Keep the Conversation Focused in Your Next Meeting

eptember 23, 2016

Keep the Conversation Focused in Your Next Meeting

You’ve seen it happen in a meeting before: One person expresses an opinion, two others respond to that comment, someone else subtly segues to another topic, and everyone starts weighing in on that new issue. Even if it’s all related to the agenda, a team loses momentum when people start down multiple conversational tracks without reaching a conclusion. Stay focused with this simple rule: If you raise it, you land it. When you bring up an issue or ask a question, take responsibility for making sure that the issue is resolved before the team shifts to something else. That often means hearing from everyone in the meeting, even if only to find out whether they agree with what you’re proposing. For example, if you say, “Given our discussion, I think we shouldn’t adjust our plan until we see the financials from the first quarter,” follow it by asking, “Is there anyone who has any concerns about doing that?”

Highlight Your Loyalty When Negotiating a Raise

Salary Negotiation 


September 21, 2016

Highlight Your Loyalty When Negotiating a Raise

You’ve probably heard this before: “The only way to get a raise is to get another job offer.” Yes, the outside offer can work, but you need to do it carefully. Otherwise, you risk appearing disloyal if you intimate that you’re going elsewhere, even if you have no intention of leaving. Instead of risking your position by issuing threats, subtly nudge your manager into giving you a raise by highlighting your loyalty. Even if you’ve looked into other jobs or have gone on some interviews, you can emphasize how much you like your job and the organization. You might say, “I’ve gotten a lot of calls from headhunters, but I’m not interested.” This shows your boss that you have alternatives but aren’t unfaithful. If you do have an offer in hand, explain that you interviewed because you wanted to explore what else was out there but you don’t really want to take it. You might say, “I love it here. I’m committed to staying, and I also want to be paid fairly.”

Adapted from “Setting the Record Straight: Using an Outside Offer to Get a Raise,” by Amy Gallo

Give Women the Space to Contribute in Meetings

September 16, 2016 Give Women the Space to Contribute in Meetings In the ideal meeting, all attendees participate, contributing diverse points of view and ideas. But few meetings live up to that. Multiple studies have shown that women are interrupted in meetings far more often, and their ideas are taken less seriously. To make sure you’re getting the most from all participants, take unconscious bias seriously. Foster a culture in which both men and women are encouraged to “call it out” when they see someone being inadvertently silenced in a discussion. Enlist progressive men to lead by example, and hold them accountable for allowing their female counterparts to contribute. You can balance the playing field with ground rules such as “no talking over each other,” or by going around the table when you’re seeking input on a critical decision. Most important, take the worst offenders aside and point out their behavior — they may be unaware of it.

Be Strategic in How You Handle Success

December 16, 2014 Be Strategic in How You Handle Success People often prepare for failure, but they rarely prepare for what they will do when they succeed. Even when we consciously want to be successful, enjoying that success can be a challenge. Being successful can leave others envious, and even hoping to see you fail. To avoid causing resentment, it's important to learn when, where, and how to share the good news. When you discuss your wins, talk about other things you are still developing so as not to appear boastful. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy your victories — just don’t flaunt them. Celebrate the value you bring, not winning per se. It’s also important to keep looking for new challenges. No one wants to be bored, even at the top. When you have mastered something, ask yourself: How can you innovate around this?

Bad Economic News Hurts, but Good News Has Little Impact

November 05, 2014

Bad Economic News Hurts, but Good News Has Little Impact

Economic downturns have more than twice as much impact on individual happiness as equivalent upturns, according to surveys from 151 countries and a wealth of other data. The finding, reported in a working paper by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve of University College London and five colleagues, may explain why well-being has stayed flat in most developed nations despite huge gains in GDP: Because people experience macroeconomic losses more acutely than periods of growth, the occasional recession can rapidly undo any well-being gains from longer periods of economic expansion.

Write a Speech, Not an Essay

November 06, 2014

Write a Speech, Not an Essay

There’s a huge difference between crafting a speech and writing an essay, yet too many people approach them in the same way. The average adult can read 300 words per minute, but can only follow a speech at half that rate. So speeches require you to simplify. To make sure your audience stays with you, state your thesis and lay out the structure of your speech first. Then, let listeners know where you are with signpost words (“second,” “finally,” etc.). Lead or end an argument with statistics, but don’t fall into reciting strings of numbers or citations. 

The human brain is wired for narrative, so focus on telling a compelling story. And remember that when delivering a speech, you are your punctuation. Use your voice, hand gestures, pacing, and your position on stage for emphasis.

