Randy Clark's Blog, page 23

Naming the Band

Naming the band can be fun. I’ve performed in rock and roll bands since high school. I’ve primarily been the front person and lead singer. I have a good rock voice and connect with the audience. I have fun. In the mid-1990s, Dave E., with whom I’d played on and off (more on than off) since 1977, invited me to jam at a gig in Spencer, Indiana, with a band he’d recently joined. Southern Star was a legacy band that played southern rock. It had been the drummer’s father’s band since the 60s. I told Dave E. sure, but what did they know that wasn’t southern rock? It wasn’t my thing. It wasn’t his either, and he’d been leading them in a new classic rock and blues direction.

Naming the Band

I went to the club, sang a set, the crowd got into it, and the band asked me to join. We played around central and mid-south Indiana just about every weekend. The longer I was in the band, the more we moved away from southern rock to the classic rock Dave E. and I had been doing since the 70s.

Eventually, I broached the topic of changing the name. However, the original members weren’t ready. I understood. The name had a following in that part of the state, and club owners were familiar with the band as Southern Star.

It Was a Great Group of Players 

I was lucky that it was an understanding group of musicians who accepted my warped sense of humor because I began introducing the band on stage by different names nearly every set. “Clown Attack will be right back, thank you!” “Are you ready to rock with the Bland Faith Band!?” “Okay, let’s all give a hand to the band Raw Sewage – What smells sells!” Let me introduce the band “Pretty Awful and Off the Wall.” Like I said, they were an accepting group of players.

My Favorite Name  

My favorite name for the band almost stuck, but only because no one else in the band knew what it meant. It was 1995 or 96. Today this name would be understood, but nearly 30 years ago, it was an obscure reference. Well, at least in that part of Indiana, it was. I had so much fun with this that I kept using it. “Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for Manscape?! It’s gonna be a party down there y’all!”

Dave E finally asked where I got the idea for the name Manscape. When I told him, he broke out laughing. I didn’t use it again. Not long after, Dave E. came up with the name Under the Radar or UTR, and it stuck. To this day, we do a few gigs a year as Under the Radar. I still like Manscape. Maybe someday.

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Why Your Executive Staff Needs a Coach

So, do you know why your executive staff needs a coach? If you’re reading this, you might not be part of the executive staff team. However, you realize that the C-staff could use help. The reason I say this is that many, if not most, executive staffers don’t know they need coaching. Some believe they don’t need it because it wouldn’t help. So, what can you do to convince C-staffers they need a coach?

Why Your Executive Staff Needs a CoachTwo Benefits of Executive Staff Coaching

The question is how do you convince the upper echelon of your organization they need a coach? The problem is they are driven, over-achievers, who have reached a level of success not obtained by most people. They’re at the pinnacle of their profession, and they’ve done it on their own. So, why would they need coaching?  The best way to convince them of the need for a coach is to share the benefits of having a coach — explain what it does for them.

Improved Communication

Any group of people working closely together will have communication breakdowns. At the executive level, this can be disastrous. Human beings expect others to be like them. We all subconsciously believe others think as we do, are motivated the same, share our learning style, and communicate alike. It doesn’t work that way. If you ask a c-staffer if they occasionally have miscommunications, they’ll admit they do. Heck, everyone does. Here’s where coaching comes in. A coach can help an executive staff learn to communicate more effectively with each other and throughout the organization. The benefit to the team is more precise communication and fewer misunderstandings.

A Shared Vision

I worked with a business led by three owners, a majority owner and two partners. All three had different visions for the company, and although the met on a regular basis, and made decisions about the future of the organization, they never fully shared their independent visions for the business. This led to confusion and disappointment.

I facilitated a vision team where they each shared their visions, and then worked together and compromised to create a unified vision. When completed, their decisions were focused on a mutual vision, which became their mission.

Even when the C-staff shares a similar vision it may be unfocused or miss the mark. “Where is your organization going? What’s down the road? Do you see and recognize every possibility? I ask because so many leaders get stuck in the trenches and find it difficult to see the forest for the trees. So, maybe it’s time to call in the troops. Ask a couple of loyal and valued employees, enlist a vendor, seek out local business people you respect, and form a vision team. Because you never know what they may see in your future.” — How a Vision Team Could Save Your Business. The benefit to the staff is a more unified purpose with the team driving the business in the same direction.

