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Archive for the ‘management’ Category[Infographic] – Working In A Virtual WorldTuesday, January 24th, 2012As a result of globalization, technology, work-life balance, and outsourcing, virtual teams are becoming more common. Leaders of virtual teams rarely have the chance to connect with their direct-reports face-to-face. Therefore, in addition to the typical challenges a leader faces when his/her team is all in one location, virtual leaders must communicate, build trust, and instill accountability via technological means. Click on image to expand. 
FREE: add this infographic to your website!600 Pixel Wide VersionLarge Version“My Bucket Has A Hole In It”Monday, December 19th, 2011Each of us has a bucket located in our heart and whenever we receive any type of feedback it goes in our bucket. I’ve taught the metaphor of the feedback bucket to thousands of people around the country. Perhaps because it’s so simple, or because of the catchy name, but for whatever reason, it helps people grasp the importance of the feedback with give and receive in our interactions with others. Picture your feedback bucket and imagine all types of feedback you receive each day going into your bucket. The problem is that we have holes in our buckets, which cause the feedback to leak out over time. If there are a lot of holes, or if some are large, the feedback leaks out quickly. If a person’s bucket doesn’t have many holes, or if they are just pinpricks, the feedback leaks out slowly. Remember, we all have a bucket and every bucket has some holes in it.
Who put the holes in your bucket? The answer is complex, but stated simply they came from both internal and external sources. You probably drilled a few yourself through careless actions and others came from parents, family, friends, associates, and your present and former bosses. Because our lives constantly change, the holes in our feedback buckets are in a state of flux. Holes come, and holes go, but some are always there.
How does an employee behave when his or her feedback bucket is empty? How would that same employee behave if his or her bucket had a few deposits of feedback? The response I get to these questions from retail managers is surprisingly consistent. And I’ll bet you probably know some of the answers. But before we get to that, first keep in mind that people suffer great pain when their bucket is empty. Feedback deprivation is one of the most psychologically painful experiences a person can have. In fact, mentally healthy people will go to extraordinary measures to ensure that their bucket doesn’t run dry.
Consider that people don’t consciously know when their bucket is empty. It’s something we can’t recognize because most of us don’t understand it. It is a feeling or an emotion; and being able to pinpoint emotions is difficult for most people.
Even if a person knew that his or her “bucket gauge” was on empty, it’s highly unlikely that the person would ask for feedback from others–especially men, because it would show weakness. If women are the better communicators, like some people say, and if they are more intuitive, again like some experts say, then maybe women would be better suited to know when their bucket was empty, and maybe they might be more able to ask for help.
So how can you know if one of your employee’s feedback bucket is running low? Typically, a problem with inadequate feedback will show up in one or more of six ways.
1. A person’s work performance (quantity and quality of work) is quite often directly related to the amount of feedback in his or her bucket. It doesn’t mean that a person will stop working when their bucket’s empty, but sustained performance over time requires at least some feedback in the bucket. So if you see an employee’s performance beginning to erode try stepping up your feedback to that person.
2. The ability to get along peaceably with co¬workers and even work effectively as a team is also directly related to how much feedback those people recently received. Workers are less likely to demonstrate patience, cooperation, understanding or tolerance when their feedback buckets are empty, or even near empty. So when you want a group of employees to become a team of employees, be sure that your feedback to them is frequent and positive.
3. Employees with empty buckets are prone to be followers, rather than take the initiative to be leaders. Followers wait for things to happen, while leaders take the initiative and make things happen. That’s because followers don’t feel as though it’s their job. Decision–making is an integral part of demonstrating initiative. Why make the effort to take a risk and make a decision if it’s not your job in the first place? So if you see employees lacking in initiative, step up your feedback.
4. People suffering from feedback deprivation commonly engage in destructive communication and people whose buckets are fairly full frequently engage in constructive communication. The simple cause of complaining, griping and back-biting, especially in the break room, may be nothing more than a number of employees who have been ignored too long and their buckets are running on empty. So when you become aware of destructive communication, step up your feedback.
5. Each day most of us make a decision to either get up and go to work, or roll over and go back to sleep. Part of that decision is centered on how much feedback we have received recently. A fair portion of time and attendance issues, such as being late or absent, could he prevented if managers invested more time in giving appropriate feedback to employees.
6. A few years ago a group of Outback restaurants implemented a program to reduce turnover among part¬-time employees. Each member of management was required to do three things each day to every part-time employee. They were to look the employee in the eye, use his or her first name, and ask a question about how their day was going. So to a part-time employee who was a student and worked the evening shift the comment might be, “Ann, how was your day at school?” Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But within six months Outback had slashed part-time employee turnover in those restaurants by a whopping 50 percent! How important is feedback? Ask those employees.