Think Before Hitting Reply to Your Next Email

December 3, 2014 Think Before Hitting Reply to Your Next Email People today expect an instantaneous reply to any message. But you shouldn't reply to everything right away. If you hit “send” without fully thinking, you could start a cycle of miscommunication. Here are other options: A non-response response: "Got your message." This serves as acknowledgment. Though it may aggravate someone in the midst of a negotiation or serious exchange. An expectation-setter: "Got it. A lot on the plate today, I'll get back to you tomorrow." This is often good middle ground. It's an immediate response and resets the timetable. A confident pause: Don't respond. Really. Just don't. Pausing for at least 24 hours is a pretty good rule of thumb. Not responding can often work to your advantage, so you and the sender can think.

To Delegate Successfully, Make Expectations Clear

October 06, 2014 To Delegate Successfully, Make Expectations Clear To delegate an assignment, you need to describe the job as thoroughly as possible. But another crucial task is clarifying your expectations to hold the assignee accountable. Once you’ve gone over the details face to face and identified available resources and support, you need to establish a feasible timeline with agreed-upon deadlines. Make sure he or she agrees that the timeline is doable. Establish how much authority you’re granting by laying out clear guidelines for when the employee can act independently – and when consultation with you is required. Agree on standards of performance, measures of success, and levels of accountability. And determine a process for follow-up and feedback. Explain that you want progress reports every week or every month, and decide if these will be via an email, a staff meeting, or a one-on-one with you.

College education enhances the income of even average students

September 30, 2014 Do Academically Marginal Students Benefit from College? The Data Says Yes. A study of Florida high-schoolers whose grades were just good enough for admission to a public university shows that higher education provided significant financial benefits for these students: 8 to 14 years after high school, their earnings were 22% higher than those of peers who hadn’t gone to college, with male students showing the largest gains, says Seth D. Zimmerman of Yale. These benefits outstrip the costs of college attendance, he says.

Why, bi-lingual children are superior to mono linguals ?

October 03, 2014

Being Bilingual Makes You Better at Non-Linguistic Tasks

In a small study, bilingual people were about a half second faster than monolinguals (3.5 versus 4 seconds) at executing novel instructions such as “add one to x, divide y by two, and sum the results,” say Andrea Stocco and Chantel S. Prat of the University of Washington. The findings are in line with past studies showing that children born into bilingual families exhibit superior performance on non-linguistic tasks. The experience of flexibly applying rules when speaking multiple languages may strengthen bilinguals’ executive functioning, the researchers say.

4 main pillars in a(ny) project !

October 02, 2014

Take Time to Define Roles on Your Next Project

You’ve pulled together a winning team, and you’ve set goals. Now you need to establish the roles that each member will play. Not having this conversation can lead to confusion, multiple people trying to jump on the same task, turf battles, etc. Avoid this headache by explicitly laying out who will do what – and define what it means to succeed in each role. You need: 

• A project manager to set a timeline and hold members accountable.
• Task specialists to organize and lead larger portions of the project, like doing research or analysis.
• A note taker to record all key decisions and document team progress.
• A liaison to inform stakeholders (clients, boss, customers) about team activities – and share their thoughts with the team.

Tell a Good Story When Presenting a Business Case

October 01, 2014

Tell a Good Story When Presenting a Business Case

Even with a thoroughly prepared business case, you'll only earn support for your project with a memorable, winning delivery. Don't be tempted to let facts and figures do the persuading for you – craft an emotional story. It can be as simple as outlining the need, impact, and solution; you just need to present what's at stake through a clear arc. Grab your audience’s attention by immediately identifying the business need you are trying to address. Next, weave an emotional appeal or human connection into your narrative – maybe by showing the effects of a proposed customer management system with testimonials from real customers, or describing how the data-sharing project you want to expand helped employees stay connected during a major outage. Avoid relying on slides too much. And always have an elevator pitch ready. 

Don’t Overlook Non-Obvious Candidates in Your Talent Pool

October 03, 2014 Don’t Overlook Non-Obvious Candidates in Your Talent Pool While many are bemoaning a talent shortage, one thing smart companies do is think about talent in a broader way. If you’re only grooming the obvious candidates for promotion, you’re missing out on an entire group of talented people. These non-obvious candidates may not have the relevant experience for the job, but if they have strong leadership skills and a different set of experiences, that could actually be more useful.  You want leaders who can improvise and look at things differently. Maybe this means promoting someone from finance to head and re-energize IT.  Or maybe moving someone from legal into a business leader position for her negotiation skills !   To identify the right non-obvious candidates, ask your  HR  - to focus on strong leadership competencies like decisiveness, vision, and the ability to mobilize change and build teams.  This can build a more vibrant, resourceful talent pool – and create more opportunities for high performers to pursue.  Adapted from “ Promoting the Non-Obvious Candidate” by Raghu Krishnamoorthy.

