Indignities?
Here are some starter questions to consider in your self-assessment:
Dignity means worthy of honor and respect, having merit. It stems from the Latin dignitas meaning “equivalent to.” Dignifying others means to confer honor or dignity or to ennoble them. It means showing respect for another’s worth and acknowledging each person as equivalent to every other person.
As leaders, we’d all agree that it’s important to dignify others.
But what others? And why? In what ways? And just what does it mean to dignify...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on July 1, 2014
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