Wise words: Margaret Thatcher on leadership

With this year’s movie award season in full swing and Meryl Streep generating a lot of hype for Iron Lady, I’ve been intrigued by the controversial—but unquestionably strong—Margaret Thatcher. Regardless of what you think about Britain’s first female prime minister, you have to admit she threw out witty and insightful one-liners like the best of them.

Here are some of my favorites: 

 

Do you have a favorite Margaret Thatcher quote?

Do you strive for compliance or commitment?

This is a guest post from Guy Harris, who draws on more than 25 years of combined professional and military experience when he consults, coaches and trains in the areas of team and interaction dynamics, communication strategies and tactics, and emotional intelligence. Guy helps people understand—and work through—the reasons that their relationships are getting in the way of getting things done. He owns Principle Driven Consulting, a training and development company that improves results by reducing conflict and improving communication skills. He is also a master trainer and coach with the Kevin Eikenberry Group and leads our Bud to Boss and Ultimate Communicator training camps.

Whether you are trying to resolve a conflict, coach an employee, or correct your child’s behavior; you have to wrestle with your real goals. You have to ask yourself, “Do I want compliance or commitment?”

Many people might say, “As long as they do what I asked them to do, I don’t really care whether people are compliant or committed.”

I would say that if you want one-time action and results in a situation where you do not have to continue working or living with the other person, then compliance is fine. After all, in a one-time event, you don’t really care about the long-term impact on the relationship.

If, however, you are in a relationship with someone, either personally or professionally, I would say that compliance is bad goal.

In Why We Do What We Do, Edward Deci argues that compliance is really silent retaliation. I agree.

Deci’s comments remind me of the story of a young boy who insisted on standing up in class. After the teacher spoke with his mother, his mother made it clear that he would experience severely negative consequences if he got in trouble with his teacher again on this issue. The next day, as he sat in his seat, his teacher said something to him about how nicely he was sitting. He replied, “I’m sitting on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside!”

With compliance, we can get apparent cooperation and bare minimum performance while we are with people. With commitment, we get cooperation even when we are not present, and we create the possibility that the other person will work with extra, discretionary effort to get even better results.

The issue of striving for commitment over compliance is one that I sometimes struggle with as I work with others, and I believe that in most cases making the effort to connect and communicate in respectful ways to build commitment is far better than applying strong negative consequences with the hope of gaining compliance.

What tips do you have for getting true commitment from your staff?

Remember that grand-opening feeling

My brother recently started working at Trader Joe’s. My whole family has been pleased—albeit surprised—that he loves it. Really loves it. He’s a creative type, and we never pictured him in retail. However, he has become the company’s biggest endorser, raving to anyone who’ll listen about its products and policies. He doesn’t even complain when he has to be there at 6 a.m.!

Trader Joe’s has a great reputation for a number of reasons. It’s known for being good to its employees. The company pays well above typical retail wages. (My brother started at more than double what other retail chains offered him.) It offers impressive benefits, even to employees working part time. It’s good to its customers too. When my brother first started, he was delighted to learn that if a customer asked his opinion about a product he’d never tried, he was allowed—even encouraged—to open it there on the floor to sample with the customer. Oh, and the food is delicious too!

All of those are good reasons for my brother to support his new employer. But he has gained even more because he was hired as part of a team opening a new store.

As he raved about his new job in the earliest days, it became obvious to me that the energy and camaraderie developed right before a grand opening were key to fueling his new passion. Whether it’s a start-up or simply a new location opening its doors for the first time, there’s something special about joining a team on the front end.

Of course, we can’t all celebrate grand openings all the time. But you can recreate that feeling with your staff. Here are some ways to do just that:

• Emphasize your mission. Too often organizations barely give their mission statements a second glance once they’ve been written. Employees don’t know it, nor do they care about it. But during a grand opening, everything comes back to the mission statement. If it’s been a while since you reviewed or mentioned your organization or team’s mission statement, pull it out and start referencing it as often as possible. Show how every thing your team does connects back to it.
   
• Focus on teamwork. When a new store or office is opening, no one says—or even thinks—“That’s not my job.” People chip in to help as needed, where needed. There’s no reason for that attitude to dissipate. Remind your team of your joint objectives and of how everyone’s roles contribute to meeting those objectives. When you take on new employees, make integrating them into your team a top priority. (Check out Essentials of Effective Teamwork for more guidance.)
   
