Randy Clark's Blog, page 33

17 Axioms to Live and Lead by

Here are 17 axioms to live and lead by most of which I’ve learned the hard way. As self-evident truths or principles, axioms are effective, timeless standards to conduct our lives and business affairs by. There are various axioms I use in my life. Even though I sometimes fall short, I have better results when I use the following than when I don’t.

17 Axioms to Live and Lead byIt’s not who’s right. It’s what’s right. Don’t point fingers when something goes wrong look for solutions.You can’t talk shit done; take action.An organization’s most valuable commodity is its people.The most common outcome of communication without checking understanding is a misunderstanding.Help comes from empathy, not sympathy.An employee’s character is more important than skill or knowledge.Many employees believe personal recognition, being part of a team, and having a boss they can talk with to be the most important ingredients to job satisfaction.Don’t make your problems your customer’s problem. Under-promise and over-deliver, or better yet, make promises you can keep and then keep them.Don’t get stopped by what can’t be done; concentrate on what can be done.Don’t dwell on what you cannot control; concentrate on improving what you can control.If people did not need leadership, guidance, and direction, no one would need managers. So, don’t expect your team to do it on their own without your leadership and direction.Don’t base communication on the assumption others think like you do – they probably don’t.Don’t assume others learn as you learn. Learn how they learn. Train how they learn.Use The PINCH Theory for conflict resolution. The PINCH Theory for conflict resolution says people will have differences in expectations or “pinches.” Left unresolved, these pinches might lead to disruptive conflict. Openly sharing expectations when a pinch occurs may avoid conflict. Are You Using the Pinch Theory Of Conflict Management?.Do not operate as a silo. Tear down your silos and work together.  How to Demolish Silos and Why You Should.Eliminate the word “worry” from your vocabulary. Replace “worry” with “concern.” Concerns fit one of two categories; you can do something about it, or you cannot. Either do it or let it go.Too often, we tell others how the clock was built when they only asked what time it was. Be sensitive to others’ time.

I originally used this list for a leadership development training course. Each trainee was asked to pick one axiom and live by it for a week. Which one would you choose?

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? 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. I’m also available to conduct training.

Photo by Paico Oficial on Unsplash

The post 17 Axioms to Live and Lead by appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

You Don’t Have to Network Alone

You don’t have to network alone. It’s easy for me because I’m an extrovert. If there’s such a thing as an extra-extrovert—it’s me. I draw energy from being with others. When I present or perform, the bigger the audience, the better, and when I go to networking events—I’m not shy. If you’re like me and look forward to networking, don’t see it as drudgery, an energy zap, or a waste of time then you can stop reading and skip to the third paragraph.

You Don’t Have to Network AloneA Networking Friend

If, however, you’re like my wife or many of my dear friends and these events zap your strength draining your energy like a vampire sucking the life out of you, this is for you. Do you have an extroverted friend or co-worker? Sure you do. Offer to be their networking buddy. Explain your weaknesses and strengths. For example, although you may not be comfortable with approaching strangers, once a conversation has begun you may excel at sharing information.

Approach an extroverted friend to be your networking buddy.List your individual networking strengths and weakness.Form a plan based on each other’s abilities and preferences.

The plan could be as simple as the extroverted friend works the room, identifying attendees who may fit your networking needs, and then introduces them to you. Your part would be to engage the prospect in conversation about their needs and possible connections thus freeing your partner to continue the hunt.

A Networking Team  

Welcome back to those extroverts who skipped the last paragraph. Building a networking team is an expansion of soliciting a networking buddy. It begins by identifying co-workers and friends with similar interests and needs.

