March 1, 2020

Are You Dangling Carrots or Using Sticks?

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Dealing with Difficult People, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Personal Development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized

How do I motivate others to do what I need them to do? The truth of the matter is – you can’t. You can’t motivate anyone to do anything that they don’t really want to do. Whether you are dangling carrots or using sticks won’t matter. People do things for their own reasons – not yours. Just because you say it – it doesn’t make it so. Motivation is inside out – never outside in. The key to motivating others is by creating an environment in which they will want to motivate themselves. To create that environment you need a clear understanding of what motivates others into taking action.

Worth Remembering … “It is only when a person has their own genertator that we can talk about motivation. They need no outside stimulation. They want to do it.” – Frederick Herzberg

The key is to find out what they want, and then use that understanding to get them to do what you want. You have to figure out what’s their WIIFM. (What’s in it for me). I believe for the most part that people are inherently self-serving and will only do something if they believe they are going to benefit from it. If they aren’t going to get their WIIFM, then they won’t be motivated enough to put in the effort. Even people who volunteer their time or donate money for a good cause are getting some kind of WIIFM or they wouldn’t keep doing it.

Worth Remembering … “The common wisdom is that managers have to learn to motivate people. Nonsense – Employees bring their own motivation.” – Tom Peters

If you have the power to grant them their WIIFM, then you’ll have their attention. If they want theirs – and you want yours – then all you have to do is create a win-win. They win because they got their WIIFM and you won because you got them to do what needs to be done to complete the task, to accomplish the goal. If you want to motivate someone to do what you need them to do – then you need to put down the stick and offer them a carrot. When you can do that everyone gets their WIIFM.

Copyright (c) 2020. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization visit: https://briansmithpld.com

February 23, 2020

Different Strokes for Different Folks

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Leadership Development, Management, Mentorship, Personal Development, Personality Types, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized

Understanding yourself well and studying the behaviour of others allows you to improve your performance in relationships both at work and at home. According to Daniel Goleman, author of “Working with Emotional Intelligence” and a recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, emotional intelligence now plays a more pivotal role in determining one’s overall success. Goleman contends that sixty-seven percent of the competencies needed to manage and lead others are emotionally based. Your ability to communicate and interact with others effectively is the key ingredient in building collaborative teams, resolving conflict and motivating others to perform at their personal best.

Worth Remembering … “A common core of personal and social abilities has proven to be the key ingredient in people’s success”. – Daniel Goleman

Dr. William Marston, the creator of DISC, believes that there are four distinct styles of behaviour and that each style communicates and interacts differently. Each style likes to be managed and likes to manage others differently. If that is true, then all you need to do is learn how to communicate and interact with them in a style that they like. If you can learn to do that – then chances are they’d be more receptive to your management style because you are working with them in a way that they like. People like to work with people they like. You need to be able to make that emotional connection.

Worth Remembering … “The task of an executive is not to change human beings. The task is to multiply performance capacity of the whole by putting to use whatever strength, whatever health, whatever aspirations there is in individuals”. – Peter F. Drucker

There are four distinct styles of behaviour. The key to managing and leading others is to work with them in a style that they like.

D: Dominant. They like to be in charge and lead the charge. The key to working with a D is to make communication brief and to the point. Respect their need for autonomy and be clear about rules and expectations but let them go about accomplishing them – their way.

I: Interative/Interpersonal. They love being around people and work well in a social setting. The key to working with an I is let them verbalize thoughts and feelings. Provide written details on what you want to accomplish but keep the conversation light.

S: Steady. They are very loyal. However, they can be indecisive for fear of making a mistake. The key to working with an S is to provide a consistent and secure environment. Be logical and systematic in your approach and let them adapt to change slowly.

C: Conscientious. They are your best planners. They believe knowledge is power. The key to working with a C is to be precise and focused. Be sure to give clear expectations and deadlines. They strive to be perfect.

