ARTICLES
Written By Rich For You.
Educate Your People To Build A Solid Team.
Great leaders build a learning journey for every team member who reports to them. Success relies on the consistent growth of your team, expanding their knowledge base and experience.
"You know your job — just do it!"
Most managers forget that educating your troops is an ongoing process.
Great leaders build a learning journey for every team member who reports to them. Success relies on the consistent growth of your team, expanding their knowledge base and experience. That approach is what keeps everyone happy and engaged (and not leaving for another firm).
Here are 5 simple actions to educate more like a leader:
Use an assessment to uncover their strengths.
Before you start making assumptions — use an established assessment tool to help you target what areas need work. A great tool I use is Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath - it presents hundreds of strategies for applying your team member's strengths and also change the way they look at work forever.
Expose them to new opportunities.
Work gets boring after a while — especially when you've mastered many of the areas where you are responsible. A good leader recognizes that the associate is at the end of their learning runway and they need to pull back the curtain. Expose them to something totally new — a new project, process, group, especially if it significantly takes them out of their comfort zone.
Coach them and teach them to be coaches.
Coaching is the cornerstone of professional growth — if you share your coaching skills with your team (most managers keep them tightly hidden), you'll see them grow exponentially. And it's a virus — it will spread from your team to other departments and the higher-ups will see the positive effects with increased productivity and fewer personnel issues.
Implement job rotation to mix it up.
Move your people around frequently — ensure that they're learning a broad spectrum of abilities, communication skills, and talents. If you just exercise one muscle, the others will atrophy. Make sure that you move your people into areas that test and strengthen their weaker business muscles. This also helps with those tedious tasks no one wants - share.
Give them purpose.
I've saved to best for last — don't just teach them checkers, give them the space to learn complex chess moves. For every educational growth level you present, show them the powerful purpose of it's effects and how it makes all ships rise in the organization. That will ensure a bright future for your people by exposing them to the rest of the company, frequently.
Action Step:
Over this holiday season, implement a strengths assessment. It will guide you on how to educate your team to a higher knowledge and experience base in 2022.
We can go so much deeper into Education — but we wanted to give you a few quick, actionable steps to take away and use this week.
This is part three of a 4-part series on Leadership.
We've just launched a new program: The Four Elements of Transformational Leadership where we engage managers on how to effectively communicate, motivate, educate, and delegate their teams.
It’s a series of customized timely workshops for your team to focus on growing their leadership skills over a series of months. Why months?
People learn by doing, not just attending a single 8-hour offsite — our program ensures that each candidate learns, understands, and takes action after each 60-90 minute live session.
In addition, we include one-on-one coaching sessions for each candidate to follow up on their progress, answer any questions they might have, and reinforce the right behaviors so they apply what they've learned in their day-to-day interactions.
Do You Need To Delegate More To Be Successful?
Leaders build a delegation strategy in everything they do. The more they delegate lower-level tasks, the more time they have to spend planning, leading, communicating, and growing their team.
"I hate to delegate — it's easier if I just do it myself."
That's a recipe for a management disaster.
Leaders build a delegation strategy in everything they do. The more they delegate lower-level tasks, the more time they have to spend planning, leading, communicating, and growing their team.
Here are 5 simple actions to delegate more like a leader:
What will you delegate?
Effective delegation begins with defining your critical/difficult and non-critical/easy responsibilities. Make a quick list and then target the less critical and easier to accomplish items for your team members. We usually do the easier ones because we like them or they distract us from the more difficult ones. Be honest with yourself: what can you give away?
Who will you delegate to?
Andrew Carnegie once said, “The secret to success lies not in doing your own work, but in recognizing the right person to do it.” The key to finding the right person to delegate an assignment to is to match their skills and attitude to the task at hand. Sometimes you might have to stretch someone's abilities to fit the responsibility - go for it.
Clarify the result.
Show them what to do, how to do it, who to interact with, and most importantly, the deadline. The more clear you are with your team member, the more effective they will be in solving your problem. In addition, they might come up with an innovative way of solving it!
Make them accountable.
They own the activity. Make sure they understand the ramifications of dropping the ball or doing an incomplete delivery (this is one of the enemies of delegation). They can enlist others to be responsible for discrete areas of the activity, but in the end, they are accountable.
Follow up.
Monitor their progress during the span of the project — schedule touch-base meetings to review what they've accomplished and if they are floundering. Pick them up, reorient them, and ensure they are back on track. Always have them deliver first thing in the morning, so if they miss something, they have the rest of the day to fix it.
Action Step:
Take a lower-level task and delegate it this morning. Follow the steps and see what transpires — you might be surprised how easy it is.
We can go so much deeper into Delegation — but we wanted to give you a few quick, actionable steps to take away and use this week.
This is part two of a 4-part series on Leadership.
We've just launched a new program: The Four Elements of Transformational Leadership where we engage managers on how to effectively communicate, motivate, educate, and delegate their teams.
It’s a series of customized timely workshops for your team to focus on growing their leadership skills over a series of months. Why months?
People learn by doing, not just attending a single 8-hour offsite — our program ensures that each candidate learns, understands, and takes action after each 60-90 minute live session.
In addition, we include one-on-one coaching sessions for each candidate to follow up on their progress, answer any questions they might have, and reinforce the right behaviors so they apply what they've learned in their day-to-day interactions.