Why are you networking? Are you looking for new business for your company or volunteers for a nonprofit? Do you want to find a new vendor or service provider? Are you exploring new career possibilities? First know what you want.Share individual strengths. A networking team will be made up of extroverts and introverts and everything between. Task team members in the role most suited to their abilities and personality.Work the room. Develop a plan of attack. Review the attendees list and assign team members. Understand who is best at technical explanations, gathering information, or warming up to prospects and give those tasks to the best team member for the job.Meet Afterword’s. Review the gathered information and develop a follow-up plan. Analyze what the team did well and where improvement is needed.Where Are You Networking Next? 

Whether it’s in person or virtual, whether you develop a networking team or a networking friend either can be the introverts answer to the dread of networking. And as far as extroverts, shoot we’re happy to join the team, we’re not loaners you know. So, what networking events are you going to in the near future? Need a networking buddy? Call me.

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.

My plan probably won’t be your plan. That’s why throughout the book there are worksheets, checklists, and simple CTA’s. Use these to create a networking plan that fits your needs.

Photo by Evangeline Shaw on Unsplash

The post You Don’t Have to Network Alone appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Even More, Scarier Reasons Why Communication in the Workplace Sucks

Guest post by Robby Slaughter. Randy Clark wrote a nice piece entitled Why Communication in the Workplace Sucks. And he’s correct: workplace communication does suck, and the reasons he gives are certainly valid. Because yes: we don’t listen, we don’t give our full attention, we don’t think carefully about which medium to use when communicating (and often use the wrong one), we don’t read the entire thread, and we don’t check to make sure others understand. But there’s a darker, far more profound reason why communication sucks: apathy.

Why Communication in the Workplace Sucks

To put it in corporate language: many people don’t value communication. As George Bernard Shaw once quipped, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” [1] We are often more interested in having said something than we are in being understood, or getting on with whatever is next rather than making certain that everyone is in agreement with what has happened and what is supposed to happen. We’re also not particularly focused on getting the details right. Because, in many organizations, someone who works for us will have to figure that out. General instructions are “good enough” if you’re the boss.

A reason we don’t care about communication is because so much of it is noise. It is in the background, or it contains no useful information. Consider the signs that read “Employees must wash hands before returning to work.” Are these actually effective at achieving the stated goals, or are they merely defensive mechanisms that lawyers have advised? Furthermore, communication is often knowingly false or misleading: “I’m not aware of any planned layoffs” or “I can neither confirm nor deny that statement.”

Plus, we can be confident that if it really is important, it will be repeated. If you miss that call, they will call back. If you don’t write down the appointment, you’ll get a reminder. If you fail to pay the bill on time, there will be a second notice. Why value communication when others don’t seem to value it?

Perhaps the best way to understand this is to think of the steps in the cycle. When you are new to an organization, you are unaware. Pick your tired cliche: deer in the headlights, drinking from the firehose, constantly circling back and taking things offline. Then after a while, you start to get a sense for how things operate. At this point, you feel engaged and ready to start being productive.

But here’s where too many organizations fail the people in them, because the culture does not embrace those who care. Instead of that engagement being nurtured and supported, it is dismissed through sarcasm and disinterest. Details are left out. Questions go unanswered. Problems are left unsolved, often even unacknowledged. And the new employee goes from engaged to frustrated.

Human beings are great at being angry, but we can’t keep it up for long. And the end result is disinterest. “It is what it is.” “We can figure it out next week.” And pretty soon, we’re no longer frustrated. We’re apathetic.

Chances are the reason communication is poor in your workplace isn’t as simple as making sure you have agendas for your meetings, or that you avoid email for conversations. Instead, it’s likely because people don’t care about communication, because, people don’t care. And that’s a much harder problem to solve, because it must be echoed and reinforced and supported throughout the organization.

There is hope. You’re here, after all, reading an article about why workplace communication sucks. What you can do is tell people that you care. You can take every comment at face value (even the sarcastic ones) and be conscientious about your communication. You can respond to a voicemail with an email. You can write documentation and put it out on a shared drive rather than replying to each question. You can be kind and honest and gracious with others, even if they aren’t with you. And maybe your efforts will rub off on people.

