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Finding Self-Confidence When Intimidating Types Get to You

June 5, 2023/0 Comments/in Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Guest Blogger /by Trevor Jones

three businesspeople talking

When you’re feeling rattled by big wigs and VIPs, simple mindset and body language adjustments can help you step into power.

Today’s guest post is by Selena Rezvani, author of Quick Confidence: Be Authentic, Create Connections and Make Bold Bets On Yourself (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

Have you ever had one of those career moments where you felt like you’d made it? A moment of proof that you’d finally earned a spot at the cool or important table?

I remember mine vividly.

I was invited to a leadership awards event to accept an honor alongside many strong businesswomen I admired and respected. Of course, I was a bit nervous about entering a room with so many powerhouses, but it was like a day-before-Christmas type of anxiety. The thought of getting to know people who inspire me electrified me.

I perseverated over my outfit for days in advance. I finally settled on a modern red skirt, colorful blouse and black blazer, hoping they would make me stand out without drawing too much attention. Here I go.

With a big smile and bright eyes, I approached a group and introduced myself. The trio gave me an icy welcome, turning their feet away from me. I was a little disappointed to realize they weren’t accepting ‘newbies’ into their group. But I shrugged it off. A warmup! I told myself.

Until it happened again and again. One cold shoulder after another. I’ll never forget when one pair I tried to speak to said – kind of miffed – “Would you mind if we go back to talking to each other?”

Ouch. I felt like any drop of belonging had drained from my body. Was I invited here by mistake? I occupied myself with a plate of food that I ate while standing in the corner, making weird, furtive eye contact with passersby, wondering how I would endure two more hours of this.

Finally, I decided to take a timeout. I retreated to the bathroom sinks and as I stood in front of the mirror, reapplying my lipstick, I felt intensely disappointed.

Just as I started putting my lipstick back in my purse, though, I caught the smiling face of my mom on an old 2×3 picture sticking out of my wallet. Immediately, a flicker of confidence bolted through me. I thought about everything my mom had instilled in me over the years and her own life experiences with belonging – particularly as a Caucasian woman married to a Pakistani man in the 60s and 70s. I thought about the quote she constantly repeated to me growing up: Eleanor Roosevelt’s “No one can insult you without your permission.” I was standing up about three inches taller now. I looked myself in the eye, and smiled. My confidence grew a little.

At that moment, I decided I wasn’t going to let this feeling slip away again. Instead, I would celebrate what my momma gave me and stand firmly in this opportunity…even if I couldn’t make a friend to save my life.

And there was something else: I was not going to outsource the answer to the question “Do I belong here?” to these people I didn’t even know. I earned my place as much as they did. I needed to change the momentum.

Although I’m not as green as I was at that leadership event – in fact I’ve since written three books and trained audiences on confidence, self-advocacy and presence around the world, I can still feel intimidated when meeting people who seem above and beyond me in every way. I rely on the following exercises (including ones I used at that event) to help me stand firmly in my confidence whenever I feel it slipping away.

Imagine everyone’s awkward

Or at the very least, assume we all have the ability to be uncool, odd, and socially inept at times. Think about it: at a given networking event, someone is oversharing, another person is being a downer, and someone else is drawing attention to something their colleague doesn’t appreciate. That means you’re not the only one who may not be a shoe in or “natural” at socializing all the time. Consider that everyone is doing their awkward best and it can help take the focus off your perceived misfit status.

Big Up

When you feel like you don’t belong, it’s incredibly easy to express that with your body, which in my own experience, can make you feel worse. In my uncomfortable moment, I found myself low-talking, avoiding eye contact and shrinking my shoulders.

It wasn’t until after my lipstick moment that I tried doing the opposite. I stood straight with my shoulders back, held my head tall, and planted my feet shoulder width apart. For the occasional person I did speak to at the rest of the event, I turned my whole body toward them, kept engaged eye contact when talking and listening, and spoke clearly and audibly (a 7/10 volume). My advice to others when you’re feeling intimidated or out of place is: don’t shrink or mute yourself. Instead, be unapologetically conspicuous! Claim your space so people can’t overlook you and just as important, so you don’t discount yourself.

Interact with the person, not the power

Getting ready to meet “the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at a Fortune 500 company” sounds a lot more intimidating than meeting “Jillian, who works in Marketing.” Focusing on that title can cause you to feel like someone is above you – and it can really damage your confidence. Instead of getting lost in the status level, focus on the living, breathing person in front of you. Be curious about the person, ask them about their weekend, and get to know the human being.