Do You Need To Communicate More To Be Successful?
You have to communicate strategically to your team, peers, and key people above you to be a great leader.
"Yeah, yeah . . . I have to communicate more."
NO, not 'more'.
You have to communicate strategically to your team, peers, and key people above you to be a great leader. It's not MORE communication, it's how, when, what, and why you're communicating.
Too many managers blather on, micromanage, pick on weaknesses, and worst of all, give faint praise at the worst time.
You do not want to be this person. You want to say the right things, at the right time, to the right people.
Here are 3 simple actions to communicate more like a leader:
PLAN AHEAD
Take time to see the big picture — who are your key connections — team members, peers, and superiors. Develop a plan on why you will communicate with them and how you will deliver that communication.
Every morning, take a few minutes and architect who you will interact with that day, what message you will use, and what it will accomplish. This should only take 3-5 minutes if you do it daily.
BE AUTHENTIC
Weak managers hurry their communication (bad status meetings, faint praise, etc.). You have to be visible and approachable.
Powerful leaders exude messages from the heart, target their statements with precision and ensure the recipient not only understands the meaning but reacts in an expected fashion. And they add a bit of fun too.
COMMUNICATE IN THE MOMENT
You can’t plan for everything — sometimes leaders are called upon to make a snap decision, ask for resources from their boss, or help a peer with a problem.
This only comes with experience and practice. Bad managers shy away from these opportunities, leaders dive right in and practice their craft.
At first, you will not be perfect, but as you hone your ability, you will find authentic, spot-on communication will flow right off your tongue.
We can go so much deeper into Communication — but we wanted to give you a few quick, actionable steps to take away and use this week.
This is part one of a 4-part series on Leadership.
We've just launched a new program: The Four Elements of Transformational Leadership where we engage managers on how to effectively communicate, motivate, educate, and delegate their teams.
It’s a series of customized timely workshops for your team to focus on growing their leadership skills over a series of months. Why months?
People learn by doing, not just attending a single 8-hour offsite — our program ensures that each candidate learns, understands, and takes action after each 60-90 minute live session.
In addition, we include one-on-one coaching sessions for each candidate to follow up on their progress, answer any questions they might have, and reinforce the right behaviors so they apply what they've learned in their day-to-day interactions.
Eliminate Your Problem Child.
If you manage a team, you probably have a problem child (or two). Here are the warning signs . . .
If you manage a team, you probably have a problem child (or two).
They forget to do things, miss deadlines, push back frequently, and overall do not fit in with the other high-performing members of your team.
Many of my clients have had problem children - here are the warning signs:
You spend a lot of time talking/worrying/frustrated about their actions.
Your team complains about their behavior and are angry they ‘get away with things’.
You spend more time directing/assisting/reprimanding them than other members of your team.
If this continues, is this a good thing for the health and productivity of you and your team? NO.
You have three choices:
1. Do nothing. Keep the same dynamic in place.
2. Change the dynamic, address the dysfunction, and hope for the best.
3. Fire them. Lay them off. Transfer them to another group.
Do nothing.
Many managers take this route. They act as if nothing is going on and pray that it will change. In over 15 years coaching clients and 20 years managing teams, it’s never happened. It gets worse until it begins to infect your staff — they observe that bad behavior will get your attention and lazy shortcuts are allowed.
Change the dynamic.
I coach most of my clients to go this route first. Sit down and explicitly illustrate how their bad behaviors are not only hurting them but also the team. Provide alternative actions and show them the way to work effectively on your team. If they’re new (less than 6 months), it usually works – if they’re 6-12 months in, they are set in their ways, and it usually doesn’t. Coaching/360° assessments are great next steps.
Eliminate them.
This is where we usually end up — the employee will not change and most of the time, they will increase their misconduct where it evolves into insubordination. “We’ve been talking too much about Steve” is my usual coaching response when it’s time to eliminate an employee. The manager realizes that they have been spending TOO much time, effort, and energy trying to corral Steve.
I know it will be hard. But in the end, this will not only impact you and your leadership, but it will also re-direct your team towards positive actions and behaviors. Many members of your team might even say to you, “It’s about time you did something about Steve.”
Looking for leadership development for your team? Let's chat.
Make Your Own Luck.
We hear of those superstars who ‘bucked’ the system and made billions. Here’s a little secret: they were extremely lucky or they were in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, doing the right things.
Most people expect certain things to happen (cause and effect):
"I send out resumes and I'll get interviews/job offers."
"I promote massively on social media and I'll get lots of clients."
"I set the goals for my team and they will perform perfectly."
And we are frequently disappointed — we don’t get the interview, clients don’t bang on our doors, and our employees are watching cute dog videos instead of working.
Our Reality — The world usually doesn’t work the way you want it to (or more harshly, the world doesn’t owe you anything for your efforts).
We know the rules. We know how to play the game. But we like to bend the rules frequently and leave out difficult steps to cut corners.
We hear of those superstars who ‘bucked’ the system and made billions. Here’s a little secret: they were extremely lucky or they were in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, doing the right things.
Now you can hold out for luck — a lot of people do — that’s why millions of people play lotto every week. But even they are frequently disappointed.
You need to leverage the FOUR R’s: Right Place, Right Time, Right People, & Right Things.
