October 3rd, 2008 admin
A recent book from Lee Iacocca reminds me of the issues pertaining to leadership in America today. In his, book “Where have all the Leaders Gone? Mr. Iacocca reminds us of the ethical issues inherent in our system and challenges leaders to make amends. Greed and narcissism take hold in our society and change must follow. Leaders today use too many freedoms that create too much separation from the employees.
I recently rang off with a client who indicates to me required cost cutting given today’s economic upheaval. Items such as cup sizes; pens, pencils, space allocation etc are all under review. Yet most interesting executive bonuses, salaries, and benefits remain. Leaders today must be examples not narcissists. Being a leader requires being an example to all not one above the rest.
In the late 90’s, Colin Powell provided insight on a book on leadership in which he states, “Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off”. Agreed, but leadership is about trust and respect, little exists when employees are continually annoyed. Attrition increases and morale too. When productivity lacks, who really must be accountable?
Leaders today must constantly strive to challenge the employees and the system. The “aint broke don’t fix it” rule is not longer applicable. The days of the status quo ended and individuals and the culture as a whole must change to remain competitive.
Leaders need to act in harmony with employees and ensure equal treatment of all. Cultures where this practice occurs frequently include McDonalds, Fed Ex and UPS where employees and management are one. Why is it that some leaders build a culture of enthusiasm and energy and others self-fulfillment? Herb Kelleher, Steve Jobs, and others all exist to build a culture based on output to the employee and customer. Businesses suffer when leadership exists in a chasm. Businesses must emphasize focus for the customer.
Finally, leadership requires oversight and there exists little. Oversight committees and boards must help leaders change methods. Avarice does not assist stakeholder’s only self. Metaphorically, leaders must regain their site on the ball and stop stranding stakeholders and employees in sand traps. Organizational life is not an individual sport, it requires, moxie, persistence and a team effort.
2008. Drew J. Stevens All rights reserved.
Posted in Leadership, Leadership Training, Management, Management Training, Organizational Skills, Performance Management, organizational secrets, organizational success, organizational tips | No Comments »
August 23rd, 2008 admin
I advocate training but not for training sake. As many readers know my emphasis is two fold, those that treat training as an event. Individuals cannot change behavior in a six-hour training session. Like biting fingernails or twirling hair, training requires habit changes. Training must be a process that requires several sessions, perhaps years rather than a one-time kudos.
Nothing is more irksome then hearing the CEO or HR professional from a multi-billion dollar organization state there is no money in the training budget. Human Capital is assets not liabilities. The current trend traced to economics is rote with excuses of cutbacks. Typically, training budgets are the first line item.
My doctoral work and a recent article written by Jorina Fontelera indicate the need to train employees. Training when conducted consistently, helps with both worker productivity and morale.
Posted in Drew Stevens, Drew Stevens PhD, Employee Performance, Expertise, Human Resource Management, Management, Performance Management, Uncategorized, effectiveness, efficiency, improve customer service, job training, productivity, productivity techniques, workplace performance | No Comments »
July 31st, 2008 admin
We are in the throes of major political campaigns in the Americas. In less than 100 days, the American people will vote for Governors, Attorney Generals, Treasures and most importantly the next President of the United States. Given the power of present multi media it has become increasingly difficult to open a newspaper, listen to a radio or watch television without some candidate pitching their services. If you thought the profession of selling was ancient, the world of political controversy dates just as far in time.
What is incredible in all recent campaigns and many will agree continues as long as memory serves is the callous and daunting display of smear tactics and malice in most campaigns. Prompting this article was yet another attack on one political candidate from another. What is most interesting is that each candidate is trying to “sell” voters. However, more poignant is that rather then spend time on benefits the campaigners spend more time attacking the competition! Great sales professionals never engage in such technique so I thought it helpful to those politicians seeking office to offer Success Techniques for the Electorate.
1. Success Technique Number One – Honesty – Voters desire a politician they can trust and they can respect. Two factors are vital here: 1) there is a need to build rapport and relationships with voters. Politicians need to get out and meet the people individually; they must refrain from the myriad of multimedia. Great sales professionals are always with clients and they will tell you the only method of relationship building is face to face. 2) Give voters an opportunity to engage by producing factual information about you, do not hide information. Voters like to decide based on solid evidence.
2. Success Technique Number Two– Competition –Lose the smear tactics. Great sales people never talk about the competition. Why? Simply because there is competition because someone offers something that you do not have. That is not bad, nor is it good, it is merely a competition position. There is a desire by candidates to prove themselves based on political history. Use these features to display your talents; focusing on the competition only illustrates fear.
