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Lisa Lieberman-Wang

About Lisa Lieberman-Wang

http://www.LisaLiebermanWang.com

Lisa Lieberman-Wang is a Business & Life Strategist. #1 Bestselling Author: FINE to FAB, Co-Creator of Neurological Associative Programming (NAP), Licensed Master NLP Practitioner & Trainer, Speaker and Entrepreneur. Seen by millions on all the major television networks CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, The CW etc. Lisa is passionate about helping empower women and men personally & professionally to take back control of your life using a proven system for outstanding results. Contact: info@LisaLiebermanWang.com Phone: 1-877-250-7275

Posts by Lisa Lieberman-Wang:

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How To Make Work-Life Balance Work For You

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If you are like 89% of workers surveyed in an online study, work-life balance is an enigma at best.

Knowing how to make work-life balance work can be the difference between having happiness and always chasing happiness. After all, happiness is what you’re really after, right?

The process of achieving balance in your work and personal lives has both conceptual and practical components. Let’s start with the concept of happiness. Your reasons for learning how to make work-life balance work may sound something like this: “I want to be successful at work so I can be happy at home.”

The happiness you seek actually has a science of its own. While it is more common than not to think of success as a conduit to happiness, the truth is quite the opposite. Ninety percent of happiness is actually not predicted by the external world, but by our internal processing of it.

So what does that say about success, and how to make work-life balance work for you? Consider that 75% of success is predicted by optimism, social support, and perceiving stress as a challenge, not a threat. Why is that important to our discussion here?

It’s important because it challenges the impossible-to-achieve formula of “working harder = success = happiness.” If all you cared about were scaling that ladder and dragging home big slabs of bacon, this might not matter. You might not even mind selling your soul to the company store for the right price. But you have a life outside of work — your motivation for working in the first place.

By raising the level of positivity in the present, your brain functions better. This phenomenon, called the “happy advantage,” means that your brain “in the positive” performs better than when it is in negative, neutral, or under stress.

By changing the lens through which you see the world, you can purposefully and strategically improve your work-life balance.

Start by being honest about the congruity — or lack thereof — between your work life and personal life. Recognize and acknowledge that certain career choices are more compatible with time-demanding commitments than others. Being a new partner at the firm while raising a handful of kids under five may not be realistic. At least not if you expect “healthy” and “happy” to register both at home and at work.

Being clear about what “success” looks like in both of the major arenas of your life is essential to achieving it. You then need to start taking control by enforcing the boundaries you want in your life. If you don’t decide what matters, your job will happily do so for you. Create your list of non-negotiables and devote non-negotiable time to them. You are the one who is responsible for designing your life, even if you rank low on the corporate ladder.

Approach balance with balance. As you spend more time addressing how you want your life to look, you will recognize areas formerly clumped together. Give attention to each of them individually — marital, parental, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, physical. Small, manageable changes can have big impact.

Learning how to make work-life balance work for you is a process, not a quick fix. Exercise can help keep your mind clear and working efficiently during the balancing act. Research has shown that people who exercise report decreased stress and increased confidence in their abilities to handle conflict. Exercise proved to be both a detachment from work and a source of empowerment. Be mindful, however, to keep exercise in balance, too.

Clean out the waste — the time-waste, that is. When a full work day leaves only a precious few hours at the end for those you love, every minute counts. If you are distracting from your workload by answering personal emails and indulging in social media, you are chiseling away at your family time that awaits. Tidy up your time waste and reward your effort by spending time in a life area that has missed you.

Did you know that people in Denmark have the best work-life balance in the world? 96% say they have friends and/or family they can count on in tough times. Cliché as it sounds, it really does take a village to make life work. And it’s up to you to help build the one you want to live in. Learn to delegate, and trade favors with friends, neighbors and coworkers to create a win-win for everyone.

No matter what you do for a living or how big your home and family are, happiness starts with you. It starts with a decision…and a shift in perspective. Making work-life balance work comes down to priorities and productivity with time invested. And the goal is not about having the most money, but about a life well lived.

If you are wondering how to make work-life balance work for you, please reach out. We can help you map out your ideal balanced day, week, year and life, then give you the steps you need to work toward it.

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5 Unexpected Ways To Manage Millennials That Inspire Growth And Loyalty

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They make up the largest segment of the workforce. They were all but born with computer chips in their brains. But can you manage millennials in a way that grows your company and keeps those movers and shakers from moving on?

Millennials actually have two monikered generations to their credit. Collectively, they account for those born between 1981 and 2001. Gen Y is the first half, Gen Z the second.

What differentiates the two is also what defines them collectively: technology.

To Baby Boomers, it may all sound the same. But to millennials, the gap is no small thing. Gen Y millennials grew up with computers, cell phones (remember those?) and video games. Gen Z millennials went straight to tablets, smartphones and apps.

In 2016, this segment known for making eye contact only with tech devices became the largest segment in the US workforce. In 2017 millennials occupied 35% of the workforce, with 56 million either working or looking for work. By 2020, they will claim half of it.

 

Their numbers are leaving Gen Xers and Baby Boomers in their dust. And their unique qualities and skill sets are forcing those in traditional power positions to rethink how they manage millennials.

According to Forbes, millennials are the most educated and culturally diverse of any prior generation. They also have a stark distaste for bureaucracy, and aren’t silent about their distrust of traditional hierarchies, whether in politics or business.

