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Entries by Mike Figliuolo

Your Organization’s Culture Might be Sick but You Can Heal It

March 4, 2013 /0 Comments/in Leadership, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

Most days we walk through life unaware of conversations occurring around us. And then there are those times you overhear a conversation that stops you dead in your tracks. You actually have to hit rewind in your brain and ask “did they actually just say that?” Ever have one of those moments? Clearly I did recently. I was heading to a client site the other morning. As I headed out of my hotel room, I was rumblin’ bumblin’ stumblin’ down the hall (can I get a Chris Berman “holla holla!”?). My sole mission in life at that point was to get a second cup of coffee from the lobby (and anyone who knows me knows The Rule – don’t speak to me until after my second cup o’ Joe). Clearly my mind was foggier than Yoda’s swamp on Dagobah. As I passed two housekeepers who were conversing in the hallway, I heard it – the statement that shocked me more than hearing “I’m your father Luke.” One housekeeper said “Just look busy when she goes by. That’ll keep her off your ass for the rest of the morning.” Note: this was VERBATIM! Despite the caffeine-deficiency-induced lack of a solid connection between my brain and my eardrum at that point, I was still able to process the enormity of this statement. “Just look busy.” Wow. I was floored.

How to Lead a Meeting

February 27, 2013 /4 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Erica Bell who is a writer for Business.com (that’s not her in the picture though). Here’s Erica… The basics of running a meeting, such as letting those attending have enough notice and making sure all the materials are prepared, should be easy to master. However, getting into a meeting and truly leading it isn’t always easy. The truth is it doesn’t matter what your meeting is about. In order to truly lead a meeting with employees, you must be able to take the information being delivered, compare it against future expectations and then determine the ways in which your staff can meet those expectations to move the company forward. When leading a meeting, you’ll need to focus on three areas: the current situation, the future and how your employees can get there. Current Situation In order to lead your meeting, you must be able to stick to the agenda and move things forward. When you enter a meeting, make it clear that there is an agenda – which should have been sent out beforehand – that you’ll be sticking to. Then, ask your employees what the current situation is regarding the topic of your meeting or within their department if it is an all office meeting. Getting an update on the current situation can help you determine the gravity of the situation and whether or not the problem, if there is one, can be resolved in the meeting. Some things may need to be tabled for later and this is one point in a meeting where your leadership comes in to play as you need to determine what to address now and what to hold off on. Example question: What is the current situation with the office relocation scheduled for next month? Future Situation As soon […]

How to Deal with Difficult Idea Pitch Panelists

February 25, 2013 /0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Entrepreneur, Innovation /by Mike Figliuolo

If you’ve ever pitched a business idea in front of a panel, you know there’s always at least one panelist who is a complete pain in the behind. Whether you’re an entrepreneur pitching your new business or a corporate-type pitching a new product idea to an executive committee, you’re always likely to face that one person who is a pain just for the sport of it. They ask assy questions. They know it all. They sharp-shoot you. They ask things they know you don’t know. They offer ridiculous examples and compare those things to your idea. Heck, in some cases they insult you personally. When these things happen, it’s easy to get rattled, lose focus, and ultimately blow your pitch. The end result is you don’t get approval or win the pitch competition and they walk away smugly laughing about the smoldering pile of ashes they’ve left behind. There’s good news though – you can defeat these people and in some cases, make them a strong ally. You just have to know what you’re getting yourself into and be sharp during the Q&A period. If you follow these tips, your chances of success go up exponentially. And why should you listen to me? Well, because there have been plenty of times I’ve been that panelist (especially at events like WakeUp StartUp which we hold every month). Nail Your Pitch Most idea pitches suck. Yes, I said it. They do. They go on and on and on and on about widgets and blidgets and digits. They are incoherent and lack focus on the problem and the solution. There are 5 reasons your idea pitch sucks. Figure it out. Nail it. It should be clear, concise, and compelling. If you find yourself talking about code, Java, browsers, and other techie stuff or […]

7 Questions to Ask When Finding a Mentor

February 20, 2013 /1 Comment/in Business Toolkit, Career, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Gwen Stewart of Outbounding.com. Here’s Gwen… It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelancer, a small business owner, a successful entrepreneur or a corporate executive in a Fortune 500 company—a business mentor can often provide you with advice, encouragement, or insight, helping to improve your business skills or ensuring that you stay firmly rooted on the path to success. Finding a mentor may seem like a difficult task, but by asking yourself or your proposed mentor a few questions, you’ll be better equipped to determine if that particular individual is well suited to be a great mentor, or if you should keep looking. 1. What Are You Looking For in a Mentor? This is a question you first need to ask yourself before finding a mentor. Do you need someone to offer you advice on starting your business and keeping it running smoothly? Or would you be better served by a mentor that can offer you encouragement and show you how to stay motivated? Perhaps both? By understanding what your ultimate goals and business objectives are, as well as your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll have a better idea of what you need in a mentor. 2. Does Your Mentor Listen to You? A good mentor can offer you great advice, but they also need to listen to you. If you are talking to a proposed mentor and feel that they are not really listening to your ideas, questions or concerns, then they might not be the best choice. How can someone help you if they aren’t really listening to you? Sure, they might still possess tons of experience and be able to provide you with good advice, but each business is unique, and you want advice that takes your own business and personal issues into account. 3. […]