Try “Just Like Me”

Some powerhouses walk into a room ready to intimidate everyone they meet. But some people who seem to have a wall up are oblivious as to how they come off. Whichever the case, to shift a VIP from “intimidator” to regular person in your mind, think about some of the same difficult or vulnerable emotions they feel, just like you. For example, you could say, “This person has felt hopeful/useless/lonely/scared … just like me” or “This person has woken up groggy and wishing for ten more minutes of sleep… just like me” or “This person has needed to summon courage … just like me.” Doing this can recalibrate your intimidation and make the biggest big wig in your life a regular person again.

Does it prickle to feel like an outsider or unknown at times? Yes. Does it sting when people send signals that you don’t belong? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean every opportunity or situation should be discarded because of their reactions.

When intimidated by a power player or a group that’s less than welcoming, focusing on affirming and backing yourself can be everything. Not only will you be more sensitive to other newcomers when they come to your next event, you’ll claim the place that you rightly deserve.

selena-rezvani-bookSelena Rezvani is the author of the new book, Quick Confidence: Be Authentic, Create Connections and Make Bold Bets On Yourself (Wiley; May 9, 2023).

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Give Your Teams the Resources They Need

May 31, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Leadership, Project Management, Strategy /by Trevor Jones

 

two women at computer

The better you’re able to get your teams what they need to succeed and communicate clearly the incentives and the metrics that you’re measuring, the higher the likelihood that your team is going to be successful.

Leaders are accountable to a lot of people, including the members of their team. They need to make sure that they provide the team the resources they need to deliver on their own goals. Those resources include time, money, approval of initiatives, visibility with senior management, support for whatever the initiative is, and knocking down obstacles.

A leader’s job is to help the team be successful, and it’s unfair for that leader to ask for results without giving the team the resources they need to succeed. Leaders must also be held accountable for setting their teams up to succeed. Leaders need to face the same consequences if they fail to deliver. If the team fails, the leader has failed, and incentives should follow. Now, if the team succeeds, the leader has succeeded, and everybody should get the right bonus and reward that goes along with that performance. Ultimately, a leader is going to build trust between themselves and the members of the team by showing that everyone is in it together.

When I worked for a large financial services firm, we made sure that incentives were aligned at all levels. My boss, one year, was signed up for a $500 million goal. My part of that goal was $100 million. Then we broke that down on my team, and different teams had 30 million or 10 million or 20 million, and it all added up to my 100, which contributed to my boss’s 500. We were all very clear on what we had to deliver. We also understood what the consequences were if we failed and what the rewards were if we exceeded. Fortunately, we had a great year and everyone on the team got a great bonus because we hit our accountabilities.

So, for you as a leader, assess what your team is accountable for and ask them what resources they need to be successful. Then ensure that they have it. If they need budget, go get them budget. If they need you to knock down an obstacle, get to it, because the more you’re able to give them what they need, the higher the likelihood that they’re going to be successful. Next, review the goals and incentives, and make sure they roll up. Everybody’s goals should drive toward the same set of outcomes, and everyone should know, “If we hit our goals, here’s the reward, and if we miss, here are the consequences.”

The better you’re able to get your teams what they need to succeed and communicate clearly the incentives and the metrics that you’re measuring, the higher the likelihood that your team is going to be successful.

Want to learn more about building accountability into your culture? How about taking an entire course on it? Check out the video below to learn more about the course and get started. Or you can go directly to the course and start learning how to build accountability into your culture. The entire course is available at LinkedIn Learning. Enjoy!

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!

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There’s No Such Thing as an Insignificant Turn

May 29, 2023/0 Comments/in Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Guest Blogger /by Trevor Jones

 

arrows on path

Discover the significance of unexpected career turns. See how choices shape your path.

Today’s guest post is by Steve McKee, author of TURNS: Where Business is Won and Lost (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

If I were to ask you to identify three turning points in your career, it probably wouldn’t require too much thought for you to come up with them. We tend to remember people or events that have changed our trajectory in significant ways.

But if I were to ask you to consider three of the things you most value, and then to retrace your steps to recall how they came about, it’s likely that upon reflection you would identify a turn in your past that at the time you had no idea would have been so consequential.

Let me give you an example. I’m not only the author of a book on the topic at hand (TURNS: Where Business Is Won and Lost), I’ve written two other books, hundreds of articles, and a number of proposals and recommendations that (I’ve been told) stood out for the quality of their prose. Being a craftsman with the written word is a core part of my identity. And while I can’t say for sure where that journey first began—probably sometime back in grade school—if I trace my professional steps back to the beginning of my career, I recall a most formative turn.

