Welcome to the latest edition of Human Capital Strategies. Each week, I give you insight into the 5 most interesting blog articles. They will help you improve your most important assets, your people and yourself. The posts contain information on accountability for performance, hiring the best talent possible, and maintaining culture standards.
Lolly Daskal, Lead From Within: The Source of Integrity
Before you can be a leader for others, you need to know how to be a leader for yourself. In this post, Lolly discusses the importance of integrity. Integrity is an extremely important factor to being a successful leader. Integrity builds trust; trust builds a strong organizational culture. If you can truly understand integrity and make it a part of your life, you will be successful in many ways.
Follow Lolly on Twitter: @LollyDaskal
Guest Post by Todd Nielsen, Jesse Lyn Stoner’s Blog: Four Strategies to Make Your Vision a Reality - Taking a vision and turning it into reality can be a very difficult task for a company. In this post, Jesse Lyn describes four strategies that a person can use to help them turn their vision into reality.
Follow Todd on Twitter: @Toddbnielsen
Tony Schwartz, Harvard Business Review Blog: Stress is not your Enemy - Stress is generally portrayed as a negative word. You hear things such as, “Oh you are stressed, go get a massage.” or “Oh you poor thing, you are so stressed, take a day off to rest up.” In this post however, Tony discusses the positive side of stress and how it can make you a stronger individual.
Follow Tony on Twitter: @energy_project
Tanveer Naseer, Tanveer Naseer’s Blog: Bringing your Passion Back to Work - To be truly successful in the workplace, you need to be passionate about your work. In this post, Tanveer discusses how a person can find their passion and brink it into the workplace.
Follow Tanveer on Twitter: @TanveerNaseer
Mark Bonchek, Harvard Business Review Blog: Business Lessons from the Titanic (in 3D) - With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking, many articles have been written about issues that relate to that horrible night in the Northern Atlantic. In this post, Mark discusses 5 business lessons that can be taken from the Titanic.
Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkBonchek
Perhaps you have heard the latest statistics... Half of new grads are jobless or underemployed.
Ever wonder why?
It's not just the economy hurting new grads. Society has set many young people up for a spanking.
The economy has made it difficult for some entitled young people aka "Millenials" to find meaningful work pandering to their many needs while older generations who actually want to work and will work HARD are gainfully employed.
For the record... We have had some Millenials come through our office and work hard - very hard. In fact a handful of former team members come to mind right now. I would hire them all back. The rest I would never hire.
Many Millenials are after their own little utopia. After all - why should it end now? Millenials have been special all their lives. Millenials want the big title, the big office, and they want to live like people on NBC's the Office. People in this tv show go to work and actually do not work. They gossip. They take long lunches. They take naps at work. Life is a big party. They do everything but work (except for the man looking for his red stapler).
Unless you work for Google or some other big giant software company, no naps for you. Sorry. Reality bites.
Society (ie: well-meaning Moms and Dads) has been doing these young people a severe disservice. Many of these kids - our future - have lived in "lala land" their entire lives. They have been carefully protected. They got the "A" when they deserved a kick in the pants. Their basketball coach shut the scoreboard off when they were losing to save face. Their feelings have been placed in bubble wrap. Their definition of hard work differs substantially than earlier generations because they have been handed everything to them on a silver platter.
Reality has escaped many Millenials for two decades and now reality is going to hit many of them hard. They will struggle to find work because society has made them deficient when it comes to work ethic.
Millenials who have been coddled for too long... It is time to face the real world and get to work-real work.
Posted by
Joe Jones on Wed, Apr 25, 2012 @ 08:30 AM
Last week, we shared a post about 3 important questions every Sales Manager should keep “top of mind” even during the busiest of times.
As a follow up, we would like to dive a little deeper into each of the 3 questions and explore why they are important.
In case you missed out, here are the questions . . .
What is the monthly production difference between your top 10% and the bottom 10% of your sales team?
