Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Published this month is the new book,  The Decision Makeoever , by  Mike Whitaker . It's a fascinating look at decision making and the importance of  decision size and timing . As you read the book, you'll gain a better understanding of: The power of decisions Why we make bad decisions How to deal with bad decisions How to deal with regret How to take control of decision making How goals and decisions can help each other Perhaps the most significant part of the book is the author's perspective on goals. " Knowing your goals is the key to making good decisions ," says Whitaker. "Because goals and decision-making are so intimately intertwined." Therefore, he advises that you: Keep a few key goals close : Choice five prime goals and stay focused on them. Decide which goal is top priority and always give it favorable treatment  when making decisions. Know that when a decision overlaps a prime goal, it becomes a prime decision . And, p...

If you serve on a nonprofit Board, are the executive director for a nonprofit, or are responsible for raising funds for your nonprofit,  The Nonprofit Fundraising Solution , book by  Laurence A. Pagnoni  is a must-read for you. Pagnoni bridges the gap between theory and practical methods and shows you (often via  real-life case studies)  how to: increase your access to wealthy donors raise your community profile stretch gifts operate major campaigns avoid revenue plateaus create a fundraising culture within your organization take specific actions if your Board's core strength isn't fundraising conduct challenge gift campaigns integrate social media into your existing fundraising methods create a planned giving program When it comes to transforming prospects into donors, Pagnoni suggests you follow these basic five steps: Get to know your prospect Get your prospect involved Ask for a small gift of financial support Ask them to open their ...

From the book,  Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change , comes this useful checklist from author H. James Dallas for how to  identify and develop emerging talent  in your company/organization. Dallas recommends that each question should be graded on a scale of 1 to 3, with 3 being the best. Use the questions and the scoring for you and your employee to work together toward the highest ratings across the board. Has the person demonstrated a "getting lost with confidence" mind-set? Does the person communicate with authenticity? Has the person created a strong personal brand that is recognized by colleagues of all levels? Does the person know his or her blind spots and have people watching to prevent him or her from crashing? Is the person getting exposure to executive management? Does the person seek out and seriously consider advice? Is the person building an inclusive team and sponsoring others? Is the person proactive in finding opportunities to initiate...

In the book,  The Optimistic Workplace , author  Shawn Murphy , explains that the following beliefs are essential to helping create a  positive work experience : The team is more important than any individual . For optimism to be strong, a cohesive team is vital. People need to believe the team will be there for them when needed. A team is weakened when the first priority is the needs of each person, or when ego dictates a team's actions or inaction. And, avoid relying on the usual suspects, the same few superstars, to handle high-profile projects. There's value to experiencing joy at work . Joy can open brains to better see connections and various options to solve work problems. Joy is about playing. Play at work is useful when creativity and innovation are needed. The usefulness of creativity and innovation at the workplace is linked to increasing employees' knowledge and skills.  Doing good is good for business . It's not just about philanthropy. Do good b...

With clear caution against stereotyping people by age, Valerie M. Grubb has written an incredibly insightful book on how to manage the  new workplace reality . A reality driven by the fact that by 2020, 25 percent of the labor force will be over the age of 55, and Generation Z is just now entering the workforce. All of which will drive a clash of cultures that demands a new management approach. Key takeaways  from Grubb's new book,  Clash of the Generations , include: Old habits - not old people - kill innovation , and pairing veteran workers with younger ones has proven to spur innovation at many companies. Learning is a lifelong pursuit , and motivating senior team members to develop their skill sets is just as important as mentoring new and mid-career members of the team. Employees and managers worry about job stability, and  taking part in developing individualized career plans for your talent is a critical way to retain them . In the book, you'll le...

As explained in John Baldoni's, book,  Lead With Purpose , Marshall Goldsmith suggests all leaders make it a habit to regularly ask their employees these six questions: Where do you think we should be going? Where do you think you and your part of the business should be going? What do you think you're doing well? If you were the leader, what ideas would you have for you? How can I help? What suggestions or ideas do you have for me?

According to a 2015 Microsoft study, the average attention span for us ever-scattered humans is now shorter that a goldfish's;  eight seconds . So, how do you stand out? How do you communicate effectively? How do you not waste time? Paul Hellman  answers these questions and gives you 100 fast and actionable tactics to make your eights seconds meaningful. It's all in his new book,  You've Got 00:00:08 Seconds . He teaches you three key ingredients: Focus : How to say less with more meaning. Variety : How to stand out as  slightly  different. Presence . How to be notable and boost your reputation. Paul Hellman His tactics will serve you well in all these types of situations : Making presentations Interviewing Emailing Networking Storytelling Leaving voice mail Here are some of my favorite takeaways from Hellman's book: In one-to-one conversations , talk less than the other person. Ask at least one thought-provoking question per con...