So what can you do as a manager to make deposits in employees’ buckets and to even plug up a few holes? There are four easy, but important strategies you might consider.
1. The quantity of feedback you give someone is important, but the quality is even more important. An idle comment may be welcome, but a question about how your midterm exam went yesterday could be a huge deposit. How much do you really know about your employees? Do you know how they spend their spare time? Do you know their hobbies? Are you concerned about them as an important part of your team? Take a few minutes and find out. And then fill a bucket!
2. Employees who receive appropriate and timely praise and recognition for their contributions to the company feel better about themselves. Feelings of being valuable and a contributor to the company can plug a few holes. Many books have been written about how to recognize employees, but the regrettable truth is that few managers consistently use the principle of praise and recognition appropriately. Look for both individual and group achievement and then make a fuss, and do it where a number of people can hear.
3. The third tactic to plug holes and make feedback deposits is to celebrate achievements. Too often managers believe that results are to be expected. It’s why we give you a paycheck, so we don’t need to celebrate individual successes. However, if you don’t pay attention to individual and group achievements, you’ll never know who crosses the finish line. Work at knowing who is achieving and then celebrate those achievements with your employees.
4. The extent to which any employee embraces changes to operating procedures or organizational structure is directly related to how much feedback that employee has been given regarding why the changes are necessary. Remember, feedback is a two way street. It doesn’t just flow from the manager to the employee. It needs to flow from the employee to the manager too. When employees are asked for their feedback regarding potential changes, they are much more likely to embrace the change after it is implemented. Ensure that feedback flows in both directions.
In this article we’ve looked at the feedback bucket. I like the metaphor because its uniqueness is so memorable to my students. Take a serious look at your employees this month and determine which buckets are running too low. Then, make some major deposits in those buckets. Use the techniques in this article. You’ll like the results. Look for a
Who put the holes in your bucket? The answer is complex, but stated simply they came from both internal and external sources. You probably drilled a few yourself through careless actions and others came from parents, family, friends, associates, and your present and former bosses. Because our lives constantly change, the holes in our feedback buckets are in a state of flux. Holes come, and holes go, but some are always there. How does an employee behave when his or her feedback bucket is empty? How would that same employee behave if his or her bucket had a few deposits of feedback? The response I get to these questions from retail managers is surprisingly consistent. And I’ll bet you probably know some of the answers. But before we get to that, first keep in mind that people suffer great pain when their bucket is empty. Feedback deprivation is one of the most psychologically painful experiences a person can have. In fact, mentally healthy people will go to extraordinary measures to ensure that their bucket doesn’t run dry. Consider that people don’t consciously know when their bucket is empty. It’s something we can’t recognize because most of us don’t understand it. It is a feeling or an emotion; and being able to pinpoint emotions is difficult for most people. Even if a person knew that his or her “bucket gauge” was on empty, it’s highly unlikely that the person would ask for feedback from others–especially men, because it would show weakness. If women are the better communicators, like some people say, and if they are more intuitive, again like some experts say, then maybe women would be better suited to know when their bucket was empty, and maybe they might be more able to ask for help. So how can you know if one of your employee’s feedback bucket is running low? Typically, a problem with inadequate feedback will show up in one or more of six ways. 1. A person’s work performance (quantity and quality of work) is quite often directly related to the amount of feedback in his or her bucket. It doesn’t mean that a person will stop working when their bucket’s empty, but sustained performance over time requires at least some feedback in the bucket. So if you see an employee’s performance beginning to erode try stepping up your feedback to that person. 2. The ability to get along peaceably with co¬workers and even work effectively as a team is also directly related to how much feedback those people recently received. Workers are less likely to demonstrate patience, cooperation, understanding or tolerance when their feedback buckets are empty, or even near empty. So when you want a group of employees to become a team of employees, be sure that your feedback to them is frequent and positive. 3. Employees with empty buckets are prone to be followers, rather than take the initiative to be leaders. Followers wait for things to happen, while leaders take the initiative and make things happen. That’s because followers don’t feel as though it’s their job. Decision–making is an integral part of demonstrating initiative. Why make the effort to take a risk and make a decision if it’s not your job in the first place? So if you see employees lacking in initiative, step up your feedback. 4. People suffering from feedback deprivation commonly engage in destructive communication and people whose buckets are fairly full frequently engage in constructive communication. The simple cause of complaining, griping and back-biting, especially in the break room, may be nothing more than a number of employees who have been ignored too long and their buckets are running on empty. So when you become aware of destructive communication, step up your feedback. 5. Each day most of us make a decision to either get up and go to work, or roll over and go back to sleep. Part of that decision is centered on how much feedback we have received recently. A fair portion of time and attendance issues, such as being late or absent, could he prevented if managers invested more time in giving appropriate feedback to employees. 