EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP: IGNITING THE VISION FOR OTHERS

I recently read an antique book on Time Management called How To Live on 24 Hours A Day. It was written by a man named Arnold Bennett at the dawn of what we now know as the Personal Development movement, way back in 1910.You’d think a book written at that time would be full of outdated ideas and dull platitudes. That wasn’t the case. In fact, you’d probably find it surprisingly easy to read, relatable and uplifting. I was amazed by how little Western culture has changed in the 100+ years since Bennett penned this work.
Much of what he discusses in the book has to do with the mentally exhausted middle class, people who have time for little more than their daily commute and a 40-hour work week.
Without saying it in obvious terms, his topic is really about Self-Leadership.
Instead of giving in to the status quo, Bennett offers a more deliberate approach, one that infuses life with vitality. He takes aim at the creeping feeling that time is ebbing away, that life is slipping through your fingers day by day, and he offers a solution that’s so simple, few actually practice it. Then as now, the simplest solutions often had trouble gaining credibility.
Besides Self-Leadership, I believe these ideas can and should be applied to leading a team. Infusing life with passion, crafting a vision and keeping the vision aloft for others can mean the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary, both in business and life.

Why Leadership Requires Going On A “Time Diet”

Bennett suggests that by investing small amounts of time on a regular basis in a goal or topic that deeply fascinates you, every part of your life will change. Your senses will become heightened, and you’ll bring a new intensity to everything you do.
For my part, I agree with him, and many of my own activities reflect this habit. Besides running my own publishing company and a thriving consultancy, my work as a published author keeps me hopping from event to event. I also have plenty of outside interests and an active social life. By staying fully engaged, I feel truly alive in everything I do.
I was surprised to find that back in 1910, Bennett touched on this same point in his book. He goes on to say that each of us is given a whole new bank of time each day to use as we please. No one can steal it from us, and our “purse” of time is refilled continually.
For me, this reinforces the need to set goals and to employ some kind of structure in my schedule, what I call a time diet. Each of us has the option – in fact, the obligation – to deliberately choose how we spend our time and not waste it. This kind of focused effort speaks to the essence of Leadership.
It’s common knowledge that the wise ones shepherd their money, investing it instead of spending it, shrewdly calculating their next move, always keeping the end goal in mind.
And so it with time. The wise ones plan carefully, cultivate a vision, and work meticulously to reach the worthy goal. If you try to distract someone who is bent on an ambition, you’ll have a hard even getting their attention. Their major definite purpose obscures just about everything else.
What I love about this is the sense of freshness and renewal it brings. The start of the New Year particularly is perfect for reviewing the successes of the past year – and those unfortunate “oops” moments, the ones we so lovingly call “opportunities for improvement.” We’ve got a fresh calendar to work with, a clean slate without a blemish on it. It’s an excellent time to set goals and schedule tasks to achieve them. It’s an excellent time to corral others and recruit them to share your vision.

The Essence of Leadership

If you find yourself in a position of Leadership, you might be facing the New Year with a little extra weight on your shoulders. Not only do you have a glorious opportunity to shape the course of the coming year for yourself at home and at work, but you may have the chance to inspire others.
Many believe that leaders are born and not made. True, it’s useful to be born with certain qualities that give you a head start. However most of the traits of a good leader are learned.
In upcoming articles, we’ll be discussing the qualities of Leadership. We’ll take a look at the essence of Leadership, creating an inspiring vision, and ways you can communicate that vision to your team effectively.
Ironically, the word Leadership can be used as a Mnemonic device, touching on the elements of Leadership itself.
L – Logistics
E – Enthusiasm
A – Ambition
D – Drive
E – Effectiveness
R – Respect
S – Sensitivity
H – Humour
I – Integrity
P – Passion
In real life applications, your own approach to Leadership will need to be tailored and modified to fit your situation. Ultimately it starts with you and your determination to invest time in yourself – in those things that make you feel vitally alive.
Once you begin to fully engage, the ripple effect will touch the lives and deeds of those around you and those you are leading. You can influence them and perhaps even inspire a new generation of leaders.
Leaving a 100+ year legacy is surely a worthy goal, and in this case it was achieved by Arnold Bennett, author. Hats off to you, Mr. Bennett; your time was well spent.

