Randy Clark's Blog, page 51

Do You Know Why You’re Mad?

Do you know why you’re mad? Do you ever get so mad you can’t see straight? You may be experiencing an amygdala hijack. An amygdala hijack is part of the survival system within our brain, and it’s been with us since the earliest of times. Faced with danger or fear, molecules are pumped into the blood stream, diverting blood and oxygen from the prefrontal cortex (the problem solving part of the brain), to the amygdala, triggering a fight or flight response. The bad news is it’s part of who we all are. The good news is you can learn to control it.

How Long Does a Hijack Last?

Have you ever noticed when you’re in a fit of rage, or in the grasp of fear, that in 20 minutes or so it goes away? That’s because it takes about 20 minutes for the chemicals to run through your system and your brain to come back to full capacity. However, if you allow yourself to become upset again, it can recycle and the hijack will continue.

How Does a Hijack Take Over?

In Dr. Relly Nadler’s What Was I Thinking? Handling the Hijack (PDF), she explains how a hijack affects thinking and problem solving, “When the amygdala is active with blood and oxygen, there is less activation in the prefrontal cortex. Our thinking power is disrupted and there are deficits in our problem solving, because the blood and oxygen are in the amygdala versus the prefrontal cortex. It’s like losing 10 to 15 IQ points temporarily, which explains, “what was I thinking?”

How Do You Stop a Hijack?

Use the following strategies to re-engage your prefrontal cortex and begin thinking rationally rather than emotionally. Take deep breaths – this can help deliver oxygen to the prefontal cortex. Walk away for 20 minutes. Walking away is preferable to regrettable actions. Re-engaging the brain by asking yourself open-ended questions works best for me. For example:

• What really happened?

• How am I feeling?

• What should I be doing?

• What caused my anger/fear?

• How can I overcome this?

So, the next time you’re in the midst of a hijack, stop, drop, and roll your way out of it – breathe deep, walk away for 20, and ask yourself open-ended questions – unless, of course, you want to be mad. How do you control your anger?

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 Icons8 Team on Unsplash

The post Do You Know Why You’re Mad? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

7 Steps to Improving Working with Yourself

I’ve written a lot about leadership how to improve your business, team, and how you work with others. However, improving how you work with others may need to start with how you treat yourself. Someone said it’s hard to love anyone if you don’t love yourself. The same is true for leadership. It’s hard to lead if you don’t lead yourself, and it’s difficult to build fruitful working relationships with others if you haven’t built one with yourself. How are at working with yourself?

7 Steps to Improving Working with Yourself
Turn off your inner voice when it becomes destructive

I build bridges before I reach the river. My protective inner voice uses whatever data is available, regardless of how limited it is, and then puts 2 + 2 together to come up with 5. I’m learning to tell my inner voice thank you but no thanks. Last week I wanted to catch up with my wife at a meeting. When I arrived at the parking lot, her vehicle was missing. She didn’t answer text or phone. I knew she had been kidnapped, waylaid, and was on life support at a local hospital.

OK, I’m exaggerating, but my inner voice took me there. The location of the meeting had been changed, which was on our shared calendar had I taken the time to look. I do the same thing at work. I’ll jump to conclusions not based on fact but on the fear my little inner voice perpetuates. Learn to say thanks but no thanks to your inner voice.

Limit passive aggressive behavior

We all do it. We allow something that bothers us to fester. Rather than work toward a solution we let it to live inside our brains poisoning our system with anger. The question is why? Are we afraid of confrontation, do we wonder if we’re out of line, have we given up and find it easier to aqueous, is it all of the above? Allowing the anger to live inside us is unhealthy. It can lead to ulcers or worse. Rather than accept your passive aggressive inclinations find a way to express your concerns in a non-aggressive manner. If you find your behavior to be petty, unwarranted, or self-centered, then give yourself a break and file your passive aggressive thoughts in the trash bin.

Find the humor 

Work is a lot more pleasant when you have fun, especially if the humor is directed at yourself. Self-deprecating humor reminds us of the frailties of the human condition and eases the pressure of our fear of failure.