Right Place - Are you picking the optimal location to reach out? Are you doing what is easy or what other people tell you what to do? And when it doesn’t work, do you give up?
Right Time - Are you frequently communicating on a regular basis or is it just a series of jumbled messages and one-offs praying and hoping someone will listen?
Right People - Are you targeting the correct people with a strong argument or just broadcasting to anyone with a weak message?
Right Things - A difficult one to decipher, but you know what you really have to do. Most of the time we are too scared or lazy to do what needs to be done. We procrastinate or distract ourselves not to feel pain.
Most people notice that the Four R’s tend to intertwine with one another to make a tight knot that is impossible to untie. Actually, it’s easy — if you structure the four R’s, the how will magically appear:
Step back and get REAL about your situation. You know what to do — you have to just DO IT.
Break out your issue/problem and clearly list what you have to do, when you have to do it, who you will be targeting, and where it will happen.
And then DO IT. No ‘planning’. No ‘procrastinating’. No ‘distractions’. No mercy.
And then DO IT AGAIN. AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN. Until you are successful.
The funny thing is, we all know what we need to do, we just don’t DO IT.
If you'd like to learn more, reach out.
Be A Better Leader - 20 Leadership Hacks For Managers.
I managed large teams for over 15 years in corporate and have been coaching C-Level clients for 15 more. During this time, I've probably run into every scenario a manager can experience. Here are my top 20 hacks to make you a better leader (in no special order):
I managed large teams for over 15 years in corporate and have been coaching C-Level clients for 15 more. During this time, I've probably run into every scenario a manager can experience.
Here are my top 20 hacks to make you a better leader (in no special order):
1. Motivate people, don't command them. It's a lot harder, but you will like the results a lot more. Find the fuel that energizes them.
2. Identify your key employees and reward them so they know they're valued. Don't worry about losing poor talent.
3. Translate upper management's vague directives into things your team can understand and take action on.
4. Never bullshit your staff. If something requires secrecy for the good of the company, just be clear on 'I cannot discuss that’.
5. When things go well, don't tout yourself to upper management, tout your team. You'll get the credit as well.
6. Don't worry about losing poor talent. In addition, the best thing you can do for your best people is to get rid of the worst people.
7. Elevate the individual and team as a whole when someone does great work. Let them take the limelight.
8. When someone on my team screws up, be the responsible "buck stops here" person as the manager. Act as the umbrella to ensure the wrath of senior management does not rain down from above, and it's your responsibility to discipline them after you catch shit from on high. In addition to that, any discipline effort should be an opportunity to learn from mistakes. Help them to help themselves when they need to recover from a mistake.
9. Don’t be their friend. It's not worth it. You are no longer "One of the guys/girls" You can have fun, don't be a jerk, but you will never be one of them again. Don't try to be. Be cool, but not that cool, otherwise you will get walked on.
10. The more you make your employees feel like they're working with you, and not for you, the smoother the sailing. That being said, make sure boundaries are clear.
11. Always remain calm. The way you react to and handle situations will have a profound and lasting effect on your staff.
12. Criticize in private, praise in public. Praise often, punish seldom.
13. Figure out the intricacies of discipline and HR at your organization.Any serious disciplinary actions need to be absolutely by-the-book. Get help and a buddy in HR.
14. Learn to listen. Especially to the new hires. And the quiet ones.
15. Be loyal to your employees and they will be 10X loyal right back.
16. Learn to delegate. It creates frustration in the short term, but saves you huge amounts of time and makes people feel more important in the long term.
17. Create an environment that people want to work in. I find people work harder and are more motivated if they're happy. Don't micromanage, treat people with respect, and create a sense of joining a team rather than a top-down approach.
18. Always be fair. Everyone talks to each other and compares the slightest things whether you like it or not. If you have favorites or treat someone differently, eventually people will find out. This will definitely effect how they see you.
19. Create an open door policy. My favorite policy is that I never mind when people ask questions about the situation or what they need to do. I'd rather someone mess up rather than doing noting. Of course, I'd rather someone ask me questions so they can figure out how to do things on their own, effectively, and efficiently too. Similarly, this also helps with building respect, creating a sense of team, and having more motivated and happy people.
20. MOST IMPORTANT: Take care of your people and they'll take care of you.
The Key To Charisma.
"You can have a conversation with anyone — provided you actually care about what them and what they say."
"You can have a conversation with anyone — provided you actually care about what they say."
I'm genuinely curious about people.
So when I go out, I am intentional about being genuinely curious about people I run into.
I'll chat with the check-out people at my supermarket. I’ll interact with servers at a restaurant. I strike up conversations with people in waiting rooms.
People often question why I do this. To which my response is always; "you can always learn something new from a person. Even if it's just their name."
I've made it a long-standing habit to memorize someone's name upon meeting them. It’s hard to do — but if you focus, you will remember it.
So when I took my kids to their friend's birthday parties, I'm on a first-name basis with most of the parents. Even if I've only met them once. I'll introduce them to one another. Or re-acquaint us all together. A simple skill but socially fundamental.
Think about your own life — pick someone you barely know. Like a friend of a friend. Or your usual cashier or barista. After their names — what else do you know?
Relationships are built on rapport. That familiarity builds rapport. Being genuinely curious only helps reinforce it. It's also a master hack for charisma-building.