Sounds like enough to give leadership a case of the crazies, doesn’t it?

But there are two sides to every coin. If you want to cash in on the progressive attributes of this generation, how you manage millennials could determine your company’s future.

Before tackling new management strategies for this cohort, it’s imperative to face one non-negotiable fact. If they don’t feel treated right, they will go somewhere else.

So how do you harness that millennial energy to inspire growth and loyalty? Here are 5 unexpected ways to manage millennials by opening your mind, shifting your thinking…and embracing the one constant in life: change.

  1. Understand who they are.

Millennial workers are looking for more than just a paycheck. They’re looking for an experience. They aren’t willing to zipline from first job to retirement, content with traditional benefits and structured rules. They expect to believe in and connect with the brand they represent.

They expect to have opportunities to grow personally and in their careers. And they are passionate about making a difference — not just in the workplace, but in the world.

They’re not content to sit in a cubicle for nine hours, deriving stats and changes-on-paper. They want to be in the trenches, participating in and experiencing the expression of their values and passions.

Truthfully, that’s an authenticity that warrants respect and admiration. And if they don’t get it with you, they will move on to where they will.

  1. Share the company vision by connecting to and including them.

If you’re going to manage millennials to your company’s benefit, you need to embrace the concept of connection.

Connect the employee to the mission of the company and its brand. Connect to the employee’s values and concerns. Connect the employee with other employees. Connect the employee to his/her own creativity and give it a canvas for expression.

And most importantly, include your employees in the establishment of clear goals. If something affects them or expects something of them, they want to be included in it.

You have a rare opportunity to stretch and be stretched when you manage millennials.

  1. Help them learn and grow on an ongoing basis.

Millennials can challenge you with the same qualities that make them indispensable employees. They are willing to work, but they expect you to help them move forward and upward.

Creating “‘tweener” steps and titles will help them feel recognized and in touch with their increasing potential. It will also afford you both the opportunity for ongoing training that creates a more organic enrichment model than traditional approaches to promotions.

Important in this strategy is regular feedback. Millennials aren’t content with the “annual review.” They want to know how they are doing now, and they crave the engagement with those for whom they perform.

The upside for you is that ideas and performance corrections are on the table before there are negative consequences.

  1. Get ready to give back.

Again, it’s imperative to understand your employees. This generation, more than any other before it, cares about making a favorable impact on the world.

They look for companies with a socially-conscious brand and philanthropic commitment. But they are also watching to make sure charitable companies aren’t using their goodwill to hide irresponsibility behind closed doors.

They’re looking for authenticity and meaning because they’re bringing them to the table.

  1. Be flexible.

This area may be the biggest stretch for you and/or your company.

Keeping track of employees and their performance may seem easier when they are dutifully in their seats, lined up in a matrix of cubicles. But you can’t have your passion while penning it up.

Millennials are very aware of life outside of the office. And that’s really where they would prefer to work — at least part of the time.

How you handle the time-commitment component of your employment agreement could be the stay-or-go deciding factor.

Shift your thinking to an emphasis on consistency of performance and communication. You just may see your brand getting more exposure in the real world, and your millennials enthusiastic about the next tier of goals for your company.

In order to manage millennials to the benefit of everyone and the company at large, take stock of their strengths. You hired them for a reason. Even if you “need” this generation for its second-nature tech skills, there are globally impactful qualities that drive its talent.

Technology is here to stay. And so are the young people who know how to optimize it.

As the saying goes, the only thing constant in life is change.

If you need to better manage millennials for your company’s next generation of success, we can help you optimize this unique talent pool. You can reach us here.

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Recognizing When It’s In The Company’s Best Interest To Fire An Employee (When It’s Not An Egregious Issue)

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“Employment at will” may give an employer the right to fire an employee at any time and without reason or notice. But having the power to be so arbitrary doesn’t mean you should wield it.

If you are the one with hiring and firing power, hopefully you are more thoughtful in your termination policy and process. But are you confident that you can recognize when it’s in your company’s best interest to fire an employee?

First of all, no one should be surprised by a termination notice. If an employee is guilty of an egregious infraction and needs to be fired immediately, s/he probably won’t be surprised by the outcome.

But in cases that aren’t about egregious issues, there is always a way to fire an employee without holding his/her dignity hostage.

The more important consideration is whether terminating an employee could cause you to miss an opportunity to “salvage and save.”

If this employee held so much promise at the time of hiring, is it possible to modify the problem behavior? Is the situation redeemable enough that you can salvage the employee and save the company the cost of replacement?

There are certainly behaviors that warrant immediate, non-negotiable termination. Examples include:

  • falsifying company records
  • misconduct/breach of company policy (sexual harassment, criminal behavior, stealing, fraud, industrial espionage)
  • drug or alcohol possession/use at work
  • mutiny

In most cases, however, there will be reason to think and consider options before deciding to fire an employee.

Management will need to look in the mirror, too. If an employee’s performance and contribution to the team at large have been unsatisfactory, it’s the manager’s responsibility to identify and address the problem. Deferring it to “mind-reading” status in an effort to avoid the discomfort of correction is unfair to everyone — including the company.

The trick for you as a manager or executive is to determine the effort needed to correct the problem and save the employee. Then weigh that against the cost of replacement.

Depending on the role, qualifications and revenue power of the employee, that cost could be as high as a couple years’ salary.

