I know I’m not the only one who has trouble doing everything they’d like to get done.  I hear it from my clients all the time.  In reality, we all have the same amount of time (24 hours a day), so it’s really about how we choose to spend it.

I’m a list maker and I keep a notebook of tasks I need to complete.  I check off the tasks as I complete them.  Tasks with externally imposed deadlines get done on time.  Period.  Tasks that I enjoy doing usually get checked off too.  Then, there are the tasks that I never seem to get around to doing.  I took a good look at these last month and made some decisions.  For each item I asked myself if the task was REALLY important to my business and/or to my personal well-being.  If the answer was no, it went bye-bye.  If the answer was yes, I asked myself if I was the only person who could do it.  If yes, I set a deadline to complete it.  If no, I delegated it.   For example, I hired someone to do my bookkeeping.  Could I do it myself?  Yes.  Was I the only person who could do it?  No.  Was I keeping up with entering expenses, sending invoices, etc?  No.   Hence, the bookkeeper.

Now, about the blogging.  You probably figured out that it didn’t make the cut as REALLY important.  That might change in the future so I’ll keep the Blog active on my website.  This isn’t goodbye.  I’m just pressing pause.

The article provides some interesting results from a national (U.S.) survey regarding emotions in the workplace.  The most commonly experienced emotion at work is frustration.  Based on the survey results and other research, it is more acceptable for men to express anger at work than it is for women.  Men can yell and pound their fist on a table to release tension, but women aren’t supposed to do that.  Nor is it OK for women to cry, even though they are biologically predisposed to express strong emotions by crying.

“…it’s no wonder that more than 50% of women reported being angry at work during the past year–for the moment, there is simply no socially acceptable way for women to express legitimate anger in the workplace.”

So, what’s a woman to do?   When I was extremely frustrated or angry at work, I would go outside and pace until I cooled off.  There were other times when I went to the parking lot, got in my car, and had a good cry.  In other words, I hid my emotions from my co-workers.  The few times that I did cry in front of co-workers, I felt embarrassed afterward.  And, I could tell that my emotional display made them uncomfortable.

The survey data suggests that things may be changing and it is becoming more acceptable to bring your whole self to work.  “69% of respondents felt that when someone gets emotional in the workplace, it makes the person seem more human, and a whopping 88% of all workers (93% of women and 83% of men) felt that being sensitive to others’ emotions at work is an asset.”

Are things changing?  Do you think it’s OK for women to show anger and frustration at work?

Do you consider yourself lucky?  I do, but I don’t believe in luck in the traditional sense of some sort of random and mysterious force.  Instead, I believe in making my own luck by being ready, willing, and able to take a chance at success.  There is a famous quote by Seneca that expresses this same sentiment: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

In my experience, the preparation part of this equation is easy.  In fact, most of my clients are already ‘baked’ or well on their way.  The challenge is in spotting and seizing opportunities when they arise.   Why is this so challenging?  One reason is because we have a fixed idea of what a good opportunity looks like, so we can’t see the myriad of possibilities that surround us every day.  My advice: look for opportunities in disguise and believe in happy accidents.

Another big barrier to making our own luck is failing to act when an opportunity presents itself.   This failure to act is almost always related to some kind of fear.  Fear of failure, fear of looking stupid, fear of being found out, fear of rejection, fear of  you fill in the blank.   When you find yourself in this situation, remember the old saying, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained.’  You have the choice to face your fears or stay safely and firmly stuck in the status quo.

So, go out and make your own luck this month!

It can get lonely at the top.  Who can you trust?  Who can you talk to  when you are confused, fearful, uncertain?  Probably not your direct reports.  Your spouse?  Maybe, but there are drawbacks.  As a coach, I remind my clients that they have the answers they need.  They just need to slow down, focus, and think.  And, sometimes it really helps to think out loud with someone who can listen, ask questions, and help you connect the dots.

A Yale professor, William Deresiewicz, believes that the best leaders are also the best thinkers.  In a commencement speech he gave at West Point, Deresiewicz said that “thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop an idea about it.”  Specifically, your own idea.  Thinking requires concentration and focus.  Asking yourself the tough questions and finding your own answers.  Questions like these: What is the right thing to do?  What are the implications my decision?  Who am I being?  What is important to me?  Where am I getting in my own way?

If you’re not taking the time to ask yourself these kind of questions, maybe it’s time to slow down and think.  Deresiewicz said to think better you need to talk to yourself and listen to your own voice.  And, “one of the best ways to talk to yourself is by talking to another person. One other person you can trust, one other person to whom you can unfold your soul. One person you feel safe enough with to allow you to acknowledge things–to acknowledge things to yourself–that you otherwise can’t.  Doubts you aren’t suppose to have, questions your aren’t supposed to ask.”

