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Entries by Mike Figliuolo

Stop Thinking! Make a Decision! The 4 D’s of Decision Making

June 1, 2009 /3 Comments/in Communications, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

I see it all the time – people and teams suffering from analysis paralysis. They’re unable to make a decision and instead their organization languishes in purgatory for seemingly endless eons. People are afraid to make decisions (especially in this economy). They sometimes believe (erroneously for the most part) they’re better off making no decision than making an incorrect one. By not making a decision, they think they can’t be canned for being wrong. The problem is they’re supposed to be leaders. And leaders have to lead. When decisions aren’t made, organizations stagnate and eventually go down the tubes (and that’s when the really hard decisions have to be made… General Motors anyone?). Deciding to not make a decision is still a decision (and often a bad one). Deciding to do more analysis rather than acting is still a decision (again, often a bad one). Indecision is only a good thing when it’s on The Colbert Report. I’m not advocating making decisions absent data. One of my favorite sayings is “In God we trust. All others bring data.” What I am advocating is making a decision, acknowledging you might be wrong, and either maintaining course if the decision was correct or changing course if you get new information that indicates a better path. So how can you break out of analysis paralysis? There are a few critical behaviors you can adopt. Allow me to introduce the 4 D’s of decision making (sorry… it’s not the 5 D’s of Dodgeball which, admittedly, would be really fun).

Time for a Little Spring Cleaning for Your Work Life

May 26, 2009 /3 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Business Toolkit, Career, Project Management /by Mike Figliuolo

It’s a great time of year. Beautiful weather, flowers blooming, and 110 bags of mulch to be spread tell you it’s spring. Now is when we traditionally clean our homes and yards. It’s also a great time to clean up your work and professional life. Face it – we’re creatures of habit and averse to change. Over time though those habits and that aversion can lead to cluttered and less-than-fully productive work lives. I encourage you to take this week to do some spring cleaning on your career and your professional life. To save you the effort of thinking about how to do so, I’ll offer a few thoughts on things I’ve found helpful in doing my own cleaning. Grab your mop, your cleaning supplies, and your yard tools. It’s time to get to work. Hey! Where are you going? Get back here… you’ll be happier and more efficient after this cleaning. I promise.

It’s NOT About You: 3 Steps for Avoiding the Sales FAIL

May 18, 2009 /5 Comments/in Communications, Entrepreneur, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

Sales is a difficult job, especially in this economy. It’s easy to forget good sales principles when you get focused on the numbers. The sales goal can become an anvil that knocks the focus on the prospect out of your noggin. When that happens, you’re at high risk for the sales FAIL. That’s that interaction that not only costs you the sale but leads the prospect to tell other people how bad your organization is (in a blog like this one perhaps…). This post isn’t just for salespeople. If you’re involved in sales, marketing, strategy, or business development there are some important lessons here. If you’re not involved in those functions, might as well read anyway because I know you’re looking for an excuse not to work on that PowerPoint deck and you can claim you’re doing “professional development” instead. I recently had a head-scratcher of an interaction with a business-to-business cold caller. First I’ll detail some of the agonizing points of those calls then lay out three principles for not getting a “DON’T ANSWER” entry in my caller ID (yes, I’ll explain that point).

6 Critical Steps to Preventing Failure During Organizational Transformation

May 13, 2009 /2 Comments/in Guest Blogger, Leadership, Project Management, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

I’m excited to bring you some thoughts from Maureen Metcalf today. I’m shutting up now. Here’s Maureen: For anyone who has led an organizational change, we know it can be complicated at best and at worst; it can limit your career and have a significant adverse impact on your business. In 2008, a McKinsey survey of 3,199 executives around the world found, as Kotter did in 1998, that only one transformation in three succeeds. Other studies over the past ten years reveal remarkably similar results. So, in times of profound change, where business success hinges on the leader and the organization being able to change quickly and effectively, what should we be doing to increase our likelihood of success? I focus on the impact of leadership as well as the systems and processes being used to implement the change. From Collins Good to Great and others we have learned that Level 5 Leaders are more likely to successfully create long term sustainable change that moves the company to “greatness.” So, while there is certainly no one size fits all answer, there are six basic principles a leader embarking on change can consider.