If there is a performance issue, have you brought it to the employee’s attention and collaboratively mapped a plan for improvement? Has the employee acknowledged the problem, taken responsibility, and made an effort to improve? If so, then salvaging is promising.

If they’ve not taken responsibility or made a significant effort to improve or if the support, they need to improve is preventing you and/or the rest of the team from doing your own work, then it’s in the best interest of the company to let the employee go.

If the issue is behavioral, such as chronic tardiness, a progressive discipline policy may be an option. Discuss the problem with the employee and make it clear that company rules apply to everyone, regardless of his/her value to the company.

“Three warnings and then termination” allows a fair window for improvement. It also gives you the leverage to fire an employee based on the employee’s decision not to make necessary changes in behavior.

The more difficult cases to decide will be those in which an employee is affecting the morale or productivity of the whole team.

Again, you will have to start with an assessment of your own performance as a manager. Be honest about your attention to correcting problems before they become destructive. If you have been more passive-aggressive than assertive, you owe it to everyone to have an honest discussion with the employee.

You never know if something personal or health-related is undermining the employee’s performance. Perhaps there is a situation at work that s/he has been afraid to bring up.

Regardless of the reason, you will have to be prudent in deciding if there is room and time to work on correction. If the cost to the team at large is too high, termination may be the only answer.

It may also be necessary to fire an employee who has proven to be grossly incompetent for his/her role. This would be a case of an employee being “mismatched” for the job. But that level of incongruity could also call into question the judgment of the hiring manager or executive.

It’s never a pleasant or easy decision to fire an employee, even when doing so is absolutely warranted and necessary. By making sure you have solid evidence that letting the employee go will benefit the company, you’ll be in a better position to know you’re doing the right thing for everyone.

If you would like further insight into knowing when it’s in your company’s best interest to fire an employee, we can help. You can reach us here.

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8 Ways To Shake Up (And Wake Up) An Underperforming Sales Team

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Being a sales manager can seem like a dream job when quotas are blown away and revenue is blowing in. But managing an underperforming sales team can be both deflating and frustrating.

Are your reps not closing deals? Not qualifying leads? Not being team players? Do you reprimand? Raise sales targets? Terminate people?

As a sales manager, it’s your responsibility to recognize the signs of an underperforming sales team and create solutions for turning them around. And ideally you would do so before the underperformance negatively affects your company and the morale of your sales team.

There are ways to shake up — and wake up — an underperforming sales team. But before you go shaking the branches, be prepared to do your own introspection. Are your management practices setting your team, your product and your company up to succeed?

Instead of clearing the decks and going on the hunt for new talent, invest the time and energy in the talent you have. Analyze your current sales culture, your personal management style and your reps’ individual styles, needs and performance. Then make adjustments that will lead to sustainable improvements across the board.

Here are 8 ways to turn around an underperforming sales team.

  1. Get to the root of the problem.

     

    Blaming and making assumptions are common knee-jerk reactions when things aren’t going well. But when have those tactics ever worked to anyone’s advantage?

     

    Before you can start making improvements, you need to know what you are improving and why.

     

    A well-documented interrogative method of sleuthing out root causes of problems is Toyota’s 5 Whys In its simplest form, you would state the problem, then ask “why?”…and continue asking “why?” until a process has been identified that either isn’t working or doesn’t even exist.

  2. Take responsibility.

     

    One of the most important and consistent traits of leadership is the willingness to own responsibility.

     

    As a manager, you set the tone for your sales team and your entire sales culture. The adage that “bad news travels up, good news travels down” can be slightly tweaked to say that “responsibility flows up, credit flows down.”

     

    The point isn’t that those downstream in the company hierarchy get credit for good stuff and no responsibility for bad stuff. It simply means that you, as the manager, should assume ownership of the problem by either fixing or delegating.

     

    Taking credit for all the good stuff while blaming those you manage for the bad stuff will only demoralize your reps. Assuming self-accountable transparency will set a good example and encourage open communication about challenges.

  3. Lead by example.

     

    Instead of “lecturing and leaving,” roll up your sleeves and get involved in the trench-work of problem-solving. Have a great technique for qualifying a lead? Get in there and demonstrate by doing.

     

    Show concrete examples and do so with the enthusiasm you want to see from your team. Mentor your reps and be someone they can look up to.

  4. Clarify your expectations.

     

    What do you expect from your sales reps, both in terms of behavior and results? No relationship survives if even one person is always having to mind-read to figure out what the other person means, wants or expects.

  5. Track and provide feedback.

     

    Communication with an underperforming sales team is no less important than communication in an important relationship. Waiting until the last minute, then calling 911, doesn’t leave much hope for sustainable viability.

     

    It’s important that you track and provide feedback on performance gains and gaps This is one of the most important ways that you will set your reps up to succeed. People can’t respond to what they don’t know.

  6. Have a formal system for qualifying leads.

     

    You can’t expect your team to have a full pipeline at all times if you don’t have a sales process in place to facilitate one.

     

    Identify your ideal customer and communicate that vision to your team. Then get about the work of creating an automated system for capturing, qualifying and clearly identifying quality prospects. Establishing clear processes at every stage of the pipeline will help to keep it full.

  7. Rethink your compensation strategy.

     

    Practices like capping commissions and raising sales quotas for high performers can suck the wind out of anyone’s sails. How can you ask a sales rep not to “hold back” on performance when you are holding back on the reward?