Take a break

Take more than one. Leave your workspace, take a walk, work in the yard, stretch, or do yoga but give yourself a break or it will break you.

Get organized

I know for many this is easier said than done, but taking the time to organize your activities relieves stress.

Procrastinate less

I feel great putting this off — said no one ever. Try this, it’s called the gumption factor; begin your day tackling the most difficult task first. The feeling of accomplishment will extend throughout the day.

Listen more

You don’t have to do all the talking. When you’re talking, you’re not learning. If you’re distracted, you may miss essential information. When your attention is divided, you take action based on faulty information. Slow down, stay focused, quit talking. Listen.

Be Good to Yourself

If you viewed these 7 points as how to work better with others or how others can work better with you, it’s a no-brainer. But do we ever take the time to consider how we treat ourselves? How do you sabotage you? Where do you drop the ball when working with yourself? What do you need to do to improve?

A Challenge

Pick one of the 7 points to improve over the next 30 days. Please let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear from 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.

Photo by Pontus Wellgraf on Unsplash

The post 7 Steps to Improving Working with Yourself appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How to Set Communication Expectations that Work

Today there is a greater need than ever to set communication expectations at work that work. With team members on furlough, reduced staff, and people working from home, communication is not only critical to the success of your operation but also to the well-being and peace of mind of your staff.

It may be even more critical for those who continue to go to work, healthcare professionals, pharmacy staff, and grocery store personnel all need to have clearly communicated expectations, because it could mean life or death.

So, how do you set communication expectations that work? One of the problems with modern communication is there are so many medias available. Phone, text, email, and face-to-face are just a few of the options. No single communication network works universally. If you’ve ever missed an urgent email because you were off the grid you know the frustration. You may have thought, why didn’t they call or text me, but the question is, did you give them your communication expectations?

What do you Prefer?

Do you want to set communication expectations that work with your team? If so, it begins by understanding your communication expectations. The first thing you need to do is understand your needs and preferences. Rate and answer the following:

Rate the following as to your preference

 

Never if I can help it
  Rarely, only mom
      Sometimes
     Yea, it’s good
 Always of Course


Phone call







Voice Mail







Verbal







Email







Text







Social Media







Written

Note what you like or dislike about each

Phone call

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Voice mail

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Email

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Text

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Social Media

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Written (memo)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verbal

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I gave this survey to a sales team. We learned that the sales manager preferred email and used it as his primary communication to manage the team. At the same time, two of the younger sales people shared that they strongly disliked email, often deleted pages at a time without opening them, and preferred text messages. The sales manager manager considered texting unprofessional and inappropriate for the workplace place. As facilitator I didn’t take sides but stressed how important it was for the team to discuss and agree on how they would communicate going forward.

How do You Let Folks Know What You Prefer?

Set the expectations by telling people what you prefer, but that alone will not be enough. You have to teach people how to communicate with you. For example, if you’re busy every day from 8 until 9 a. m. then don’t answer emails (OK, you got me, don’t lose a customer over this, but you’d be surprised how many will understand — they face the same hurdles). Politely answer the emails in order at 9:01 explaining that their correspondence is important, but you were unavailable at that time. Don’t think you can do that? You already do it every day during meetings, lunch, and breaks.

When You Don’t Share Expectations, the Outcome May be Unexpected

I’ve shared before about a co-workers frustration with me when I didn’t answer his email. By the time he sent his third email it was shouted in all caps, “WHY HAVEN’T YOU ANSWERED ME!?” The answer is I’m more efficient when I limit distractions; therefore, I’ve turned off email notifications and only check it three times a day. The problem was I didn’t meet his expectations because he was unaware of mine. I didn’t share my communication expectations with him. I have since. Now, if he urgently needs to contact me he sends a text — my phone is always on.

What do You Expect?