6. A few years ago a group of Outback restaurants implemented a program to reduce turnover among part¬-time employees. Each member of management was required to do three things each day to every part-time employee. They were to look the employee in the eye, use his or her first name, and ask a question about how their day was going. So to a part-time employee who was a student and worked the evening shift the comment might be, “Ann, how was your day at school?” Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But within six months Outback had slashed part-time employee turnover in those restaurants by a whopping 50 percent! How important is feedback? Ask those employees. So what can you do as a manager to make deposits in employees’ buckets and to even plug up a few holes? There are four easy, but important strategies you might consider. 1. The quantity of feedback you give someone is important, but the quality is even more important. An idle comment may be welcome, but a question about how your midterm exam went yesterday could be a huge deposit. How much do you really know about your employees? Do you know how they spend their spare time? Do you know their hobbies? Are you concerned about them as an important part of your team? Take a few minutes and find out. And then fill a bucket! 2. Employees who receive appropriate and timely praise and recognition for their contributions to the company feel better about themselves. Feelings of being valuable and a contributor to the company can plug a few holes. Many books have been written about how to recognize employees, but the regrettable truth is that few managers consistently use the principle of praise and recognition appropriately. Look for both individual and group achievement and then make a fuss, and do it where a number of people can hear. 3. The third tactic to plug holes and make feedback deposits is to celebrate achievements. Too often managers believe that results are to be expected. It’s why we give you a paycheck, so we don’t need to celebrate individual successes. However, if you don’t pay attention to individual and group achievements, you’ll never know who crosses the finish line. Work at knowing who is achieving and then celebrate those achievements with your employees. 4. The extent to which any employee embraces changes to operating procedures or organizational structure is directly related to how much feedback that employee has been given regarding why the changes are necessary. Remember, feedback is a two way street. It doesn’t just flow from the manager to the employee. It needs to flow from the employee to the manager too. When employees are asked for their feedback regarding potential changes, they are much more likely to embrace the change after it is implemented. Ensure that feedback flows in both directions. In this article we’ve looked at the feedback bucket. I like the metaphor because its uniqueness is so memorable to my students. Take a serious look at your employees this month and determine which buckets are running too low. Then, make some major deposits in those buckets. Use the techniques in this article. You’ll like the results. Echelon Schmechelon: Strategy for Managers in the MiddleMonday, July 11th, 2011Strategy is something that many people believe only the highest echelon of senior management should have the power to influence. It’s mysterious and abstract. Untouchable corporate types sit stiffly staring out the window of the ivory tower and nervously clenching their hands, and when asked what they’re doing, no other explanation but the words, “I’m formulating strategy” is required. Small wonder that the rest of us have no idea what they’re actually up to. It also doesn’t help that, immediately after the launch of this year’s big new strategic initiative, nothing appreciable seems to have changed. There is little to measure, if anything, and people are left to wonder whether the strategy is working.
In the short term, we can’t see it and we can’t measure it, so how do we know whether our corporations are on the right track? Like spiritual beliefs, top-tier corporate strategy often requires that we take a leap of faith. Lacking complete candor from our senior leaders, we must assume that they have done the necessary research and that they wouldn’t lead us astray. We can make the choice to trust them and simply follow their lead. But we can also take a more-active role in the creation of strategy ourselves, not at the very highest level, but at exactly the level where we currently make our mark on the business.
Leaving the creation of business strategy only to the top ranks of senior management is a common practice. It is also a mistake. Strategy needs to not only come from the top down, but from the bottom up. In recent years, some of the most innovative business ideas have come from employees working at the very lowest levels of the business, and those ideas are making their companies millions. The employees who are coming up with these groundbreaking notions do not report to the senior leadership team—they report to front-line supervisors and mid-level managers. What this means is that the levels of leadership who may ultimately be the most instrumental in pushing strategic change forward are managers in the middle—those who have the ears of both top management and employees on the front lines.
These managers are equally influential for and visible to both groups because having a foothold in both worlds allows them to understand the business in a different, and more complete, way. They are privy to more information than most concerning the direction of the business, and they have at least a moderate grasp on the company’s strategic vision and its plans for the future. But they can also see how the business is actually running; they can clearly hear the concerns of the employees because they work with them day in and day out; many of them have a better idea of the challenges that the business faces and the strengths that it has because they work alongside the people who actually make the business run. Having a firm understanding of both the business’ tactical realities and its strategic possibilities provides these leaders with a perspective that is nothing short of enviable, both for its breadth and, in the right hands, for its power. But in order to use this unique position to its fullest capacity, managers in the middle must make a minor, but crucial, shift in the way they have traditionally been asked to think.