Most sales teams are made up of the “Haves" and “Have-Nots”. The “Haves” are strong Job Fit team members that consistently produce high sales and raise the sales team’s bottom line numbers.
The “Have-Nots” languish in mediocrity, and at their very best, have one or two good months of the year. These individuals rely on the high performers on the team to cover up their lack of production.
The typcal sales production difference between your Top 10% and your Bottom 10% range from 5x - 20x.
Let’s look at a quick example:
Company A’s average net per sale is $10,000
Jim makes 30 sales a month ($300,000), or $3,600,000 a year.
Bob makes 6 sales a month ($60,000), or $720,000 a year.
Think about that, having that low performer on your team could be costing you $240,000/month or $2,880,000/year in lost opportunity. How many low performers do you have on your team?
Do you have measurable performance metrics that are tracked from week to week? If so, what are they and do they correspond with success on the job?
Most Sales Managers typically have some sort of sales performance metrics that they follow, maybe because their boss told them to, or maybe because they want to keep a close eye on specific indicators that will help them effectively lead their team.
The difference between the effective manager and ineffective managers is the effective managers track metrics that directly correlate with profit and productivity. These Managers track the data very tightly and use the information to make adjustments to their systems along the way to maximize the team’s talents and sales processes.
What happens to those team members who continually underperform or fail to follow the strategy embraced by leadership and the rest of the team?
Choose wisely, your response to this situation will have a long lasting effect, and will ultimately define what your team’s sales culture is...
Do nothing, and your team will think that low performance is tolerated. The team’s overall results will reflect that culture and you may even alienate your existing strong performers.
Even one person who is allowed to “do his or her own thing” can cause the entire team to begin the dreaded downward spiral.
A common example we hear from Clients is - “Oh that’s just Jim being Jim, he has always been like that”.
Wait a minute... So because that is the way Jim is or has always been, it makes it okay for him to not follow the Culture Standards of the organization?
We are not saying "change Jim", we want people to be themselves at work. However, if the way Jim does things does not align with the vision of the company it’s best to help Jim find an organization that better suites his talents and style.
This allows Sales Managers to bring on talent that is a better match for the job and culture of the organization.
Happy Monday Everyone.
Welcome to the latest edition of Human Capital Strategies. Each week, I give you insight into the 5 most interesting blog articles of the week. They will help you improve your most important assets, your people and yourself. The posts contain information on accountability for performance, hiring the best talent possible, and maintaining culture standards.
Michael Hyatt, Intentional Leadership Blog: How To Build (Or Rebuild) Trust - Trust is extremely important in an organization. Without trust an organization has little to no chance of being successful. In this post, Michael explains the importance of trust in an organization. He also explains how to build, or rebuild (if necessary) trust in an organization.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @MichaelHyatt
Terry Starbucker, Terry Starbucker’s Blog: The 3 People that Stand in Your Way of Business Success (and how to push them aside) - When it comes to being successful in business, there are many obstacles that can hold you back. People can be one of the worst. In this article, Terry discusses 3 types of people who are most likely to stand in your way.
Follow Terry on Twitter: @Starbucker
Hire Max Admin, Hire Max Blog: Hot Off the Press 2012 Sales Hiring Trends - Hiring the right sales professionals for the right job can seem like an impossible task. With the right preparation before hand, you can guarantee that you hire the right people every single time. In this post, Hire Max explains the sales hiring trends for 2012 so you will be ready when it is time to hire a sales professional for your organization.
Follow Hire Max on Twitter: @hiremax
Mary Jo Asmus, Smart Brief Jobs Blog: A Silent Leadership Killer - Do you consider yourself a successful leader? What do you place at the top when it comes to your leadership values? In this post, Mary Jo explains what the worst silent killer is when it comes to leadership.
Follow Mary Jo on Twitter:@mjasmus
Ellen Weber, Brain Leaders and Learning Blog: Stop Stepping on Bullies - Does your organization have a negative culture? Is it full of bullies, foul moods, and short tempers? In this post, Ellen explains how to make the transition of a negative culture to a positive culture.