Gender neutral words give more business ideas !

Business Idea 

February 27, 2015

Importance of semantics & gender-neutral words  in generating business ideas ! 

Experiment : 

In an experiment involving 3-person teams of undergraduates, mixed-sex groups came up with40% FEWER ideas for starting a new business than same-sex groups. 

But the difference DISAPPEARED if the teams were encouraged to think about the importance of refraining from using sexist language ( use gender neutral words such as ' customers' & sellers ) .  

Conclusion : 

Thus although “political correctness” is often maligned as stifling free speech, in mixed groups ,  it fosters the sharing of novel ideas, and generates more ideas , the researchers say.

Courtesy : a research group led by Jack A. Goncalo of Cornell University & Harvard business review. 

What to Do When Coworkers Fight

October 10, 2014 What to Do When Coworkers Fight It's always uncomfortable when two coworkers fight. If the conflict is getting in the way of teamwork, talk to them. Let them vent to you, and try to get both sides of the story. Show that you understand how hard the situation is, and then explain how their fighting is affecting the team. Maybe say, “You two not getting along is hard for everyone, and it's preventing us from doing good work.” But before you offer advice, ask if they want your help. If they do, you can problem-solve together. It's rarely a good idea to involve the fighting coworkers' boss – unless the problem is truly hurting work – because that would escalate the situation. If the issue is outside of your comfort zone, suggest they turn to a third party, like someone from HR. Adapted from “ When Two of Your Coworkers Are Fighting” by Amy Gallo.

Bragging reduces your joy

October 14, 2014

Think You’ll Feel Good After Telling Your Awesome Tale? Think Again

People tend to expect that if they’ve had an extraordinary experience, they’ll feel good after chatting about it with others who have missed out. But in an experiment, participants who saw a really good video of a street performer and then discussed it with others ended up feeling more excluded if the others had seen a mere low-budget animation: They reported feeling an average of 80 on a 100-point exclusion scale, versus 51 reported by those who had seen the animation. The researchers, led by Gus Cooney of Harvard, say that when an extraordinary experience separates a person from peers, the net may be a decrease, rather than an increase, in joy.

Interpersonal Trust in the U.S. Hits a Historic Low

October 13, 2014 Interpersonal Trust in the U.S. Hits a Historic Low A prediction by some social scientists that the trauma of September 11, 2001, would usher in an era of greater cooperativeness among Americans appears to have been incorrect, according to a team led by Jean M. Twenge of San Diego State University. The team’s study of 37,000 people shows that trust in others, as well as in institutions such as health organizations, government, and the media, fell to ahistoric low in 2012, the last year for which data was available. The decline in trust may be attributable to the widening gap between rich and poor in the U.S., the researchers say.

3 Ways to Keep Your Next Negotiation on Track

October 14, 2014 3 Ways to Keep Your Next Negotiation on Track We waste too much time and emotion during negotiations. We argue about items that don’t really matter and let our feelings override our logic. If you want to move a negotiation forward and advance to where you want to be: Understand the common goal. You both should articulate your goals and interests in writing and share them to ensure clarity and alignment. Be transparent and explain the why of your points. It’s surprising how seldom people explain why they’re fighting for something. The other side likely doesn’t know why you’re asking for a term or condition. If something is going to impact you personally, think about disclosing it – the other party may understand. Calculate what’s actually important. Figure out how material each point is. Then determine what’s really worth fighting for in the bigger picture – and what you might be able to use as leverage. Adapted from “ Keep Time and Emotion from Killing a Negotiation” by Anthony K. Tjan.

Improve Your Ability to Tell Stories That Persuade

Improve Your Ability to Tell Stories That Persuade If you want to convince someone to support your project, explain to an employee how he might improve, or inspire a team that's struggling, you need to be able to tell a persuasive, compelling story. Start by asking yourself: Who is my audience and what is the message I want to share? Next, look to your own life experiences for any anecdotes that highlight struggle, failure, or success that might resonate with listeners – but don't try to make yourself the star ! The ultimate focus should be on people you know, lessons you've learned, or events you've witnessed. You could even make the audience play a role – they’ll be more engaged and willing to buy in to your message. Keep it simple and straightforward, with just a few key details. And don’t forget to practice.

October 16, 2014 Give Credit, and Do It Fairly

October 16, 2014 Give Credit, and Do It Fairly People want their contributions to be acknowledged. But fairly assigning credit is difficult in collaborative environments where several people come up with new ideas together. If you want to eliminate resentment over recognition, you need to give credit the right way. Tie individual recognition to the overall success of the group. This reduces tension over who did what and reinforces teamwork. Recognize results instead of activities. Align your reward systems with the outcomes you want, not metrics like length of service or attendance that may not have a direct bearing on those outcomes. And embrace risk-taking by recognizing team efforts even if something fails. This will encourage people to learn and improve. Adapted from " A Fairer Way of Giving Credit Where It's Due" by Joe McCannon and Sachin H. Jain.