The formulation of strategy from mid-level positions requires that managers think of the parts of the business that they run as smaller businesses within the larger organization. Mind you, this is not strategy gone rogue. These managers aren’t setting out on their own paths with no guidance from their betters. Instead, they are using their unique position—having equal footing in two corporate camps—to create individual strategy that is aligned with the strategic vision of the larger organization. These managers must cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, actively fanning the flames of ingenuity and creativity while remaining sensitive to concerns of cost, consumption of resources, the needs of their customers, and the tactics of the competition. They must figure out how to remain relevant in the future, and they must know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are moving their business functions forward in ways that are superior to their rivals.
You can be sure that the individuals doing the same jobs in competitor organizations have their fingers constantly on the pulse of the industry. Taking that pulse is less an act of curiosity and more one of compulsion. It is a symptom of a concern that we all share: self-preservation. We all want to matter. We all want to make a lasting impression. The greatest danger of obsolescence is that it comes so quietly, and by the time you see it leering at you, it’s already too late. Strategic thought is a tonic against being overcome by the next big thing, and managers in the middle may well hold the cup. Cheers!
In the short term, we can’t see it and we can’t measure it, so how do we know whether our corporations are on the right track? Like spiritual beliefs, top-tier corporate strategy often requires that we take a leap of faith. Lacking complete candor from our senior leaders, we must assume that they have done the necessary research and that they wouldn’t lead us astray. We can make the choice to trust them and simply follow their lead. But we can also take a more-active role in the creation of strategy ourselves, not at the very highest level, but at exactly the level where we currently make our mark on the business. Leaving the creation of business strategy only to the top ranks of senior management is a common practice. It is also a mistake. Strategy needs to not only come from the top down, but from the bottom up. In recent years, some of the most innovative business ideas have come from employees working at the very lowest levels of the business, and those ideas are making their companies millions. The employees who are coming up with these groundbreaking notions do not report to the senior leadership team—they report to front-line supervisors and mid-level managers. What this means is that the levels of leadership who may ultimately be the most instrumental in pushing strategic change forward are managers in the middle—those who have the ears of both top management and employees on the front lines. These managers are equally influential for and visible to both groups because having a foothold in both worlds allows them to understand the business in a different, and more complete, way. They are privy to more information than most concerning the direction of the business, and they have at least a moderate grasp on the company’s strategic vision and its plans for the future. But they can also see how the business is actually running; they can clearly hear the concerns of the employees because they work with them day in and day out; many of them have a better idea of the challenges that the business faces and the strengths that it has because they work alongside the people who actually make the business run. Having a firm understanding of both the business’ tactical realities and its strategic possibilities provides these leaders with a perspective that is nothing short of enviable, both for its breadth and, in the right hands, for its power. But in order to use this unique position to its fullest capacity, managers in the middle must make a minor, but crucial, shift in the way they have traditionally been asked to think. The formulation of strategy from mid-level positions requires that managers think of the parts of the business that they run as smaller businesses within the larger organization. Mind you, this is not strategy gone rogue. These managers aren’t setting out on their own paths with no guidance from their betters. Instead, they are using their unique position—having equal footing in two corporate camps—to create individual strategy that is aligned with the strategic vision of the larger organization. These managers must cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, actively fanning the flames of ingenuity and creativity while remaining sensitive to concerns of cost, consumption of resources, the needs of their customers, and the tactics of the competition. They must figure out how to remain relevant in the future, and they must know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are moving their business functions forward in ways that are superior to their rivals. You can be sure that the individuals doing the same jobs in competitor organizations have their fingers constantly on the pulse of the industry. Taking that pulse is less an act of curiosity and more one of compulsion. It is a symptom of a concern that we all share: self-preservation. We all want to matter. We all want to make a lasting impression. The greatest danger of obsolescence is that it comes so quietly, and by the time you see it leering at you, it’s already too late. Strategic thought is a tonic against being overcome by the next big thing, and managers in the middle may well hold the cup. Cheers! Elegy for Poor ManagementMonday, June 13th, 2011A friend of mine is a decent person but a terrible manager. I know this because I have been both his friend and his employee in the fifteen years I have known him, and his influence was the primary reason I left a previous job after working for the organization for nearly twelve years. I am a very human example of an idea that nearly every leader has heard at one time or another: when employees leave companies, they don’t leave companies; they leave managers.