     

    Making the bold move to individualize your compensation strategy for each individual is a win-win move. If you want the best from everyone on your diversified team, treat them as the individuals they are.

     

    While your star performers may be over-the-moon with one big annual bonus, other reps may need regular benchmarks to keep them motivated and on-target.

  8. Take action.

If you as the sales manager choose to remain stuck in outdated thinking, you will see outdated results from your team. Instead of reaching for the old standby resolutions of changing performance plans or termination, make an investment in your reps that parallels the investment you expect from them. Reach for strategies like empowerment, training, coaching and counseling. Termination should be a last resort.

An underperforming sales team is as much a reflection of you as a manager as a record-busting sales team is. Bringing a team back from a losing record to a winning season isn’t about getting rid of current players and recruiting new ones. It’s about exercising leadership from the inside-out. Are you doing everything you need to be doing to set your players up to succeed?

If you could use some help shaking up an underperforming sales team, we can help you strategize a winning season. You can reach us here.

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What Can Your Company Gain If Your Leaders Gave More Consideration To "Soft Skills"?

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Impressive resume…but no soft skills. Can solve a Rubik’s Cube with his toes…while blindfolded. Designed the landing gear for the InSight Mars spacecraft. Can’t talk his way out of a paper bag.

But if the genius can get us to Mars, does it really matter?

Well…more than likely…yes.

Look through want ads for most jobs, and the list of hard skills can be mind-blowing. “Must know this software, have that degree, meet this quota, analyze, generate, produce, yada yada….” Many sound like computer-generated searches for industry-specific robots.

No one would argue the importance of having the technical skills necessary for a given job. Hard skills come from education, certifications, training and experience, and are the link to those keywords you enter in your online job searches. They’re important. Essential. Hard-won.

But are they given too much priority in the hiring process?

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner would suggest they are. Recent research by LinkedIn found that interpersonal communications is an increasingly significant skill in businesses. It’s also the most lacking.

Too many companies hire on the merits of a candidate’s hard skills alone. They make the naive assumption that if the person can crunch the numbers, build the software or pare down company costs, they can handle the “soft stuff.” After all, people don’t have student loan debt from learning how to interact with others. That should just be a given…right?

To the contrary, those often overlooked, underappreciated soft skills can be the key to your company’s prosperity.

You may have spent a fortune to be able to throw around big words and acronyms with the elite in your industry. But can you communicate your vision to a potential client? Express empathy to a new employee feeling overwhelmed? Mediate and resolve an ongoing conflict that is costing your company time and money? Motivate your sales team to a new level of enthusiasm and creativity?

The idea of “soft skills” may conjure up images of weakness and lack of necessity. But these marshmallow attributes represent how people work and interact with others. They are the skills that, while less easily measured than hard skills, give rise to great problem-solvers, critical thinkers and leaders.

Anyone can choose a major tract of education and follow it through into a career of matched requirements and skill sets. But those skills keep people limited unless they learn new technical skills to advance or change their careers.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are transferable. They’re not limited to a specific industry or technical skill. They are the qualities that make the intuitive, wise leader say, “I want that person on my team.”

Where would you expect soft skills to shine? Think about every phone call you have made that has been derailed because of poor customer service. What did that singular experience do to your loyalty or trust in that company?

Now think of an experience in which a representative treated you with empathy and a willingness to see your concerns through to completion. What did that do to your loyalty and trust?

The ability to relate well to and communicate effectively with others is the backbone of true management. It can be the difference between holding onto great talent and manning a revolving door. It can improve satisfaction and morale across the board, foster creativity and innovation, and improve teamwork and performance.

Some things can be taught. Some things come with the package. As more progressive business models prove the benefits of individualizing expectations and rewards, those in leadership positions will need more than just an employee manual to guide them.

They will need the soft skills that are more necessary than ever if we are going to keep people at the helm of technology, and not the other way around. And they will need to hire and train outside the hard-skill box. If you would like some help developing soft skills within your company, we would love to help. You can reach us here.

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7 Innovative Management Skills That Utilize Your Left & Right Brain

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Split-brain theories led to what may be an oversimplified assessment of “right-brained” and “left-brained” people. But management skills can get a healthy, holistic boost from them if companies are willing to explore and integrate the merits of both.

Right/left-brain theories started with Roger Sperry, who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1981 for his split-brain research. What started as an effort to understand and treat epilepsy led to an even greater understanding of the brain and its allocation of function.

In general, the left hemisphere of the brain is logical, linear and analytical. It’s also the seat of language processing. In terms of applicability to management skills, that equates to numbers, spreadsheets, cash flow analysis, and all things finance.

The right hemisphere, on the other hand, is credited with imagination, ideas, intuition, and all things creative. From a management perspective, the right-brainers can generate a gazillion ideas, but they don’t necessarily fit into the tidy box of predictable, measurable performance.

And therein lies the divide…and the precious expanse of brain power that just waits to be tapped. That is, of course, if companies commit to making their management skills reflect a connected — not a divided — brain.

Companies operating on a left-brain management model value the good of the organization over the success of the individual. The corporate model and mindset are carved in stone, and stability, experience and control are valued over new ideas and meeting external needs. Not much fun, no matter how “necessary” the rank-and-file may seem to those in charge.