So once you've mastered the skill of charisma — it’ll open a lot of doors.
Additionally, another hack once you're good at memorizing names is to re-introduce yourself, when using someone's name; and give context: “Hey Molly — Rich, Chris’ dad. How've you been?"
It’s simple and frames the conversation towards familiarity — towards rapport.
It's such a subtle skill, yet can be pivotal. In how an interaction, conversation, and possibly a relationship, is framed.
You don't get a second chance at a first impression. So start honing that skill. It's easy to start with a name. Then continue to master being genuinely curious. Not just with people you're interested in — but to also find the interesting in people.
Go out and make it happen!
Be Like Jack LaLanne.
I grew up with Jack LaLanne. I used to watch him, his wife Elaine, and his dog every morning on TV. Jack taught me a lot of things about life — especially to stay positive all the time. Why be like Jack? You might know him from his juicer — but he was so much more.
I grew up with Jack LaLanne. I used to watch him, his wife Elaine (yes, Elaine LaLanne), and his German shepherd Happy every morning on TV. Jack taught me a lot of things about life — especially to stay positive all the time.
Why be like Jack? You might know him from his juicer — but he was so much more.
1. Make a bold change.
At 15, he was a wreck — sickly, skinny, and eating all the wrong foods. He realized it was a dead-end and radically changed his diet, behavior, and focus. Where can you make a bold change in your life?
2. Break the mold.
Up until Jack LaLanne, gyms were for men who wanted to box or wrestle. Jack opened the prototype for the fitness spas to come — a gym, juice bar, and health food store. What antiquated molds need breaking?
3. Keep true to your vision (and yourself).
Jack said, “People thought I was a charlatan and a nut. The doctors were against me — they said that working out with weights would give people heart attacks and they would lose their sex drive.” Never ask permission - get out and do it.
4. Think BIG.
Jack then took his idea national — “The Jack LaLanne Show” made its debut in 1951 as a local program in the San Francisco area, then went nationwide on daytime television in 1959. Pick a big dream and take one step closer to it today.
5. Speak to your audience — all the time.
“My show was so personal, I made it feel like you and I were the only ones there. And I’d say: ‘Boys and girls, come here. Uncle Jack wants to tell you something. You go get Mother or Daddy, Grandmother, Grandfather, whoever is in the house. You go get them, and you make sure they exercise with me.’ ” Learn how to better communicate to key people.
6. Keep it simple.
Most of his exercises on TV were done with a chair or broomstick. Don’t over-complexify your life - simplify!
7. Keep fresh with new ideas and offerings.
He invented the forerunners of modern exercise machines like leg extension and pulley devices. He marketed a Power Juicer to blend raw vegetables and fruits and a Glamour Stretcher cord, and he sold exercise videos and fitness books. When was the last time you read a good book?
8. Know when to get out.
Expanding on his television popularity, he opened dozens of fitness studios under his name, later licensing them to Bally. If it isn’t working for you - run away.
9. Be a showoff.
At 60 he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf handcuffed, shackled, and towing a 1,000-pound boat. At 70, handcuffed and shackled again, he towed 70 boats, carrying a total of 70 people, a mile and a half through Long Beach Harbor. Be assertive in all that you do.
10. Walk the talk.
He ate two meals a day and shunned snacks. Breakfast, following his morning workout, usually included several hard-boiled egg whites, a cup of broth, oatmeal with soy milk, and seasonal fruit. For dinner, a salad with raw vegetables and egg whites along with fish — often salmon — and a mixture of red and white wine. He never drank coffee. Be authentic to everyone you meet.
11. Stay positive — all the time.
He brimmed with optimism and restated a host of aphorisms for an active and fit life. “I can’t die,” he most famously liked to say. “It would ruin my image.” SMILE!
Jack passed away 10 years ago at the ripe old age of 96. He brought a lot of energy, motivation, and happiness to millions of people. I hope someday, I can do that too.
Returning To Work & How To Acclimate Your Employees.
How does a company neatly resume regular or new operations without losing a portion of their workforce to the change?
Businesses and employees are at a critical juncture right now.
As the pandemic hopefully recedes and business gets back to a 'new' normal, companies are running into a recalcitrant employee who might not want to come back and work in the office.
Not everyone. But there are three types of workers out there now:
Essential Employees - these are the people who have always worked through the epidemic - and we all salute you for your fortitude during these difficult times. BTW - give them a bonus and extra time off for helping you during this time - it's the least you can do.
Work@Home Lovers - these are the people who have outrageous commutes or awful office conditions who work better at home. They might have a big home with an office, family life, great location, etc.
Work@Office Lovers - these are the people who have been stuck at home and absolutely want to get back into the office ASAP. They might be living all alone, in a one-room apartment, and want to interact with lots of people every day.
The Problem: How does a company neatly resume regular or new operations without losing a portion of their workforce to the change?
REQUIRED - If everyone HAS to come back (like schools, etc.) - you have to set a date, put standards in place (cleaning, vaccinations, etc.), and treat everyone the same. If there are recalcitrant workers, deal with them on a one-off basis. Make coming to work more fun, like a party that everyone wants to attend - serve food, etc.
FLEXIBLE WORK - Develop a system to allow workers to have flex time in the office AND working at home. For many positions, this might be the best option for many companies. It shows that you care about their work-life balance AND you satisfy all three types of workers.
