Leadership Update

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:22:00 +0000

I read an interview with General Norman Schwarzkopf several years ago in which he was asked if he ever thought about defeat during a battle.

He said that in the middle of a battle, there's no time to think about defeat.

You just keep thinking about different ways to win.

Schwarzkopf's observations apply directly to business. They apply directly to life.

Inspired by what he said, each year, I update a list of "success factors." These are things I have done or have seen others do that reflect what it takes to win against seemingly impossible odds.

Often, when times are tough, we get so distracted or worried that we don't stop and think of all the times we've succeeded in spite of daunting odds. That's when it's most important to remember them, though, because you have more tools, strategies and tactics at your disposal than you may realize.

On my own scheduler, I have a separate tab where I've written my "success factors" down so I can easily reread them.

Also, posted on the side of a bookshelf near my computer, I have something I copied from Robert Kurson's amazing book Shadow Divers: The True Adventures of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II.

It's a series of insights about perseverance and success that he gained after life-changing experiences as a deep-sea diver – one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

Among my favorites from his list:

- If an undertaking was easy, someone else already would've done it.

- If you follow another's footsteps, you missed the problems really worth
solving.

- Excellence is born of preparation, dedication, focus, and tenacity;
compromise on any of these and you become average.

- Examine everything; not all is as it seems or as people tell you.

- The worst possible decision is to give up.

I hope that Kurson’s list provides you with food for thought for your own.

Write down how you've succeeded in the past. It will drive you forward.

How to Give Critical Feedback

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:30:00 +0000

WHEN YOU ARE IN a leadership role, you are frequently in the position of giving other people critical feedback. And in criticism, as in comedy, timing is everything.

When you’re giving constructive feedback (including positive feedback, although I’m focusing on constructive criticism below), try to give that feedback as soon as possible. Here’s why:

The issue(s) will be fresh in everyone’s mind.
You’ll waste less time ruminating over it (if it’s critical feedback) or rehearsing it (whether it’s positive or negative).
You’ll bring closure to the situation quickly. The longer you wait, the other person may wonder why you did, or they may have forgotten about it already and feel blindsided when you bring it up.

Here’s how to give constructive feedback:

Do it in person. It’s the only way to pick up on the body language so critical to making sure your message is being received as intended. Handle this part badly by doing it by phone or email and the person will remember this negative event for years.
Do it one-on-one. The other person will appreciate the privacy.
Focus on the facts, not your emotions. Criticism is a dish best served cold. If you’re upset about the situation, talk with a third party to lower your upset before discussing it directly with the person it involves.
Discuss the behavior, not the character of the person. Even agreeing on what happened is sometimes difficult. Getting someone to accept your view of why they did whatever they did may be next to impossible. Focus on the behavior itself and leave it up to them to explain their actions.
Ask questions. Make sure you learn as much as you can about the behavior you’re giving critical feedback about. Your willingness to listen may make the other person open to whatever feedback you’re providing.

Enhanced Persuasion and Negotiation Skills

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:37:00 +0000

Have you ever wanted to be a much better negotiator? To create more effective teams in your company? To communicate much more persuasively in your business and personal life?

If you did possess the skills to do those things better, how would your life be better and richer?

If you're interested in how the smartest and most persuasive negotiators and master communicators think about and develop these skills, then listen to this idea-packed interview I did with communications master David Frees.

To listen in just click this link or copy and paste it into your browser.

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?preview=3&previewbar=1&eventid=9207669

We discussed:

Why employees resist change, and how to get them "unstuck."
Why it's so important to engage employees in strategic change and how to do it
Why leaders fear asking employees what they think, and how to overcome that obstacle
Why striving for perfection paradoxically can lead to inaction
Awesome pre-screening questions to use before you begin a negotiation (and why they work)
How to achieve rapid rapport with key potential business partners

The psychological keys to successful negotiations so you don't walk away disappointed

Make a cup of coffee and listen to the one-hour conversation I had with David Frees:

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?preview=3&previewbar=1&eventid=9207669

Dave gives excellent resources through his tweets. Follow him on twitter at http://twitter.com/davefrees

Looking Back at You

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:29:00 +0000

THE BIOGRAPHIES OF well-known leaders prove something you may have always believed: If you want to know why an adult is the way they are, look at their childhood.

That’s exactly what Mark Leibovitch did more than 10 years ago for a Washington Post profile of Steve Case, the reclusive, competitive genius who was then the head of America Online.

How did “You’ve Got Mail” — the greeting notifying AOL users that someone dropped them an e-mail — become a household phrase and the title of a popular movie?

It should come as no surprise that the man whose company was so strongly identified with its electronic mail feature preferred to communicate with his staff and others via e-mail. In fact, most of the “interviews” for Leibovitch’s article were e-mail exchanges.

Looking back at Case’s childhood, it’s also not surprising is that he reportedly spent hours alone up in his room as a child, typing letters or ordering things out of scientific catalogs.

He loved getting mail.

A look into the childhoods of leaders reveals patterns that contribute to defeat as well as success. Richard Nixon reportedly enjoyed saving mementos as a child from experiences both important and mundane. This childhood desire to preserve memories may well have led him to record his own conversations with others as President, one of the facets of his personality that led to his political self-destruction.

You may not be deciding which media company to buy, or whom to fire among your cabinet members. But it’s still important to review your own life history to understand your motives and behavior as a leader today.

