Randy Clark's Blog, page 43

Leaders Who Show Gratitude Get More Accomplished

Are you a grateful person? So, do you show gratitude? Do you share gratitude with your co-workers and teammates or do you believe gratitude is overrated? Do you subscribe to the belief that people should be happy they have a job and just do it? So, why should leaders show gratitude? Because, leaders who show gratitude get more accomplished. Here are more good reasons.

Showing Gratitude to your team improves performance and production.

There are hundreds of studies on the positive impact of appreciation, recognition, and gratitude in the workplace. Employees who feel appreciated trust their leaders and corporate vision. Employees who trust their supervisors are happier, more focused on completing tasks, and aren’t in the job market. Here’s one example as reported by the Harvard Medical School on research completed at the University of Pennsylvania, “Researchers randomly divided university fund-raisers into two groups. One group made phone calls to solicit alumni donations in the same way they always had. The second group—assigned to work on a different day—received a pep talk from the director of annual giving, who told the fund-raisers she was grateful for their efforts. During the following week, the university employees who heard her message of gratitude made 50% more fund-raising calls than those who did not.” Leaders who show gratitude get more accomplished.

People who show gratitude are happier and healthier people.

Leaders who show gratitude sleep better and are healthier both physically and mentally. They build better working relationships with their team, and they feel better about themselves. So, would you like to read the studies? Forbes: 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Showing Gratitude that will Motivate you Year Round

How to Share Gratitude Make gratitude part of your daily to-do list. Whether you construct your daily to-do list in the morning or evening, take a few minutes and list 1-3 people to thank each day.Keep it simple. Platitudes and pizza parties are shallow if they’re not genuine. A simple thank you can mean more when it comes from a grateful leader who knows what the employee accomplished and tells them why he or she is grateful.Be grateful for good character. Gratitude shouldn’t be limited to activities and results. Character should be recognized as well. Thanking someone for their dedication, hard work, perseverance, or dependability means a lot.Make it personal. If an employee loves hearing about his or her accomplishments in front of their peers—make it so. If they prefer a simple note—make it happen.Keep it real. By involving yourself with your team enough to know what they do, how they do it, and what it means. A carte blanche approach to thanking a team for a good job isn’t showing gratitude it’s playing politics. But to specifically thank individuals and the team for actions they took and share how their efforts impact the organization—that’s being grateful. And, leaders who show gratitude get more accomplished.Get Specific. Why Recognition is Nice but Specific Recognition is a Game ChangerLeaders Who Show Gratitude and those Who Don’t 

I’ve worked with too many managers who seldom showed gratitude to their employees. I’ve watched managers walk through a department, day after day, without one word to the team. And, I’ve seen managers who believed the best way to motivate an employee was with a bonus or benefits. Bonuses and benefits are great, and they may help retain employees, but they don’t necessarily make them work harder, work smarter, or care more about the organization. Appreciation accomplishes that. Do you want your team to be more productive? Share your heartfelt gratitude. And if increases in production and improved personal health aren’t enough to convince you to share your gratitude, then consider this. It feels pretty damn good when you do it. Now go and tell someone how grateful you are for their work. Leaders who show gratitude get more accomplished.

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 Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

 

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How Flexible Should Your Companies Work Schedule Be?

So, how flexible should your companies work schedule be? If you manage or own a small business, you’ve more than likely asked yourself this question—how flexible should our schedule be? COVID has changed the world and the workplace. Companies have been compelled to allow employees to work from home, create flex time, flexible locations, and more.

How Flexible Should Your Companies Work Schedule be?

What should you embrace? How will it affect production? What do employees expect? Don’t sweat it. You’re probably already more flexible than you think.

How flexible are you?

If a valuable employee came to you needing to adjust his or her hours to fit childcare or care for an elderly parent, would you accommodate them? How many employees work outside of the office, from home, or while traveling? Do you allow employees to swap shifts and fill in for each other? If so, you’ve created a flexible work environment.

If an employee can do it from home, make it so

If an employee can complete a task from home, allow it and make it easy for them. Some of you will think working from home is less productive, and you have no control over what they do. However, that’s not true.