My demands are meager, and they are few. But what I do require, now and then, is a little pat on the head. An occasional “good job” or a “we’re glad you’re here” or a “you really went the extra mile on that one.” I’ll take feedback, good or bad, thin or robust, over a silent, perfunctory pay raise any day. Although at my previous employer, I couldn’t even rely on that. Of the twelve years I worked in my job, I received one major promotion and no increases in pay, as I happened to be unlucky enough to work for someone who believed neither in annual raises nor in merit-based ones. There was literally zero external incentive to do anything more than a passable job. And yet I kept showing up. I worked for a business that had experienced unprecedented growth and jaw-dropping success almost since its inception. Because it was so successful early on, the management team became complacent, arrogant about the approach they felt was the right one to take in running the business. The industry environment began to change, slowly eroding the company’s share of the market year by year. It was almost imperceptible—a long, slow death. Because I had been with this company from the very beginning, watching this slow, internal rot was like watching a dear old friend die of bone cancer. And as the company’s illness spread, people who do poorly with power were given positions in which they held it, and the longstanding employees among us, those who felt the grief most strongly, bore the brunt of management’s fury. The general manager, my friend, had inherited a sickly giant, which was not entirely his fault. But what was his fault was digging himself in; betting his life, his livelihood, and the safety and stability and overall wellbeing of his family on the success of this business. And when he began to realize that he had made a bad choice as a person, he lashed out as a manager. The atmosphere inside the building grew more and more oppressive as the months, and then years, passed. The staff rarely smiled. Every person in every division, except for the very new among us, began to tread lightly around management, knowing that the slightest misstep would result in, at best, public humiliation. The business held on, but barely, in the same way that a person who has fallen off a cliff grasps desperately at the face of the sheer rock wall. I loved my job, and so I worked under these conditions for seven years. For the last two, just the thought of going to work made me feel kind of sick. But I was afraid to leave. I had given so much of myself to that company. I feared that the tempestuous job market wouldn’t sustain the change I wanted to make, and I was terrified that I might never find work that I truly loved ever again. Silly and pessimistic, I know, but the pull of an abusive relationship is equally as seductive as it is poisonous. I finally resigned myself to the facts of the situation: I loved my job, but I simply couldn’t continue to work under the conditions that my manager had created. I couldn’t suffer a culture that would allow these abuses to take place. I couldn’t bear the idea of sacrificing what remained of my respect for my friend in the interest of supporting his actions as a manager. So I left. Before I went, I tried to muster up the courage to explain, in detail, why I had decided to leave. Instead of being honest about my feelings—my hurt, my disappointment, and my disgust—I made vague statements about how it was “just time to move on.” Maybe that makes me a coward. Maybe it makes me an enabler. But if my experience had taught me anything, it was that even the most benevolent of criticisms would be met with excuses, and defensiveness, and cruelty, and I decided that it just wasn’t worth my breath. Identifying and Developing a Future LeaderMonday, May 23rd, 2011For those of you readers who frequently watch the NBC sitcom, The Office, you likely enjoyed the last few episodes of the Spring 2011 season as I did! For those of you who are less familiar with this television show, it is based on an office made up of a hodgepodge of dysfunctional employees. There is a US and British based version. Their fearless leader, played by Steve Corell, recently left the company, and upper management is in dire straits to find someone to fill the manager position. The season finale featured many well-known comedians playing the roles of candidates to the Regional Manager position. Each interview with these candidates was more absurd than the last and it seemed like it would be nearly impossible to find the right person to be Regional Manager. Meanwhile, many of the fans of the show still wonder why the most likely person to be promoted to the position, Jim Halpert, isn’t prepared or motivated to be the office manager.