Most of the time, we are near our ' baseline happiness '

October 15, 2014

Whatever It Is, You’ll Get Over It

Despite wars, famine, economic collapse, and personal tragedies, a majority of human beings feel happy a majority of the time, extensive studies have demonstrated over the past two decades. In fact, people seem to have “happiness set-points” to which they return after even the most extreme perturbations, says a team of researchers led by Ed Diener of the Gallup Organization. The reason for our baseline happiness may have to with evolutionary advantage: A good mood leads to greater creativity, sociality, and, ultimately, reproductive success, the researchers say.

SOURCE: Why People Are in a Generally Good Mood

Reclaim Your Precious Free Time

October 17, 2014

Reclaim Your Precious Free Time

There are 168 hours in a week. That should be enough time to succeed at work, at home, and at everything else that makes up a fulfilling life. Yet we always feel stretched too thin. Follow these steps to reclaim your time: 

• Don't fall for time sucks. These are trivial activities that you keep doing because they're comfortable. Limit yourself to a few hours of TV or gaming a week, to 30 minutes a day on Facebook, or to just one sports team.
• Block off free time in chunks. An hour of play with your kids feels like more time than four distracted 15-minute interactions in between other stuff. Set aside real time for greater enjoyment, relaxation, and mindfulness.
• Limit your technology use. Set limits such as “no screen hours,” letting everyone at work know the one time you'll check email each night, and banning devices from the dinner table.

Adapted from “ Relax, You Have 168 Hours This Week” by Scott Behson.

3 aspects of engaged leadership model ( HR Daily Advisor )

But leaders can help. In an engaged leadership model, you will need these qualities, says Swindall:

• Directional. You need a direction or vision, says Swindall. Something that tells your employees about where you’re all going and that every single employee knows how what they do every day ties into this direction. Let people know how they contribute, says Swindall. If they don’t feel tied to something bigger, they’ll never feel connected. The challenge is setting expectations and consequences. When it comes to consequences, no leader wants to be the bad guy, but remember: There are good consequences as well as bad ones.
• Motivatioanal. Motivational leadership is inspiring people to want to do what they need to do to pursue the company’s vision. Swindall says the most commonly asked question he is asked is, “How do I motivate my people?” His answer is simple: Ask them! What motivates one person is going to be different for another. Don’t give a Starbucks® card to someone who wants to go to The Home Depot.
  
  Swindall also recommends that leaders celebrate small successes. We don’t celebrate enough, and the challenge is to create a method to celebrate regular successes. Swindall’s company has Champagne Friday, and it doesn’t have anything to do with champagne, really—it’s a spirit of celebration.
• Organizational. This leadership quality is all about bringing together the right team to get it all done. Move toward real empowerment. “That’s not a ’90s buzzword, and empowerment isn’t about delegation or distribution of tasks,” says Swindall. The challenge is to stop solving peoples’ problems for them. That doesn’t empower anyone.
• All three of the above connect to the central quality of Character Core. All the three other pieces depend on this central necessity, says Swindall.

Give Everyone a Say in Your Next Staff Meeting

October 21, 2014 Give Everyone a Say in Your Next Staff Meeting Many people see staff meetings as a waste of time. To make them more useful, try engaging everyone in the room. Don’t allow the usual suspects to dominate the discussion while others remain largely quiet. If you want to hear from everyone: Ask for ideas ahead of time. People will be able to prepare, so they can present their arguments backed up by facts. Don’t let people hog the conversation. Interrupt them nicely: “Excuse me, George, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I want to make sure we have time to hear from everyone.” Give the podium to different participants. Create airtime for quiet team members by giving them a specific slot on the agenda. Ask different people direct questions. “Are we missing something?” “Have we thought this through from all possible angles?” Cold call on people who don't speak up. Adapted from " Save Your Next Staff Meeting from Itself" by Costas Andriopoulos.

Problems in touch-screen key boards

October 21, 2014

Hovering Over a Touch-Screen Keyboard Has Its Consequences

Desktop-computer keyboards allow you to rest your hands on the keys as you type, but touch-screen keyboards, such as on many tablets, are less forgiving: They require you to keep your fingertips off the screen to avoid accidentally activating the keys. Thus the upper-back muscles that support your arms are more active when you type on a touch screen than when you use a standard keyboard, which could lead to chronic shoulder problems, according to research reported in the Wall Street Journal. The average typing speed on touch screens is also less than half that on desktop keyboards, the researchers found.

