Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Consider this advice from author  Paul R. Timm .  He recommends  a different twist on asking your customers questions : stop asking your customers the "typical" questions and instead ask them open-ended questions. Here's specifically what Timm recommends: Don't Ask : How was everything? Can I get you something else? Did you find everything you need? Will that be all? Was everything satisfactory? Instead Ask : What else can I do for you? What else can I get for you? What else can I help you with? What else could we do to better serve you? How else can we be of help? These open-ended questions will let your customers really  express their ideas, opinions and needs . Timm is the author of,  50 Powerful Ideas You Can Use To Keep Your Customers

I had the pleasure of interviewing Leigh Branham over the past few years. He's the author of the popular book called,  The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave . He told me that in research that he has done about the leaders of companies that have won " Best-Place-To-Work " competitions in 45 U.S. cities, that there are  six things these effective leaders do that don't cost money . They do, however, cost time and effort. But, that is time and effort that can pay big dividends. Here are the six things you can do : Make the commitment to create a great place to work. Inspire employee confidence in decisions and clear business direction Work to build trust based on honesty and integrity Practice open, two-way communication, especially in times of uncertainty Look out for the organization before you look out for yourself Believe employees should be developed and retained; not burned out and discarded Thanks for these great leadership tips, ...

Here are some terrific quotes from Mark Goulston's book,   Just Listen : Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them. --  Paul Hawken Life is mostly a matter of perception and more often misperception. --  Dave Logan Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their next saying, "Make me feel important." --  Mary Kay Ash Do the unexpected. The expected is boring.  The expected is tuned out. --  Steve Strauss Humility is the surest sign of strength. --  Thomas Merton Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. --  Bill Gates The secret of getting ahead is getting started. --  Agatha Chrisie Don't find fault.  Find a remedy. --  Henry Ford

Your employees have lots of ideas. So, be sure you provide the forums and mechanisms for your employees to share their ideas with you. Hold at least a few  brainstorming sessions  each year, as well. And, when you are brainstorming with your employees, try these  five tips : Encourage  ALL  ideas. Don't evaluate or criticize ideas when they are first suggested. Ask for wild ideas. Often, the craziest ideas end up being the most useful. Shoot for quantity not quality during brainstorming. Encourage everyone to offer new combinations and improvements of old ideas.

On this  Father's Day , I thank my dad for teaching me the following  business and life lessons : Listen  - Growing up, I thought my Dad was perhaps shy or quiet. Really, he was just a great listener.  I believe that's what made him so wise. He would listen to anyone. Young or old.  New acquaintance or friend. Provide  - My Dad provided for me. Music lessons. Vacations. Summer camp. Boy Scouts.  He gave. He put others' needs first. Today, I find in  volunteering  likely the same satisfaction he felt when he provided. Educate  - My Dad's passion was education. He loved to learn. He loved even more to teach. He lived to help other people learn. In the workplace, providing learning opportunities is one of the most powerful things you can do for an employee. Mentoring  is equally powerful. Train   & Prepare  - All those years of hearing, "Have you done your homework?" and "practice your trombone," served me well....

Here are some of my favorites quotes from John C. Maxwell's book,  The 5 Levels of Leadership  -- a book I   believe should become a must-read for any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself.  It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust.  The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes.  In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter.  In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for bringing out the best in the team. Progress com...

If you lead an organization that uses employee ID badges, considering using a different color or a special designation on the badges for newly hired employees for at least their first 30 days and ideally up to 60 days. Imagine how welcoming it will be for your new hires when employees recognize your newly hired employees' status via their special badges and then when your longer term employees introduce themselves to the new employees in halls, on elevators, in your break room, in the parking lot and at large group meetings. Some people call this a "hello" culture. It's a culture that helps to quickly develop relationships. And, it's a culture that ensures your new hires feel welcome during their critical onboarding time period.

