NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS DON'T WORK . . .

So let me ask you, have you made your “New Year’s Resolutions”?  I have a recommendation for you– STOP IT.  But why, for you make new resolutions every year.  There is part of the problem, it becomes a vicious cycle. So stop making New Year’s Resolutions that just don’t work.

A former client that owned several health club facilities said that he sells more memberships in the months of December and January than the rest of the year.  Why is this?  This is due to our human desire to get in shape and change our body image.  He said is that you will find his facility packed to capacity during the month of January and February- with long lines at the machines and the classes full of people.  But, wait until March or April– 70% of the people that started working-out in January just QUIT!!

The problem with making New Year’s Resolution is that it sets you up for failure.  The best test for you is to determine if have S.M.A.R.T goals.  S.M.A.R.T. refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Framed.

Specific: Goals need to be specific. Often we set goals that are so loose, therefore it's nearly impossible to judge whether you achieve these goals or not. For example, a statement like "I wish I will lose weight" is too vague. How will you know if and when you've reached your goal? Setting a goal like, “I will lose two pounds each and every week for this year", is more specific. At the end of each week and month it will be a simple matter of weights and measures: take your measurements and get on the scale.

Measurable: Goals need to be measurable. For example, many of us want to increase our number of contacts. But, "meeting new clients" is an ambiguous statement. A clearer objective is "I will meet three new prospects each week, and at least one of each of these prospects will become a client.”  It's a simple, concrete goal. This makes it easy to see if you hit your target.

Achievable: Goals need to be reasonable and achievable. Nearly everyone has tried to drop a few pounds at one time or another. Often their success or failure depends on setting practical goals. Losing 15 pounds in 30 days is unrealistic (unless you're planning a medical procedure). Losing two pounds per week is reasonable and achievable. So in order to lose just two pounds per week, you decrease your caloric intake by 7000 calories per week (a reduction of 3500 calories equals one pound of weigh loss) and you can do this by reducing your daily intake by just 1000 calories and increasing your activity. Make it easy, enjoyable, and achievable; however don't set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach.

Realistic: Goals need to be realistic. Guess what, we are not 18 years old anymore, so stop thinking you can still do everything as you once did. As adults, we learn that while we can achieve a great deal, you can’t have it all at once– the point here is to reasonably pace yourself.  It's important to honestly assess yourself and your personal and physical limitations. Also, do you have the ability and commitment to make your dream come true?  For example, you may love to play tennis, but do you have the time, ability, talent and commitment to become a pro? So be honest with yourself.

Time Framed (and Tested): Goals need to have a specific time frame. Having a set amount of time will give your goals structure. For example, many of us want to find a new job or start their own business. Some people spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do, someday. But, without a specific goal and date there is no sense of urgency, no reason to take any action today. Having a specific time frame gives you the motivation to start today.  It also helps you monitor your progress during the process.

I devised a quick and simple 2014 Personal Goal Setting Exercise . . . .

1-  Write down your ‘magical’ and memorable moments for the past year.  Identify those moments that will live with you the rest of your life.  It may be something simple as having a ‘belly laugh’ with an old friend.  For example, seeing your newborn grandson or granddaughter for the first time.  It might be getting that promotion you worked so hard the past 5 years. ______________________________________________________________________

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2-   So what didn’t work in 2012?  Now this is a tough one.  What will you do differently?  What will you NEVER do again?  What do you need to change? ______________________________________________________________________

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3-   So what are you committed to changing this year?  This is a tough one.  You need to get very specific and detailed- remember these must be S.M.A.R.T. goals.   The bigger the goal, the more commitment and measurement needs to take place.  So, break these goals into smaller manageable goals, or KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators).  But also clearly identify the consequences if you don’t achieve your goal and ultimate cost in your life?  Put these goals in front of your ‘nose’, so they are seen on a daily basis.  One client puts the S.M.A.R.T. goals above the bathroom toilet, so they are seen each and every day. ______________________________________________________________________

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4-   Set up a Daily Ritual.  An example of a Daily Ritual is, “When I wake up every morning, the first thing I will do is go for a 45 minute run”.  Another might be, “I set 5 hours every weekend that I can read one book per week”.  What you need to do is clearly identify what you need to change, and make the change.  Changes start with Your Daily Ritual.  ______________________________________________________________________

