Email Bomb

The email bomb is something that companies have to take into consideration and give appropriate training. I recently had a situation where I was communicating through email and trying to be as clear as possible. The problem like I mentioned in previous emails is people do not proof read what they are sending before they hit the send button. I was recently amused by an email that literally had 10 different messages in 4 sentences. I wanted to respond by stating can you please proof read and resend? Of course we all have a tendency to go through things very quickly, misspell words, and my favorite use the reply to all function. Here are a few tips when crafting an email that will help minimize the confusion that might take place.

• Only include the people on the email who need to be included this is not the right time to show your boss you can handle conflicts
• Subject / Title should reflect the actually information that is included in the email
• Address the audience like it is a formal letter, ex. Brad,
• Give specific action items in the email, ex. I need a response by Monday the 3rd at 5pm.
• Closing, ex. Thanks for your help,
• Name & Contact information
• Spell Check and reread before you hit send.

Sure this does not look like rocket science and it is very simple. If you do this every time you will find conversations are much easier to have and the communication struggle can be eliminated.

Connected

If you have been in corporate America for any period of time you have asked the question, how did he get so high in the organization? This is the realization that it is not always what you know but who you know. Have these questions ever come up in conversations in your organization?

• What has he/she done to improve earnings?
• When was the last time he hit his goals?
• What makes the head of sales the right fit for the head of operations?
• Why does his boss love him and his team hates him?

I unfortunately have personally witnessed these events take place. There is nothing more frustrating for an workforce whom wants to win and progress than to see mediocre performers at the top. After all if leadership is mediocre the company will be mediocre at best. So many times in business managers are afraid to hire talent because they are in fear of losing their job. once this trend begins to happen an organization will spin into a downward spiral. A great leader will promote, teach and push his/her people into new roles that will make them successful for years to come. Once you realize you are not asking the above questions you should take advantage of the opportunity. Working with great leaders is unfortunately not the norm regardless of the corporation.

Snap Decision

I have been recently working with a gentleman and helping him structure his business in a way that will be profitable for years to come. A couple of days ago I received a phone call from him saying he had found a great opportunity. I could tell how excited he was so I began to listen to him explain the business he was considering buying. For clarity the business he was looking at was a retail location - golf course to be exact. After he said the word unbelievable about 10 times I began to ask him a couple of questions the first of which was, "where is it located." He said it is in the middle of nowhere. My first reaction, challenge to attract customers. I then asked why do you think this is a good idea when everything that we have discussed is different. He began to explain his end goal is to buy a course and the opportunity is presenting itself now. I listened a little longer and then said before you make a decision we should review the financial documents and make sure it is worth it. Two days later we both agreed now is not the right time and he should remain narrow and strategic. Yesterday I get a phone call that says I am the proud owner of the course and now I need to figure out the rest.

Small business is great but there is a reason why 70% + fail. It is because snap decisions like this are made without critically thinking. You have to take out personal emotion and look at the facts. In this case it is a golf course in Ohio that means it will likely be closed for 3 months out of the year. It is in the middle of nowhere that means customers are less likely to travel to your location unless you offer speciality services that your competition does not offer. It has been for sale for 3 years that means the price is too high or it would have been sold a long time ago. Business is not easy you have to be willing to step back ask hard questions and walk away. I love the entrepreneurial spirit but hope he does not become part of the 70%.

Bouncing Ball Manager

Do you remember as a kid going to the grocery store with your parents? Before leaving I would always beg my mom for a quarter to buy something out of the vending machine. It never failed I would always go for the bouncing ball that was sitting in the case. The funny thing about the bouncing ball is when it is in the case it is not moving, causing problems or breaking anything. However, as soon as the ball gets loose it can cause broken windows, sprained ankles and fights amongst kids.

In business have you ever had a manager that you would consider the bouncing ball? This is the person who hops from idea to idea causing distractions and providing no vision. Of course we are all guilty at times of not thinking clearly and reacting rather than processing but not like the bouncing ball manager. The bouncing ball manager will say I want this completed in 12 months and a couple days later will say we really need it by the end of the week. The bouncing ball manager will say we should focus on X but two hours later will question why you are not looking at Y. So here are some ideas on how to deal with the bouncing ball:

· Keep the scope of the project narrow?
· Ask the question, what are we trying to solve?
· This project has a very large scope. What do you want to complete first and when?
· Provide him/her regular updates keeping scope in mind?
· Push back and provide feedback do not be a yes man you will both fail.

