Leaders Lead…..And Focus On Character

Company character is at risk every day. Your business is being judged by your customers, your suppliers, your employees and your competitors. As a leader, you have to be on your game at all times.

One thing you need to understand as a business manager is that your employees are your brand. Showing that you care for your employees is the ultimate message you will send about the character of yourself and the company. Remember, the character message you send to your employees is the same message your employees will portray to your customers. How can company leaders expect their employees to care for the customers if they don’t feel cared for themselves? Note: your employees are your brand!

Research indicates that a focus on ethics, values, and character in the workplace can have significant impact on key business metrics such as improved customer service, reduced liability costs, improved employee retention, and increased productivity…..all the things your supervisor will be rating you on.

As a changing economy begins to reinvent the world of business, decision makers don’t have time to ponder and contemplate about the moral implications of every action they take. Being ethical must be instinctive, and that is where character comes into play. As businesses struggle with the strategic need to attract and maintain an effective workforce, character provides the foundation for credible and trustworthy business relationships.

Understanding the power behind projecting high standards and ethics in your business is the missing link to Building World-Class Teams. All companies create mission statements and vision statements that encompass the character of the company and revel in its importance. But, once the employees leave employee orientation, does the character of the company retain any importance in the day-to-day operation of the business? 

If you want to build your business from the inside out…..walk the talk! Instill in your employees the high standards you promise your customers by training your employees on the values of the organization. But remember, this concept starts from the top and works it way down to the line employees. If your executive team is focused on displaying a high quality of character, you can guarantee your employees will perceive and emulate the value as well.

3 Tips To Jumpstart Company Character And Beat Your Competiton

Are you looking for more avenues to make your business stand out from the competiton?

Many businesses look at discounts, special sales, free gifts and other gimmicks to draw in new customers. These are all great ideas, but do they actually offer results to your bottom line? Sadly fewer and fewer businesses are focusing on “retaining” their current customer base and turning them into loyal customers and clients.

If you want to beat out your competition here two words you should focus on: Customer Service. And, customer service begins and ends with having a team of employees that will promote the company in a positive light, serve the customer and ask them to return on a consistent basis while at the same time…..referring your business to their family, friends, and contacts.

If you really want to beat your competition in today’s recessed market, focus on “Building World-Class Teams” and you will not only learn how to retain your employees; but, you will have happy employees helping you promote the high character of your company to your clients which will yeild high results by retaining your current client base.

Leaders can not expect their employees to display good character if they are not capable of displaying the same values within the workplace. You’ve worked hard to become a leader, but now you need to continue those efforts by demonstrating to your employees the character you want displayed and represented by your company. Always remember that character builds the business and the company’s fate relies on not only understanding good character traits, but having the ability to display good character and teach what characteristics build successful teams.

1. Providing your employees with thorough training/orientation will begin the process of teaching the character of the company. Don’t expect your employees to join your organization and immediately understand your corporate character…..teach them. Teaching the history of the company and the morals that the company was founded upon will help the employees have a clear vision of the expectations you have for them.
2. Creating and maintaining an open door policy with your employees is one of the greatest virtues a company can have. Many companies say they have an open door policy, but few actually promote the policy. One of the best ways a company can display good character to its employees is to actively promote the open door policy and always listen for ways to build employee morale, improve work environments, and increase productivity. Sure, you’re going to hear things that you don’t want to hear about yourself as a manager and company policies. But, listening to your employees instead of trying to talk over your employees is a sure fire way to display the character of management and the company. This doesn’t mean you have to always agree with your team members…..just listen and show them that you respect their opinions and are willing to consider their input to create a better workplace for all concerned.
3. Assigning new employees a mentor will help maintain good character within the workplace. When new employees enter your company, it is vital that they meet and connect with those who display a positive attitude. Nothing can undermine your company’s character quicker than negative employees. They will greatly impact the belief system of the new employee. Mentors provide business leaders with a tool to ensure that new employees have the best work environment to begin developing their own character within the organization.

If you are looking for more ways to build a solid team in your business, you can download a copy of my free eBook “Building World-Class Teams.” You can  start today edging out your competition simply by making your employees understand they are a valued resource in your company.

Managing Change Within Your Team

If your business, or a department within your business, is suffering from lack of teamwork, it is inevitable that a change is needed for your business to survive and be profitable.

