Building Blocks to Success

Funny You Ask

Food, Water, and the Porta Potty

I just returned from the Pacific Northwest, having bicycled from Seattle to Portland - 204 miles in just 2 days. Why you ask? As I slowly recover, I ask myself that very same question. My mom was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (a chronic, progressive disorder of the central nervous system caused by the loss of cells producing dopamine, a chemical messenger responsible for transmitting signals within the brain). Given this, my brother and I felt the need to ride in the STP (Seattle to Portland) to raise money for the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation (www.nwpf.org) and meet others touched by the disease. The experience was absolutely incredible.

Despite training for the ride, I was amazed to have succeeded in riding over 200 miles on a bicycle – a la Lance Armstrong, yellow shirt, and all. We raised a pretty good amount of money, perhaps more than any of the 80 cyclists of Team Parkinson’s that participated in the ride – and I can’t thank those who sponsored me enough.

My brother and I were inspired by the cyclists we met that had Parkinson’s disease or other ailments and were riding the same 204 miles we were – and in many cases faster. In fact, there was one guy who was riding a 3 wheeler who had no legs and only one arm. As he peddled with his arm using a handle, you couldn’t help but to be motivated. Of course, he made it the whole distance and there was never a doubt in my mind – or his.

As some of you may have experienced, when you’re involved in any fundraiser that requires a challenging physical activity like cycling, running, or walking a great distance, you find that the event completely consumes you. During the course of the journey, you really don’t think of anything other than food, water, the Honey Bun porta potty, your aches and pains, and the next rest stop. On the last day of the event, you start thinking of the finish line – and then suddenly, it’s all over. Yeah! High fives are exchanged, duffle bags are packed and it’s back to the day to day problems we all complain about. Heck, it all goes by so fast.

For those I met on the ride with mental and physical challenges that overcame the same hills and head winds I did, the hardship of the ride continues, well beyond the finish line. These riders (many of whom can’t even walk) are my heroes - dying to live rather than living to die – a big difference wouldn’t you say? We’ve all been touched by friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and family members who have this relentless positive attitude, this drive to live, despite having cancer, Parkinson’s, or whatever the ailment or disability. How can you not be inspired? And how can we not feel ashamed of ourselves for griping about the normal day to day? My heroes in the Northwest took their fight to a 204 mile bike ride because there is a finish line in sight – and because they could. And we can too. The reality is my problems really aren’t so bad – are yours?

Face it, if your biggest challenge is getting more clients, selling more stuff, finding a job, mending a relationship, or just making ends meet, there’s always a way. You can get help and solve these problems. So stop complaining, put it all in perspective, solve your problems, and consider yourself lucky to be able to continue peddling way beyond the finish line. Is it really just that easy? In most cases, it really is. Give this a little thought the next time you face a steep incline or a little head wind on your day to day ride. See you at the next rest stop!

OK, I probably wouldn’t actually say that. But I have to admit, I would have these thoughts in mind – and I’m not alone. This goes for chiropractors, exterminators, consultants, accountants, attorneys, insurance producers, or other sales folks prospecting for business. The more specific you are in your communication, the more likely it is to get what you’ve asked for. Ask and ye shall receive! When anyone, everyone, and someone are good prospects for you, count on no one. Frankly, most people we meet aren’t interested enough to ask us the clarifying questions required to get our clarifying answers. Oh, they may ask for your card to fill the silence, but you probably won’t leave a lasting positive impression. One of the goals of networking is to leave that lasting positive impression in an effort to help one another find a job, get business, or solve a problem. In failing to leave a positive footprint with those we meet, our search for employment, clients, or solutions continues.

Every business person I know that actively networks is familiar with the ever popular ‘elevator speech’. This is the ’30-second’ introduction used to explain what we do so others understand how to help us. A good ‘elevator speech’ should explain who you are, what you know, who you help, and who you need to meet. A great way to remember this is to have PEEC of mind when networking to insure you mention your Profession, Expertise, Enviroments, and Call to Action. This very model has helped countless business owners (including me) land a client and job searchers get an interview.

	Profession – This is a broad way of describing your role, it’s not necessarily your title. For example, if you are a small business owner, your title may be owner, operator, president, principal, etc. Bear in mind that these titles do not describe what you do. Accountant, real estate attorney, insurance producer, and financial planner may be more accurate and much more telling. Capiche?
	Expertise – This speaks to the areas within your business where you have the most knowledge. So if you are a financial services professional, your expertise may be in the areas of long term care, annuities, and financial planning. Of course, these may not be your only areas of expertise but we don’t share everything on the first date, do we?
	Environments – This is an overview of the work environments and industries that you have experience in (if relevant) or that you are interested in working with. For example, my background is in retail but my interests are currently in the insurance and financial services industries.
	Call to Action – Remember the concept of LCD – Least Common Denominator – way back in 9th grade algebra? Or was it 10th grade geometry? And you thought you would never use this stuff! When developing your Call to Action, reduce your target market or ideal client to the Least Common Denominator. For example, instead of saying, “Anyone with a spine”, consider saying, “I’m looking to help recent mothers that might be experiencing lower back pain.” This LCD may direct our thinking toward people we know that might fit the bill. Does this mean that new mommies are the only prospects? Of course not, but remember, this is just the first date. Over time, our Call to Action will expand much like the relationships with the people we meet. Here’s a quick sample.