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5-   Make a list of every person that you will share your S.M.A.R.T. goals with, including key persons within your organization, your spouse or partner, your friends, and your Business Mentor.  Keep in mind that your ’accountability partner’ will agree to hold you to the goal, and ask that you supply regular accountability, and also keep you accountable to making the necessary changes in your life or business to attain these  S.M.A.R.T. goals ______________________________________________________________________

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WHAT THE RICH DO

Are rich people just good with money or is there something a little deeper contributing to their success? Most people would agree that certain lifestyle choices and daily habits are as valuable in the quest for wealth as a sound understanding of finances.

A study indicated that a whopping 21 percent of Americans see winning the lottery as an important wealth-building strategy. A similar study of Canadians showed that about 12 percent were counting on winning a big lottery so they could have enough retirement income to retire in style.

There are many things you should never do if financial security is one of your main goals.  So what do the rich do every day that the poor don’t do?  Tom Corley, RichHabitsInstitute.com, outlines a few of the differences between the habits of the rich and the poor.

1.     70% of wealthy eat less than 300 junk food calories per day. 97% of poor people eat more than 300 junk food calories per day.

2.     23% of wealthy gamble versus 52% of poor people.

3.     80% of wealthy are focused on accomplishing a single goal. Only 12% of the poor do this.

4.     76% of wealthy exercise aerobically four days a week. Only 23% of the poor exercise.

5.     63% of wealthy listen to audio books during commute to work versus 5% of poor people.

6.     81% of wealthy maintain a to-do list versus 19% of poor.

7.     63% of wealthy parents make their children read two or more non-fiction books a month versus 3% of poor.

8.     70% of wealthy parents make their children volunteer 10 hours or more a month versus 3% of poor

9.     80% of wealthy make Happy Birthday calls versus 11% of poor.

10. 67% of wealthy write down their goals versus 17% of poor.

11. 88% of wealthy read 30 minutes or more each day for education or career reasons versus 2% of poor.

12. 6% of wealthy say what’s on their mind versus 69% of poor. (Are you a Victim or Victor?)

13. 79% of wealthy network five hours or more each month versus 16% of poor.

14. 67% of wealthy watch one hour or less of TV every day versus 23% of poor.

15. 6% of wealthy watch reality TV versus 78% of poor.

16. 44% of wealthy wake up three hours before work starts versus 3% of poor.

17. 74% of wealthy teach good daily success habits to their children versus 1% of poor.

18. 84% of wealthy believe good habits create opportunity versus 4% of poor.

19. 76% of wealthy believe bad habits create detrimental luck versus 9% of poor.

20. 86% of wealthy believe in lifelong educational self-improvement versus 5% of poor.

21. 86% of wealthy love to read vs. 26% of poor.

SUMMARY

1.     EAT RIGHT

2.     KEEP YOUR CARDS CLOSE TO YOUR CHEST

3.     SET GOALS

4.     KEEP FIT

5.     BE ORGANISED

6.     READ

7.     RING GRANDMA

8.     DON'T WATCH BIG BROTHER

9.     DON'T PUNT

10. RUN YOUR OWN RACE

11. AND ONE LAST THOUGHT . . .

There is a firm belief that a lot of poor people are simply too busy or disadvantaged one way or another to change their situation. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to pick themselves up.

From Dave Ramsey's blog "Poornomore":  "I was born poor, raised in poverty and watched my parents die that way. I worked hard, eliminated my bad habits, started doing what the wealthy did. Mostly, I stopped blaming others for my lack of wealth. Now I am wealthy, and help others who want to be helped."

TERRIBLE TEAM? ARE YOU MAKING IT WORSE?

I was working away at my desk when the phone rang. It was the CEO of a medium sized organization. He was looking for help with what he referred to as his “toxic” executive team.  I told him about our “flu shot for teams.” “Do you have a rabies shot?” he replied. Wow, I thought, could it really be that bad? I imagined a room full of executives foaming at the mouth.