If you recognize that identifying and developing future talent within the organization is something you need to start doing, or simply do more of, here are a few questions to consider. 1. What are the leadership qualities, competencies, and characteristics required for success in a current or future position of leadership at your organization? Using these questions as a guide, you will be more successful in identifying talent to drive the organization forward and prepared to being the development process. Can Sales Be Managed?Tuesday, April 27th, 2010By Richard L. Williams, Ph.D. Question #1: Is it possible for a manager to manage sales in a retail store? Through out the retail industry, including manufacturers and distributors, the sales number is often the number one priority. Indeed, in many companies sales numbers are so far above any other measurement that managers live and breathe by whether sales are up, or down. If sales numbers are so important they must be manageable, right? Let’s find out. A number of years ago two highly experienced retail store managers quit their jobs and promising careers and purchased two stores and began a career of teamwork as owner-partners, rather than employees of a large chain. For four years the partners did everything imaginable to build sales volume in both stores. During the first two years the partners frequently told friends and family, “Sales are up.” In fact, about 18 months into the venture one of the partners said, “Can you believe it, our sales are up 22 percent over last year!” Without doubt these two owner-partners had achieved the American dream. They owned their own business and were controlling their own destiny. Clearly, everyone who knew the owners was envious, wishing they had as much courage to do the same. After all, isn’t this how other successful retail business began? The first indication of trouble was when the partners tried to sell one of their stores. When that didn’t happen, they abruptly closed it over a weekend. Their explanation was that the store had always had problems and by closing it they could focus their attention and capital resources on the one remaining store. With the problem store closed, friends and family once again heard reports of, “Sales are up.” But within a few months the second store was also closed and the owner-partners declared personal and business bankruptcy. Literally the partners lost almost everything they owned. They escaped the failed venture with one taking a job as a clerk for Home Depot, and the other selling used cars. What happened? If sales were consistently up, how could the business not be profitable? The answer is that in retail there is no direct connection between sales and profit. Unless gross and expenses are fixed, sales and profit become independent variables. It is possible for sales to go up, for example, while profit goes down; and profit can go up, while sales go down. The reason is that there are no guarantees in retail. Other factors such as gross margin, labor, overhead, and expenses have greater impact on profit than sales alone. That’s what happened and crushed the American dream for two enterprising, former, store managers. Now do you know the answer to the question, “Can sales be managed?” Let’s use a bit of strategic thinking and drill a little deeper toward the answer. Question #2: Is there anything a manager can do directly to sales that will make the number change? Is it only possible to impact sales by influencing other factors? Actually, sales are a product of two factors. That means nothing can be done directly to sales to make it change. To change sales a manager must manage something else, not sales itself. Therefore, to focus primarily or excessively on an unmanageable number, at the expense of the things that can change it, could lead to failure. This explains the failure of the two storeowners. Question #3: What are the only two factors that determine sales in a retail store? Can these two factors be managed? It’s true that many things contribute to retail sales; things like, margin, signing, suggestive selling, pricing, displays, merchandising, stocking, store location, advertising, product availability, and many more. But all of these things can be rolled up into two factors. Do you know what they are? The accompanying illustration is the key. All of the things listed above, and many more contribute to two factors: (1) Number of Guests, and (2) Sale Per Guest. The number of guests and the amount of each transaction determines sales. Did you answer correctly? Question #4: Can the two factors that contribute to sales, Number of Guests and Sale Per Guest, be managed? As with the sales number, what can a manager do directly to Number of Guests or Sale Per Guest to make them change? The answer is, not much. Once again, it isn’t possible to manage these numbers either, because they are the products of other things. Although they are excellent measurements of the health of a retail store (or company), they are technically unmanageable. To focus primarily or extensively on them at the expense of the basic things that really drive sales could be a mistake. Question #5: So what can a retail manager manage? The answer to this question is everything that contributes, or rolls into, Number of Guests and Sale Per Guest. The basic elements are the things that can be managed, not the products of these elements. That means the most effective place to manage sales is not with sales itself, but rather in all of the fundamental elements that begin the process. These are the things that are manageable, not the product number such as sales. When a retail employee is told, “Your sales are down, you better get them up,” the employee can only make the change at the basic element level. And if the employee doesn’t have a good understanding of the process, it will be very difficult to make the change. Dealing With Conflict Is Not Hard To DoWednesday, March 10th, 2010Many people associate conflict with negativity, but conflict doesn’t have to be unpleasant; it can even be enjoyable. Conflict when used in a constructive way, can bring forth great outcomes and ideas, often benefiting those who are involved by exposing them to alternative perspectives. Yesterday, while watching the daily news, I saw a commercial that caught my attention. In order to win over new customers, this organization is using a strategy that I like very much. Their approach is creative, it’s innovative, and was sure their competitors would need