Even though on the outside it may seem that all of the parts are working, it is probably evident to you that it is not working like a well-oiled machine. Companies become stagnant, lack of productivity prevails, employee morale suffers and eventually profits plummet. It’s time for a change!

 But change is often met by employees with great resistance and usually with the mindset that they refuse to change because “everything is working just fine the way it is.” Or is it?

Explaining to your teams that change is something that is needed to help the entire company succeed is usually a difficult task for company leaders. And, if you’re the company owner, it’s sometimes even difficult to get the buy-in from your leaders. Few of us are comfortable when we hear that a change is in our future. We have created our own comfort zones and usually dig our heels in playing the blame game as to why the company is not as successful as it should be.

One of the greatest challenges you can experience as a business leader is having your teams agree that a change is necessary…..each and every person must participate for the change to be effective, complete and whole.

Jerald M. Jellison, Ph.D, points out in his book “Managing The Dynamics Of Change” some very innovative methods for getting team members to understand how allowing change within the work place can easily ramp up employee performance and result in higher morale and ultimately more profits for the company. “If you’ve managed during a merger, downsizing, reorganization, outsourcing, or tried to set up new processes and procedures, you know that the greatest challenge is dealing with the human dimensions of change,” Jellison writes.

Somewhere along the way, teams lose their focus. They lose the meaning of camaraderie and forget how much easier it is to work as a team rather than struggling individually. Teams balk at change because they think it means more work on their individual self. However, they tend to forget that working as a team can be more organized and members can focus on their individual strengths to help the team move forward toward success.

In Jellison’s book, “Managing the Dynamics Of Change” he shows us how change undergoes a 5 stage process by using the J Curve principle:

Stage 1: The Plateau

Stage 2: The Cliff

Stage 3: The Valley

Stage 4: The Ascent

Stage 5: The Mountaintop

Most team members fear change because they think since there is a possibility that something can go wrong…..it will definitely go wrong…..that’s part of the change. Things will get worse before it gets better. But, you must go through these steps to get to “The Mountaintop” of a successful business.

In Stage 1 of Change, The Plateau, team members will be made aware that change is inevitable and you are expecting their participation. You can expect much discontent and anguish during this time. But, most of all, because everyone is waiting on the change instead of helping make the change…..nothing new will happen. For a short time, during The Plateau stage, you will find that really nothing seems different. You will see the same bad habits, the same employee cliques, the same lack of enthusiasm for change. Everyone is anticipating and fearful of The Cliff stage but everyone is avoiding being the first one to step off The Cliff!

Stage 2 is where everyone starts to feel the symptoms they had been anticipating and fearing…..The Cliff…..the place where productivity drops, morale seems to bottom out. Everyone is saying “I told you so. This will never work. Look how much worse things are!” Stage 2 is the level where team members start attempting to go back to the old way of doing things because it was easier and seemed to have a pattern of success for them. Old habits die hard and this is the stage you bury those old bad habits. Team members comfort level will drop as they try new processes, work with new tools, report to new supervisors…..this is expected and a component of the process. The stress level seems almost too much to take to your team members. And then, Stage 3 begins to emerge!

In Stage 3 of Change, The Valley, team members begin to notice that even though job performance is still declining, the decline is not as rapid. The changes are still occurring, but everyone is beginning to adapt and the changes don’t seem so prolific…..they are more tolerable of the new change! It is in this stage that team members begin to understand the new programs you’ve initiated, they begin to recognize that the change does not affect their comfort zone as much as they had expected. But most importantly, they realize that the change is really beginning to become easier, employee morale is improving and the team is beginning to work together toward the common goal. “The Valley” stage is where it is vital that you as the leader begin to praise your team. Let them know YOU see a difference and that things will continue to get better and easier. Full participation from the leader is required in this stage to make the team members realize their participation in this stage is beginning to pay off. Keep your team motivated in this stage and you will soon advance to “The Ascent.”

Stage 4 of Change “The Ascent” is when you and your team members begin to experience the pay off. You begin to notice a change for the better. In the J Curve, you begin to start climbing toward the top and everyone begins to notice the successes of the changes you have implemented. As performance improves, employee morale begins to climb the J Curve. You will begin to sense a feeling of teamwork between your employees again. They will begin to realize that the change has actually started to not only make their jobs easier as they work together in a more structured environment, but they will begin to display a sense of pride for their accomplishments. And, as team members begin to enjoy their new found job descriptions, they will also begin to herald the leader for bringing on the change for their successes. In my opinion, the best part of this stage is when the team members begin to promote the change themselves. Now you have a team working together for the success of the changes. Once they hit this level of change, you will begin to notice they will start talking about how beneficial the changes are to the entire team. That’s when you know you’re ready to progress to the next stage: “The Mountaintop.”