By understanding and sharing your communication expectations you can reduce, not eliminate, the frustrations of communication breakdowns. “If others don’t know what is expected, they probably won’t meet those expectations. Sounds pretty silly doesn’t it? It happens, and it happens often. So, don’t assume – share.” — How to Improve Interdepartmental Communication.  Have you shared your expectations? How did you accomplish this?

How to Set Communication Expectations that Work 

A friend asked for my advice on a panel discussion she is chairing. The topic is communication. The discussion is part of a regional seminar for a large not for profit organization that has many layers of participation. I thought about it and offered her the following points to talk over with her panel before outlining the discussion.

6 Communication Points to Consider

What’s the purpose? Is it to improve communication in general or in specific areas? Is it to introduce new topics, improve one segment of the communication chain, or clarify positions?
Who’s involved? Does the topic fit the audience? Is it what they need to hear? What’s the best way to deliver the message? Should the audience be reduced to sub-groups or increased in size? Is the group being served?
What are the expectations? What’s the takeaway, what do you want people to understand, learn, and embrace? How would you measure the success of the discussion?
How will it be communicated? There are so many ways to share a message today it’s easy for it to get lost. The most common outcome of verbal communication is misunderstanding so should information be printed as well? Should it be available via email, text, social media, video, PowerPoint slides, or…?
How will you check understanding? One lecture is seldom enough to influence the majority of listeners. How will you follow up your message, with whom, how often, and by what media?
What will your CTA (Call to Action) be? A presentation without actions tied to it is little more than words. What actions will you ask your audience to take post discussion. Keep in mind that you  —You Can’t Talk Shit Done: Adding Actions to Words

What’s Your Recipe?

I’m not certain all six points fit my friend’s needs or the organizations purposes. If you’re reading this, it may be the same for you and your organization. Pick and choose the questions that will best focus your team on improving communication. Build your own communication recipe. “We’ll have a dash of number three with sides of five and six please.” I know this, the answer to how to set communication expectations that work in your organization lies here in these six points. What works for you? What points have I missed? Are we communicating effectively?

One Last Thought

The survey makes for an interesting and enlightening group meeting. Try it with your team and let me know how it works.

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 freestocks on Unsplash

The post How to Set Communication Expectations that Work appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

The Benefits of Helping Others

Now more than ever it’s important to let people know what you need and to find ways to give others what they need. However, even in these trying times, in many ways, we get what we’re looking. I’m not talking about winning the lottery or marrying a movie star. I’m talking about what we think about, what we concentrate on and how we live our lives. The benefits of helping others.

Are you working from home? Or are you one of the many heroes working in healthcare, food service, delivery, or trucking? Ask yourself this. What would make your job easier and more efficient? Where could you use help? Think about that for a minute. We’ll come back to this question. But first, what can you do to make someone else’s job easier and more efficient?

Do You Believe in Karma?

Karma — what goes around comes around. Karma — we become what we believe, and what we focus on. How we see the world becomes our reality, and that reality is what we find. For example, if you buy a brand new blue model ABC car, you’ll often begin seeing new blue ABC cars all over the place. Weren’t they always there?

What You Believe is What You Will Find

If you believe the world is full of anger and hatred, that’s what you’ll find. And if you think the world is full of good and grace — you’ll find that as well. If in business, you think everyone is out for themselves, then they are, and if you think most people are pretty good and willing to help each other, that’s what you’ll often find. Like I said, you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Where DO You Need Help?

Let’s go back to my first question. I’m surprised how many, when asked this question, don’t know or don’t share what they need. Be prepared by knowing what you need. Have the answer to what would make your job easier, more efficient, or more productive. Your needs will not always be met but you should know the answer.

It Starts With You

Karma — start by helping others. Believe in helping, focus on it, and it will find you. One way to get help is to give it.  It will not always be reciprocated, but it will be returned often enough to make it worthwhile. Besides, it’s a pretty darn fulfilling way to look at life. Who can you help today?

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.