I had recently graduated from college and was working at a health club while I pursued entry-level career possibilities. One day I spotted a newspaper want ad (remember those?) from a hot West Coast advertising agency looking for a field marketing manager based in my hometown to work on the Pizza Hut account. The combination of pizza and marketing sounded like the perfect job for me, and this seemed like a terrific way to break into an industry in which I was interested. So, I applied.

Trouble was, when the initial call came in from the woman who would become my boss, it awoke me from a deep sleep. I had been getting up well before dawn to open the health club, and when I got off work at noon each day I’d go home and take a brief nap. She happened to call just when I had entered a dream state, and when I picked up the phone I couldn’t get my bearings; I’m sure I must have sounded drunk. Needless to say, the call didn’t go well.

After recounting the story that evening to my then-new wife, she encouraged me to write a letter to the woman asking for a second chance. I put pen to paper and not only explained what had happened, but conveyed my naïve-yet-enthusiastic understanding of marketing and why I was the perfect person for the job. She agreed to give me a second chance and invited me to an in-person interview when she next came to town. Needless to say, I got the job.

Shortly after that, I met the founder of the firm, who told me that my letter had made its way to his desk and was the best business letter he had ever read. That was quite a compliment for a wet-behind-the-ears college graduate, and it seared into my young mind the power of the printed word and fueled my love for writing. The consequences of that single turn of events led to a life of professional fulfillment on which I could have easily missed out.

Not all turns have such life-changing ramifications, of course, but any turn may be consequential in some way. The next time you consider taking a different route home from work, changing your desk chair, instituting a new remote-work policy, or writing an important letter (or email, or dare I say, text), consider what might come as a result of it. It may just change your life.

steve mckee bookSteve McKee is a business strategy expert and co-founder of McKee Wallwork, a nationally-recognized marketing advisory firm. He’s the author of three books: When Growth Stalls, Power Branding, and the newly-released TURNS: Where Business Is Won and Lost.

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!

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How to Reinforce a Culture of Accountability

May 24, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Leadership, Project Management, Strategy /by Trevor Jones

office presentation

Your culture is an important asset, and you need to curate it every single day. Look for opportunities to reinforce the behaviors you want to see.

It’s not enough to just build a culture of accountability. You have to strengthen it and reinforce it every single day.

This is about the small behaviors adding up to that broader culture. The organization is going to behave in a manner based on what it sees punished or rewarded. If people see others covering things up or laying blame, and see those people getting ahead or even promoted, then people are going to behave in a manner consistent with that.

On the other hand, if they see that people are stepping up and accepting responsibility, and those behaviors get rewarded, people will behave that way. If people take responsibility for problems and say they’ve made mistakes, and that’s held up by management as, “This is great behavior,” people will behave that way as well.

You need to reinforce your culture every single day. Look for creative ways to do so. When I was a consultant, we had Firm Values Day. We would take all of our consultants off of client work for a full day, which was extremely expensive for the firm. And for that one day we would talk about our values. People would share examples of when they saw the values in action, or they would talk about when they violated the values and what they did to fix it.

Think about your organization. Are there opportunities to include conversations around the values and the culture in progress reviews? Can you use it as a lunch and learn topic? Or at your staff meetings? When people get promoted, hold up those opportunities to say, “This person did great work. They’re living up to our culture. This is what we believe in. This is what we want.” Others will look at that and say, “That person got promoted based on those behaviors. I want to behave the same way.”

Your culture is a very important asset, and you need to curate it every single day. So look for those opportunities to reinforce behaviors to drive a culture of accountability.

Want to learn more about building accountability into your culture? How about taking an entire course on it? Check out the video below to learn more about the course and get started. Or you can go directly to the course and start learning how to build accountability into your culture. The entire course is available at LinkedIn Learning. Enjoy!

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!

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Work Less and Relate More 

May 22, 2023/0 Comments/in Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Trevor Jones

two men talking in coffeeshop

If each of us took 10 percent of the time we devote to work and shifted it to relationship building, we’d reap impressive financial and emotional rewards.

Today’s guest post is by Larry Thornton, author of Why Not Win? A Reflection on a 50-year Journey from the Segregated South to America’s Boardrooms — And What it Teaches Us All (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

After more than 40 years of affiliations with prominent corporations, I’ve come to believe that most people could benefit from working a little less and relating to others a little more. Winning in life depends on the efforts of other people to support you and advocate on your behalf and so investing time and energy in relationships with others is a winning strategy.

