StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 2 – An Interview with Diana McLain Smith, author of Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength

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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 posts on the StrategyDriven website.

Special Edition 2 – An Interview with Diana McLain Smith, author of Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength explores the relationship challenges that can hinder optimal team performance and how to overcome them. During our discussion, Diana McLain Smith, author of Divide or Conquer and partner at the Monitor Group, a global management consulting firm, shares with us her insights regarding:

  • the importance of relationships to team performance
  • tools executives and managers can use to improve their business relationships
  • how third parties support, accelerate, and solidify improved relationships
  • how personality types, as defined by measures such as DiSC and MBTI, fit into her relationship improvement model
  • the complex web of relationships that exist within organizations and teams

Additional Information

Complimenting the invaluable insights Diana shares in Divide or Conquer and this special edition podcast, are the additional relationship building materials and resources found on her websites, Diana McLain Smith (www.DianaMcLainSmith.com), Action Design (www.ActionDesign.com), and Monitor Group (www.Monitor.com).

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Diana McLain SmithDiana McLain Smith, author of Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength, is a partner at the Monitor Group, a global management consulting firm and founding partner of Action Design, a small firm specializing in organizational learning and professional development. For the past 25 years, Diana has advised leaders and their teams on how to build relationships strong enough to master their toughest challenges. She has taught courses and delivered lectures at the Harvard Law School, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. To read Diana’s full biography, click here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:50 — 49.2MB)

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5 Ways To Ease Your Employees Out of Debt

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article | 5 Ways To Ease Your Employees Out of DebtThere are several ways that you can provide incentives or benefits to your employees. In this day and age, employers have come to realize the importance of having long-term employees that know the company’s trade by heart. It’s no longer a matter of hiring the best ones but a question of how to get these employees to stay.

Studies have shown that employees’ well being has a huge impact on their performance. Their financial worries take up 13 hours of their time in a month. That can be a huge loss of profit in a company if we’re basing it on productivity alone! So, what can a company do to ease the financial worries of his employees? Here are some of the proven ways that you might want to try.

1. Financial Security Program

Salary and wages are great ways to reduce the debt of your employees. But, like any other jobs, salaries are sometimes inadequate to meet their financial needs. This is why some companies have started offering financial security program in a form of retirement plan and the likes. It will also potentially increase the productivity of the employees and the company will surely retain their workers as well.

2. Assist Employees in Checking Credit Reports

Did you know that every consumer has a right to a free credit report every year? As an employer, this is the best way to assist your employees in looking into his credit reports and analyze his financial behavior. This can also be done on the internet by following the instructions given by the credit bureau. The report will show your employee’s exposure to credit and how well they are managing their debt. This should be done side-by-side with the employees. It can also improve your relationship in the workplace as the employee knows that you care about his financial well-being.

3. Provide Financial Literacy Course

Now that businesses and companies have realized the importance of financial literacy to their employees, there are several readily available online materials that can be offered to employees who want to avail of these financial courses. If you find that your employees could use some direction, ask them where they are struggling and look for materials that are available online that they might find helpful and interesting. To make sure that they watch these courses, you can even offer an incentive on whoever finishes the material first.

4. Offer Housing Allowance

Another thing that businesses might consider in assisting their employees financially would be to give housing allowance. Business leaders have come to prioritize the retention of their employees in a competitive marketplace and they know that housing is a huge factor that employees consider in getting a job. House allowance is given so that the employee won’t have to worry about meeting the cost of renting and accommodation.

Employers should look at local rent reports like this from ABODO where rent prices decreased over the last month. This may be a good thing to consider especially if rent prices are fluctuating from to time.

5. Convert Vacation Wages to Loan Payment

Ever hired an employee that has an unpaid student loan? Offering to convert their vacation wages as payment for their loan is just a brilliant idea to help them pay off their debt. Employees mostly get 28 vacation days in a year and if that is converted into cash to pay off their student loan, that is an ample amount that they will no longer worry about. It may not seem much on the part of the employer, but it will definitely mean much to those who work nonstop just to make ends meet. This will also be an additional productivity on the part of the employee.

Conclusion

With these kinds of strategies in the workplace, employees will be more capable of managing their finances, hence, they can focus on the task and improve their productivity. They will feel that they are being taken care of and will be more likely to stay in their respective jobs.

5 common business problems solved with software

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Business Software|5 common business problems solved with softwareMany of the problems your business is currently facing can be solved by finding the right software. In our times, when our lives are getting more and more intertwined with the digital world, it’s only natural that the same will be happening at work. You can decide to use some of the already existing programs, but there’s also a possibility of choosing bespoke options. Just remember that when you’re looking for software developers in Poland or any other country, you need to make sure their offer is good for your company. The price shouldn’t be the main factor behind your decision, it’s their previous work you should be focusing on.