IN 2015, LIVE BETTER, CELEBRATE MORE

I want to share with you what my mentor wrote;

When I think back to my 20's, I see many projects and
commitments that I would never invest in today. Sure, that
was a time of education (very good idea!) and I got married
(great decision!), bought a house and did some other things
that have held up pretty well over the years. But I also
did some pretty dumb things.
I was sure I'd live forever and that time was my friend.
Money was to be spent, and risk was rarely considered.
Accidents and injury only happened to other people, and I
took some foolish chances. I could even afford to waste
time. (Silly me!)
By my 30's and 40's, I think I gained a bit of perspective,
but in some ways I was still "playing." We traveled widely—
Africa, Europe, throughout the U.S.—and invested well, but
we also foolishly wasted so much time, money and energy on
things that seemed like "fun" or were "impressive" or
"daring" but which gained us very little. I hate to think
we were still acting like teenagers trying to impress our
friends, but I suspect some of that was involved.
Today, in my 60's, I have very few regrets, but I'm amazed
at some of the things that seemed so important at the time.
I remember being impressed when I bought a sports car for
my 40th birthday. I was sure it would make me happy
forever! But after a while, it needed maintenance and got
scratched like any other car, and it wasn't so comfortable,
and I traded it for a truck. I still enjoy the memories,
but the most valuable thing that car gave me was the
reminder to choose better priorities in the future.
The point of this trip down memory lane is to encourage us
all to be wise in 2015. With the economy tight, we have
opportunities to use our time and energy better than
before. We have the chance to review our goals, our
priorities and our choices, and make adjustments if
necessary.
My sense is that we can only focus on a very small number
of things at a time. Yes, we've all learned to "multi-task"
and be "busy about many things" but I suspect that at the
end of the day, we can only really focus on a very few
things. And here's the terrible thing—that short list
represents the heart and soul of our lives.
While it's nice and fun and exciting to be to be busy and
impress our friends, my fear is that "our hearts aren't in
it." Our hearts want focus, fulfillment and joy. I think
that comes from choosing well and committing to the few
things that are truly important to us.
In 2015, live better than before. Choose your focus and be
clear about your priorities. For most people, these might
include spirituality or personal growth, time with loved
ones, health, and perhaps business or career. If you have
other choices, that's fine, but clarity is key. You really
can't do it all, and I'm sorry to say, you really won't
live forever. So use this new year wisely. Choose well and
make it a good one.
Life's short. Live Better.

SIMPLE ACT OF GENEROSITY

Be A Link In the Chain

I was in a seminar when our speaker shared this; "I was working with an author named Jennifer last week on her social media strategy for her upcoming book. She told me a simple story that got me thinking about this giving season – about how it can bring together people of all kinds, regardless of their backgrounds or economic status.
When Jennifer ordered coffee at her local drive-thru that day, a stranger in the car ahead of her generously paid for her coffee drink.
Jennifer was touched, and on the spur of the moment, she did the same for the person in line behind her. When Jennifer drove up to the cashier, the barrister leaned out the window and told Jennifer she was the 40th person in-a-row to pay it forward!
Of course, “pay it forward” is the idea of repaying a good deed by doing good for others instead of for the original person. It’s a simple enough concept, but it’s so seldom seen these days.
In Jennifer’s case, that same couple bucks was turned to do the good work of more than a hundred dollars. The small gesture made a difference for at least 40 people. Who knows how far the chain extended that day? After all, there’s no telling what happened after Jennifer drove away from the coffee stand.
Though drive-thru coffee may not be your cup of tea, you can still use this idea to make life a little better for someone else. Simply extend a bit of kindness with no strings on it. For centuries, people have been doing just that for friends and strangers alike.