Companies operating on a right-brain model, however, welcome creativity and new ideas. Their focus is on the needs of the customer and the autonomy of staff. Innovation is applauded, and adaptation to circumstances isn’t feared, but embraced. The environment is more fluid, with a natural alignment between the company and its individual team members. Think fun, cooperative, progressive.

You may want to roll your office chair out of your left-brained cubicle and straight into a right-brained biz from the “50 Best Places To Work” list. But don’t pack up your desk just yet.

Reality is that both sets of attributes are essential to a business. Unfortunately, most organizations yearn to ‘get out of the box,’ but don’t know how to do so without analyzing the box as they do.

Perhaps you recognize your company in the above descriptions. Perhaps you would like to create a more holistic, integrated work environment. If so, then consider some of these management skills and brainstorming techniques that utilize the left and right brain.

  1. Tend to the concerns of both your divergent and convergent thinkers. Open the floor to non-traditional ideas, then help your people select, evaluate and analyze them. “Stretch” then pull back in. Get everyone involved in both functions.
  2. Create an inspiring setting. Right-brain creativity thrives in spacious, airy, colorful, thought-provoking environments. Cubicles and sterile, cookie-cutter furniture don’t inspire much beyond a desire for 5:00.
  3. Remember that people already are creative. Your management skills don’t have to include teaching people to be creative. Instead work on evoking their creativity. Encourage individuals to reach back and remember times when creativity flourished for them.
  4. When brainstorming, go for quantity first. This idea fluency can feel very uncomfortable for your accountants and analysts, who will instinctively want to stop and critique every idea on the table.

Encourage a veritable flooding of ideas in order to short-circuit the criticism and self-editing. Think of the way photographers may take dozens of photos in order to get one keeper. Remind your rigid thinkers that they will have the opportunity to pare down the bank of ideas and evaluate them later.

  • Establish criteria for evaluating ideas. Doing so will keep your lefties feeling a little more comfortable, while still engaging with new ideas.
  • Encourage new ideas, both in one-on-one meetings and in group meetings and events. When employees aren’t afraid of being dismissed, their creative juices flow. And when they feel appreciated, they are a lot more willing to share their ideas. They are also more motivated to help execute them.
  • Remind yourself and your team that chaos, messiness and ambiguity often precede creative breakthroughs. There is nothing to fear by being immersed in them. The company isn’t going to fall apart just because ‘what-if,’ ‘how-about’ and ‘wouldn’t-it-be-cool-if’ show up at a meeting.

Despite the touted strengths of each hemisphere of the brain, the truth is that the brain isn’t really so dichotomous. The specific abilities that light up the brain map in seemingly isolated ways are actually at their brightest when working together.

Language, for example, isn’t really communication without the emotional nuances behind it. And data is just raw content if you don’t know what to do with it.

If you are in management, applying innovative management skills with a full-brain focus can change the trajectory of your organization for the better. Remember that your edge is going to be the way in which you create, inspire and drive purpose. You set the tone, so make the journey fun. We can help you merge and maximize the skills of all your employees. If we can help you create innovative management skills with a full-brain approach, reach out to us here.

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How To Keep Your Sales Executives Motivated During Lean Times

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Few imperatives are as important to a company’s bottom line as knowing how to keep sales executives motivated during lean times. Salespeople drive revenue, and their chunk of a company’s compensation plan reflects their indispensability. When margins and budgets are tight, keeping these front-liners fortified is essential if a company wants to stay profitable and retain top talent.

A decade after the Great Recession, the American economy is still inching its way back to health. Salary increases remain sluggish, if not recessive in certain industries. And on the sales front, bonus pools are often underfunded, and incentives pale in relative comparison to those prior to the downturn.

Today’s workforce — and especially top sales talent — is more savvy than ever with regard to what is available. Thanks in large part to quick access and exchange of information afforded by technology, employees don’t necessarily settle in for the long haul after hiring. And when it comes to sales people, the average tenure is only 1½ to 3 years.

If you are in charge of hiring and/or managing your company’s sales executives, knowing how to retain your talent is as important as knowing how to acquire it. And an important component of that retention plan involves keeping the key players motivated during lean times.

The modern workforce is much more diverse, creative and multi-faceted than in the days of starkly defined gender roles and lifetime tenures. The topic of work-life balance can no longer be swept under the rug if gender gaps are going to close and great talent is going to stick around. People on every rung of the corporate ladder want more out of life. And that includes enjoying it.

Here are several points for conversation and consideration if you have to keep your sales executives motivated during lean times.

  • Know your team and treat everyone as an individual.

Progressive companies are seeing great results in performance by treating their sales teams like talent portfolios. In the same way that investments are unique in their need for attention, so are sales people. Not everyone is a rainmaker, but every contributor plays an essential role. Knowing the difference between your stars, core performers and laggards will direct your motivation efforts.

Core performers respond better to multi-tier targets and prizes that cater to their personal priorities, even if the stars grab a bigger purse. And using pace-setting bonuses for laggards who need more encouragement and prodding can keep them mentally “in the game” throughout the year.

  • Don’t cap commissions on your star performers.

It’s difficult for a go-getter to stay motivated when finance says, “no more commission after you hit this level.” Capping commissions, even during tight times, won’t incentivize your stars to keep their momentum going. Consider incentives like overachievement commissions and contests that allow for multiple winners.

  • Be flexible and responsive to personal situations.