It wasn’t quite that bad, but it was still pretty horrible.  Members of the team had stopped trusting each other and essentially stopped communicating. The organization used to be one of the area’s best employers but now employee engagement has suffered. Business wasn’t going well, either. Thanks to internal squabbles, the team couldn’t deliver the necessary tools the sales force needed to keep up with the increasingly tough competition. He also admitted that sales had been falling for three years. Therefore, there is no time to waste in getting this team back to health.

When we started, everyone was focused on their grievances. They felt wronged, and they wanted to see public trials for the offending teammates. Some had publicly accused their teammates of not knowing how to do their jobs. One Vice President had instructed her direct reports to ignore instructions from her executive peer. Another refused to share an important document with a colleague because she didn’t trust her with the sensitive material.

It was our third session with them before things started to improve. One member of the team, the CFO, realized that he was contributing to the problem.  He raised his hand and said, “I have to take ownership of my part in this.  I realize I’m grabbing the reins and not leaving you room to prove to me you’re capable. For my part, I promise to give you more room to do your jobs.” When everyone entered the room they fully expected that they would have a rockem-sockem no-holds-barred battle and here was the ‘bully’ CFO short-circuiting it all with an admission that he was a part of the problem.

The next person to speak quickly took on her share of the responsibility for what had gone wrong. It was the VP HR; one of the people who had been most affected by the CFO’s lack of confidence.  She replied. “I was hurt when you didn’t trust me to do that work, but I shouldn’t have responded by shutting you out.  I’m sorry.” One team member after another stepped up and took ownership for what they needed to change.

When things on teams go wrong, most people spend their time blaming everyone else for their predicament.  They have plenty of ideas and excuses for how their bosses and teammates can shape up. Seldom do I talk to a person who includes their own actions – or inactions — in the story of their team’s dysfunction. Instead, they wait for someone else to change their team.  If you’re waiting for someone else to change your team, you’re wasting your time.

Accountability for Your Team

Start by admitting that you are part of the problem and accept OAR (Ownership, Accountability and Responsibility). Few people are aware and honest enough to see the role they play in the dynamic of the team.  Instead, they focus on the aggressive behavior of a teammate or the lackluster leader.  Like any relationship, a bad team dynamic is never the result of only one person’s behavior. Think about how the things you have said and done have affected your team. But you can also be part of the solution. Everyone has an opportunity to change the dynamic of an unhealthy team.  Figure out what role you’ve been playing and change accordingly.

The ‘Sniper’

Some team members actively sabotage the team dynamic and the 'Sniper' works in the dark and only from a distance.  Their tactics can be overt; such as yelling, belittling, or interrupting.  They can also be covert; such as gossiping, negotiating through back channels, or just ignoring someone.  There is hope. With greater self-awareness and some coaching, you can change.  In my experience, this team member (who I call the ‘Sniper’) is actually the easiest to convert. Usually this is because they are smart and want to have an impact.  If you give them a way to make a more significant and positive contribution, they are willing and able to make the shift.

The ‘Victim’

When one finds a ‘Sniper’, the wounded are always close at hand.  You can identify the wronged by their below the line attitude BED (Blame, Excuses, Denial) and their inability or unwillingness to stand up for themselves.  At some point, the frustration tends to boil over and the ‘Victim’ goes on the attack.

It’s time to change how you show up.  You might be surprised to learn that, it’s more likely to be the ‘Victim’ who is voted off the island than the ‘Sniper’.  That is because the ‘Victim’ often lack the energy and resilience to make another earnest attempt at making the team better.

The ‘Bystander’

Not everyone on a dysfunctional team will be participating actively.  While cutting and insensitive remarks are lobbed across the table, some watch, just waiting for things to simmer down.  The ‘Bystander’ are the first to throw up their hands and say that life on the dysfunctional team is unbearable.  Unfortunately, commiserating does nothing to change the course of things, and their disengagement costs the team, too. It’s time to get them into the game.

Conclusion

Any one person can change a team, for better or worse. What will you do today to change your team for the better?

 

Parts used from HBR

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 At this time of Thanksgiving we pause to count our blessings.

 We give thanks to the freedom of this great country of ours,

And its’ opportunity for achievement.

 We give thanks to the friendship and confidence you have shown in us.

 We especially give thanks for all things.

 Our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.