Where Do Kind Acts Come From?

A lot of people mistakenly think this idea started with the Hollywood film Pay It Forward from the year 2000. The movie was immensely popular, about a young boy and his big idea to change the world through simple acts of kindness. The movie topped out at #4 at the box office and netted $55 million worldwide at the box office, but it went on to make big ripples around the globe.
To trace the movie’s plot to its source, you’ll find that the screenplay was adapted from a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. But the concept didn’t start with her. You’d have to go farther up the chain than that to find the idea’s origins.
Back in 1980, “pay it forward” showed up in a special edition Marvel comic that teamed Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. The story traced the path of a $5 bill from a loan by a retiree to someone down on his luck, following the five-spot’s round-about route, returning to the elderly man by way of the two superheroes.
But “pay it forward” didn’t start with Marvel Comics either. An author named Lily Hardy Hammond wrote about the idea in her book In the Garden of Delight, published in 1916. She said, “You don’t pay love back; you pay it forward.” Even a hundred years ago, the idea wasn’t new.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote an essay in 1841 called “Compensation.” He said, “The benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody.”
Still, this isn’t the beginning of the chain. Ben Franklin proposed the “pay it forward” idea in a letter in April 1784. He told a friend, “When you meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation… I hope it may thus go thro’ many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress.”
Would you be the Knave? Perish the thought.

From Stage to Cinema in 2000 Years

You might think that someone as smart and influential as Benjamin Franklin originated the “pay it forward” idea. It sure sounds like him. In reality, the idea predates modern civilization, making its first appearance (that we know about) in Ancient Greece.
The concept was the key to the plot of a classic Greek comedy, dating back to 317 BC. The play was called The Grouch (okay, it was called Dyskolos), written by someone named Menander. The script was lost for centuries and rediscovered in 1957.
I’m sure in the future some Broadway director will turn the ancient play into a big budget action film, spawning a line of polyethylene superhero figures, a comic book, and maybe a series of theme park rides. For the time being, it’s just a nice story about a grouch whose life is touched by an act of kindness.
Now, it seems to me I’ve seen something like this before. Didn’t I? Ah yes, I think it was my hometown stage production of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Maybe this year I’ll buy a couple extra tickets and give them to those two young adults in line behind me… and ask them why they keep calling me “Dad.”

THE GIFT OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES

This is the time when almost everyone celebrates. Some of
us celebrate Hanukkah, many celebrate Christmas or one of
the other traditions, and almost everyone celebrates the
New Year, at least for business purposes.  (Many people
around the world traditionally use other calendars.)
Whatever tradition you follow, this is a time for
reflection, renewal, affirmation and joy.
Personally, I don't think it's a coincidence that in the
The combination of our traditional celebrations and the
start of a New Year make this a natural time to review the
past and preview the future. After all, even the sun is
coming back!
Through the year, we work hard. We are busy and have so
much to do that it is easy to get distracted, take loved
ones for granted and neglect our values in the hurry to get
things done. I often think the best gift of the holidays is
time to slow down, decorate our homes, share with loved
ones and remember our roots.
Too often, we get caught up in the rush and noise of life.
Sometimes we lose our way and forget our most important
goals and priorities. When that happens--and it happens to
all of us at some point--we often criticize ourselves,
sometimes harshly. When I see that, I routinely tell
clients to "Stop it!" I think it's a waste of time, and
worse, it can become a way to avoid starting again and
moving in the direction you truly want to go.
I'm no sailor or pilot, but I love the reality that ships
and planes are off-course almost the entire time they are
traveling to their destination. Wind and currents and human
failures and thousands of "little things" constantly toss
them off-course.
Isn't that how life really is? We have a destination, of
course. We have values and desires, and we know our
ultimate goals, but much of the time we are tossed by the
winds and current of life. We are swamped with a project at
work, or an illness at home. We get caught up in a hobby or
forget to say "I love you" as often as we should. That's
not good, of course, but I think it is real life. We are
simply ships and planes, doing the best we can and being
tossed around a bit.
The difference is that sailors and pilots are never
surprised or discouraged or "lost" when a gust of wind
knocks them off-course. They simply adjust and keep right
on going and (this is important) almost every ship and
plane eventually finds the right harbor or lands at the
right airport. We should learn from that.
This holiday season, take time to review and affirm your
course in life. Take time to shop and do all the "stuff"
you have to do--that part is important--but in the midst of
the hoopla, sit down with a pen and paper to review and
remember your roots, your loved ones and your values.
Take a moment to review and re-affirm your goals and chart
a new course. If you've wandered a bit off-course, so what?
If you've been tossed and blown away from your major goals,
note that fact, plot a new course and get back to work. A
New Year is about to begin, and the sun is coming back!
Start over, start again. Even Mother Nature says it's time
for new beginnings.