Here are the 12 golden rules of effective communication from  Paul Falcone , as highlighted in his book,  2600 Phrases for Setting Effective Performance Goals . Always remember to: Recognize achievements and accomplishments often. Celebrate success. Deliver bad news quickly, constructively, and in a spirit of professional development. Praise in public, censure in private. Assume responsibility for problems when things go wrong, and provide immediate praise and recognition to others when things go right. Create a work environment based on inclusiveness, welcoming others' suggestions and points of view. Listen actively, making sure that your people feel heard and understood and have a voice in terms of offering positive suggestions in the office or on the shop floor. Share information openly (to the extent possible) so that staff members understand the  Why  behind your reasoning and can ask appropriate questions as they continue along in their own path o...

While recently reading C. Elliott Haverlack's new book,  Unbundle It , I found his  11 ground rules for meeting behaviors  to be particularly helpful: Arrive on time. Be respectful of other attendees. No phones or computers if at all possible. No leaving the meeting or getting up to walk around until scheduled breaks. No eating unless during working meal meetings (consuming beverages as appropriate is acceptable). No side conversations. Good posture. Listen intently (even if you don't want to). Ask questions at the appropriate time. No filibustering. Take notes.

From the book,  Leading With Strategic Thinking , by  Aaron K. Olson  and  B. Keith Simerson here are the terrific six ways the authors suggest for stimulating your creative thinking: Engage in communities, conferences, or reading outside your typical area of expertise. Set aside time in your week that doesn't involve completing routine tasks. Visit places where you will encounter unfamiliar people, cultures, or ideas. Spend time with coworkers in your organization with different roles. Debate commonly held ideas or question assumptions about your work or business. Imagine a situation in which you (or your organization) could no longer work the same way -- what would you do?

Here are some tips for leaders responsible for writing an effective annual report for their nonprofit organization. Consider making these  objectives  for your report: To demonstrate accomplishments ( not activities ) ( results  and how you did it). To recognize important people (volunteers, donors, major funders, partners). To provide an account of your organization's work for the past year. To share your mission with a wide audience. To generate new donations, retain donors and grow partnerships. Consider these  audience sectors  when writing your report: Donors Volunteers Community leaders Future board members Supporters (in-kind) Elected officials  Potential partners, grant funding entities Allow  three to four months to prepare your report : Create and outline Gather an organize content Engage your management team Design Review/Proof Print Distribute Consider packaging your report with a  theme , such as ...

These quotes truly inspire me : “The three common characteristics of best companies -- they care, they have fun, they have high performance expectations.” -- Brad Hams “The one thing that's common to all successful people: They make a habit of doing things that unsuccessful people don't like to do.” -- Michael Phelps “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." -- Harry S. Truman “The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask.” -- Peter Drucker “Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” -- Dwight D. Eisenhower “Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself.  It's about advancing your team.” -- John C. Maxwell "People buy into the leader, then the vision.” -- John C. Maxwell “Great leaders have courage, tenacity and patience.” -- Bill McBean "People never lear...

There are  seven major onboarding land mines that you are likely to come across as a new leader  and there are specific points in the  first 100 days  where you are most likely to encounter them, explain authors: George Brant Jayme A. Check Jorge Pedraza ...in their third edition of,  The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan . Ill-prepared, without a plan, and lacking proper onboarding, the land mines will get you.  And, if you miss one or more of the critical tasks that must be accomplished in your first 100 days, you'll likely fail. The book is packed with: Examples and case studies Action plans Tools, techniques and tricks of the trade The authors also explain why  you need to start even before your official first day on the job . For example: Cultural engagement  is extremely important in a successful transition; and it is essential that you know what your cultural engagement plan will be  b...

If you want to build the psychological body armor to achieve personal resilience, then the book,  Stronger , is a must-read for you.  That body armor consists of  five factors of personal resilience : active optimism decisive action moral compass relentless tenacity interpersonal support According to the authors, these  five factors of personal resilience  are keys to improving your work habits and output in the workplace, and to achieving overall satisfaction from life. Backed by compelling scientific findings and packed with powerful stories of resilience in action,  Stronger  teaches you how to gain an edge on making sound decisions under pressure, bounce back from setbacks and layoffs, and motivate peak performance in others as well as yourself, Each chapter includes  self-assessment questions  and  homework  for choosing one thing you'll do the next day to help you begin to develop each of the five fac...

Every leader experiences periods of ups and downs. Hopefully, more up periods. If you struggle with too many down periods, it might be because you have perfectionist tendencies. Transform yourself into an optimist by: Viewing failure as an opportunity to learn  and understand that failure is part of a fulfilling life. Making room for pain . Don't deny yourself permission to feel painful emotions. Setting standards that are attainable because they are grounded in reality . Don't set goals and standards that are essentially impossible to meet. You can learn more about being an optimist by reading the book,  The Pursuit Of The Perfect: How To Stop Chasing Perfection And Start Living A Richer, Happier Life,  by Tal Ben-Shahar.

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in a world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it." -- David Beckahm