Because there’s no magic answer for better communication, just as there is no magic answer for places where people don’t really care. All you can do is try to do your best, try to model the behavior you want, and maintain a positive attitude.

And of course, keep your eye on the job market. Because there’s always somewhere else to go. There’s always new people, new opportunities, and new adventures ahead.

Robby Slaughter owned a consulting business for over 15 years, but closed it down in 2021 to pursue public service. He is an independent candidate for U.S. Congress in Indiana’s 5th District. Learn more at https://robbyslaughter.com/

[1] That quote sure is quippy, but it wasn’t said by George Bernard Shaw. This illustrates one of the other problems with communication: we often speak from a place of authority, not a place of truth. Attributing a quote to a famous person makes it seem more impactful. But, shouldn’t the idea stand on its own, regardless of the fame of the person who said it? https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/08/31/illusion/

Photo by Memento Media on Unsplash

 

The post Even More, Scarier Reasons Why Communication in the Workplace Sucks appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Your Best Networking Group is Waiting

What if I told you there’s a collection of people, who could be your best networking group, and they’re right under your nose, would you want to know more? They want to see you succeed. They want to help. They’ve helped when you haven’t even asked for help. The trouble is you’re not consistently networking with this group. You haven’t connected the dots and seen it for what it is—a great underused resource. And worse yet, since you haven’t realized the groups potential and don’t share your needs and wants, you don’t ask how you can help them! Have you figured out who I’m talking about yet? It’s your friends.

Your Best Networking Group is Waiting

Was your first thought, “I’m NOT going to USE my friends!” Or was it, “I already network with my friends.” To the first point; it’s not using if you come from help. Begin by asking your friends what they need, what they’re looking for, and where they need help. These are your friends; they’ll reciprocate. And if they don’t…think about what that may mean. I thought I networked with my friends until I did. I didn’t really begin networking with friends until our Friend Up group organically evolved. I’ve talked about Friend Up before; it’s comprised of more than 100 friends in a Facebook group and a dozen or so of us who meet once a month and brainstorm ways to help each other. The group taught me the importance of networking with friends.

How to Effectively Network with Friends   In the past when I attempted to network with friends it was disjointed and unorganized. It was hit or miss. If I was with a friend and I thought of my networking need, I might broach the topic. Now I share my networking needs with my friends.I didn’t take time to think about what I needed. Having a group of friends who share needs forces me to focus on what’s important to me. Now I take time to consider my needs.I used to assume all my friends knew what I wanted. What was I thinking—that they were mind readers? Now I share what I need.When I was hesitant to network with friends, I didn’t ask about their needs. Now I ask.What Are You Waiting for?

If you network why wouldn’t you network with THE people most-invested in you—your friends? I’m not saying to forego other network events and opportunities—of course not. What I’m saying is consider all your resources. Where else will you find networkers who know and care about you? Take a moment and make a list of friends, people you communicate with on a daily basis, folks you trust, and people who share with you. Look at you latest emails, texts, and social media conversations. You may be surprised how many people you confide in, relate to, and care about. Send them an individual message—email, text, or direct message, and begin by asking, “How can I help you?”

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.

My plan probably won’t be your plan. That’s why throughout the book there are worksheets, checklists, and simple CTA’s. Use these to create a networking plan that fits your needs.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

The post Your Best Networking Group is Waiting appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Why Leaders Need to Make Amends a Personal Story

Do leaders need to make amends? Wouldn’t that detract from their authority and influence? No one is perfect. Period. Regardless of someone’s status, position in an organization, or leadership role, they are not without flaws. People make mistakes. What someone does about their miscues informs their teammates who the leader is and what to expect. Appropriately done, making amends builds trust and respect.

Once, a colleague asked me to help with a leadership meeting they had prepared. They asked for assistance from me and one other and then assigned roles. During the well-planned and well-executed presentation, I disagreed with one of the points. Not only did I disagree, but I made it clear to the 10 managers in attendance. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have challenged the presenter during the meeting but met with them after. My ego got in my way. I was wrong. What should I do?