A study by Standford of 16,000 workers over nine months found that working from home increases productivity by 13%. This increase in performance was due to more calls per minute attributed to a quieter, more convenient working environment and working more minutes per shift because of fewer breaks and sick days. Surprising Work from Home Statistics 2021. Do you want another reason to allow your team to work from home? The Study reported that due to improved work satisfaction, they cut attrition rates by 50%. Employees stayed at their jobs even in these stressful times.

I’ve heard employers complain they had little or no control over remote workers. They are wrong. You do have control over your work-from-home team. You should manage what they get done, not when they punch a timecard. If a work-from-home employee completes the tasks you expect and does so correctly and on time, what else do you want? Manage their activities, not the time clock.

Why should you be flexible?

A flexible work environment that focuses on work-life balance will attract and retain valuable team members and foster a positive work culture. Working in an employee-friendly, upbeat culture is almost always more productive than the opposite. Through flexibility, employee recognition, fair pay, and benefits, an atmosphere can be created that enhances production rather than the opposite, where employees may even sabotage work.

But what if the work can’t be done from home?

Production, maintenance, retail, and foodservice, among others, require employees to be on location. So, what can you do to improve your flexibility?

As we mentioned, you can offer flex hours to fit the needs of employees within the framework of the organization’s requirements. Other examples include:

Compressed work weeks

Such as four 10 hours days producing four days on and three days off work schedule.

Core Hours 

For example, a daily onsite schedule of 10 am to 3 pm with the expectation of working a total of eight hours per day either off-site or before or after the core hours.

Shift flexibility

Allow employees to work shifts most suited to their lifestyle and swap shifts as long as all shifts are covered.

Staggered shifts

Staggered hours are excellent for production and fitting the needs of team members. Staggering lunch and breaks can be very productive. Or here’s another example, employee A is an early riser and would prefer to begin work early while employee B sees his children on the bus every day. In this scenario, staggering hours could be a win-win.

Job sharing

Job sharing is when two or more employees share the same job title and responsibilities. Job sharing has been used extensively in medical facilities where doctors and nurses share the care of patients.

Part-time

Part-time works well for transitioning employees such as students learning the industry, parents seeking time with children, or near retirement employees who want to stay involved on a limited basis.

How flexible should your companies work schedule be?

To answer that question you need to understand what’s best for your business. Only you and your team can answer that but let me leave you with this. The world is changing, and our workforce is changing with it. There’s a new focus on understanding what’s important. Work is one of those important factors in all our lives—it’s just not the only one. Finding a flexible fit for your team can improve performance, increase production, and make for a positive workplace. How flexible is your business? How flexible should you be?

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 Standsome Worklifestyle on Unsplash

 

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Why You Should Share Your Victories

The past 12 months have been full of “those” days and weeks. You know the kind of week where Murphy’s Law was the rule. If it could go wrong, it did. Most of us have experienced those days, weeks, and months, especially in the last year. My point is, it’s even more important to share your victories when times are tough.

Fourteen years ago, I had one of those years until I figured out the workplace culture no longer was a match for me. It wasn’t a good fit. The answer to that situation was simple – I resigned. I didn’t say it was easy; it wasn’t. It was difficult. I had invested ten years and helped the organization grow and prosper.

Whether it was the business that had changed or me, it no longer was a rewarding experience, so it was a simple solution. The point I want to make is that it can be challenging to share your victories when it seems like there aren’t any. However, that’s not usually the case. There are always victories to share. They might be small, but they’re still wins. And regardless of their scope, it’s important to share your successes.

We All Have Bad Days

But what if you enjoy your job but just had a bad day? The answer isn’t quite as simple, but it’s close. I love my job. Most days, I start early. Today I got up at 5 AM and began writing by 6.

I’m writing this from home on a Saturday because the inspiration hit me, and I wanted to work, not because I felt obliged to do so. Does it get any better than that? However, as much as I love my job, it isn’t perfect, and nor am I. I still have those days and weeks where things just don’t go as planned. So, here’s what I do.