The post The Benefits of Helping Others appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

My Top Ten (plus one) Blogging Mistakes

During the quarantine, I have time on my hands, you? One of the ways I fill my time is writing. I write books, web copy, and stories. However, what I write the most are blogs. I’ve posted more than 2,000, and I’ve made every one of these eleven blogging mistakes and more. How do you think I learned what not to do? Hopefully, you can learn from my blogging mistakes. It’s much easier than the path I took. Here are my top ten blogging mistakes.

The number one blogging mistake is inconsistent posting 

As well-intentioned as a blogging schedule might be, it’s easy to get away from it. Here’s the thing, I could share calendars, apps, and scheduling software, but that’s not why blogs get off schedule. The reason people post inconsistently isn’t for lack of good intentions. It’s because of a lack of commitment. It’s easy to prioritize other activities more important than this week’s blog post. It can always be justified that something was more critical than writing a new blog post. And as long as this is true. Your blogging will be inconsistent. So, how do you overcome this? First, you set a realistic blog plan (I suggest beginning by posting one new blog per week). Next, you get ahead of your plan by writing four to eight posts before you publish your first. And finally, make a total commitment to not allowing anything to interfere or take precedence over publishing your scheduled post. It helps if you have an editorial calendar with a routine post publishing scheduled such as publishing a new post every Tuesday at 1:00.

A mass of words without breaks

So, when you click on a post and all you see is a full page of words what do you do? Do you click out? Even if there are a few paragraphs, it’s still not very attractive and certainly doesn’t send a compelling message saying – read me, does it? What’s interesting is that this lack of breaks is acceptable in print. A book without breaks isn’t daunting. However, a blog isn’t a book. Posts can be broken up with paragraphs, images, and headers. “By breaking up your article into proper sections with headings, your reader will have an opportunity to do a quick scan and (hopefully) decide that your article is one they want to continue to read.” — How To Format Your Blog Posts To Keep Your Readers Engaged

Lack of a consistent editing plan 

If you want to write better it begins with editing and then editing again, and … well you get the idea. My editing plan includes spellcheck (more on that later), a review 24 hours after writing, Grammarly, Yoast in WordPress, and reviewing the post one sentence at a time beginning at the end, which brings a new focus to the edits. “This is a proven copy-editing and proofreading technique that my colleague shared with me some time ago,” says Gocheva. “It’s helpful for shorter pieces. Start at the bottom of the page and read the text sentence by sentence. Reading the copy out of context often helps identify errors.” — Forbes.com — The 10 Best Ways To Edit Your Copy, According To The Experts

Ten years ago, when I was new to blogging, I had two co-workers who reviewed and edited my posts pre-publication. Today I follow an editing checklist. Regardless, whether you use editors or editing software, you need an editing system.

Writers Block 

Attempting to blog without a blogging plan is a bad plan. “My wife asked me how I overcame writer’s block. I’m not bragging, but I write thousands of words every week and never have writer’s block. Never. It’s not because I have superpowers. It’s because I have a system. The system is based on the idea of knowing what you want to write before you put your fingers on the keyboard. Blocking out an hour or two to write isn’t a plan. It will almost certainly lead to writer’s block. You need a plan. One of the keys to this plan is you don’t attempt to do it all at once – it’s in stages.” — How to Defeat Writer’s Block

Word stuffing

Should you “stuff” words to reach a word count? No. Let me say that again. No! Blogging isn’t writing 101, which required a set number of words for papers. (Do courses continue to do this? And if they do, why? What does this teach?) Anyway, adding words for words sake to meet a number count has little to do with writing an effective post that people want to read. Nobody has ever said, “I can’t read this because it doesn’t have a big enough word count”. However, you may have stopped reading a post because it was too long, rambling, and unfocused. Because it was stuffed.

“When you’re done talking about the subject at hand, and you’ve edited your content to be as useful and economic as it can be, your blog post is exactly as long as it should be. This could mean you have a blog post that’s 2,000 words (like this one here) or one that’s less than 100 words (like this one here).” — How long should your Blog Post be?