• Be excited. Attitudes—positive or negative—start with you and spread throughout your staff. Before a grand opening, leaders exude excitement, energy and passion for their work. They make their team members feel the same way. If you’ve been in a rut and lost that enthusiasm, recharge. Focus on what made you excited about your organization at the beginning. Pretty soon your positivity and passion will catch on among your employees.

How do you maintain that grand-opening feeling in your workplace?

How a teachable moment turned into a brouhaha

By Amy Beth Miller, editor of The Organized Executive

A young salesman hung a movie poster in his work area. It wasn’t obscene or offensive, but it was more appropriate for a college dorm room than an office selling expensive products.

The manager could have used the incident to talk with the salesman about the importance of projecting a professional image. Instead, she talked to another team member about how disturbed she was about the poster.

While the salesman was out of the office, his co-worker moved the poster to a less visible spot in the work area. The salesman was shocked and angry when he returned and discovered that a co-worker has moved his personal property.

That’s when the brouhaha started. The manager eventually joined the conversation and raised her concern about the poster, but because she failed to deal with the situation directly, she damaged team dynamics instead of coaching a new employee.

If you can’t deal with employee problems directly, find another job. As a manager, you must be able to handle a wide range of potentially difficult conversations, from discussing a hygiene problem with an employee to dismissing someone.

Coaching Training Camp—developed and delivered by coach, author and leadership guru Kevin Eikenberry—will teach you how to take advantage of those teachable moments and lead your employees to reach their potential! The workshop is headed to Chicago, Dallas, Orlando and Las Vegas in 2012. Register today! 

What is the most difficult conversation you have had as a manager?

Crisis creates unprecedented opportunities for women–if we overcome the confidence divide

This is a guest post by Mary Foley.

You’ve seen the image: the woman wearing a red bandana and rolled up blue shirt sleeves sporting a fist and exclaiming “We Can Do It!” This World War II poster of “Rosie the Riveter” encouraging women to join the workforce was the epitome of a woman’s strength and determination. 

It was a time of deep crisis that opened unprecedented doors for millions of women that have never been shut. America experienced an amazing workforce shift that set in motion a new level of women’s personal identity and business contribution. And it’s happening again.

More than 6 million women became welders, electricians, mechanics, boiler makers, streetcar operators, bus drivers, chemists, physicists, journalists, secretaries, federal government workers and more for the war effort. Although about half of these women left the workforce when the war ended, the number of working women was still much greater than before the war began—and has increased every year since.

Just being given the opportunity to expand their skill and knowledge gave women new confidence. “I had the chance to prove something, and I did” said Rachel Wray about her experience as a riveter at Convair Aircraft, the prototype poster model. When that happens, there’s no turning back.

In 2012, women will officially outnumber men in the workforce. Never since World War II have women had more opportunities to advance in business and make a difference. However, it’s not just because of our numbers, but also because while today’s economic climate is challenging for even the best companies, with those challenges come opportunities—opportunities women can use to prove themselves (and their worth) and to rise to business world rock-stardom. 

The biggest hurdle preventing many women from such success: a lack of Rosie the Riveter “We Can Do It!” confidence.   

Whatever challenge you want to tackle, from leading to handling conflict to being taken seriously, there isn’t a problem out there that can’t be solved—or at least helped—by starting out with more confidence. Personally conquering “the confidence divide” will be a key difference between having a job and becoming a mega success, between getting a paycheck and making a difference, between middle management malaise and true executive performance.

Today’s organizations need confident women leaders more than ever. As a woman, you have many strengths and talents that are perfectly suited to answer the challenges our modern economy keeps throwing at us—from leading others through change to building productive relationships throughout the company to taking on more responsibility—but only if you have the confidence to put your ideas into action and inspire others to follow suit.

How do you conquer the “confidence divide”? By deciding that now is your time to step up and into this moment. By believing that you have the capabilities and strength to seize the opportunity. And by deliberately learning new skills to fill in the gaps, just like the millions of women in the ‘40s who took on roles they likely never imagined.

Will you join me?  Will you be among the women who believe it’s time for an updated poster that reads “We Can Do It—Again!”?  Let’s make a difference—together!

To start your 2012 strong, join me as I share specific skills and strategies you can use these strategies right away in your day-to-day work when I host The Confidence Divide:  Tackling the Challenges Women Leaders Face in Business on January 18, 2012.