Do you have a thinking partner?

Several of my web domain names are registered at GoDaddy, but I’m only using two of them currently.  A couple of years ago, I had asked GoDaddy to notify me if a certain domain name became available.   In the meantime, I had decided that I no longer wanted that domain name.  So, when I got an email from GoDaddy saying that my credit card had been charged for renewal of the notification service, I made a mental note to call GoDaddy and ask that the service be discontinued.  Before the mental note got to my To Do List, I received a phone call from GoDaddy.  The guy who called me said that he noticed the charge and suspected that I really didn’t want or need it anymore.  He then asked me if I would like the service to be canceled and receive a refund.  Wow!  Of course, I said ‘yes’ and commented that I had never received proactive customer service before.

How could you be more proactive in serving your customers?

So, what else did the IT professionals say that they wanted if they couldn’t have a raise?  Well, 32 percent want company-funded training and certification classes and 31 percent chose flexible work hours.  Now we’re talking.

The advantages of rewarding key staff with training is two-fold.  One, you send a strong signal that you want to invest in your people.  Something that many employees will remember when they are tempted to jump ship when the economy  improves.  Two, unlike a salary increase, the cost of a training class is a one-time expense.

So, what about flexible work hours?  The fact that 31 percent of the poll respondents chose this may indicate that they don’t currently have a flexible work schedule.  I’ve discovered that a flexible work schedule means different things to different people.  To some, it may mean you can begin work at either 7:30, 8:00 or 8:30.  To someone else, it may mean that work can be performed whenever and wherever desired as long as measurable goals are met.  As a manager, if you think you are offering your people a flexible work schedule, find out if your employees agree.

The Dice.com survey offered four choices of reward in lieu of a raise.  The least popular with just 2 percent of the vote was C-level recognition.  So, a nice pat on the back from the CEO or CIO isn’t a good substitute for cash money.   However, as discussed in my previous post, Inexpensive Ways to Show Employees You Care, don’t let that deter you from showing your team how much you appreciate them.

Last week I attended a meeting for human resource professionals.  The dinner speaker talked about fun in the workplace – an unusual topic given today’s economic climate.  The speaker’s examples of workplace fun were along the lines of employee parties, picnics, and catered lunches.

As I sat there, I had to wonder, who can think about having fun at work with layoffs, benefit reductions, and pay cuts?  In the Q&A after the presentation, someone asked my question, but in a slightly different way.  The audience member was concerned about how spending money for fun would be perceived by people both inside and outside the company.  People might wonder if the money spent on a party could have saved a few jobs.   The speaker did a good job of addressing this concern by discussing how important it is to engage the people who remain in your organization.

Engaged employees are more committed to the organization and are willing to go beyond the call of duty.  Numerous studies have found a link between high employee engagement levels and positive business results.  The opposite is also true.

As a leader, it is crucial to your company’s success to do what you can to boost employee engagement levels.  Make it a habit to acknowledge and appreciate the people on your team.  It doesn’t take a lot of money to say thank you and to show that you care.

For many years, I worked in senior management on contracts with tight margins.  Translation—the money available to recognize and reward employees, beyond their normal compensation, was minuscule.  I had to get creative to show my employees that I appreciated them.

It doesn’t cost a dime to talk to your people and really listen to what they have to say.  Invest your time to get to know your employees on a personal level and help them achieve their goals through mentoring and coaching.   Time and time again, when I ask people to tell me about the best manager they ever had, they will say something about how that manager took a personal interest in them and their success.

Another very inexpensive way to show you care is to write a note.  And, I’m not talking about a quick email.  Never underestimate the value of a personal, handwritten note to express your thanks and gratitude to someone on your team.

Here are a few other inexpensive things I’ve done in the past to recognize my team and have some cheap fun:

• Put together a scavenger hunt that ended up at my home for lunch and an inexpensive prize for the winning team
• Grilled and served hamburgers and hot dogs in the office parking lot
• At Halloween, had a pumpkin carving and costume contest

What are you doing to boost employee morale and engagement in your organization?

According to a study by the Center for Creative Leadership and Cylient, businesses plan to expand their use of coaching into 2009.  More than half (53 percent) of the companies surveyed said that they expected their organizations to do more coaching in 2009 than in 2008. Only 4 percent said that they expected less coaching.  Additionally, companies will be employing coaching in more diverse ways.