This professional life review involves thinking back to the very first thing you ever did to earn money and traces the transitions you’ve experienced from that very first job up to the current one.

Were your first ventures bold or safe? Independent or partnerships? Inspired by a parent, or something you heard about in school?

Looking at the choices you made and the thinking that preceded those choices can reveal patterns that provide rich information about why you do the things you do.

And that awareness can make you a more savvy, effective leader.

As 2011 comes to a close, now is an excellent time to look back not just over the past 12 months, but also to see who you have been over the course of your lifetime.

It can say a lot about who you are yet to become.

Coaching is a "rough business." Really?

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:03:00 +0000

WIP sports talk radio in Philadelphia this morning played what they said was a comment by Andy Reid, head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, in response to two recent firings of NFL head coaches.

"It's a rough business," he replied.

Really?

Being a US soldier in Afghanistan is a rough business.

Being a police officer is a rough business.

Being a fire fighter is a rough business.

Coaching a team playing football?

I relate sports news to business because the events in sports (winning, whining, losing, respect for rules, disrespect for rules, hirings, firings) are often caricatures of business life.

I know Andy Reid was speaking off the cuff. I know he's not equating being a head football coach with being a soldier fighting for his country and his life in Afghanistan.

It did strike me as odd, though, to refer to coaching athletes playing a game as a "rough business."

The great comedian Dom Irrera did a hilarious routine on an HBO special a few years ago about people saying after Michael Jordan won his first championship ring that he "deserved" it.

Irrera observed how ridiculous it was to say that someone who makes millions of dollars a year playing a game "deserves" a ring, and he mentioned disadvantaged people and groups who deserve something, too.

I appreciate Coach Reid putting the NFL coaching situation in perspective with his comment.

It made me appreciate people who really do have rough jobs.

If leading is not managing, then what are you doing?

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Stephen Covey says you lead people and manage processes.

I agree with that.

If you're in a leadership position, the implications are you want to spend as little time managing processes as possible, because your most effective and high-leverage role is leading the ones who are supposed to be managing.

Think of it this way: If you're the leader of Starbucks, the highest leverage work you can do is getting your top talent to produce results. Not spending your time planning how to reduce the number of steps involved in making a caramel vanilla skinny sugar-free latte. That's why you hired everyone else.

One simple way of auditing your own leadership leverage is to estimate the percentage of time in an average week that you spend managing processes instead of people.

If that's more than 25% consider how might reduce that. One way is to list all the process management things you do, and then put them into three buckets:

1. Things you could delegate to someone else.

2. Things you could stop doing entirely without delegating them.

3. Things you enjoy doing and therefore will keep.

Set a timeline for the delegation of items in #1, and stop doing the items in #2 as soon as possible.

Then, make sure you don't let the items in #3 expand to fill the space you created by delegating and stopping other tasks. The best way to keep #3 items under control is to schedule them every week at the same time and on the same day.

So, let's say that despite the fact someone else should probably do it, you happen to enjoy writing the blog posts for your company. It takes you 5% of your 50-hour week. You schedule that 2.5 hours for Thursday mornings from 8-10:30 and resist the urge to do it at any other time.

With the time you get back by reducing your process management responsibilities, look your own goals and decide where you can grow your business by spending more time encouraging and motivating others.

You may be delighted at how much more productive you are, and how much your increased leverage with others increases how much everyone can do.

Racing time ...

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:08:00 +0000

I'm an efficiency nut.

I love learning new ways of saving time, shaving time off existing methods and generally doing more with the time I have each day.

A few great books I read recently on the subject are David Allen's book Getting Things Done and Dan Kennedy's No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneuers.

Here are a few gems:

Every action you take in your business should be expressed in behavioral terms. Good: "Call Joe at 3 pm to see where the new product marketing package is." Bad: "Follow up on new marketing package." Behavioral items are focused, specific, and they tell your brain exactly what you need to do next.
Create actionable folders in your email system. I use "@action and @waiting for" as two basic folders -- almost all the email I get during a day gets put in one of those. I only check email a few times a day, and I clear it out completely each time.
Do 2-minute tasks immediately. If you have an email you can respond to in two minutes or less, do it. You'll save the time of going back to it later, and you'll clear the "mental clutter" out sooner!

If you have your own favorite efficiency tips or authors, post them as comments!

Onward and Upward

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:13:00 +0000

I recall my grandmother saying “onward and upward” to motivate us when I was growing up.

The funny thing about memory is that it’s not always precise: my mother claims my grandmother never said it. Like Mark Twain, though, I can remember everything from when I was a kid whether it happened or not, and I’m sticking with my own special memory.

Optimism in business is critical.

It gives you the perspective to handle things when they go wrong, and the spirit to continue. To prize your own pluck and feel good to be alive.

I’m not talking about blind optimism with no basis in reality.

I’m talking about adopting an attitude that you can and will succeed no matter what, because you have complete control over what you think. It’s what led Colin Powell to remark that in times of war, optimism is a force multiplier.

We can control how we think in response to the economy, and we can choose what to do next. So, say it with me: Onward and upward!

How I hit the jackpot in Vegas from a poolside lounge chair.

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:15:00 +0000

In March 2007 I was in Las Vegas for a series of business strategy meetings with my friend and colleague David Frees.

At a poolside meeting at the Orleans Hotel and Casino, I mentioned one area of my business that I thought had huge potential ... I just couldn't figure out how to grow it.