Believe it or not, there is life outside of work. People have families, medical issues and other priorities that don’t always fit a rigid 9-5 work day. While money is a principal motivator, it’s far from the only one. Knowing that an employer is compassionate and flexible when it comes to an individual’s life is a huge retention feature.

  • Tailor roles to individuals.

Small firms have more leeway in this area, but it is a worthy aspiration for all companies. How can you tap into the unique, even hidden talents of your sales executives to keep them motivated during lean times?

Who says that the only job titles are the ones that have been handed down in textbooks or through your company’s long history? If you want to edge out your competition in a saturated market, tap into your talent reserves and build around them.

  • Say ‘thank you.’ A lot.

The importance of gratitude and recognition can’t be overstated. Elevating your expression of gratitude to meet the personality and response style of the individual you are thanking is as important as the thank-you itself.

Again, it comes back to knowing your team. Be thoughtful and creative in how you recognize the amazing assembly of individuality at your service, and watch your bottom line ask for more room.

Motivated, engaged employees go above and beyond to fulfill the mission and objectives of the company they work for. They contribute more ideas and are more likely to stick around than those who are unmotivated.

Keeping your sales executives motivated during lean times calls upon management to be creative and less general with incentives. Team members who are stressed by harder-won revenues and payouts want to know that they are valued in demonstrated ways.

So, give them what they respond to, including a path to advancement, training, project-leadership opportunities, time off and recognition.

Investing in those who invest in your business with their time and talent will pay off as a great ROI. And those investors will be more inclined to stick around.If you need help keeping your sales executive motivated, we can help. Reach out to us here.

Ways-To-Close-The-Gender-Gap-In-Your-Management-Team-1

9 Ways To Close The Gender Gap In Your Management Team

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Talent is more essential than ever if companies want to succeed in the competitive world market. And many will have to close the gender gap in order to attract and retain the kind of talent that provides that edge.

Industries can’t be on the cutting edge of development and customer reach without being inclusionary in their talent pool. Those that don’t close the gender gap, especially in leadership positions, will ultimately see parochial outcomes to their parochial paradigms. They simply can’t afford to take a dismissive posture to the creative talent and unique perspective of women.

According to the 2017 Global Gender Gap Report, fewer than 50% of leaders across industries are women. That percentage takes a nosedive in industries like energy, mining and manufacturing.

Although the gap is closing worldwide for industries like health and education, it is worth noting that female-dominated industries (health, education, non-profit) historically pay less. And when women enter a profession in large numbers, their pay decreases relative to the pay in other industries.

According to a report by PayScale, a cloud compensation software company, the persistence of the gender gap may come down to two factors:

  • fewer women in leadership
  • breaks in employment due to primary caretaking responsibilities

While women enter the workforce at slightly higher rates than men, men advance further in leadership roles. That leadership gap widens for women as they advance in their careers. By mid-career, 60% of women are still in contributor roles, while 52% of men move into management. And men are 70% more likely to end up in VP or C-suite roles mid-career, and 142% more likely to be in leadership late in their careers.

Interestingly, women who do advance to executive positions may experience a wider pay gap than they did in their contributor roles – 98.3% vs. 94.4%.

The role of extended employment gaps cannot be overstated. Women are five times more likely than men to take a leave for child rearing and are also the more likely gender to be caregivers to aging family members. If that employment gap is over one year, the wage penalty averages 7.3%.

So what can be done to close the gender gap, especially within industries that have been historically male-dominated and may not be inclined to change?

Below are 9 points to consider if you are seeking change or are in a position to create it:

  1. Get real about gender gap.

It is imperative that leadership discuss the issue of gender gap, both as a global issue and (especially) as a company-wide issue. Leadership sets the tone and needs to bravely and directly stay abreast of inequalities and how to remedy them.

  1. Audit your pay practices.

Obviously, you won’t be inclined to do this if you aren’t determined to close the gender gap in your company or organization. Assuming you are, then auditing your practices across the board is an important step. That means analyzing differences from job-to-job, as well as between departments, functions, managers and locations.

  1. Develop a women’s talent strategy.

The objective here is to combat conscious and unconscious bias. Start by establishing a common definition of leadership and working from there. Assess your current leadership programs and engage high-performing women at all levels.

  1. Create a roadmap for women to rise.

Restructure, if necessary, in order to have a strong internal pipeline for promoting women. And include a diversified mentorship program to help them get there.

  1. Make sure your evaluation system is equal and fair.

Men’s performance tends to be overestimated, while women tends to be undervalued. Women also have to back up their promotions with proven accomplishments, while men are commonly promoted on the basis of perceived potential.

Do you recognize any of these biases in your company practice? Think of Lady Justice when you are hiring and promoting and keep your practices gender-blind.

  1. Look for opportunities to diversify in leadership roles.

Diversifying the creative talent and perspective in your leadership team will send a favorable message to talent-for-hire and talent-to-keep. Have you been passing up opportunities to bring women into your leadership? Are you guilty of assuming that only men can do the job?

  1. Focus on the family.

Humans aren’t going to stop reproducing anytime soon, and children aren’t going to raise themselves. It is in everyone’s best interest, then, to get creative and determined in closing the gender gap that is widened due to family-care breaks in employment.

By not providing good paternal-leave benefits for fathers, the implied message is that women will always be the caregivers, and their careers don’t really matter. What a shame, especially when you consider the plethora of executive skills that motherhood makes admissible on a resume!