I’m not advocating for a cynical, Machiavellian approach to relationships. Chances are you’ve run across people in your working life who pretend to befriend people and then seek to manipulate them for their own benefit. To the contrary, I’m suggesting that you build relationships in a sincere way such that respect and rapport come first, and support later follows.

Sometimes a relationship gets off to a shaky start and then becomes incredibly rewarding. My experience with Max Cooper illustrates this path. When I finished the training required to become a McDonald’s franchisee in the early 1990s, I wanted to build a store in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. I planned to be the first Black owner of a McDonald’s in the city. This would send a powerful message about the opportunities available to people of color, especially given the central role Birmingham played in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

I sought advice from Max for getting started. He owned dozens of McDonald’s in the area at the time, but his exclusive rights to the territory were expiring. I thought Max would embrace the chance to help another member of the McDonald’s family. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

After several phone messages went unreturned, I went to Max’s office determined to speak with him. I knew his assistant would be wary of an unannounced visitor, so I fibbed and told her that I was there to personally thank Max for his support of my development. A stand-off arose. Max wouldn’t come out and I wouldn’t leave. In effect, I held him hostage in his own office. But Max had to emerge eventually.

When he did, he was hostile, as I expected. Max offered me some advice, but the advice seemed likely to benefit him, not me. He showed me several locations where I could open outside the Birmingham area. I told him I wasn’t interested in other options. Birmingham was my home, and I was going to own a store there.

I was elated when my grand opening day arrived, but then an uninvited guest arrived — Max Cooper. Max sauntered behind the counter (my counter) while his business partner sneered at me, “You know you can’t run a McDonald’s, don’t you? We’ll own this store in six months.” Stunned by their rudeness, I couldn’t muster a response.

Max returned two months later with a warning that I was doomed to fail. He offered to purchase my store — an offer I declined. A few months later, Max again offered to buy me out. This pattern continued for a year. Each offer revitalized my efforts to succeed.

Because I’d endured discrimination throughout my life, I believed Max’s behavior was a racially driven affront. Eventually, though, I realized it wasn’t a matter of black and white, but rather one of green — as in money. Ray Kroc, who built McDonald’s into a global icon, allegedly stated, “If any of my competitors were drowning, I’d stick a hose in their mouth and turn on the water.” Max adopted this hardline mentality in running his fast-food empire. Had Max’s own grandmother started a McDonald’s in his territory, he might have been just as cut-throat as he was with me.

Over time, mutual respect started to emerge. After I realized Max was simply an aggressive entrepreneur, and after he developed admiration for me and my business acumen, we were on our way to a healthy and productive relationship — one that helped us both win in life. Eventually Max embraced me in the way I’d hoped he would from the beginning. His advice over the years made me a better businessman. We developed a friendship that enriched our lives and strengthened McDonald’s standing in Birmingham. And, in an ironic twist, I eventually bought five of Max’s restaurants.

What if each of us took 10 percent of the time we devote to work and shifted it to relationship building? I think we’d reap impressive financial and emotional rewards. In my case, Max Cooper became a mentor and friend. I was one of the last people to visit him in his office before he passed away at age 99 — the same office where we’d had a spirited debate years earlier.

why not win bookLarry Thornton is an artist, entrepreneur, and servant leader. Growing up in segregated Montgomery, Alabama, he worked his way from sign painter to advertising manager for Coca-Cola United (CCU). Today, he owns multiple McDonald’s stores and serves on CCU’s board of directors. His book, Why Not Win? A Reflection on a 50-year Journey from the Segregated South to America’s Boardrooms — And What it Teaches Us All (UGA Press, 2019), serves as inspiration for people from all walks of life. In addition, Thornton and co-author David Ketchen’s graphic novel, You Have to Live, Why Not Win? takes his message to young audiences. Larry founded the Why Not Win Institute to share the book’s ideas on leadership, success, and personal accountability. Revenue from the sales of both his books supports the institute’s mission. Learn more at larrythornton.com.     

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Strengthen Your Brand with a Culture of Accountability

May 17, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Leadership, Project Management, Strategy /by Trevor Jones

 

handshakeYour brand is one of your most valuable assets, and a culture of accountability can help you protect it.

