I will be back up in the air and on the move!  If you are in the AC or the Bahama’s I hope we connect!

I’ll be speaking:

GSCSHRM
Atlantic City, NJ
Monday, 10/24

United States Marines Corps MCCS
Orlando, FL
Wednesday, 10/26

Bahama’s HRD Association
Nassau, Bahama’s
Friday, 10/28
*it is winter in MN and this is good strategic planning

My friends from the Work/Life Expo were kind enough to Flip and forward the enclosed feedback following my keynote last week.  Muchas Gracias! Yes, I did pick up a little bit of Spanish while speaking in Venezuela this week.  A bit of commentary and perspective on my adventure in Caracas forthcoming.

We also added the annual SHRM Leadership Conference to our event calendar and are excited to start working with  AT&T, Giant Eagle and Wakefield. Welcome.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Posted in News, Uncategorized

Tags: AT&T, Caracas, Giant Eagle, Speaking, Training, Wakefield, Work/Life

Labor day passing signifies the change of seasons and for many families the first day of school.

Remember the first day of school?  The adventure, excitement and opportunity to learn new things, meet new people and make meaningful progress in our personal growth and development.

Many parents will live a reminder through their children today.  I’ll settle for Facebook photo’s of the nieces and nephews.

I am, however, reminded to reflect on my own, ongoing professional education and development.  My own back to school effort has always included emphasis on two of the basics that anyone can employ to accelerate their own personal growth, professional development and success.

1.  Reading: The books we read and people we meet become part of us.  Ideas that impact are available if we are willing to invest the time. {TIP:  Want to read more?  Buy a Kindle.  It worked for me.  Turning off the television also works.}

2. Writing: Writing things down changed my life.  It doesn’t have to be a book or a blog.  It doesn’t have to be public.  The simple act of writing improves and organizes critical thinking.  Writing provides clarity and creative expression.  Writing aids recall.  Writing drives accountability and increases the likelihood of the desired outcome.

What are you reading and writing right now?

Perhaps going back to school isn’t just for the students.  Perhaps it is also a great idea for the professional set to be studying, learning, practicing and preparing to improve our work and life.  Perhaps it is beneficial to find the right balance between doing the work and simultaneously improving our ability to have an impact.

A wise friend counseled me recently to see the teacher in all things.  I am grateful for that gift of wisdom.

Perhaps we need to break out of the old routine, embrace more of the adventurous spirit and pay just a little more attention to the lessons all around us.

Back to school.

Posted in Leadership

Tags: Development, Education, Performance, Training

Sales drives the business.

All of the ideas, innovation, strategy, interpersonal relationships and process initiatives don’t matter much if you don’t have the revenue to turn on the lights.

Want a cure for the business going sideways?  If layoffs, furloughs and salary freezes sound familiar the solution is simple.

Sell more.

You can sell your way right out of a recession.  There are great examples all around us (the coffee shop I am sitting in now achieved explosive sales growth and expanded during the great recession).

Increasingly, sales growth requires strong leadership.

Ironically, sales success as an individual contributor doesn’t automatically translate into the requisite skill and competency to lead other individual contributors.  I know this from personal experience.  I know this from our consulting work. Yet, sales organizations routinely move their top individual contributors into management roles as a matter of practice and risk missing twice (weakening the territory and the team if the top producer isn’t prepared to lead and is no longer closing).

That doesn’t mean it can’t work.  It simply takes work and is far from a sure thing.

I’ll have the good fortune of spending tomorrow morning talking Sales Acceleration with a room full of gifted Sales Leaders and C level executives preparing to push their business to the next level of breakthrough performance.

3 key themes I will reinforce:

1. Lead From The Front: You’ll get attention and effort around what you inspect.  You’ll earn respect based on your own ability to contribute value to the process, people and performance.  Set the tone.  Drive the pace.  Never demand more than your are willing to give yourself.  If the performance isn’t where it needs to be look in the mirror first.  Own your number.  If the CEO is spreadsheeting all day long encourage him/her pick up the phone or join a call once in a while.  All hands on deck.  Your team is watching.

