Archive for category: Leadership and Sales Training Blog

From the Wall Street Journal:

The Leaner, Meaner Chevron
Leaders need to be more decisive, take accountability for failures, and have uncomfortable conversations about poor performance.

Changing Their Perspective

Ahh, yes, the uncomfortable conversation. Often, I coach executives on how to initiate and manage difficult conversations. People feel a sense of dread when approaching such talks and have a strong desire to avoid confrontation. I start by guiding them to a different way of looking at the situation as a leader.

First, it requires an understanding that there is a great impact in NOT helping transform detrimental behavior. Letting someone know that the way they are currently acting and performing is hurting their professional development is a good thing. Often, the direct report is unconscious of the inappropriate behavior. Furthermore, they are unaware of the impact on themselves, their supervisor, and the ecosystem in which they work. In my experience, when you present these facts, most direct reports realize that they must evolve and appreciate the observations as a contribution, not a criticism.

Bigger Than Themselves

Second, these types of conversations are a good time to remind someone that they are part of something bigger. To that, I was moved by an article written by Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal. In it, she wrote:

America is about work, and we respect it.
Hard work means good America
We work to belong to something
To not be alone
Work is an act of stewardship; it helps things continue

It’s quite poignant to realize you are part of something…that you are relied upon…and that you matter.

As we face these turbulent times, it’s essential to strengthen our relationships with our peers and then present our idea. Developing trust with your direct reports is key. They must trust that you will tell them the good and bad equally and with a goal of enhancing their role, not diminishing it. When they see value in what you’re communicating, they will be open to your input.

As an example, I’m working with a client now who has been put off by the complicated conversation he needs to have with his CEO. We walked through the value of his idea to the CEO. It was strong but needed to state more clearly the benefit to the CEO so that he could collaborate on the solution. We also focused on what impact inaction would have, which could have ripple effects. The good news is that the CEO appreciated the heads-up and is now following up with his direct report to resolve it.

So, whether you are planning a tough conversation with a direct report, a client or your supervisor, tailor it so that the message clearly get through by relating it to their situation. That will open their minds to being receptive to your recommendations and have them feel they “belong to something.”

I often invoke Albert Einstein’s phrase; “I never worry about the future; it comes soon enough.”

And does it apply to us, NOW!

Other than those living on a remote island, everyone from Singapore to NY is feeling and experiencing a global, profound, unnecessary upheaval in business and our personal lives, including you I assume. I’m hearing and feeling this every day. Where there was trust and tailwinds with a service firm or financial firm, there is now worry, skepticism, and headwinds.

But guess what…your clients are feeling it, too!

And now we enter the summer shoulder season, with half-year projections to compare and contrast, goals to assess, and, oh yeah, many people leaving the office for one or two-week stretches. Your clients may be struggling to maintain momentum, so be there for them!

It is essential to know your client’s challenges and, from this knowledge, design proactive, unique solutions/recommendations to strengthen their business. Summer is the perfect time for these actions steps.

I’ve designed this with two clients this past week.

One project directly mitigated the tariff situation by designing an offering that will drive domestic incremental business to them. We mutually discovered this through listening to one another and framing the exact challenge that needed to be addressed.

The coaching point is supercharging your listening to uncover your client’s challenges through the summer. What better way to position yourself as an advisor to them in preparation for your Q3 and Q4 solutions!

Have you ever thought about something for too long without acting on it?

Well, this post is mine.

I realized this as I completed my address to the police sergeants of major US cities who had gathered for a conference in Nashville. I was invited to speak by their president whom I coached extensively last year. Through our work together, he became a confident, articulate, and concise speaker.

My presentation focused on persuading their respective memberships to understand and accept their ideas/recommendations and convince politicians and government representatives to agree with their strategic plans.

From this talk and previous interviews with the sergeants, I realized they all struggled to communicate their ideas with their constituents. Painfully so. This really impacted me. It also reinforced my north star of helping others communicate with confidence no matter the audience.

The best part of the talk was illustrating, through one of their members, how to control a large meeting when presenting a controversial course of action. To succeed with the coaching make-over, I met with the sergeant virtually several times so that I could understand the challenges he faced with his constituency. He had to deliver an important, highly controversial recommendation to his fellow sergeants and position it from their perspective. He practiced it multiple times. He then delivered it to his constituency a few months before the Nashville meeting and got approval!

In Nashville, now having the confidence to deliver this message, we simulated his original meeting to illustrate the essence of the message and how he controlled the crowd. I realized from the extensive Q&A portion of my talk how important, mastering these skills were to everyone who attended.

The epiphany I’m sharing is that if they can master this, so can you!

Here’s what it takes.

Step #1: Know your audience/listener and what the benefit is to them from agreeing with you

Step #2: Briefly state your recommendation.

Step #3: Restate the benefit to THEM from accepting your idea

Model your recommendation on these three steps and you’ll have newfound confidence in what you’re delivering…a key ingredient to having anyone get on board with your insights!

“He assembled and analyzed sets of data and facts, drew sound conclusions, and expressed those conclusions in a clear, convincing form.”

-General Mosely referring to Dwight D. Eisenhower

This says it all to me: I like Ike! Being able to communicate effectively is both a skill and an art. Unfortunately, in today’s world of instant communication, both are suffering in favor of speed. As you prepare presentations, make sure you have developed a code of conduct that will influence how your message gets across.

Amazingly, up to 85% of our communications are judged by how clear, concise, and declarative we are. Of course, there is never a substitute for sound content. However, how that content is delivered makes or breaks its success. That is why I use video recordings of my clients to show them how they are presenting their message. This practice is paramount to what I do. It is very powerful to study yourself on video and discover the subtle but essential techniques to comport yourself. Every time a client sees themselves via video, they inevitably pick out deficiencies in their delivery style. Of course, they sometimes need a little help from me to get there!

Proof of this lies with a client with who I’ve just worked. Until we recorded his delivery, he didn’t realize how tentative and wandering his critical board communications were. His content was solid as was his knowledge of the subject matter. However, after viewing his performance, he remarked, “Wow, I’m not motivated by this!” Imagine how his audience felt!

Being able to visually see things you are doing that detract from your message is huge! And luckily, his delivery was clear, crisp, and inspiring within one hour!

This is my wish for you and all my clients this year: to be heard, followed, and needed.

Reflecting upon this past year, I’m most fulfilled by seeing and feeling clients’ efforts to broaden and strengthen themselves.

Each of us is on a development journey. I’ve learned, and I teach, that this exploration is always ongoing. The true gift is the growth, not the speed at which achievements are realized.

Part of that growth comes from receiving, and giving, feedback. I’ve often stressed that feedback is a contribution, not a castigation. In my last post about annual reviews, I recommended that you hold it positively, knowing that you will learn a lot if you are willing to really hear the feedback you’re given. It’s also critical that you deliver feedback so that it can be received as helpful, caring, and committed.

When engaging with clients in the upcoming year, it is as important as ever that you fully develop a tailored value proposition. In this process, I continue to be gratified when I create a climate of discovery through insightful probing questions that get deep into a client’s needs. This process, each time completed, illustrates to teams the technique of being interested, then interesting. It fosters a genuine level of client affirmation well before one starts to present a solution.

Thank you for following this blog and participating in this year’s observations and discoveries. I promise even more in 2025.

Happy Holidays!