Mike Figliuolo – Page 7 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

About Mike Figliuolo

This author has not written his bio yet.
But we are proud to say that Mike Figliuolo contributed 1284 entries already.

Entries by Mike Figliuolo

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

November 15, 2018 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Career, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: What’s the most exciting part of your job? My teammates: 25.4% Our products/services: 17.0% My growth and development: 18.6% Market dynamics and challenges: 15.1% Something else: 10.0% I’m not excited at all about my job: 13.9% Maybe it’s time to quit. Answers about what excites you about your work were pretty evenly distributed across teammates, growth, and the work you do. The striking answer that jumps out is that 14% of you aren’t excited at all about your jobs. Acknowledging that we all don’t have the flexibility to up and walk out to find another job, something needs to change. See if you can get your responsibilities changed. Find another department to work in. Pin down the top dissatisfiers about your work and figure out how to change them. At the very worst, if you hate your job that much, maybe it’s time to quit. Life is too short to be uninspired and miserable. Don’t just sit there – figure out a way to change your situation. 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!

Ten Things Great Leaders Do

November 12, 2018 /0 Comments/in Books, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

If our businesses are to be successful, we need to move from an era of command and control to a system of “leadership by consent.” Here are ten things great leaders do to make that shift. Today’s post is by Debra Corey, author of Build it: The Rebel Playbook for World-Class Employee Engagement (CLICK HERE to get your copy). The role of leaders is changing. More than ever, our employees are demanding visible, accountable and valuable leadership. We’ve moved from an era of command and control to a system of “leadership by consent.” The voice of our employees has never been more powerful, with social media, open communication and public reviews leaving nowhere for leaders to hide if they don’t meet their employees’ demands. Sites like Glassdoor, which has 41 million people visiting each month, allow employees, past and present, to easily leave anonymous reviews of a company and its leadership. And with 80 percent of candidates reading Glassdoor reviews before applying for a job, as well as customers and even external investors visiting the site, we can no longer ignore the influence and power of employee reviews. In Build it: The Rebel Playbook for World-Class Employee Engagement, co-authored with Glenn Elliott, we address this new world of leaders, as well as other critical engagement elements, through our engagement model called The Engagement Bridge™. Using this model as a framework, we talk about the urgency for businesses to start treating employees differently in all areas in order to improve employee engagement and get better business results. As part of our research, we conducted a study of 350 millennials, asking them what they wanted and expected of their leaders, and had them prioritize leadership traits. The result is what we call “Ten things great leaders do,” and they are:

What has your experience been when working on a cross-functional team?

November 8, 2018 /0 Comments/in Communications, Entrepreneur, Innovation, Leadership, Poll, Project Management /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: What has your experience been when working on a cross-functional team? It’s been great every time: 17.3% It’s been OK most times: 40.7% It’s been hit-or-miss: 32.0% It’s been horrible: 3.3% I’ve never worked on a cross-functional team:6.7% Cross-functional teams function — most of the time. Most of you have had good experiences on cross-functional teams. For those who have had it be hit-or-miss, consider the following culprits for the misses: team members aren’t fully committed to provide time and effort, they don’t have their supervisor’s support, goals aren’t aligned or there’s no clear charter for the team. These are some of the most common dysfunctions of a cross-functional team. All of these can be solved during the initial stages of forming the team. Do all you can to drive commitment, alignment and direction as soon as the project starts. Skipping that step can spell disaster. 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 Ways to Help Work and Life Coexist

November 5, 2018 /1 Comment/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Studies show that the happier your team is, the more productive they will be. Here are simple strategies to keep them energized. Today’s post is by William Vanderbloemen, author of Culture Wins (CLICK HERE to get your copy). More and more studies are showing that how we feel about our work impacts how we feel about ourselves, our personal and professional relationships, and our job performance. Successful companies are wising up to this and nurturing our mind/body connection and seeing a boost in higher quality work, retention and results. Still not convinced? Think of it this way: If you buy two pairs of running shoes and switch them off, they’ll last longer. The same is true with your staff. Give your team time to reset during busy work seasons, and they’ll be energized to do more work quicker and better. Here are four simple strategies to having work and life not only coexist, but get along, and see great results: Hit the gym Organizations with a healthy work culture encourage their team members to be healthy themselves. Give your employees the resources to take care of themselves. Provide a gym membership. Schedule a trainer to come to the office so people can work out while getting paid (not squeezing in during a lunch hour). Or, have a fitness challenge. People can train together for a race or see who can log the most steps in a month. Encourage LONG lunches

How often do you try to meet new people when you travel?

