Author: Brian Smith - Power Link Dynamics

Are you searching for a keynote speaker who specializes in soft-skills training and leadership development or planning a training session at your location. Brian Smith works with those who want to learn to communicate and interact more effectively, build collaborative teams, resolve conflict or motivate others to perform at their best. Brian is recognized as one of The Top 200 Biggest Voices on Leadership. All four of his books are available on Amazon in print and e-reader formats. To learn about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization visit - https://briansmithpld.com or email him directly at brian@briansmithpld.com.

All Posts by Brian Smith - Power Link Dynamics

You Can’t Suck and Blow In The Same Breath

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Customer Service, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

You can’t suck and blow in the same breath. You can do one thing or the other, but it’s impossible to do both at the same time. I have a soft spot for service providers, having spent a 30-year career as general manager for a major retailer and an award-winning entrepreneur. Profit and being profitable is not a dirty word. When a small business goes out of business, the whole community suffers. You have a choice to make. You can pay lower prices for the goods and services you purchase or have exceptional customer service. But you can’t have both.

Change is inevitable, and it will happen with or without you.

I remember, yes, I’m that old when my local bank installed an ATM – Automatic Teller Machine along the side of the building. You had to stand outside – sometimes in inclement weather to use it. Customers had a choice to make. You could go inside the bank, stand in the lineup, wait your turn to get served by the teller or learn to use the machine. Initially, there was a great deal of pushback from customers who refused to use the device. If you want the bank to hold the line on what they charge you for the services, something has to give. Either they must increase the price of those services to afford to hire more tellers or install ATMs because they can’t afford to do both.

Change is constant, and you can do nothing to stop it.

I know many customers are upset with retailers who have installed banks of self-serve checkouts. Some are going so far as to boycott those stores. As a former retailer, I understand the challenges they face. Their margins continue to be squeezed. The cost of doing business continues to go up. Small business owners pay more for the goods they sell, utilities they use, and the equipment they lease or buy. You have a choice to make. If you want exceptional customer service, you’ll have to be willing to pay more for the merchandise you purchase. Most small businesses can’t afford to offer you low prices and exceptional customer service.

Change or get left behind – it’s your choice.

I love the touch-screen machines at fast food outlets. You have a choice to make: You can either embrace the newest way of ordering food and paying for your purchase or stand in line and do it the old-fashioned way. Contactless service is here to stay. Handling cash is almost becoming a thing of the past. Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are experimenting with various ways to try and keep costs down by not providing bags and having you bag your purchases, having multi drive-through lanes, ordering and paying for your purchases from your smartphone or laptop and having them delivered to your door or pick it up at curbside or a dedicated location in the store. I’ll go out on a limb here and bet if you have to choose between paying lower prices or having exceptional customer service – like me, most would pick low prices. You can’t suck and blow in the same breath.

Copyright 2024. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. This article was written by Brian without AI Assistance and must not be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a training provider for yourself or your management team. Brian specializes in soft skills training and leadership development. To learn about Brian and what he can do for you, your team and your organization, visit his website – https;//briansmithpld.com.

How To Future-Proof Your Career

Management

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-d5t38-173e9c6
Soft skills are people skills. They are your ability to communicate and interact more effectively. They are your ability to negotiate and resolve conflict, devise creative solutions to problems, build collaborative teams and motivate others. Soft skills are the new currency in today’s multi-generational diverse workplace. If you want to future-proof your career this Confessions of a Reformed Control Freak Podcast is for you.

How To Future-Proof Your Career

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

Soft skills are people skills. They are your ability to communicate and interact more effectively with others. They are your ability to negotiate and resolve conflict, devise creative ways to solve problems and build collaborative teams. Soft skills are the new currency in today’s multi-generational and diverse workplace. Without them, you will have difficulty advancing your career, managing and leading others or getting that promotion.

Worth Remembering – Don’t underestimate likeability. Likeability is a soft skill that leads to hard results. – Mo Bunnell.

If you want to future-proof your career – start here.

Learn to be more patient. There aren’t dumb students, only dumb teachers. If the student didn’t learn, the teacher didn’t teach. Adults can learn new things, but not everyone learns the same way or at the same pace, especially if they are learning something for the first time. Be patient. Don’t hurry progress.

Be open-minded. There are several ways to achieve the same result. It doesn’t have to be just your way. Resist the urge to micro-manage. Solicit input from those on your team. A good idea becomes a great idea when others participate in the process.

Become more empathetic. Try to see things from their point of view. There may be things going on that you aren’t aware of. Ask open-ended questions and discover what’s happening behind the scenes before deciding on an action plan.

Communicate in a way that others will understand. If you don’t send and have them receive the message as intended, then whatever you say means nothing. Gen Z is the most wired generation and prefers to communicate virtually. Embrace technology and connect with them the way they choose.

Listen more than you talk. You won’t learn a thing if you keep talking; that’s why you have two ears and only one mouth. Give people your undivided attention. Ask great open-ended questions to promote dialogue, and sit back and really listen to the answers. You will be amazed at how much you will learn.

Worth Remembering: The quality of your working relationships determines your success and happiness. Stop leaving it to chance and start building the best possible relationships. – Michael Bungay Stanler.

You have the potential to work with four different generations at the same time. Each generation – Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z, the newest generation to enter the workforce en masse – wants to be included, not excluded. If you want to future-proof your career, make them feel important. Take the initiative and develop your soft skills. Learn to be patient, open-minded, a great communicator and an even better listener.

Copyright 2024. Brian Smith—Power Link Dynamics. Brian specializes in soft skills training and leadership development. To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you or your organization, visit his website: https;//briansmithpld.com. If you have questions and want answers about your challenges when managing and leading others, contact Brian at brian@briansmithpld.com. He is here to help.

This article was written by Brian Smith without AI assistance and may not be reproduced without permission.

Up Your Leadership EQ – Celebrating Emotional Intelligence Month

Management

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-yygyb-1727206
EQ – Emotional Quotient – Emotional intelligence / soft skills is the ability to understand, use, and manage your emotions positively to reduce stress, communicate more effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflicts. Sixty-seven percent of the competencies needed to manage or lead others are emtionally based. If you can’t make an emotional connection and establish a relationship with those on your team, you will be an ineffective manager or leader. If you want to retain and attract talent you need to up your leadership EQ. Listen to this episode of my Confessions of a Reformed Control Freak to find out how.