Identify Your Wins

Regardless of how bad things seem, there’s always something that went right. Usually, there are victories to be found in any outcome, and if you’re having trouble identifying a victory, turn your defeat into one. Use whatever went wrong as a lesson and map out how to avoid defeat in the future.

Celebrate and Share Your Victories 

I share wins with a friend. She tells me hers, and I talk about mine. Sometimes they’re big, but not always. A win is a win, and regardless of its scope, it feels good to share.

My wife routinely asks about my day. It used to be that I’d tell her about my problems, but for the last few years, I’ve primarily shared what went right, not what went wrong. It’s a lot more fun to share battles I’ve won rather than skirmishes I’ve lost.

You Can’t Win ‘Em All

No, you can’t win ’em all, but you can identify and share victories every day. If you look close enough, focus on the positive, and not worry about the size of the win, you’ll find your victories. And when you do, and then concentrate on what you did well, your attitude and focus will reflect your successes. You have a choice, wallow in and eventually become defeated by your losses or you can focus on your victories, learn from your defeats, and move forward. It’s up to you.

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. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

Photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash

 

 

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What Can You Do When a Trainee Isn’t Getting it?

So, what can you do when a trainee isn’t getting it? We’ve all been there. Anyone in a leadership role has worked with an employee who seemed difficult, if not impossible, to train. It can be frustrating for the manager and employee. The manager’s frustration can turn to resentment based on the assumption that the individual doesn’t have the capacity to learn. While, at the same time, the employee might begin to feel singled out. So, what can a manager do to help an employee who isn’t getting it? Training a trainee is more than reading to them from a manual. Here are a few suggestions.

What Can You Do When a Trainee Isn’t Getting it? Learn How They Learn

Not everyone takes in information the same way, and not everyone learns as you do. Understanding how someone learns can be as easy as asking them. A trainer tends to train others the way the trainer learns. It should be the other way around. If you’d like to learn more, try this post, How NOT to Train. 

Check Their Understanding 

Too often, I’ve heard trainers asked leading questions about a trainee’s understanding of a procedure. For example, “Do you understand?” Does anyone who asks this question really expect a trainee to answer no? Dig in, ask open-ended questions, and discover what they know and what they don’t. How to ask Questions for Understanding

Is Someone Influencing them?

Has someone else on the team, or the outside, influenced their behavior? Did a co-worker show them a shortcut? Has a family member or friend told them it was unneeded? Ask the trainee directly what they believe and don’t believe about the training.

Are They Buying In?

Do they think they have a better way or that they don’t need to do it your way? Instead of embracing the training, does the trainee want to train the trainer? If so, listen to them – you never know, they may have a valid point, but if not, you’ll at least be able to explain why it’s not what you expect.

Do They Lack Confidence?

If a trainee lacks the confidence to follow the procedures, they most likely lack the confidence to tell you. Once again, be a detective; ask them what they’re having trouble with.

Follow-up

I’m not always a one meeting learner, are you? But, too often, we expect trainees to know our procedures after only being exposed to them once or twice.

Ask and Ask Again

I was helping four managers who worked together as a team. Each had four to six direct reports, and they all followed the same training procedures. When I asked the group how I could help, they brought up the topic of this post. They asked, “What do you do when you’ve gone over something three or four times with someone, and they still don’t get it.” My answer was to find out why.

The six points listed above are where I told them to begin. At the end of our conversation, one of the managers asked how he could determine if the lack of training retention was a lack of understanding, outside influences, learning style, or all the above. I told him to ask, to sit down with the teammate privately, and then:

Tell them you want to helpAsk how they learn, how they study. Are they hands-on, verbal, or auditory learners?What do they understand, and where are they confused?Has someone told them or showed them they don’t need to follow the training?Do they think it’s an option to follow the training?Do they think they have a better idea? If so, let’s hear it.Are they unsure of their ability to follow the training, and if so, how can I help?What Can You Do When a Trainee Isn’t Getting it? 

What can you do when a trainee isn’t getting it? The best way to learn why they’re not learning is to ask and then ask again.