 

History of Thanksgiving

There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the people responsible for the American Thanksgiving tradition. Contrary to popular opinion and the writings in classroom text books, the Pilgrims didn’t wear buckles on their shoes or hats, nor were they teetotalers. In fact, they smoked tobacco and drank at lot of beer- they drank beer due to the quality of the water.

When the Pilgrims landed in the New World, they found a cold, rocky, barren, desolate wilderness. There were no friends to greet them and there were no houses to shelter them. During the first winter, one-half the Pilgrims died of sickness or exposure. Though life did improved for the Pilgrims when spring came, however they did not prosper.

Part of the reason for the lack of prosperity, involved the original contract the Pilgrims had with their merchant-sponsors in London. This contract called for everything they produced to go into a common store. Each member of the community was entitled to one common share under a communal agreement. Furthermore, all of the land they cleared and the houses they built also belonged to the community. 

What didn’t’ work was the motivation for people to work without incentive or ownership.  Contrary to the original agreement, the decision was made to assign plots of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of free enterprise. What was the result?

It was reported that, “for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.” As a result, the Pilgrims soon found they had more food than they could eat themselves. They set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians. The profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London much faster than expected.  Thus, it was found that the entrepreneurial spirit worked.

Reasons to be Thankful

I’m thankful for the flexibility and freedom of entrepreneurship. Ever since I decided to start a business, I get to work my own hours, chart my own course, and have an awesome career. I’m grateful every day for being able to spend time with my kids and grandchild, and the flexibility that comes from being my own boss makes this even easier.

I’m thankful for the chance to serve and get the opportunity to help business owners. I love helping people develop systems and procedures in their business, recruit and train the best possible team, develop a ‘real’ strategic business plan, and ultimately exit their business. Every day I hear amazing, energizing stories from people who are doing great things in their business and in their life.

If you believe in what you’re doing, and if you find a way to deliver your exceptional products and services and delight your customers, we will help you to become more successful.  That truth is, as entrepreneurs, we have the power to shape our success and create the lives we want, which is the biggest cause for gratitude of all.

This Thanksgiving, I hope we can all take time to reflect on the amazing power, freedom and excitement that comes from being a business owner and entrepreneur.  Keep focused and don’t get distracted by negativity or petty slights; assume the best in people, and forgive everyone everything. Remember that no one is in charge of your happiness but you – and this is especially true when you decide to start a business. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take No for an answer.

Conclusion

Thursday we all will continue that tradition of having a Happy Thanksgiving. So, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

RETHINK YOUR KPI's

Experts tell us that between 60 percent and 90 percent of all strategic initiatives fail to achieve their objectives. So at the end of every month and quarter and year, your company probably generates a balance sheet and a profit and loss statement. However, no matter how these numbers are, they represent a look in the rear view mirror.  So, how can you get your people focused on the numbers that are truly important to move your business forward?

Numerical targets and Milestones

In order to establishing numerical targets, everyone should understand exactly what the number means. Yes, you can track financial results as Numerical Targets, but what most people really understand are visible, concrete things; things they could count if they chose to. You will track these numbers publicly, so select measures that you don't mind sharing. Remember that you want the people in your company to be aware of these numbers and discuss them.

These numbers will be the basis for your budgets, financial forecasts, human resource planning, and more. Budgets and forecasts should not be done until you have created your company strategy and they must be aligned to the strategic choices you have made.

The Tropical Island Test

The "Key" in Key Performance Indicators means that you concentrate on the most important measures- choose no more than five. Then give your choices the "Tropical Island Test.”  Imagine that you're vacationing on a distant tropical island. It's lovely there, but it's very remote and communications are severely limited. In fact, you can only receive a single five-line text message per week to let you know how things are going at the company. Your challenge right now is to identify the five Key Performance Indicators that will predict and drive the success of your current business model.

Start with the minimum acceptable level.  The minimum acceptable level is the level of performance where you can keep the lights on but not much more. You're not making any progress at that level. How about good performance? Now set the threshold for good performance.  This is the level of performance you need to see delivered consistently every week if your company is making progress.