More Benefits of Having a Coach

There are other benefits to the executive staff, such as sharing leadership best practices, silo busting, and defining roles on the team. The bottom line is that everyone needs a coach.  Ted Williams was a decorated WWII fighter pilot, and the last professional baseball player to hit .400 for an entire season. Mr. Williams was arguably the greatest and most consistent batter in MLB history, and even at his peak he had a batting coach.

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a management training plan? Businesses and universities use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. I’m also available to conduct training.

Photo by Rodeo Project Management Softwa

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Is Your Business Paying Enough?

So, is your business paying enough? Money isn’t the only or most common reason for employee turnover, but when the local job market averages higher wages than an individual organization’s pay rate—it becomes significant. Employees may leave for lack of appreciation or better benefits. Still, when pay is significantly lower, it’s like someone once told me, “Money may not be the main reason someone quits a job, but if they’re not making enough money to survive, then it’s like air, we don’t think about air, but ask a drowning man how important air is.”

Is Your Business Paying Enough?Show Me the Money 

A friend recently lamented that they had trouble hiring for entry-level positions. I told them it shouldn’t be a surprise because there are currently more positions available than there are candidates. And their company started entry-level hires at $8:00 an hour when a local fast food franchise had a sign in the window “Hiring inexperienced workers starting at $12.00 an hour.”

How Much Does it Cost? 

Do the math. Studies vary as to the cost of employee turnover. I’ve read studies with the cost of turnover ranging from 16% to 150% of annual salary. An employee earning $8.00 an hour without overtime earns $16,640 annually. Sixteen percent or $2,662 can be lost directly due to turnover, but that’s only the direct costs such as interviewing, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and training.

Indirect costs such as lost production caused by inexperience or short-staffing, lost knowledge, rookie mistakes, and loss of customer opportunities due to not meeting expectations are difficult to assign a cost to. However, they may be more significant than the direct costs. If these indirect costs impacted the bottom line only one-half as much as the direct costs, then the total cost of losing one $ 8.00-an-hour employee would be $4,000. Likewise, wages impact a company’s reputation, employee morale, production, recruiting and how customers view an organization.

Additional Insights 

“What do all these costs add up to? Well, how much? Estimates run as high as 150 percent of annual salary. Much less for lower-level positions, but still significant enough to make retention a high priority for your business.” Inc. Magazine–Why Employee Turnover is so costly

It Adds Up Quickly

“Employee Benefits News reported that turnover can cost employers 33 percent of an employee’s annual salary. The culprit? The hiring of a replacement. To put a dollar amount on it, if the employee earned a median salary of $45,000 a year, this would cost the company $15,000 per person — on top of the annual $45,000. Considering that a survey from Willis Tower Watson found that one in three hires will leave a company within two years, you see how quickly this can add up.” — Forbes — The Cost Of Turnover Can Kill Your Business And Make Things Less Fun

The True Cost of Employee Turnover 

“The cost of replacing these workers varies depending upon their role within the organization. At the very lowest end, SHRM estimates the cost to replace a minimum wage hourly worker averages $1,500. Most other HR consulting firms place the cost of replacing an hourly employee at much higher, most in the range of $3,500 to $10,000. However, this is just the cost of lost productivity, overtime, recruiting, background checks, training, and other measurable costs.” — Midland Technical College — Measuring the Real Cost of Employee Turnover

In Conclusion, Is Your Business Paying Enough?

Raising pay to meet market standards isn’t only about employees or what they gain from it. It’s a cost savings business initiative that can positively impact the bottom line.

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a management training plan? Businesses and universities use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. I’m also available to conduct training.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

 

 

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The Sandwich Method Revisited

Is the sandwich method an effective conflict management tool? I recently presented on conflict resolution with a wonderfully engaged group at Leadership Hendricks County. The group offered insights, ideas, and questions about conflict resolution that got me thinking, should I revisit the sandwich method?