SOURCE: Typing on a Tablet C

Don’t Let "Viral" Get in the Way of Good Marketing

Business / Marketing
October 23, 2014

Don’t Let "Viral" Get in the Way of Good Marketing

Marketers make a lot of mistakes when trying to make their messages go viral. One of them is failing to develop relationships with the people who spread their content. For starters, you should stop applying passive descriptors like "audience," "consumers," or "targets," and call the important people who share your content "multipliers." Stop focusing on "viral" as the goal. It’s fleeting. Someone sees a shared video, watches part of it, and the marketer never figures out who he is. The relationship ends there. Instead, identify your multipliers. Get to know them. Encourage them to share often. You don't need to offer financial rewards. Acknowledging them publicly, by featuring them on your website or responding to them on social, is often enough to generate engagement. Get their email addresses so you can deepen the relationship further with truly useful updates, offers, and calls to action.

Adapted from "4 Mistakes Marketers Make When Trying to Go 'Viral'" by David Spitz.

Counterfeiting as a Form of Free Advertising

October 22, 2014 Counterfeiting as a Form of Free Advertising In a study of a 1995 surge in counterfeiting in the Chinese shoe market, Yi Qian of the University of British Columbia found that the entry of fakes had the effect of increasing sales of high-end authentic shoes by 63%. The arrival of counterfeits on the market affirmed the value of the brands in consumers’ minds and in many cases introduced the brands to new customers. At the low end, however, counterfeits merely ate into the brands’ sales.

Want to send an email to someone at the very top ? Here are the rules !

Communication / Career Management / Self Management
November 18, 2014

" Don’t Be Afraid to Cold-Email Powerful People, but within some limits "

We're often hesitant to reach out to senior leaders who are only an email away.
But a concise email to the right person can open up new possibilities for learning and growth – it's happened for many people.
And besides, what’s the worst that could happen? No response , at the most !!
So the next time you want to cold-email someone powerful, consider these tips:

What to expect ?
Expect a 50–90% failure rate (i.e., no response) the first time you cold-email someone.

How often ? When to stop ?
Emailing once every two days is politely persistent, but you should probably give up after three or four tries without a reply.
Timing ?
Weekends are often the best time to send busy executives a note, since they may have more time to read something.
Size of the  email ?
Keeping your message short and to the point increases the chance it will actually get read – and you may even get a response.


Adapted from “ Tips for Cold-Emailing Intimidatingly Powerful People” by Peter Sims.

Bring the BEST in everyone, including the introverts in your team !

Team Management 
November 17, 2014

Bring the BEST in everyone, including the introverts in your team ! 

Team leaders often don't fully tap into the knowledge team members bring with them. This is, in large part, because the most confident, outgoing people get the most airtime, while the real experts take a backseat and have limited impact ! 

But a brief intervention can change this dynamic ! 
When starting on a new project, encourage team members to first discuss the relevant knowledge they each bring to the table. By opening the floor for reflection, you can lead the group in assessing members' knowledge and discussing its relevance to the task at hand.
 And your team will be less likely to defer to those with the most confidence, and more likely to combine their expertise to devise strategies for solving the problems. 
The process may sound simple, but it can help you bring out the best in your team. 

Adapted from “ Bring Out the Best in Your Team” by Bryan L. Bonner and Alexander R. Bolinger.

Managing a Cross-Cultural Team Requires Setting Clear Norms

September 12, 2016

Managing a Cross-Cultural Team Requires Setting Clear Norms

Managing a multicultural team can be tough. Communication styles vary, and there may be differences in conventions around time, giving feedback, and disagreeing publicly. To overcome these differences, set clear norms and stick to them. Start by taking into account what will work best for your team as a whole. Be aware that there may be team members who find it harder to meet certain expectations because of their cultural backgrounds. For example, if you have established that team members must arrive at meetings exactly on time (Western-style punctuality), you’ll need to reinforce that norm consistently across the group and remind non-Westerners why being on time matters. Of course, sometimes things change and adjustment is required, but keeping a consistent, clear structure for work styles and expectations is a critical way to create a common-ground team culture.

Adapted from “How to Build Trust on Your Cross-Cultural Team,” by Andy Molinsky and Ernest Gundling

4 Things New Team Leaders Should Do First

November 03, 2014

4 Things New Team Leaders Should Do First

New team leaders often skip over the basics of team building in a rush to start achieving goals. But your actions in the first few weeks and months have a major impact on whether your team delivers results. Here’s how to set things up for success:

(1) Get to know one another.
Resist the urge to jump right into the work and focus instead on fostering camaraderie with team-building exercises.