David thought for a moment and said, “I bet if you devote a little more time to it, you could radically boost that revenue.”

During the next 20 minutes we discussed expanding the prospect list, focusing the niche, strengthening affiliate relationships and developing new products.

I made the changes, and by the end of that year orders rose by 53%. Fulfillment costs dropped 22% thanks to David’s suggestion of offering digital versions of existing products.

Of course, you knew from the headline this was a jackpot story.

Here’s something else you know:

You have areas of your business that you've wanted to grow. New opportunities you want to pursue but can't find the time. Operational issues you want better control over.

Are you just one high-leverage idea away from doing it?

Those possibilities can be realized through a mastermind group -- a peer group discussion method Napoleon Hill described in his classic book Think and Grow Rich.

Hill said the most successful people of his time relied on mastermind groups to achieve their biggest goals through discussing roadblocks, solutions and resources.

Can you imagine how much you could take away from a meeting with smart, savvy businesspeople all focused on helping one another (and you!) succeed?

David Frees and I individually facilitate mastermind groups of our own. And once a year we co-facilitate a group at a resort location with outstanding participants and presenters.

This year's “3 Days to Success” program will be held October 20-22 at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, AZ.

The program is ideal for entrepreneurs who run their own businesses and for senior partners in businesses or professional firms who make major marketing and other decisions..

To learn more about the program and how you may benefit, please visit our website at http://3daystosuccess.com.

If you want to discuss the program further or if you are unable to attend but are interested in current or future Master Mind groups (at my office or via conference call), contact me at (610) 642-3040 or david@davidweiman.com.

Space is limited for the October program in Scottsdale, so please visit the site now if you’re interested.

How do you REALLY feel about your customers?

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:12:00 +0000

I got a hilarious letter from a bank in the mail yesterday.

It was an update on how proud they were about recently emerging from bad financial trouble and how thrilled they were to no longer need government assistance.

The very LAST sentence in the letter was, "Finally, we want to thank our clients. We truly value you."

If customers are so important to this bank, why did they mention them last?

One of my favorite aphorisms is "Actions speak louder than words."

Not surprisingly, this bank has a horrendous reputation in the marketplace.

They are notorious for steam-rolling their customers, not treating them well.

So the position of the statement about customers accurately depicted where they truly place them:

At the bottom.

The take-home message is this -- when you want to show customers you place them first, place them first in everything you do.

It makes a huge difference to them.

And it will make a huge difference to your business.

Apologize

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000

There are people in the business world who believe you shouldn't apologize when you make a mistake.

They are generally operating on two silly beliefs:

Silly Belief #1: Leaders shouldn't make mistakes.

Silly Belief #2: Apologizing is a sign of weakness.

The reality is that EVERYONE makes mistakes. Great leaders admit them,

Apologies cement relationships. A critical leadership competency is to be able to forge relationships across an organization. If you have made a mistake but don't apologize if it harms someone you will be seen as insensitive and dishonest.

The ability to read others, to be honest, and to forge strong relationships are key leadership skills.

Employees remember slights and being wronged for years if there's no apology. In my consulting work, I had interviewed employees who felt they were wronged by a supervisor and still feel the upset years later. This is because they are denied the closure that an apology provides.

Here are some tips for making a good apology:

Apologize as soon after the situation as you can. For example, if you criticized someone in a meeting, meet with them as quickly as you can to make things right.
Say what you did wrong. Be clear about what you're apologizing for. Don't expect the other person to figure it out.
Use the words "I apologize" or "I'm sorry." Those words are extremely important to a person who you are apologizing to. Be direct.
Ask them what would make the situation right. Often, someone will avoid asking the other party what they need in order to feel that things are okay again. It's a mistake not to ask; they're thinking it anyway, so you might as well know. If they say they aren't sure, make a time later to discuss it again, preferably within a day or two.
Once you've made it right, move on. If the other party has said what they would like to make the situation right again, and you've done that, move on and don't bring it up again.

Many people compromise an apology by saying something ridiculous like, "I'm sorry you felt bad about what I did," or, "I'm sorry I didn't behave the way you wanted me to."

Those are non-apologies that the person offering them knows are non-apologies. They fool no one.

If you strongly believe that an apology isn't necessary, think about this: There is no downside to offering one.

Apologize anyway.

People will respect you more for it.

And it's a good habit to get into.

Is anyone out there listening?

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:57:00 +0000

I'm all about listening. And I've found that the more I focus on it, the better I do it.

I've also noticed, as I'm sure you have, too, that the more gadgets we have and are paying attention to, the less attentively and effectively we listen.

It's not uncommon for me to talk with people by phone who are doing at least one (and often more) of the following:

Typing on their computers;
Answering another phone;
Texting someone else;
Watching TV;
Talking to someone else nearby

We have a national epidemic of inattention through multi-tasking. Like driving, most people don't do it as well as they think they do.

Here are some things I do to improve my focus and attention
when I'm listening to someone on the phone --

If I'm in my office, I will turn off my computer monitor and my cell phone. I sometimes even close my eyes while talking with someone on the phone so that I can focus strictly on what they're saying.

I follow Harry Beckwith's advice, and focus on the mental image I get as the person is talking. For example, a friend recently told me about a golf outing he was looking forward to, and I imagined him on the course. As Beckwith astutely observes, because we often think in images, focusing on the image we get when someone else is talking leads to better listening and follow up questions.

Also, per Beckwith, I pause one second before I respond. That lets the other person know that I am more interested in what they are saying than in what I'm about to say.

