Molly Fletcher's Blog, page 9
June 7, 2018
Suzy Welch Explains the 10-10-10 Rule for Making Tough Decisions
Have difficulty making tough decisions? Maybe Suzy Welch’s 10-10-10 rule could help. She explained how the 10-10-10 filter works and the inspirational (and comical) story behind it when she was a guest on my podcast. In this 60 second clip, she breaks down what 10-10-10 stands for and how it can impact your life immediately:
10 minutes: The first 10 is to determine how the consequences will shape your life for the immediate future
10 minutes: The second 10 is to determine how the consequences will shape your life for the foreseeable future
10 years: The third 10 is to determine how the consequences will shape your life in the long term
If you want to hear more, listen to the full episode.
https://mollyfletcher.com/app/uploads/2018/06/Suzy-Welch-Audiogram-Final.mp4
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May 11, 2018
The 3 Biggest Mistakes Leaders Make
Communicator, author and pastor Andy Stanley recently joined me on Game Changers to talk about the characteristics of leaders worth following and the mistakes that even good leaders can sometimes make. In this four minute excerpt from our conversation, he discusses the three biggest mistakes leaders make:
Confuse responsibility and competency
Make too many decisions
Unwilling to own their mistakes
If you want to hear more, listen to the full episode.
https://media.sparemin.com/embed-video/videos/7b/da/a6/b1/7bdaa6b1-e738-456c-af7f-19696886af80_40334.mp4
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May 2, 2018
10 Best Practices to Close the Deal
For nearly two decades as an agent, I negotiated deals in the high-stakes, big-ego world of professional sports. After negotiating more than $500 million in contracts for my clients, I observed traits of some of the best – and worst – negotiators. I learned the common mistakes to avoid when negotiating, and what it takes to get even the toughest deals done. From that experience, I developed these top 10 Best Practices to Close the Deal.
Negotiate in Person – Whenever possible, negotiate in person. You’ll pick up valuable insight by observing the person’s body language, facial expressions, and tone. Negotiation is about connection, and the best way to connect is in person!
Timing is Everything – You know the expression, “timing is everything?” Well it’s true in negotiation too. You don’t want to ask too soon but you certainly don’t want to miss your window of opportunity either. If you are aren’t sure whether the timing is right, you can simply ask: “Are you ready to get this deal done?” If the answer is no, then ask when they will be ready.
The Ask is Not the End, it’s the Start – Remember that when you make your ask, it’s not take it or leave it. If you’ve built a strong relationship, the ask is just the start. Negotiation is a back and forth conversation, not a demand to be made and immediately accepted or rejected.
Be Aware of Your Body Language– A significant percentage of communication is non-verbal. That includes your facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and posture, and it also includes things like your appearance, timeliness, and how well prepared you are. What message are you sending the other person through your non-verbal communication?
Practice a Confident Tone – So much of what we communicate isn’t through what we say, but how we say it. Is your tone loud or soft, fast or slow? Practice making your ask with a friend so you can get feedback. Keep practicing until you find the right tone that exudes confidence.
Use Curiosity to Overcome Disconnects– How do you deal with the other side if you get pushback? Instead of getting defensive, get curious. Becoming curious allows the other side to feel like they are being heard. When you come up against a disconnect, stop talking and start listening.
Dealing with Difficult (or Different) People– If you encounter someone who’s difficult to negotiate with, ask yourself: Are they difficult or are they just wired differently than me? Consider whether they might just be coming from a different perspective. The four most common perspectives are: financial, logistical, strategic, and relational. Can you identify which one(s) they value most, and adapt your communication style to close the gap?
Embrace the Pause – Many people are uncomfortable with silence, but when you embrace the pause and wait for the other side to make the next move, it builds anticipation and helps provide clarity around where the conversation is going.
Getting to Yes– If you feel like the deal has stalled, find ways to keep moving it forward. One of my favorite tactics to do this is to agree to smaller items that are easier to get a “yes.” Those smaller wins can be the momentum you need to close the deal. You might have to make the final ask multiple times.