  1. Include everyone in the mission.

Employees respond enthusiastically and productively to being included in a company’s goals and decision-making.

Share with your employees what you are doing and why it is important. When they see that you value fair and equal practices, their confidence and loyalty will increase. You will also likely see a spark of determination in those who have silenced their leadership ambitions out of a sense of futility.

  1. Create and support a unified front.

It is essential that both women and men embrace and promote a company-wide mission of diversity and inclusion.

Closing the gender gap, especially in leadership positions, has financial and competitive advantages across industries worldwide. Some aspects will be more complex than others, but a foundation of mindfulness about existing biases will open the channels to insight and solutions.

If you need help closing the gender gap in your management team, we can help. Reach out to us here.

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6 Executive Sales Skills You Cannot Learn From Business School

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You took out a fortune in loans to grunt out that business degree. You learned all the theories, all the executive sales skills, all the investment strategies to generate millions in revenue.

 

That Harvard MBA sheepskin touts your expertise from a place of prominence on your wall. You talk mean-variance optimization over coffee, and “CMS” and “CRM” are mere fillers on your impressive resume.

 

But now you are standing in front of a B2B buying committee, and it is becoming clear that there may have been some executive sales skills they didn’t teach in school. Little late for a refund.

 

No one would argue against the value of a business degree, let alone an MBA. But the applicability of that hard-won accolade has some relevance of its own. For example, many business owners will say that an MBA is more helpful “later” in a business’s development, and when dealing with “higher-end” issues.

 

Start-ups, however, are trying to get their wings, and perfect theories don’t always apply while flapping madly in turbulence. Relying on school for a complete education and preparation for the world of high-dollar commerce is short-sighted.

 

And “sales” as a curriculum or specialized area of study unto itself is a relatively new addition to collegiate business schools. Gone are the days of “personality sells” and “always be closing.” Executive sales skills, just like company offerings, are more involved…and evolved.

 

No matter how thorough (and expensive) that business school education is, there are still skills that simply aren’t (and/or can’t be) taught. And, while the following skills may sound a bit, shall we say, “soft,” they are the glue that hold together an otherwise stellar academic resume.

 

Here are 6 executive sales skills that you can’t learn in business school:

 

  1. How to deal with people. 

    Could anything possibly be more important than good communication skills? Most business execs would take a “good” student with great people skills over a wallflower valedictorian any day. 

    Consider that sales have nothing to do with convincing the other party to buy, and everything to do with building a relationship. Your job is to find out how you can create a solution for someone else’s problem or needs, and that requires trust.

  2. Learning how to fall and rise. 

    This is really a lesson in self-compassion. And it’s not a sappy, self-pitying lesson. It is as essential as teaching an ice skater to get comfortable with falling — sometimes really hard — and to get right back up and into the routine. 

    This is about learning how to recognize failure at earlier and earlier stages so that you can shift course, get out of the mistake, and move on without hating yourself or hanging up your gloves. People with this kind of resilience bounce back faster and grow from their challenges.

  3. Being a visionary. 

    Champions in every arena of life capitalize on a clear vision of where they want to be and placing themselves into that vision as if it already is. Doing so plays into all the energetic principles like the Law of Attraction, creating a veritable magnet for the people and opportunities that help to manifest that vision. 

  4. Curiosity. 

    A salesperson who is naturally curious has the unique ability to place herself into the customer’s shoes, and, by approaching the interaction from that perspective, better assess the problem and present a solution. 

  5. Drive. 

    We all know the difference between people who can be left to themselves (and do the job in spades) and those who have to have everything spelled out for them, often to no avail. 

    People with internal drive are always reviewing, analyzing, looking for ways to better themselves and the company. They stay ahead of the game and are ready when opportunity presents itself. 

  6. Integrity.This quality should be the backbone of life, and not just business. Unfortunately, it is too often lacking — in life, in politics, in business. And its absence has done much to create a stereotype of what “salespeople” do…and how they do it.

 

But when the quality of integrity is present as an executive sales skill, enduring and mutually profitable relationships are built. Not only is the job done, but it is done right. And the customer’s highest good is upheld.

 

An education is one of life’s greatest and most hard-won assets. But not all of what is essential — even in the world of big business — can be learned in a textbook or classroom. Many of the most important lessons enter the classroom with the student, and ultimately shape his or her success after graduation.

If you need help developing or honing your sales skills, we can help. Reach out to us here.

Why Women Are Struggling With Work-Life Balance Now More Than Ever

Why Women Are Struggling With Work-Life Balance Now More Than Ever

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Since 1975, the percentage of working mothers has increased from 47.4% to 70.3%. And yet, over 40 years later, women are struggling with work-life balance more than ever.

Obviously women need the employment. And obviously technology and all our other modern conveniences aren’t enough to keep us from struggling with work-life balance.

Despite the progression of society’s thinking about women in the workplace, some things really haven’t changed much in the past couple generations. Women are still the primary caretakers, and men still hold the overwhelming majority of leadership positions in most professions.

How, then, can women not conclude that the gender disparity in leadership roles is due to the incompatibility between their professional ambitions and familial aspirations?

Women often feel that they have to choose between their careers and their families. Consider that 50% of women in the US take a break from their career to manage their personal lives, while only 22% of men do the same.