When I am at home, I turn my computer off when I'm not using it. It not only saves electricity and eliminates that annoying "buzz" that all computers make, but it lets me focus when I'm talking on the phone at my desk.

Finally, I almost never use my cell phone as the primary means to communicate with others. If I'm out and receive a call, I try to schedule a call back when I know I won't be distracted. I do not use a cell phone in the car (Andrew Carnegie managed to amass a fortune without a cell phone) and in cases where I do want or need to talk on a cell phone, I go to the quietest place I can find.

Although you rarely see a traditional "phone booth" any more, the booth itself is something we could use again. Really.

I can't hear you (thanks to Bose)

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:56:00 +0000

I am not a frequent flyer.

I don't get to hang out in the USAirways club, board first, or drink champagne in the front of the plane.

I do, however, travel enough by plane to have invested recently in a pair of Bose noise-canceling headphones (QuietComfort 15), and I'm shocked to be writing that they are worth the $299 I plunked down for them at Best Buy.

They really are (almost) as good as they say they are.

And now, after years of silently mocking the travelers who I saw taking out these odd-looking headphones and carefully ... almost reverently ... putting them on at the start of the flight, I'm one of them.

No shame at all.

In the Best Buy I went to, there is a display where you can try them for yourself -- if you can get over the fact that about 1,000 people slid them onto their ears before you put them on yours.

There is a large speaker near your head playing what sounds like a very convincing simulation of airplane noise while you listen to Bach.

You hear none of the airplane noise.

In my own experiences last week flying to (8.25 hours) and from (9 hours) Munich, Germany, I used the headphones nearly the entire time, and sat in blissful quiet during the trip.

Even when you're not using them to listen to in-flight movies or your own music, you can leave them on your head and turned on -- it filtered out about 90% of the engine noise, and they worked so well I could not hear the passenger in the seat next to me when she was talking.

That's not necessarily a good thing, by the way. You want to be able to hear SOMETHING, but if you close your eyes with the earphones turned on, you will be in blissful near-silence for as long as you like.

I'll be flying several more times over the next few months, and although it adds a small amount of bulk to my carry-on, I'm bringing them.

The silence is golden.

What you can learn from medical students about training your staff.

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:28:00 +0000

If you're in a leadership position, you've probably had the following happen to you:

You're teaching someone how to do something, and they keep nodding and saying they understand what you want them to do.

Then you let them do it on their own, and what they produce isn't remotely close to what you were expecting.

Why does this happen?

For one thing, we most often train by showing someone how we do it, instead of actively engaging them in the learning.

Also, we rarely check in at key points to have them demonstrate that they understand, instead of just saying they understand.

Finally, because most people we're training to do something are highly eager to show us they understand, there is a strong incentive to say they do, even when they don't.

Passively listening to you explain how to do something doesn't easily transfer to doing it.

Compounding the problem is the human tendency at work to not want to appear stupid, so people who don't understand something they were just trained in often won't speak up and say they don't get it.

How to solve that problem?

I like using a variation of the technique used in medical training known as "see one, do one, teach one."

In training someone how to do something, I usually follow this formula:

First, I show them how I do it.

Then, we do one iteration of whatever it is together, each doing part of the task.

After that, I correct whatever wasn't done correctly.

Finally, I ask them to train me in how to do it, as if they are the expert and I know nothing.

It's amazing how diagnostic it is when I ask them to train me ... it really challenges them to actively think through the process, and then put things in the right sequence to teach it back to me.

Beyond that, it's a measure of how well I taught them, and it often exposes things I left out.

It also lets them put their own spin on the process, and often we wind up making improvements that I hadn't thought about.

The next time you have something you need to teach someone on the job, try "see one, do one, teach one."

It works.

Joe's living in the past. Should you let him stay there?

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:43:00 +0000

Joe worked for years at the same company, but ownership changed and he saw the handwriting on the wall: They wanted to bring in some new faces. Joe updates his resume and applies to your company when you list an opening for a sales director.

You hired Joe because of his longtime experience and you thought he'd be an asset on your team. When Joe came on board, he frequently talked about the past in one-on-one conversations with you and others, as well as at team meetings.

At first, you thought it would pass -- just a natural "phase" he was going through in adjusting to having left a longtime employer.

But now, 6 months later, Joe continues to reminisce and people are starting to complain. If he loved it so much, why did he leave? Why can't he stop talking about the past? Can someone snap Joe out of it?

Helping a new employee leave their past company behind can be critical for fully engaging them in the current job. It's also important because co-workers, peers and supervisors grow tired quickly of hearing stories about the past.

Psychologically speaking, telling stories about the past is a way of processing unfinished business from a prior job. It wasn't Joe's idea to leave -- he had a sense that he was going to be replaced -- so telling stories is a way of processing and getting on top of what happened.

Telling stories is also a way of showing new co-workers that Joe has high value -- he hopes that by describing past successes that people will view him as a highly valued employee, and that somehow that will transfer to the new job and give him instant or quick credibility.

Ultimately, people like Joe wind up alienating others, and the unconscious desire to be accepted and valued backfires.

What to do?

If you have someone on your staff who arrived recently from another company who tells story after story about the past, consider these options:

1. Meet with them to discuss the prior job. Ask if they had an exit interview at the prior job. Any "unfinished business" or conversations they feel they need to have with the prior employer? If there are, encourage them to get in touch with the prior company and settle anything that's unsettled.