If you’re unfamiliar with the sandwich method, it’s the analogy of creating a sandwich when doing a one-on-one critique. The first piece of bread is a compliment, the meat is the critique, and the bottom piece of bread is again a compliment.

The sandwich method can be effective, but only if used with empathy, emotional intelligence, and understanding of the recipient’s needs.

The Sandwich Method It Must Come from the Heart 

“The sandwich’s purpose is to give constructive criticism without causing the employee to become defensive, angry, or close-minded. When introduced to this method years ago, I considered it a trick to be used against employees. However, I learned that if it’s honest and coming from help, it’s not a trick. You begin by sharing what you respect about the team member. It must be real, or don’t use this method. For example, the first slice of bread could be a character trait that you truly appreciate about that person. It could be their dependability, hard work, dedication, enthusiasm, diligence, responsibility, etc.” — How to Take Disciplinary Action Without Creating Animosity.

Not Everyone Likes the Bread 

The sandwich method is only effective with some. To Know if it will be effective, you must know the person. Some people don’t like or need the bread. They only want the meat. These carnivores prefer a critique to be straightforward and to the point.

The Open-faced Sandwich

Another approach to the sandwich is the open-faced sandwich. Start with the meat on top. Never be accusatory, angry, or threatening. The best approach is to come from help. For example, “There’s something I’d like to share that could help you.” After you offer your help, place it on a bottom piece of bread, sharing what you truly appreciate about your teammate.

The Meatless Sandwich

I can’t take credit for this, my friend Chris, who attended the LHC seminar, called me that night. He owns a small business. After the workshop, he brought two individuals separately into his office. Both can be defensive, and when he called them to his office, he told me you could see they thought they were in trouble. They weren’t. Chris complimented them on their recent achievements. Chris told me he did this so in the future, they wouldn’t be fearful of coming to the “boss’s office” and could sit down to discuss how to improve the business and their contributions – coming from help.

Should You Use the Sandwich Method?

Should you use the sandwich method? Yes, no, maybe. Whether you use the sandwich or not isn’t what’s important. What’s important is not to ignore when someone needs help for fear of conflict, burying your head in the sand and hoping it will go away. It probably won’t. It’s not conflict and confrontation if you’re coming from help.

If you liked this post, you might appreciate, How to Use the Pinch Theory of Conflict Management.

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a management training plan? Businesses and universities use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. I’m also available to conduct training.

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

 

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Good Food and a Good Deed

So, good food and a good deed. I want everyone on the west side of Indy who likes Chinese food to do a good deed and enjoy some great food. Let me explain. Wednesday evening, I was driving back from the eastside after visiting an old friend. It had been a long day that began at 4:00 am and included two meetings I facilitated, writing, editing, and social media. I’d had a small snack around 11:00 am, but it was now almost 7 pm. I was hungry. As I neared home, driving west on Crawfordsville Rd. I saw a small Chinese restaurant in a strip plaza across the street from the Speedway shopping center. I’d never been before but thought, what the heck, I don’t feel like cooking.

Good Food and a Good Deed She Was Alone

I walked into the small dining area and saw a woman sitting at a table with a stack of folded carry-out menus and a blue marker. She got up, went behind the counter, and asked how she could help me. I told her I wanted something to go and looked at the menu.

Last year while I was in NYC, my friend Felicia suggested a restaurant in Chinatown and recommended the salt and pepper shrimp. I’d never had it, and I loved it. So, when I saw salt and pepper shrimp on the menu, that was a no-brainer. The lady said it would take about 15 minutes and she went to the kitchen.

I looked around. I gazed at the map of China on the wall, stood by the space heater, and picked up a carry-out menu to take home. The menu had the word delivery and $10 minimum crossed out with a blue marker. I didn’t give it much thought.

So, Do You Own the Place? 

When she came out with the food, I asked if she owned the place. She did. Then I asked if she was alone tonight. A tear welled up and rolled down her cheek. She said yes, my husband passed away in January. He was only sixty-four. It was cancer. Now I knew why she was crossing out delivery off of the menus.