Know When to Walk Away– It’s going to happen. At some point, there is going to be a deal you just can’t close. But Game Changer negotiators ask for what they want while still maintaining the relationship. Don’t make the mistake that anydeal is better than no deal.
Those are my top 10 tips for closing a deal! We share this approach to negotiating in my company’s Game Changer Negotiation Training workshops. If you’d like to improve your negotiating skills, our Game Changer Negotiation Training workshops will teach you a simple and flexible framework that you can apply to any negotiation. Just visit http://gamechanger360.com to schedule a workshop today.
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April 27, 2018
4 Negotiating Tips Every Woman Should Know
InStyle magazine asked me to share a few negotiating tips for women. After almost two decades as a sports agent, I know there is a distinct difference in negotiating for others and negotiating for ourselves. Women are darn good at negotiating for others (i.e. for our kids, our employees), but it is imperative we ask for what we deserve, want, and need for ourselves too. I hope this piece helps you negotiate for you.
And if you’d like to improve your negotiating skills, our Game Changer Negotiation Training workshops will teach you a simple and flexible framework that you can apply to any negotiation. Get immediate results while strengthening your relationships. Visit http://gamechanger360.com to schedule a workshop today.
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January 22, 2018
5 Ways to Make Room for Inspiration
Recently I read an article in Harvard Business Review about inspiration and it piqued my interest. Part of my personal mission statement – To connect, inspire and lead with creative courage and optimism – even includes a mention of my desire to inspire. But I, like many people today, get caught up in the busyness of life. I’m running from point A to point B, and at times, without enough space in between. I forget to create time to just be – and that’s when inspiration happens.
Inspiration Can’t Be Scheduled
Inspiration isn’t something someone can plan for. We can’t schedule it. Often we can’t even predict it. But we can increase our odds for it. That is, if we are open enough to catch it. Make room for inspiration, but don’t put “Find inspiration” on your to-do list, because that’s unrealistic. Rather, put “Be curious, be open, wonder, create space” – and then it might find you. Have you ever heard someone say, “I was sitting at my desk and became so inspired to…”? Hell no. It happens at yoga, on a walk, in the car. So, change the way you show up and inspiration will show up.
What Magnolia Tree?
As I mentioned, I can be guilty of doing instead of being or hitting auto-pilot myself. I remember one time my mom was visiting me at the apartment complex where I had lived for years. As we exited the elevator, turned left to walk twenty steps to my apartment complex (like I had done hundreds of times) my mom stopped me and said, “Molly, oh my gosh! Look at this magnolias tree….these magnolias! They are gorgeous. I’ve never seen a magnolia flower so big!” I had no idea what she was talking about. I had walked by this tree hundreds of times but never had the created the space to notice it. Whereas she saw it – and she noticed one of the prettiest magnolias she’d ever seen (and me too, once I actually looked).
Why hadn’t I noticed it earlier? Because it wasn’t on my to do list. When we create space and take moments to de-clutter our mind, we create room to notice new things. And this space can lead to inspiration.
5 Ways to Make Room for Inspiration
But how can you make room for inspiration? Here are five ideas.
Listen to other inspiring speakers. I find listening to people I admire and reading their books opens new perspective and possibilities.
Try saying yes to things you usually say no to. And try saying no to things you usually say yes to.
Carry a notebook with you for one week and write down moments that you notice. Be aware of your surroudnings and capture times where your subconscious says “Hey, there might be something here.” It can be something you see, hear, think or even smell.
Spend time every day technology-free. So many of us are chained to our phones, computers and tablets. Make a point to put them away. You can spend that time working, meditating, or chatting with a friend. Regardless, allow time so your gadgets can’t interrupt you.
Try a different daily routine, even if it’s taking a different route from the office to home. Be intentional about starting or ending the day differently. Who knows what you’ll see.
Your Game Changer Takeaway
When we make space for the inspiration in the little moments of our daily lives, we are likely to experience it more often.