2. Be direct about focusing on the future. Often, people like Joe are unaware of how much they are talking about the past and/or the impact it has on others. Let Joe know that you want everyone at the company -- not just him -- to be focused on the future. If he talks about how important the past is for planning the future, encourage him to bring the lessons of the past forward, but not the stories.

3. Get Joe's permission to shift from the past to the future. You might say, "I was wondering if I could have your permission, when I sense you're discussing the old job too much, to politely point it out and ask how we can bring that lesson into the future?" Getting Joe's permission to point it out may -- all by itself -- reduce the frequency and duration of story time.

If you've had an experience with someone who's had a difficult time letting go of a past job, company or supervisor, post it as a comment (and disguise identities) or send me an e-mail at david@davidweiman.com

What you can learn from The American Family Super Market

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:31:00 +0000

If you want to learn about outstanding customer service from some guys who could write a book about it, visit The American Family Super Market in Narberth, PA.

I've been going there for years. I thought what I was getting was excellent meats, cheeses, fish, chicken, and homemade chicken sausage that's so good I swear I hear arias from La Boheme when I open the freezer door there.

What I really get, though, isn't on the shelves: It's a lesson in how to treat your customers the right way. And no one does it better than Angelo, Paul and the rest of the crew there.

They are unassuming.

They are professional.

Each has the heart of a servant, and they treat you like there is nothing more important at that moment than helping you find exactly what you're looking for.

Even when you don't know what that is.

You like the roasted turkey? Angelo asks if you have ever tried the honey turkey and slices a piece so you can taste the difference between the two.

You look unsure as you stand at the meat section? Someone appears by your side and makes a great suggestion.

Watching your cholesterol? Paul will explain how to cook that package of chicken you're holding so that you'll live a long, long time.

I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast yesterday. Paul remembers that on Tuesdays I teach in Allentown and tells me to have a safe ride.

This isn't something that happens every once in a while at the American Family Market. It's what happens every minute of the day there.

There are lots of places where you can buy your groceries. At a time when chain supermarkets seem to be racing to the bottom in customer service, Angelo and Paul are at the top in something that's priceless:

Treating customers like family. Just like the name says.

If you're ever in Narberth, stop by the American Family Super Market. And try the chicken sausage.

The American Family Super Market is located at 230 Haverford Avenue, Narberth, PA. (610) 664-1648.

Why you should conduct exit interviews (and what to ask) ...

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:03:00 +0000

Regardless of why someone is separating from your company or team, departing employees are a gold mine of information:

* They can provide perspectives you might not learn from current employees.

* They can clue you in to problem supervisors.

* Their comments can reveal a gap between what is promised in your recruitment material or interviews and what is delivered once someone is working for your firm.

With so much to gain from exit interviews, here are some suggestions on making sure you get the most from them:

1. Make the exit interview a priority. Communicate its importance both to your HR staff and to the departing employee.

2. Develop a standard interview. This ensures that the interviews will be conducted the same way each time. The best format might include a combination of an in-person interview and a questionnaire to be filled out by the employee. (See below for suggested questions).

3. Do the interview before the employee’s last day. Memories fade and motivation to deal with the past evaporates once someone has moved on. Schedule exit interviews before the person’s last day. My preference is to do them shortly after they announce that they’re leaving.

4. Create a database for responses. Standardized interview questions let you group data together for analysis. Review interview responses right away and examine the trends regularly. Patterns can help you identify areas in need of focused change (e.g. recruitment, values, goals, policies, salaries, operating procedures).

What should you ask, you ask? Here are some questions to strongly consider:

When did you start looking for another job, and why?
As you look back over your experiences here, did they match your expectations when you first joined the company? Why or why not?
If there was one change that could have been made to significantly improve your experience here, what would that have been?
What would you say was your most significant contribution to the company?
What was your most significant disappointment?

Conducting an exit interview also shows departing employees that their opinion is valuable to you. That leaves them with a good feeling about your firm. And that can pay off in the future. How? More and more often, I’ve seen departing employees go to work for a company that is connected somehow to the one they left. Parting on good terms will avoid them bad-mouthing you to other companies.

I’ve also seen them come back to a company they resigned from after finding out that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. With that in mind, encourage departing employees to keep you apprised of their future career changes.

Signs One of Your Valued Employees May be Leaving

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:47:00 +0000

One of the more challenging tasks of leadership in a rocky economy is making sure that your best people stick around.

There are all kinds of reasons why valued staff members decide to move on. And those reasons may have nothing to do with their level of satisfaction with their job, or your company or team. For example:

* They may be ready to change careers.

* They may need a challenge not provided by your company.

* They may find that their values are no longer a fit for your firm.

* If your company was involved in a merger, acquisition or alliance, they may not want to work with/for the other firm.

Regardless of the reasons why someone may be thinking or planning to leave, there are some signs you should be watchful for. My goal here isn't to make you paranoid, carefully watching every move (or non-move) that a key staff member makes, but rather to give a sense of what may be happening when someone establishes a pattern of doing several of these things:

* Significantly increased distractibility or lack of focus.

* Radical change in attitude (going from hard-charging to mellow, for example, or from mild to aggressive).

* Less involvement with informal activities, like lunches with colleagues or after-work social functions.

* Markedly less interest in "going the extra mile" or making sacrifices to accomplish goals.

* Increased time off other than holidays or traditional vacation times.

