Mike Figliuolo – Page 12 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

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Entries by Mike Figliuolo

Taking a Structured Approach to Problem Solving

May 21, 2018 /2 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Entrepreneur, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

A case study in structured problem solving: How we cut $3MM in overtime costs at a hospital by applying structured problem solving. One of the most rewarding engagements I’ve had as a management consultant was with a hospital that had been under severe budget pressure for years due to excessive overtime costs. I’d never worked for a hospital, so the expertise I was bringing wasn’t hospital management but a structured problem-solving method that I’d learned as a consultant. Here is an overview of each step I used. You can use these same steps to solve your challenging problems. The Problem Statement. I started by clarifying with my client the problem I was going to solve. I did this with a simple one-page introduction with three parts. – Situation: A definition of the client and their normal situation. – Complication: A definition of what has changed in their normal situation that is causing a problem. – Question: A definition of the problem the consultant is being hired to solve that clearly outlines what success would look like. By clarifying the problem, we defined success as “substantially reducing overtime without negatively impacting patient care.” The Logic Map. Next, I created a logical framework – a logic map – to identify all the potential root causes of overtime and categorize them into distinct categories. I chose “Supply-Driven” versus “Demand-Driven” at the top of my framework to organize the potential causes. Potential overtime root causes in the “Supply” category would be things related to the supply of labor – e.g., ‘not enough staff.’ Potential causes in the “Demand” category would be drivers of the demand for labor – e.g., ‘number of patients increased.’ The Interview Guide. I translated that logical framework into an interview guide that I could use in the meetings with the […]

Do you better manage personal finances or business finances?

May 17, 2018 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: Which do you manage more closely: your personal finances or your business’ finances? I manage my personal finances much more rigorously: 29.7% I pay much more attention to my business’ finances: 30.6% I strike a good balance on managing both equally well: 36.1% I don’t manage my personal or my business finances well: 3.5% Money matters. Most of you report paying a lot of attention to business finances, but be careful that attention doesn’t come at the expense of your personal finances. If your own finances get messy because of mismanagement, it can cause issues with job performance. This isn’t only about making sure your checking account is full and retirement plan is maxed out. Take care of all aspects of your financial well-being. That includes protecting yourself from identity theft and fraud. Those two items alone can cause you problems when you go to get a job, move or get a loan. Protect your identity from theft, and manage your credit carefully. With all the high-profile security breaches of late, it’s probably a good idea to pay some attention to that part of your life. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

Success Starts With You

May 14, 2018 /0 Comments/in Books, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Your beliefs dictate what you can or cannot achieve. A secret to achieving greatness is understanding and challenging the beliefs that are holding you back. Today’s post is by Antonio Garrido, author of Asking Questions the Sandler Way (CLICK HERE to get your copy). POP QUIZ: The world changed on May 6th, 1954. How? On May 6th, 1954 at Iffley Road track in Oxford, England, a young student named Roger Bannister ran a sub-4-minute mile; and it changed the world. Prior to this momentous event, physicians the world over had maintained that the human frame was incapable of running a mile in less than 4 minutes. Scientists, doctors, neurologists, professors, athletes and so on believed, understood, and agreed with absolute assuredness that is was impossible to do so: not improbable, but genuinely impossible. This was an unquestioned, and unambiguous biological, and neurological FACT. It was believed with 100% complete assuredness that since the dawn of time, man had never, nor would ever, achieve this immense feat. A mile, in less than 4 minutes was just plain impossible. Yet on May 6th, 1954, Bannister did it – in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds! To add to the enormity of the event, Bannister was not a professional athlete. He was a student and this was back in the day when all one did as a student was study. He didn’t have a team of professional training coaches refining the separate elements of his running style. He had no team of nutritionists looking after his diet. He had no global brands sponsoring his ‘second-skin, designed in a wind-tunnel’ running gear. He didn’t have a specialist in the gym designing his weight-lifting regimes, or medics measuring his glucose and red-cell levels on an hourly basis. So, how did he do it? And, perhaps more importantly, […]

How willing are you to take a risk and let team members make decisions?

May 10, 2018 /0 Comments/in Communications, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How willing are you to take a risk and let team members make decisions? Very: I always let them make decisions irrespective of risk: 12.3% Mostly: I let them make decisions within reasonable limits: 83.6% Not very: I withhold most decision making authority for myself: 3.1% Not at all: I need to make all the decisions because of the risks: 0.9% Empower your people. The vast majority of you leave it to your teams to make decisions. It’s a matter of balancing risk and empowerment. The more you empower, the more risk you assume. For bigger decisions where you’re going to empower your team members, be specific about the risks you’re going to take, and ensure you back those team members up if things go wrong. For those of you not yet empowering your people, start with some small decisions, and see how it goes. If they make good decisions, keep increasing their decision-making scope. It’s the only way they’re going to build the skills themselves. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

