Mike Figliuolo – Page 54 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

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Entries by Mike Figliuolo

How candid are you with job applicants when they don’t get the job?

December 11, 2014 /0 Comments/in Career, Communications, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How candid are you with job applicants when they don’t get the job? – I’m completely honest with candidates as to the reason they didn’t get the role: 25.44% – I’m straightforward but a little vague when I tell them the reason they didn’t get the role: 48.6% – I’m evasive when I tell them the reason they didn’t get the role: 7.02% – I let Recruiting break the bad news and explain the reason they didn’t get the role: 18.95% Can we be a little more direct? It’s hard to stomach that 75% of people who interview and don’t get the job really don’t know the reason they weren’t selected. As difficult as it might be to tell them the reason they didn’t get it (poor interview performance, a better candidate, lack of training, etc.), put yourself in their shoes. All they know is they didn’t get it, and they’re wondering how they can perform better next time. We’re all tired of hearing about unemployment numbers — how about we try leading those seeking a job, too? Otherwise, they’re left to their own devices and to reading blog posts about the real reason they didn’t get the job. 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!

Best of thoughtLEADERS 2014: Seriously Our Awesomest Stuff Yet

December 10, 2014 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Entrepreneur, Innovation, Leadership, Sales, Social Media, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

It’s time again for our annual year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published in 2014. Welcome to the 2014 edition of The Figgies (our SIXTH of em! Wow!) which are the awards we give ourselves for writing awesome blog content (here are the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 editions of those awards). This is an annual event at the thoughtLEADERS Blog. This list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work. Enjoy. Share. We’ve loved writing them. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. I don’t ask a lot of you folks so I have two small requests as your holiday gift to me (you are getting me something, right?): 1. Invite all your coworkers, friends, and family to come check out the blog and become readers. The only way we all get better is by raising everyone’s game. I’m not asking a lot here. If you found this blog helpful at all this year, here’s your chance to return the favor for all our hard work. Just email folks and tell ’em to come take a look. 2. Pick up a copy of One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful Personal Leadership (especially if you’re looking for last-minute holiday gifts for bosses, team members, or your mom – she’ll love it). I talk a lot about the book because I’m evangelical about the topic. Buy it. Read it. In the words of Roland Smith (former CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s) “It could change your life.” To get a sense for what the book is about, read this free ChangeThis Leadership Manifesto which is based on the book. If you like the manifesto, you’ll love the book. Thanks for your incredible support in ’14 and best wishes for ’15! We hope to be […]

How Leaders Can Avoid the Risk of the Head Nod

December 8, 2014 /1 Comment/in Books, Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Deborrah Himsel, author of Beauty Queen: Inside the Reign of Avon’s Andrea Jung (CLICK HERE to get your copy). The GM “head nod” is common symptom of leadership malaise that seems to be spreading from one organization to the next. If you’re not familiar with this symptom, it’s documented in the recent General Motors report conducted by outside attorney Anton Valukas in response to their ignition switch defect problems. The report notes that GM employees would nod their heads during problem-solving meetings in acknowledgment of actions they needed to take even though they had no intention of taking them This head nod is becoming endemic in organizations, a kind of passive-aggressive response to certain organizational objectives. While GM’s management must have given lip service to the importance of quality and safety standards, the rank-and-file knew what really mattered was keeping costs down, meeting deadlines and delivering short-term results. The head nod helped maintain the illusion that these issues were being addressed. GM isn’t alone in this head-nodding response. In the years I was at Avon Products, most managers knew that the company had to create more centralized control over offices in various global markets such as China and Brazil. Andrea Jung, the CEO from 1999-2012 communicated this requirement clearly. Yet few actions were taken to address problems such as country leaders acting in ways that didn’t fit the culture or the larger business strategy; or selling products that were no longer part of the company’s product mix; or unethical actions that may have been standard operating procedure in other countries but were unacceptable practices in the Western world. Just like at GM, Avon managers nodded when these problems were raised and solutions proposed. The nods acknowledged that these were serious issues and they agreed that something […]

How good of an example of living a balanced life are you?

December 4, 2014 /1 Comment/in Balanced Lifestyle, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How good of an example of living a balanced life are you for your team? – I’m a perfect example. My life is very much in balance: 13.61% – I’m a good example. I’m mostly in balance but sometimes work too hard: 37.58% – I’m a fair example. Sometimes I’m in balance but not as often as I’d like: 29.48% – I’m a weak example. I’m out of balance most of the time: 12.53% – I’m a terrible example. I’m never in balance and work consumes me: 6.80% Half in balance. Living a balanced life is important both for you and for your team. For you, managing stress and balance in a fast-paced global economy is tough, but if you don’t, you’ll burn out and be worthless. More importantly, your team takes their cues from you on how hard they should be working. It’s hard for them to reconcile you telling them to leave by 6 p.m. when they’re still getting e-mails from you at midnight. Sometimes you have to set a pointed example of what balance is because you might find, as I did in this particular scenario, taking time out for yourself sends a strong signal to your team as well. 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!