Your brand is one of your most valuable assets, and a culture of accountability is going to help you protect it. A brand is a promise, and you need to remember who you’re ultimately accountable to. Ignoring that bond of trust between you and that final accountable party, whether it’s a patient or a customer, is going to damage your brand. This comes out a lot during a crisis situation. How you handle crises or shortfalls can make or break your brand, and a culture of accountability is what’s going to drive the behaviors in those situations.

For example, Johnson & Johnson had an issue with Tylenol. Some of the pills had been tampered with. Rather than sitting there and figuring out are there specific markets or types of packaging that have been tampered with, they just said “We’re accountable to our customers.” They pulled all the product off the shelves despite the huge negative financial implication of doing so, but by taking that action decisively, they strengthened that brand and that bond of trust between them and consumers.

Contrast that with the auto industry. Many times in the auto industry, we’ve heard of safety issues with a vehicle being covered up or ignored because the manufacturers knew it would have a large financial cost to do a recall. Eventually, it always came to light. People found out, and that bond of trust was broken between the manufacturer and the driver, and ultimately, it damaged that brand.

Contrast that with another auto manufacturer, Tesla Motors. They had an issue that was a safety concern. They immediately looked at it and said, “This is a problem. Let’s recall the vehicles, spend the money, fix them, make them safe, and get them back in the hands of our drivers.” In doing so, they strengthened their reputation and their bond of trust between them and the driver, and that culture of accountability is what drove that decision.

As you think about your organization and strengthening your brand, clearly communicate who people are accountable to. Offer stories for them of expected behaviors. Let people know this is what great looks like. Make those values highly visible, and when people do it well, celebrate broadly. If they fall short, provide the feedback and make the change because it’s the sum of those daily behaviors that is going to build and strengthen your brand.

Want to learn more about building accountability into your culture? How about taking an entire course on it? Check out the video below to learn more about the course and get started. Or you can go directly to the course and start learning how to build accountability into your culture. The entire course is available at LinkedIn Learning. Enjoy!

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!

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What Investors are REALLY Listening For

May 15, 2023/0 Comments/in Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Trevor Jones

panel meeting

Keep these three things in mind when preparing your next pitch.

Today’s guest post is by Donna Griffit, author of Sticking To My Story: The Alchemy Of Storytelling For Startups (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

Startups spend A LOT of time tweaking their pitch, their numbers, and (they should be tweaking) their story before meeting investors. Often, though, they miss out on a huge opportunity – how to speak to what investors really listen for.

Humans process information in steps – it goes through our mind by various questions popping up, seeking answers; then it starts traveling to our heart; and finally, our gut – which is where we truly make decisions. It would seem that the “top of mind” questions are the most important part to address with investors. That’s true – but we can’t ignore the other parts as well.

In my experience, there are three things investors really listen for throughout the entire pitch. And if you can point to at least one of these on each slide – you will be creating an entirely different dimension of communication. In my new book, Sticking To My Story: The Alchemy Of Storytelling For Startups, I detail how to prepare each and every aspect of an investor pitch. I want to give you a peek into these three very important things:

Credibility – This is where your numbers and preparation come into play. You must be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you know what you’re talking about, you are an industry expert (even if you didn’t start off in your industry) with the numbers, the credentials and the evidence to back up your words.

Also, credibility is proven through your stellar team, who should be experts with unique knowledge and experience in their domain and preferably some in your startup’s industry as well. Highlight their unique skills, talents and experience that give your startup an “unfair advantage” over your competitors.

This can also help answer the question I often am asked: Where to put your Team slide. Beginning? End? Somewhere in the middle?

Ask yourself if your team adds to your credibility. Do you have serial entrepreneurs with exits under their belts? Former C-Levels from well known companies who have now joined you? Recognizable names or industry leaders on your Advisory Board? If you answered yes to any of these, definitely put the Team slide at the front. And make sure to add logos of big companies they’ve worked with or organizations they’ve been affiliated with.

If you just happen to be a nice group of scrappy, hard working, first-time entrepreneurs (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), wait til a bit later when you have grabbed their attention with your fabulous pitch.

This is not the place for false modesty – you and your teams’ accomplishments are one of the biggest assets you have as a startup – so be ready to showcase them.

Likeability – Investors aren’t just scrutinizing your company; they are scrutinizing you. They want to see that you are “mensches” – meaning good people with strong integrity. They want to know that you are people they can work with. It’s not being a yes-person; it’s showing that you are coachable and have a flexible mindset, that you won’t fight them on every suggestion or criticism that they have. They aren’t there just to write a check, they want to be able to bring value to your company in other ways – and if you aren’t open to that, it will deter them from investing.

