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The 5 Step Formula for Improving Accountability

February 28, 2010 by Guest

The 5 Step Formula for Improving Accountability
By guest blogger, Bea Fields, President of Bea Fields Companies, Inc.

When is John going to get me that report?”
“What is going on with the marketing report? When are they going to finish that thing?”
“I can’t believe Mary is so late in making those phone calls.”
“Okay…who dropped the ball this time?”
“Hey…that’s not MY job.”
Does this sound familiar? If so, your small business team may be faced with a big challenge with accountability, which results in finger pointing, frustration and broken trust…both with your employees and your customers. Personal responsibility and accountability can put an end to the blame game, saving your business thousands if not millions of dollars by increasing productivity and overall job satisfaction, which results in very satisfied customers. These five basic approaches can support you in increasing accountability, which are simple, yet they require actually building a culture of accountability for your business.

1. Communicate the big picture – Accountability stands a better chance of succeeding if everyone in your business embraces a larger responsibility for the success of the entire company. Spend time talking individually with team members about how his or her project affects the vision and mission of the business. With this communication, people can make wiser decisions from the context of the “big picture” rather than from the perspective of what may seem to be a detailed and boring task.

2. State clear expectations – If one person on your team does not meet your expectations, the entire team can fail. It is important from the very beginning of any new project to state the expectations clearly and repeat them over and over again until your team really “gets it.” These expectations need to be crystal clear, including dates, who is responsible for what, the details of the task and how you want the finished product delivered. If your expectations are fuzzy or confusing in any way, your team can break down, and the fine and very important details can fall through the cracks.

3. Accountability work groups – One of the best ways to achieve accountability is to develop shared accountability among team members. Accountability within the team can be accomplished by what Morris R. Shechtman calls “accountability groups,” groups which give team members the permission to speak and listen in a way which is frank and open. This accountability group can include 2-5 people and can then serve as a small unit of people working together to confide in with struggles, weaknesses and insecurities. They can then find creative strategies to work together in the direction of the growth the team intends to achieve.

4. Move to action – In order for accountability to work, people have to know that failure of completion will come with certain consequences, including written warnings, loss of a bonus or extra hours served on a week-end to complete the project on the table. Without consequences, your employees won’t take you seriously. They will think that they can use blame, justification and rationalization as a way to deviate from being responsible, because you have not followed through on what you said you will do if the tasks are not achieved.

5. Reward and recognition program – Employees need to know in a tangible way their efforts are indeed driving the company forward, and it is important for them to share in the fruits of their hard work. The offer of increased pay and benefits (vacations, time off and other perks) can keep accountability and morale high and can motivate employees to continue to strive for high levels of performance.

Four Things Women Must Know That They Won’t Learn in Business School

January 31, 2010 by Guest

Amazon By Guest blogger, Selena Rezvani,
author of the newly released book, “The Next Generation of Women Leaders” and president of NextGenWomen, LLC, where she consults to executives and aspiring women leaders. www.nextgenwomen.com.

1) Women who want to move up must take professional risks before they feel ready for them. The day when you can say “Now I feel ready” is usually too late – others have claimed the opportunity you wanted. Get in the habit of asking yourself, “What do I need to be comfortable enough to do this?” Perhaps the answer is a mentor, an advisory council, family support, or training.

2) Use emotional intelligence to read people and situations, but don’t use emotions to make a case for something. When building your argument or making a case, keep things fact based ― not innuendo or hearsay based ― using phrases like “The data shows…” and “The facts are…,” rather than “I feel…”

3) Those women that make it to the top continually ask for what they want at work, rather than waiting to be noticed, rewarded, or promoted. They’re not afraid their requests will inconvenience someone or that they will look pushy for asking. When making requests, figure out where you have leverage ― the value you bring to your employer and the extent to which you’re relied upon for your skills.

4) Don’t be naïve about the extent to which politics govern the workplace. Find ways to proactively learn the culture and political climate of your organization, learning how people like to be communicated with, and how and when people have launched initiatives that have been successful. Solicit information from several parties as you accumulate information, never just one. Play in the politics or perish!