CONVERT BROWERS INTO BUYERS: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ONLINE SELLING

When it comes to best practices in online selling, few people understand the key to transforming a casual visitor into a delighted customer. It doesn’t happen by magic, though many marketing professionals have been known to work up a few incantations around the warm glow of a computer screen.Go ahead, laugh if you will. But haven’t you wished you could wave a magic wand and spin a landing page into pure gold? Sure you have.
Even if you’re not a magician and your genie has taken a sabbatical, you can still add sparkle to your bottom line. Like a silent salesperson, your website offers the magic touch you’re looking for.
For one thing, like a genie it works tirelessly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s also very unlikely to take a sabbatical, let alone a sick day. In other words, your website is your Sales Department’s best friend.
If you’ve ever tried to sell anything online, you may have had this experience: You knew you had a product that was in demand, you had a great offer on your website, and your market tests told you that your price was perfectly reasonable. But no one was buying online. How could that be?
Even when you have the perfect solution at a great price, it may not be enough to make for solid conversion rates. Sometimes, even being excited about your product won’t cut through the digital clutter to capture a prospects attention. The solution lies in understanding these rules of selling online.

Supercharge Your Selling With A Few Simple Rules

One thing I can tell you about online sales is that the more technology changes, the more the fundamentals of Sales stay the same. The Internet has changed everything except the rules of business. These rules are:
Rule No. 1: Relationships and rapport generate revenue.
Rule No. 2: It’s not what you say. It’s how you say it.
Rule No. 3: You can’t change people, but you can motivate them to want change.
With social media playing a more important role than ever in business – both online and in the material world – these rules are becoming more akin to commandments. Your interaction with your prospects is what allows you to get from “Hello” to “Thanks for your business!” in record time.
There are a few tricks to kicking your sales into high gear. The Internet reduces your window of opportunity with your prospect to only a few seconds.
Ineffective websites typically spend too much time pointing out the features of a product or service. An effective sales approach focuses on the product’s benefits, inviting the prospect to imagine enjoying those advantages. It gets to the heart of the matter.

The Secret To Increasing Your Website’s Conversion Rate

If this magical transformation is so easy, then why aren’t you selling more? The answer may be surprisingly obvious.
The secret to converting prospects into paying customers is to give people what they’re hungry for – even if they don’t yet know that your solution is the one they’ve been missing all along.
What’s the magic that makes people convert? Well, it’s actually pretty simple. People buy with their hearts and justify the purchase with their heads. When you adjust your website content and layout to accommodate this fact, you’ll master the magic of online conversion.