Remember, you’re going to spend many years together, through thick and thin, sickness and health – for better and for worse – and if this sounds a bit like a marriage, you’re right! You are in a committed relationship with them for a period of time that very well might last longer and have a better outcome than many marriages today!

How do you show likeability? Is there a slide for that? A VC once told me that he sees so many good companies that he started looking for reasons to say “no” rather than “yes”. And it can be one of the seemingly most benign reasons – like a founder glancing at their phone during a meeting. This was a red flag for him, and a strikeout for the company. Sounds a bit extreme? Maybe – but they view your behavior during a meeting as a sneak peek into how you will interact with them in the future – and they should take precedence over phones.

So be present, listen more than you speak, answer questions, take notes! (Actual written notes on a pad and paper, not on your phone or computer – this shows active listening.) And please – do not argue with them! It’s ok to disagree, but arguing will definitely put you on the no list.

Momentum – This is the “rubber meets the road” moment. Investors look for winners. You need to prove that you are on a winning trajectory, scaling to new heights and they have a once in a lifetime opportunity to join your company at this stage.

This is where numbers come into play: Growth in users, in revenues, strong partnerships, an impressive pipeline, loving testimonials from users, IP or regulatory process – anything that proves you are a solution that people want and are willing to pay for or be part of. This can be shown early on in a “Brag Slide” – where you showcase your biggest and most impressive numbers if you have them, or later on in a “Traction Slide” – where you simply show your accomplishments and the phase that you’re at in product, projections, pipeline, partners and more.

If you constantly keep Credibility, Likeability and Momentum in mind and in play as you are pitching, you will definitely increase your chances to raise funding, or at the very least, forge a relationship with an investor who might come on board when you’re a bit further along.

donna-griffit-bookDonna Griffit, author of STICKING TO MY STORY: The Alchemy Of Storytelling For Startups, is a world-renowned Corporate Storyteller and Pitch Alchemist. She has helped over 1000 startups, corporates and investors raise over one billion dollars and accelerate their sales with a personal touch and unmatched messaging savvy, in any industry, at any phase. For more information, please visit www.DonnaGriffit.com

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How easily distracted are you and your team from pursuing key priorities?

May 11, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How easily distracted are you and your team from pursuing key priorities?

  • Not at all — we consistently stay focused on top priorities and never get distracted 12.85%
  • Somewhat — we generally stay focused and on task but get distracted occasionally 60.55%
  • Very — distractions tend to be more frequent and hinder focusing on priorities 21.10%
  • Exceedingly — we truly struggle to focus on what’s important 5.5%

Focus, focus, focus. Look at how many unfinished projects are sitting on your desk and in front of your team members. Distraction and diffusion of effort is an execution killer. Sure, priorities change and that’s fine. Just maintain a focused priority list and drive execution on the items at the top of the list. Don’t start anything new until you’ve completed something else and resources are freed up. The constant stop/start/stop/start dynamic drains energy and causes inefficiency. It’s fine to put new ideas on the list and prioritize them as “not yet” then communicate and reinforce priorities to your team. This improved focus will actually accelerate completion of top projects which then enables you to pursue the next ideas on the list. And if something truly is a distraction and isn’t aligned with core goals and priorities, the best thing you can do is quickly say “no” and move on to your real priorities.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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Creating a Culture of Accountability

May 10, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Leadership, Project Management, Strategy /by Trevor Jones

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Learn how to create a culture of accountability by establishing a set of principles for how you want your teams to behave.

Once you understand your accountabilities as a leader and you’ve clearly defined them for the members of your team, you need to start thinking about the broader organization, and how you can create a culture of accountability.

Culture is nothing more than the sum of our daily actions. And to change culture, you’re going to want to set in place a series of principles for how you want people to behave. And those principles are going to drive those daily behaviors. This will take time. Culture will not change overnight. But those small behaviors every single day, over time, are going to create that very strong culture of accountability. The values need to be articulated and clarified in a manner that everyone in the organization understands them. You also need to give them the latitude to behave in a manner where they’re not afraid of taking a risk and trying to live up to those values.

For example, I ran a large customer service organization at one point. We said we wanted to commit to the customer to give them great service. We also knew we had financial obligations to the broader organization. So what we did was we said we’re going to tell our associates who are on the phone with our customers to just ask themselves one question: is this right for the customer? Whatever they were thinking about doing at that moment in the interaction with the customer, they had to ask themselves: is this right for the customer? If the answer was yes, they should do it. If the answer was no, they needed to find some other solution.