TOTAL WORK@HOME - Some companies have embraced the work@home concept and have offered total work at home for many of their employees. It cuts down on office cost, commute time lost, and increases work/life balance for many employees. But some workers might want the 'in-person experience' - and many of these companies might have to develop alternatives to embrace it - get-togethers, lunches, off-sites, etc.
Whatever you choose, be cognizant and balance the needs of your customers and your employees. Many companies might be taking the track of 'everyone back in the office' because of bad management & leadership skills, antiquated work philosophy, or just because "we've always done it this way" thinking. Do what's best for your customers and employees - not just the bottom line.
How To Lead Effective Virtual Teams.
As we slowly emerge from our country’s pandemic, there will be many current and future adjustments to how we work.
As we slowly emerge from our country’s pandemic, there will be many current and future adjustments to how we work.
The impact to our teams and how we manage them will be a major concern for all leaders moving forward.
Yes — we’ve been managing from afar for the last year, but — we were in crisis mode and everyone had to adapt quickly.
Moving forward, successful virtual leadership must be based in solid planning, consistent communication, and regular status checks.
I’ve developed a powerful 5-part strategy to help you move forward with your virtual teams and lead them to even greater success in the years to come:
1. Build a plan and design processes for virtual work.
You can’t rely on the structures built during the pandemic, you need to revisit what worked and build a solid strategy to move forward.
2. Making key decisions in a virtual environment.
Consider how to best structure various decision-making processes within your virtual team(s).
3. Working effectively with global virtual teams.
Capitalize on the new options of working with teams separated by culture, time, and space.
4. Anticipating the growing power dynamics within your team.
Improve the productivity, efficacy, and mutual trust within your virtual team by redefining how you lead your team and how they interact with one another.
5. Dealing with the hidden problems and pitfalls of virtual work.
Understand and anticipate the social and emotional challenges that impact individuals when working virtually.
If you’re interested in leadership development training that delves deeper into each of my five areas (coupled with individualized coaching for your managers), let’s chat.
The best thing you can do is start them off right with a solid roadmap rather than a patchwork of band-aids hopefully delivering the future success of your company. Learn more.
This isn't your parent's workweek anymore.
I am a firm believer that businesses should start to shift to a 4-day workweek. Why?
Going out on a limb here on a Friday . . .
I am a firm believer that businesses should start to shift to a 4-day workweek. Why?
1. Baby boomers for the most part have or are thinking about retiring - so the old adage of 'it's always been that way' is kind of a specious argument. As new generations jump onto the work bus and technology continues to improve, you are going to feel a sea-change from work-harder to work-smarter.
2. It will become a competitive asset when hiring the best people for your business. Who would you rather work for? There's no comparison.
3. I predict per hour productivity will soar when they get the same work done in a smaller amount of time. They will be forced to streamline, delegate, and retire unnecessary activities and focus on what really moves the company forward.
4. Think of the impact of commuting - losing 20% of the commuting traffic will greatly impact your travels. The day-off can be up to the employee - MON or FRI or WED - whatever works. This can apply to retail, manufacturing, service, etc. - spread out the resources and still deliver the products and services.
5. Couple the 4-day workweek with telecommuting. We have seen the impact over the past year on employee productivity, facility financials, and the environment, etc. Also, who loves to come to work when you've spent 2+ hours commuting every day?
6. Your employees will spend less on daycare and spend more time with their families. Your employees will be MUCH happier spending 3 days off and 4 days on -- more time for helping the family as their parents grow older. More time for volunteering for charities and non-profits, more time to educate themselves, and more time to just relax and recharge.
Oh - there are probably some negatives that people will think of -- customer impact, compressed hours/workload, 'this won't work here', and the ever-present fear of employees demanding a 3-day workweek (even though we've had the 5-day, 40-hour workweek for almost 100 years.
What are your thoughts? I would love to hear from you.
There are 2 ways I can help YOU:
Check out my latest playbook - 3 Things You Need To Do To Guarantee Success - tools for your career, business, and life.
Schedule a call - Spend thirty minutes with me for free to see if I can solve your problems and give you a real breakthrough.
What's Holding You Back?
Eliminate the interference and your full potential will equal your full performance, where there are no obstacles in your way holding you back.
P = P - I
Once you understand this simple equation, it all becomes clear.
Performance = Potential - Interference (link)
Eliminate the interference and your full potential will equal your full performance, where there are no obstacles in your way holding you back.
Have you ever felt like this? I know you have - when nothing could get in your way and you were firing on all cylinders. It's exciting.
But this rarely happens. We always invite interference into our lives. And that impacts our performance-potential ratio.
To eliminate or lessen interference, we need to leave our comfort zone frequently, like successful people do. Let go of your current familiar life and make bold decisions to live the life you dream about.
The real culprit behind our interference: Don't self-reject.
Most of the time, what holds us back is entirely in our heads.
Don't think your boss will give you a raise? Ask them.
Don't think you deserve the job? Apply for it.
Don't think your article is good enough? Publish it.
Don't think they'll reply to your email? Send it.
Don't think your customers will like you raising prices? Do it.
Don't self-reject.
When you catch yourself thinking negatively, stop it in it's tracks and take action. Just do it.