Why Websites Fail To Convert

Have you ever read a book or heard a speaker and immediately felt a powerful connection with the author? As if the author was just like you, as if he knew exactly how you felt, as if he truly understood you?
Before you try to sell to them, meet them where they are. Show the customer that you see the world through his eyes. Show them that you understand by genuinely empathizing with their problems, challenges and frustrations.
The Number One reason most people fail to see solid results from Internet sales is that they ignore the power of emotion. If you want to turn visitors into buyers, your website must do the following:

• Captivate the visitor’s attention with a dynamic headline
• Guide visitors through the sales process by showing them how your solution is connected to their problem
• Raise their desire to a peak by showing them how your product will improve their situation
• Make it easy for visitors to take action and satisfy their desire by buying your product or service
• Create a compelling reason to continue to receive your communications

A sales message is only effective when it speaks to the emotions — to your prospect’s hopes and desires for a better life. Put the power of persuasion to work in all your website copy. Deliver your message with conviction, and guide your customer’s thoughts throughout the buying process. Anticipate objections. Use compelling stories to get your message across and convince customers.
Finally, condition your prospects to respond to you. Get them to take a riskless action while they get rewarded for it. When you inspire a prospect to take that first small step toward you, your chances of their taking a second step increase dramatically.
By touching your website visitors at the heart level, you’ll find they convert into buyers, just like magic!

INVESTING FOR SUCCESS

I recently re-read Thomas Friedman's wonderful book, "The
World Is Flat," and one of the things he hits hard is the
need to do business in the "real" world, in the world and
markets of today. Too often, we try to do business the way
things were "in the old days" or even last month when we
designed our new marketing campaign. Too often, it doesn't
work our well.
Phillip Humbert shared, "The Conference Center at Green Lake (where I did my World
Class Life conferences for 15 years) is a good example. For
40 years they had a great thing. They had a steady, loyal
customer base, a tremendous physical plant, and a marketing
engine that ran on auto-pilot. Then things changed.
By the 1980's, their customer demographics changed. Their
physical plant was aging and no longer suited the new
customer base. The customers they had always counted on
wanted more "impressive" locations, and they had no
installed marketing systems to replace those lost
customers. They nearly went under.
They tell me the secret of their success was two-fold:
1.  They invested millions in new accommodations and
technology. They up-dated the guest rooms, added another
golf course, and began marketing aggressively to both their
traditional customers (never forget your base!) and to
organizations and groups they had never considered before.
2.  They "installed" a new attitude! They had always been
friendly, but they began making sure every guest (every
single, particular guest) was treated graciously. It
required new employee training, new incentives, and new
metrics for measuring success. And it worked! Today, their
customer base is larger than ever and revenues are hitting
records, year after year.
One small example of the changes they made: they added a
shuttle service from the nearest airport. For the cost of a
van and part-time driver, they added thousands of visitors
per year!
Most readers run much smaller enterprises, but
what are the comparisons in your business? Where do you
need to up-grade in 2015? Where do you need to show your
customers that they are center of your world, your reason
for being in business? New marketing materials, new
technology, and new attitudes can make all the difference.