Like this blog? Be sure to check out my podcast that comes out this Thursday. I talk with Chris Barez-Brown about his new book WAKE UP! Escaping Life on Auto-Pilot and he has some awesome inisghts into how to disrupt our every day life to make every day count.
The Molly Fletcher Company inspires leaders, teams and organizations to kick-start growth. A keynote speaker and author , Molly draws on her decades of experiences working as a sports agent. Sign up here to receive our monthly newsletter and subscribe to the Game Changers with Molly Fletcher podcast on iTunes.
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January 16, 2018
Are You Doing What’s Important?
Discipline is doing what you want most; not necessarily what you want right now.
In January, many people strive to set up a successful year. Often setting goals, both short- and long-term. Sometimes by a fire, over coffee or wine, on a comfy chair in our house or office. We’re clear. It’s clear. Then life happens, the phone rings, emails roll in by the minute, clients need us, collegues need us, and, most important, our families and friends need us. Somewhere along the way people get sucked into the urgent and, at times, unimportant. They come up for air sometime in January or the first quarter and peek at their goals, “Damn it, I am not tracking” or “This is hard” or “These are unrealistic” or they re-boot, re-clarify and re-connect to their mission. They decide to lean into the hard.
What is urgent?
An approaching RFP deadline. Your boss calling you into her office. A client’s phone call. An email marked with the annoying red exclamation point. A child home from school sick. These are things that are urgent and need to be attended to immediately.
What is important?
Fostering relationships by building favor columns with current and potential clients. Reading relavent industry news and the latest books in your field. Check-in meetings to make sure you/your company is fulfilling its purpose. These are things that are important – but don’t necessarily need to be done immediately. Yet if you neglect them, there will be consequences in the long run.
Why does it matter?
When we fail to differentiate between what is urgent and what is important, someone else’s priorities often become our own agenda. Have you ever been on the phone when a text comes in, and you stop talking so you can respond to the text? People often treat everything as urgent, when in reality, it could likely wait. When everything is urgent and you’re reacting, it can be exhausting, certainly distracting and cause us to make mistakes.
Conversely, I can think of a lot of times in my career when there are things that are urgent but not important. Delineating between the two is the key. Important are things that align with our mission and our purpose Urgent, I would argue, needs to be evaluated. Urgent is sometimes someone else’s urgent. So why is it yours? In those moments my challenge to you (and to me as well, frankly) is to pause when you get something urgent and ask yourself, “Does this align with the important? Is this something someone else can do? Or can only I do it and must it be done now?” Then proceed. What I want so much is for people to lay their heads down at night at the end of a day or week and say, “I am tracking toward what is important, not just reacting to the urgent.”
Your Game Changer Takeaway
Make a point each day to differentiate between what is important and what is urgent in your world. Find a system that works – whether it’s time-blocking, Stephen Covey’s time management matrix or something else entirely different, but that works for you. Organize your time and energy so you can be present in each situation, which can ultimately lead to fulfillment and bring you closer to your purpose.
The Molly Fletcher Company inspires leaders, teams and organizations to kick-start growth. A keynote speaker and author , Molly draws on her decades of experiences working as a sports agent. Sign up here to receive our monthly newsletter and subscribe to the Game Changers with Molly Fletcher podcast on iTunes.
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January 8, 2018
What If Today Were Your Last Day?
The yoga studio I belong to in Atlanta ends every class with a short quote or reading. The other day the teacher wrapped the class with a this: “Imagine if you were the only person who knew that today was your last day on earth. How would it change the way you behave and interact with people?”
Realistically if you’re reading this blog, today is probably not your last day on earth. But what if you lived your life with this question in the back of your mind? How would it change the way you behave and speak to the people you love most in your life? How would it change the way you behave and speak to strangers – the cashier at the grocery store, the valet at the restaurant, or the receptionist at the doctor’s office?
If you speak to everyone with intentionality, things change. You are more present, kinder, a better listener and more open to connecting. If you knew that your words would be the last words someone would hear from you, what would you say? Instead of being impatient and stressed, you would be focused and sincere.