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. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

Photo by Mira Kireeva on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

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When it Comes to Company Culture One Size Does Not Fit All

What makes a great company culture? In his book, StandOut 2.0, author Marcus Buckingham shares a story of interviewing two award-winning Hampton Inn Managers. Diana managed an Inn in Pennsylvania; when Marcus chatted with her he found her to be outgoing, energetic, and verbose. He asked her what she would tell other managers to do to build an award-winning team such as hers. She advised starting by choosing a mascot to create a company culture. Their inn’s mascot was the turtle because you don’t make any progress without sticking your neck out. They had turtles all over the building; regular guests received toy turtles; they even had a turtle (employee) of the month.

The second manager was Tim who ran the Hampton Inn on Times Square. He was quiet, introspective, and thoughtful. When asked the same question his first answer was to put the team in charge. That’s what he did. He believed his staff had the best solutions for guest services and ground maintenance decisions because they were in the midst of it—he wasn’t. Marcus questioned Tim further and learned Tim’s Hampton Inn had a staff library. He wanted his motel to be known as a learning motel. Every month each staff member added one book to the library.

It’s Not One Size Fits All

My point is this; too often upper management recognizes the accomplishments of a team and tries to duplicate it without understanding what drives the process. Both of these examples were leadership driven. Can you imagine how Tim would react if corporate told him he had to choose a mascot, or if Diana were told to create a learning library?

It’s difficult to duplicate actions driven by personality and talent. Sure, like-minded managers might jump at the chance to create a mascot, while others might see building a learning library as worthy, but creating an outstanding company culture is not one size fits all.

Driving Excellence

The summer of 2019, I went to my local BMV, I needed plates for a motorcycle that had been sitting in my garage for more than ten years. I expected the worse. What I found was the best. Not only did the staff help me solve my problem and secure a plate, but they did it with expediency. It was fun.

When I entered the branch, I heard a voice shouting, “We’re down to three minutes—three!” I learned later this was the wait time. The team continued shouting the times, and when they reached two minutes, they applauded, hooped, and hollered. They did the same with several other actions. Their focus was cutting wait time, and they had fun doing so.

When it was my turn, the staffer was pleasant and efficient. While she was processing my paperwork a team member came over and asked how she could help; my clerk gave her copies to make. I asked if the teammate  was a floating helper and she told me no, she wasn’t a floating helper; she was the supervisor. It was service leadership in action.

People Aren’t Projects

When I left I was excited by what I’d seen and wondered why all BMV branches didn’t adopt this system? Then it hit me, it wouldn’t work at every branch, would it? People aren’t projects. However, as leaders how many times have we expected different teams to share the same talents, sundry managers to lead the same way, and attempted to manage varied departments and operations as if they were the same? I know I have, have you? If you want your team to grow and excel then you must allow managers to develop a leadership framework based on their talents and convictions, not someone else’s.

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. 

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 lucas law on Unsplash

The post When it Comes to Company Culture One Size Does Not Fit All appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

7 Keys to Keyword Success

If you’re looking for advanced training on SEO, this isn’t the place. However, if you’re like me and publish new content consistently, but only know enough about keywords to be dangerous, then this post is for you. Here are my 7 keys to keyword success.

The seven-point checklist below is part of what I do before I hit publish. However, I must confess that I don’t try to keep this checklist in my head. I’ve learned that’s a good way to forget steps. I also know it’s easy to miss or overlook a key to keyword success, So I cheat. I use the checklist below.

Pro Tip: If you’re not familiar with Yoast SEO, I recommend you check it out.

7 Keys to Keyword SuccessTitle – Not only should the keyword or phrase be in the title, but the sooner it appears in the title, the better.URL/Slug – The slug identifies the post and distinguishes it from other posts on the same platform. The keyword should be part of the slug.Meta Description – This is the 160 characters that show up in a search. You should include the keyword and searchable phrases.Density – A keyword density of 4.5 % keywords to the total number of words was acceptable only a couple of years ago. Today most would consider that keyword stuffing. Any time the keywords get in the way of the readability, that’s a problem. Minimum .05 maximum 3.0 %.First paragraph – The keyword should always appear in the first paragraph.Subheads – At least one subhead should contain the keyword.Image – When possible, add the keyword to the Alt text (alternative description). However, please don’t lose the Alt text’s purpose, which is to describe the image to visitors who cannot see them.Maintain Keyword Success with a Checklist

If you’re publishing content and know anything about SEO, then the seven keys I’ve shared are nothing new to you. However, I know I have forgotten all these steps at one time or another. As I said, what saves me from repeating my mistakes is the checklist. I use the checklist above during my first edit and then Yoast SEO at my final edit.