About Mary Foley

Mary Foley inspires women with practical advice to create sanity for their lives and confidence for their careers—all while having a bit of fun! She is the author of three books including Bodacious Career:  Outrageous Success for Working Women, a popular national speaker, and former co-host of the Girlfriend We Gotta Talk! radio show. You can be inspired, too! Get her FREE Sanity, Confidence and Fun Action Pack jam-packed full of e-books, mini-posters, and other goodies at http://www.maryfoley.com/.

Invest in yourself in 2012

If your New Year’s resolutions strategic plan involves improving your management skills, check out our upcoming training camps. The longtime favorites and brand new workshops teach you the vital skills needed to be an effective manager.

Bud to Boss Training Camp, which has long ranked among our most popular events, will be coming to the following locations in February:

• Feb. 6-7: Orlando, FL
   
• Feb. 8-9: Dallas, TX
   
• Feb. 13-14: Charlotte, NC
   
• Feb. 16-17: Atlanta, GA
   
• Feb. 21-22: Birmingham, AL
   
• Feb. 28-29: Miami, FL

The two-day workshop is led by the highly acclaimed Kevin Eikenberry Group and regularly receives feedback like this:

This was absolutely THE BEST training I have ever attended. The class was relaxed and the material was excellent. I can use most all of the content in the next few months. I wish it was longer.”

Read more of the stellar testimonials here.

If you’re looking for something different, though—perhaps you’ve already attended a Bud to Boss Training Camp—check out these new opportunities:

1. Assertiveness Training Camp: Feb. 1-2 in Hilton Head, SC.
    
   This workshop, led by Sarah Jane Hope, will teach you the specific skills you need to stand out, speak up and assert yourself. If you sometimes feel frustrated because you didn’t speak up for yourself or were pressured into things you didn’t want to do, this camp is for you! Your work-life—heck, your whole life—will improve dramatically when you learn how to ensure that your needs are met, without ever coming across as a jerk.
    
2. Financials 101 Training Camp: Feb. 8-9 in Dallas, TX.
    
   This workshop, led by Peter Frampton and Jenny Geier, is designed specifically for non-financial managers, so if numbers and accounting typically intimidate or confuse you, it will be right up your alley. You’ll learn the financial basics so you can raise your organization’s bottom line.
    
3. Smart Business Woman Training Camp: Feb. 8-9 in Dallas, TX and Feb. 27-28 in Charlotte, NC.
    
   This workshop, led by Simma Lieberman, is in its second year and is growing by leaps and bounds. If you’re a woman who’s looking to make big things happen in the business world, don’t miss this opportunity. One of last year’s attendees had this to say: “Very enjoyable and informative. The atmosphere was relaxed, and felt safe in expressing concerns and hearing suggestions to my challenges. These contacts will be invaluable for future reference. Thanks so much!”

Have you attended one of our training workshops? Share your experience in the Comments section.

Conquering a sick day

This is a guest post by Dr. Farzanna Haffizulla

It’s a crisp Monday morning; your agenda is interwoven with meetings, projects and the usual “catch-up,” from the week past. You awake with shaking chills and muscle pains that feel like you’re being pulsed by a million tiny lasers. Every time you swallow, your saliva feels like gasoline fueling an already rip-roaring fire in your throat. You have too much to complete at your office, staying home is just not an option—or is it?  How do you know whether to stay or go? Though many often feel that they should fight through and go to work, there are many signs that indicate that you could be contagious; definitely a sign to stay home.

It is imperative to avoid spreading your infection and to be evaluated for treatment to accelerate your recovery.  Signs that you are contagious, which should simplify your decision to not only stay home but to seek medical care to accelerate your recovery process, are as follows:

1. Fever.
    
2. Persistent productive cough with fever.
    
3. Outbreak of rash with or without fever.
    
4. Red eyes with mucus discharge that seal your eyes shut in the morning.
    
5. Severe sore throat.
    
6. Muscle pains and achy joints with any of the above symptoms.
    
7. Vomiting with or without diarrhea.
    
8. High fever, stiff neck and headache.

The spread of either a viral or bacterial infection can cause a negative trickle-down effect on the entire workplace. Realize that not only are your co-workers at risk from contracting your infection, but so are their families and loved ones, some of whom might have fragile immune systems such as the elderly and newborns.  Plus, it is unlikely that your coworkers will thank you when they contract the same cold or flu!  When your coworkers develop your illness, resulting in many other sick days across a department or office, productivity inevitably declines—many sick days could have been prevented by one or two!  There are many ways you can manage your workload while sick, especially if your coworkers or boss are willing to lend a hand and be flexible.  Some strategies that will allow for productivity during this “down” time include:

1. Work via remote computer. There are many projects in day-to-day office life that could be completed from your home computer while you are in your pajamas in bed! If you can link your office computer to your home desktop or laptop, you can tackle any computer-based projects you have lined up.  Another option is to have work scanned and sent to you for your home viewing and completion, allowing you to stay on top of your workload and recover at the same time.
    
