StrategyDriven Podcast Episode 42 – Acquiring Management Experience

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StrategyDriven Podcasts focus on the tools and techniques executives and managers can use to improve their organization’s alignment and accountability to ultimately achieve superior results. These podcasts elaborate on the best practice and warning flag articles on the StrategyDriven website.

Episode 42 – Acquiring Management Experience focuses on how to gain management experience even if one does not currently hold a management position. Next, we’ll explore how to convey this experience such that it opens the doors to a management position within one’s organization. During our discussion, Wendy Powell, author of Management Experience Acquired: Necessary Skills for Successfully Managing Any Employee, shares with us her insights and illustrative examples regarding:

  • the opportunities to ascend into management given today’s economic conditions
  • what organization leaders are seeking in their managerial candidates
  • how to gain management experience when one does not hold the position of manager
  • how to effectively convey one’s management experience so to be considered for such a position
  • how to overcome the ‘tenure barrier’ to promotion

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Wendy shares in Management Experience Acquired and this podcast are the resources accessible from her website, www.ManagementExperienceAcquired.com.   Wendy’s book, Management Experience Acquired, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

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Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

About the Author

Wendy Powell is the author of Management Experience Acquired. With more than twenty-five years of human resource and management consulting experience, Wendy has spent most of her career at the University of Michigan. She is currently on the business faculty at both Palm Beach State College and the University of Phoenix. A member of the Society of Human Resource Management, she received a leadership award in 2002 from the Midwest College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. She is routinely featured on The Huffington Post and has appeared on Fox Business’s The Strategy Room. Wendy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and a Master of Arts degree in organizational management.

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Human Performance Management Best Practice 7 – Checklists

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StrategyDriven Human Performance Best Practice ArticleIndividuals within organizations of all types frequently perform repetitive tasks demanding high levels of consistency and/or quality. In these circumstances, logically sequenced lists of activities serve to drive the desired consistency and quality without themselves being overly burdensome or time consuming.

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Salespeople have questions, Jeffrey has answers.

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I get a ton of emails from people seeking insight or asking me to solve sales dilemmas. Here are a few that may relate to your job, your life and, most important, your sales thought process right now.

Jeffrey, I am a marketing and sales rep for a company that sells emergency cleanup services. I visit prospective customers almost daily, mostly insurance agents and property managers, and provide value. Given the nature of what we do, my biggest challenge is coming up with objectives for each visit. Do you have any advice for me? Roxanne

Roxanne, Bring a current customers that has just had a major cleanup. Talk to them about what happened before, what caused it, what happened during, and then what happened after. What was the outcome? If you’re really looking for an objective, if you’re really looking for subject matter to talk your customers about, what could be better than something you’ve already done and what could be better than the proof you could provide through the voice of your existing customer? Do that and all of your watermelon will come right from the heart. Best regards, Jeffrey

Jeffrey, It’s a known fact you are a great believer in the teachings of Napoleon Hill, like many other sales guys out there such as myself. Expanding the sales team with the most suitable people can be a challenge, and if the person who selects the new sales guys is a fan of Napoleon Hill’s philosophy, then it seems natural that the new guys also should share it. How do you personally go about finding new employees, assuming you’re looking for people that share the same philosophy? Do you have a certain approach of recognizing if a person will qualify, in order to spare a potentially unnecessary meeting? David

David, No. There is no way. However, there are questions you can ask during the interview such as, “What are the most impactful books you’ve read?” instead of “Have you read Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich?” This will give you a long list of books, or it will tell you the person doesn’t read books. I want to know the most impactful books the person has read. That will tell me a little bit about their philosophy. For example, if he or she is reading a John Grisham novel versus an Ayn Rand novel, I have a clue as to what kind of thinker the person is. If a person has read Woody Allen he or she will likely be kind of a humorist. Or maybe the person has read Dorothy Parker. But the bottom line is whatever that person has read is an insight into his or her thought process. Find that out and you will find out if you have a good person or not. Best Regards, Jeffrey

Jeffrey, My company helps small B2B businesses plan a video strategy and develop web series and webinars to tighten their bond with their customers. I’m feeling a great deal of resistance from people about creating videos to grow their business. The objections seem to fall into two major categories: 1) fear of visually being on the web (in fact, their social media is probably non existent as well) and 2) I can do this myself. I can hire the kid next door. Besides leaving them a copy of Social BOOM!, which I do, what approach would you suggest? Pat

Pat, My recommendation is that you have examples of video testimonials from other customers, not just about a video testimonial of a third party, rather a video testimonial about you. It should be about how they were reluctant, about how they thought the kid next door could do it, about how they thought the price was too high, about how they thought they were ugly on film. All of the elements that you have as objections can be overcome by an existing customer who loves you. That’s the easiest way to do it so when you get the objection you can say, “Oh, you know what? You may be right, but let me show you how a couple of my customers feel about the entire process.” That’s the first half of your presentation. The second half should be examples of videos you’ve done that rock – examples of videos you’ve done that are up on somebody else’s Facebook business page or up on their YouTube channel that has 2,000 or 3,000 views. Your job is not to give a sales presentation. Your job is to show examples of how other people can use and profit from what it is that you do. Do that, you win. Best regards, Jeffrey

Jeffrey, There’s something that has never made sense to me. I’m required to make cold calls as part of my daily routine. At the same time, my boss man could not be more put out by people that cold call him throughout the day and I agree with him. Yet every morning starts out with the same old “Let’s get smilin’ and dialin’!” Smile for what? You don’t even believe in what I’m doing! Scott