How to Avoid 4 Major Job Interview Mistakes

May 11, 2009 /8 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career /by Mike Figliuolo

While many predict further economic gloom, I’m seeing some signs of recovery. Friends are getting invited on interviews and headhunters are calling me occasionally. If you’re lucky enough to land an interview during these tough times, don’t blow it with a moron moment. I’ve interviewed (and been interviewed) hundreds of times. Some went fantastic. Others made me cringe. Remember, in times like these, an employer is looking for ANY reason, no matter how small, to knock a candidate out of the running. They can afford to be extremely choosy as they seek out the highest caliber talent. Much like my prior posts on how not to be stupid and lazy, how to avoid one major interview landmine, and really understanding the role of your resume, this post will focus on helping you avoid classic mistakes I’ve actually seen first-hand during interviews. Here goes: 4 job offer-killing interview mistakes…

You’re Better Than You Think

May 4, 2009 /5 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Career, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

I’m pretty sure I can safely say that individuals who read our blog are achievers. You work hard, seek to develop your skills, and look forward to the next goal in front of you. I’ll also bet you’re your own harshest critic. You probably beat yourself up at the smallest perceived failure. Some of you do more damage to yourselves than that funky albino monk in Da Vinci Code did to himself with that nasty rope of his. Sometimes your self-deprecating humor isn’t very humorous. Stop it. Now. These negative thoughts don’t just affect your performance – they rub off on your team. If you’re not careful you can create an environment where your standards are perceived as unreasonable and where praise seems extremely hard to come by. Over time, that erodes your team’s morale and can eventually lead to turnover (not to mention a lousy standard of living for you). We’re going to get a little cerebral and introspective today. I ask you to do so in the spirit of getting on a healthier mental track. Do so not just for the benefit of your team but for yourself, your friends, and your family. So how can you do this? My suggestion: assess, admit, and act.

Building a Personal Board of Directors

April 27, 2009 /6 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Business Toolkit, Career, Entrepreneur, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Whether you’re in big business or an entrepreneur, you need advice from time to time. External perspectives can be incredibly valuable. They’ll round out your thinking, help you work through complex problems, and identify new opportunities for growth. Unfortunately many of us don’t have a formalized group of advisors – we simply pick up the phone or stroll by the office of anyone who will listen. That construct is only partially effective. The advisor may not have time to chat. They might be unfamiliar with the issue you’re dealing with. They might not even care to help but you’ve imprisoned them for 30 minutes with your plaintive “can you please help me?” request. The result? You get suboptimal and, sometimes, even bad advice. There’s a better way. You should create your own personal board of directors. In the corporate world, a board of directors is composed of ostensibly wise outside senior advisors to the leadership team. Their job is to help set direction, solve complex problems, and hold the business accountable against a variety of standards. Their role is formalized (meet once a quarter, they’re compensated, they have employment agreements, etc.). There are expectations placed on these individuals both by those within the company and those outside it (shareholders, regulators, etc.). Fortunately for you, setting up your own board of directors should be less cumbersome. No employment agreements. No shareholders. But you still need to set standards. Here’s how I use mine:

As the Chili Peppers Say – Give It Away Now!

April 20, 2009 /15 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Entrepreneur, Sales, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Great tunes especially at 3AM on a Friday night. They’ve also got an incredibly relevant message for how you can grow your business: Give it away, give it away, give it away now! (I’ll spare you the repeats). Want to grow your business? Give it away. No. I haven’t fallen and hit my head again. I routinely give away our stuff. Our services. Our content (ummm… yeah, you’re reading a FREE blog full of our intellectual property and the only price I ask is comments and telling your friends – you are telling your friends, right?). But I give it away deliberately and with purpose. Have you ever been in that “free seminar” that was nothing more than a disguised sales pitch? Infuriating, huh? Did you buy the speaker’s stuff? Didn’t it grate on you when they’d say “so those are the first two steps in our secret ten step process. Buy the other eight steps for just $999.99!” Those folks aren’t successful long term. They need to learn how to give it away. So do you. Allow me to explain.