But wait, there’s more!

Here are a few more keys to maximizing your SEO.

1. Write like (notice I didn’t use as) you talk

Google searches seem to reward clear spoken plain language. Using insider jargon and stilted language makes your content more difficult to digest and less useful. WordPress uses Flesch-Kincaid reading level score to analyze the readability of content. A Flesh-Kincaid score of 60-70 is considered acceptable.

2. Format your post to be easily digested

Rambling sentences, lengthy paragraphs, and content without breaks are difficult to read. Make it easy on your readers and Google bots by writing concise sentences, keeping paragraphs short, and framing your work with subheads and breaks. Use lists and bullet points to make your content more accessible. An occasional bold or italicized word also stands out.

3. A picture’s worth a thousand words 

Every post should have at least one image. As mentioned above, it’s be best if you added Alt(alternate) text to the featured image. Web browsers display Alt-text; it helps web users with limited accessibility such as sight impairment or limited access understand the image. It can also help browsers recognize content. For example, you could assign a blog post with the title and keyword “Easy Garden Tips” with a picture of a tomato plant with the alt text, “Easy Garden Tips Tomato Plant.”

4. Link it. Link it good

Use bright colors and bold type, so links stand out from the text. There are three types of links.

Outbound links – Links to other sites. It’s essential to vet outbound links. I find it best to stick with known resources.Inbound links – Links to previous content on your website, such as older blog posts, images, or website copyBacklinks – Links from other content providers to your content. The best way to get others to backlink to your blog is to offer quality content that answers questions, solves problems, and shows your expertise. Commenting on other blogs, guest blogging, asking for quotations, and conducting surveys are ways to get noticed, which can lead to backlinks.You don’t have to be an expert at SEO 

Some may argue with me on this point. If you feel you need an expert—hire one. There are many SEO providers.  However, I suggest before adding the expense of an SEO team, you incorporate the steps above into your blog.

How Can I Help You? 

If this post struck a nerve check out, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. The book is full of action plans to create a blogging/writing system that works for you.

And please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to discuss this post.

If you enjoyed this post you might also like, How to Create Content When You Don’t Have Time.

Here are three sources on SEO and Keyword best practices, which  I recommend.

Social Media Today: 8 Basic SEO Tactics

HubSpot: 32 Ways to Build White Hat Inbound Links 

Moz: Step by Step Process to Discovering and Prioritizing the Best Keywords

Photo by Stephen Phillips – Hostreviews.co.uk on Unsplash

 

 

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What Training Do Frontline Managers Need?

What training do frontline managers need? The answer is leadership training, which covers all the activities they’re responsible for, especially when it comes to managing people.

Thrown into the Deep End

When I was a new manager one of my first tasks was to hire additional personnel. I was handed an ad book (newspaper employment ads) and told to place an ad, answer phone calls, interview candidates, and hire three people. That’s all the instructions I received.

I don’t need to go into details, but I wasn’t very successful at hiring. Unfortunately, many of you reading this can share similar stories. It might not have been hiring; it could have been conducting a meeting, completing a corrective action, or supervising new hire training. Regardless, too many managers, especially new frontline managers, are thrown into the deep end – sink or swim.

What Frontline Managers Need

What frontline managers need are systems and procedures, not only covering what to do, but how to do it, and why it’s important. For example, as a new manager when I was asked to hire three people I needed more than being told what to do, I needed to know how. Knowing what ads had been successful, a script for answering ad calls, and interview questions would’ve been a good start. However, that should only be the beginning. To be competent at hiring, I needed training. I needed to know what systems to use, how to follow them, and why to use them.

What Will Your Managers Be Asked to Do?

