Posted on January 13, 2010
Yesterday I had the privilege of kicking off a Future Leaders program for a professional association. It is such a joy seeing the enthusiasm and openness that the Future Leaders display as they position themselves to grow professionally and personally.
I found this message this morning:
“I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. I truly enjoyed your class last night and have already used the ‘Help me understand’ and ‘How can I help?’ tactics. No surprise, they worked! Thanks.”
For those who weren’t with us yesterday, here are some communication tools to always keep in your back pocket.
“Tell me more“–for when you didn’t understand or quite get what someone said. It keeps them talking and gives you time to listen for more information. Say this instead of asking a slew of questions that show you didn’t understand what the person said. Save yourself the embarrassment.
“Help me understand“–similar purpose. It may prod the other person to give you more in-depth information or to explain the logic behind their ideas or decisions.
“How can I help?” People like to help other people–it is part of what makes us different from other creatures. It gives you a chance to do a small favor for someone, and, in all likelihood, they will return that favor.
Armed with just those tools, you will grow in your ability to keep a conversation going, to understand what others need or want, and to gather the data you need to help your client.
So, how can you help me? Forward this blog post to friends who could also benefit from having these tools. And be sure to let me know how I can help you.
Have a great day.
Posted on December 21, 2009
It is true that what once was old is now new again. The business buzz these days is about setting office hours.
You remember when you were in college. The professors had certain hours that they committed to being in their office and available for you to stop by. If you needed to talk to a professor, your best chance came during his office hours.
Now company execs are setting office hours for when they will be available for employees and office hours for when they are available for their customers.
The topic is hot enough that Harvard Business Review featured it in a guest blog by Bill Taylor, cofounder of Fast Company magazine.
Jason Fried, founder of Chicago productivity software firm 37 signals, is available for two hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. He sits in his office and takes calls from customers.
One person asked him how he handled the crush of calls. Fried replied that he took the calls as they came in and didn’t rely on call waiting.
Seems simple enough.
How old is this “new” idea?
George Goethals was one of the chief engineers on the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914. Supposedly, each Sunday Goethals would meet with anyone involved with the construction of the canal. He would sometimes see upwards of 100 people in a day.
As a footnote, the Canal was finished more than a year ahead of its target date. Let’s hear it for open communication.
Posted on December 7, 2009
Time management is one of the top problems people tell me they struggle with. And I get it–I struggle with it, too.
But let’s look at the truth of the situation.
It’s not how you manage time. It’s about how you manage YOU.
We all have the same 24 hours a day. To my knowledge, nobody has found a way to squeeze another hour or two into a 24-hour day.
Here are some quotes from management guru Peter Drucker. I hope they get you thinking.
“Everything requires time. It is the only truly universal condition. All work takes place in time and uses up time. Yet most people take for granted this unique, irreplaceable, and necessary resource. Nothing else, perhaps, distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time.”
“One cannot buy, rent or hire more time. The supply of time is totally inelastic. No matter how high the demand, the supply will not go up. There is no price for it. Time is totally perishable and cannot be stored. Yesterday’s time is gone forever, and will never come back. Time is always in short supply. There is no substitute for time. Everything requires time. All work takes place in, and uses up time. Yet most people take for granted this unique, irreplaceable and necessary resource.”
“Until we can manage TIME, we can manage nothing else.”
Posted on November 16, 2009
I was doing a lunch and learn for a firm recently on how to get referrals and repeat business. Just about everyone I know needs to spend time working on getting referrals and repeat business.
But not Arthur.
Arthur is one of the more experienced (i.e., older) professionals at this firm. He proudly told me he doesn’t need referrals because his client keeps him busy.
“My client just keeps calling me with more work,” Arthur said. “I don’t even have to ask for it.”
“Arthur,” I asked, “what are you going to do when your client gets run over by a bus at lunchtime? Do you know who would replace him?”
This stopped Arthur cold—made him think. He knows his client’s boss, but he doesn’t know others in the firm—the others that might step in after the lunchtime tragedy.
Don’t get cocky like Arthur. Spend time with your clients and the folks who work with them. Develop relationships that will keep your business alive after the rogue bus drivers of this world take out your clients.
Posted on November 5, 2009
This week I got sucker-punched. One of my client’s rising stars-Randy, who we expected to move into a leadership position–quit.
I was stunned. My client, I’m sure, was much more so.
We had talked about how Randy had such great potential and what we saw in his future with the firm.
Problem was, apparently, Randy didn’t get the message. At least that’s what Randy told me.
I know people are often negligent in telling someone they’ve done a good job or that we appreciate them. In fact, the number one reason people give for leaving a job is that “my manager doesn’t appreciate me.”
That’s followed by “I don’t know what my future is with this firm” and “my manager doesn’t communicate with me.” Rarely is money the true reason someone leaves a job.
So, what are you doing to communicate to your future leaders what you see for them? Are you at risk of getting sucker-punched when one of your rising stars leaves?
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