Choose your Numerical Targets

Now it's time to get to work. Get your team together and do the following:

1.     Choose at least one, but no more than three Numerical Targets

2.     Make sure they are numbers that have meaning for all your people

3.     Project them over three time periods: 90 days, one year, and 2 or even 3 years

4.     Identify the person who's accountable overall for achieving those numbers

5.     Decide how you will make the targets visible.

6.     These targets and your progress should be a regular topic of interest, conversation and accountability

7.     Make these Numerical Targets noticeable and provide frequent progress updates

Now list the outcomes you are looking for- or the end result. Now ask yourself the following two questions:

1.     What is the measurable activity that if you perform enough of them, will drive the desired end result?

2.     How could you measure the quality or effectiveness of that activity?

KPIs do more than simply measure activity or effectiveness levels. They send a message to the people in your company, telling them what's important. KPIs tell your staff what you will pay attention to and what you pay attention to drives behavior. KPI’s help align individual priorities with company priorities.

Daily and/or Weekly KPIs

Choose KPIs that you can measure every day or every week if possible. If your measurement cycle is longer than a week, you don't catch problems early enough. You drive better performance with shorter measurement cycles. Shorter cycles let you spot trends earlier and spotting a problem early means you can solve it sooner. Those below-par numbers might be down for another week while we worked together to set things right, but they'd usually be back up in the fourth week.

There's another advantage to catching problems early: they're usually easier to solve. The longer a problem lives, the bigger and the nastier it gets. Tracking KPIs on a daily and weekly basis is also more engaging for your people, because it gives them the opportunity to experience the satisfaction of “winning” on a regular basis.

Now Choose Your Company KPIs

Based on what you know to be true right now, what do you expect to achieve by the end of the current year? What about the year after that? The further you project into the future, the less certain you can be, because, as we know, your current reality is always changing. Nothing is more demoralizing than displaying annual targets that bear no resemblance to the current reality.

Now it's time to get to work. Get your team together and do the following:

1.     Pick KPIs that will drive and predict the financial results of your current business model (or if you are a team manager – the numbers that drive the performance of your team)

2.     Pick KPIs that you can measure every week (or even every day), where possible

3.     Pick only the five (or fewer) KPIs that will make the biggest difference for your company (or team)

You will maximize growth and profits when:

1.     You have clear duties and KPIs for each functional role

2.     You have the right people in each role

3.     Those people concentrate on the right things

4.     They are held accountable for performance every month

Single Point Accountability

Many people can be involved, but ultimately only ONE person can be held accountable. Identify these persons by respective KPI’s and manage these numbers, and accountability to these individuals.

Conclusion:

Accountability is meaningless without consequences. 

GOOD STRATEGY vs BAD STRATEGY

A good strategy is not about vision or goals. It is a carefully researched and well-designed action plan designed to meet a challenge. However, leaders often substitute targets, branding and slogans for strategy. Bad strategy, contains fluff, dodges problems, mistakes goals for strategy and sets unrealistic goals. Good strategy focuses on critical issues and decides how to address them. It requires research and analysis, hard choices, decisive planning, and action. Identifying and leveraging your competitive SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) are the first steps in strategizing.

Good Strategy
 

Good strategy is simple and straightforward. It involves “strength applied to the most promising opportunity.” Strategizing means identifying critical issues within your market and industry, making a plan to focus results-oriented action on those crucial points. Strategy has little to do with ambitious goals, vision, leadership, innovation or determination. For many business leaders, strategy is nothing more than an exercise that generates impressive (but generally unrealistic) goals and meaningless slogans.

A good business strategy presents a specific action plan to overcome a defined challenge. Good strategy involves multiple analyses and development of thoughtful, expertly implemented policies, designed to overcome obstacles and move the firm profitably ahead. Good strategy is a highly focused, problem-solving activity that addresses fundamental issues. It uses the intelligent application of advantage to reach achieve higher goals.

Importance of Advantage

In business, advantages separate winners from losers, but no company leads in every area. Your job is to pinpoint your company’s specific advantages so you can leverage them in the most effective way. Never engage in any form of competition in which you hold little or no edge. Much like “wrestling the gorilla” – it’s completely counterproductive and gives someone else the upper hand.

Make change an advantage. The quicker you “grab the high ground” – or get out in front of it and turn it to the benefit of your firm – the more strategic success you can achieve. You must be able to deal with small details of your particular situation to get a jump start on your competitors, particularly those that are stuck in inertia.