Of course the bouncing ball manager will continue to be all over the board and at times will be near impossible to deal with. This is an opportunity to become a leader and manage up. Just because they are the boss does not mean they cannot learn and develop.

Flip of the Switch

Have you ever been part of a difficult time in business and then all of a sudden there is a flip of the switch? Some might call this a time they never forget. It might be as simple as the time you closed your first big sale, your first promotion or a career change. For so many people the switch is different but when it happens you are sure it happened.

Recently the flip was switched in our company. We have been strategically thinking about our future in regards to a merger, acquisition, or private equity infusion. As you can imagine the time the flip switched and we knew the decision the morale instantly changed. People can now focus on the controllable rather than the uncontrollable. Our teams have confidence what they are doing is correct and there will be a tomorrow. Now is the time to think about strategy and future execution.

When you are in a moment that feels like you are flipping the switch take a step back and think about what you are going to do next. How will this event change the future and have we learned from our past mistake? How will we capitalize on our second chance and who do we need to thank for sticking with us through these tough times?

Interview questions

Have you ever been sitting in an interview and wondering what in the world does this have to do with the position? I was recently talking to someone and he mentioned the interviewer began to talk more about herself rather than uncovering the skills of the candidate. She began to ask questions that had some relevance but after hearing the candidates response she answered the questions showcasing her knowledge of the issue.

As if this was not bad enough the interviewer went on to ask who is the Chairman of the Federal Reserve and what is his role? WHAT? How does this relate to leadership, sales ability, or product management? Sure the candidate was interviewing for a role in the financial sector but knowing who Big Ben is does not make you qualified for the position. Unless the position is to review economic and monetary policy. In this case the position is to lead sales people and build an organization that can deliver the whole bank.

After hearing these events take place I began to think about my interviewing practices. I have always interviewed people using behavior based questions to understand how people would react in situations they will face. Of course there is no truly right or wrong answer but more of the logic and process they take that matters. The interview is never about me it is about the candidate. However, if the candidate is smart they will make it about me and less about them. If you are interviewing and the interviewer begins to explain how impressive his resume is you might want to think about if you want to take the job. After all your career is your choice it is not his. If he is telling you how great he is now imagine what it will be like once you join the team.

Confused Level of Arrogance

I recently had a conversation with a senior executive who mentioned, “If we are acquired by XX they will have to keep our talent? So I began to probe a little more and ask why?
She then went on to say, “Our people are better educated and have always been considered the cream of the crop. When we walk down the streets if you are not part of our team you are simply on the wrong team.” I began to push back and mentioned they might have a different view at this point and maybe we should consider reviewing ourselves in the mirror.

It is this mindset that caused companies like Enron, WorldCom, and Quest to have so much financial difficulty. If you are blind to the fact that the company that is buying you might actually be performing better than you there is a serious problem. After all if we did have the best people than what is our real problem? Is it our products, services, or locations? If the answer is no, the blame falls on the decision making process which goes right back to the PEOPLE.

In business there is room for confidence but little room for arrogance. People today want to be led and given clear direction by someone they trust. Arrogance leads to ignorance and making comments like they would be lucky to have us. The fact of the matter is it is attitudes like this that drive the for sale sign directly into the ground.

Everyone Sells

Have you ever been in a meeting or with a group of people who say they hate sales? Do you find these are the same people that are looking for new projects, trying to get funding, and want to do process improvements? Sure they might say they hate sales but the reality is if they are going to be effective leaders this is an attribute they will need to have.

Sales is more than a business function and one can debate the importance of it for hours. Marketing will tell you the reason we increase business is from the campaigns and advertising. Sales management will tell you without the people closing deals advertising is useless. One thing is certain if your business is going to be successful you have to be good in sales. You have to be willing to sell your idea to an investor, company or partner. Sales does not have to be viewed as a negative, it is really the process of educating your customer on making the right buying decision. If you educate the CEO on a cost saving project that includes a one time capital investment you have just sold an idea. Sure the best executives in the world are good at seeing through the fluff and getting to the true value but the way you present the information can make or break the sale. In business, regardless of your role, you have to acknowledge sales is a part of your job . If you want to continue to grow in the organization I would suggest you fine tune your sales skills.