Whatever responsibilities are given to frontline managers they need more than being told what to do. Because if they’re expected to conduct meetings, train, and complete corrective actions, then they need the tools to do so – the what, how, and why. So, here are a few tasks frontline managers are typically expected to complete:

Recruit and hireTrainConduct meetingsMotivate and team buildComplete employee reviewsCommunicate with departmentsManage conflictSolve problemsTime management

These bullets are a few of the most common activities required of frontline managers. Your managers might not do all of these, and there may have other responsibilities. However, my point is regardless of the task, if you want frontline managers to have the best chance at being successful you need to supply the tools.

Do You Have a Management Development Plan?

Does your business have a management development plan? If not, I have a suggestion, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management. The book covers all the bullet points listed above and more. Here’s what one leadership trainer at a 4,000-employee company had to say,

“I consider myself a scholar in leadership theory and practice and have enjoyed the academic journey. I have also read countless leadership books written by greats like Collins, Sinek, Maxwell, and others. When I was asked to lead a training and development team for a large company, with a primary mission of developing new manager training for the 24 to 32-year old age group, I knew I had a big project ahead of me.

The company wanted “the basics,” in a crash-course type format (due to a high operational workload) that didn’t need to be instructor-led or seminar based. So, I tried to compose a syllabus that could be translated into a workbook and made available to newly appointed managers—but I could not get ahead of the urgency. Then, almost by accident, I came across Randy Clark’s “New Manager’s Workbook.”

The Perfect Crash Course

“When I opened and viewed the contents, I realized that my outline (brainstorming) had 9 chapters devoted to deficiencies I recognized. Then, when I read the material, I realized how brilliantly put together his book was! Randy saved me many months of work, and he did a fantastic job on the material. I have made this tool available for the company’s new managers with great reviews. This is very much a “crash course” that is perfect for that person who gets thrown into a management role and wants to find early success.

For what it is, the New Manager’s Workbook is perfect. Because it reduces the high-level and complex theories associated with leadership, theories of motivation, and understanding human behavior, to a manageable, easy-to-follow, ready-available, progressive resource to effectively manage people. Thank you, Randy!”

What Training Are Your Frontline Managers Not Getting? 

What’s missing from your frontline managers training? What do they need to successfully drive your business? Stop and ask yourself what responsibilities do they have? If you’re not sure, use the bullet points above as a starting point. Next, determine if they have the tools – the policies, procedures, guidelines, checklists, and training to accomplish what they’re responsible for. So, are you putting your frontline managers put in a position to succeed or to fail?

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. 

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

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When Leaders Set the Wrong Example Where Does it Lead?

We’ve all heard, “lead by example” and leaders do just that. The question is what kind of example is being shared. When leaders set the wrong example where does it lead?

When Leaders Set the Wrong ExampleWhat Happens When Leaders don’t Follow the Rules?

The first thing that happens is others think they don’t have to follow the rules either. If the boss doesn’t follow the procedure, use the form, or work with the software, then it becomes the rule for other members of the team, especially if they’re tenured and feel entitled. But there’s a bigger problem looming than specific policies, systems, and procedures not being followed. The danger is that all rules will be questioned. If an exception can be made for one procedure why can’t it be made for another?  The exception becomes the rule.

What Happens When Leaders Lie?

There may be nothing more important to building a team than establishing trust and nothing so easy to destroy. If a leader omits part of the truth, fails to fulfill a promise, or doesn’t carry through with an initiative, are those lies? Whenever a leader misleads a customer, vendor, or employee, every team member exposed to this behavior will be more inclined to copy the behavior when it fits their purposes. They’ll also lose some level of commitment and belief in the organization.

What Happens When Leaders are Subversive?

I once worked with a department manager who was a talented, hard working team leader. He’d jump in and help his team, work overtime and do whatever it took to get the job done. He never asked his direct reports to do anything he wouldn’t do. However, he fostered a negative environment with high turnover because he complained to the wrong people. For example, if upper management asked his team to work over he wouldn’t say a word to management but he’d tell his team those SOB’s are making us work! He lost a lot of employees.