Is this the whole story? Of course not, but it could be the start of a purposeful conversation for both of you after comparing notes. Also, it’s OK to have more than one PEEC statement as you may want to highlight different details depending on the audience. I probably have 100 different versions; it all depends on whom I’m speaking with.

Less is more here. Most of us over-do it. Remember, that person you’re speaking to with that glazed look in their eyes is not nearly as interested in your business as you are. We want to create enough interest in our ’30 seconds’ to prompt the need to know more about our business, background, prospects, or future employer. Hopefully, those follow up conversations happen. Finally, the PEEC statement (or whatever pitch you use) is best delivered when someone asks you, “What do you do?” My belief is you should never deliver your PEEC statement unless someone asks you about yourself. This is worth repeating – your ‘elevator speech’ is best delivered when responding to someone’s question. If they wanted to know what you do, they would ask - wouldn’t they?

Deliver a prepared, powerful, and interesting PEEC statement and enjoy the rewards of effectively promoting yourself, your career, or your business. Are my 30 seconds up?

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
-Jackie Robinson

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Management Training is worth the Effort
By John P. Kreiss

The movie Glengarry Glen Ross is an unsympathetic portrayal of shady real estate salesmen, and is a notable example of the poor reputation of the sales profession reflected in popular culture. Though the film's salespeople are somewhat sleazy, their bosses, a local and a regional sales manager, are depicted even more harshly. The managers, played by Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin, exhibit some of the worst management traits, and they bring out the worst in their subordinates, spurring two of them to commit a crime.

The Baldwin character is the epitome of an arrogant autocrat who believes bullying is the answer to dealing with under-performing salespeople. Spacey is the company yes man who will go along with any outrageous actions headquarters demands. Baldwin is a classic example of a star salesperson that is unable to transfer his sales talent to the demands of a management position.

Soft skills are critical
Many firms have difficulty finding managers who have superior soft skills - interpersonal skills and leadership qualities - that the movie's managers lack. My theory is that when salespeople are promoted to management, they are often unprepared for the job, especially the personal interactions that management demands.

Many new managers believe that they should get everybody under them to be like them and work exactly like they do. Since most people are uncomfortable changing their approach to work, naturally these dictatorial managers tend to upset many of their charges. Poor management leads directly to higher attrition, higher staffing costs, and a loss of institutional knowledge.

A lot of people believe that soft skills can't be taught. I disagree. Although some people may not be management material no matter what, many of those who struggle with leadership responsibility can improve significantly with training.

"Emotional intelligence"
Some people seem to have a natural aptitude for leadership. These individuals may be blessed with high "emotional intelligence." This term has become something of a buzzword, but there is compelling evidence that those who score high on emotional intelligence tests tend to be high performers in many lines of work. (If you're interested in this topic, visit www.eiconsortium.org.)

There are several definitions of emotional intelligence. To me, the most important element is the individual's potential for mastering self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Those who possess these traits understand the motivations, goals, and interests of the people that they are responsible for leading. The individual who can align his or her goals with those of the people on his or her team makes for an excellent manager.

Don't accentuate the negative
One of the most common leadership failings is a tendency to focus too much on subordinates' weaknesses and not enough on their strengths. Accentuating the negative breeds frustration because people feel that no matter how much effort and skill they put into their jobs, their boss is going to find fault. Let's face it, that leadership style will discourage anyone sooner or later.

If an employee is effective in 80% of what he does, and the remaining 20% needs improvement, it's best to provide 80% positive feedback and 20% constructive criticism. This way, the feedback accurately reflects how the employee's performance is perceived. Don't get me wrong; deficiencies should be addressed directly, not swept under the carpet. But, if feedback is overwhelmingly negative, the employee may get the impression that his opportunity for advancement is low, or even that his job is in jeopardy. When people believe that, it's no wonder they seek a new employer.

Management boot camps
Numerous studies show that training can help many who are lacking in emotional intelligence to develop it, along with other important leadership qualities. Some companies send new managers to leadership "boot camps" - weeklong management training sessions. Individuals who take the training seriously can learn a lot.

Another common training method is one-on-one coaching by a professional management coach who provides ongoing feedback, often through monthly or weekly phone conversations, about real-world situations. Coaches offer practical advice about challenges the manager is facing in daily activities. Training, by itself, however, is not going to work wonders. Individuals have to make a strong, sustained effort every day to apply what they learn. It's a matter of having an awareness of management best practices and then applying one's own personality and experience to develop the most effective and suitable management style.