Why Leaders Need to Make AmendsReview my Actions

The first thing I did was go for a hike in the woods to reflect. Maybe the trails aren’t for everyone, but finding a quiet space is a key to reflection. How can amends be made until the infraction is defined? I thought about how my actions may have affected the presenter as well as the managers in attendance.

Apologize 

The day after the presentation, I approached the manager I had interrupted and apologized. I told them I wished I had kept my thoughts to myself rather than disrupt the meeting. I added that the presentation was a timely and much-needed talk and that they’d done an excellent job presenting. The manager accepted my apology with a bit of chagrin. They hadn’t been offended by my interruption and didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I explained I thought it took away from the presentation and told the manager I wouldn’t interrupt them during a presentation again. I may disagree but would talk one-on-one after. What I had done diminished points with the management team. I had more work to do.

Clear the Air with the Team

After meeting with the presenter, I made copies of the PowerPoint slide. Next, I went to every manager who had been in the meeting, explained I spoke out of turn, shared why I thought the information was relevant and asked each to review the material.

What’s the Lesson?

In the past, I may have swept the whole thing under the rug. Had I done this now, I would have missed an opportunity to connect with the team. By apologizing and making amends, I set an example. Remember, no one is perfect. I was able to share the information and explain its importance. By doing so, I assured myself my working relationship with the presenter was good, and I could put my mistake to rest. I didn’t have to worry or fret over what I had done. I had made amends. We all make mistakes, and we can all make amends. Leaders need to make amends.

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? 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. I’m also available to conduct training.

Photo by Headway on Unsplash

 

The post Why Leaders Need to Make Amends a Personal Story appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How to Network with Customers and What You’re Missing When You Don’t

I googled how to network with customers and found nothing. What came up was how to find customers through networking. There’s a lot of talk about networking both in person and virtually. There are articles on where to network, how to network, and what to do after, but they don’t cover everything. They don’t cover how to network with customers. One of the best opportunities to network, and unfortunately one often missed, is with your customers. Here’s why it’s a great networking opportunity.

How to Network with Customers Your Customers Know You

You’ve built a relationship and developed trust. Some customers may have even become friends. Which sounds more productive to you—networking with a loyal customer or a stranger at a networking event?

Your Customers Understand Your Product

Who to better advocate your product or service than a satisfied customer? If you can name anyone who would be better to network with about your brand, I don’t know who it would be.

Networking Keeps You in Front of Your Customer

Last week I attended a seminar on business development. It was an excellent event, more of an open forum  facilitated by a well-informed speaker. Two of the twelve businesspeople attending the event talked about recently losing customers. One was because the customer wasn’t aware of the other services the business offered and the other because they’d lost touch with them. Enough said?

How to Network Customers

Are you convinced you should network with your customers? I hope so. The next step is developing a networking attitude with customers. It’s more than staying in touch with them it’s connecting. Be More Than a Networker be a Connector. 

Extend Your Network to Your Customer

Connect your customer to potential clients. Be a lead generator and a cheerleader for them. The best way to build a networking relationship is to help others. Make the first move, and you’ll often reap the rewards.

Stay in Touch

Networking should include, face-to-face time, Zoom meetings, and even phone calls (if the customer appreciates the phone). Don’t forget email, snail mail, and social media. If you’re not on LinkedIn or you have an account your marketing department set up for you that you haven’t used in six months, you’re missing the boat. A salesperson, I worked with landed a multimillion dollar job in 2010 from social media! 2010, 12 years ago! Over 1 Million Dollar Sale from Flickr. Several of the decision makers from this customer moved on to other organizations. The average US worker stays at one job 4.2 years U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By staying in touch with them on LinkedIn, the  salesperson secured several new jobs at businesses where these contacts landed.