Do as I say not as I do

I once worked directly with the owner of a growing mid-size company. In the ten years I was with the organization it grew from a net volume of six million per year to more than 20 million. In the beginning, the owner set a great example, working as hard as anyone; going on sales calls, inspecting work, training, and conducting meetings. But as time went on he spent less and less time in the day-to-day operations. He began leaving every day by five and spent two or three weekends a month at a beach home. The business continued to thrive, and I was happy for him, but he expected the rest of us to work 60-70 hours per week including every weekend. I and others left the organization that we had helped build and believed in.

Leaders are People

Leaders are going to make mistakes, they’re human, but there’s a difference between an error in judgement, and a management style. Every leader leads by example, unfortunately some of the examples aren’t the best. Are you in a leadership role? What example do you set?

How Can I Help You?

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.

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. 

Photo by Tetiana SHYSHKINA on Unsplash

The post When Leaders Set the Wrong Example Where Does it Lead? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How to Appease an Upset Customer

How to appease an upset customer isn’t one size fits all. The last 12 months have been stressful. It’s easy for people to lose control of their stress. It should come as no surprise that tension can erupt into anger. It happens.

You work in a brick-and-mortar, restaurant, or a service center. Regardless, an upset customer is in your area. They’re mad, and it looks like you’re going to get the brunt of it. What should you do?

What to do and NOT to do with an Upset CustomerDon’t react in anger

Under no circumstance should you react in anger and verbally attack the customer. There’s an old saying, “You can win the argument and lose a friend.” That’s never truer than dealing with an upset customer. Attempting to argue, defending your position, or downplaying the customers’ concern seldom leads to resolution, quite the opposite. Don’t fuel their fire by feeding their flame. Your best strategy may be letting the fire go out by letting them get it out of their system. Have you tried to argue with or defend your point to an upset customer? How’d that work for you?

Don’t become defensive

It’s a natural reaction to defend yourself and your company, but most of the time, defending the business to the agitated purchaser only adds fuel to their fire. It’s difficult not to defend your business when the customer is absolutely wrong. But even if they are wrong becoming defensive won’t help.

There’s another old saying, “The customer’s always right,” which is absolutely not true. The customer is often wrong. This might be better said, “The customer should be treated with respect—in their mind, they’re right.”

You can’t ignore it

An upset customer isn’t something you can hide from or push off. Handing them the service department manager’s business card and dismissing them will most likely not send them away. It will make it worse.

Don’t downplay it

You can’t act like it’s not a big deal because it is a big deal to your patron.

Don’t make excuses

The customer doesn’t care that a new employee messed up their order.

Stay away from humor

Regardless, if you’re a freaking comedian, the customer will not think you’re hilarious.

Don’t push it off

Telling the exasperated end-user that it’s not your department won’t change a thing. To the customer, you represent the company regardless of what department you work in.

4 Steps to Appeasing an Upset CustomerApologize – Even if their demands seem unreasonable—apologize. In the least, recognize and apologize for their being upset, “I’m sorry we haven’t met your expectations.” or “I’m sorry; the last thing we wanted was for you to be upset.”Listen – Listen with an open mind, without prejudice, let your customer speak their mind. Don’t interrupt unless it becomes belligerent, then call for help.Help – Ask what you can do to make it better and if it’s reasonable, do it. “What can we do to make you happy?” or “What can I do to correct this?”Turn over – If you can’t make the customer happy, turn them over to someone who can. “I want to do what’s best for you. Let me ask my manager for assistance.” or “I’m not sure I’m qualified – may I ask my team for advice, please?”2 Keys to Making the 4 Steps WorkBe aware of your body language

If you present aggressive, dismissive, or defensive body language, it may not matter what you say. Crossed arms are a defensive posture. Making fists and leaning forward can be seen as aggression, while turning away, even partially, can be interrupted as being dismissive. All will hinder your communication with an upset client.

Control your voice. 

More is communicated through how you say words than the words you say. Maintaining an even steady tone of voice with little emphasis or inflection is the safest route.

You won’t make every customer happy, but by following these 4 steps, you can help many feel better about their transactions with you.