November 1, 2018 /0 Comments/in Communications, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How often do you try to meet new people when you travel? Very: planes, lounges and hotels are great places to meet new people: 18.0% Sometimes: I’ll occasionally make an effort to meet new people: 40.1% Not very: I’d rather keep to myself most of the time: 32.3% Not at all: leave me alone: 9.6% Networking opportunities abound. Look around you when you travel for work. You’ll notice many people who look like you. They’re business travelers too. Meeting them could create great new opportunities for you in the form of customers, partners, employees or future employers. But you have to make the effort to meet them. There are many examples of great connections to be made while traveling. All it takes to get started is a polite “hello” or a simple offer of assistance. The vast majority of you report that you don’t take these steps to expand your network. You could be missing out on your next big opportunity. Next time you travel, offer a kind greeting and introduce yourself to someone new. At the very worst, it will make the world a friendlier place. 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 Ultimate Sales Strategy is to Engage Your Employees

October 29, 2018 /0 Comments/in Books, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

There are three areas in which the leaders can focus their efforts in order to ensure exponential growth in sales, revenue, and customers: focus on the vision, drive open communication, and be a great mentor. Today’s post is by Shawn Casemore, author of The Unstoppable Organization (CLICK HERE to get your copy). What if an investment in your employees was the single greatest contributor a leader could make in order to grow their revenue and improve customer satisfaction? I’m not suggesting hiring more salespeople, or investing in new marketing campaigns, but rather making an investment of time, energy, and even money to support the ability of employees who work in the organization to be effective in their roles. Does this even sound reasonable? According to the nearly one dozen CEOs that I interviewed recently, for leaders who are dominating their markets in terms of growth, revenue, and overall market share in their sector, an investment in people is their single greatest contributor to boosting their bottom line. It’s long been thought that revenue and growth of any organization comes directly from the organization’s ability to both market and sell its products or services effectively. By investing more money and time directly into marketing and selling, an organization will grow, right? Unfortunately, this is not true. Sure you might invest in a new marketing campaign that will yield several leads, but the campaign itself doesn’t ensure that you can close the leads. An investment in developing a sales team might lead to closing more deals, but it doesn’t ensure that customers you sell to are and remain satisfied with your products or services, to the extent that they will buy them again and again. There are essentially three areas in which the leaders can focus their efforts in order to ensure […]

How effective are you at using found pockets of time to get work done?

October 25, 2018 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Business Toolkit, Career, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How effective are you at using “found” pockets of time — 10 to 30 minutes — to get work done? Very: I always have a ready list of tasks to do in these small moments. 47.6% Somewhat: Sometimes I use it productively and others I waste the time. 32.8% Not very: Most of that found time goes to waste. 14.8% Not at all: I never get anything done in those pockets of time. 4.7% Make a list of small tasks. Most of you are somewhat effective — or less than somewhat — at using small time slots of “found time” to get things done. This occurs because when we find 15 or 20 minutes, we spend 10 of it trying to figure out what to work on and then 10 minutes saying we don’t have enough time to finish the task. An effective way to use this time is to maintain a list of small tasks that can be done in 15-, 30- and 60-minute spans. When you are given the gift of some found time because a meeting ends early or is cancelled, you can immediately turn to your list, pick a task and get it done. This small productivity enhancer will help you fill these times effectively and get a lot more work finished in a given day. 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!

Five Essential Leadership Skills for Entrepreneurs

October 22, 2018 /0 Comments/in Books, Business Toolkit, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Leadership, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Becoming a great start-up leader takes work. Every entrepreneur faces a unique set of hurdles. Regardless of the type of enterprise, the five underlying leadership skills required for success are the same. Today’s post is by Derek Lidow, author of Building on Bedrock (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Every entrepreneur faces a unique set of hurdles, depending on whether they want to sell sausages, software, services, smartphone apps, or whatever. But regardless of the type of enterprise, the five underlying leadership skills required for success are the same. No one is born with them and each requires work. They include: Self-Awareness The students to whom I teach entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurs who seek my advice are almost always surprised to hear that self-awareness is a skill. They assume it’s a trait you’re born with. But the fact is you can learn it—learn how to identify your capabilities and your personal modes of learning and self-improvement. Mastering self-awareness requires that you understand what you are capable of achieving, given your combination of traits, motivations, and skills, all of which are interdependent. You cannot change your traits, but you can change your skills and some of your motivations. Once you understand your traits, motivations, and skills you can adopt straightforward strategies for leveraging your strengths and mitigating your weaknesses. For instance, if one of your traits is headlong risk-taking you might hire a second-in-command who is by nature more cautious and analytical. Further, you need to understand your deepest motivations (and that what drives you may not drive the people who work for you). Confidence based on a clear understanding of yourself is empowering; delusional self-confidence is hubris, and it’s likely to be fatal to your business. Build Relationships Entrepreneurial leaders virtually never act alone in getting the world to adopt […]

How many close personal advisors do you have that you can go to for guidance in challenging times?