This minor pivot in your perspective can have a big impact on you and others. The yoga teacher’s closing thought challenged me that day, and I found myself feeling more grateful, more connected and more present. Check it out for yourself.
Namaste.
Your Game Changer Takeaway
This concept isn’t new, just listen to Tim McGraw’s Live Like You Were Dying. But if you can incporporate this approach into your own life, it can take your mindset from existing to existing extraordinarily. You always have a choice, and by choosing to be more intentional, you give yourself the chance for deeper engagement and authentic connections.
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January 1, 2018
3 Ways Curiosity Enhances Relationships
Curiosity is key to learning and growth. It is also key to enhancing relationships, connection and leadership. Here are three ways to think about curiosity and connection in order to kick start growth in 2018 and beyond.
Curious People Are Present
It is extremely hard to be curious if you are distracted and over scheduled. If you don’t stop, listen, or look around, you will miss opportunities to be curious. When you focus on being present and where you are in the moment, you open up the possibility of better engagement with others. And by staying curious inside of conversations, we delve deeper, stay open-minded, and truly connect.
Curious People Take Risks
There’s a reason “curiosity killed the cat” is such an iconic expression: because curious people lean into riskier moments. The cat wasn’t so lucky, but in our own lives these calculated risks can help us bridge the gap from acquaintance to friendship; from prospective client to new client; from raw relationships to authentic connections. Curiosity sparks possibility. Curious people want to know “what would happen if.” And their curious nature merits exploring the “what ifs.”
Curious People Create Energy
Have you ever been to a party and you met someone who asked you a lot of great questions? Every answer you gave inspired another question. And it wasn’t being nosy – it was from a point of true curiosity. These conversations create energy and people react to it, which drives connection. People remember when someone asks them a lot of questions because they feel that person was truly interested in them and it makes them feel valued. This type of curiosity helps take relationships to a different level with more ways to connect in the future.
Your Game Changer Takeaway
Studies show that curiosity improves your intelligence and level of happiness. Psychology professor Todd Kashdan’s book Curious? Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfulling Life describes how cultivating curiosity is the road to happy, healthy, and meaningful living. When you are present, when you lean into risks, and when you celebrate the art of asking questions, you allow curiosity to strengthen your relationships.
The Molly Fletcher Company inspires leaders, teams and organizations to kick-start growth. A keynote speaker and author , Molly draws on her decades of experiences working with elite athletes and coaches as a sports agent, and applies them to the business world. Her new book, Fearless At Work , is now available. Sign up here to receive our monthly newsletter and subscribe to the Game Changers with Molly Fletcher podcast on iTunes.
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December 26, 2017
Want Your New Year’s Resolution to Stick? Try This.
Did you know that only about 8% of people keep their New Year’s resolutions? Just because the year on the calendar changes doesn’t mean your habits will necessarily change. That is, unless you go about it differently. Traditionally a resolution is just a stake in the ground – “I’m going to stop smoking” or “I’m going to exercise four times a week.” Sometimes we make bold statements (with good intentions, BTW) and hang onto them with nothing but high hopes.
The “how” not the “what”
The miss is to stop with a simple statement; you may know the “what” but not the “how.” To make an intentional change, you need to thoroughly think through the process of that change. In addition to saying “I’m going to exercise four times a week,” think about what that really looks like. Does that mean you’ll have to get up early certain days of the week? Will you need to get ready at the gym? Will you need to block that time on your calendar? Coordinate car pool and bus picks up with your neighbors or spouse? Will you have to change your evening routine in order to get to bed early? When you are intentional and clear on the process for the change (i.e. the “how”) you set yourself up for success.
Purpose reminders
Along the way expect speed bumps; they are a test of how bad you want it. Like mornings when you want to hit snooze, or when you get a really good story going in your head as to why you don’t need to hit the gym today, you can put it off until tomorrow. We can sell ourselves pretty well – right? That’s when you look back at your purpose, your “why” for this change, this resolution, and get the hell up and go – and do it. Remind yourself of a line I love from my recent podcast with Rorke Denver — “you can do hard!” You have to anchor your change with a purpose.
