Be Different or be dead

June 4, 2018

How employee engagement can be really improved by leaders

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How employee engagement can be really improved by leaders.

Much has been written on how organizations can engage their employees more successfully and create a competitive advantage.

The advice offered tends to be of a program nature: company-wide initiatives promulgated from above that all functions ‘down below’ are expected to participate in.

My 33+ years of leadership experience suggests a different way of looking at how to “hook” every employee in the goals and strategy of the organization.

People relate more to other people, not corporate programs offered by human resources or business planning.

This requires that every team leader take personal responsibility to see that the employees who report to them are pumped up and engaged.

I didn’t wait for an employee engagement program to help. I chose to lead in a very specific way that led to turned-on employees and constantly improving performance.

Here are the simple things that worked for me:

The greater purpose

Ensure every employee clearly understands the business plan of the organization. They can’t contribute if they are hazy about what results are expected. People can only be engaged if they understand the context for their actions — the greater purpose they serve.

Their specific role

Define the specific role of every person in delivering the strategy. This is where detail matters. Everyone needs to know EXACTLY what to do day-in and day-out to execute on the chosen company direction.

Tools for their job

Equip them with the tools to perform their responsibilities — training, systems and processes. People can’t support the organization without the wherewithal to deliver.
A mundane point, perhaps (“everyone knows this is important!”) but one that is often forgotten. It’s a basic hygiene factor for engagement. They can’t engage if their toolbox is empty.

Constant feedback

Constantly - WEEKLY - let them know how they’re doing. Real honest feedback (and help to allow them to improve) is essential along with 3 key actions they can take to improve — any more than 3 things to do will overwhelm them and no progress will be achieved.

Rub shoulders

Be in their workplace WITH them. If they know you are there to help them succeed they will engage with you on an emotional level which is what you need to move the yardsticks forward.

People who intellectually understand and agree with what is required are motivated to DO something only if the are “all in” emotionally. People need to see the leader in their workplace sharing the messiness of execution. It shows caring and concern; vital elements of triggering emotion.

Do battle

Fight for them internally. Protect them from the internal politics and b.s. that gets in the way of them doing their job. If they know you have their back they will go the extra distance to perform.

And take the initiative to eliminate the dumb rules, work barriers and grunge that get in the way of employees doing their job. They can’t engage productively if their feet are stuck in the mud of bureaucracy.

Achieving greater employee engagement requires people to emotionally connect with the goals of the organization and execute accordingly to achieve them.

Look to leaders, not corporate programs to create the energy necessary to make it happen.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 6.4.18 at 04:44 am by Roy Osing
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May 28, 2018

6 amazing female entrepreneurs to be really listened to

6 amazing female entrepreneurs to be really listened to.

Female entrepreneurs are a rapidly-growing demographic of business owners, and their enterprises are making waves in the business world.

Modern women of all ages have started their own businesses and made their fortunes through hard work and determination. They’ve learned more than a few lessons along their path to business success — lessons we can all benefit from, such as…

▪️Amy Rees Anderson, CEO MediConnect Global
“Always do the right thing, no matter what the consequences of doing the right thing will be. At the end of the day there is nothing more valuable than your integrity, both in life and in business. Success will come and go but integrity is forever.”

This can be a tough one to stick to, especially if you’re starting out with limited capital. It can be tempting to cut corners here and there to save a little money. But a successful business that has true longevity comes from a place of integrity. Ultimately, it’s better to fail with decency than to succeed through deception.

▪️Leila Rose, designer
“The importance of building a great team has been my greatest lesson. The people that you surround yourself and your business with are extremely vital to success.”

Your team are working with you towards your business vision. As such, you need to make sure it’s made up of people who will benefit you. You will be working with these people a lot, so they need to work well together and share your vision.

Remember, you can teach virtually anyone to do virtually anything, but you can’t teach them to be a good person.

▪️JK Rowling, author
“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default.”

There’s not a single person on this planet who didn’t make atleast one, if not several, mistakes on their path to success — even the creator of Harry Potter! Mistakes and failure are a natural part of the learning process. But what differentiates those who succeed from those who don’t is that they learn from their mistakes, pick themselves up and try again.

No-one gets it right first time, so embrace your mistakes and be a better entrepreneur for it.

▪️Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs Fields Bakeries
“Good enough never is.”