LOOKING BACK, GOING FORWARD AND LEAPING UPWARD IN 2015

I hope you've had a wonderful and profitable 2014! The year
is essentially over and whatever you've got "in the bag" is
about what you'll have for the year. Did it work out the
way you hoped? Did the dreams, plans, hopes and
expectations you had for the year come true? I hope so!
If 2014 has been a great year, please accept my
congratulations and give yourself a pat on back! All I ask
is that you take notes on how you did it. Write down the
"recipe!" How did you stay on track? Who assisted you? What
problems did you over-come? What is your recipe for an even
better New Year? Take notes!
On the other hand, if 2014 is drawing to a close and you
are not where you wanted to be, I hope you will also take
notes. Where did you go astray? What problems did you fail
to anticipate or solve? What didn't work the way you hoped?
Learn from these things so you can "do it different" in
2015!
And as you review the year, please note the following
truth: For most people, the economy and the "big things"
(over which we have little or no control)  have little to do
with whether or not they had a wonderful year! If the
things you can control--your time, your effort, your focus,
your daily activities--were on track but your investments
took a hit, or even if you lost your home or your job, 2014
might still have been a banner year! True, no one would
enjoy these huge disappointments, but if you worked hard,
stayed focused and on track, give yourself credit for what
you did right!
If you did your part, know deep in your heart that you have
everything you need to put the "externals" back together.
If you "built it" once, you can build it again, smarter and
faster and better than ever.
But I also want to address those who look at the calendar
and have to honestly admit, "my recipe isn't working." If
you look at the year and in your personal opinion (the only
one that matters) you can't give yourself high marks for
performance, persistence, creativity and (most of all)
results, please have the courage to ask, "Why not?"
Here are a few of the most common weaknesses that hold
people back:
1.  Lack of clarity. Many people sort of muddle through
life. They have a set of fantasies or hopes or wishes,
perhaps some images or expectations in their mind, but they
never truly define their outcomes in advance. If this is
you, take time to finally DECIDE exactly what you want.
Write it down. Tell other people. Make the commitment and
go get it.
2.  Lack of focus. Some people are clear about what they
want, but they are undisciplined, fearful or distracted and
never "lay claim" to their outcomes. They want a promotion,
but they also want too many other things and never focus
their time, effort, creativity and emotion on doing the
things that are necessary. If you are clear about WHAT you
want, focus on GETTING IT.
3.  Poor strategy. Some people never develop specific,
effective plans to get what they want. They want a
promotion, but never ask their boss exactly what is
required to get it. They want more money, but never devise
a strategy to increase sales. They want to be better
parents or life partners but never take a class, read a
book or take other steps to make it happen. Make a plan and
then "work your plan" until you get there.
4.  Poor teamwork. This may be the most common, and perhaps
the most easily corrected mistake. Too many of us try to
"do it myself." Big mistake! Almost no one succeeds on
their own! We need cheerleaders, supporters, mentors,
coaches and partners. Have and use a MasterMind! Share your
dream with people who care and who can help you achieve it!
The new year is around the corner. It will be filled with
opportunities to live better and smarter than ever before.
Over the holidays, take time to think clearly about the
year just past. Notice what did you right, and write it
down. Determine to continue your best activities in the new
year. But be honest about your weaknesses, your mistakes
and your "blind spots." Write them down as well, so you can
learn from them. Take notes and where necessary, make
changes.

YOU GOT TO MAKE NOISE!

This week I read about two people who have
become experts in marketing. One is a man who has attended
all the "boot camps," read the books and taken seminars
from the best marketing gurus around. The other is a woman
who told me her personal library of marketing and business
books cost over $100,000 in the past ten years.
Unfortunately, neither of them has applied what they know
and their businesses have not grown.
These are classic examples of "analysis paralysis." They
have studied their market and learned the techniques. They
know how to write sales letters and they know the latest in
online marketing techniques. They know about using
endorsements, about using graphics and colors, about
reversing risk and identifying their target demographics.
What they don't know is how to make noise.
They've not taken action! One business leader recently told
me her greatest fear is "making a mistake!" Like, get over
it already!
If you're in business, you're going to make mistakes. (I
suspect that's true in life; I know it's true in business.)
The key to building your business is taking action. Of
course it's good to know what you're doing. Sure, it's good
to put the odds in your favor as much as you can. But in
the end, you've got to take a chance and make some noise!
If you want your business to grow in 2015, think about what
you'll do differently. What will you expand? What will you
cancel? How much will you spend on advertising? What new
products or services will you offer? Who will you hire and
who will you fire?
In the end, growing a business is about taking action. It's
about making the best judgments you can, and then taking
the plunge.