Different strokes for different folks. Ken Blanchard said it best. “Everyone has peak performance potential. You just need to know where they are coming from and meet them there”. If you can learn to adapt your management style to be more in tune with theirs – you’ll be amazed with how effective you can be.

February 17, 2020

What’s Your LOA?

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Customer Service, Leadership Development, Management, Reformed Control Freak, small business owner, Teacher, Uncategorized

What’s your LOA – Your Level of Authority? How far can you go to satisfy your customer’s need without having to get permission? How sure are you that someone higher up in the pecking order won’t override your decision and undermine your authority, making you look weak in front of your customers or staff? What level are your direct reports at and how much autonomy do they have to make decisions without your approval? You can call it delegation – you can call it empowerment – you can call it what ever you want to call it but you’ve got to get it off your plate and on to theirs.

General Levels of Authority.

Level One: Get the facts – I’ll decide

Level Two: Suggest alternatives – I’ll decide

Level Three: Recommend an alternative – I’ll decide

Level Four: Decide – wait for my approval

Level Five: Decide – act unless I say no

Level Six: Act – report results

Level Seven: Act – report if unsuccessful

Level Eight: Act – reporting not needed.

Your job is to give your people the opportunity to grow. What do you need to do to keep moving them up the ladder? The higher the level – the less time you’ll need to spend putting out fires. The higher the level – the more time you’ll have to do what managers and leaders should be doing. Everyone can be at different levels. It just depends on how comfortable you are that they would make the same decision you would have made. I like to move everyone up to level six – what about you?

January 5, 2020

Entrepreneurship – Look Before You Leap ²³

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Mentorship, Personal Development, Planning, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: Business, Business Planning, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Networking, Personal Development, Self-Employed, small business, Startup

Have you al entrepreneurship[1].jpg ways dreamed of being the one that makes all the decisions – the one that calls all the shots? Are you tired of working for someone else? Before you take the plunge and jump into the deep end of the pool have you done the market research – put a business plan together – and really thought it through? Have you thought about the impact it will have on your family and your personal life?

Before you quit your job and strike out on your own you might be interested in my answers to a series of questions I was asked by a former business student of mine. I hope my answers provide you with some valuable insight into what it takes to be successful.

What made you decide to get into business for yourself? Timing – it really boiled down to timing. I knew I wanted to make a career change. I was beginning to feel stuck and unfulfilled. For me – it’s never been about how much money I made. Now don’t get me wrong – money is important – but if it’s your only reason for getting into business for yourself – then you’re going to be disappointed – especially in your first few years. Make sure you have enough money saved up to pay your bills, put food on the table and keep a roof over your head for at least a year.

What are some of the challenges you faced in starting your own small business? I faced – and continue to face some of the same challenges everyone entrepreneur faces. Self-employed persons don’t have the luxury of a steady pay-cheque coming in. That puts a great deal of strain on your personal and family life. Everyone must give up something to get something. You need to decide what you and your family are willing to give up so that you can live your dream. Everybody needs to be on board. You need to be committed to doing whatever you need to do to be successful. If you and or your family aren’t willing to pay that price – then it’s best you stay where you are.

Any lessons learned that you can pass on to anyone wanting to start their own business? You need to be really passionate about what you are doing. You need to be prepared to work 80 hours a week for very little money. Have a budget and stick to it. Don’t spend money you haven’t generated yet. Find your niche Become an expert in something not a generalist in everything. What do you know or what product are you selling that someone else will pay you money to learn or have?

Food for thought: The two major reasons businesses fail are (1) Lack of management skills – and (2) Lack of financing. Most businesses fail within the first three years of start-up. (When I say most I mean over 90% fail) We have a tendency to overestimate revenue so divide your sales projections by half and run it by those numbers. You need to live and die by the numbers. Make business decisions – keep your emotions out of it. Always think worst-case scenario. That will help keep you grounded.

If I haven’t talked you out of getting into business for yourself after reading this article – then maybe – just maybe you have what it takes. Maybe you’ll make it to year five. I’ve been self-employed since 1998 and I’m still having fun. I wish you all the best.