Here are 3 ways I can help you:
I just finished my latest playbook - 3 Things You Need To Do To Guarantee Success - tools for your career, business, and life.
Schedule a call - Spend thirty minutes with me for free to see if I can solve your problems and give you a real breakthrough.
Make a commitment - Email me saying “I’m ready” and my team will be in touch to plan a full consultation to work together. This is the first step in changing your career, business and life forever.
Get Ready For The Summer Tsunami.
There is a light at the end of this long tunnel. Once the population is vaccinated and we see a dramatic drop in cases, the 'clogged pipe' of consumer enthusiasm will open fully.
We've been in a global lockdown for over a year. Things haven't stopped, but there's been a cumulative business anxiety level that's impacted our growth potential. Even though many businesses have posted gains, there's been a wariness of 'what's next' for the past 12 months.
There is a light at the end of this long tunnel. Once the population is vaccinated and we see a dramatic drop in cases, the 'clogged pipe' of consumer enthusiasm will open fully.
What will happen? I predict that we're going to experience unbridled consumer and business spending in the marketplace. We've been subsisting on minor changes and improvements for over a year and now businesses will be forced into a normal (or even heightened) competitive mode. The opportunities will be endless.
Consumers will throng to products and places long closed to their reach. They have the pent-up dollars and enthusiasm to get back to the normalcy of their lives that they've been missing for so many months.
What does this mean for you? Stay ahead of the curve:
Own a business? Time to prepare. You have to break out ahead of the competition and get your message out to your key targets. What are their new needs and concerns now that it will be over?
Work in a company? Figure out what permanent changes will impact your management, leadership, and staff operations. What companies are now leading the charge? What technologies are changing the landscape?
Looking for a new position? Be ready for in-person interviews again and more company contact. Who are the new winners and losers moving forward? Start looking globally for virtual positions.
Some things have changed and will never go back to the old way. But many areas will return - are you ready to take advantage of this tsunami?
What are your thoughts? Let me know - Rich
P.S. - Whenever you’re ready…. here are 3 ways I can help you grow your career/business:
I just finished my latest guidebook - 3 Things You Need To Do To Guarantee Success - key insights for your career, business, and life.
Schedule a call - Spend thirty minutes with me for free to see if I can solve your career/business problems and give you an actionable breakthrough.
Make a commitment - Reply to this email saying “I’m ready” and my team will be in touch to plan a full consultation to work together. This is the first step in changing your career, business, and life forever.
The Real Reason Why You're Failing.
The real reason you haven't gotten to the level you want to be at is that you're . . .
The real reason you haven't gotten to the level you want to be at is that you're:
Lazy, Scared, Unfocused, or Undisciplined
That's okay.
Everyone else is too.
People who can defeat that part of themselves are the ones who rise to the top.
So figure out what the real holdback is and start today to vanquish it.
Start NOW To Guarantee A New Position For 2021.
It’s critical to develop an action plan during the month of December to know who you’re targeting, what you’ll do, where you’ll go, when you’ll do it, and how you’ll track your progress.
“I need to find a job.”
”I need to find a better job.”
Is this you? The month of December is a time to slowly power-down and relax. People tell themselves they will begin their brand-new job search on January 1, 2021. What happens?
Get on stage with a cast of thousands.
You'll be just commencing your search again, with thousands of other aspiring job searchers. The competition is fierce where you will be seeing hundreds of applicants for the same job. You need to start earlier to escape the onslaught.
Now is the time to act.
Many people come back from the holidays with renewed energy and a fresh focus. They will be starting to finalize their materials — so you need to get a jump on them.
”It’s too busy this time of year.” “No one is working now.”
It's easier to reach out to a potential target now instead of January. Most organizations tend to start slowing down at this time of the year, final sales have been made, everyone is more relaxed and waiting for the onslaught of holidays and parties. They're more approachable — they know they have a budget next year to hire, why not meet with potential managers NOW?
YOU can be a powerful slingshot.
Psychologically, this will be the time for you to start pulling back on the rubber band and stretching it as far as it can go. When January 1st hits, you release the slingshot and rocket off into the marketplace with your best face on prepared to dazzle your interviewer. Everyone else is just starting.
I want one hour a day from you, five days a week.
That’s it. Instead of watching a really bad TV show every weekday night or sleeping in that morning, all I’m asking for is just one hour to plan and ensure a successful job search. So what can you do?
Research your industry to understand the big players.
Learn where it’s going and what the future holds. This will give you a better feel for who to target in your job search and a better idea of what’s out there - you’ve been in a bubble for the past few years.
Pick 5-10 companies you’d LOVE to work for.
Not just ‘like’ or ‘it would be nice’, I want you to LOVE them. Do a little research on each one, see where they are and where they’re going, find out who are the key people in your area of the organization.
Clean up your résumé and LinkedIn profile.
Add in any additional info from your current research. These two areas must shine before you begin to look for a position. Also, check all of your current (and past) social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google Links, etc. You need to clean them up or if you can, make them private. You need to put on a perfect face for potential opportunities. Resume tips here.
Build your action plan to kick off at 7 AM on January 1.
If you’re currently employed, begin to figure out when you can allocate time to research, contact, and interview new career opportunities. If you are in transition, develop a 40-hour per week schedule that includes research, networking, etc. You need to be busy starting in January, the best thing you can do is be prepared with a comprehensive schedule.