I Hope You Never Face an Upset Client 

I hope you never are confronted by a long-faced customer, but if you listen to them, apologize, and do your best to fix their concern, you’ll come out ahead.

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 Alex Iby on Unsplash

 

 

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Why Your Company Should Blog

If you’re business isn’t blogging, or not posting new blogs, here’s a couple of reasons why your company should blog. Granted, it’s not as easy as it was ten years ago to make an impact with your blog. There was much less competition back then. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact. One of the business blogs I manage, TKO Graphix Blog, is a  print shop in Plainfield IN. The blog gets more than 3,000 visits a month.

I facilitated a brain storming session with a customer who wanted to improve their online presence. I pointed out that their website needed help, their social media efforts were inconsistent and without direction, and one way to improve their digital marketing was to blog. If this sounds familiar. If you don’t have a consistent blog and social media presence, this post is for you.

Why Your Company Should Blog

Does your business have a website? What’s its purpose? Brand identification, customer service, employment opportunities? Let’s face it, we’d all like our sites to pay for themselves, wouldn’t we? If lead generation is not your number one reason for a web presence, shouldn’t it be near the top? If you want to improve your SEO (search engine optimization), which means increasing visibility, therefore, bringing more visitors to your site, then quality, fresh content is critical. Effective blogging and sharing on social media can and will improve SEO, which leads to a higher ranking, more hits, more leads, and more sales.

Usefulness is King

I’m sure you’ve heard that content is king. However, not all content is king. Google’s search algorithms introduced in the last few years have changed how we connect with prospects via search. Marketers can no longer rely on keywords alone to spike rankings. The creation of new, quality, and useful content is rewarded. This trend should continue into the foreseeable future. More and more, the measured quality and value of your content will affect ranking.

“Yes, content curation is an effective strategy to bring prospects to the top of the lead generation funnel. Without content, sites end up languishing on page three of a Google search. Therefore, content is a critical need, right?

Bad content not only doesn’t help, it hurts your marketing efforts. When consumers open your content to disappointment they don’t follow through browsing your website. Their journey is over. Content that disappoints the consumer is bad content.” —  Is Content Really King?

How Often Should You Blog?

I suggest a minimum one new  blog post per week, but how do three, five, or ten blogs per week affect SEO? Zappos, the footwear online retailer, went from being valued at zero to 1.2 billion dollars in 10 years. Blogging and social media were a big part of this meteoric rise. At last count, Zappos has seven corporate blogs with multiple posts per week. Rankings are affected by the quantity of fresh, quality content shared.

“The frequency of blog posts depends on what’s best for your company. Smaller businesses have found comfort and success posting one to four times a week, while larger companies can push out daily and, sometimes, multiple daily posts.” — Hubspot — How Often Should You (or Your Company) Blog?

Who Should Write Your Blog?

If you are fortunate, you may identify in-house writers who understand the importance of good grammar, typography, and social media broadcasting. If not, outsource to a reputable social media marketing firm. Retaining an experienced and qualified social media marketing company is preferable to putting out poor quality and inconsistent content. You can also reuse and tweak presentations, press releases, articles — even emails, if they haven’t been previously shared on the interwebs.

What Should You Write About?

The best strategy is to offer content of interest or value to your target audience.  If you can offer advice or help solve a problem for a business then you can make a connection. Keep in mind, social media, which includes blogging, is based on attraction not promotion; prospects have to want to go to your site. One way to accomplish this is to offer valuable information, solve problems, and help others. If you’d more ideas click here, 6 Ways to Never Run Out of Blog Post Ideas.

How Can You Promote Your Blog?

I share content on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, but I didn’t start there. Pick one or two to begin with and learn your way around. Sharing your blog posts on social platforms and linking them to your website is a proven way to increase traffic. Preliminary research of your market to learn what networks your prospects use the most also helps.

How Can I Help You? 

I know I’ve only touched the surface on why your company should blog. You could write a book on this topic, and  did. So, if this post struck a nerve check out, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. The book is full of action plans to create a blogging/writing system that works for you.

And please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to discuss anything thing in this post.

Photo by Eric Rothermel on Unsplash

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