* Taking more calls with the door closed or using the cell phone out of the office/building.

* Missing meetings or generally being less dependable than usual.

* Spending excessive time with clients or colleagues out of the office.

* Removing personal items from the office.

Be careful about jumping to conclusions, or taking one or two signs out of context. All of these signs could also be associated, for example, with a personal or family illness, marital or other family problems, personal finance issues or even positive things like buying a new home, a marriage or something else.

The important thing to do when you notice any significant change with someone you supervise is to communicate about it.

An easy way to start that conversation is to schedule time to meet, indicate your interest in finding out how things are going, and putting the issue on the table.

Whenever you are in a position to raise a concern, do it as concisely as possible, focus on the data (your observations, not your assumptions about what those observations mean) and quickly turn the conversation over to your direct report.

For example: "I wanted to meet with you today because I've noticed you missed the last three staff meetings and you've been out of the office more than usual. I wanted to talk with you about that. How are things going?"

Then push your own hypotheses aside and allow the other person to discuss what's happening. If there is an issue, always ask first what their proposed solution is, or what they might need to turn that situation around, before offering your own advice or decision.

Preventive Maintenance:

To prevent most surprises, you can follow the sports dictum "The best defense is a good offense." That means meeting with everyone within your span of control on a regular basis.

Regular meetings ensure a timely exchange of information and make it less likely that you'll be caught off guard if someone is planning to go.

During annual reviews, and more frequently depending on your organization's culture, inquire about future plans, goals and dreams. Incorporate those into annual development plans, and make sure that you and your company are doing everything you can to be involved in helping build an outstanding future for every employee.

Bonus Tip: Make sure you have a succession plan in place, and review it at least annually,and ideally twice a year to plan for changes and update information about each staff member.

Taking the Pulse of Your Organization

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:02:00 +0000

One of the keys to keeping turnover low is creating and maintaining an environment where your employees love (or at least like) to come to work every day. And the best way to find out how much they like working for you is to ask them.

But many leaders are afraid to solicit feedback more than at the annual review. Why? First, they're afraid to hear bad news. But who isn't? Second, some are worried that if they learn of a problem, they have to do something about it. But if you heard about something that was making key employees dissatisfied, wouldn't you want to address it somehow?

The upsides of getting regular feedback are pretty attractive:

- You can get a jump on problems before they fester.

- You'll learn what your employees like about their job and the company, not just what irks them.

- Simply asking people what they think often makes them feel valued.

Here's a sample process for obtaining regular employee feedback:

- Select key people who will be responsible for conducting feedback meetings and make sure they "buy in" to the value of the process.

- Create a questionnaire that covers the essential aspects of company life (e.g., things about the job that the employee likes/dislikes; satisfaction with their office or workspace; thoughts about supervisors, peers and direct reports; overall satisfaction with the company; what would raise their satisfaction).

- Make employees aware of the process.

- Set a schedule to interview each employee once a year in addition to the annual review. The ideal time is mid-year.

- Use employee feedback to create a list of action items to be handled by the employee's direct supervisor or your HR department

Creating an atmosphere where people feel their thoughts matter leads to people communicating more of what they're thinking.

And the more data you have, the more effectively you can lead ...

Do You Have an Employee Who's Chronically Late?

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:39:00 +0000

One of the most challenging problems employers face is trying to "cure" chronic lateness.

They often come to me seeking a magic solution to this seemingly intractable problem.

The reason it's so difficult to solve is that people who are chronically late to work tend to be late to everything else in their lives as well.

It's generally a personality trait with psychological underpinnings that have no easy explanation and are difficult to change.

Many leaders attempt to cope with chronic lateness by punishing the employee. This almost never cures the behavior. In fact, even if they're fired and go work somewhere else, the behavior rarely changes.

Others attempt to accommodate the lateness. This also doesn't cure it, and can cause morale problems for other staff who feel management is coddling the tardy person.

Rather than delving into the causes of the chronic lateness, your best bet is to do the following:

1. When recruiting new hires, delve deeply with the applicant into the value they place on prompt attendance. Ask references about their track record in that area. Screen for the types of values that make for a good employee generally.

2. Have a written policy in place that deals with lateness. Make sure all applicants and current employees read and acknowledge the policy.

3. Document lateness and follow through on the consequences in your policy. This is a critical step. Many leaders overlook lateness the first few times it happens, which makes it more difficult to document the entire pattern.

If you don't highly value prompt arrival at work, then don't create a policy around it.

If you do, make sure the policy is clear and fair. Then stick with it. You'll avoid wasting a lot of your time later in trying to solve a relatively unsolvable problem.

Hiring? Here are 5 Ways to Handle the "Applicant Avalanche"

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:00:00 +0000

As the economy turns around (yes, that's the noise you're hearing), companies who are hiring are experiencing something they've never had to contend with before:

HUGE numbers of applicants for open positions.

One reason for the large numbers of applicants is simply the sheer number of people looking for work right now. But another reason is that job-seekers have been encouraged by job counselors to apply for positions that may be tangential to their main body of experience.

So, if you're hiring, you'll get a lot of resumes, but it will be more challenging to sort through them to find those who are truly qualified for the job.

Here are 5 things you can do to increase the efficiency of your resume reviews:

1. Create a tight job description before you market the job. List the core responsibilities and the required criteria. Include in your posting or ad the criteria that are MANDATORY versus the ones that are preferred. Be as specific as possible about every aspect of the posting. This will help you clarify what you're truly looking for. If you're fine with someone who doesn't have your specific requirements, state that, but be prepared for a significant number of resumes to come in.