This knowledge bomb is short, snappy and as sweet as Debbi’s cookies. In business (indeed, in everything), there is always something you could do better. If you reach your one-year target, don’t sit on your laurels. Build on that success and use it to take your business further.

If you continually aspire for more, your enterprise will continue to grow and grow. Always be looking ahead to the next milestone in your business calendar.

▪️Aimee Song, founder of Song of Style
“My #1 biggest lesson I’ve learned was to hire people for the things I’m not good at. [...] Hiring people meant I could focus on the creative parts that I enjoyed and work more efficiently.”

You are a talented and driven — but you can’t do everything. Everyone has their Achilles’ heel. But Aimee knows the value of letting others shoulder that responsibility so she can focus on what she does well.

And so should you! Don’t let your weak points stop you from building a thriving business. Struggling with your advertising? Employ a marketer. Don’t know how to make a website yet? Hire a freelance web developer. Do what do you best, and let others do the same for you.

▪️Pippa Murray, founder of Pip & Nut
“If you’re looking at starting up a business, never be afraid to ask that stupid question or reach out to someone in the industry you admire, as the more support you can get the more your brand – and you – will flourish.”

If Mad Men or The Apprentice are anything to go by, the world of business might seem like a cutthroat, dog-eat-dog world.

But it’s actually full of people just like yourself who worked hard to get where they are today. They’ve faced the very same challenges you’re facing today, and most of them are only too happy to share their knowledge with you. If you’re struggling, go to entrepreneur networking groups to meet successful individuals, and you’ll find they’ll be only too happy to share their knowledge.

The successful female entrepreneurs above have all struggled to get where they are today. They’ve worked hard, and have learned some valuable lessons along the way. Follow their advice, and you’ll surely be amongst their ranks someday too.

— Kayleigh Alexandra is a content writer for Micro Startups — a site dedicated to giving through growth hacking. Visit their blog for your latest dose of startup, entrepreneur, and charity insights from top experts around the globe.

• Posted 5.28.18 at 04:22 am by Roy Osing
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May 21, 2018

The right mindset for success can be achieved in 5 easy ways

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The right mindset for success can be achieved in 5 easy ways.

How do successful people do it?

It’s not luck or serendipity.

Successful people generally do not fall into a bucket of poop and consistently come out smelling like a rose; it might occur occasionally but that’s about it.

People who are consistently on the top of their game and who outrun everyone else have a deliberate game plan to do it; a game plan that is focused on creating and unleashing the energy they need to consistently bring their “A” game.

They have their plan mapped out in their head and they play it out every day in the field; their plan is a natural expression of who they are and they execute it involuntarily.

The energy source for each individual varies according to their specific makeup; my energy and drive has always come from constantly looking for opportunities to be different from others in everything I did.

My intent was not to necessarily be better than someone else — relying on a comparative like “better” is a slippery slope because it relies on the judgement of the person observing what you did — but to do things with my own personal twist that would surprise whomever was witnessing my actions with the result that they would notice me in a crowd of my peers and colleagues.

My ‘be different’ action plan became second nature to me; I lived it every moment of very day.

These steps were the essence of my approach.

#1. Ask yourself how the task at hand can be done differently

Before undertaking a project or responding to a request from your boss, consciously ask yourself “How can I do this differently from how others might approach it?” Generally, the crowd approaches tasks the same way; they apply common, textbook problem solving approaches to provide the answer to the problem they have been asked to solve.

They consult the experts; see how they recommend performing the task and they attempt to do it in the prescribed way.
My mindset was always to balk at the normal way a task might be accomplished and look for a ‘different box’ style of achieving the desired result. It’s not the easiest way to attack the challenge you’ve been given, but it’s the right way.

#2. Look for little things

Being different isn’t necessarily about making a quantum leap between the common prescribed method and how you decide to tackle a job.
In virtually every task I was given, it usually came down to a number of little differentiators between my work and how others performed their task. Rarely did I surprise my boss with a silver bullet.

Some “little thing” examples include:
— providing more rigorous analysis than what was required.
— producing a report with more visuals than numbers.
— personalizing my findings to reflect the special attitudes of my internal client.
— getting buy-in from a broader set of cross functional stakeholders than was expected.
— utilizing a project management structure that included high currency individuals from the departments depending on the results.
— having a celebration when a project was successfully completed; buying dinner.
— publicly recognizing the high achievers to the organization so they had the limelight.