Now, we got some great behaviors because of that. The associates felt empowered to help our customers. And our customers loved it. The service level scores were fantastic. Occasionally, we’d get an associate that would do something that was too right for the customer, and give away a little too much value, which then hampered us on our financial goals. So we were constantly trying to find that balance between delivering great service and meeting our financial goals. But by putting in place that one principle, we were able to shift those small, daily behaviors of our associates on the phone, and create that culture that we wanted.

I had another call center environment where we wanted to treat our customers well. And they were in collections, so it was already an adversarial relationship. We wanted to change that dynamic. So we told our associates to look for signs of willingness in our customers. Let’s believe that they want to pay us back. That they want to meet their obligations. When our associates looked at that principle and started treating our customers that way, we got very different behavior. Customers started finding new ways to pay us back. They actually put us higher in the payment hierarchy than other creditors who were beating them up on the phone, and telling them that they needed to pay now, and threatening them. We were willing to work with them. It was that small principle that we put in place that changed those small behaviors. Our associates knew they were accountable for living up to that set of principles.

As you think about your organization and creating this culture of accountability, first determine the key behaviors that you want, and make sure they’re aligned with the brand of your organization. Communicate those values, let people know who they’re accountable to, and then figure out those small desired daily actions that you want to see out of your people. Be patient. Reinforce those behaviors. And when you see somebody do it right, celebrate that success. Communicate it broadly across the organization, so people know what you’re looking for. And if you’re able to be patient, have that clarity of principle, over time you’ll have the culture of accountability you’re looking for.

Want to learn more about building accountability into your culture? How about taking an entire course on it? Check out the video below to learn more about the course and get started. Or you can go directly to the course and start learning how to build accountability into your culture. The entire course is available at LinkedIn Learning. Enjoy!

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Timing Is Key: When to Intervene in a Conflict

May 8, 2023/0 Comments/in Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Trevor Jones

 

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Learn how to address conflict in your organization to make it a net positive.

Today’s guest post is by Beth Fisher-Yoshida, Ph.D, author of New Story, New Power: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiation (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

Whether we like it or not, conflict is a part of life. It appears in our workplaces in a variety of ways, from slight disagreements to full-blown brawls. We often run away from dealing with conflict simply because it’s uncomfortable.

This discomfort comes from not having the skills to address conflict well, reliving bad memories of previous conflicts that didn’t go well, lacking the time to have a proper discussion, believing it’s not worth the effort, or hoping that if we ignore it, it will go away. Or a combination of all of the above.

Of course, the conflict might fade away with time. New priorities could take over. Or the conflict could fester and grow. This is one of the inherent risks in not addressing conflict early, and leaving it for later.

In an organizational setting, the type of intervention that’s effective in the first few months of a conflict is different from what might be effective after one year, or even after five years. It may sound strange, but as an external, impartial consultant, I’ve been called in to address conflicts that have been present for five years (and more!).

Positive versus painful interventions

In the initial phase of a conflict, there’s an opportunity to teach conflict resolution skills to the people who are directly and indirectly affected. Affected employees may be able to address the issues themselves or with the guidance of an impartial third party. By developing these skills and promoting a sense of agency in your staff, they’ll be able to address future concerns before they become problematic. Intervening early turns conflict into a net positive.

However, when conflict isn’t addressed for an extended period of time, painful issues can (and will) mount. Your employees may lose confidence in company leadership because leaders haven’t taken care of them or ensured their workplace is safe. Your staff may become emotionally or physically ill and take time off work to address their health concerns.

Whether employees take time off or remain in a conflict-riddled environment, productivity will drop, and so will your bottom line. Workers will spend time protecting themselves, not sharing information or engaging with others. In the end, everyone loses.

Conflict is an outlet

Conflict itself isn’t bad. How it’s managed makes all the difference. When conflicts surface, it’s a sign that something isn’t right, that an issue may need to be addressed. Maybe some new procedures need to be clarified. Or perhaps staff members aren’t sure how upcoming changes will affect them, and they need to be reassured that their interests are being considered.

As human beings, we often don’t express our underlying concerns constructively. Conflict is one outlet for letting other people know something isn’t sitting well with us. Conflict provides the opportunity for good discussions, brainstorming to surface great ideas, and transparency so that everyone is on the same page moving forward.

Here are three ways to be more preventive than reactive to the conflicts that arise in your organization:

Invest in skill development. Everyone can benefit from learning more about themselves and how they communicate with others. Many of us think we’re good communicators, and while we may be, there are always new and improved ways to reach different people, come together and solve complex issues, and remedy problems.