October 18, 2018 /0 Comments/in Career, Communications, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How many close personal advisors do you have that you can go to for guidance in challenging times? 5 or more: 3.0% 2 to 4: 55.7% 1: 21.0% None: 20.3% Build your personal advisory board. We don’t have all the answers. Getting fresh, objective and outside perspectives can help you make better decisions. Consider creating your own personal board of directors. Find people you respect and trust and, most important, who think differently than you do. They’ll push your thinking, offer good ideas, challenge your assumptions, and help you make better choices. The board doesn’t have to be large but it should be larger than the zero to one people 41% of you have (or don’t have) as advisors. Investing time in these relationships can be one of the best investments you’ll ever make. 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 13 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!

How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome at Work

October 15, 2018 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Business Toolkit, Career, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Imposter Syndrome is the belief that we don’t believe we deserve the job we’re in or the success we achieve. To overcome it, become aware of what’s letting you down and allowing these intrusive thoughts into your mind. That awareness enables you to shift your perspective and start being kinder to, and more patient with, yourself. Today’s post is by Ethan Lee of Inspiring Interns. Imposter Syndrome is a term that was coined in the late 1970’s from research carried out by Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes. Their researched showed that many high-achieving women tended to believe they were not intelligent enough and were being over-evaluated by others. Imposter Syndrome has therefore come to describe the feelings of people who, quite simply, don’t believe they deserve their job. Those exhibiting the syndrome believe that deep down they are frauds, and fear that sooner or later they’ll be exposed. It’s thought that most of us will feel like an imposter at some point or another in our careers, with studies suggesting around 70% of us will experience the feeling sooner or later. While it’s not necessarily harmful in and of itself, the dangers arise when these feelings make you apprehensive, and hold you back from fulfilling the upper echelons of your potential. Like all problems in both your personal and professional lives, understanding where they may be stemming from is a great place to start. There are myriad reasons that could be causing your imposter syndrome, but here are just some ideas: You feel inexperienced This is a likely scenario for younger workers, graduates, career changers and generally people who are prone to a weakened sense of self-worth or self-appreciation. The notion that you’re not automatically worthy of something can be a good thing in moderation, keeping you grounded, […]

How frequently do you get overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do?

October 11, 2018 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Poll /by Mike Figliuolo

Our reader poll today asks: How frequently do you get overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do? All the time: 11.1% Frequently: 29.3% Sometimes: 36.6% Not often: 19.2% Never: 3.8% We all get overwhelmed. The question is: how do you deal with it? 77% of you report you’re overwhelmed “sometimes” or more frequently. The pace of business won’t let up. Change and complexity are ever-present. Your ability to cope with stress is a key determinant of how successfully you’ll manage the chaos you deal with every day. Resilient leaders perform better and are generally happier and healthier. Do you have techniques you use to build resilience? Do you have practices to help you cope with stress every day? If not, build them into your routine. Working out, meditating, pursuing a hobby and building strong personal relationships are just a few ideas for how you can become a more resilient leader. 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!

3 Reasons Millennials Hate Your Performance Review

October 8, 2018 /0 Comments/in Books, Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

New research on performance management shows that the traditional performance review is failing millennials. It’s too infrequent, it’s too impersonal and it doesn’t feel valuable to them. However, when done properly, the feedback managers give to their millennial employees can promote positive change and career growth. Today’s post is by Michael Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Millennials are now the largest generation in the workforce and, as with any generation, the ways they work and perform have been closely studied. Millennials are often considered as the generation that requires constant feedback. They are always looking to see how they’re doing — even if that means receiving criticism. Researchers for The Truth & Lies of Performance Management, a report commissioned by Box of Crayons, found that, on average, Human Resources leaders responded that 30% of managers are good at coaching and 32% are poor. That leaves 38% of managers somewhere in the middle. Whatever the generation, feedback has value and, when done properly, can promote positive change and career growth. Because of this type of less-than-positive interaction with their managers, the annual performance review is failing the career-driven millennial. What’s the bottom line? It’s too infrequent, it’s too impersonal and it doesn’t feel valuable to them. It Happens but Once a Year A 2015 TriNet Perform study by Wakefield Research surveyed one thousand full-time employees in the United States who had been born after 1980. It found that while 69% of millennials relied on reviews for their career growth they considered their companies’ review systems to be flawed. When it came to performance reviews, 62% of respondents said they have felt “blindsided” by a review, 59% often felt their manager was unprepared to give feedback and 22% had even called in sick because […]