Tell People
To really make your resolution stick, choose someone (or several people) who will hold you accountable – who will help you. Share with them your resolution and the “why” behind it, and give them permission to hold you accountable. If you don’t tell anyone about your change, it’s easier to not follow through.
Game Changer Takeaway
By the second week of February, 80% of resolutions have already failed. Just look at the amount of people in the gym the first week of January compared to the first week of February! To be one of the ones who makes it, try these three tactics and remember – “you can do hard.”
The Molly Fletcher Company inspires leaders, teams and organizations to kick-start growth. A keynote speaker and author , Molly draws on her decades of experiences working with elite athletes and coaches as a sports agent, and applies them to the business world. Her new book, Fearless At Work , is now available. Sign up here to receive our monthly newsletter and subscribe to the Game Changers with Molly Fletcher podcast on iTunes.
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December 18, 2017
10 Best Blogs of 2017
As 2017 draws to a close, let’s take a look back at our most popular blogs from the year. From common mistakes leaders make, to a Mother’s Day letter to my daughters, to how to overcome your fear of change, here’s what you were reading and sharing this year.
A Letter to My Daughters — And Every Teenage Girl
Just after Mother’s Day I penned this letter to my daughters highlighting 7 things to remember that will help them always keep growing.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: My Letter To Every Girl Who Plays Sports—and her Parents
4 Characteristics of a Toxic Workplace
No one thrives in a toxic workplace…but how do we avoid getting there in the first place? This blog highlights four behaviors that contribute to a toxic workplace and how you can avoid these common pitfalls.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: Dr. Henry Cloud on The 4 Corners of Connection
5 Things Fearless People Do
Here are five things that fearless people do, that you can too.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: How Fearless Leaders Cultivate Curiosity
Powered by Purpose at Leadercast 2017
We talk about purpose a lot, but what does it really mean, and how can we find it through our work?
Like this? Then you’ll also like: Mike Feinberg on Purpose-Driven Leadership
What Being An Athlete Taught Me About Grit
Two words – keep going – are the essence of grit.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: Hiring Student-Athletes Will Spark Corporate Team Chemistry
10 Questions Every Leader Is Afraid To Ask But Should
What leader doesn’t want to be more trusted and more effective? To get there, you must find your blind spots so you can resolve them intentionally to become a stronger leader. These 10 questions can help.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: 4 Leadership Tips to Get You Out of a Rut
5 Ways To Overcome Your Fear of Change
My advice focuses on replacing old fears with new habits. By making big and small changes, you’ll have the big impact of less fear of change.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: Fearless Leader Q&A: Flywheel CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan
Please Don’t Ask Someone to Mentor You
Everyone could benefit from a mentor. But there’s a right way and wrong way to find one.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: Seeking A Mentor? Look Around
You’re Not As Good A Leader As You Think You Are
Here are 13 basic rules to follow for a healthy leadership ego.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: Big Ego Survival Guide
10 Things That Require Zero Talent Part 2
One of my most popular blogs from 2016 turned into this “Part 2” blog in 2017. We developed a list of 10 more behaviors that we can always control that require zero talent, yet have a huge impact on our success.
Like this? Then you’ll also like: 10 Things That Require Zero Talent
If you enjoy the blog, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes! Game Changers with Molly Fletcher is designed to help you maximize your performance and unleash your potential. Tune in for my conversations with peak performers to learn what makes them tick and how you can apply their lessons to your life. New episodes air bi-weekly.
The Molly Fletcher Company inspires leaders, teams and organizations to kick-start growth. A keynote speaker and author , Molly draws on her decades of experiences working with elite athletes and coaches as a sports agent, and applies them to the business world. Her new book, Fearless At Work , is now available. Sign up here to receive our monthly newsletter and subscribe to the Game Changers with Molly Fletcher podcast on iTunes.
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