Attempting to edit while you write 

Editing and writing use different parts of your brain. Whether Hemingway indeed said, “Write drunk, edit sober” or not, the point is to allow our creativity free reign while writing and if you stop the creative flow to edit, you slow your creativity. So, while you write turn off spell check, don’t reread sentences, and do not check grammar. Yes, do all of that and more but not until the first draft is written.

“Have you ever started a blog post, got a paragraph or two in, scrapped your introduction, started again, and then ended up bogged down mid-way? A good plan will help a lot here, but you also need to get out of the habit of trying to perfect every sentence while you’re working on the first draft. It’s an inefficient and often frustrating way to work.” — Problogger.com — 9 Crucial Tips for Self-Editing Your Blog Posts (That Every Blogger Can Use)

No promotion 

A great post that no one reads is worthless. What can be done to get posts seen and read? You can start by paying attention to basic SEO (search engine optimization) Ignoring SEO is a good way to be seen only by friends and family. What do you do to improve SEO on a blog post? As my good friend Lorraine Ball says, “The best place to hide a body is on the second page of a Google search.”

No Images 

Poor images or no image at all takes away from a blog post. So, where do you find suitable images? There are many sources, but my current go-to is Unsplash. According to its website, Unsplash shares more than 1.5 million stock photos from more than 100,000 photographers. So, how important are images on a blog post? My friends at Roundpeg say it well, “As it happens, we tend to judge by our first impressions. First impressions can be wrong and misguided, but I’ve often made important decisions off them anyway. From deciding where to eat using pictures on a restaurant’s menu, to picking out what book to read, to buying a present online, we make decisions all the time from visual first impressions.”— How Website Images Create Good First Impressions

No Call to Action 

So, why do you have a blog? If you’re in business, it’s ultimately to develop leads. Raising your SEO through content development is one way. Calls to action are another. CTA’s are usually found at the end of a post, but not always. They include blog subscription, email opt-in, contact buttons, social media icons, and internal links. I see too many posts without a CTA. Don’t make this mistake. Remember why you have a blog.

No links 

Use bright colors and bold type to help links stand out from the text. There are three primary types of links.

Outbound links — Links to other sites. It’s important to vet outbound links. I find it best to stick with legitimate resources you’re familiar with.

Internal links — Links to previous content on your website — older blog posts, images, or website copy.

Backlinks — 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 that can lead to backlinks.

No attention paid to SEO

A post I wrote two years ago explains basic SEO. “The seven-point checklist below is part of what I do before I hit publish on our WordPress site. 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, and I use Yoast SEO. I couldn’t do this without WordPress and Yoast.

7 Keys to Keyword Success

Title – 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 is the part of the URL that identifies the post and distinguishes it from other posts on the same platform. The keyword should 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 – Only a couple of years ago, a keyword density of 4.5 % keywords to the total number of words was acceptable. Today, that number is looked on as keyword stuffing. Any time the keywords get in the way of the readability that’s a problem—minimum .05 maximum 2.5%.
First paragraph – The keyword should always appear in the first paragraph.
Subheads – At least one subhead should contain the keyword.
Image – The keyword needs to be added to all images in the post under Alt text or alternative description, and it doesn’t hurt to include the keyword in the image caption and title as well.” — 7 Keys to Keyword Success

What blogging mistakes are you making?

So, what blogging mistakes are you making? Hopefully, I’ve given you a few ideas on how to improve your blog. The key now is to act. Choose one of the top ten (okay eleven) blogging mistakes and make it better. After that, pick another blogging mistake and then another blogging mistake and… If you’re like me, you have time to write right now. So, use your time wisely. Don’t make these blogging mistakes.

If you’d like to dig deep into improving your blog, I wrote a book about it,  How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. I’m guessing you have time to read it.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

 

The post My Top Ten (plus one) Blogging Mistakes appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

The Key Ingredient to Successfully Working from Home

I’ve read a lot recently about working from home, most of it good. Points such as dress for work, have a designated work space, and set boundaries are all good advice. However, time after time I see “set work hours” as integral piece of the puzzle to successfully working form home. From my experience punching a time clock isn’t one of the keys to successfully working from home. On the contrary, it may get in the way. I’m not saying to put in 12 hours a day or work into the wee hours of the night. What I’m suggesting is that taking action, getting the job done is more important than watching the clock.

