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Don’t Settle for Average

May 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Summary:  You don’t consider yourself average so don’t accept average. Where does it start? Be demanding.

Do you consider yourself average? Probably not, so why would you settle for average. No, I’m not talking about dating – it’s about your people. The people working around you every day and who you rely on for your companies success.

Photoxpress 4155667 320x222 Dont Settle for Average

Courtesy of PhotoXpress

Where does it start? Expectations. You need to have a clear understanding of what you expect from people and be able to convey the message to those who need to live up to it. This includes your people, suppliers, consultants, etc. anyone who assists you making your business prosperous.

Where else? These expectations needs to be clearly understood during the recruiting process, once they have joined the company/department and on an on-going basis. Your suppliers and consultants, etc. when the engagement starts.

Be demanding and don’t accept less – after all you have high expectations for yourself why not for those around you. Understand that demanding does not mean:

  • being rude
  • being a dictator
  • you stop listening
  • you stop soliciting information

Demanding means:

  • having expectations
  • communicating
  • explaining
  • focus on results
  • a way of working
  • open to feedback
  • asking for the feedback

Set your expectations and demand nothing less.  Can you do it?

Filed Under: Authentic Leadership Tagged With: ,

What if People came with Nutrition Labels?

May 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Summary: Finding and hiring people is a process many people dislike. What if candidates came with a nutrition label just like our food?

It’s the necessary, laborious process that many people dislike. Finding, interviewing and hiring a new employee. After all it would be so much easier if every person came with a  nutrition label, you know like the ones we see on every product in the grocery store. Or maybe a bar code we could scan that would tell us everything we need to know so we wouldn’t have to guess about their skills, attitude or personality. Ahhh…that would be great!

 

What if People came with Nutrition Labels?

 

Well its not exactly a nutrition label or a bar code, a resume can help guide us about a person. Just like a nutrition label it can only provide with relevant information if we know what we are looking for, for example, are we more concerned with calories, fat or sodium.  Only then will the label give us what we are looking for and let us know if it acceptable to us.

A resume is the same. What are you looking for, what’s important to you  - skills, results, accomplishments, industry experience, or something else. Once you know this, the resume you are reviewing becomes more relevant and provide insight. Just like a nutrition label, you need to know what is important before you start reading.  Before you look at one resume, know what is meaningful to you. We can easily be distracted by “shiny objects” that may or may not help us in the long run.

What is important to you when reviewing a resume?

Filed Under: Hiring/Firing, Leadership Tagged With: , ,

It’s Up To You

April 16, 2013 By

Summary:  Culture is you internal brand. It is up to you to create and maintain it – no one else.

Sometimes when to speak of culture or your internal brand, we place the onus on someone else. Maybe it’s the person in marketing, human resources, a manager or the administrator.  I’m sorry to tell you this….no one else is to blame or is responsible – it’s up to you.

u 320x286 Its Up To You

If any of those other people aren’t living up to your expectations or managing the way you like then it is up to you to change it. If you have people who are treating others poorly, it is up to you to change it. If people are saying one thing and doing another then it is up to you to change it. If your brand isn’t being perceived as you like, it is up to you to change it.  Yes, it all starts with you.  After all it is your business, whether you are the owner, president or some other title –  it is up to you.

Now that we have that clarified, what are you going to do about it?

Ah ha, that’s the tough question!

Step back. Before diving in and taking action. Take a look at what the “root cause” of the issue. Don’t stop at your first answer, keep digging. You have to know what to fix before the how.

Plan. Come up with a plan of action and follow it. You don’t want to wing this, the consequences are too great to leave it up to chance.

Follow through. More times than I care to count, plans fail from lack of follow through. Yes, it is going to take time and will mot be fixed overnight. It will take perseverance on your part and “stick to it-ness”. Remember it is too important, if you don’t frustration will set in very quickly and you will be the one to blame.

Get to it!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Authentic Leadership, Employee Communication

What does it mean to you?

April 2, 2013 By

Summary:  What does culture mean to a business? Define it, work it, use it and celebrate it. It’s all good.

A lot is said about culture – how to define it, do you need one and what does it mean to your business. To many businesses this sound like a “big business” idea and may not realize what this means to them.

actdet imagen para la ruta gaudi 320x233 What does it mean to you?

Park Guell by Gaudi, Barcelona Spain

What does culture mean to a small business? Culture is essentially the personality of the company, what makes it a great place to work and the kind of people working in it.  Think of the companies you admire – what kinds of words do you use to describe it, does it sound like you are talking about a person than a company? Usually, since a personality makes it more personable to us.

What is your culture? Keep in mind their is no right or wrong answer here – your culture is what it is. The real question then becomes – is this what you want it to be?

Define it. Take out a piece a paper and write down the words that describe your company. How do your clients see it? How do your people see it? How do you see it? It’s possible you have three very different lists.

Work it. If your lists don’t match, you need to figure out what you want your culture or “personality” to be and work towards it. Having different view points between the three creates more of a multiple personality disorder than a culture.

Use it. Your culture should be used to find new hires who fit in, attract clients (people like to work with companies like themselves), and keep people motivated.

Celebrate. Enjoy who and what you are.

Share your culture with us below.

 

Filed Under: Authentic Leadership, Employee Satisfaction Tagged With: , ,

Is a Bad Apple spoiling your Bunch?

March 26, 2013 By

Summary: We have all experienced or have that one person who started out well and over time has become mediocre to awful. Worse yet, it has become contagious and spread to others. What do you do? 

We have all seen it, we have experienced it…and uh, oh…you have one.

Now they didn’t start out this way. Actually, they were fantastic. What am I talking about…the rotten apple employee. This is a person who started off good and spread the goodness. Over time, for whatever reason, the good has changed to mediocre to downright awful.  The thing is their attitude has become contagious.

Photoxpress 1284209 320x240 Is a Bad Apple spoiling your Bunch?

Courtesy of PhotoXpress

The Bad Apple Spoiling the Bunch.

Did you just nod your head in knowing? You’ve seen it and experienced it. You have also been frustrated by it and at a loose for what to do. Your first reaction may be to get rid of them, before you jump into action here are a few things to consider:

 Their reach. Who are their closest allies? In other words, if this person were to leave, who would go with them? Are they of the same mindset or just followers?

The work. What is your plan to have the work covered? Is it for the short-term or long-term? If others will also leave, what about their work.

Have a plan. Work still needs to be covered and completed. Put together two plans, one for only the rotten apple leaving and the other is the bunch leaves. Work your plan and have a backup, don’t rely on yourself or the others to cover as replacements and training may take more time than you think.

While you are working the plan and putting it together do not slow down or diminish your expectations. Ask and demand the same level of work as before and document (hopefully you have been doing this already). Keep track of what you ask for and what is not getting done. Discuss it with them, the conversation where you let them go should not be first time they are hearing the information.

Who knows, they may get tired of the constant conversations and leave on their own terms. Either way, you have your plan and stick to it.

How do you deal with your “rotten apples”? Share in comments.

Filed Under: Authentic Leadership, Employee Communication, Employee Satisfaction Tagged With: , , ,
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