Business Leadership Skills 01 (Jul 09 - Feb 13)

[kennynah]

To accomplish great things, start by identifying your passion and areas of competence .... kennynah

[winston]

Good Job ! Good Job ! Reminds me of Will Smith in Hancock ...

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Make Your Praise More Powerful By Michael Masterson

Your employees want to believe your praise is (a) valid and (b) sincere. That's because they want to believe that (a) they deserve it and (b) it will ultimately result in some positive action from you. (Such as a raise.)

Dish out the same praise routinely ("Good job!"), and your employees will start to wonder if you are really paying attention -- and even if you care. They may see you as a boss who is trying to do the right thing, but is perhaps taking your cue from management magazines.

An effective compliment has two characteristics:

1. It is specific.

2. It is delivered with genuineness.

So tell the person being complimented exactly what it is about his behavior or performance that you like. Say, for example, "The comment you made at the meeting this morning showed me that you had put some serious thought into it. That's a good quality for a staff attorney, Jeff. It makes me feel comfortable to know that when important legal issues arise, you will think about them carefully before you make a recommendation."

Notice that this compliment is specific not only as to "what" but also as to "why." That tells the person what he should continue to do in the future. And it gives him insight into the results you are looking for.

Source: ETR

[kennynah]

Good Job ! Good Job ! Reminds me of Will Smith in Hancock ...

you have very good memory indeed

[winston]

When You Make a Deal, Be Clear About the Intent By Michael Masterson

Whenever you make an important deal, quickly follow up with a short memo. Identify what you think is the "spirit" of the deal, the big picture. Do this whether the deal comes with a written contract or is simply a verbal agreement.

Doing so will prevent a great deal of trouble and heartache in your career. You'll avoid arguments, prevent embarrassment, and save yourself a lot of money.

Source: ETR

[winston]

Teach Your Employees to Mentor One Another By Michael Masterson

If you spend a lot of time training your employees, you may be making a big mistake. Your primary job is to build your business. That includes teaching people what you know. But if you devote too much time to it, your business will suffer.

Here's a better way: Teach your best employees what you know. And then teach them how to teach it to new employees.

This not only frees up your valuable time, it establishes an automatic mentoring system. And that provides additional benefits:

Every new employee has someone with experience to turn to for advice.

The mentor feels responsible for the new employee's performance -- and they both learn that responsibility is best when shared.

For a while at least, a separate pair of eyes will be carefully reviewing the work of every new employee. This should result in fewer mistakes that will need to be fixed later.

The mentor will probably rise to a higher level of commitment and dedication to the business. He'll take himself and his job more seriously.

Source: ETR

[winston]

"Planting Seeds" in Someone's Mind Pays Off -- Sometimes Big Time
By Michael Masterson

Want to get someone to do something he doesn't want to do? It's amazingly easy. All you have to do is plant a seed and wait for it to sprout.

This is a phenomenally powerful business secret I learned from JSN when I worked with him many years ago. He used it to acquire many very profitable information products.

Here's how he did it:

When he saw a product he liked, he'd call up the owner and ask to buy it. Most times, the owner would refuse. Then JSN would give the owner one good reason he should consider selling. That didn't usually change the owner's mind. But, JSN told me, the seed was planted.

At first, I doubted that much would come of this approach. But after watching him do it for a while, the results became obvious. Publisher after publisher -- for one reason or another -- brought him products to buy. Some of them were very good. Some of them were offered to him before the rest of the market heard about them, so he had a strategic advantage when it came to bidding for them. And some came only to him. He named his price and took them.

Source: ETR

[winston]

Recognize the Buttons By Michael Masterson

If you want to accomplish your business goals, you need to be able to inspire all sorts of people to work harder and smarter than they would otherwise. To do that, you need to figure out what motivates them.

Granted, no one is entirely motivated by one single thing. That said, if you can figure out what motivates the people who are most important to your success, you can do a better job of leading them.

Think about those people. What is the primary motivator for each one? It is likely to be one of the following:
* money
* status
* popularity
* autonomy

Motivating a money-oriented person is easy if money is available. Motivating a status-conscious person is easy too -- if you have a big enough organization to create a sense of status. It's hard to motivate someone who seeks popularity. And it is generally not something you want people to be focused on. Autonomy is a good motivator. But it has obvious drawbacks.

As I said, every person is a gallimaufry of motivations. You'll have to add a pinch of this and a cup of that to come up with the right recipe for each individual. The important thing for the moment is to recognize that people are unique and to treat them that way.

Source: ETR

[kennynah]

i call all these "manipulations" rather than "motivators".... the essence should simply be to sincerely respect individuals, as a long term formula to get things done...

it is easy to manipulate people to do the things we want...it is not so easy to respect others for all the differences in personality traits and working abilities...

[winston]

Time Stealers You Don't Need By Bob Cox

I know you have found yourself in conversations with a co-worker who says something like this:

"She is pretty, and that's why she was promoted."

Or...

"His uncle owns the business, and that's the only reason he was able to get a job here."

Or...

"They keep taking credit for my ideas and holding me back."

Sadly, a victim attitude comes all too easily to individuals who are looking to others to rescue them. There is nothing wrong with seeking input when you are working on a difficult project. But this is completely different.

Avoid the gossip and drama generated by the self-styled "victims" in your office, or these time stealers will keep you from achieving your goals. The best way I have found to deal with it is to:
* Divert the conversation.
* Talk only about positives.
* Limit your encounters with those individuals.

Believe me, if you don't encourage the conversation they will leave you be and find someone else to listen.

Source: ETR

[winston]

The World's Quickest, Easiest Performance Review By Michael Masterson

I don't like formal performance reviews. I find them awkward and unproductive. But I do think it's important to get and give feedback. I do that with the people who report to me by discussing their progress with them on a regular basis. I call these interactions three-question reviews. I ask:

How are you doing?
What is your biggest challenge right now?
How can I help you do a better job?

In answering these questions, my fellow interlocutor will usually identify his own strengths and weaknesses. This makes it easier for me to provide critical input. I feel like I'm coaching rather than criticizing. In fact, that's how I think of it. The employee has to carry the ball. All I can do is hand it to him and encourage him to go.

The first time you try a three-minute review it might seem artificial. But after a few times, it will become a low-stress, high-return habit. And you'll notice the benefits immediately. You'll both have more clarity about your goals and how they need to be achieved.

When you're giving a three-question review, it's important to have positive feelings about the employee while you are discussing his problems and shortcomings. Get the frustration out of your head before you start talking. Think, "I really like this person and want him to succeed."

When you're the one being reviewed -- either formally or through this method -- it's important to listen actively. That means paying close attention to what is being said, repeating key phrases, and asking questions when you have them. And maintain a humble mindset. Think, "It's okay to be imperfect. I will get better in the future." Look at the criticism you get as an opportunity to improve yourself. Thank your boss at the end.

Source: ETR