Ask for Referrals

Think about this. I’ll wager you’ve asked someone who you just met at an event for a referral. You might have asked for an introduction or a recommendation, but you asked. Why wouldn’t you do the same with your customers who know and trust you? How to get More Leads without Working Harder.

Why Do You Network?

If you never network then ignore this. However, if you spend time attending networking events, or network at conventions and seminars, then add networking with your customers to your list. I’m not saying you shouldn’t network at events I’m saying you should also network with your customers. Extend your network to them by introducing potential clients to them. Ask for referrals, and stay in touch. You customer may be your one of your best networking sources.

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.

My plan probably won’t be your plan. That’s why throughout the book there are worksheets, checklists, and simple CTA’s. Use these to create a networking plan that fits your needs.

Photo by airfocus on Unsplash

The post How to Network with Customers and What You’re Missing When You Don’t appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How to Use Your Voice for Effective Communication

How to use your voice for effective communication is complicated. Verbal communication isn’t only about our words but also how we say them. If I laughed and called you a rotten egg, you’d most likely take no offense. However, if I called you a rotten egg with anger in my voice, you’d probably not take it well, same words, different meanings.

Saying the right words the wrong way can change the meaning and make your communication less effective.

Your tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language define your words. You could say they’re the punctuation of verbal communication. Here are a few tips on how to use your voice for effective communication.

How to Use Your Voice for Effective CommunicationMake Eye Contact

People don’t trust people who don’t make eye contact, and it signals that something is being hidden or held back. Not a good message to share.

Use Lowered Inflection

Lowered inflection is what we use when we’re confident. Our voices begin on a higher note and descend. The opposite, rising inflection, is when your voice begins low, and the notes rise as you speak. Rising inflection denotes a lack of confidence or questioning.

Be Precise

Don’t ramble. Get to the point. Don’t lose people’s attention by being a bore.

Speak Clearly

Don’t mumble and do not talk while chewing gum or eating a sandwich, and that’s for virtual conversations too.

Avoid Slang

If you want people to take you seriously, speak like a professional. Verbal conversation isn’t a text.

Never Be Inappropriate 

This includes cursing or being insensitive. For example, I was in a retail store with a friend when an employee said, “Hi Beautiful!” to my friend. She walked over and said, “My name is Becky.” and walked away. She hasn’t been back to the store.

Never Be Rude

Don’t be annoyed with people or dismissive of them it shows in your voice.

Don’t Let Negative Emotions Show in Your Voice

If you’re upset or angry, don’t let it show in your voice. Keep a smile on your face and your voice in an even tone. It’s hard not to be positive with a smile on your face. Try it.

Set the Tone

By sharing a friendly smile, speaking clearly in confident tones, and making eye contact, you can win the ear and trust of others and effectively communicate.

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? 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. I’m also available to conduct training.

Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

 

The post How to Use Your Voice for Effective Communication appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Do Your Company Policies Serve Your Customer’s Needs?

So, do you company policies serve your customer’s needs? I read a phrase in an SBA (Small Business Administration) post titled Marketing 101 that struck a nerve, “All company policies and activities should be directed toward satisfying customer needs.” Most of my career has been in sales and marketing. Customer service hasn’t only been important to me; it’s been critical to my success. A few years ago, as operations manager of an organization, I was able to apply my beliefs in customer service companywide. The team embraced customer service, and we won the BBB (Better Business Bureau) Torch Award for four consecutive years. Still, the truth is, even then, not every policy was geared entirely toward customer satisfaction.

Do your Company Policies Serve Your Customer’s Needs?What Gets in the Way of Satisfying Customers?Silos 

When individuals or departments place themselves above the whole, they create silos. When segments of the organization believe they’re more important than the entire team, customers become second or third fiddle. How to Demolish Silos and why You Should.