" Catalyst leaders represent the gold standard -- energetic, supportive, forward-thinking mentors who spark action in others," explain Tacy M. Byham and Richard S. Wellins , authors of the new book, Your First Leadership Job -- How Catalyst Leaders Bring Out the Best in Others . More specifically, the authors share that a catalyst leader: Asks and listens Fosters innovation Provides balanced feedback Builds trust Focuses on people's potential Collaborates and networks Empowers others Encourages development Energizes and mobilizes Aligns actions with strategy In the book, you'll learn how catalyst leaders bring out the best in people. They do that by, among other actions, by: Encouraging the person to try new things. Giving the person input on things that affect him/her. Allowing the person to safely learn through failure, so they can take appropriate risks. Taking the time to find out what motivates the person. The authors also cove...

A Conversation with BRIAN TRACY About UNLIMITED SALES SUCCESS Question :    Why are some salespeople more successful than others? Brian Tracy:  "I asked myself that very question when I started selling many years ago. My first breakthrough was the discovery of the 80/20 rule. It says that 20 percent of the salespeople make 80 percent of the money. That means the average income of the people in the top 20 percent is sixteen times the average income of the people in the bottom 80 percent. When I first heard that statistic, I was both inspired and discouraged. I just did not think that being in the top 20 percent could be possible for me. Then I learned another fact: Every person in the top 20 percent started in the bottom 20 percent. Everyone at the front of the line of life started at the back of the line. I immediately made a decision to be in the top 20 percent. Making a decision, of any kind, and then taking action on that decision, is often the tu...

"I define persuasion as ethically winning the heart and mind of your target," explains author Mark Rodgers . And, in his new book, Persuasion Equation , he teaches you the subtle science of getting your way. Persuasion has two primary roles : to get someone to willingly do something to get someone to willingly not do something Rodgers explains that persuasive people are: Assertive Empathetic Communicative Tenacious Resilient In the book, you'll learn that while logic prompts thinking, emotion propels acting. And, he teaches you to focus on the influencing power of risk. How to articulate risk according to probability and seriousness, both for your position and the opposition's, and ensure that yours is "safer." As you read the book, you'll learn, for example, how to persuade another person to: Approve a higher head count Enter into a business relationship Support your initiative Three Realms of Credibility ...

Awhile back, the  Harvard Business Review  published some great questions that  Gilt Groupe  CEO Kevin Ryan asks when he is checking references. Ryan serves on the board of Yale Corporation, Human Rights Watch, and  INSEAD , and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  He holds a B.A. from Yale University and a M.B.A from INSEAD. His main seven honest-feedback-extracting-questions (and follow-ups) are: Would you hire this person again?  If so, why and in what capacity?  If not, why not? How would you describe the candidate's ability to innovate, manage, lead, deal with ambiguity, get things done and influence others? What were some of the best things this person accomplished?  What could he or she have done better? In what type of culture, environment, and role can you see this person excelling?  In what type of role is he or she unlikely to be successful? Would you describe the candidate as a leader, a ...

Nearly all employees want to do both a good job and please their supervisor. When they succeed, send them a thank you for a job well done. A short note  (handwritten is particularly good ) thanking them for a good job is extremely powerful. Particularly for new employees on your team. Or, for employees new to the workforce and early in their careers. Include in your note a sentence regarding what they did especially well and how their specific action made a  positive  impact. Remember, be as specific as possible in what you write. Be sure to send your note soon after the job was completed. If you wait too long (more than a week), the note will lose its impact. Send your note in a way it can be easily saved by your employee. Even employees who have been on your team for a long time will likely save your note. I still have 25-year-old memorable thank you notes in a file. Finally, reserve your sending thank you notes for the big jobs, large projects, extra speci...

Edward M. Marshall's book,  Transforming The Way We Work -- The Power Of The Collaborative Workplace , remains relevant today, more than a decade after Marshall wrote it. Particularly useful is the book's section that teaches readers how to be a collaborative leader. Marshall says that there are  seven different, important roles and responsibilities of collaborative leaders when leading teams , and those leaders should select the appropriate style to meet the team's needs. The seven roles are : The leader as sponsor  -- You provide strategic direction, boundaries and coaching for the team. You also monitor progress and ensure integrity in the team's operating processes. The leader as facilitator  -- You ensure that meetings, team dynamics, and interpersonal relationships function effectively. You also ensure internal coordination of activities among team members. The leader as coach  -- You provide support and guidance and you serve as a sounding boa...