2.  Protect & Serve: Lead in the service of others.  Sure, we’ve all heard of servant leadership.  What it means is that your existence isn’t about you.  It is about them.  You exist to help, guide, develop, teach, counsel, coach, correct and consistently elevate their potential and performance.  Your success is entirely their success.  Fight with them.  Stand by them.  Hold them accountable.  Firmly accountable. Your team is watching.

3.  Let Go: Hire great people (you need great HR because as a Sales Leader you likely don’t have the art of selection perfected).  Develop their talent.  Earn buy in to your process and program.  Put them in a position to fulfill their potential and blow past plan.  Then…get the hell out of the way. Autonomy is a coveted culture characteristic of top producers.  Let them learn by doing.  Proposals and power point presentations don’t need your approval.  Not if you have the right people in the right job. Let them do the work.  Celebrate their success every step of the way.  Your team is watching.

When others entrust you to guide and shape their sales talent and career path it is an awesome responsibility. Embracing the weight of that challenge is incumbent upon today’s effective leader. It is a phenomenal time for emerging leaders to add more value to the business, impact people and accelerate growth by doing the right things.

Posted in Leadership, Sales

Tags: Leadership, Sales, Training

I am not a social media expert.  Whatever that means.

I talk about it.  The Social Shift.  The impact and opportunity.  I can site examples.  I live it everyday through blogging, updating, posting, connecting, tweeting, checking in and occasionally checking out. I know it has been a catalyst for growth in my business.  I believe it has also been a catalyst for growth in my life.

In truth Social Media has been one interesting experiment.  I had no idea what was going to happen the first time I Linked In.  I was doubtful anyone besides my mom would subscribe to this blog. I could still care less about what anyone I know had for #lunch in 140 characters or less.  But I see the transformation .  I know this is just the beginning. I like being there.  I love being here.

Ironically several of my friends (not on Facebook) that used to mock my social curiosity now want to understand how to make the segway into social media for business benefit.  So occasionally I find myself sitting across from a friend, fellow Gen X business pro (usually in sales) who two years ago couldn’t fathom a Facebook account but now wants my advice/instruction on how to make the social shift.

This morning I will be coffee shopping it to help my friend. He asked me if I could help him “go viral” (any ideas?).  Our first sit down will go something like this:

1.  Meet me at the coffee shop at 6:45 a.m.:  If you want to ever build a following, have an impact, connect consistently then it is clear to me you’ll show up early.  Stay late.  Put in the work. Yes, it is an investment of time.  So, you can cut into sleep or skip American Idol and Dancing With the Stars.  Your call.  He pushed the meeting to 7:15.

2.  Bring me a gift (I don’t work completely pro bono): The idea is to get in the habit of giving value first. Expect nothing in return. Get used to the idea that nobody really cares all that much about you or your stuff.  They care a whole lot more about their own stuff.  If you can help them with their stuff they might get a bit more interested in your stuff.  Especially important to understand this if you are in sales.

3.  Go meet a stranger in this coffee shop right now and exchange business cards:  Awkward?  Of course.  Will be a bit amusing for me. Try it sometime.  How did you do? Is it all that different online?  Think about your approach. Think about the other person. Think about why they should/would connect with or follow you?

4.  Give me one good, compelling reason why I shouldn’t get up and walk out of the coffee shop right now (friendship is off limits during the work session and by this time I assume he will be frustrated)?  I am distracted.  Busy.  Overwhelmed.  Stressed. 17 other people just like you want to talk to me. I already have one of you that does just fine.  I want to get on with my day.   If he doesn’t come up with a reason I will seriously consider leaving. Welcome to sales.

5. Write down what you want from this effort?  When? How you intend to help others? Why?  It pays to begin with the end in mind.  That informs strategy and tactics.  It pays to determine if you can really help. That informs whether any of this is worth doing if your intention is to build your business.  Plenty of other reasons can make social media worthwhile (I heard Farmville is fun). He just needs to decide.

He will have some homework.  He will set up his accounts. He will retweet.  Comment on blogs.  Join groups.  Pay attention.  Then eventually contribute. If he contributes quality consistently, then eventually someone might pay attention back.  If he helps people in a BIG way they might be inclined to evangelize his work and tell others.