As your staff develops these skills, they’ll gain confidence so that when they need to address uncomfortable issues, they’re better prepared to do so, which will lead to better outcomes.

Lead by example. As a leader, you have more influence than anyone else in the organization. By participating in these same development activities, you’ll send a clear message: you value these skills so much, you’re devoting your time to them, too.

Actions speak louder than words when you demonstrate that you’re a strong leader who is open to being a lifelong learner.

Engage outside expertise. There are times when issues can be handled internally, utilizing the expertise of HR professionals or an organizational ombudsperson, if there is one. But at other times, there will need to be a stronger display of impartiality.

This is a good time to bring in an external consultant with the expertise you need. Staff members impacted by the conflict can confidently share their comments with this external consultant. This information can then be collected and aggregated so that no one individual is identified. In the spirit of transparency, the consultant’s reports can be shared so staff members understand what their colleagues are experiencing.

Of course, leadership will need to support this and be willing to implement the recommendations as feasible and appropriate.

Make conflict a step forward

Reframing conflict as a potentially good and informative process, when addressed well and early, is a step forward in creating a healthier and more collaborative work environment.

new story new powerBeth Fisher-Yoshida, Ph.D., CCS, is a global expert and educator in negotiation and communication. She’s the program director of Columbia University’s Master of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, a negotiation consultant for the United Nations, and the CEO of the consulting agency Fisher Yoshida International. Her new book, New Story, New Power: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiation, helps women of all ages make successful negotiations a reality. Learn more at bethfisheryoshida.com.

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How deliberate are you about applying change management practices when your team faces a large change?

May 4, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Leadership, Poll /by Trevor Jones

Our reader poll today asks: How deliberate are you about applying change management practices when your team faces a large change?

  • Very: I put a lot of effort into managing the change and dealing with change issues 46.47%
  • Somewhat: I apply change management practices for big and important changes 46.46%
  • Not very: I infrequently apply change management practices in the face of change 5.05%
  • Not at all: I’m not sure what good change management practices even look like 2.02%

Change doesn’t happen on its own. 93% of you report being reasonably rigorous in your change management efforts. Bravo! Underestimating how challenging a change will be can doom your decisions to failure. Since so many of you report doing a good job in your change management efforts, take those skills to the next level. Start teaching your team members how to properly manage change. Don’t let it be a process they learn by osmosis. Help them see how you think about change. Show them the tools you use to manage change. Include them in change planning. Delegate parts of the change management to them so they can learn to be change leaders in the future. A leader’s job is to create the next generation of leaders. Here’s a great opportunity for you to build your team members’ skills.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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Modeling the Right Behaviors for Your Team

May 3, 2023/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Leadership, Project Management, Strategy /by Trevor Jones

Learn why modeling accountability is essential for leaders, and how it can strengthen team culture by creating a transparent and supportive environment.

As a leader, you need to model the behaviors that you want from your team members. People watch a leader’s every move. Setting that example is a critical element of modeling accountability and creating the right culture on your team. The words you use. When you say I versus we. Do you say I when something goes wrong? Or do you only say it when things go right? Do you say we when something goes wrong? Or when something goes right? It sets a tone for who’s accountable for those actions.

As you think about whether you’re modeling the right behaviors or not, some questions you should ask yourself are as follows:

Do I say I or we more frequently? And in what situations do I use those words?

Do I proactively let the team know, “Hey, I’ve made a mistake, and here’s what I’m doing to resolve it?”

Do my team members say I or we? And again, in which situations? And do I reward or praise people for owning up to a mistake and fixing it? Or do I punish them when they bring that mistake forward?

A to-do for you as a leader, as you look to model these accountability behaviors, is to pick a recent mistake you’ve made. And we’ve all made them. Then sit down and discuss it with your team. Let them know, “I made a mistake. Here’s why I made the mistake. And here’s what I’m doing to fix it.” Then go that next step and let them know, “Here’s why we’re having this conversation. I want to model the right set of behaviors for you.”

If you’re able to do this on a regular basis, and praise people for owning up to mistakes, calling things out when you make mistakes, and then driving that accountability where it belongs, you’re going to go a long way to strengthen the culture of accountability on your team.

Want to learn more about building accountability into your culture? How about taking an entire course on it? Check out the video below to learn more about the course and get started. Or you can go directly to the course and start learning how to build accountability into your culture. The entire course is available at LinkedIn Learning. Enjoy!

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The Elegant Pitch
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