“In addition to individual coaching—which continues to be focused more on high-potential leaders than just on derailing leaders—coaching-skill workshops, team and group coaching and coach-to-coach mentoring are emerging as additional coaching activities that are used by organizations.  As the current economic stressors force business to stretch the limits of leader agility and adaptability, coaching is emerging as a critical learning strategy for business leaders.”

To learn more about this study, read the white paper here.

If you are interested in developing coaching skills among the leaders in your organization, visit the Training page to read an abstract and some testimonials for my popular workshop, Unlock Your Team’s Potential Through Coaching.

]]> http://www.catalystleadershipcoaching.com/coaching-a-critical-skill-for-leaders/feed/ 0 http://www.catalystleadershipcoaching.com/the-heart-of-marketing/ http://www.catalystleadershipcoaching.com/the-heart-of-marketing/#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 16:00:48 +0000 Kim Freedman http://catalystleadershipcoaching.com/?p=207 This is the continuation of my blog post from Monday, May 11, 2009.  Go to the end of this post to find the link to purchase the book The Heart of Marketing.  If you purchase today, you’ll receive thousands of dollars worth of Bonus Gifts.  Now, for the rest of the interview with authors Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski.

Q: So what’s the common criticism you receive for the stand you’ve taken?  Because you’re really calling us to rethink what happens in the buying and selling relationships that go on in our lives every day.

A: People haven’t liked our use of the term “soft sell.” They hear the word “soft” as meaning weak. But we don’t mean weak at all. Quite the opposite. Soft sell is much stronger than hard sell of creating long term profits.

Q: I was impressed by the section you wrote about truly loving your customers. It’s not the least bit sappy or off the charts. It really makes sense that customer relationships should be treated with a great deal more care and value. So pin it down for us – what is it you are calling love when dealing with customers?

A: We are all interconnected on this planet – in this universe, actually. We co-create our lives together. That means we need each other. When you’re aware of that need then, if you’re a seller, your buyer is your partner in every sale (and vice versa).

Q: We’ve covered a lot of territory here. So before we run out of time, what else would you like to say?  And, why should people read your book?

A: If you are a care-giver, a service provider, what we call a life transformation artist, our book is the only book written to identify, match, and support your marketing needs. As one of our endorsers wrote, “Read it and you will be impressed. Put it into action and you will be transformed.”

The Heart of Marketing is a great resource for anyone looking for solid marketing strategies and tactics with a Soft Sell, heart-based approach to create real profit and long-term customer relationships. Order your own copy of The Heart of Marketing before midnight tonight (May 14, 2009) and receive over $8,400 in bonus gifts from experts around the globe, including David Riklan, Christine Kloser, Gregg Braden, and Hay House.  Go to http://www.theheartofmarketing.com.

This blog post is the first of two this week and presents part of an interview conducted with the authors, Judith and Jim.  The rest of the interview will appear in my blog post on Wednesday, May 14th.  That post will also contain a very special offer from Judith and Jim’s joint venture partners.  So, be sure to come back on Wednesday.

Q: I understand that the two of you you came to write this book – The Heart of Marketing – after traveling a very circuitous path.  What happened?

A: We are former psychotherapists who ventured into online marketing just four years ago.  We had to overcome our technical deficiencies and learn to make friends with the computer. Even more so, we had to open our minds to an entirely new way of being in the world, a whole new and very different mindset – a marketing/business mindset.

But all along we labored under the feeling that something was wrong. Or to put it more accurately, something just wasn’t right. But what?

The answer began to emerge at the various internet marketing conferences we attended.

We always felt a sense of displacement, a feeling of not belonging, of somehow being outsiders. We hadn’t had years of business experience, no formal business education, and no family business connections. So we accepted our discomfort as just part of the newness we’d jumped into.

But at those same conferences we began to hear others who had the same complaint. “I don’t feel right, somehow.” We heard their complaints often enough that a pattern became clear. All those who voices this kind of discomfort were service providers, care-givers, change agents of some kind, men and women who had dedicated their lives to helping others heart-to-heart.

It became clear that there was a segment of the internet marketplace that was not being served. That segment is peopled by soft sell marketers – all of us who are care-givers and life-change artists as distinct from accumulation artists whose focus is money first and foremost. And so, soft sell marketing was born.

Q: So you found yourselves uniquely qualified to write this book – a book that advances the power and profit of heart-based, soft sell marketing.  What’s that been like?

A: Actually quite surprising. Not just what we’ve attracted, many people who are looking for a different way to market and profit, but that we see that the hard sell community is taking notice.

Q: Now, you say that soft sell marketers are primarily care-givers and service providers – but aren’t they the people we routinely deal with in our everyday lives?

A: Most marketers both online and off – about 90% – are soft sell marketers. They’ve just never been identified that way before.

To be continued…