I asked her name, and she said, Jean. I asked if I could hug her, and she said yes, please. We stood there for a minute, and then she asked if I needed soy sauce. I didn’t.

I’m no expert on salt and pepper shrimp, but these are fantastic. They’re huge, and there were eighteen! It’s Friday, and I still have six left and some rice.

A Call to Action

So, by now, you know the act of kindness, the good deed, I’d like you all to do. Stop by the Canton Express and order some great food. It’s at 5945 Crawfordsville Road, suite G, 317-240-3309. I‘d recommend the salt and pepper shrimp.

 

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If Your Business isn’t Improving This Could Be Why

So, if your business isn’t improving this could be why. It’s not long before the start of the big dance. The men’s NCAA basketball tourney; the Road to Final Four. The NCAA is headquartered here in Indy, and I’ve been privileged to attend presentations and meet members of their marketing team. They sought input. They wanted to improve.

If Your Business isn’t Improving This Could Be WhyThere Are Many Paths to a Championship

The 64 teams seeking the Final Four have many varied game plans. Some depend on three-point production, others on a stifling defense, and others on controlling the ball and limiting turnovers. Regardless of the plan, I know this for sure. They will all work on basics—shooting, passing, and dribbling. And they all will look for areas to improve. That’s a constant.

What’s Holding You Back?

Whatever your business plan, there are basics we all should concentrate on; organizational shooting, dribbling, and passing. However, we often don’t want to invest the time or funds. Let me explain. A department manager approached me seeking advice about establishing teamwork between his department and another. He felt they sometimes needed to work better together. I offered to:

Complete individual improvement surveys with his team (15-20 minutes with each team member).Conduct a weekly meeting with his team on silo-busting, establishing cross-training, and interaction with the other department. (30 minutes per week.)

The manager told me they didn’t have time. If your business isn’t improving, it’s because you need to work on improvements. I didn’t say you weren’t working hard. You may be working your tail off to the point you don’t believe you have time to invest in improvement. Businesses don’t magically get better. They improve because someone championed the improvement and someone strove to make it better. Someone took the time to improve.

What Should You Work on?

While it’s always good to have a business plan, marketing outline, and a financial path, improvement begins with the basics—shooting, dribbling, and passing; in business, that’s training, maintenance, and flow.

Continuous Training 

Train procedures, systems, and policies, but don’t stop there. Offer leadership training and team-building exercises. Continuous improvement begins with continuous training.

Equipment Maintenance

Equipment should be maintained at the highest levels on a continuous schedule. Safety and efficiency should always be the priority. Losing the production of shutting down a machine for half a day’s maintenance almost always pays for itself.

Staff Flow

Placing personnel where and when they’re most needed. Reducing production slowdowns by giving clear expectations. Allowing staff to complete projects before shifting to another. Helping your team do their best makes your business better.

Continuous Improvement is an Investment 

Many agree that investing time and money in training, equipment, and flow is the surest way to improve. However, when it comes time to turn off a machine for a tune-up, take your team off a task for a training session, or send personnel from your department to help another, too often, it’s another story. Let me end with this thought. None of us have gotten better at anything without working at it or investing the time and energy needed. Why would we expect our businesses to be any different?

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment. I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like, Stop Setting Your Team Up to Fail: The Multitasking Myth

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

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Networking Gamification: The Scavenger Hunt

Why networking gamification? Do you dread networking events? Is it difficult for you to make connections in forced situations especially with strangers? Or are you an outgoing, never met a stranger type of person but you never seem to meet the right people at networking events? Well, here’s your answer, networking gamification, a  scavenger hunt.

The networking gamification scavenger hunt can be completed by any individual, a team, or be part of an event. Its purpose is to force you out of the shadows, off of your phone or device, to meet new people, and then follow a plan of activities to get the most out of any networking opportunity.

All you have to do is copy and paste the networking scavenger hunt sheet below, or download it, and take it to your next event, and then have fun.