Follow Ellen on Twitter: @ellenfweber
What is the Culture or mindset of your sales team?
Are they playing to win? Or are your sales team members playing "not to lose"?
I have seen both types of sales Cultures. One is much more fun and time flies at work, while the other is energy-draining and the sales team consists of clock watchers.
The "winning" sales Culture talks about what is possible - about what can be done. The discussions are energetic - focused on the future.
The "playing not to lose" sales Culture talks about the past - about protecting marketing share - protecting the status quo.
In a "competitor from hell" situation where two companies offer the same product / service - which sales team is going to win? That is correct. The sales Culture that is playing to win is going to take more risks and recover when they lose deals. They are naturally going to rise above short-term stumbles.
Playing to win sales teams attract sales team members who are wired for winning.
The sales Culture that is playing not to lose is worried about preservation of status quo and is more likely to have difficulty recovering from setbacks.
Playing not to lose sales teams attract sales team members who are wired to avoid losing.
Which are you?
Charlie Sheen has the attitude of WINNING . . . However, your sales team's winning attitude will get them much more success than Charlie's.
Has your sales team lost their mojo? Is it time to get it back?
Change your language - change your focus - Change Your Culture to win rather than avoid losing.
Posted by
Joe Jones on Wed, Apr 18, 2012 @ 09:00 AM
Like most leaders in the workplace, Sales Managers often get caught up in the day-to-day minutia of the job with things like: attending multiple meetings a day, filling out reports, and always putting out "fires" that pop-up among the team.
Along with all of those task oriented activities, Sales Managers must also focus and create extreme value while leading the individual sales team members and ensuring that they are maximizing all revenue potential through the organization's different sales strategies.
We would like to share 3 important questions to ensure you are staying on top of things with your sales team members even when your to-do list is overflowing.
- What is the monthly production difference between your top 10% and the bottom 10% of your sales team?
- Do you have measurable performance metrics that are tracked from week to week? If so, what are they and do they correspond with success on the job?
- What happens to those team members who continually underperform or fail to follow the strategy embraced by leadership and the rest of the team?
Tune in next Wednesday for a follow-up post as we identify additional Sales Management strategies that can help you handle the roadblocks you may encounter when thinking about these questions.
Until then, check out 3 Habits of High Performing Sales Teams
Happy Monday Everyone.
Welcome to the latest edition of Human Capital Strategies. Each week, I provide you insight into the 5 most interesting blog articles of the week. They will help you improve your most important assets, your people and yourself. This week, we feature posts, which contain information on leadership development, organizational culture, effective communication skills and much more.
Rochelle Moulton, RM Blog: I Smell A Rat
This is another great post on communication. Imagine, you are in a meeting or in the middle of a phone call, and suddenly something just changes. You smell a rat. In this post, Rochelle explains how to identify just exactly what type of rat you are dealing with and how to handle the situation.
Follow Rochelle on Twitter: @ConsultingChick
Nick Morgan, Public Words: Why Ignoring Body Language is Like Betting on an Inside Straight
Everyone has seen it one time or another. You are in a business conversation and all of a sudden the other person keeps talking positively but their body language starts saying otherwise. In this post, Nick expresses the importance of knowing what your verbal communication as well as your non-verbal communication is saying.
Follow Nick on Twitter: @DrNickMorgan
Ted Coine, Teamster: Return on Morale
Company culture is extremely important. If a company’s culture is negative, the employees will feel negative effects. In this post, Ted discusses the importance of a company that provides high morale. If the company provides a high morale culture for the employees, they will provide high morale back to the company.