(2) Showcase your values.
Explain what's behind each of your decisions, what your priorities are, and how you will evaluate the team's performance.

(3)Explain how you want the team to work.
 Not everyone knows the best ways to ask for help or go about tasks. Set expectations and explain processes.

(4)Set or clarify goals.
Make clear what the team is working toward and how you expect to get there. Setting goals early on lays the framework for holding team members accountable.


Adapted from " What New Team Leaders Should Do First" by Carolyn O'Hara.

" Ask These Questions If You're Considering an MBA !

Career Planning 

November 04, 2014

" Ask These Questions If You're Considering an MBA ! 

If you're thinking about getting an MBA, first determine whether your expectations are aligned with what the degree will likely do for you. One benefit of MBA programs is that the credential sends a signal to the marketplace. 
But no career paths absolutely require an MBA – many senior people in general management roles, consulting, and financial services don't have an MBA !!  
So don't assume it will necessarily serve a meaningful purpose in your chosen field. Instead ask yourself the following questions . 

(1) What market am I in now? What markets might I seek to enter in the future?
Who's interested in my services? How might this change if I had an MBA?
(2)How are MBAs perceived in these markets? What stereotypes (both positive and negative) might I face as an MBA?
(3)What is the reputation of the MBA programs I'm considering? How are these schools and their alumni viewed within my desired markets?
(4) What are my alternatives?

5 step process in succession planning

5 step process in succession planning 

(1) Start early. 
It can take time to identify and prepare a promising candidate for a leadership role, so begin the process early. Even if you doubt you’ll need a replacement anytime soon, preparing someone to assume your duties creates a safety net in the event of an unforeseen absence or extended leave.
(2)Keep an open mind. 
While the obvious successor may be your second in command, don’t overlook other promising employees. Look for candidates who best display the skills necessary to excel in the role—including both strong technical aptitude and leadership abilities—regardless of title.
(3)Share the vision.
 Include prospective managers in strategy discussions to help them acquire planning and leadership skills as well as a broad vision of the company and its goals.
(4)Make it ongoing. 
Provide regular feedback to protégés so they can continue to progress and meet expectations.
(5)Take a trial run.
 A vacation is a good time to have a potential successor assume some of your responsibilities. The employee will gain experience while you learn how prepared the person is to take on a greater role.

Don't let your important customers to dic

Price Negotiation 

September 08, 2016
" Don’t Let Important Customers Pressure You into Giving Them a Discount ! " 
When a customer knows that you can’t afford to lose them, they’ll often try everything in their power to wring out cost savings. 
But don’t give into the pressure to give them a discount. 

(1) Change the tenor of the conversation by focusing on the VALUE you create for them.

(2)  Ask which features or services they’d be willing to GIVE UP  to get a lower price. Doing so will move the conversation away from haggling and toward a productive discussion about what they really value. 

(3) And don’t get rattled if your customer goes quiet, stops returning phone calls, and ignores you. 

Remember, you are their preferred supplier for a reason, and there will likely be substantial SWITCHING COSTS, if they want to change vendors. Silence is a powerful negotiation tactic; don’t let it push you into giving a revenue-destroying discount.

Adapted from “Negotiating with Clients You Can’t Afford to Lose,” by Reed K. Holden

4 ways to fruitful outcomes to difficult conversations

Treat the ( Difficult ) conversation as two people working together to solve a problem. 
Executive coach Kristi Daniels recommends using this simple framework, from the book Powerful Conversations, which gives both sides ownership over the conversation and outcome:

(1) What’s Up: 
Tell your side of the situation and ask the other person how they see it.

(2)What’s So:
 Get to the facts, and remove any emotional charge from the conversation. Discuss the impact on each of you, the team, and the larger organization. Ask the other person what they think.

(3)What’s Possible: 
Discuss possible solutions or alternatives, and ask the other person for the same.

(4)Let’s Go: 
Commit on both sides to taking action with accountability included.

Notice how each step of this framework includes input from the other person, which will ensure that both parties feel heard and understood. This applies to your pre-conversation preparation too, when you should look beyond your own perspective and think about how the other person views the issue. You’ll have greater success by showing that you’ve considered several perspectives.

4 Steps to Structure Your Team Meetings Better

Office Meetings 

September 06, 2016

4 Steps to Structure Your Team Meetings Better

Let’s be honest: Most meetings are a waste of time, especially if they aren’t well designed. 
Next time you lead a team meeting, take the time to carefully structure it so that the duration and content align with the objective:

(1) Define the work of the team. 
What specifically do you and the attendees need to accomplish?