Accounting 

Improving profit margins by reducing product quality places company procedures above client needs. Don’t get me wrong, the bottom line is critical. It’s how folks stay in business. However, improve the bottom line by pricing correctly and being more efficient, not by offering inferior products.

Over-promising

Most businesses have done it because they wanted to win a contract. But in the long run, it can hurt an organization more than it helps. When a company over-promises and under-delivers, it places the relationship with that customer in jeopardy and tarnishes the business’s reputation.

Not Understanding the Significance of Customer Service 

If we asked C-staff, sales, marketing, and customer service the importance of serving the customer, they’d most likely all have a good understanding of its urgency, but do all employees? Do production, installation, and shipping understand that every action they take should begin with asking, “How does this serve our customer?” Does the entire organization realize that they wouldn’t have a job without customers?

Lack of Accountability 

When  a business allows employees to circumvent procedures, break policies, and disrupt systems, they pass the results on to the customer through inferior products, lack of follow-up, poor service, price increases, and sometimes all the above! The customer feels the pain of poor management.

Lack of Consistent  Training

Without systems and procedures in place, continuously trained, and followed, the results will be inconsistent at best. If an organization is not striving for continuous improvement, they’re not serving their customers to the best of their abilities.

Do You Serve Your Customer’s Needs or Your Own?

So, do you serve your customer’s needs or your own? I mentioned earlier my commitment to serving customers, but even so, the companies I managed made all the mistakes listed above at one time or another. Creating policies to help your customers is only the beginning. Those procedures must be continually trained, held accountable, reviewed, and improved. If not, your company will come before customers, and eventually, you’ll have no customers to come before.

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? 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 Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

 

 

 

The post Do Your Company Policies Serve Your Customer’s Needs? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Growing Your Small Business

So far, you’ve done well growing your small business. You began as a solopreneur, grown your business, added employees, and continued growth. The problem is, it’s becoming more and more challenging to juggle everything you do. Small companies often plateau because the business plan that got them there becomes ineffective. You can’t manage a grocery store like a roadside vegetable stand. Although there are examples of a “one-person show” growing a business, it’s not the most sustainable or productive path to growth. If you’d like to grow your business and have a life, here are a few keys to success. Maintaining growth doesn’t happen on its own.

5 Steps to Growing Your Small Business1. Setting Policies and Procedures

I know what you may be thinking — written policies aren’t needed because if you hire good people, they’ll know what to do. The problem is you’re a driven business leader. You had the vision to start your own successful business, and you expect your employees to think as you do. They probably don’t, or they wouldn’t be working for you. Sharing expectations and establishing systems doesn’t stunt entrepreneurship — it guides it.

2. Continuous Training

There are at least two reasons for training. Offering training allows you to hire for character rather than skills alone. Lack of character often leads to problems in the workplace. Some positions will, of course, require specialized training and skills such as attorneys, engineers, designers, but even then, hiring for character first will strengthen your organization. Ongoing training is also essential to keep employees on track and is a positive commitment to your team.

3. Consistent Communication

To this point, you may not have needed to schedule communication; you’re working together every day and have chatted about what is needed. There is nothing wrong with that, but as you grow, you’ll need another level to ensure everyone is on the same page. Whether virtual or in-person, you need to discuss status and planning consistently. How often should you meet? As often as there are significant changes in the status of your business and business plans.

4. Vision and Direction

As the organization leader, it’s your responsibility to share the vision and give direction. Where is the company headed, and how will we get there? You don’t accomplish this with a mission statement alone, but by referring to it whenever possible. Tie the vision of the organization into current activities. Remind the team where it’s going and how their contributions get us there.