I work from home. My first experience was when I took the summer of 2008 off from work — or at least that’s what I told myself. What I did was speak, consult, train, and write over 100,000 words. My outlines, presentations, and writing were all done from my home office between gardening, reading for fun, or just swinging in the hammock. I accomplished a lot and took breaks when I needed. How was I able to do this? What was my secret? I didn’t look at the clock. I still don’t. Today it was past 2:00 when I remembered I hadn’t eaten.

Granted, there are many keys to successfully working from home, including a comfortable work station, access to information, proper equipment, and support. But none of this would work if I didn’t produce. This is how I hold myself accountable.

Look to Tasks, Not Time

Instead of looking at the clock, I look at my list. I begin each day with a task list, which I expect to complete. This can only be accomplished by constructing a realistic, highly doable list.

By calculating how long each task will take, I schedule a full day. If I work faster or smarter and complete the tasks sooner, I have more hammock time. If I take a two hour break to mow the lawn before it rains, I keep working until my task list is complete. The key is to make a realistic list — not a wish list. Unless it’s Armageddon or my network goes down (same thing), I complete the list regardless of the time. I’m not an expert on ROWE (Results Only Work Environment), but I know what works for me.

• Construct a realistic task list

• Commit to completing the list before the day is finished

Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. If you’re interrupted by family, children, and pets — work until it’s done. If you are easily distracted, try the following:

Set Boundaries. Let those who share your space know what you need, what you expect, and what is unacceptable.
Put on your headphones. Instrumental music works best for me.
Shut the door and create a do not disturb sign.
Post your calendar, mines on the fridge.
Don’t jump down Rabbit holes. I turn off all notifications except for text and phone, and then check email and social media on my schedule.

If you want to successfully work from home, be a taskmaster, not a clock watcher. Do you work from home? What have you learned that helps you work successfully from home?

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 Djurdjica Boskovic on Unsplash

The post The Key Ingredient to Successfully Working from Home appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Happy Monkey

On the last weekend of February, my wife and I celebrated 28 years of marriage and our seventh wedding anniversary. Both statements are true. Do the math. Anyway, we decided to spend a long weekend in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico (Okay, she decided, and I wholeheartedly agreed!) It was a great weekend. We were as happy as a happy monkey should be.

 We tried to remember how many times we had been to Puerto Vallarta and concluded that it was somewhere between eight and ten visits. We love the weather, beaches, the ocean, and whales. We enjoy leisurely strolling along the beachfront downtown, and the food, ah, especially the seafood.

So, when was the last time we were here? 

We stayed at Villa del Mar Puerto Vallarta, a resort we had been to a decade before. From top to bottom, employees smiled, greeted you when they passed you in the hall (not some of the staff some of the time but Every. Single. One!) I talked to our breakfast omelet chef about this. He shared with me that although he was born in Mexico, he grew up in Chicago and later moved to North Carolina to take a job as a welder.

He told me that the company he worked for as a wielder didn’t treat their employees well. He said they could care less about employee’s well-being, safety, or happiness. Then he told me he was so much happier working here because the management cared. It showed. It’s hard to expect excellent customer service from unhappy employees. The Villa Del Mar staff was happy.

Our morning routine 

Every morning my wife and I would grab towels and then stake out chairs on the beach. Then we’d go to the breakfast buffet. Did I mention it was my all-time favorite breakfast buffet? I mean made to order eggs, lox and bagels, and a bloody Mary bar, what else could you ask for? After breakfast, we would go to the beach.

On the beach, vendors dressed in white from head to toe offered their wares: sombreros, jewelry, food, and more. Most were upbeat and friendly as we were in return. One morning the couple next to us asked if we were from Canada. I said no and asked why? “Because you’re so friendly to everyone.” Later we learned that the couple owned a fishing resort on Lake Erie. They closed for the winter.