(2)Divide agenda items into categories. 
We aren’t good at changing the pace or tenor of a conversation once it starts, so don’t try to combine different types of discussions. Instead, categorize similar items together. If necessary, create other meetings to address other types of conversations.

(3)Determine the length. 
Figure out how much time you need, based on a fair estimate of how long each agenda item will take (plus a little padding). Don’t let your calendar app decide the length — if you only need 15 minutes, don’t schedule 30.

(4)Plan for overflow. 
If you run out of time, don’t cram agenda items into the end of the meeting. Set up a time to address topics you don’t get to, which may only require a subset of the group.

Adapted from “A Step-by-Step Guide to Structuring Better Meetings,” by 

When Delegating, Make Accountability Clear

Leadership / Management 
September 07, 2016

When Delegating, Make Accountability Clear

The word “accountable” can mean different things to different people. 
This is why delegation often backfires: 
The person taking on the task doesn’t know how much authority she has. 
The next time you delegate something, be explicit about which of these 3 roles the accountable person should play:

(1) Issue owner. 
In this role, the person has complete control over the decision. A full team may be assigned to help, but the issue owner can make the decision however she chooses.

(2) Team coordinator. 
The person is an equal member of the team, with the added responsibility of logistics, such as scheduling and defining the agenda. She’s responsible for ensuring that there is a discussion, but she isn’t responsible for the outcome. If the team can’t come to an agreement, she must escalate the decision.

(3) Tiebreaker. 
This person doesn’t have the absolute authority of an issue owner, but she’s more than just a coordinator. She’s responsible for helping the team reach a decision: In the absence of consensus, she makes the final call.

Get Creative the Next Time Boredom Strikes

November 14, 2014

Get Creative the Next Time Boredom Strikes

Studies suggest that boredom can actually help you get your work – at least your creative work – done better. Boredom felt during passive activities, liking reading reports or attending tedious meetings, heightens the “daydreaming effect” on creativity and motivates people to approach new and rewarding activities.

So the next time you need to dream up new ideas, start by spending some time on humdrum activities, such as answering emails, making copies, or entering data. Afterward, you may be better able to think up more (and more creative) possibilities to explore. Likewise, if you need to closely examine a problem and produce a solution, schedule that task after a routine staff meeting. By engaging in less interesting activities before problem-solving ones, you may be able to elicit the type of thinking needed to find creative solutions.

Adapted from “ The Creative Benefits of Boredom” by David Burkus.

" Doctors Make Worse Decisions as the Day Wears On ! "

November 26, 2014

Research Fact 
" Doctors Make Worse Decisions as the Day Wears On ! " 
Observation : 
Primary-care doctors’ likelihood of prescribing antibiotics for acute respiratory infections increased by 1% in their second hour of work, 14% in the third hour, and 26% in the fourth, suggesting that physicians experience “decision fatigue” over the course of a day . 
Overprescription of antibiotics is a widespread phenomenon: In two-thirds of the cases studied by the researchers, antibiotics were prescribed even though they were not indicated, the Times says.

SOURCE: Doctors and Decision Fatigue &  a New York Times report of an 18-month U.S. medical study. 

Rebuild a Work Relationship That’s Gone Sour

December 1, 2014

Rebuild a Work Relationship That’s Gone Sour

If you haven't been getting along with someone at work, there are ways you can repair the relationship. 

(1) First, ask yourself what's happening so you know what needs work. 
Are you having trouble communicating? Are you failing to see eye-to-eye on things? Give up being right, and resist your tendency to analyze every detail of what's happened in your relationship. That's not productive ! 
 Instead, look forward and reflect on what you want from the relationship. Try to see the other person's perspective. 

(2) When you're ready to approach him, make it on neutral ground. Go out for lunch or coffee, rather than asking to meet at one of your desks. Don't debate what went wrong or who is at fault. Focus on the bigger picture or a common goal you share. 

(3) But don't expect the relationship to change overnight; it takes time to reestablish trust and reciprocity. 

Adapted from "Fixing a Work Relationship Gone Sour" by Amy Gallo.

Courtesy : HBR 

Ask Team Newcomers to Tackle Tough Problems

Leadership / New Hire Training 
November 27, 2014

Ask Team Newcomers to Tackle Tough Problems

It’s easy to think of newcomers as burdens: they need to be trained and brought up to speed. 
But rookies are far more capable than most people expect. 
Instead of putting them through basic training, ask them to make a difference right away. 
Have them generate fresh ideas, experiment, and get rapid feedback from your customers. They can also: 

(1) Tap networks of experts. 
Newcomers have no qualms about seeking guidance from others. They seek out expertise 40% more than their experienced peers, and, when they do, they connect with five times as many people.