DREAM BIGGER, GO FURTHER IN 2015

This is the time when millions of us set goals for the year
ahead. If we do it the way the books tell us to, we review
our numbers for 2014, evaluate our performance, and make
adjustments for 2015. That's the way governments, large
corporations and most individuals do it.
There's nothing wrong with it, except that it doesn't work.
For many of us, "raising the bar" and doing more of the
same is not what we truly want. It doesn't challenge or
excite us because it's simply not "enough."
Too many of us set our goals by merely adding 10% to what
we've done before. The major exception is our weight, where
we promise that we'll finally lose the ten pounds we've
been trying to lose all year. There's nothing wrong with setting
goals that way. Institutions do it all the time. But who wants
to live like an institution?
This is your LIFE we're talking about! If a few adjustments
are all you really want, go for it! If a minor tweak is all
you need, then don't make a fuss. Adjust your budget, set
your goal, and be done with it.
But I'm challenging you to think bigger and aim higher.
As you look to 2015 and beyond, what do you really WANT for
your life? What's the REAL story? What's your DREAM? What
are you doing with your life? That's the question I hope
you'll consider as you plan the year ahead.
Don't settle for more of the same, a few more dollars or an
extra week of vacation if you really want to create
memories, take chances, and to "live with passion!"
In those areas where a small step is all you need, that's
fine. Buy a new car, lose the weight, make a little more
and spend a bit less. These are the small adjustments that
make life easier and I support them.
Unfortunately, however, small adjustments can also be the
things that keep us trapped. As we hit our goals and
increase our income, these small victories become the
"golden handcuffs" that trap us in our routine. They keep
us "playing small" so that while we're winning the small
daily battles, we end up frustrated because our lives don't
have the meaning we hoped for.
This holiday season, take time to dream bigger. Ask the
fundamental questions about who you are, what you want, and
how you want to live. Where are you going? What's the
point? This year, think bigger, aim higher, insist on going
further. You may not get "there" in one year, perhaps not
in a lifetime, but make sure you're headed in the right
direction. Make sure you're on a path that is worth
walking.

5 WAYS TO BECOME A BETTER TEAM MANAGER AT WORK

Looking for the most effective ways to become a better team manager? I can help you. It’s not easy to be a good team manager since you have more responsibilities and you should always inspire and encourage your team to work better. Your team’s performance depends mostly on you. Leading a team isn’t as difficult as you may think, though. The main rule to follow is to avoid being too bossy and too friendly. You need to be a great professional and a role model for your colleagues. Here are a few tricks to become a better team manager at work.

1. Set a good example

Just because you’ve got that promotion doesn’t mean you have more power and you can relax. You should work like your team does. The key word here is a team, which means you should work together. If you have a difficult project to accomplish, don’t just sit around waiting for your colleagues to accomplish it. Suggest your ideas, listen to the ideas of your colleagues, and do your best to help your team to accomplish a successful project on time. Speaking about time, make sure to come to work on time each day. Motivate your team to do the same. If you come in at noon, criticize the work of your team and then leave at 4 or 5 pm, you will never become a successful team manager. Follow the rules you apply to your team, and they will definitely respect you and will want to work with you down the road.

2. Motivate your team

No one wants to be stuck in a position. Motivate your team members to work better to get a promotion. Inspire them to improve their career path and help them reach their career goals. One of the best ways to motivate your team to work better is to have individual meetings where you can talk about person’s weaknesses and strengths, and find the most effective way to boost their productivity. Try to encourage your team members to learn something new each day. Unfortunately, most managers don’t provide their team members with a better career path. It’s a bad mistake that you should avoid making.

3. Recognize accomplishments

I can’t understand why it’s so hard for a boss or manager to recognize their employees’ accomplishments and simply to say “Well done” at least once in a while. From personal experience I can say that most bosses avoid rewarding their employees because they don’t even try to see a good job. They have lots of remarks, tell you that you don’t do anything and you will never get a promotion. It’s unfair and frustrating, especially if you work like a horse the whole day and sometimes evening. If you are a team manager, make sure you don’t make the same mistake. If your team member did a fantastic job, tell them that they did well. Your team will respect you and they will never tell that you are a bad manager.

4. Have a happy hour

Whether your company provides budget for a happy hour or not, it’s a good idea to have a happy hour at least once a week. Being a successful team manager isn’t about job only. You should also know about your team member’s lives, their interests, hobbies and traits. A happy hour is a wonderful opportunity to know your team better, spend a great time together and build team camaraderie.