5. Working IN the Business, Not On It

For example, if you’re the only salesperson, and lead gen follow-up now takes most of your time, it’s going to be difficult to maintain growth. How will you grow the entire business if you’re entrenched in only one part of it? If you want both continued growth and time for a life, you’ll need to delegate responsibilities. You can concentrate on planning, training, and communication by working on the business. The Path from Working In to Working On the Business

If maintaining growth is part of your vision for your small business, you’ll need to let go to grow. Trying to do it all yourself is not the best plan for growth or your health and lifestyle. Learn to hire good people, give them direction, and lead them with continued training and communication. If you plant and nurture the seed, it will eventually grow on its own. Is your business growing? If so, how have you accomplished it?

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? 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. I’m also available to conduct training.

Photo by Nikola Jovanovic on Unsplash

 

The post Growing Your Small Business appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

4 Steps to Preparing a Killer Presentation

Okay, so, if you google preparing a killer presentation there’s like a million and one hits, so why one more post? Because I’m not going to tell you it’s all about your power point, the clothes you wear, or how you use a microphone. I won’t help you chose between Zoom, Google Meetings, or Microsoft teams for your virtual presentation. All of those things are important, but together they won’t make for a killer presentation. Preparing a killer presentation is more personal.

4 Steps to Preparing a Killer Presentation1. Memorize Names, Faces, and Responsibilities

While presenting to a small business on leadership, I went around the table and recognized each of the dozen or so attendees by name and their position within the organization. Before any meeting that I facilitate with an organization, I go to their website and look at their about page. Most about pages include a meet the team section with photos and titles. Last year I presented to a leadership organization with more than 30 active members. I greeted most of them by name.

I attended a small business lecture sponsored by a local financial institute; there were ten attendees. The speaker introduced herself and then went around the table with introductions and an icebreaker. Later she attempted to engage individuals, which is a good thing. However, she would call on people by their clothing, for example, “Orange sweater, what would you do?” Yea.

2. Engage Your Audience

I conducted a leadership development meeting with a group of 11 managers’ last week. It was the third presentation I’d given to this group. Near the end, one of the attendees told me how much she enjoyed my presentations. I asked her why and she said, “Because the hour goes by fast and is never boring.” I followed up by asking her how I accomplished this and she said, “Because you ask us questions.”

Conversely, I attended a discussion where the facilitator spent the first 15 minutes lecturing, and then took over the conversation, occasionally asking leading questions such as, “You agree, don’t you?”

Engaging your audience isn’t complicated, ask them questions, learn what they know, and help them solve problems.

3. Create a Call to Action

How many meetings, seminars, conferences, and presentations have you sat through where little or nothing was done but talk? You can’t talk stuff done. I begin nearly every meeting with a CTA, which is sharing my goal for the meeting that each attendee take-away one action to commit to implementing. I conclude most sessions by asking each attendee for their action plan, making note of the plans, and then following up or giving the list to the team’s leader.

4. Have Fun

Have you ever begun a meeting with an icebreaker? It’s a fun way to get a meeting started. I attended a meeting with eight others where the meeting leader divided the attendees into three teams. Each was given a deck of cards and then told they had five minutes to build the tallest card house possible. It was interesting to watch these leaderless groups in action, how they innovated, communicated, and worked together. It was fun.

I like to poke fun at myself when I’m presenting. At a meeting I was giving I admitted I had deleted the word “rural” from my outline because it was difficult for me to pronounce. I went on to awkwardly attempt to say it. The group laughed with me; several shared that it was difficult for them as well and it helped us bond.

Preparing a Killer Presentation

Creating a killer presentation is more than writing an outline and producing visuals – nothing wrong with that, it’s just that many presenters think that’s what it takes to create a killer presentation. The outline and visuals are only the beginning. Regardless of how professional they are if you don’t know your audience, engage them, send a call to action, and have fun then you might have a good presentation, but not a memorable one. Do you want to kill your next presentation? If so you know what to do.

How Can I Help?

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. 

Would you like to learn more about adding action to your words? If so you might enjoy my book, You Can’t Talk Shit Done.

Photo by Matthew Osborn on Unsplash

The post 4 Steps to Preparing a Killer Presentation appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.