The Happy Monkey vendor 

Okay, so to the point of this post and the title. One of the vendors sold marionettes and happy monkeys. He would walk by holding a broomstick full of monkeys and puppets and say softly in a dry voice that was almost sad and certainly without expression, “Happy Monkey.”

I don’t know if I can get across how downcast he sounded selling happy monkeys. We never saw him sell one.

I don’t profess to know why he sounded off, but I do know this. Watching him say “Happy Monkey” with a defeated tone for three days in a row wasn’t helping his sales.

How many Happy Monkeys are in your organization?

So, here’s my question. How many happy monkey are in your organization? How many potential customers have been turned off by a staff persons’ downer demeanor or tone? It happens, and it has happened in your organization.

How do you overcome this? By making your employees happy and through customer service training. Remember the omelet chef? He told me that the company had follow-up training for customer service, and regardless of how many times an employee had been to the training, it was mandatory every two months. So, do your employees know how to treat your customers, or are they selling happy monkeys?

 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 Andre Mouton on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

 

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How to Improve Interdepartmental Communication

Interdepartmental communication is a problem in nearly every type of organization. As important as it is, as many problems as it causes, and as much as everyone wants it improved – little is done. Improvement comes with understanding the causes and implementing a plan of activities for improvement.

Common Causes of Poor Interdepartmental Communication
Inaccurate and incomplete information

Underlying issues could include not taking the time to check information, sloppy communication, and correspondence delegated to unqualified direct reports.

Uncommunicated expectations

If others don’t know what is expected, they probably won’t meet those expectations. Sounds pretty silly doesn’t it? It happens, and it happens often. So, don’t assume – share.

“Yes-man” syndrome

When someone tells others what they want to hear, not what’s going to occur. This can be caused by fear of conflict, not wanting to contradict a superior – or worse yet – someone who has no intention of doing anything, unless it’s their way.

Underlying Reasons
Siloing and interdepartmental conflict

When the department becomes greater than the whole.  “Departments within organizations are designed to accomplish specific tasks. Silo thinking is when a department or a team member stands alone, and focus is placed on the department instead of the organization. Often, the department becomes more important to its members than the organization, as a whole. It is difficult to improve the organization, implement new procedures, or change the culture, until the silos are removed.” — Tear Down those silos.

Limited time allotted to communication

Interdepartmental communication not given the importance or time needed.

People using different communication media

I recently had a co-worker upset with me because I hadn’t answered their email. Because, I limit the number of times per day I allow email to distract me from tasks. He didn’t know that.

Assuming others think as we do

Everyone does this. So, reduce mis-communication by reviewing the understanding of shared information.

Poor listening skills

“Whether you’re in a conversation or listening to a presentation, set the stage by considering what your purpose is. Are you there to learn? Do you want to know what the other person has to share? If you do all the talking, how will this be achieved? You already know what you know. Set your ego aside – this isn’t about who’s better, bigger, or more knowledgeable – it’s not a power struggle (or shouldn’t be). Accept idiosyncrasies – not everyone communicates as you do. Clear your mind of opinions and prejudges, take a few deep breaths, and listen.” — How to Actively Listen in a Loud World

Finger pointing

This seldom improves anything, including communication.

Relying on verbal communication alone

The most common outcome to verbal communication is misunderstanding. Supplement verbal communication with followup correspondence.

How to Improve Interdepartmental Communication
Begin the conversation

I conduct weekly and bi-weekly leadership seminars with department heads for several organizations. Simply bringing everyone together has opened lines of communication. Address common goals and communication skills as well.

What information do you need?

Facilitate interdepartmental discussions regarding the information you need. Discuss inaccurate information, time expectations, and then improvement plans.

Talk about how to communicate

So, how does your team share interdepartmental expectations; via email, private correspondence, verbally? What is the expected followup? Ask these questions and share expectations.