Open Leadership  author Charlene Li reminds leaders to periodically ask themselves these " open leadership skills assessment " questions: Do I seek out and listen to different points of view? Do I make myself available to people at all levels of the organization? Do I actively manage how I am authentic? Do I encourage people to share information? Do I publicly admit when I am wrong? Do I update people regularly? Do I take the time to explain how decisions are being made? Thanks for these great questions, Charlene!

One of my favorite books about leadership is  The Leadership Test  by Timothy R. Clark.  You can read it in an hour and its message will guide you through your entire career. Here are some important points from the book that are particularly powerful: Leadership is the process of influencing volunteers to accomplish good things. The spectrum of influence ranges from manipulation to persuasion to coercion. Only persuasion is leadership.  Manipulation exploits.  Coercion controls.  Neither manipulation nor coercion can produce lasting results or consistent good results. Leadership is based on the influence-through-persuasion at the front end, combined with accountability at the back end. Clark further points out that: Leaders qualify themselves based on the manner of their influence and the nature of their intent. If you haven't read this gem of a book, pick up at copy today.

Whoever Tells The Best Story Wins , is the new book by Annette Simmons , president of Group Process Consulting . "The power of even a simple story to affirm someone’s connection to your organization’s people, values, and vision can mean the difference between simple competence and fully realized ownership," explains Simmons. "Simply put, your stories help your people feel more engaged and alive." "This book is actually designed to help you pay better attention to the stories you tell, so you can adjust the perceptions your stories build and sustain." Her book takes you step by step through the process of identifying and choosing stories from your own life, experience, and knowledge, and then linking them, fully and authentically, to the themes, messages, and goals of your workplace. You’ll learn how to build consensus, win others over to your point of view, and foster better group decision-making using six kinds of stories: Who-I-Am...

In the new book, Your First Leadership Job , authors Tacy M. Byham and Richard S. Wellins recommend you schedule a one-on-one meeting with each of your team members to help bring out the best in your team. During those meetings, you can get closer to each person and understand their skills, abilities, and motivations. And, to do that, the authors recommend you ask the following six o pen-ended questions to initiate a conversation : What do you enjoy doing most as part of your work? Why? What do you miss most about the jobs you've had in the past? Why? What things about your current job do you enjoy the least? Why? How do you cope with or relieve stress? To help you do you job, what could I change about: Your work environment? The content of your work? How you get your work done? What form of recognition do you prefer or not prefer?

Which one of the  70 tips for how to become a more effective leader  did you select as a 2015 New Year's Resolution? This list was published last December in my blog, about the time many leaders were identifying their professional and personal goals for 2015. Hopefully, you're still making good progress with your resolution . Unfortunately, according to research conducted by the University of Scranton, nearly 50% of those who make New Year's Resolutions will have abandoned them  within six months .  And, only 8% will achieve their goals. Perhaps you've already achieve your goal!  Congratulations! So, how about selecting another one from the list? 70 Ways To Be A Better Leader 1. Don't micromanage 2. Don't be a bottleneck 3. Focus on outcomes, not minutiae 4. Build trust with your colleagues before a crisis comes 5. Assess your company's strengths and weaknesses at all times 6. Conduct annual risk reviews 7. Be courageous, quick and ...

Communications expert David Grossman of  Your Thought Partner  awhile back published a  white paper  –  What the most successful CEOs know: how internal CEO communications shapes financial performance . "CEOs who communicate often and well inside their organizations have better reputations – and that leads directly to better business results," explains David. "They’ve also got more engaged employees – another strong, measurable driver of positive financial outcomes." David's white paper incorporates research compiled from a number of leading sources and points to some critical key findings, including: Internal communications helps drive organizational financial performance  and other key business results, and enhances organizational reputation. There’s a correlation between effective internal communications on topics the CEO is best prepared to address, such as explaining business conditions and challenges, providing information on organizational...

I so appreciate this advice from  William Arthur Ward , one of America's most quoted writers of inspirational maxims: Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.