Who knows?  Maybe he will Engage, Crush It, Win Friends and Influence People and start a Tribe!

I just know he better like this on Facebook.  And buy breakfast.

Posted in Social Media, Uncategorized

Tags: Crush It, engage, Social Media, Social Shift, Training

At least over the last 90 days.  Q2. What a fun ride it has been.  I am reflecting early.

The last two stops of the quarter are South Beach and Vegas.  A little celebration may be in order.

Q1 was a tough stretch. Life.  Lessons.

Q2 was a great stretch.  Life.  Lessons.

A team of people helped me cross that bridge.  I won’t ever forget.  Thank you.

I keep reminding myself to occasionally look back and enjoy the view.

Here is what it look liked in Q2. At least a few highlights anyway.

Almost halftime.  Feeling ready.

Posted in Brand, Communications, News

Tags: Keynote Speaker, Keynote Speaking, Motivational Speaking, Speaking, Training

I was fortunate to spend a couple days this week working with a world class talent acquisition team.

The group at CDW is lead by Melissa McMahon, SMA Chicago’s 2010 Staffing Professional of the Year.  This team knows talent.  The business recognizes that talent will be the disruptive competitive advantage. They need to achieve growth goals and this group is going to deliver the people that deliver on the business plan.  These are People Who Get IT!

I can tell you the focus of our training and time together wasn’t spent on tactics like Boolean Search, Recruiter ready Linked In profiles or source effectiveness reporting.  Nope.  We actually spent our time on Recruiter Effectiveness.

What constitutes Recruiter Effectiveness on a world class talent acquisition team?  Have a look at the Rock Star Recruiting skill and competency list as defined by CDW in session (picture enclosed).  A pretty good self assessment for anyone concentrating on the practice of people.

Our training emphasized the competitive decision cycle – from Recruiter point of contact to conversion.  Where the real recruiting happens. This is what Team CDW had to say about the experience:

The session content resonated because they buy into a fundamental principle – Recruiting is Sales (and Marketing).  That is a conversation we’ll continue next month at the SHRM Talent & Staffing Management Conference & Exposition in my Tuesday morning keynote.

If you completely disagree with what I have to say know that Dan Pink is keynoting Monday and Susan Packard is on Wednesday.  That alone is worth the price of admission and the all star sessions and networking in San Diego is never a bad thing!  Hope to see you there.

Enclosed is a video preview of our Sales & Recruiter Effectiveness training.  Feedback is always welcome!

Posted in Communications, Recruiting, Sales, Uncategorized

Tags: Keynote Speaking, Recruiter Effectiveness, Recruiter Training, Sales Training, SHRM, Sourcing, Staffing, Talent, Training

Leadership.

Yesterday I had the great privilege of providing the keynote address for a Medtronic Global Leadership Summit.

With executives assembled from around the globe we focused on the unique opportunity today’s leader has to cultivate culture as a competitive advantage.  With a jam packed 3 day agenda filled with content central to the challenge of running a complex, global Fortune 500 organization amid such a time of challenge and change  the moment was right to reinforce the awesome responsibility bestowed upon today’s leader.

Challenge and change require clarity and confidence and the leadership mandate is simple:  Put people first…Performance and profit follow….

While an effective manager will often expressly focus on systems and process (and those are necessary qualities to organizational excellence) a leader understands that people are the priority…It’s people that drive the process and deliver the plan….

What do people want?  What accelerates engagement and performance?

1.  Leadership demonstrating care and concern for their people

2.  The opportunity to do meaningful work and continue to develop skills and competency

Put the right people in the right job and provide an environment where they can fulfill their potential.  Focus on getting the culture piece right…..and you’ll be heading in the right direction. Passion at work can occur when the right person, in the right job is supported by the very intentional and strategic action of the organization and it’s leadership.  It doesn’t manifest on auto pilot.

What are the leadership competencies that contribute most significantly to culture as a competitive advantage?  You can see the photo above – our list of what constitutes Rockstar Leadership from yesterday’s keynote.

What’s on your leadership list?  Is your corporate culture a competitive advantage?

Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership

Tags: Keynote, Speaking, Training

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Posted in Communications

Tags: Speaking, Training