11 Commandments of Outstanding Client Service

December 3, 2014 /2 Comments/in Career, Communications, Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

If you’re looking to run a successful business that takes great care of its clients, you’d do well to read the following commandments of client service. These are values, beliefs, and rules I’ve picked up in over a decade of running a client-facing organization. And I serve some pretty outstanding (and demanding) clients! Lately I’ve had a lot of friends and colleagues ask for advice on things they should do or think of as they get ready to strike out on their own and start their own businesses. Since I’m getting tired of saying the same thing on the phone every single time, I figure I’ll get efficient, write it here once, then refer anyone else who asks to this blog post. Being an entrepreneur is all about being efficient. 1. Never keep a client waiting. Honestly, if you show up late, don’t expect them to stay a client very long. Sure this means spending a lot of time in waiting areas because you got somewhere early. Bring a book. Read a blog. Collect your thoughts before the meeting. Heck – I actually started writing this very blog post while I sat waiting for a client to arrive. Just do not be late. Ever. You would be shocked and appalled at how many people violate this all the time. No. It’s not all right to do so. 2. The client is always right unless they’re wrong. Clients aren’t always right. Many times they are. Sometimes you’re both right. Ask yourself if it’s worth falling on your sword to be right. If not, shut up. But if they are wrong and being wrong is going to be harmful to them, see the next commandment. Don’t always tell the client what they want to hear. Tell them what they need to hear.

12 Steps for Managers to Become Leaders

December 1, 2014 /7 Comments/in Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Andrew Cravenho, CEO of CBAC. It’s true! All managers are not leaders. The fact is, most managers achieve their position without ever aspiring to it. They become managers because they are good at the job they are doing. Their bosses view a promotion to manager as a reward for excellent work. Bosses tend to assume that these newly minted managers will be adept at managing for no other reason than the fact they excelled at performing the tasks they are now charged with supervising. Sometimes it works out just that way, but more often than not, it doesn’t. Why? Leadership has much less to do with knowing how to do a job than it does with inspiring others to do the job. Do you think Time, Inc.’s Laura Lang ever wrote a news article or sold a print ad? She hasn’t! Similarly, Lakshmi Mittal never toiled in a steel mill yet, he is at the reins of the largest steel producer in the world—ArcelorMittal. The good news is, managers who have been awarded leadership roles as a result of superb job skills actually enjoy advantages over leaders like Laura Lang and Lakshmi Mittal. Managers who know the jobs and processes they have been asked to manage also understand what they can reasonably expect from their team. Managers in this position can always learn to become great leaders. Insights for Would-be Leaders Define the goals The team you lead needs to understand the vision. There is little point in assembling a team if the goals for the team are not articulated. Leadership is, first and foremost, exemplified by the ability to lay out a clear vision that defines what you are trying to accomplish and what the goal’s achievement will mean to the business.

How well do leaders in your organization compromise with each other?

November 27, 2014 /1 Comment/in Communications, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How well do leaders in your organization compromise with each other to achieve the best result? – We always negotiate and compromise very well, and put the business first: 27.20% – We often put the business first, but sometimes personal interests prevail: 50.29% – We often put personal interests ahead of business interests: 15.46% – We always put personal interests first, and don’t compromise well at all: 7.05% Business first (most of the time). It’s encouraging to see the interests of the business tend to come first in the vast majority of circumstances but it’s troubling to see how often personal agendas enter the equation. Imagine how much more productive we’d be if we set aside personal interests and instead focused on making our businesses better. In the long run, doing so should reap larger rewards for each of us because our organization will perform better and be able to reward us more easily. For a week, try setting aside your personal interests (and encourage others to do the same) and see how much more “real” work you get done. You might be pleasantly surprised. 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!

4 Keys to Overcoming Conflict and Giving Good Feedback

November 26, 2014 /3 Comments/in Career, Communications, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

It’s nauseating to hear – someone soft-shoe dancing around an issue because they’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. They do so because they might receive negative feedback in a 360 review that they were abrupt or too direct in delivering feedback on that issue. So rather than going the direct route, they water down their message until it’s a mealy mouthed blathering stream of meaningless crap (yes, I’m fired up as I’m writing this). Let me ask you this – do you want to follow a “leader” who doesn’t speak his or her mind? Someone who is more concerned with how their actions will be perceived rather than saying what they really think? Do you want to follow a leader who is more interested in doing nothing wrong (and hence not doing much of anything) or would you rather follow someone who takes a stand for what they believe in and suffers the consequences as appropriate? Me? I’ll choose option B. Conflict avoidance has invaded Leaderville and it’s an ugly blight. IMPORTANT: realize, I’m not advocating or approving of hateful, cruel, rude, or offensive behavior and words (although some idiot won’t bother to read this sentence and they’ll leave an anonymous comment to the effect that I’m a hate-monger or some stupidity of similar ilk). Those words and behaviors have no place in any workplace (or our lives for that matter). What I’m attacking is a belief that we as leaders can’t speak our minds because we might hurt someone’s feelings. It’s that mindset that erodes the core of leadership over time and turns it into gentle corrective actions that end up having no impact whatsoever. Sure, no one felt corrected or had their feelings hurt but they now effectively have no freakin’ idea what they’re supposed to do or […]