Public Speaking for the Quieter Half

January 9, 2010 by Guest

By guest blogger: Nancy Ancowitz
Business Communication Coach and Author of Self-Promotion for Introverts®
www.selfpromotionforintroverts.com

When I was writing my book, Self-Promotion for Introverts®, Warren Buffett shared with me that he was terrified of public speaking as a young man. He said that he “got physically ill even thinking about speaking.” So he took a Dale Carnegie class where he joined 30 people who had trouble saying their names. Isn’t it comforting to learn that even Buffett, who now speaks eloquently off the cuff about everything from investing to the price of ethanol, has his own turnaround story as a public speaker?

Does the thought of giving a speech feel scarier than death to you? If so, you’re not alone—that fear is widespread among introverts and extroverts alike. However, since you die only once but you can give many presentations in your lifetime, why not make public speaking not only less frightful but actually enjoyable?

Public speaking is just a skill that anyone can learn, and it doesn’t typically take long to do so. If you’re an introvert, you’re probably more comfortable deep in thought behind the scenes than pontificating in front of a crowd under the spotlight. However, the beauty of public speaking for introverts is that it’s a highly efficient use of your limited social energy. When you get up in front of an audience, you can reach many people at once rather than having to ramp yourself up for meeting after meeting.

Whether or not you’re an introvert, if you’re afraid of public speaking, I recommend getting the support that you need to help manage your fear and to build your oratorical skills. Consider taking a workshop, hiring a coach, and/or joining Toastmasters International. Meanwhile, here are a few tips to help make your next speech easier, particularly if you’re an introvert.

1. If you typically find one-on-one interactions not so intimidating, consider relating to your presentation as a one-on-one interaction with each of the individuals in your audience (rather than as a scary blob of humanity!).
2. Remember why you’re there and what your audience will gain by hearing you speak. Focus on that rather than how they might judge you.
3. It’s particularly important for introverts to arrive well rested and to leave sufficient time between social interactions.
4. Prepare a few key points that target your audience’s interests.
5. Getting started is often the hardest part. So memorize your opening line. Use a quote, a statistic, a piece of news, or something else that your audience will find compelling.
6. Practice out loud, ask someone to videotape you, and then see what you do well and what you need to improve on.
7. Prepare something to do if you get thrown off, lose your place, or get a case of the shakes. My favorite technique is to focus on breathing.
8. Have a punchy closing line ready.

Check out her new book on www.amazon.com

Nancy Ancowitz, Self-Promotion for Introverts®: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead, McGraw-Hill, 2009.

Lessons learned from growing up in the court of King Farouk

December 7, 2009 by Shoya

King Farouk

On a hot, humid evening in Alexandria, the dinner party rises from the table. Egypt in those days was a magnet for royalty in exile. On this particular evening, King Zog, the last ruler of Albania, is hosting dinner for Egypt’s ruler King Farouk, the Queen of Bulgaria and several members of the Italian royal family in exile.

King Zog is married to my cousin, Hungarian-born Queen Geraldine, hence my attendance. At six I am fully prepped for the guests and keep my mouth shut. That is fine, however, since Zog, a thoughtful man, joined me in the palace gardens several hours earlier to chitchat. He asked about the ups and downs of my life in Cairo and injected some gentle humor. A calm and kind man, he made people of all ages feel special.

King Zog

Tonight the guests are departing early knowing that Farouk is eager to play cards with Zog. During the summer months, Farouk arrives unannounced at least once a week to gamble. Zog adapts to these visits with grace knowing he is under the protection of the Egyptian monarchy.

I start moving towards the door with my parents to head up to our room. All of sudden Farouk turns to me smiling and says “the little one will sit next to me and bring me luck.” While there are less attractive sides to the king, he is kind to children and has a sense of humor, so I join him willingly. For the first hour, I watch him play and we grin at each other as he rakes in the coins. Then I stretch out over his ample lap and fall asleep. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, he gently shakes me. “We have done well, ma petite,” he whispers in French, “now you will share my earnings.” I hold up my white pinafore and he fills it with mountains of bills and coins — the equivalent of several thousand pounds (1 pound in those days was worth about US $5). I thank him and head out trying to keep the dozens of menservants standing in the hallway from dipping their hands into my bounty. Upstairs, my parents stare at the pile in shocked amazement. The funds will keep us afloat for a number of months!! As Hungarian refugees who arrived several years earlier, life in exile is interesting but not always easy. More details will follow in future blogposts.