Productivity

Productivity is the key to success in business. The more work you get done, the better the results you’ll be able to achieve. Modern technology can enable you and your employees to complete all your tasks much faster. Everything from sending documents to tracking expenses can now be done in a matter of seconds with the right programs. Another effective solution you should consider implementing in your company is the use of online calendars. They make it easy to create convenient schedules that can be regularly updated for everyone to see and follow.

Documents

Running a company requires producing a lot of different documents, and it used to be really difficult to keep track of all of them. The point is that if an important piece of text gets misplaced, it can lead to serious consequences for your business. But if you make everyone at the office use compatible software and provide a possibility to store all the files in the cloud, you’ll be able to access everything easily and make sure it won’t get lost.

Administration costs

Administration can create additional operating costs because it requires hiring more employees. But if you find ways to make tasks like tracking activities within a company, manage expenses and invoices, more time-effective, everyone will have more time for completing other work. It will not only boost your productivity but also lower the costs. There’s no need to personally take care of every little detail. You shouldn’t ignore the opportunities offered by modern technology, because your business has a lot to gain from such solutions.

Attracting new clients

As the internet is becoming a bigger part of our lives with each passing year, it creates a lot of different possibilities to communicate with one another. You can use such options to improve your contact with your clients. By using social media, you can easily get your message across. Such platforms are a great way to keep people interested in your offer and inform them of all the changes. But you have to remember that if you want your profile to attract new customers, you need to create content that will be engaging and appealing. A great way to save time is to use applications that allow you to schedule regular updates on your profiles in advance. This way, you can focus on other things and not be distracted.

Security

Keeping your data secure is an extremely important thing. That’s why, if you want to keep your business safe from potential risks, you need to make sure all your passwords are strong and regularly changed. Another sure way to protect yourself is to have backup storage for your documents. The truth is that if you lose your files, your company will find itself in a difficult position. So don’t underestimate such dangers, as even smaller companies can encounter problems with security.

Implementing technology in your business offers many benefits at a relatively low cost. Of course, if your company has very specific requirements, the price will get higher. But still, it’s possible to find satisfying options that will let your small business expand without having to spend a fortune.

The Four Stops On the Way To Compelling Customer Story Content

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Customer Stories|The Four Stops On the Way To Compelling Customer Story ContentAsk any experienced marketing professional about the top moves you can make to accelerate your marketing campaigns at any level of business, and an overwhelming majority will point to the weight that compelling customer testimonials carry. From the days of infomercials on television making using of customer stories to sell anything from kitchen knives to toaster ovens, all the way up to 2019 in which unboxing videos comprise a major section of YouTube’s most viewed content, and it’s easy to see that we as humans attain some level of comfort in hearing from others experiences with a product.

And while still requiring a little bit of planning and scripting to pull off in the best way possible, customer stories alleviate some of the stress from the marketing team in that they can generate tons of content with a minimal time investment. That’s why we’ve looked at this awesome marketing method and identified the four stops on the journey to a successful customer video venture. We’ve arranged these four stops around four simple questions that you can ask yourself when assembling a customer story video:

  • What do you need to prepare a dynamic testimonial?
  • Which customer should you approach about interviewing?
  • What should the time and locational context of your video be?
  • What platforms do you intend to promote the finished product on?

First Stop: What do you need to get ready?

Think carefully about who you want to interview the customer during the video. Whether you’re the one doing it, guided by a vision for the final product, or a coworker with a more charismatic energy is the one, it’s important to recognize strengths and weaknesses, then find the best person for the job.

  • A good interviewer will help the customer relax and forget that they’re even being interviewed, delving into conversation that flows more naturally.
  • They’ll ask product related questions, but in a way that comes across as organic, tying the overall discussion about the product back to a driving theme in the video.
  • A strong interview relies on collaboration to develop appropriate questions in advance and map out how the interview should be conducted, with pre-established cues prepared

Once you have your interviewer figured out, turn attention towards the logistical matters. What’s your overall budget for the production? How many cameras do you need, and what kind of camera? Multiple will help in getting a stronger viewing aesthetic. Will internal microphones work? How will you handle things like lighting and makeup? What are your post-production options?

The answers to these questions will depend primarily on the first: budget. Just know that you can get this project done with any size budget, from high-tech camera equipment down to your iPhone.

Second Stop: Who should be the focus of your interview?

This is pivotal to the success of your testimonial. You want to find a customer that’s not just interested in doing the video, but that succeeds on camera just as strongly as your interviewer. Be deliberate with this. Entice if needed, through free products or however else you may incentivize active participation. If they represent a client company that you work with closely, ensure that the company is aware of the participation so there aren’t any surprises.

Third Stop: Where and when should the video take place?

This can vary greatly, but one excellent strategy is seeing how a client uses your product successfully in their place of business. Other strategies include setting up a dedicated interview space and having a casual sit-down conversation. You could also introduce a new variant of your product and catch the first glimpses to simulate the unboxing experience. It’s all up to you.

Fourth Stop: Where will the video go?