to respond to this advertising campaign in some form or fashion to maintain market share. However, after seeing this advertisement a second time, I came to the realization that this “new” approach is classic conflict avoidance. Take a look at this video clip. Can you see where I’m coming from? Now, please correct me if I’m totally off base, (I’ll be confident and say I’m not), but don’t the fundamentals of business acumen tell us that competition is good? In a situation like this we should want to create a little constructive conflict, forcing these two companies to battle over our business. If we ask Allstate to “break up” with our existing insurance provider for us because we’re too uncomfortable to handle the situation ourselves, we’ll never know whether the current insurance provider would be able to match the offer, or offer a better deal, ultimately saving use the hassle of switching insurance providers. Come on people. Buck up! Step out of your comfort zone and grow a little! Given this type of situation, the customer has all the power. If you add a little conflict to the mix, these two companies will need to compete for your business, “sweetening the deal,” and offering you greater gains. One company claims that it can “save you serious cash,” but the other company wants to retain business and compete for your business. Keeping a customer is much easier than winning a new one. Two companies knowingly vying for our business puts us in a great position, but if your existing insurance company gets a call from Allstate, “saving you that uncomfortable break-up moment,” your opportunity for beneficial conflict has been lost, and so has your power as a consumer. Confront conflict head on; avoidance never hurt anybody but you. Test
Total Voters: 0  Loading ...License To CoachMonday, October 5th, 2009Whenever I watch a business show on television, I am amazed at the number of times the word “expectation” is used to describe the performance of a company’s perceived value and stock price. It seems that investor “expectations” often drive stock prices in the market. When a company exceeds expectations, the stock price skyrockets and when a company does not meet or is below investor expectations, then prices plummet reflecting the dissatisfaction of investors in the performance of a company. This same drama plays out on a much smaller scale with leaders and their individual team members. Expectations play a big part of an effective relationship. The only problem is that all too frequently expectations in the mind of the leader versus expectations in the mind of the follower are unclear, confusing, and ambiguous. Yet, everyone wants to know what is expected of them. We want to be clear about our obligations and duties. We want to be able to anticipate the outcomes and requirements necessary to be a good performer and add value to an organization. Expectations bind us together; they are the fabric that forms a relationship. Expectations play a key role in building trust and confidence as we anticipate the probability of someone executing necessary duties. When trust is high, we value and leverage our relationships more. When expectations are not achieved our trust bank account is depleted. Expectations are a key driver in the motivation and engagement levels of people. When people understand expectations and buy in to them, they work harder to fulfill those expectations just like a company does in the financial market. People want to know what is expected of them so they are then able to make decisions about the intensity and discretionary performance they are willing to give towards a task or job. When coaches create a two-way agreement with their team members about expectations, they set the stage for the extraordinary performance necessary in a highly competitive world CMOE is an advocate of a simple process that we call “the alignment meeting” as a tool to define and clarify expectations. The alignment meeting or discussion should occur periodically with any team to maintain a clear picture of everyone’s expectations. These alignment meetings only take one or two hours with a typical team. They should occur more often for teams that are in a state of change or are in conflict, and less often for stable and harmonious teams. Every time CMOE associates have facilitated an alignment meeting, the topic of feedback coaching and mentoring always surfaces. People have a thirst to know how they are doing, where they stand, and where they are going. They don’t want to be a non-performing asset in the enterprises portfolio of resources. Most people want to be productive contributors, but in order to do that, they need information, feedback, and guidance from a coach. This dynamic creates a “perfect storm” for the leader. If the leader is able to capitalize on the need people have for feedback on their performance, and solidify an “expectation’s agreement,” the leader will then be in a position where people seek out and expect coaching and feedback. This creates a legitimate reason to coach people on key factors that will drive performance for the team and the individual. Coaching then becomes one of the central expectations of the team’s culture. When a leader needs to courageously engage anyone on the team about an important topic or situation, they have an expectation platform or a “license” to operate from. The leader has an understanding that it is their duty and obligation to share information, direction, and feedback. It becomes the normal thing to do; no one feels singled out or targeted. In turn, when feedback is lacking, people on the team are more likely to ask for it and hold the leader more accountable to perform coaching tasks. The license to coach makes it easier to give and receive coaching. It becomes a natural process. Everyone buys into it because everyone understands that to run a business, you need to be able to talk to people about their performance. When leaders create a license to coach by bringing sound skills to the process, people will excel and even exceed your wildest expectations. To Train or Not To Train, That is the QuestionMonday, March 30th, 2009The English poet Shakespeare once said, “To be, or not to be — that is the question.” Given our current state of the economy there are many companies who are now asking themselves a similar question, “To train, or not to train? While organizations consider this question, I think it is important to keep the big picture in mind. What do I mean? Well, let me explain.