LESSON LEARNED: It’s not who you know, but how you get to know the person that produces dramatic results — especially if you are six years old and you fall asleep on the King’s lap.

A Resume Markets Your Brand

November 30, 2009 by Guest

By Guest Blogger: Annabelle Reitman, Ed,D, Career Management Consultant and Author of Talent Retention,” (ASTD Press, 2007),
anreitman@verizon.net

It is imperative in today’s competitive job market to know YOU – that is your professional savvy. By knowing what you have to offer and then marketing and branding yourself as the person with that information, allows you to stand out from your competition. How well you promote yourself depends on your ability to write your powerful story via your résumé.

A résumé’s overall purpose is to serve as your marketing tool. It is your advertising piece (think “company fact sheet”), designed to attract a pre-determined targeted audience. You need to remember, you are the product being sold and this is your marketing and advertising material! What is the buyer looking for? How can I showcase myself to match and fulfill the organization’s needs? A résumé’s primary marketing objectives are to present you in a powerful, targeted, and concise manner in order to:

Grab a reviewer’s attention quickly and to sustain the interest in you.
Demonstrate that you have the experience and background they need.
Show in an easy to read manner how and why you can be an asset to an employer.
Create a professional image that evokes a “wow” reaction from the recruiter.
Enable you to make the first cut and be contacted for a first level interview.
Guide an interview, keeping it focused, on your expertise, successes, strengths, and the data supporting your case for being hired.

In the job search process, a résumé is your initial contact. Be consistent with your professional branding; recruiters are look for the most proactive and powerful results-producers. You want to be noticed and have that interest sustained through several reviews of the pile of résumés. Develop a unique professional niche – everyone’s experience and background is different – this is your individualized combination of assets and savvy – that is distinctive and coherent. Create a demand for your professional brand.

A targeted résumé positions you in a specific way so that your information, your image will be relevant and grab the reader’s attention. Ask yourself the following questions posed by Arruda and Dixson (Career Distinction, Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007).

Is my résumé –

Up-to-date?
Compelling?
Written in my unique voice?
Does it communicate my brand message?
Would others in my field be unable to use it?

If you can “yes” to these questions, your resume is branded and ready to promote and market you for your next career opportunity. .Annabelle also co-authored, Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Training Career Now! (ASTD Press 2006, 2nd edition), and High-Level Resumes: High-Powered Tactics for High-Earning Professionals .

Why it’s a great time to change careers

November 26, 2009 by Guest

Guest Blogger: Andrea Kay, Author of “Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 steps to get out of our funk and on to your future” andrea@andreakay.com
http://andreakay.com

There’s never going to be a convenient time to change your career. If you’re waiting until you have no obligations, the economy is right or the moon and stars are perfectly aligned, you may as well forget it. Stop listening to the negative collective, which is saying: “This is not a good time to change careers.” Why would it be the wrong moment to change your direction? A time when thousands of jobs–maybe yours–has been lost and are never coming back. Why would this be a dismal time to search your soul for work that’s more fitting to who you are, where the world is headed and where you can be more employable?

Why, when you may not have even liked what you did all these years, would this be a deplorable time to listen to that restless gnawing in the pit of your gut that’s been nudging you to change? To take stock of what you’d like to have more of in your work. Things like challenge, more meaning or more of a life.

This moment might be the perfect juncture for a career change. You’ll never know if you don’t ask yourself some practical questions like: What might a career change cost you in terms of time, money and relationships? Once you answer that, then you can decide if you’re willing to do what it takes and whether it’s a good time for a career change.

No one can guarantee how successful you’ll be. You may make less money than before. But it’s possible you’ll make more. You may get rejected 100 times before someone wants to hire you. Then again, one “yes” could change your life for the better.

If I sound impatient, I am. And you should be impatient with yourself too. Because I know you want more out of your life, and you have the ability to go after it. When it comes to making a career change, now is as good a time as any. And possibly better.