(2) Forge new territory. 
Assign a rookie to tackle a tough challenge or new opportunity. Newbies are more willing to explore new frontiers, and they’re more likely to improvise and get resourceful.


Adapted from “ Why Your Team Needs Rookies” by Liz Wiseman.

" Our Love of Shiny, Glossy Things Goes Back to Our Need for Water

December 4, 2014


Research Fact 
" Our Love of Shiny, Glossy Things Goes Back to Our Need for Water " 

Experiment 
Overall, research participants who saw photos of planets preferred pictures that had been printed on glossy paper, but the preference for shininess was much more pronounced among participants who had first eaten 8 thirst-inducing salty crackers . 
Reason 
 This and other experiments suggest that people’s widespread affinity for reflective surfaces – even small children preferred glossy to non-glossy pictures of Santa Claus (2.26 versus 2.74 on a 1-to-4 scale with 1 being “most preferred”) – stems from a biological attraction to sources of water. 

courtesy : Research by  a team led by Katrien Meert of Ghent University in Belgium & HBR

Female Listeners Are Interested in Creaky-Voiced Men but Not Creaky-Voiced Women

December 8, 2014



Female Listeners Are Interested in Creaky-Voiced Men but Not Creaky-Voiced Women

Female research participants showed a great deal of interest in an audio advertisement for an internet service if it was read by a creaky-voiced man, but very little interest if it was read by a creaky-voiced woman (5.04 versus 3.38 on a 0-to-6 scale), say Hillary J.D. Wiener and Tanya L. Chartrand of Duke University. Of six voice types studied, including breathy, nasal, tense, whispery, and harsh, such an effect arose only for women and only for “creaky,” which the researchers define as having frequent low-pitched vibrations, especially at the ends of words or phrases. It’s unclear why the women responded well to male creakiness, but lack of interest in creaky female voices may arise from cultural cues such as actresses’ use of creaky voices when playing nonserious roles, as Reese Witherspoon does in Legally Blonde, the researchers say.

Create an Ad Hoc Leadership Circle to Generate New Ideas

Leadership / Strategy 
September 05, 2016

Create an Ad Hoc Leadership Circle to Generate New Ideas

When leaders need innovative ideas to grow their company, they often turn to their direct reports for guidance. But this group, by design, represents the current operating units and functions, which often have a status quo to defend. 

So when you need creative thinking, try forming a leadership circle, a diverse, ad hoc team of 15–18 people from throughout the company who can work together for about six months. 

The circle should focus on the future, not the past, and healthy debate should be encouraged. Within the circle, each member should hold equal status and should not feel that he or she is being asked to represent the point of view of accounting, sales, shipping, or whatever their home department is. Most important, whatever ideas come out of a leadership circle should be handled in the same way they were generated: They should be rigorously and systematically discussed, debated, and explored.

Adapted from “To Seize the Future, Create a Leadership Circle,” by Joseph Pistrui

Don’t Just Prioritize—Say No to Things

November 19, 2014

Don’t Just Prioritize—Say No to Things

When pressed for time, we're often advised to "Prioritize!" as if that will solve the problem.
 But prioritizing accomplishes relatively little, because it assumes that everything and everyone merits our time and attention – we'll just get to the less-important items later. But later never really arrives, so the list never ends.

The key is to recognize that while prioritization is necessary, the critical next step is triage. You have to actively ignore the items whose importance falls below a certain threshold.
Decide where your cut-off point is and stick to it. You don’t have to get through your entire inbox or to-do list, you just have to get through the truly important messages and cross off the most important items.
Actively ignoring things and saying no to people is difficult, but it’s the only way to reclaim your time.

Adapted from “ The Most Productive People Know Who to Ignore” Ed Batista.

Is Your Team Actually Using That New Technology?

Change Management / Culture / OD
November 20, 2014

Is Your Team Actually Using That New Technology?

Organizations often focus only on deploying new technologies—and forget about adoption. Even among digital natives, adoption of things like enterprise tools often doesn’t live up to lofty expectations. Here’s how to better lead the transition to new, digital ways of working: 

(1)Do fewer things better.
 You can’t jump on every new technology. Focus on ones that will create real value—and that you believe you can execute.

(2)Plan and budget for adoption from the start. 
Communicate the value of adoption to your employees. Take into account the people, processes, and structural changes, and budget for training.

(3)Lead by example. 
Model the change you want to see happen. For instance, you can participate on digital platforms and experiment with new ways of collaborating and connecting with employees.

(4)Engage HR early. 
When relevant, encourage HR to take a leadership role in the transformation. It will be essential for them to adapt management and HR processes so the new practices get institutionalized.