This kind of choice can have a huge effect on a woman’s work…and on her career choice. It can also leave her in the position of playing a number of conflicting roles. Should we be surprised, then, that so many women are struggling with work-life balance, even when the majority of women are in the workforce?

There are many reasons for this increased struggle to keep all the balls in the air. One big reason is the increased responsibility — and therefore work hours — for young professionals moving into leadership roles. Those work-heavy weeks have only increased in the past several years, especially for working parents.

Some reasons are economical in nature. Sluggish wage increases and increased cost of living often leave workers with no choice but to put in the extra hours, sacrificing on the home front.

Within the workplace, there is often a disconnect between employees wanting flex time and employers’ willingness to give it. Some of the negative consequences for having a flex schedule include losing a job, promotion or raise and being given a lower-profile assignment. Especially for millennials, who are the least likely to break from work for parenting, having flex time without these consequences is essential.

A more pervasive problem that arises from women struggling with work-life balance is the ambivalence among promising young women during their educational and early occupational years. They see the disproportionate ratio of men to women in leadership roles, know the work involved to join the ranks, and weigh that against what they know awaits them in raising a family. “Why bother?” they essentially ask, anticipating having to decline promotions and leadership roles when their parenting years come around.

As understandable as that thinking is, there is a more forward-thinking approach to early dedication educationally and professionally. By making themselves valuable and skilled early on, women give themselves the leverage to change the rules…and possibly even their professions.

Women not only need to be represented equally in leadership roles, they need to redefine leadership and the rules for success in the workplace. By putting in the sweat equity early on, they can position themselves to find, attain — and even create — non-traditional opportunities.

There will always be things within the workplace that are created and mandated by someone else. But work-life balance — and the power to achieve it — belongs to you. If we can help you on that journey, please reach out.

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Are You Sabotaging Your Career Without Knowing It?

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If you are doing great work and yet your career seems to have stalled, it’s time for you to do some soul searching. Are you sabotaging your career?

Subtle signs you are sabotaging your career without meaning to.

Even if your job performance is great, it’s still possible that you’re doing things that are derailing your career. Three of the most common ways you may be undermining your success are not being a team player, not standing out from the crowd, and lacking a career plan.

Are you a team player?

You probably know that being a team player is key to career success. But being a team player means more than just ensuring the success of your team.

Relying on and working with your team is critical to being viewed as a team player. When you consistently accomplish all your work on your own, it’s easy for your team (and your boss) to forget how much they rely on you for their success.

Do you stand out from the crowd?

A crucial part of career success is marketing yourself – letting others know that you’re around and doing great work.

However, if you believe your work should speak for itself, you’re overly focused on just getting your work done, or always doing the work others don’t want to do (i.e., the drudgery), then you’re not standing out from the crowd. You’re making yourself valuable exactly where you are, and keeping others from realizing you’re capable of more.

Do you have a career plan?

Remember Alice asking The Cheshire Cat for directions?  Since she didn’t know where she wanted to go, he told her it didn’t much matter which way she went.

The same is true of your career. If you don’t know where you want to go, no one can help you get there.

How To Stop Subtly Sabotaging Your Career.

Awareness is the first step to change. Now that you know how you are sabotaging your career, you can begin doing something about it.

Start focusing on the big picture for yourself, your team, and the company. Once you become known for having your eye on the big picture others will naturally flock to you for advice and support which over time will lead to greater success.

Exude confidence. When your work is stellar, you’re a team player and you exude confidence. Others will notice, and you’ll suddenly be viewed as a true leader instead of as simply a dependable employee.

Find a mentor who can guide you toward achieving your career aspirations and around the inevitable company politics.

Moving your career out of a stall is possible. You just need to start with some soul searching to identify the root causes and then put together the necessary plans to get your career back on track.

Are you sabotaging your career? If you are and you’re ready to work with a mentor who can help you cease sabotaging your career and achieve the success you’re yearning for, reach out to me. I’m here to support you in achieving your dreams and goals.

Relationship

Relationship Help Whether Single, Married or Divorced

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I can’t believe 19 years later I can honestly say I love my husband (Yardley) more now, than I did when we got married.

That is no easy feat. I need to share, in all relationships there are trials and tribulations, but most of us weren’t taught to get through them gracefully to end up thriving on the other side. Usually there is a trail of destruction that leaves a wrath for everyone that gets in the way.

Relationship Help Whether You are Single, Married or Divorced

We were no different as it took failed (FAIL: first attempt in learning) relationships, both of us being married before and decades of training to have a healthy thriving one now.

Today we are blessed to be able to share that wisdom, strength and hope with others that are looking for LOVE and DO NOT WANT TO REPEAT old behaviors that left you feeling lonely and unwanted.

You can have it all. An amazing relationship with yourself, a significant other and adoring friends. IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU!!!!

Learn why we pick the wrong people, how to find your soul mate, or make the relationship you are in work.

Too often we settle for less because we just don’t know. We have invested decades in learning and understanding from numerous mentors what makes relationships work and what kills the spark all together.

We even got something really cool for you!!!! You will be taking an assessment to learn what specifically lights you up and how to share that with your mate, present or future!!!

Imagine giving your future or existing partner a road map to how to love you!!!!

It will be an amazing experience. Very interactive and educational. Whether you are single or married this will add years of happiness to your life!

Join us for a FABulous weekend of LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS. How to find, ignite or rekindle love in your life. Sept 29th & 30th Join us here.

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