Follow Ted on Twitter: @tedcoine
Doris Nhan, SmartBlog on Leadership: Habits vs. decisions: Why you do what you do
Everyone has his or her own set of habits. It is just human nature. In this video spotlight, Charles Duhigg explains that if a person creates too many habits, they may get stuck in a rut and continue to do their same habits over and over whether than making new decisions. This is very important in the business world. It can truly make or break a company. Do the leaders of your organization make the best decisions for the company or do they just do it the same way because that is how it has always been done?
Follow SmartBrief on Twitter: @SmartBrief
Tim Sackett, The Tim Sackett Project: Are You Drowning in Your Position
Hiring the right people for the 
right jobs is one of the most important aspects of a successful business. If you do not successfully hire the right employees, you may have a high employee turnover. In this post Tim explains how you can pick out the employees who do not fit in their job.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimSackett
Does your Culture Standard allow low performers to stay onboard because the short-term costs of hiring and training seem high?
In today's competitive world, many businesses are maintaining tight headcount in order to keep costs low. The result is that, in many cases, companies are keeping t
heir headcount so tight that they become unable / unwilling to defend their Culture. Keeping a tight headcount is especially problematic when a manager allows a low performer to stay onboard to keep hiring/training costs low.
The damage to Customer goodwill and your Culture can be devastating. As a manager, you cannot bury your head in the sand and ignore this damage. It is important to keep in mind that your Culture is not what you say it is. The Culture of the organization is what management and employee team members collectively do and allow to happen. Remember...
- If you do not follow your own company policy - that shapes your Culture.
- If you play favorites - that shapes your Culture.
- If you allow low performers to stay onboard- that shapes your Culture.
If you do not defend your Culture - you are settling for mediocrity.
Never settle for mediocrity when it comes to your Culture. You shape your future by carefully shaping your Culture. Smart companies carefully shape their Culture by hiring the best talent possible, not playing favorites, and following company policy without question.
If an employee team member is not performing, immediate feedback and immediate correction action / training must be provided. Failure to do so shapes your Culture toward mediocrity.
Ultimately, the headcount must be adequate to absorb the loss of a low performer or normal employee turnover.
If an employee team member is unable or unwilling to effectively perform - you must have adequate headcount to work through letting them go sooner-than-later.
Posted by
Joe Jones on Tue, Apr 10, 2012 @ 03:35 PM
With many new graduates and young professionals flooding the job market, potential employers have noticed an increase in extremely unprofessional email addresses when corresponding with their potential candidates.
What does your email address say about you? I am not talking about the traditional "first name, last name" type examples.
What we are referring to are the more “interesting” (to say the least) personal email addresses created with email providers like AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail.
Sure, the quirky address sounded fun and cool when you created it while sitting around with friends during high school or college. And yes I know, it can be quite difficult to find an appropriate email address that is not already taken..
But now fast forward to the start of your post-college professional career, and you are now out job searching and emailing your resume. Are you still using that old "quirky" email address?
What does this email say about you and your brand? Especially if this address is used to communicate with professional contacts, teachers, employers, potential employers. Spending a little more time to develop a professional email address could be the difference in getting that first interview, or ultimately landing that job you have always wanted.
Below you will find just a few of the more tame examples of emails that you would may want to update before emailing potential employers.
There were a few others that I thought would more effectively hammer the message home to our readers, but probably were a bit too inappropriate. (I am sure our readers can use their imagination.)
"Ilovebeer69@youremail.com"
"partygirl21@youremail.com"
"kegstandjohnny@youremail.com"
What message does this send to the people you are communicating with?
While we do not advocate a Client basing a decision solely on one's email address, the fact is, it happens and all the young professionals out there should be more aware. The feedback we typically hear is a poor email address is sign of immaturity, or just a general lack of awareness.
Whichever the case, maybe it is time you take a look at the email you use and how it affects one of your most valuable current assets – your brand.
Happy Monday Everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!
Welcome to the latest edition of Human Capital Strategies! Each week, we give you insight into the 5 most interesting blog articles of the week. They will help you improve your most important assets, your people and yourself. This week, we feature posts, which contain information on employee motivation, leadership development and much more!