The Importance of Continuously Learning from Others

November 24, 2014 /0 Comments/in Books, Career, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by James Rosseau, author of Success on Your Own Terms (CLICK HERE to get your copy). During a project completion celebration gathering at Wilmington Savings Fund Society (WSFS), I had the opportunity to chat with the CEO, Marvin “Skip” Schoenhals. Up until that point, all of our conversations had been pretty transactional, dealing with in-the-moment HR issues and planning. However, that celebration gathering gave us some time to just chit chat a bit. Among a number of things we discussed during the conversation, he asked “what inspires you to work so hard?” I didn’t know how to answer the question initially as it caught me off guard. But I recalled, at one point that Skip mentioned to me that he was surprised that someone as young as I was had such an important role in our company (I was in my early twenties at the time). My response was simple, “Skip, I don’t see many people from my neighborhood make it big. I want to be able to go back to the neighborhood one day, driving a Lexus and not only show what I had attained, but how they could do it as well.” My point was that I wanted to prove that inner-city youth, in particular, African-American males, were not limited to the stereotypes of success that we are often associated with. In other words, I don’t have to be an athlete, rapper or drug dealer to have a nice home, car, or lifestyle, etc. That conversation sparked a relationship between Skip and me, and from there he became a mentor. He made himself available to me, coaching me through a number of key things I was trying to accomplish. I had a business idea that I wanted to bring to fruition. Skip participated as I […]

As a leader, how much of a project’s success can you influence?

November 20, 2014 /0 Comments/in Leadership, Poll, Project Management /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: As a leader, how much of a project’s success or failure can you influence? – I can affect every aspect of a project, and I’m a big factor in its success or failure: 17.28% – I can affect many aspects of a project’s success, but some are out of my control: 62.3% – I can affect some aspects of a project’s success, but many are out of my control: 16.58% – I can’t affect most aspects of a project’s success or failure: 3.84% We own our project results. Eighty percent of you know and believe that you, as a leader, have a big impact on project outcomes. For you, the challenge is stepping up to greater challenges and letting your team grow into bigger roles. If you have things under control, why not take a risk on someone and give them a chance to further develop? Hopefully you’re also having an impact outside the project scope by being a project leader rather than just a project manager. For those of you who lack control over aspects of your projects, see how you can expand your impact. Ask to take on more responsibility or simply take action where you see action is required. Initiative is almost always universally rewarded. 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 True Value in Walking Away from Money

November 19, 2014 /1 Comment/in Books, Entrepreneur, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

I have been in my share of uncomfortable situations where all the choices before me were painful ones. As much as I would have liked to have punted on the decision, I was the leader and I had to make the choice. Those uncomfortable moments were and continue to be perfect times to rely on my leadership maxims to assist me with my decision making. Over the years I have learned to rely on one maxim for these purposes. It is: What would Nana say? (For reference, Nana is my grandmother.) This maxim is straightforward and simple. It evokes strong emotions for me. Whose nana wouldn’t stir emotions in their heart? It enables me to step outside myself and ask what another person would think about my behavior. It is one thing to disappoint myself. It is another thing entirely to disappoint Nana. The thought of letting her down and doing something of which she would disapprove is a powerful deterrent to bad behavior for me. This maxim is easy to explain and understand. It is much harder to put into practice especially in high-pressure situations. Permit me to share an example. I had a client sign a contract for training services with my firm. Our verbal agreement called for a specific price per participant in the class and guaranteed a minimum number of participants. When I received the written contract, I noticed the client’s procurement team made an error in the wording of the pricing section. The way they had worded it would have led to them paying me substantially more than the verbal agreement called for. I asked “What would Nana say?” The answer was immediately clear. I emailed the client and let her know there was an error in the pricing section of the contract. I sent […]

How You Can Get Off the Career Treadmill

November 17, 2014 /0 Comments/in Books, Career, Guest Blogger /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Kerry Preston and Kim Zoller, the co-authors of Enhancing Your Executive Edge (CLICK HERE to get your copy). We recently worked with a male executive in the fast moving consumer goods space who made a decision to change his career direction. His name is Bob. He had been working in a training function and loved helping other people grow and develop. Bob had some aspects of his job that were draining, e.g. lots hotel stays, long days, and a boss that was a micro-manager who didn’t give him a lot of opportunity to really lead. Bob was working in a world of crisis, last minute fire drills and stress mainly driven by his small work team. Bob was simply managing the day-to-day and fighting fires. One day Bob decided to take a risk and stop doing what he had always done. He saw a new internal job posting that revolved around talent and training. He expressed interest through the appropriate channels, interviewed and obtained the job. Bob was elated and eager to start his new role within the company. Many of the people that worked with Bob begged him to reconsider and stay in his current role. He made their lives easier and did a good job. Bob knew in his heart that he was on a career treadmill and it was time to go outside and take a new route. Bob felt a lot of fear and uncertainty in making this career shift. He said to me, “I have always been a product trainer and not a talent and training expert. I know I work hard and learn fast but I am still petrified of not succeeding.” Bob started doubting himself and was afraid he may not perform to the expectation level. The reality is […]