Cross-train

Improved understanding, through job rotation of each other’s responsibilities and activities, will lead to an appreciation of how departments interact and affect one another. Therefore, this leads to better communication.

What Are You Doing About It? 

So, is interdepartmental communication a problem in your organization? If so, do something. Begin with a few of the the suggestions listed above. Because, it’s up to you. So, begin the conversation, share expectations, learn what others do, and consider how YOU can improve your information sharing.

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 Pavan Trikutam on Unsplash

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Is your Leadership Credo a Blank Page?

Most managers have an idea about their leadership beliefs. There are actions they adhere to as well as things they avoid. I was the same. However, when I took the time to think about my leadership credo and write it down, it become clearer. And not only that, it was something I could share with my team and future leaders. A few years ago, I wrote the following leadership credo to introduce a leadership development course. Its contents are nothing new. Every point may not exactly fit you and your team, but it doesn’t matter, because my goal for this post is that you take the time to fill the blank page with your own leadership credo.  

My Leadership Credo 

Maintain integrity and adhere to a code of ethics
Create and share a vision (Where the organization is going, how you will get there, and why)
Share a mission (Why what you do is important to your clients and your teammates)
One of the biggest mistakes managers make is believing others think, learn, communicate, and are motivated the same as the manager. Take the time to learn how others process.
Commit to giving your best effort at all times regardless the activity. If you don’t, what example are you setting?
Embrace personal accountability, rather than looking to place blame with others. It’s not who’s right it’s what’s right.
Show a commitment to excellence in customer service
Treat employees as well as you treat your customers
Be the best teammate you can be
Strive for individual improvement, growth, and continuous learning
Rise to the challenges before you
Follow policies and procedures. If you don’t have them, engage the team in developing them. If they don’t work, improve them
Give expectations to others, instruct them on how to proceed, and follow-up with everyone
Listening is understanding. Listening is wanting to hear. Do not listen to reply, listen to learn.


If you’re unsure, ask
Take notes
Ask others if they understand


Set meaningful goals, based on activities, and then track them. A goal without a plan is a wish
Have fun! Laugh!

What’s Your Leadership Credo? 

What would you add to this list? What holds true and has meaning for you? So, are you ready to fill the blank page?

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 ASHLEY EDWARDS on Unsplash

The post Is your Leadership Credo a Blank Page? appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

What Example Are You Setting?

You’ve probably heard and accepted the aphorism, “Lead by example,” but what does it mean? Many define it as setting a good example for others to follow. And while there is some truth to this — it’s not the whole story. Leaders have weaknesses, and given the choice between a difficult or an easy task, most people will take the latter. Direct reports usually copy weaknesses before strengths.

What Can You Do About It?

• Catalog your weaknesses — You must be brutally honest with yourself. The best way to avoid spreading your weaknesses to your team is to improve your shortcomings. Improvement begins with awareness. Ask a trusted friend to review your weaknesses with you.

• Create an improvement plan — Conduct a B-Mod (behavioral modification) with consequences for yourself. Form new constructive habits and follow them for a month, write them down, make an outline, analyze your weaknesses, read how to improve them, ask a mentor for help, or all of the above.

• Make others aware of your weakness — While managing a fifty person call center, it became apparent to me that one of my weaknesses was counterproductive. Not wanting any of my five managers to copy this behavior, I took them aside and shared my weakness and my plan for improvement. I also asked for their help by having them use my middle name when they “caught” me — it worked.

To set a good example, you may need to first improve the poor examples you present. To improve your imperfections, you must admit you’re not perfect and be aware of your shortcomings. Devising and following an improvement plan, while asking others for help, is a step in the right direction. Setting the example of self-improvement can be just as important as improving your weakness.

Have you had the privilege of working with a leader who set good examples, or the opposite — the, “Do as I say, not as I do!” manager? What did you learn from them?

What Happens When Leaders Set the Wrong Example? 
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.

What 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.

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?

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 Mark Duffel on Unsplash

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