#3. Resist the temptation to copy best practises

When someone says to me “My solution is based on sales best practises”, my eyes glaze over and I feel like taking a nap. I’m not looking for a solution-of-the-herd mentality; what I want to see is a result that is the expression of the person’s individuality .
I want to see creativity with a healthy dose of risk taking — a best practice solution is probably less risky but offers little in terms of an innovative mind set and will NEVER surprise anyone.

So, follow best practices at your own peril. It will secure your position in the herd and help you blend in with everyone else — a mindset for success will never come a copycat mentality.

#4. Go against the flow

One of the simplest ways to exercise your be different energy is to consider doing the opposite to the way you expect others to go.
If you expect the crowd to do a quick and dirty evaluation of a particular course of action, “go deep” and evaluate it from several alternative perspectives.

If you expect others will present their plan as the product of their individual efforts, choreograph your presentation to include stakeholders who will be the beneficiaries of the plan.
The point is, always be asking yourself “What if I did a 180 and go against the flow?”

#5. Keep the pressure on yourself

It’s really easy to lose momentum on anything these days when you are pressured with conflicting priorities, more demands of your time than hours available and the increasing expectations of leadership — it’s easy to lose your way.

I had a ritual that I performed every day to keep my energy source alive and well even though chaos surrounded me. My mantra was ‘feel different’ and I repeated it to myself every morning.

I know it sounds corny but it’s essential to discover some gimmick that will keep your thinking straight when things over which you have little or no control constantly toss you about and try to force you from your game plan.

The right mindset for success is probably different from one person to the next.

For me, it is based on the energy I get from trying to be different from everyone else.

To be honest, some days it works better than others but over my 30+ career and my personal life it has served me well.

In fact, I have four amazing grandchildren who I am sure see their Papa as a bit crazy and different; I hope they never lose that perspective.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 5.21.18 at 04:21 am by Roy Osing
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May 14, 2018

Bright people follow these 8 proven steps to succeed

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Bright people follow these 8 proven steps to succeed.

Success doesn’t come easy to a young professional these days.

Fewer opportunities. More intense competition for the few jobs that exist.

These actions will increase your chances of having a rewarding and successful career.

1. Tone down your education

Downplay your academic pedigree aside. Your credentials won’t help because most people vying for new roles also have a healthy education portfolio.
Yes, you need a strong educational background to play the career game but winning takes much more.

Turn down the volume on your degree — what you know — and turn up the volume on your the practical accomplishments — what you’ve actually delivered. This focus approach will put you ahead of others who will continue to rely on their MBA to get them ahead (and it won’t).

2. Find a ‘done it’ mentor

Find a mentor who has actually done something to guide you. There are many potential mentors out there but choose one who has demonstrated practical success in execution and implementation.

Success is a function of delivering results not achieving excellence in pondering over possibilities. Seek guidance from people who excel in getting stuff done in the real world complicated with uncertainty and unpredictability.

3. Be guided by the business plan

Get intimate with the strategy of the organization you work for. You will draw attention from the career decision makers if you are delivering on projects that directly relate to strategy. Know how your company intends to compete at a detailed granular level, and determine what your specific role is to make a noticeable contribution.

4. Do three things; toss out your to-do list

Focus your energy on the critical few things that matter to advancing the strategy of your organization. Organizations can lure you into chasing many things that can be unproductive. Don’t get sucked in. Prioritize a handful of things to achieve and resist the temptations to wander.

5. Get out of the crowd

Be clear on who you are and how you are different from the crowd around you. The world is full of people who “look the same”; you need to find a way to break away from this commonness and be distinguished.
Develop your personal brand that defines your uniqueness and live it everyday.

6. Build a killer résumé

Keep your resume up to date and make it available to others when the right opportunity arises. Always be on the hunt for your next move but ensure it doesn’t interfere with performance in your current position. Avoid using boilerplate templates; make your CV look different than anyone else’s.

7. Surprise people

Be comfortable to step outside your job description. Get known as a person who does what it takes to deliver results and who is unafraid to go beyond what is expected of them. Do the right thing not the correct thing.

8. Get on with it

Avoid pondering and just do it.  Success is determined by the number of tries you make so don’t let thought process get in the way of acting. A corollary to this is to accept imperfection as necessary to deliver constant results. Nothing is perfect and why you are seeking it you’re not EXECUTING.

There is no silver bullet to success.

It’s the result of doing a few simple things consistently and with passion and tenacity.

Get going.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 5.14.18 at 04:26 am by Roy Osing
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