If the Pope Can Quit, So Can You

February 18, 2013 /4 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career /by Mike Figliuolo

I know a lot of folks who complain about their jobs. They don’t like the work. They don’t like their coworkers. They don’t like their organization’s culture. They feel trapped and stymied by how to make things change. When trapped, they rationalize why they’re staying. Some folks think they’re indispensable to the organization. They’re the big boss. The head cheese. The big kahuna. In their minds the organization would crumble without them present. Given how important they are, there’s no way they could ever leave their role. Other people make excuses as to why they can’t leave. “I have unvested stock options worth trillions.” “My long term incentive vests soon. Only 7 more years to go.” “I’m 42 and I’m approaching retirement and social security.” Regardless of the reasons we give, it’s a bunch of crap. Look, if the pope can quit, so can you. He’s the head of a major religion. 1.6 BILLION people ON THE PLANET are in his organization which is several CENTURIES old. It’s been almost SIX HUNDRED YEARS since a pope resigned. His long term incentive includes eternal life and possible sainthood. Yet, he quit. Poof. Later. If he can quit his job, so can you. Here’s how to think about it:

Beyond Emotional Intelligence: Achieving Spiritual Intelligence

February 13, 2013 /11 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Dr. Andrew Thorn, author of U-wun-ge-lay-ma: A Guide to Next-level Living (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Here’s Dr. Thorn… Charles P. Steinmetz, (1865 – 1923) a German-American mathematician and electrical engineer, whose work as a scientist significantly influenced the expansion of the electrical power industry in the United States, was once asked, by the founder of Babson College in Massachusetts, what line of research he thought would see the greatest development during the course of the next 100 years. Here is what Mr. Steinmetz is reported to have said: “I think the greatest discovery will be made along spiritual lines. Here is a force which history clearly teaches has been the greatest power in the development of men. Yet we have merely been playing with it and have never seriously studied it as we have the physical forces. Someday, people will learn that material things do not bring happiness and are of little use in the making men and women creative and powerful. Then the scientists of the world will turn their laboratories over to the study of God and prayer and the spiritual forces, which as of yet have hardly been scratched. When this day comes, the world will see more advancement in one generation than it has seen in the past four.” Unfortunately, as a society, instead of moving toward spiritual topics, we have moved away from them. Sadly, the major pursuits of the last 30 years have been largely focused on the acquisition of material wealth. We are now feeling the pain of those pursuits. As predicted we are discovering that the material conquests of life do not bring us much happiness. Yet for some reason, the topic of spirituality is often considered taboo. It is now a divisive topic and extreme […]

A Little Leadership for Your Listening Pleasure

February 11, 2013 /0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Entrepreneur, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

I love to talk – especially when it’s speaking with bright people who ask great questions. I’ve been fortunate enough lately to speak about leadership and life with a couple of great guys. What’s in that for you are a couple of interviews and conversations about leadership I know you’ll enjoy. First, I spoke with Bill Ringle of My Quest for the Best (CLICK HERE to listen to the interview). Bill routinely interviews some great business leaders on topics ranging from leadership to customer service. We spent a great deal of time on two major topics: leadership and building and running an entrepreneurial business. The major topics covered in the conversation were: – The distinction between managing and leading – What leaders did to deepen trust and improve communications at a Fortune 100 company – Why boundaries are so elusive for leaders and how to make them work better – The steps to take to build a profitable, scalable company – The mindset needed to grow your company in a short period of time CLICK HERE to listen to my full discussion with Bill Ringle. The second conversation I had was with Moe Abdou of 33 Voices (CLICK HERE to listen to the interview). We also spent a bunch of time discussing leadership, entrepreneurship, and my book One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership. Moe did a great job getting into the nuances of what leaders can do to be more authentic. CLICK HERE to listen to my conversation with Moe Abdou. I hope you enjoy the interviews and would love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below. I’d also like your opinion and feedback on if you like this type of content as a blog post (i.e., do you like when […]

First the Epiphany… then Connected Leadership

February 6, 2013 /1 Comment/in Balanced Lifestyle, Business Toolkit, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Debbie Nicol, author of Corporate Embers (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Learn more about her at the end of the post. Here’s Debbie… My story is probably not much different from most. Every corporate leader has had an epiphany of one type or another in their lives. It’s what you choose to do with it that will mean something. My leadership philosophy has developed over 20-plus years as an HR professional, entrepreneur and business owner but not without some serious personal and professional challenge. My corporate life faced struggle after struggle. I was continually surrounded by leaders who simply didn’t ‘get it’. They were disconnected and directive. I was putting too much energy into how to get out of their way rather than producing results. Don’t Wait for the Flood Why must we wait for the rains to come before we clean out the gutters? My rains came thick and fast. Literally! I had an epiphany while watching the floodwaters of the 2004 tsunami rise up and engulf the resort where I was staying, all except for my own bungalow. I finally had clarity and realized the need for some personal, inner work. How could I be a success in the corporate world when everything was a self-destroying battle? It was time to meet myself, breakthrough recurring patterns and start to work from my inner core rather than just put a Band-Aid on yet another outer wound.