2. Be careful where you post. In fact, you may circulate the job posting throughout your own company and encourage employees to recruit talent from their professional and social circles rather than casting a wider net through Monster.com or similar sites. If you do use online tools, pick those that will match your desired applicants most closely, as opposed to general job sites.

3. Organize your resume review process in advance. Many companies have a haphazard way of reviewing resumes. You'll need to be organized if you want to be efficient. Set aside time every day to review them, as opposed to reviewing them as they come in. Use a checklist from item 1 above to make sure that you're comparing each applicant to your core criteria. Create three folders -- YES, NO, and MAYBE. That will help you prioritize what to do next.

4. Screen before you interview. Your first contact with an applicant should not be to set up an interview in person. Those can be a tremendous waste of time. Go through resumes carefully to identify problems or concerns (gaps, jumping from job to job, leaving critical information out, or including too much information) and use e-mail and quick phone screenings as a way of ruling in (and out) candidates.

5. Extend your search. Companies looking to hire often make the mistake of assuming the best candidate is in the first pool of applicants. Psychologically, they want to get the search over with and fill the position. This can lead to "groupthink" and momentum toward hiring as soon as possible, instead of hiring the right person. If you don't have a great match right away, keep searching. The wait may be well worth it.

If you have other techniques you've used to make the search process more efficient, post them as a comment!

Promises, promises

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:40:00 +0000

I love eBay.

It has connected me with many types of businesses.

And it's a well-managed marketplace.

I typically only buy from sellers who have a positive feedback rating of 99% or higher. So I was surprised the other day when I had a truly bad experience with a seller who had tens of thousands of transactions and a near-100% Positive Feedback rating.

For privacy's sake, I'll change the details: I bought an iPod cover about a month ago for the impossibly low price of 99 cents. This sells at retail for $25, so I considered the item an amazing deal.

The seller promised:

Shipping within two days of payment
Expedited shipping for $9.50

What a great deal! I bought the item on a Monday and figured, with shipment on Wednesday I'd have it by Friday.

The seller went to great lengths in their listing and follow-up e-mails to stress how dedicated they are to quick shipping, near-immediate responses to inquiries, and receiving positive feedback.

Promises, promises.

First, I didn't receive shipping confirmation until five days after I paid for the item.

Second, the confirmation e-mail said the item would be shipped that same day, but it didn't ship until two days after that.

Finally, it was sent by regular US mail, not an "expedited" service, which I assumed to mean something like Priority Mail.

I guess when he said "two day turn-around" he didn't mean two consecutive days.

I wrote to the seller, and they explained that they left for a brief but unexpected family trip two weeks earlier. The seller – who ships more than 200 items daily -- left his high-volume business to a friend who promised to send everything out.

It was like Gilligan bungling the Skipper's orders on Gilligan's Island.

This is not a rant about eBay, it's a cautionary tale for any business leader, because most of you reading this are at the top of your organizations, and may not know what kinds of promises aren't being kept to your customers served by folks a few levels below the executive suite.

Here are five things to help you keep your promises to customers:

1. Don't wait for an emergency to have a back-up plan. If the sudden illness or unavailability of key people would stop orders from being processed, have a plan in advance for coverage. One company I know of requires a full written process for fulfilling orders, with cross-training (even out of the fulfillment area) to ensure there would be no delays in filling orders.

2. Don't promise so much it strains your company. Internet phone company Vonage so famously over-promised on services that they couldn't handle all of the new orders and customer complaints from a system that barely worked at low volumes much less high ones. They were actually banned from marketing their services for a period of time until they were able to increase their capacity to deliver on service promises.

3. Exceed expectations whenever you can. You will consistently delight your customers when you deliver more than you promise. Faster turnaround, additional bonuses or gifts they didn't anticipate, and, above all, appreciation for every order.

4. Peerless customer service on the backend. Don't learn from your own mistakes; learn from everyone else's ... like the airline, cell phone and computer industries. Great examples of customer support are out there but still too uncommon. Establish the value of providing outstanding customer service, and challenge your leaders and staff to create ways of doing it. Nordstrom, the Ritz-Carlton, LL Bean and others are successful because they invest time and money in customer service. It shows when you do, and it shows when you don't.

5. Offer multiple ways to reach you, and include those methods in each reply to inquiries. Don't offer just one way for people to contact your company, and don't bury the options. I think it's hilarious that my cell phone provider requires website visitors to hunt for their telephone support line. Offer your telephone number, e-mail, a web form and your street address up front. And use technology to let people know what they can expect in response. For example, on your voicemail, provide an e-mail address where people can send a note if they choose. On your e-mail auto responder, provide a telephone number if that would be a quicker way of reaching you. Either way, let EVERYONE know when they'll hear back. For example: "Thanks for your e-mail! We reply to all customer inquiries at 12 pm and 5 pm Eastern Time every business day."

I suppose it's less about what you promise, and more about what you deliver.

Looking Backwards: Sudden Thoughts and Second Thoughts About 2009

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:10:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

It has been an interesting, challenging, frustrating, rewarding, and memorable 2009!

Here are some "sudden thoughts on second thoughts" -- reflections about my own experiences in 2009. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, by the way, and the title "Sudden Thoughts and Second Thoughts" belongs to legendary Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer Bill Lyon. Bill is now mainly retired from the Inquirer, although when something really special happens, they ask Bill to write about it.