Tax Time

For nearly all of Americans today is the last day to file your taxes with the Federal, State, and local government. I was listening to the radio today and they were mentioning that there is a line to get to the post office. So I began to wonder why the government does not change the process in which we file taxes. Recently the government changed the process on how they were going to pay out SSI each month to even out the distribution of payments and work streams. Unfortunately there has been no change to the way we file our taxes. Let's think about the advantages of having a tax filing system that takes place based off of your birth month.

Advantages

• Accountants do not have to cram 12 months of work into 3 months
• Small Business owners do not have to file extensions every year costing them more money
• Government has a regular stream of income (incoming and outgoing) all year
• Car dealerships can offer rapid refund options car buying discounts all year long (my favorite marketing plan)
• CPA's can enjoy March Madness, Opening Day, and the Masters
• Government does not have to hire temporary work just to review documents
• US Postal Service does not go "postal" on customers due to lengthy lines

Sure there are advantages and disadvantages to any idea but this seems like a production function that could be streamlined. Lastly and most importantly thank your CPA for a job well done. Make it a point to send them referrals (as if they were not busy enough). Do not think for one second because it is April 16th they are on the golf course and do not have anything else to do for the next 9 months. They are now taking care of all of the clients they have not been able to talk to for the last 3 months.

Structured Thought

I recently attended a training session performed by a group called thoughtleaders. The class was titled Structured Thought and Communications and provided some very good insight. The one area that I found to be the most helpful is the process of building consensus before going into the final boardroom setting. Although the process on paper seems very easy I assure you the process is quite complicated.

The steps that Mike Figliuolo discussed during the presentation are different than most process oriented approaches. For example at one point you begin to define the problem before using any data analysis. Coming from a prior world that lived six sigma this is a four letter word. How would you every make a recommendation before doing a little data mining. Mike's approach does not say to avoid data but suggests that you use it later in the process rather than in the beginning. I thought the training was exceptional and well constructed. I would recommend anyone who has aspirations about taking their career to the next level to attend.

Uncertainty = Nonproductivity

As a leader you have to understand that during uncertain times you have to drive people even more than normal. People begin to ask, "Why am I working on this project if it is going to be cancelled in a couple of weeks?" The fear of uncertainty causes this to take place and thus reduces productivity. People begin to review their options, look for new jobs, confirm their severance package, and flat out do nothing.

This is not because people do not want to work and be productive it is because they are uncertain about the vision and strategy. I spoke about vision a few months ago and how important it is for an organization, this is a perfect example. Sure when a company is going through a possible merger or sale there is a tremendous amount of anxiety, this does not mean there should be no productivity. As a leader it is your job to rally the troops and keep the message simple. Today we need to focus on XX. Focus the energy in a positive direction rather than the uncertain one. For the most part people can do one thing great and multiple things ok, find the one thing that needs attention and focus them on it.

Turmoil

A company that is undergoing financial hardship causes turmoil for all stakeholders. As a leader it is not acceptable to say it is business as usual because it is certainly not. As a company shops for investors or a buyer everyone is on edge and the fear of the unknown is intense. Sometimes knowing the outcome regardless if it is good or bad is better than speculation. It is not business as usual because these are very unusual times.

April Fool

Ironically the environment that our company faces today is far from foolish yet more concerning. The financial sector is under a tremendous amount of pressure these days and working for a financial firm is similar to working at the local funeral home. Of course if you work for one of the few banks that have been able to avoid the credit / sub prime crisis this might feel like the time of your life.

An uncertain environment does not work well for anyone in a company. Productivity declines, customer satisfaction deteriorates, and core business practices are changed because people go into a protection mode. I find it alarming when businesses today know they need to make a decision but find it hard to make the tough one. Being a leader is not easy and a CEO of a fortune 500 company is not an easy job but you cannot forget about core business strategy and execute. Plain and simple in business you have to execute or you should be prepared to be executed.