A Networking Gamification Scavenger Hunt Introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met. Ask what brought them to the event.Talk to someone in your industry. If applicable offer to mentee them or ask if they’d mentor you.Identify a vendor or provider for the products or services you offer. Ask how you might help each other.Find someone in your target audience. Ask how you could help them.Connect two people who might be able to help each other.Ask three different open-ended questions with three different people, why, what, and how.Tell a joke.Share a story.Ask someone what business, industry, or person they’d like to meet.Share your card with a personal note on it with someone.Carry a small notepad and write down contact information and how you connected with three people.Add up Your Points

You have a chance at 11 points, but that’s not the point. The point is the networking gamification scavenger hunt will pull you away from the corner where you talk with friends the entire event, as well as focus your energy on making worthwhile connections. And you can have a little fun while you’re doing it. I challenge you to make a few copies of the networking scavenger hunt, take them to your next networking event, and pass them out to friends. It’s a networking game that has no losers and everyone can win.

Are You a Good Networker?

I’d always considered myself an effective networker. I’m friendly, easy to talk to, and I’ve never met a stranger. However, none of that makes me a good networker – it makes me outgoing. If I wanted to be the most effective networker I could be, I needed a plan. That’s how my networking workbook, Help Networking started.

If you enjoyed this post you might also like Creating a Networking One-Pager. 

Photo by N. on Unsplash

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The Importance of Follow-Up Training

While working with a corporate staff on leadership development, one of the managers asked what they should expect from follow-up training with their team.

We had just held the first meeting of a new class with entry level managers on leadership. The topic was one of my favorites, the need to manage projects but the importance of leading (influencing) people. At the end of the first session, each participant was asked to pick one action to embrace to help them become a better leader.

The Importance of Follow-Up TrainingUse it or Lose It

The managers divided the group into two teams. We discussed how critical follow-up would be. Several studies conclude that without follow-up training people lose more than 70% of anything learned in as little time as 24 hours. However, with follow-up, those percentages reverse.

What Should Be Expected from Follow-up Training?

So, as I mentioned one of the team leaders asked what they should expect when they followed up individually with  team members. I told them, in the beginning, don’t expect much more than that each person remembers the action they committed to. The leader was disappointed with my answer. They smiled and laughed but said they were expecting more.

I explained that it was up to them as team leader to set the tone and lead the way through continued follow-up training. In the beginning, they shouldn’t be disappointed with modest gains, baby steps if you will, as long as they’re in the right direction. As time goes on if they continue to follow-up, lead, and help, they can expect more. However,  Rome wasn’t built in a day.

At the end of our conversation, the other team leader joined us. She’s led similar classes previously. Without her being aware of our earlier discussion, I asked what she expected from the first follow-up. She said she hoped they remembered what they committed to do. The other leader laughed, and explained we were discussing this, and how glad they were that they’d asked because they would’ve been disappointed.

Baby Steps

I learned this the hard way, by trial and error. So, the take-away for leaders who read this post is this, progress is progress. More often than not, it comes in small increments not giant leaps. So, don’t be disappointed, strive for more, and push to be better. But don’t be discouraged when the needle is pointed north regardless of the size of the compass. It’s up to you as a leader to show your team how to follow-up on improvement commitments and the more you do, the more they’ll improve.

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment. I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

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10 Ways to Better Mental Health

What does better mental health mean? When we hear mental health, most people think of mental illness. However, someone doesn’t need a physical ailment before they can work on improving physical health, and it’s the same with mental health. Everyone could benefit from improved mental health.

10 Ways to Better Mental Health1.Reach out 

Stay connected to people. Don’t try to go it alone. Build relationships on trust and caring. Connect with people you can share with.

2. Take a break

Get down off the horse and smell the roses. Go to lunch with friends, spend the weekend with family, and take a vacation.

3. Share with others

Join a group of people with common interests. It doesn’t matter if it’s flower gardening, hiking, or French cooking.

4. Take on a challenge

Work at being a better you, whether physical or mental, it will improve your mental outlook. Read more, take a class, learn a new skill, and challenge yourself.

5. Get some sleep

Everybody knows how important sleep is to mental health, but too many do too little about it. Sound familiar? Mayo Clinic: 7 Tips to Better Sleep.