IMPORTANT: If you feel that you can’t do this alone, REACH OUT.
Not only do I offer a free coaching session to help you understand how I can accelerate your search, but you’ll also go away with a number of key breakthroughs to help you move forward. If you want some help, message me.
All the best - Rich
www.richgee.com
richgee@richgee.com
If Life Is Kicking You In The Ass, Time To Kick Back.
The most successful people on this planet do not care about how they achieve it. They DON’T CARE ABOUT THE RULES.
“Don’t be afraid to break some rules.” - Arnold Schwarzenegger
To win, you must exploit the system. I get it - you’re worried about what the outside world will think of you — that possibly bending some rules in your favor is “beneath you”.
Listen: The most successful people on this planet do not care about how they achieve it. They DON’T CARE ABOUT THE RULES.
The entire world is simply many clearly-defined systems and rules that all work together to limit you from going anywhere. Imagine a game of poker or blackjack. Most people will say that it is just “luck” or that “luck is the primary factor in the game”. This is BS and you know it.
Just like poker, the world does not have luck, it has probability. Luck of the draw is simply a term that defines your starting point, everything else is how you play your cards.
Unlike poker though, the rules of life can be argued, bent, and even broken. Do you seriously think the people in power didn’t break every rule in the book to get their hands on the biggest jackpot in the world?
Basically, life is a maze built by people at the top to reduce competition from the bottom. Some people find they exist by wasting their entire life trying every single option.
Using the basic resources out in the world and your persistence, you can increase your odds of success. This is what successful people do. By counting the cards, observing patterns, and trying what has already been proven to work, you can increase your odds of success an infinite number of times. In other words, climb the walls of the maze, and look to find where the finish is. Once you know the end goal you can take concrete steps towards it.
But we all know this. Go forward without looking back.
You just still think that you aren’t that kind of person. You don’t need to be savage. You don’t need to embody the hunter you were born to be by evolution thousands of years ago.
You can play it safe, play it cool, and play by the rules. Guess what? No one who wins plays by the rules. We bend them to their limits. We go against the grain. The trick is to keep the rules from breaking in a way that gets you in trouble.
There is no such thing as a dream job. A dream partner. An American dream. Because it’s a . . . . DREAM.
Pick the career that you know you are predisposed by biology to excel at. You are good at math? Be the top accountant of all time. Good at arguing? Be the top dog attorney that puts Harvey Specter to shame. Oh you don’t like law school? Be honest with yourself, do you want to win?
The person printing your money obviously does. We love to bash the idiots on Wall Street for making dirty money by using YOUR money to make them money. Do you think they care?
Think about it. Do you think that someone like Jeff Bezos became rich because he had a brilliant idea? No. He simply crushed the competition, out-sued the government, walked on everyone’s head who was in his way.
Successful people are made not born. And they aren’t made through some fair game. Time to start breaking the rules.
“It’s easier to apologize than to ask for permission.”
P.S. I am not advocating for you to do anything illegal, but there is significant leeway when bending the rules.
Decisions are hard. But they're really easy.
I want you to watch “The Ten Meter Tower”. It’s one of my favorite NY Times/YouTube videos.
I want you to watch “The Ten Meter Tower”.
It’s one of my favorite NY Times/YouTube videos. The premise:
“Our objective in making this film was something of a psychology experiment: We sought to capture people facing a difficult situation, to make a portrait of humans in doubt. A high dive seemed like the perfect scenario.”
“Through an online advertisement, we found 67 people who had never been on a 10-meter (about 33 feet) diving tower before and had never jumped from that high. We paid each of them the equivalent of about $30 to participate — which meant climbing up to the diving board and walking to its edge. We were as interested in the people who decided to climb back down as the ones jumping.”
How often in life (and our career) are we served up a powerful decision and we procrastinate? We know we can do it — we know it will help us — but we’re afraid of the ‘possible’ consequences.
We all have a Stephen King in our heads telling us horror stories about what ‘might’ happen — but it usually doesn’t.
What decision or action do you need to take today that you’ve put off?
Just JUMP.
Fortune Favors The Bold.
To get where you want to go in life, you have to take chances, step out of your comfort zone, and sometimes do things that scare you.
"Audentes Fortuna Juvat" (in Latin). There are many articles dissecting this simple phrase - some good and some way off base.
Here’s my take — to get where you want to go in life, you have to take chances, step out of your comfort zone, and sometimes do things that scare you. When you do these things, you create opportunities and options that were previously unattainable or unknown to you.
That’s my definition of bold — taking calculated and decisive action when most people do the same old thing and wonder why their circumstances stay the same…
It’s asking for that promotion and raise after you show your boss clear evidence of your outstanding performance.
It’s raising your fees in your business when you know you’re delivering top-tier service to your clients.
It’s interviewing at another company because you want a change and/or increase your salary/benefits.
When you are bold, fortune (opportunity and options) reveal themselves.
It’s Monday - I want you to do one bold action today — even if it’s small — let’s bring Fortune into your life.
How To Reach The Right People At The Right Time.
If you aren’t targeting the right people, you aren’t playing the game correctly.
Want to listen to the podcast? Click here.