5. Admit your mistakes

Many people have trouble admitting their mistakes, especially bosses and managers. They will always find thousands of ways to prove that you are wrong and you don’t do your job well. However, no one is perfect and every person in this world makes mistakes. We should learn to admit them. Leave your ego at home and don’t be afraid to tell your team members that it’s your mistake. You might not be better than your team, so why not respect each other and learn from mistakes together? Your team will become more experienced and successful if they have a good and wise team manager.
Although you, as a team manager, can have a huge set of unique skills, great knowledge of the field and more power, it doesn’t mean that your colleagues are worse than you. They might not be as smart as you, but you can always help them to be better team members. After all, when the team is successful, their manager is successful as well. Remember, you are the leader and role model for your team. You need to find a smart way to motivate them work better and reach their career goals. What are your secrets of being a successful team manager?

OVERCOMING COMMON OBSTACLES IN REACHING DECISION MAKERS

 

One of the biggest challenges you face as a field-level salesperson probably centres around making contact with the individual who ultimately controls the check book within his or her organization. This decision maker is entrusted with company resources and can thus say yes to your proposal—and actually make it happen.

Here’s how to deal with three of the most common reasons this is so often a trouble spot for sales

professionals.

Problem 1: Identification

In order to identify this individual so critical for your sales objective, ask yourself two

 

questions:

 

At what level in my own organization would final approval for this type of sale have to

be made?

Should I be looking higher up the corporate ladder or lower?

Once you’ve identified the right level in the buying organization, you’ll need to confirm that this person will actually wield that authority on the sale. You can do this either by asking the suspected individual directly or by getting your information from a reliable source—guessing is never a recommended method.

 

Problem 2: When You’re Blocked

You may have correctly identified this individual but he or she is out of reach—either blocked by a protective lieutenant or someone who is not receptive to what you are proposing. Dealing with this problem often merely requires the use of a good proxy; someone else in your organization at the same organizational level, or with established credibility with this individual who can help you gain access. Also, if you are able get to the decision maker early in the process—before the objector to your proposal has a chance to—the decision maker is more likely to say yes.

 

Problem 3: The Discomfort Zone

 

There are usually two reasons salespeople feel discomfort about meeting with the person holding the purse strings:

Feeling intimidated by someone who appears too busy or too successful to care about what you have to say.

 

Feeling uncertain about what you’re doing there.

To overcome feelings of intimidation when you interact with this individual, just remember that he or she is a human being. And, since you’re offering that person a solution, you are in a position to provide something they want.

 

To reduce any uncertainty about what you’re doing there, make sure every time you contact this person that you have a clear reason for doing so. Find out what he or she wants, as well as doesn’t want, understand their concept, and establish credibility.

 

Establishing a win-win outcome with this singularly important decision maker is easier when you understand the real and perceived roadblocks and prepare a strategy for overcoming them.

THE GREATEST LESSON OF 2014

We are nearing the end of the year and one of the
most important (and profitable) investments you can make is
to review the past few months very, very carefully. 
Humans are creatures of habit. We are great examples of
Newton's law that, "a body in motion tends to remain in
motion." We tend to plunge ahead, repeating yesterday's
mistakes and failing to learn from experience. We take
great pride in the fact that we "can" learn, but my
observation is that we rarely do.
We tend to assume that what worked last year will continue
to work next year. We know that we should be innovative,
creative and original, but in our daily work it's easy to
get trapped in old habits, whether they still work or not. 
When Jack Welch was the head of General Electric,
he insisted that half the company's profits come from
products and services that were less than five years old.
Why? Because he knew that yesterday's methods won’t fit
tomorrow's world.
Take time to review the following questions:
1. What worked best this year? What surprised me or taught
me something new for my work or my life? 
2. What did not work, or is working less and less well?
What was less profitable or effective than I expected? What
should I drop in the new year?
3. What's new in my field? What are my colleagues
doing that I should apply to my business? 
One of the BEST things any professional, business owner or
manager can do is invest in seminars and conferences. The
chance to "see the forest for the trees" is incredibly
valuable. Conferences generate new perspectives, and new
ideas create vast new opportunities! Invest in yourself!