How to Differentiate Between Experts and Fraudsters

February 4, 2013 /9 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Innovation, Sales, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

Warning: this post is a bit of a rant (but does have a story and some practical advice). Does it seem like every day there’s a new pile of “experts” cropping up on every subject imaginable? Social media expert. Blogging expert. Communications expert. Strategy expert. Wingdings font expert. It’s enough to make me gag. Sorry but having a bunch of twitter followers or being at the top of the twitter elite for a podunk little town doesn’t make you a “social media expert.” Even worse than the seemingly-viral proliferation of these “experts” are the egregious rates they expect for their services. Just because you call yourself an “expert” it doesn’t mean you’re entitled to the fee levels “real experts” charge (then again, if you’re the individual hiring an “expert” and paying them ridiculous fees, I can’t save you from your own insipidness). Lastly, the worst aspect of these “experts” is the damage they can do to your organization. In some cases I’d love to sue some of these folks for malpractice of the trade they proclaim they’re an expert in. So how can you as a leader of your organization protect yourself from the damage false experts can cause and how can you find the real experts among that mess? How can you ensure the expert isn’t like the false tailor and you end up like an emperor with no clothes? It all boils down to asking the right questions.

How to Avoid Taking a Terrible Job

January 30, 2013 /2 Comments/in Books, Career, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s guest post is from Bob Herbold, the long-time Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft Corporation and author of What’s Holding You Back: 10 Bold Steps that Define Gutsy Leaders (CLICK HERE to buy your copy). You can read more about Bob at the end of this post. Eight years ago, soon after I had retired from Microsoft, I was approached about the possibility of heading up the IRS. I made two visits to Washington, DC to hear about the job and have my arm twisted to take it. Here is what bothered me. All the employees were part of a union which made it almost impossible to let anyone go. Also, promotions generally fell along the lines of seniority, and I could expect big problems if I tried to re-organize or to promote strong young players into crucial positions. It gets worse. I would have no authority over the tax code itself; that was the job of Congress. Also, I would have 9 different Senate and House committees which would provide oversight, and I would have to report to each on a quarterly basis and take any of their suggestions and get back to them with regard to impact, feasibility, etc. Obviously, the only thing positive about this job was the status of being the head of the IRS (irrelevant to me). The comparison to my 26 years at Procter & Gamble and 9 years at Microsoft is probably the key reason why the IRS job looked so bad to me. Both of those companies excelled at giving individuals jobs that had clear responsibilities with the opportunity to make a difference.

How to Handle Getting Layered at Work

January 28, 2013 /6 Comments/in Career, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Things are awesome at work until that dreadful day your boss (with whom you have an awesome relationship) tells you “Hey, I’ve hired a new person who will be reporting to me and you’ll now report to that person.” You’ve officially been layered and we all know getting layered is only good if we’re talking about cake. Your head likely swirls at first wondering why this happened. “Does the boss not like me anymore? Why didn’t the boss put me in that role instead of bringing in someone new? Are they bringing in the new person to replace me and the next step is I’m getting fired? My team is going to lose respect for me and I’ll lose influence in the organization.” We have a tendency to go to negative and neurotic places. I know that – I’ve been layered before as have many of my friends and colleagues. And I know many of you dread it based on the recent SmartBrief on Leadership Pulse Survey I conducted. 42% of respondents said getting layered was more awkward than a peer becoming your boss or you becoming the boss of your peers. Getting layered (or, if you’re the boss, layering members of your team) isn’t what’s important. What’s important is how we handle getting layered or layering our team. Do it wrong and your new boss will resent you, your old boss (now another layer above you) will be disappointed and frustrated, and your team will lose respect for you. If you’re the boss, if you handle layering members of your team wrong you’ll alienate them, frustrate them, and lead them to look for new job opportunities where they’ll feel appreciated (plus you’re setting up your shiny new hire up for failure). So how should you handle these situations? Allow […]

Move Beyond “Me” to “We” in Your Leadership Brand

January 23, 2013 /11 Comments/in Books, Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Karen Kang, author of BrandingPays: The Five-Step System to Reinvent Your Personal Brand (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Here’s Karen… I work with a lot of leaders in startups to Fortune 100 companies on both corporate and personal branding. When it comes to their companies, these leaders have no problem promoting their products or their companies. But when it comes to themselves, there is often a reticence to self-market or brand. The reasons often boil down to two things: 1) culture and 2) not having a clear idea of what their brand stands for. Culture and Personal Branding Many of us have been brought up to think that humility is a virtue. Isn’t personal branding contradictory to being humble, and, therefore, bad? The answer is “no.” Having humility and doing a good job at personal branding are not mutually exclusive. Personal branding should not be synonymous with egotistical boasting. Personal branding, done right, is educating audiences who could benefit from knowing about your unique value. To be an effective leader, you must have a personal brand that is recognized and valued. A weak personal brand is a liability for recruiting the best talent, partnering with the right companies, financing your business and enhancing your company’s image.