3. Success Technique Number Three– Benefits –The profession of selling hinges on the client desiring to understand the value that professionals bring. Politicians need similar strategy. Focus on the benefit to the voter not the nebulous facts. This country and all consumers buy based on emotion not logic. It is vital to answer the question, “What is in it for me?” Take the time to change your features into solid benefits for those you desire to attract.
4. Success Technique Number Four – Passion – Emotion is what sells along with conviction. Some of the recent messages appear as if spoken by a corpse. Some of the best leaders in World History were terrific orators, speaking with passion in every sentence. Captivate your audiences with great presentation skills.
5. Success Technique Number Five – Audience – It is intriguing to see how politicians speak to audiences. A great selling professional would never walk into a room or open their mouth unless they were prepared. They understand audience demographics and psychographics. Yet numerous politicians appear on television and in live crowds without a hint of the audience outcome. Never walk into a room without proper preparation. An athlete would never compete without preparation; a concert pianist would not do so, why then would not an elected official.
There are a myriad of other success factors that drive this report and space and time do not permit the additional 10. However, if politicians can follow some of the rules that selling professionals live by perhaps voters can easily filter the bad and focus on those that are truly the best for that office at that time.
© 2008. Drew Stevens Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Posted in Business Communication, Drew Stevens, Drew Stevens PhD, Performance Management, Public Speaker, Public Speaking Skills, Sales Management Training, Sales Training, Sales marketing, Strategic Selling, business building, business development, business selling, effectiveness, marketing, marketing help, negativity, negotiation, passion, politics, sales coaching, sales help, sales selling, sales skills, sales strategist, sales strategy, sales success, sales techniques, sales trends, selling, selling skills, selling skills sales seminars, selling strategies, selling strategy, selling techniques, small business success, small business techniques | No Comments »
July 28th, 2008 admin
Secrets of Leadership Success
Drew Stevens Ph.D.
A recent IBM Global Human Capital Study mentions that 40 percent of organizations believe that a lack of leadership capability is one of the primary workforce related issues. As companies and employees grow and mature one of the ailments of many organizations is developing the needed bench strength for the future.
As researchers in this area we notice several factors that contribute to these issues:
1. Succession Planning – Both an aging workforce and ineffective succession planning continually impact leadership development. A recent Wall Street Journal article “Hiring a CEO from the Outside is More Expensive” depicts the issues organizations face due to ineffective succession planning. Executive pay tracker Equilar found that firms typically pay 65% more to hire outside CEO’s. With burdensome profits and a failing economy organizations need to save costs wherever possible.
2. Knowledge Management – We live in a knowledge economy and as oftentimes written when individuals leave organizations, they take with them knowledge. Content is king and much as heirs and heiresses pass down fortunes, knowledge must be treated similarly. Leaders must allow employees to cross pollinate and learn each area of the business. In the not too distant past many CEO’s began in the mailroom.
3. Talent Acquisition – The best method for succession planning begins with hiring the right people. Not enough firms spend time here. According to a 2007 study of 37,000 employees (Manpower), 41 percent of companies worldwide are having trouble finding suitable talent. Make this a priority. Look inside and outside the organization for those individuals that can impact the organization.
4. Skill Acquisition – Productivity begins with understanding the job function, the industry and the competition. Not enough time is spent on training and development. Too many firms use elearning and software to augment human interaction and investment. However, firms are not seeing sufficient returns. For production to rise, more commitment must be spent on training and development. Further most organizations believe that a one time training event will boost productivity. This is untrue. Training is an inducement to change behavior, such augmentation taking months to rehabilitate. Training is an investment, a process that must be taken seriously.
5. Dichotomy – The success of FedEx, Disney, Southwest and many other top-flight organizations is the spirit and passion binding the culture. Individuals love leaders that communicate, respond to queries and allow all to share a common voice. Participative management is a leadership trait envied by many.
Leadership today requires a different business strategy. While many have coined phrases such as Sale, Web and Business 2.0, there is also a need for Leadership 2.0. With so much change and turbulence there is a need for a nimble, faster and yet pragmatic leader. The need for knowledgeable quick leaders is more prevalent then ever before. Organizations must work smarter not harder to remain competitive and the successful leader is pinnacle to its success.
©2008 Drew Stevens Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Posted in Business Communication, CEO challenges, Drew Stevens, Drew Stevens PhD, Employee Performance, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Leadership Training, Management, Management Training, Performance Management, effectiveness, efficiency, organizational success, organizational techniques, organizational tips, productivity | No Comments »
July 12th, 2008 admin
In the last several years there has been much hype and marketing related to certification training. Certifications are special designations attributed by numerous professional societies so that members get the opportunity to enhance particular skills. Exemplars include Residential Relocation Designation for those in the Real Estate Industry and Chartered Accountant for the Accounting Industry.