The Loyalty Trap

May 7, 2018 /2 Comments/in Books, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Loyalty can be a leadership trap that leads to failure unless we are very deliberate about how we define and apply it, and then it can empower the team. Today’s post is by Paul Sean Hill, author of Leadership from the Mission Control Room to the Boardroom (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Loyalty is a leadership trap. Or it can be if we’re not very deliberate about how we define and apply it. Loyalty is almost always listed as a top virtue, like honesty and trustworthiness, including in the workplace. It just makes sense to our inner good person, our conscience. After all, what leader doesn’t want to know that the team they lead is going to follow their lead in all things? What team doesn’t want to know their leader has their back or will defend them up the chain and from rival organizations? As I was promoted within NASA, it was common for managers to see their job as “Circling the wagons to defend my people and my area of responsibility.” But something nagged at me from time to time when my boss beat the loyalty drum, and as an executive I was never comfortable asking for – or even expecting – personal loyalty. The reason why became vividly clear to me during a time of crisis, as we were reeling with the combination of the end of the Space Shuttle Program and the cancellation of the Constellation Program (the Moon and Mars program). In response to the drastic change in NASA’s direction, my boss and I were discussing the work that we agreed was critical to pursue in human spaceflight with the great national asset that is NASA. When I asked if my boss had made these recommendations to his boss, the NASA Administrator (NASA’s “CEO”) […]

How effective is your organization at using good measurement practices?

May 3, 2018 /2 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How effective is your organization at implementing good measurement practices? Very — we’re rigorous about the measurement methods we use: 8.1% Mostly — sometimes we’re not as effective as we could be: 35.6% Not very — we’re only disciplined when measuring major metrics: 34.1% Not at all — we’re terrible in our measurement practices: 22.3% You can’t manage what you don’t measure. The next time the 56% of you who don’t measure things well are unhappy with how your organization is performing, please remember this poll. You can’t manage, let alone improve, things you don’t measure. Don’t go out and measure indiscriminately though. Clearly define the desired business outcome, identify the best measure of how you’re performing on activities related to that outcome, and stick to a focused set of metrics to track your progress. When you do measure, remember to answer the five key measurement questions: What’s the measurement’s purpose? What data source will you use? How will you calculate the metric? How frequently will you measure? Who will review the measure? If you can answer these questions clearly, you should have a meaningful metric to monitor. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

Dealing with a Manipulative Person

May 2, 2018 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Career, Communications, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Manipulative people are challenging and terrifying to deal with. They prey on fear, insecurity, and uncertainty to get what they want. Deception isn’t out of bounds for them. Dealing with them requires you to change the game. We’ve all encountered or dealt with a manipulative person at some point in our career. These people induce fear, anxiety, and stress. In some cases they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Dealing with them and staying sane and healthy in the process is a monumental challenge. Sometimes what’s required is changing your perspective. Sometimes you have to change the rules of the game. Other times you need to recognize the situation for what it is and extricate yourself. Here are some suggestions on how to survive dealing with a manipulative person. Recognize the Manipulation Sometimes it’s hard to spot a manipulator. They can ply their trade slowly over time. Every day they behave in a way that leads you to change your thoughts and behaviors to match their desires. It’s possible to not realize you’re being manipulated until the situation has become unbearable. Ask yourself a few questions to see if you’re in a manipulative situation: – Do I behave differently around this person compared to how I behave around others? – Does my relationship with this person feel one-sided in their favor? – Do I feel afraid, threatened, or anxious when I’m around or interacting with this person? – Do I find it easier to just give this person what they want instead of pushing for what I want? If you answered “yes” to many of these questions, you might have a manipulator on your hands. Some manipulative people use fear or threats to get what they want. Others make you feel sorry for them. Yet others make […]

3 Ways to be a More Inspiring Leader

April 30, 2018 /0 Comments/in Books, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

A few simple techniques can be the difference between being a decent manager and an inspiring leader. Gathering feedback, understanding your team, and building trust are keys to unlocking great performance. Today’s post is by Rae Steinbach. There’s a vast improvement in results when you’re an inspirational leader. A few simple tweaks to your management style and a slight change in perspective can take you from humdrum manager to inspiring leader in no time. Whether you’re leading a team of 10, 100, or more, being able to inspire and motivate them rather than simply administer and control will have a huge impact on your bottom line, retention figures, and achieving your company’s mission and vision. Focusing on soliciting employee feedback and creating a healthy company culture will assist you in developing a team of empowered individuals who are willing, and able, to go the extra mile for the company mission and drive your business to the top of its game. Here are the three top tips for improving your management style and becoming the inspiring leader your team will follow anywhere. Ask for Feedback Sure, part of your job as a leader is telling your team what needs to be done. The flip side to that, though, is asking them for feedback on all aspects of their work – including how you are perceived. Although this can be a little intimidating (for you and them), the responses provided will help you improve in terms of leadership style and skills. Ask the right feedback questions in an open and transparent way that will encourage honest answers from your team. Be clear about what you want and let your team know there are no ‘wrong’ answers or repercussions for sharing something you may not have expected.