“The Mountaintop” is the fifth stage of change…..the pinnacle of success. In Stage 5 the team members will begin to experiment with their own successes and be willing to stretch their imaginations for new ways to make the changes even more abundant. They will rejoice in how easy the changes have made their day-to-day life and wonder why they didn’t do this change earlier. Productivity will begin to surge and team members will be working together as one team with a new sense of excitement for building the company. Just as when you’ve reached the mountain top on a long, rigorous hike, once you make it to the top, nothing is more exhilarating than knowing you accomplished your goal. Stand at the top of the mountain alongside your team members and shout as your successes echo in the valleys below. You’ve earned it!

Change is inevitable in all companies whether it’s due to an economic downturn, company relocation, a new CEO, or a company sellout. But, if you follow the 5 Stages of Change and learn to manage the dynamics of change, as pointed out by Jerald M. Jellison, you will realize that change always has a workable solution. But you, the leader, must be willing to take the most uncomfortable steps and guide your team one step at a time from The Plateau to The Mountaintop.

Atlantis Space Shuttle Crew Celebrates Teamwork

After a 13 day journey, the Space Shuttle Atlantis safely landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on May 24, 2009, at 11:39 a.m. EDT following a successful final flight mission to repair the Hubble Telescope.

Before leaving Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Commander Scott Altman made a brief statement regarding how happy all of the astronauts were to be back on earth. Thanking everyone involved in the mission for assisting in getting the crew returned home safely, Altman said, “At last! I didn’t realize it was going to be so hard getting back to the Earth. Landing here just felt great to everybody. We’re all thrilled to have the mission complete and it was a testament to the teamwork and cooperation of folks all across the country,” Altman continued.

Atlantis Lands In California

Altman was pointing out the exceptional teamwork involved primarily due to the fact that the focus of the mission was to repair and upgrade the Hubble Telescope and expand its range and life for another five years. Many details were covered to ensure that repairing the Hubble was successful which enabled scientists around the world to have a better view of the universe.

Atlantis was originally set to land at Cape Canaveral in Florida, but due to bad weather and cross winds from earlier storms, touchdown of the Space Shuttle was delayed and re-routed to California. Called a successful trip after traveling almost 5.3 million miles at the speed of 18,000 miles per hour at times, the mission was named a success due to exceptional teamwork of all involved.

Teamwork is the essential key to success for any organization or business. But yet, it’s usually at the bottom of the list of business owners and managers when mapping out the road to the company’s success. Most of us realize how much work is required on our behalf to succeed at a particular project, but we tend to forget that there are many components, outside of our own input, for that success to be achieved. There are many ideas, many concepts, many experiments and many failures needed to find triumph in any business venture.

Think about the Atlantis Space Shuttle, from the astronauts, to the engineers at Mission Control, to the people who stocked the tools and supplies on board the Atlantis, all played their part in a successful mission. Imagine how important of a role it is for the person installing the landing gear on the Atlantis to make sure they do their job efficiently and without flaw. What may be almost an oversight for most of us, the opening of the parachutes at touchdown, plays an essential role in the success of the Shuttle’s landing.

No matter what the job or how small the detail may seem to appear, every last job plays an essential role in the success of the mission. Whether you are flying into space or opening a new business, teamwork is essential for success. Everyone has a role to play and everyone must assume the responsibility to completely fulfill their role. One small breakdown in the system, and the mission could be a disaster, or at best a disappointment.

Building  a successful team has three primary components:                      

• 1) Build a strong team foundation
• 2) Create the system by creating the vision
• 3) Implement the system by celebrating the success of the team

The astronauts are the stars of each and every mission, but remember as Commander Altman pointed out, it took the entire team to complete a successful mission. In your business, no matter how large or small the project, the entire team has to be on board for the success of your project.

And remember, once the mission is final, don’t forget to celebrate your successes with your team!