2. Convert physical meetings to telephone or Skype consultations. Utilize technology to your advantage.  Most cell phones have the ability to add in multiple callers, allowing you to set up conference calls.  If you are supposed to call in to a conference line, have one of your coworkers send you the number and instructions.  Ask a coworker to set up an automatic, outgoing message with your “number for the day” and your Skype information. Not only will you impress your colleagues and clients with your innovation and dedication, but you show your consideration for not spreading your infection.
    
3. Take work home with you. This scenario works well if your symptoms start before the next work day.  Bring home that proposal that must be finished before the end of the week, and work on it in between naps.  Always prepare for the worst!
    
4. Arrange for coverage with a trusted colleague for these unplanned emergencies.  Along with letting your boss and other coworkers know that you will be at home, sick, arrange for a specific coworker to cover what they can of your workload.  Let them know of any pressing work or engagements, potential problems or expected calls. This will allow a “physical” presence if one is needed in your line of work.
    
5. Utilize the time to work on “back-up work.”  This can be anything that needs to be done, but often falls by the wayside: expense reports, industry research or other tasks that you have pre-assigned yourself and have readily available. If you run your own business, this is a good day to review your budget, employee productivity and profit trends.

We cannot predict when an illness will punctuate our lives but we can certainly try to prevent such annoyances! The old adage “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” rings true here. There are many ways to protect your immune system and body against such infections, such as: diets high in Vitamin C, minerals and antioxidants that boost your immune system; avoiding sleep deprivation, smoking and alcohol; washing your hands regularly and encouraging your workplace to have hand sanitizers strategically placed for staff use; and taking time to de-stress.

You should also have regular medical checkups to screen for any underlying diseases that can compromise your immune system.  If you do find yourself sick and your primary care physician is not available at a moment’s notice to evaluate you, you have other options. You can either walk in to an urgent care center or have a telemedicine consult with a physician via web or phone.  There are also many walk in clinics at various pharmacies that can evaluate and treat you efficiently.

Many of us have experienced how a sick day can set you back. As professionals, parents and productive citizens, it works in our best interests to not only plan for these unforeseen sick days but incorporate prevention and maintenance of our wellness into our daily lifestyle. A healthy attitude and a positive spirit are also a basic foundation to achieving this art of health balance.  We are the architects of how we choose to deal with obstacles, such as sick days, that sometimes unpredictably insert themselves into our busy lives. Conquer them; don’t let them conquer you!

About the Author

Dr. Farzanna Haffizulla is a speaker and expert in work/life balance.  Her book, Harmony of the Spheres, offers methods to streamline workloads, solve interpersonal workplace issues and offers practical advice on integrating work and home life. In addition, she runs the websites BusyMomMD, an informative site for modern, educated women juggling career, family and community life, and HouseCallsMD, providing a portal to better healthcare. For more information or to contact Dr. Haffizulla, please visit www.housecallsmd.us or www.busymomMD.com.

Ditch your New Year’s resolutions

Do you struggle with keeping New Year’s resolutions as much as the rest of the world? I do. Actually, I rarely make them, because I don’t like to make promises I probably won’t keep. I had dinner with a friend recently, however, who convinced me to give up New Year’s resolutions for good—and replace them with New Year’s strategic plans.

Inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, my friend mapped out all of her goals for 2012. But she didn’t stop with the goals: She wrote out accompanying objectives, strategies and tactics too. Example: One of her goals is “Be healthier.” One of the objectives under that goal is to “Be more physically active.” One of the strategies she’ll use to reach that objective is to “Sign up for a road race.” And the tactics she’ll use to make that strategy successful include “Find a race that supports a cause [she’s] passionate about” and “Ask friends to sign up” with her.