So here, in no particular order, are a few things I've learned over the past year:

There is almost no device requiring electricity that can't be repaired by simply unplugging it, leaving it unplugged for several days, and then plugging it back in.
The people who design the interiors of airplanes have never flown commercially.
You should generally respond to people using the same medium they use to contact you.
At the front of any traffic jam in Philadelphia, there's usually nothing that would cause anyone to slow down.
People who love Starbucks don't want to hear what you hate about Starbucks.
If you say things with enough authority, people believe it.
If you want to learn about real customer devotion, amazing products and a company that knows how to delight its clients, walk into an Apple store and stand there for one minute. That's all it takes.
If you want to learn how to create angry customers, make up an excuse to call your cell phone carrier, the company that made your computer, the company that provides your Internet service, or most airlines. It will take more than a minute, but you'll learn a lot.
What used to be bad for you is now good for you. What used to be good for you is now bad for you. The exceptions are cigarettes, which have always been bad for you, and chocolate, which is always good for you.
You can learn a lot from everybody if you take the time to listen.
You can learn a lot about yourself by writing in a journal every night.
There is no such thing as bad pizza.
When the toaster I inherited from my grandfather stopped working after 40 years, I bought a new toaster. When the new toaster stop working after a week, I went on eBay and bought a 40-year old toaster the same model as my grandfather's. It still works.
No matter how fresh the battery you put in a watch you don't wear that often, it will be dead the day you decide you want to wear it.
Regardless of your leanings, if all sides devoted their energy to working together, there'd be no stopping us. So, don't wait for them -- start looking for ways to cooperate with everyone. No matter where they get their coffee.

I hope that you have a phenomenal 2010 filled with great health, terrific happiness, and abundance beyond your wildest dreams.

What Can You Learn About Leadership from MTV's "Jersey Shore"?

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:09:00 +0000

If you haven't seen or read anything about Jersey Shore -- MTV's new unscripted program about summer living in Seaside Height's, New Jersey -- you've missed plenty of buzz.

See a promo here:

Jersey Shore - MTV Shows

The program has adherents and critics for exactly the same reason: The somewhat over-the-top, self-proclaimed "guidos" (Mike "The Situaion," DJ Pauly D., Ronnie and Vinny) and "guidettes" (j-wwoww, Sammi, Snooki and Angelina) whose rants, romps and hi-jinx were filmed this past summer and are now playing on a TV set near you.

Leaving aside what you choose to entertain yourself with on TV, there are some lessons about leadership that can be gleaned from watching The Situation, Pauly and Ronnie:

1. They are action-oriented: Mike, Pauly and Ronnie are doers. They may not make the best decisions, but they rarely sit on the sidelines watching the action: They are the action. Good leadership is about not just thinking about the right decisions, but about taking action, too.

2. They are passionate about being their best. You may not share their values around vanity, but they are meticulous about fitness and appearance. It's not the slavish devotion to hair gel that teaches something about leadership, it's the PASSION around things that are important to them. Imagine if every leader in your company was as passionate about leadership as Pauly is about his hair? That kind of energy fuels success.

3. Their values are clear. One of the more curious challenges of leadership is identifying what principles guide your decision-making. Mike, Pauly and Ronnie clearly identify their values. You may question the wholesomeness of their principles, but you definitely know where they stand. Employees benefit from leaders who articulate a clear set of values and act accordingly. It makes for a stable workplace.

I'm not suggesting that you model the exact behavior of the three I've mentioned as exhibiting leadership behavior.

I am suggesting that leading with passion, taking action and adhering to a set of core values are essential for effective leadership.

And, apparently, have a good time at the Jersey shore.

Get a "peer mentor."

noreply@blogger.com (David A. Weiman, Psy.D.) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:54:00 +0000

About half a lifetime ago, I was the VP of Marketing for a consumer magazine publisher.

It was a specialized job in a specialized field, and I realized I had no real "peer" at work with whom I could discuss various issues and problems that kept popping up.

On a whim, I called someone I didn't know but who had my title at another company that wasn't a competitor.

I suggested that we establish a "peer consultation" group of two!

She liked the idea, and we began discussing (on a more or less regular basis) various issues that we both faced.

Since that time, I have had similar arrangements with other professionals, and I STRONGLY recommend you do the same.

Here are the benefits:

Because the two of you don't work for the same company, you can get an "outsider's" opinion from someone who is knowledgeable about the work you do.
You avoid inappropriately sharing problems or issues with people with whom you work, but who may also be impacted by your decisions, or feel burdened by listening to the problems/issues.
If you decide to talk regularly, such as once a month, it can help you organize your thinking and problem-solving around that meeting. It's efficient.

Some tips for creating an effective peer mentoring relationship:

Make sure that talking to a third party doesn't violate any confidentiality agreements you have with your company.
Confirm the confidential nature of your peer mentoring discussions.
Be absolutely clear about how you intend to use the peer mentoring discussions.
Talk or meet regularly. Once a month is recommended.
Agree to assess the value of the relationship on a regular basis.

Sometimes these informal relationships expand to include others, and can very usefully be converted into MasterMind groups that involve a few people at the same leadership level.

If you have experiences you want to share with peer mentoring or MasterMind groups, post them as comments. If you want to discuss them confidentially, just shoot me an email at david@weimanconsulting.com