Simple Words Are Good Especially When News Is Bad

April 13, 2009 /4 Comments/in Communications, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

I know I’m guilty of occasionally waxing loquacious and using polysyllabic words to create an aura of intelligence around my posts. More likely than not I’m doing this to overcompensate for watching too many cartoons every day. For a blog, those word choices can be fine (although Brian Clark at Copyblogger would kick my butt for saying that). Other times, flowery or evasive words are the WORST ones you can use as a leader. I read an article in Fortune the other day where they laid out some snippets of spin from companies going through difficult times. Many of these companies are laying people off. That’s understandable and acceptable. I actually salute leaders who have the intestinal fortitude to make difficult choices like that. It gets problematic though when the spin doctors are brought in. Bad things happen. Have you ever been in the difficult role of telling people they’re being laid off? Or that something bad has happened at your company? It’s incredibly hard to do. The aforementioned Fortune article discussed one solution. Some of the companies profiled brought in “corporate communication specialists” to “craft the message” (I’m not kidding). Instead of “firing people” the companies were “simplifying their business” or “streamlining their operations.” One even said they were “boosting their ability to compete.” Pardon me while I barf in my socks.

Train Them Now or Lose Them Later

April 6, 2009 /4 Comments/in About Us, Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Training, Upcoming Events /by Mike Figliuolo

A friend of mine was lamenting the current economic environment. He bemoaned budget cuts at his company and the lack of opportunities for professional development. He also said something truly alarming: “Our management team is so focused on just making the numbers that they’re not investing in developing their people.” (Incidentally, I think making the numbers can be stupid). He added “But it’s really not a huge deal because in this economy, no one is going to quit over lack of training or development, y’know?” After I reattached my head to my body, I thought about this painful comment. I think we might have actually reached the point of myopic leadership destruction where leaders get so focused on the short term that they forget the future. They become so narrow in their view they miss the point that their people will have choices before them after this crisis. Sure you can skimp on your people today and they’ll sit there and take it. But as soon as the economy turns, they’ll be bugging out on you and heading to a better job faster than you can say “leadership FAIL.” So all this got me thinking. Tight budgets. Lack of training dollars. Yearning for professional development. As I noodled on these ideas, I fortuitously had a great conversation with Jack Windsor and genius struck. He handed me a solution to these problems on a silver platter. I would love to hear what you think about this…

Do you know your leadership maxims?

April 1, 2009 /2 Comments/in Leadership, Upcoming Events /by Mike Figliuolo

I’m thrilled to announce a few upcoming events where I’ll be covering the topic of creating your own set of Leadership Maxims. Defining these maxims is a core tool of a good leader. I recently met an EVP at a Fortune 100 who actually has his written on a small laminated card attached to his corporate security badge. This stuff matters and it works. The first event is a breakfast sponsored by the Columbus Young Professionals on April 7th at 730AM. To register, CLICK HERE. It’s only $5 and that pays for your coffee (I’m not receiving any compensation for this engagement – it’s my way of giving back to the community). The second event is June 9th at 530PM. I’m speaking at the Ohio Growth Summit and again will be covering the topic of Leadership Maxims. It’s $6 to attend and again, all proceeds go to the Summit (not me). REGISTER HERE. The summit is going to be fantastic. The two other keynote speakers are my good friend Jim Canterucci and Chris Brogan (yes, THAT Chris Brogan). I should probably give you some more details on our Leadership Maxims program as well as background on the organizations sponsoring these events…

How Training Failures Cause Cast Aways

March 30, 2009 /2 Comments/in Customer Service, Leadership, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

I had a most unfortunate and frustrating experience recently. I bought a new pair of sunglasses because I lost mine. I had searched for the lost pair for a week but to no avail. I picked up a new pair at the local mall sunglass shop. Of course as soon as I got home I found the old pair. Perfect. Since I didn’t need two pairs, I headed back to the mall the next day to return the new one. That’s when things went south. There was a single cashier on duty. When I arrived, there were only two other people in the store. The cashier began processing my return. She began having difficulty with the system as she processed the transaction. This is where things started going Antarctica south. It became very clear this poor cashier had been tossed alone on an island like Tom Hanks in Cast Away. From here forward in the story, I’m going to highlight some customer service, training, and leadership suggestions and issues I hope you take away and use in your organization.