If you aren’t targeting the right people, you aren’t playing the game correctly. Unfortunately, many businesses try a broad-brush strategy to try to attract everyone. And it always fails. Here are four quick tips (and a resource!) to help you target your best prospects:
ONE - Who are your targets? Who are the RIGHT people?
I want you to THINK BIG here. Don’t think small — if you’re going to go after the right people - go big or go home. If you shoot for the stars, you might land them. If not, you will quickly learn how to get the smaller ones.
You need to define who are your best clients/customers - who are they, what makes them your best, where can you find them?
Once you define your best client/customers - who are people just like them? If they look, act, and buy like your customers, they would probably make great ones too.
TWO - Who knows who? How can you find people who know them?
The HUNT! This is my favorite part. I actually have an excel sheet to work on this. I get as much information about the company and the right person as I can. My goal is never a cold call.
Use LinkedIn then start reaching out to your close friends who might know the person. They may have knowledge as to your guess if this is the ‘right’ person to speak with.
Create a strong trail to the person - understand who they are and what they do - a logical trail. You will need to use this for tip #3!!!
THREE - How do you get them to see the connection between the two of you? How do you ENGAGE them?
This is where you need to do a bit of work. You have to learn/research/understand/build connections between your business and their business.
What are their pain points? What do they worry about? Where do you see their blind spots? Don’t just approach them and say “Please buy my product!” -- you have to get them to NEED you. Figure out strategies to get their attention, get them interested, and then go in for the kill.
You then pick the right mediums to get their attention - email, direct mail, FedEx, social media, in-person, phone call, introduction.
FOUR - What happens if they don’t respond? What if they do?
This is all about timing - now might be the right time. Were you truly prepared to speak with the person? Was there enough connection? Get back to work on your sheet!
Continue to grow a stronger connection among their friends. They will be able to ‘meet’ at their pace. Ask that mutual friend for a ‘no pressure’ get together. They need to know you first.
Bring them into your sales funnel so they are aware of what you are doing. Your job is to land that meeting so keep at it. Persistence is key — don’t give up.
RESOURCE - Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness - By Jeffrey Gitomer
We all hate to read — That's why Little Red Book of Selling is short, sweet, and to the point. It's packed with answers that people are searching for in order to help them reach prospects and customers.
I probably read this book at least five times and riffle through certain parts throughout the year. It’s a valued resource in my library. Pick it up!
There's No Going Back.
You see it happening all around you. The impact of new tech, new thinking, and new behaviors are changing the way we work, buy products, have fun, move around, etc.
“Things won’t change as much as they will accelerate. While other crises reshaped the future, this crisis is making the future happen faster.” — Scott Galloway
You see it happening all around you. The impact of new tech, new thinking, and new behaviors are changing the way we work, buy products, have fun, move around, etc.
At the end of the day, some people will accept, absorb, and move forward. The rest will be left behind wondering what happened. How do you keep up?
Acknowledge that change is happening all around you.
It will dramatically affect where you work and what you do. The old rules are slowly eroding and are being wiped away with the new realities. Work at home, work anywhere, management, leadership, and productivity are all changing the old behaviors of work.
We’re seeing this happen at higher education right now — the world of college is quickly imploding. The era of parents spending ungodly sums of money for the ‘college experience’ is now revealed as a nostalgic romp that we all have tried to hold on to. A new way of learning is going to emerge (emerging now) and it will eviscerate the idea of a $60K/year academic ride.
Once you embrace that change is happening all around you and you need to get ON the wave and not to FIGHT IT, you will begin to see the myriad of options and opportunities open to you.
Develop an unlimited mindset.
You have to have an open mind to all possibilities when it comes to the world around you. An unlimited mindset will fuel a new, consistent behavior of focused confidence. People who embrace an unlimited mindset will emerge from any crisis better off than when they entered.
We’re seeing this happen with Wall Street and Tesla — the old guard has been trying to denigrate and demolish the idea of EV transportation for years. “It’s a failed technology, they’ll never turn a profit, they can never compete with the ICE monopoly.” Time and time again, the analysts and speculators who went against the tide and shorted Tesla stock have awakened to a new reality (watch this).
To develop an unlimited mindset, you have to open your mind to what is happening and where you really are going. This takes an extreme amount of confidence, new knowledge, and vision. Stop playing tennis with the same players and start running to where the ball is going to be (read this).
Start Taking Action.
Finally, you need to get off your butt, develop a new plan, and start taking ACTION — don’t be afraid. There will be a lot of people out there that want everything to go back to normal — but that’s never going to happen. Smart people realize the rules have changed and the old Monopoly board we’ve been playing on is now three-dimensional, turbo-charged, and the banker is no longer in charge.
If you’re currently employed (or in transition), start learning who are the REAL movers and shakers at your company, competition, and industry. Who are the stars who are blazing a new trail, taking chances, and growing a small group of ardent followers? If you own your own business, what has changed in the past six months? What is happening to the behaviors of your clients, customers, (and competition)?
Wrapping It All Up . . .
There are two realities that are diverging and I am valiantly working with all my clients to help them better understand each one:
Reality #1 — Keep doing what you’re doing. Hope to the heavens we will all come out of this crisis unscathed and all will go back to normal. Good luck with that one.
Reality #2 — Acknowledge that massive, structural change is happening all around you, develop an unlimited mindset, and start taking focused action.
It’s your decision.