Build Your Business & Your Brand With Gratitude

When I’m not spending my time teaching, training or networking, you can usually find me at my flower shop, Bishop’s Flowers, fulfilling orders of happiness, sadness, humor and even promotion.As any retailer will attest to, a retailer is inundated with weekly requests for donations of some kind. And, being a trained networker and active participant in the community, I am aware of the need to “give back to the community.” I’m always happy to contribute what I can; hoping that my God-given talents changes someone’s life in some positive way.

This blog is not meant in any way to be an attempt to persuade business owners to not contribute to the community or non-profit organizations. It is, however, written with the intent to give a wake up call to those who are making the phone calls soliciting donations.

My flower shop, Bishop’s Flowers,  donates virtually to each and every non-profit organization that contacts us. And, especially these days, it can become a financial burden on a small business trying to keep up with all of the non-profits that are continually knocking on your door asking for more and more. After all, they are also getting crunched with the slowing economy. But, you have to bite the bullet and be thankful for what you have and be willing to “give back” and hope it makes a difference in someone’s life. After all a Givers Gain mentality is always the best option.

But, as the purse strings of local businesses tighten more and more every day, I’d like to offer one bit of advice: a simple sign of gratitude will make you stand out from all the others. Whether it’s a handwritten note, a phone call, or just a simple “thank you so much,” please take the time and make an effort to show that you appreciate their contributions, you appreciate their time or you appreciate their business.

Everyone loves to be appreciated.  Think about how you felt the last time you bought somone a graduation gift and they never “thanked you.” Yeah, everyone has experienced that at least once.

I’d like to challenge you to take the time today to say “thank you” to someone who has made a difference in your life recently. And then, come back and leave us a comment and tell us how they reacted. A simple “thank you” is an essential relationship building tool for successful businesses.

Want to read more about why you should show appreciation to your customers or referral partners? Patrick Finley has a great blog on this subject. Go check it out. http://pjfinley.blogspot.com/2009/04/am-i-being-petty.html

Create A Buzz About Your Organization…..Then Invite

Have you ever tried to invite someone to visit a networking group and felt like you’d driven straight into a rock wall? After all of your efforts to help this person build their network of business people, all you walked away hearing was, “NOT INTERESTED!”  Yeah, I’m thinking most of us have experienced this at one time or another.

 No matter whether it’s a networking organization, a local volleyball or softball team, or the local Parent’s and Teachers Organization, most of us are basically tapped out on extra time. One more commitment just might be the final straw to break social interaction.

In BNI, the world’s largest referral organization, we teach our members not to invite people to “join” BNI. We just want to invite you to “meet some local business professionals that we feel would be a good connection for you and your business.” Once you are at the meeting, you are capable of deciding if you want to make a commitment to the group and apply for membership. You are also probably considering if you can handle the extra business.

Introducing someone to a new organization is basically the same way. Every day we drive into that rock wall trying to find a new way to get people interested in joining us at our networking events, church socials, or even scrapbooking clubs. An idea that  I’d like to offer is that you become more open minded and start thinking of ways to get people interested in your organization, but still leaving enough to the imagination that is a call to action and makes them want to experience what they may be missing.

Some great examples (I like to call them “teasers”) are two videos about BNI that is posted on YouTube. The first video was recently created by Richard Swan for International Networking Week 2009 in London. Richard takes the classic song “American Pie” and adds his own twist to create a great marketing tool for BNI and its chapters.. Richard uploaded the video on February 5, 2009 and within 2 weeks it has an excess of 5,000 hits…..not to mention what hits have been driven to his personal website as well!

And, I personally met one visitor at a BNI meeting this week who admitted that he had been sent the link to Richard’s video and he was so intrigued by the video he said he “just had to come and visit a meeting and see what BNI is all about.”

I hope that you have clicked on Richard’s video above to hear his song. Thanks Richard for creating a buzz.

Another video that has drawn a lot of attention over the last year is a video that was created by The Huntsville BNI Chapter in North Alabama. Meaghan Williams, Executive Director, worked with this chapter to create a “mini chapter meeting video.” They taped an entire BNI meeting and then edited it until they had a 4 minute video that is a snapshot of a BNI meeting in action.

How can you not be interested in visiting a BNI meeting when you see how structured the meeting is and how much business is actually being passed. This video was posted on June 6, 2008 and presently has over 1,500 hits. Also, regions from all around the world have contacted the Executive Director for permission to use her video as a marketing tool for their BNI regions.