When you’re not interested in a vendor’s product, how do you handle it?

April 26, 2018 /4 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Poll, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: When you’re not interested in a vendor’s product or service, how do you handle it? I tell them I’m not interested quickly and directly: 74.0% I continue conversations until they realize there’s not a fit: 4.1% I ignore their calls and emails and hope they disappear: 21.9% Exercise common courtesy. While many of you are up front with a vendor when you’re not interested in their product or service, the 22% of you who aren’t might want to reconsider your behavior. Salespeople and other vendor personnel spend significant amounts of time and energy pursuing sales and partnership leads. When you ignore them and hope they just go away, you’re being disrespectful of their time; and, the silent treatment borders on unprofessional. The vast majority of them would prefer a fast and polite, “I’m not interested,” instead of being ignored and spending more time following up. How would you feel if you were in their shoes and your prospects and partners ignored you? Not so good, I assume. Do the right thing. Be professional. Offer a courteous, “No, thank you,” as soon as you know it’s not a fit. There’s always time for professionalism. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

Building the Bonds of a High-Performing Team

April 25, 2018 /0 Comments/in Communications, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

We’d all love to lead a high-performing team. The good news is there are several deliberate steps you can take to bring in the right people, strengthen the bonds between them, and build trust among them. If you can do all that, you’re well on your way to having a high-performing team. You think you’re well on the way toward building and leading a high-performing team. You’ve got a clear vision and mission and a nice set of prioritized initiatives. You have all the right people. But what starts differentiating a regular team from a high-performing team is chemistry and trust between the members of that team. These intangibles are some of the most critical elements of building that team. They’re also some of the most elusive ones to build and to capture. In terms of building chemistry between the members of your team, you need to understand it’s about personalities and shared beliefs. Hiring for Fit Make sure everyone on your team is involved in the interview process. Candidates will show different sides of themselves to different people. Sometimes those sides can be unattractive detractors from what you’re trying to build. I’ve had a couple of experiences like this in my past. When I was a consultant, we were hiring a new consultant for the team. That person interviewed very well with the other members of the consulting staff. At the end of the interview process, we all got together in the team room and we talked about this candidate. All of us were very excited about hiring him. Then we stopped and we asked our front desk receptionist what she thought of him. She said, “He was incredibly rude, he spoke down to me. He acted like I didn’t matter.” That individual did not get an offer of […]

Simple Techniques for Creating a More Respectful Workplace

April 23, 2018 /0 Comments/in Books, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

When the lines between personal and professional get blurred or people use language that makes others uncomfortable, workplace morale and performance suffer. Fortunately there are some simple phrases you can use to deal with those situations. Today’s post is by Cornelia Gamlem and Barbara Mitchell, authors of The Conflict Resolution Phrase Book (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Once, the lines around public and private were clear. Certain personal issues weren’t discussed or disclosed in a public, much less a business setting. Modern technology has blurred those lines and the respect for boundaries is eroding. Modern workplaces have become more relaxed. Boundaries and individual privacy are currently being chipped away in the modern world, not just on social media but in other forums and situations as well. Yet boundaries – those invisible lines that help define roles and manage interpersonal relationships at work – are important. They define limits – where you end and others begin. Consider this situation. While meeting with a client, she closed the door to her office behind us. No sooner had we sat down when there was a knock on the door and it immediately burst open. The individual behind the knock didn’t wait to be invited in or be greeted by my host. He started talking with no regard or respect for my client’s privacy nor the business she was conducting. She could have been engaged in a discussion of a sensitive or proprietary nature. The intruder didn’t seem to care. Boundaries also define limits for language and communication. In the lobby of another client’s building, I observed and heard an employee talking on her cell phone, having what sounded like a personal call. As soon as she turned the corner I heard her scream an expletive, presumably into the phone. All I could […]

How well do you remember to treat your team members like individuals?

April 19, 2018 /0 Comments/in Communications, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How well do you remember to treat your team members like the individuals they are? Very – I treat everyone like an individual.: 70.1% Mostly – sometimes I forget to treat them as individuals.: 27.9% Not very – I often treat them like cogs in a machine.: 0.8%% Not at all – I tend to treat them all the same.: 1.1% No one wants to be a cog. The more you treat people like individuals, the more likely they are to commit to your leadership. One of the biggest mistakes a leader can make is failing to understand this principle. It doesn’t take much to make someone feel like a cog in the machine. Common mistakes like referring to people by title or role rather than name can signal that you don’t see them as an individual. It’s these small daily behaviors that set the tone for how your people feel. Be aware of these habits and fix them if you find yourself making those mistakes. Diane, Kendall, Buddy, Elroy, and the rest of your team members will appreciate you knowing who they are as individuals. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!