We hope you enjoy!
See you next week!
Dan Rockwell, Leadership Freak Blog: I’ve Been Knocked Down, Now What
Everyone gets knocked down several times throughout his or her life. Sometimes it can be hard to get back up, brush yourself off and get back in the saddle. In this post, Dan provides eight principles that you can use to get back up again.
Follow Dan on Twitter: @Leadershipfreak
Kati Nelson, Tough Motivation: Hungry but Humble Mentality
You want something so badly that you will do everything that you can to get it. Once you get it, you let everyone know. Sound familiar? It happens, it is just human nature. In this post, Kati explains how to be hungry to get something that you want but to also be humble at the same time.
Follow Kati on Twitter: @NelsonKati
Guest Post: George Krueger and Mary-Lynn Foster, Carol Roth’s Blog Business Unplugged: 3 Entrepreneurs You Never Want to Meet
Have you ever met an entrepreneur or any businessperson for that matter, which you wish you, would have never met. In this post, George and Mary-Lynn discuss three different kinds of entrepreneurs that you do not want to meet. This is also a great post to identify if you fall into any of these categories. If you do fall into one of their categories, a major change is in need.
Follow Carol on Twitter: @caroljsroth
Follow George on Twitter: @gkrue
Follow Mary-Lynn Foster on Twitter: @marylynn3
Daniel Pink, Daniel Pink’s Blog: 50 centuries of work = 5 important lessons
They say that wisdom comes with age. In this blog post, Daniel discusses the book, 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans. Daniel especially focuses in on the chapter, which discusses 5 lessons from 50,000 years of work experience. Check out the list and see if you agree!
Follow Daniel on Twitter: @DanielPink
Tanveer Naseer, Tanveer Naseer’s Blog: Identifying the Real Hero in Your Organization’s Story
Every great story has a hero. In this pos
t, Tanveer discusses who the hero of your organization should be. Tanveer states, “The real hero in your organization’s story are the people you lead- your employees.” Check out this post to see what else Tanveer has to say.
Follow Tanveer on Twitter: @TanveerNaseer
Posted by
Joe Jones on Fri, Apr 06, 2012 @ 07:00 AM
Each day we field a variety of inquiries from new prospects, leads, and current Clients pertaining to their overall talent management strategy. With today’s post I wanted to spend a little time discussing one of the most common questions we hear –
“How do we select better sales people/teams?”
Many of you have probably asked yourself this very same question after being burned by a poor hire in the past.
Is there one silver bullet? No! If there was, imagine the possibilities…
However, strategic organizations are able to create an edge by developing and executing an “on purpose” process to help select and retain stronger sales talent.
Lets take a look at a few habits to help enhance your sales talent strategy.
We are all “wired” a certain way, which gives us our own unique style and approach. Each individual’s style is neither good nor bad, but is the core of who they are. When selecting the strongest job-fit for a sales position, it is important to understand how the candidate will sell, what motivates them to do so, and the specific skills and attributes they bring the position.
Example: Sales jobs typically reward performance with a monetary reward system. But what happens if your particular team member is not motivated by money? Would dangling a higher commission or bonus in front of them make them any happier or fulfilled in the position?
Utilizing traditional interview techniques along with valid sales personality test and custom Job Benchmarking analysis will position organizations to have stronger clarity and select people who naturally fit the specific characteristics required of the job.
Have you ever had a candidate come to you highly recommended from another organization? Maybe they were the top sales person, Rookie of the Year, “A” player at their old company, but they completely flamed out within 90 days of joining your team.
This common occurrence can stem from a few different areas, but one that is most prevalent is a cultural mismatch.
We often hear in not so direct terms that our potential Client’s Organizational Culture allows or accepts mediocrity and underperformance (which is ok, if that is what you want it to be).
However, the true high performers will sniff that out right away and most likely grow discontent quickly and look for a better opportunity at an organization that values a strong results-focused approach.