I guarantee that she’ll be more successful than if she simply resolved to “Work out more often.” Don’t you agree? Here are the reasons I’m adopting this goal-setting system myself:

• Breaking major tasks down makes them more conquerable. Even if it was your big goal, you’d never put “Write a novel” on your to-do list, would you? Of course not. You’d break it down into baby steps: Sketch out characters. Write an outline. Write the first sentence. And so on. My friend’s system allows her to focus on individual, manageable tactics, which will ultimately lead her to reach her goals.
   
• The system requires a good deal of thought. My friend spent the better part of two full days crafting her plan. Devoting so much time to it means that she’s more invested in her success than if she’d simply jotted down the first three goals that popped into her head.
   
• It can be applied to every aspect of your life. Taking her cue from Rubin’s book, my friend considered all the topics she cared about—career, health, relationships and so on—and mapped out goals, objectives, strategies and tactics for all of them. I expect that she’ll grow a lot in 2012!

Like I said, I don’t typically write New Year’s resolutions, so I’m not worried that I’m starting a few days late this year. I’d rather devote the necessary time and thought into making it a meaningful list.

How do you handle New Year’s resolutions and goals?

Words of advice for the New Year

Happy Holidays from the Bud to Boss blog!

As 2011 draws to an end and we all prepare to welcome the New Year, we’d like to offer you these words of advice. May they serve you well in 2012.

1. Quit sweating the small stuff. Nitpicking over the smallest details or micromanaging every aspect on every project will only lead to stress and—eventually—burnout. Keep things in perspective. Accept that some things will go wrong. Always have a backup plan. When you do that, the inevitable small setbacks won’t seem so bad.
    
2. Show your appreciation more. Think about it: How often do you take time to express your thanks for day-to-day things? We expect the waiter to provide good service. We expect the mail service to deliver our mail on time. We expect the person at the cash register to ring our orders up correctly. We expect our employees to do their jobs and meet—or in some cases exceed—expectations. And we often do all that without truly showing our appreciation for what the person is doing for us.
    
   Yes, having expectations is natural and necessary, especially when we are managing people. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t regularly and genuinely acknowledge our employees’ efforts. Everyone wants to be validated, and you can do for that your employees simply by saying “Thanks for doing ___________________” and “Excellent work on ___________________.”
    
3. Keep educating yourself. It’s easy to reach a certain level and feel you’ve learned enough. Don’t fall into that trap. Make it a point to take advantage of any training your organization offers. Request to attend a workshop or purchase a training program.
    
   Or learn without spending a dime: Shadow your employees to discover what they really do each day. Attend free webinars. Follow your competitors and industry-specific periodicals and websites on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Use Google Reader to check your favorite blogs and news sites. You’ll receive a wealth of information with little effort on your part. Then you can spend some time each day reading the materials and sharing what you learn with your team.
    
4. Grow leaders. So many managers, especially new ones, are afraid to groom leaders on their teams for fear of being replaced. However, you will be much more successful if you oversee a group of leaders than if you are responsible for a group of followers.
    
   Delegate challenging tasks and offer training opportunities that increase employees’ knowledge and skills. Let them take the lead on a project or during a meeting. Seek their input on decisions and when you are problem solving. Empower them to meet your goals the way they see fit. Every day you have the opportunity to help your employees become stronger employees. Don’t waste it.

The BMG blogs will be back to our normal posting schedule next week, but until then, be sure to check out these other blogs …

American Speaker Blog | Make 2012 your Year of Speaking Fearlessly
Nitpickers’ Nook | Happy Holidays from Nitpickers’ Nook!
The Organized Executive’s Blog | One word to a better 2012

Prove yourself now

By Amy Beth Miller, editor of The Organized Executive

It would be nice to have time to settle in as a new manager, to learn about your team and your new responsibilities. But the work won’t slow down and wait for you. Your team needs answers and direction, and your boss expects results.

While many people advocate that new leaders have a “100-day plan,” there are actions that will serve you well whether you are in your first months as a new manager or starting a new year.

Let these questions guide you:

• What does my boss expect me to achieve? How can I delight my boss? Look beyond your job description to discover your boss’s goals and frustrations.
   
• What does my team need from me now? The answer to that could be anything from resources, to your time, to direction.
   
• What roadblocks can I remove today? An effective manager paves the way for team members to do their best work.
   
• Which relationships can I improve that will benefit my team and organization? As a leader you play a key role in ensuring that everyone works together, within and outside your team.
   
• What is our vision, and how can we make it a reality?
   
• What can I do to make a difference right now? Today? This week? This month?

What are the most important actions you took in your first 100 days as a new manager?