6. Avoid stress

Know your triggers, be aware of the situations that trigger stress, and avoid or prepare for them. If you know that your Aunt Lilly is going to ask you in front of your entire family when are you going to grow up and settle down, either avoid Aunt Lilly or strike before she does. Have some fun with it. “Why Aunt Lilly, I thought you knew that after 30, you don’t have to grow up!”

7. Get outdoors

If I couldn’t get outdoors to enjoy nature and unwind, I’m not certain my mental health would survive in tack. Here’s Proof Going outside makes you Healthier 

8. Exercise

Wait, I thought we were talking about mental health, not physical? We are. APA (America Psychological Association) The Exercise Effect 

9. Help someone

There are few things anyone can do to improve their outlook, spirit, and mental health more than helping others. The Benefits of Helping Others

10. Quit worrying!

Yes, it is possible to quit worrying. It’s not easy, but it can be done. If you want to improve your mental health and make life more enjoyable, reduce the time you waste in worry.

How Do You Stop Worrying?

First, replace the word worry with concern. Get it out of your inner voice, don’t speak the word or write it. Replace worry with concern. Worry is a condition; concern is proactive. You can be proactive about a concern.

Any concern can be placed in one of two categoriesYou can do something, so quit being concerned and go do something about it.You can’t do anything, so stop wasting time on something you can do nothing about; life is too short to waste it on worry.A Challenge for You

Even the healthiest people can improve. That’s how people go from good to great. Here’s the challenge. Pick one of the 10 ways to improve mental health and work on it for 30 days. Let me know how it comes out.

If you liked this post, you might enjoy How to Relieve Stress and Fear with Gratitude.

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

Photo by Total Shape on Unsplash

 

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Talk, Talk, Talk – But Is Anything Getting Done?

So, talk is good but is anything getting done? How many meetings, training seminars, and planning sessions have you sat through, inundated with great ideas, only to later realize — little was done? Ideation is important, but what good are ideas without action?

A few years ago one of the management teams I facilitated leadership development training with and I did a completion audit. At the time we’d been meeting bi-weekly for about six months. We reviewed topics such as conflict management, silo busting, and developing checklists. I structured the meetings with group participation, using open-ended questions and planned involvement. I ended most seminars asking for individual action plans and commitments to use what we’d discussed. Occasionally, the action plans were successful, some forgotten, and others started well, but fizzled out later. The VP of marketing suggested we follow-up on the ideas and actions we’d talked about over the last six months. I thought it was a great idea.

Is Anything Getting Done? I sent the following email to the management staff:

Good afternoon,

Monday, we will work on implementing improvements. I’ve attached a list of ideas you have all contributed. Some are complete, some may need restarted, some will need corporate approval, and I’m certain I’ve left many out. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small thing like a bathroom cleaning checklist, or a huge task, such as improving job folder information sharing between all departments — the important thing is taking action toward improvement. Take a look at the list, let us all know what you’re working on, and if you’re not currently in the middle of some improvement strategy, pick something to concentrate on, either alone, or with a team. Please be prepared Monday to share your plans and ideas.

34 ideas and action plans were attached to the email

We met and reviewed the list. Some actions had been successfully completed, some were in process, and others had been forgotten or abandoned. The group chose actions to champion — some working in groups, others tackling the opportunity alone. The important thing is action was taken. For example, before the meeting, the CEO came to the Marketing VP to discuss how to make one of the actions on the list happen. The VP volunteered to re-start interdepartmental tours showing employees how departments affect each other.

In business, talking without doing is not very productive and, unfortunately, it’s widespread. Upon review, 10 of the 34 ideas and action plans had been successfully implemented. By revisiting the list, they more than doubled their success rate over the next 30 days.

How do you put new ideas and plans into action? So, after talks in your business is anything getting done?

From weekly updates to companywide mission statements, businesses fail when there is too much talk and not enough action. If you’d like to learn more about why this happens, how to fix it, and actions to take, read my book, You Can’t Talk Shit Done

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a management training plan? Businesses and universities use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. I’m also available to conduct training.

Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

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