While most sales superstars do not like to be micro-managed, they definitely are driven by competition. Tracking useful sales metrics gives you and your sales people a scoreboard to continually evaluate their success, or lack of success during a given time period.
This accountability system also helps leadership keep a close eye on the ever-changing position of the team’s effectiveness in the marketplace. Responding to a dip in sales production as soon as it happens allows an organization to address the root cause before it could potentially begin to spiral out of control.
When is the last time you had that “sunken” feeling in your stomach upon learning that you made a poor hiring decision for your sales team?
Most sales teams do not prospect nearly enough. The result is sale's results are more typically based upon luck than actual planning.
Take some time and ask each sales team member you engage with today the following questions.
- How many identified prospects do you have in your sales pipeline?
- Who are your prospects?
- When is the last time you engaged your prospects?
- Why are your prospects your prospects? What was the decision-making process?
Chances are the answers to your questions are not going to be what you want to hear. Do you have an active prospecting plan with named prospects for each sales team member?
Is each sales team member effectively following-up using a prescribed approach to identify prospect potential and turn them into Customers?
If you want to improve sales through improved prospecting, the sales manager must do the following.
- Stop assuming all sales team members "get it". Assume all sales people need management.
- Identify top prospects with each sales team member and write them down. Create an action plan for each with time lines.
- Hold each sales team member accountable for achieving the time lines and converting prospects into accounts.
Remember, what gets measured gets improved. There are 8-9 hours in the typical sales day. Make sure your sales team members are talking to your Customers and prospects for at least 5 of those hours.
More Sales Posts You Should Check Out
How Much Are Low Sales Performers Costing You In Lost Profits?
How to Be a Rainmaker Sales Professional
Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and not too many April Fools Day jokes played on you.
Welcome to the latest edition of Human Capital Strategies! Each week, we give you insight into the 5 most interesting blog articles of the week. They will help you improve your most important assets, your people and yourself. This week, we feature posts, which contain information on leadership development, organizational culture change, a few great quotes, Disney vs. Apple and much more!
We hope you enjoy!
See you next week!
Sean Glaze (Guest Post), Michael Hyatt’s Intentional Leadership Blog: How Penguin Leadership Will Change Your Team Culture
What do penguins know about leadership? A lot more than you think, in this post, Sean explains how a penguin’s leadership skills can cure a toxic culture! Check out this article to see how you can start leading like a penguin and make a splash!
Follow Michael on Twitter: @MichaelHyatt
Follow Sean on Twitter: @leadyourteam
John C. Maxwell, John Maxwell on Leadership: From my files: Mistakes
We all make mistakes, without mistakes we would not be able to grow and succeed. In this post, John shares eight of his top quotes on mistakes.
Follow John on Twitter: @JohnCMaxwell
Ken Blanchard, How Gov Leads: Nine Strategies for Implementing Change
Do you believe that it is time for your organization’s culture to change? Do you feel as if you have no say in the matter? In this post, Ken explains a “change model” that Pat Zigarmi and Judd Hoekstra have developed. Ken goes on to explain each of the nine strategies and outcomes that the model covers about dealing with change.
Follow Ken on Twitter: @kenblanchard
Joshua Gans, Harvard Business Review: Disney Nailed Attention to Detail Long Before Apple
Paying attention to detail is one of the most important things to do to be successful, yet many people do not take the time to slow down and make things perfect. In this post, Joshua discusses two of the greatest companies of all time. These are Apple and Disney. Check out this blog post to see what makes these companies so great!
Follow Joshua on Twitter: @joshgans
Kate Nasser, Smart SenseAbilities Blog: Leaders, 6 Positive Replies to Transform Complaints Into Action
Do you have employees or co-workers who constantly complain? In this post, Kate discusses the question, “What will engage employees to move from complaints to action?” Kate then provides six positive replies that will transform the complaints into action.
Follow Kate on Twitter: @KateNasser