While there is a need for particular organizations and its members to have such designations, a plethora of these certifications have developed over the years. There is certification for Project Management, Selling, Speaking, Consulting and even Customer Service. At some point, the average professional must begin to question the worthiness of such programs.
Questions to ask must include:
1. Who are those the certify those they certify? What reporting procedures are in place to ensure legitamacy.
2. What is the value? Many associations provide the certification with little explanation as to member value
3. What is the ROI? It is vital for you to understand what returns you receive when you spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours. One must also understand if there is a track record of proof.
If you seek certification you might want to question:
1. What is the projected revenue stream upon certification? There are associations for both speaking and selling even training and yet no one is willing to take the bullet to illustrate the relevance to future revenue. If the certification does not lead to revenue growth do not do it!
2. Ego. Many individuals take certification simply because they devour seeking alphabet soup after their name. There are two issues to heed, 1) you are in business to create clients not to stroke your ego, 2) what is the benefit to the client? If you are in business for you and no one else, then eliminate the office and look at the bathroom mirror the remainder of the day since that is all you will sell to.
3. Education. If it is additional education you seek that is admirable. The advice here is to seek that education congruent with both your clients and your desire for knowledge as it relates to present and future clients. These can include CEU credits or additional degrees at the graduate and doctoral level. You might desire a two to three day seminar at many prestigous Executive Education Programs. Many of these alternatives provide a greater return in networking then certification will.
4. Accreditation. Seek education only from accrediting bodies.
5. Be mindful. There are many institutions today that seek to gain from student enrollment and shy from solid eduational practices. Many of these institutions can be found in your Spam filters or were previous good e-learning institutions however they now suffer from avarice. If you desire a solid education then find a solid learning institution.
Certification is not a bad concept however, you need to answer the imperative questions before embarking on this journey. Ensure you can obtain a return for your precious time and money. And do it to assist your clients, not you!
©2008. Drew Stevens Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Posted in Business Communication, Customer Relationship, Employee Performance, Expertise, Human Resource Management, Management, Management Training, Organizational Skills, Performance Management, Sales marketing, Tips and Techniques, Training, alliances, business building, business development, business selling, effectiveness, efficiency, inquiry managment, job training, marketing, organizational secrets, organizational techniques, positive results, sales and marketing, sales selling, sales skills, sales strategist, sales success, sales techniques, small business success, small business techniques, training and development | No Comments »
August 29th, 2007 Drew Stevens
Performance issues will continue as long as managers do not diagnosis the problem. It is too costly to production and to the Human Resource function to continually fire and re-hire as a result of employment malfunctions. The typical cost of rehire and retraining is three to four times the employee salary, let alone the time and money lost in productivity.
Value
There is a grave misunderstanding regarding performance reviews. These vital documents are meant to review performance. However, many organizations use this tool to console, condemn, and criticize talent. I migrated to my current business solely because a former sales manager placed new goals and expectations after delivery of a performance review. These goals were so unreasonable; they were not met and used as a termination tool. A source of frustration for many employees is using the Performance Review as a punishment rather than a corrective tool.
Policies and Procedures
Employees must know who they will report to, at what time, why they are doing their job, and who it affects. The most imperative principle - have the employee sign the document. Too many firms are using internal intranets to deliver policies. Worse yet, many have the employee click a button as affirmation for reviewing the document. There is little accountability and knowledge to denote the information was read. Contemplate the human side. Get your employee to sign this document with the manager present. There is little room for error and question with a witness present.
Job Description
The job description is another document that provides accountability. The information suggests hours of operation and areas of responsibility. While time consuming to develop, the document eliminates questions with responsibilities and tasks. Management surveys suggest obtaining an employee’s signature.
Goals and Objectives
Supervisors that create goals can use them for performance measurements. To help make life easier for the supervisor, the goals can roll up into the annual performance review. Since there is a running daily or monthly record of accountability, goals help to make the annual process easier and more efficient.
Reward
• Catch them doing something right.
• Offer training to enhance performance.
• Provide flex time for a job well done and for extended hours.
About Drew Stevens Ph.D.
Drew Stevens is a sales expert who assists your organization to sell and service clients in less time. Drew is the author of six books including Split Second Leadership, Split Second Selling and Split Second Customer Service. Drew has over 150 articles on selling and service and is frequently called on the media for his expertise. For more information, contact Drew at 877-391-6821 or drew@gettingtothefinishline.com.
©2007 All Rights Reserved. Drew Stevens Ph.D.
Posted in Employee Performance, Human Resource Management, Performance Management, Training | No Comments »
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