Scott, Have your boss sit down next to you and make cold calls himself. Let him piss off the same people you’re pissing off. Let him see what a total waste of time cold calling is – how it affects your mood, how it affects your belief system, how it affects your personal pride, and how it affects your attitude. Then start to call customers you’re already doing business with, customers who love you. Ask them if you can come over and help them out for an hour. Ask them if you can come over and talk about how your product is used. Ask them if you can come over and help build the relationship. Tell them you need to make a ‘good will’ visit. Those are the people who will invite you right in and talk to you for a half an hour and maybe help you earn a referral. That’s where the money is in sales, not in cold calling. Cold calling pisses off your boss. Imagine what it does to your customers. Referrals – that’s where the money is. Best regards, Jeffrey

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Leadership Inspirations – Be Bold and Not Disappointed

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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Mark Twain (1835 – 1910)
American author and humorist

The Big Picture of Business: The Business Leader as Community Leader

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In eras following downturns and scandals, it is incumbent upon good companies to go the extra distance to be ethical and set good examples. Demonstrating visible caring for communities by company executives is the ultimate form of potlache.

No matter the size of the organization, goodwill must be banked. Every company must make deposits for those inevitable times in which withdrawals will be made.

To say that business and its communities do not affect each other is short-sighted… and will make business the loser every time. Business marries the community that it settles with. The community has to be given a reason to care for the business. Business owes its well-being and livelihood to its communities.

Business leaders have an obligation to serve on community boards and be very visible in the communities in which they do business. If done right, community stewardship builds executives into better leaders, as well as receiving deserved credit for the company. Civic service is the ultimate way to steer heir apparents toward the leadership track.

Communities are clusters of individuals, each with its own agenda. In order to be minimally successful, each company must know the components of its home community intimately. Each company has a business stake for doing its part. Community relations in reality is a function of self-interest, rather than just being a good citizen.

Companies should support off-duty involvement of employees in pro bono capacities but not take unfair credit. Volunteers are essential to community relations. Companies must show tangible evidence of supporting the community by assigning key executives to high-profile community assignments. Create a formal volunteer guild, and allow employees the latitude and creativity to contribute to the common good. Celebrate and reward their efforts.

Publicity and promotions should support effective community relations and not be the substitute or smokescreen for the process. Recognition is as desirable for the community as for the business. Good news shows progress and encourages others to participate.

The well-rounded community relations program embodies all elements: accessibility of company officials to citizens, participation by the company in business and civic activities, public service promotions, special events, plant communications materials and open houses, grassroots constituency building and good citizenry.

No entity can operate without affecting or being affected by its communities. Business must behave like a guest in its communities, never failing to give potlache or return courtesies. Community acceptance for one project does not mean than the job of community relations has been completed. It is not ‘insurance’ that can be bought overnight. It is tied to the bottom line and must be treated accordingly, with the resources and expertise to do it effectively. It is a bond of trust that, if violated, will haunt the business. If steadily built, the trust can be exponentially parlayed into successful long-term business relationships.

Potlache

Potlache is the ultimate catalyst toward Customer Focused Management. It means extra gifts, beyond value-added, visionary mindset and the ultimate achievement of the organization.

The word ‘potlache’ is a native American expression, meaning ‘to give’. For American Indians, the potlache was an immensely important winter ceremony featuring dancing, food and gift giving. Potlache ceremonies were held to observe major life events. The native Americans would exchange gifts and properties to show wealth and status. Instead of the guests bringing gifts to the family, the family gave gifts to the guests.

Colonists settled and started doing things their own way, without first investigating local customs. They alienated many of the natives. Thus, the cultural differences widened. The more diverse we become, the more we really need to learn from and about others. The practice of doing so creates an understanding that spawns better loyalty.

When one gives ceremonial gifts, one gets extra value because of the spirit of the action. The more you give, the more you ultimately get back in return. Reciprocation becomes an esteemed social ceremony. It elevates the givers to higher levels of esteem in the eyes of the recipients.

Potlache is a higher level of understanding of the business that breeds loyalty and longer-term support. It leads to increased quality, better resource management, higher employee productivity, reduced operating costs, improved cash management, better management overall and enhanced customer loyalty and retention.

Community Relations

The well-rounded community relations program embodies all elements: accessibility of company officials to citizens, participation by the company in business and civic activities, public service promotions, special events, plant communications materials and open houses, grassroots constituency building and good citizenry.

Never stop evaluating. Facts, values, circumstances and community composition are forever changing. The same community relations posture will not last forever. Use research and follow-up techniques to reassess the position, assure continuity and move in a forward motion.

Companies need community relations at all times:

  • Prior to coming into locales.
  • Every year in which they do business there…in good and bad economic times.
  • When they are leaving an area.
  • Even after they have ceased operation in certain communities.

In today’s economy, no business can operate without affecting or being affected by its communities. Business must behave like a guest in its communities… never failing to show or return courtesies.
Community acceptance for one project does not mean than the job of community relations has completed. Programs always shift into other gears… breaking new ground.

Community relations are not ‘insurance’ that can be bought overnight. It is tied to the bottom line and must be treated accordingly… with resources and expertise to do it effectively. It is a bond of trust that, if violated, will haunt the business. If steadily built, the trust can be exponentially parlayed into successful long-term business relationships.

About the Author

Hank Moore has advised 5,000+ client organizations worldwide (including 100 of the Fortune 500, public sector agencies, small businesses and non-profit organizations). He has advised two U.S. Presidents and spoke at five Economic Summits. He guides companies through growth strategies, visioning, strategic planning, executive leadership development, Futurism and Big Picture issues which profoundly affect the business climate. He conducts company evaluations, creates the big ideas and anchors the enterprise to its next tier. The Business Tree™ is his trademarked approach to growing, strengthening and evolving business, while mastering change. To read Hank’s complete biography, click here.