This question will shape the length of your video, from short fifteen second Instagram stories to extended YouTube comment topping out at an hour or more in length. The awesome thing is a single day of filming may yield multiple production outcomes: you might make one extended video for your YouTube channel, then use footage and soundbites for your social media feeds. Carefully curate it to funnel traffic in the directions necessary.

Make sure to visit each stop along the journey and you’ll soon discover what it takes to draft and publish creative customer testimonial content that will boost your business and maximize your marketing potential!

About the Author

Sean Gordon has an extensive track record recruiting, hiring, training, and unlocking the talent of people. For 20 years, Sean has been on the front lines of business across North America. He started with AT&T, where he built award-winning teams in sales and operations from coast to coast. He delivered equally stellar results for EMC, Aetna and West Corporation before becoming CEO of a technology company in need of innovation.

Sean founded vidREACH.io to engage candidates, prospects, customers and employees – all on one platform. Sean has created new lines of business, reinvigorated stagnant company cultures, and mentored hundreds of employees who have gone on to do great things.

Connect with Sean Gordon on LinkedIn.

Asking For Help For Your Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Business Advice|Asking For Help For Your BusinessUnless you’ve gone into business with a partner, friend or relative, then you’re going to be feeling like you’re a little bit alone in your new business. Rome wasn’t built in a day. However, you must ask for help whenever you need it, whether that’s hiring the right people for the work that you need to do within your business. Or whether that’s asking a relative to pick up the kids from school once or twice a week while you can get your work done. You do not want to burn out in your first year of business, so here are some ways in which you can get help, stay ahead of the game, and ensure the best results for you and your business.

Advice

This is likely going to be something that you would’ve thought of before you even start your business, you have no doubt completed your market research, spoken to people in your field, and maybe also completed courses and online training. But once you’ve started the business and you’ve begun to realise where your weaknesses, and strengths are. You can then begin to speak to people to find out about specific help that you can receive for yourself and your business. Don’t forget many people before you would have started businesses and come across all sorts of obstacles. So it makes sense to be able to draw from their advice and their experiences. Not everybody is going to want to help of course, but if you ask around speak to people in Facebook groups, go to networking events, and find people that are happy to help you along the way. You will find you’re in a much better position. No matter where you are in the world, there will always be somebody, either a friend or relative or an organisation that has been set up purely to help new businesses.

Home

You really don’t want to get the balance wrong between your home and work life when you set up your business. It can be easy to become submerged in everything that you need to do to reach your goals. But if you’re working too late or you’re not keeping up with the basic how’s work, then you may need to reassess what you’re doing and when. It doesn’t hurt to hire people to do certain things for you, such as cleaning, or making sure that your shopping is delivered on time. If you’re keeping everything running smoothly, how are you doing that is entirely up to you. There is no shame in asking for help from friends or family on occasion either.

Finance

Asking for a bank loan isn’t just about not having enough money or bad management. Having a cash injection at a certain point in building your business will ensure that you’re able to reach your goals quicker. If you talk to the bank and they give you a low-interest rate then as long as you aren’t paying a tremendous amount of interest, this can be an excellent business decision. It can feel like you’re asking for “help“ however, it is a business transaction like any other. It isn’t difficult, and you can even use websites that compare business loans, and give you all of the information that you need to make the best decision for you and your business. Marketing can cost a lot of money, especially at first, so people do put a large budget towards this, especially when hiring professional services such as a marketing consultant. Depending on your business type, you may even need to hire a consultant for the business side of things such as cannabis consulting nationwide, of course, this goes into your budget as anything else. And you must consider your finances carefully when making such decisions.

Staff

Various different businesses have different needs, but essentially most need a team of people, some companies only need one or two people, and some businesses need a large team even to get the necessary work done. This would have all been in your business plan to start with, but it is essential to make sure that you have the correct people in the correct places. Hiring staff isn’t necessarily asking for help but making sure you have the right people that can help you; it’s going to make your life a lot easier. Training the staff and making sure that they are comfortable and happy in their role will undoubtedly help you in the short and long term. A lot of staff members who feel appreciated and cared for will go over and above and also go out of their way to help you.

Outsourcing

Certain aspects of running a business, will be time-consuming and not always easy for you to get your head around it first, that’s not to say you can’t get them done however it’s still good to outsource certain aspects of the admin. To free you up to do more important things within the role. An accountant is usually the first thing that people choose to outsource, finding a great accountant can be a lifesaver, ask around and find out who people recommend in your local area, and see if they can provide you with excellent bespoke service too!
Other things people tend to outsource our social media management, web design, graphic design, marketing and unless your business is created based then most of the creative side of the company is headed up by someone else.

Once you overcome the initial fear of asking for help and realise it isn’t actually feeling it’s just making sure that you’re able to keep on top of everything, then you will find the help and support comes from various places. Do you want to help people yourself in the past and being able to return the favour is something that most people are keen to do, so let them have the chance to repay you, and don’t see accepting help as any sort of failure. The best business people have a great team of support and are thriving because of it.