The link for The BNI Meeting video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1buf9sG7Tc.

My challenge to all BNI members, and anyone trying to persuade someone to “join” an organization, is to start thinking about avenues, like these videos, that will get you immediate attention and create a buzz around your community.

Start using your hidden talents, whether its blogging, singing, playing the piano, giving lectures, or hosting events, that will ultimately give you the opportunity to show others that your organization can be beneficial to them and their business.

I’d love to hear your ideas on other creative methods you use to promote your business and/or organization by creating a buzz.

Don’t Commit Financial Suicide…..Consider Having Multiple Streams Of Contacts

We’ve all heard of the advantages of multiple streams of income. It’s no secret these days, if you have a job, consider yourself lucky. If you want to feel extra blessed, you need to consider having multiple streams of income. 

Why? You never know when your main job will go away, for what ever reason. Multiple streams of income lessen the financial liabilities if one of your sources of income goes “south.”

 Now, I’d like to take that concept one step further and have you consider the advantages of having multiple streams of “contacts.”  Most everyone realizes the importance of being involved in a local community or business organization. My question is, “why just one organization? Why not join 3 or 4 organizations and have multiple, continual streams of contacts?”  

Have you considered that your regular, consistent, educated referral sources in an organization may eventually dry up. If you’re only associated with one organization, this could be financial suicide! The contacts in your organization that has been feeding you business referrals could possibility relocate, quit their job or just leave the organization. In most cases, when they leave, their referrals will go with them…..basically, out of sight, out of mind.

So I’d like you to consider creating multiple sources of “contacts” to fill your pipeline for your referral pool. And, the key to building your multiple streams of “contacts” is through building business relationships throughout your community.

Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, and author of “The Worlds Best Known Marketing Secret” teaches that you should have a powerful, diverse network of contacts.  

Joining a strong contact network that meets on a weekly basis for the sole purpose of passing business referrals is the first type of organization he recommends you consider. Then, you should be involved in a soft networking organization like your local Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau. These organizations meet less frequently, in a less structured environment, but their purpose is still for you to have an opportunity to meet other business people and broaden your network of business contacts. Also, Dr. Misner recommends that you join a local community service club. Giving back to your community is of great importance for many different reasons on many different levels, but it will also give you the opportunity to build your word-of-mouth business.

Remember that being involved in your local community, socially and via your business, is like stamping your contact information in everyone’s rolodex (or database these days). Each time you are seen in the community you are building your contact base. Why not be involved in several business and social organizations and create multiple streams of “contacts” so that your name is always the first that comes to mind when someone needs your service?

What Message Is Your Body Language Delivering?

Whether you are working for a delivery company or a veterinarian, you are always “delivering” a message to your customers.

One of the most prevalent customs of human courtesy is to extend a greeting when you enter and/or leave a room. And, when you don’t speak, you may be sending a more powerful message than you realize. The question is….. “What Message Are You Delivering?”

I was recently sitting in my office when a well known international delivery service employee entered my building with a package in his hands. I looked up from my computer and said, “Hello, how are you.” He never replied, but I assumed he probably didn’t hear me.

I then went to the office door and he handed me the package. I took the package and sat it down on a nearby table and then he handed me the handheld device for me to give my signature. I signed the device, handed it back to him and he turned and left. During the entire transaction, he never spoke one word. Not a “hello” nor a “thank you” not to mention a “have a great day!”

My question is: “What message was he delivering?” More importantly, what message was his company delivering with him as a representative of the company.

It was only the next day that the delivery company’s competitor arrived at my office. The young lady, in her brown outfit, cheerfully bounced into the office with a “hello” and we had a quick discussion about how beautiful the weather was on this mid February day.

Once again, I ask: “What message was she delivering?”

You see, we all have choices of whom we do business with. And, during any time where we are feeling a financial crunch, we are more likely to pay attention to those who seem to be happy to be at work that day. We want to do business with people who WANT our business. We want to give our money to people who appreciate it…….not those who feel they are doing us a service by taking our loose change.

Your facial expressions and body language are two important tools that can make your business soar during the tough times (actually anytime), or they can leave a lasting impression that you really don’t value your customer at that very moment.

When you see your next customer, ask yourself: “What message am I delivering today?”

The answer will always show up in the cash register.