Let’s use the analogy of the stock market to help us consider a potential solution. While many people watch their 401K or other investments dollars declining, their gut reaction is to “stop the bleeding” and sell. However, an important formula called Dollar Cost Averaging exists that an investor needs to consider. While the share price may be getting slimmer and therefore account value is dipping, a key component is that you are buying more for your current dollar. It’s like a sale at the clothing store buy one (i.e. $50) and get the other half off ($25). Who doesn’t like to see 50% off the MSRP. The Dollar Cost average would be $37.50 each. We all like this. So many say, just keep steady and keep on investing, eventually the share price will rise, and as you have more shares, your total investment will increase. So is the same with training, but let’s not call it training, because it is actually development. If you want to see your business grow, keep investing in the development of your people especially when they may be looking for that reassurance from the company. The more you put into them, the more they will be put back into your organization. Call it a “stimulus package” that will spark renewal, commitment, and creative effort by your people to do more for the benefit of their team and the organization. Everybody wants some job security right now. Those organizations, that are willing to provide some investment, will retain their people and, in addition, drive a deeper level of partnership and collaboration from their employees. We often hear that it’s hard for organizations to take time away from work to “train” their people. Well, here’s some everyday strategic thinking. If business is slower, there are less projects happening, so your people probably have more downtime and are therefore able to break away from work and go be “trained.” So, isn’t this one of the better times to get your staff ready? How is that for breaking the paradigm of it’s too time consuming to develop our people! Another argument might be that training is too expensive. Yes . . . everything has a cost, some are obvious, and some are hidden. But you will run a bigger risk in not developing your people – which has all sorts of hidden costs that ultimately impact the organization’s profitability and success – vs. not spending money for people development and losing valuable experience. Keep in mind the stock market analogy….it’s easy not to spend money and think we’re doing a good thing but is this a good thing? If you stop investing in your people, won’t they provide you a much lower ROI in the long run? The strategic thinker will invest for the future. This reminds me of one of the principles taught in university marketing classes. The best time to market is in a slow economy so people see your name; they build brand awareness and brand loyalty and confidence. These same results apply to people development. Put your budgets to work and sharpen the skills of your employees. Make them better tools of the trade to not only get you better results now but in the future. So, if you are asking yourself this question, “To develop people or not to develop people?” The answer is 100% yes, and invest more now and get more “shares” for better ldeveong-term results. Instill Accountability In Those You Manage
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
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Each of us has a bucket located in our heart and whenever we receive any type of feedback it goes in our bucket. I’ve taught the metaphor of the feedback bucket to thousands of people around the country. Perhaps because it’s so simple, or because of the catchy name, but for whatever reason, it helps people grasp the importance of the feedback with give and receive in our interactions with others. Picture your feedback bucket and imagine all types of feedback you receive each day going into your bucket. The problem is that we have holes in our buckets, which cause the feedback to leak out over time. If there are a lot of holes, or if some are large, the feedback leaks out quickly. If a person’s bucket doesn’t have many holes, or if they are just pinpricks, the feedback leaks out slowly. Remember, we all have a bucket and every bucket has some holes in it.
Strategy is something that many people believe only the highest echelon of senior management should have the power to influence. It’s mysterious and abstract. Untouchable corporate types sit stiffly staring out the window of the ivory tower and nervously clenching their hands, and when asked what they’re doing, no other explanation but the words, “I’m formulating strategy” is required. Small wonder that the rest of us have no idea what they’re actually up to. It also doesn’t help that, immediately after the launch of this year’s big new strategic initiative, nothing appreciable seems to have changed. There is little to measure, if anything, and people are left to wonder whether the strategy is working.
I like to think of myself as a “good” employee, as ambiguous a term as that may be. I am bright and dedicated. My work ethic is strong. I am honest and committed and willing to happily tow the company line. I haven’t called in sick to a job, any job, for over five years. I always meet my deadlines. I seek out new things to learn. I am loyal to a fault. I need very little in terms of supervision, because I believe that the work I produce is a direct reflection on my character, and I work very hard to make sure that reflection is an accurate one.
Anyone who has the task of selecting and developing leaders from within the organization will agree with the idea that promoting from the inside to fill existing positions can at times be risky politically, but will often result in a better outcomes. However, it doesn’t just start when a leadership position becomes available. It is responsibility of leaders at every level to be preparing the next generation of leaders to come. The decisions and actions you make regarding talent identification and development will have a lasting impact on the business. In addition, your involvement in this critical task will help exceptional team members maximize their full potential and be fully engaged.
While times are tough and budgets are under the microscope, it would be wise for organizations to take a strategic and thoughtful approach vs. a reactive one. Determine what the most valuable assets are that will keep the business going long term. Arguments can be made for technology, more infrastructure, more resources and equipment, or more systems and processes. Of course, all of these things are important; however none of them will perform well without people to put them into action. People still remain and will always remain to be an organization’s most important resource. When the chips are down and dramatic changes are needed, it won’t be your computer to get it started, especially when it is the culture and environment that might need the most attention. There isn’t a technology available that can openly capture the level of motivation or disappointment that is going on within an employee’s psyche. So, how can an organization get through it all?
The Government created a program where individuals could request a coupon that would allow them to purchase a new digital antenna box for their T.V.’s at a low cost. According to this article, there are 1.1 million coupon requests that cannot be filled due to a lack of funding. Furthermore, as the article stated, 8 million households rely on antennas and are unprepared for the switch.