Bad Strategy

Bad strategy isn’t just the opposite of good strategy; bad strategy materializes from “specific misconceptions and leadership dysfunctions.” Four characteristics identify bad strategies:

1.     Fluff- Empty slogans filled with trendy buzzwords take the place of important insights. Consider this example from a bank’s internal report: “Our fundamental strategy is one of customer-centric intermediation,” or, translated into plain English, “Our bank’s fundamental strategy is being a bank.” Many so-called strategies are equally banal.

2.     Failure to face the challenge- You can’t have a strategy if you don’t isolate and find your firm’s main problem. Heavy-equipment maker International Harvester sought to revamp its organization with charts and analyses but never addressed the main cause of its internal issues: poor employee relations.

3.     Mistaking goals for strategy- Objectives are just a wish list if you don’t pair them with concrete action steps.

4.     Bad strategic goals

5.     Leaders must set overarching, but always realistic.

Executives who develop bad strategies tend to ignore problems or to see them as irritants; some believe that acknowledging difficult issues equates to negative thinking. Bad strategy becomes no more than a rallying cry- it can be motivational, but it is not strategic. Bad strategy is common because it involves fill-in-the-blank, template-style thinking.

Good Strategy

Good strategy always starts with a foundation with three components:

1.     Diagnosis

Don’t just ask, “What’s going on here?” Take the next step to find patterns and facts that might direct your thinking into new and different areas. Strategizing is an exercise in thinking and imagination, but it also involves judgment and evaluation. To improve your judgment, list your strategic ideas. Cataloging your ideas gives you a system for turning concepts into actions, and it also helps you overcome your biases and shortcomings. The more knowledge you gain about your company’s challenges and the ramifications of its strategic options, the better positioned you are to tackle a diagnosis.

2.     A Guiding Policy

Once you’ve diagnosed your firm’s strategic plan, you need a method that will direct your teams’ actions.  Good strategy focuses on the advantages your firm must leverage to overcome its obstacles. This leverage comes from the way you focus your policies and coordinate your actions to meet a desired. A guiding policy provides the reasons for the actions you need to take to meet your goals.

3.     A Set of Coherent Actions

The “consistent and coordinated” activities your company undertakes to carry out its strategy are critical tests. These steps should create the momentum your firm needs to succeed. A Plan of Action gets you where you need to go and calls for allocation of resources. As you plan, be aware of “chain-link logic.” Any system or organization is only as strong as its weakest link. Reinforcing all your stronger units is fruitless unless you also improve your weakest area. In your analysis, find if your potential bottlenecks – or weak links – can harm your strategic plan.

Design Your Strategy

Master strategists don’t choose or decide on a strategy; they design novel responses to challenges. Strategy always involves three points:

1.     Premeditation

Strategy represents planning carried out in advance of action; “winging it is not a strategy.

2.     Anticipation

Figuring out how others (for example, your competitors) will act in the future is an important part of the strategic planning process.

3.     Coordinated Action

Your strategy is far more than your choice among various options – it’s something you construct. You are customizing a performance race car, not choosing a souped-up vehicle from a car lot.

What About Growth?

Few business people would question the concept that growth always equals value. Unfortunately, many CEOs will do almost anything to make growth, including making acquisitions for which they pay way too much. You create value when you buy good businesses for less than they are worth. If you don’t create value, the true worth of your enterprise remains static. Growth depends on such factors as innovation, increased product demand and upgraded offerings. Strategize about those hands-on factors and the steps you can take to shape them.

Conclusion

The proof of your strategy will be if it actually works. Good strategy represents an educated guess about how to increase your business in the most productive way. You will know if you guessed right whether your strategy has succeeded. If and when you meet your strategic success, only then can you refine your operations and make the Strategic Plan even more successful.

7 STEPS TO CREATE YOUR CORE VALUES

Your values are the behaviors you expect from your people. Values are clear statements of how you expect people in your company to act. Furthermore they must:

·       Provide a moral compass for your people. They can help your staff decide on the right course of action, regardless of the challenge they face.

·       Establish a basis for consistent decision making by everyone.

·       When people share the same Core Values, they tend to make decisions using the same principles.

·       Give you some guides for hiring, rewarding, disciplining, and firing.

Think about companies with strong Core Values and cultures like Nordstrom, Southwest Airlines, Zappos, or Enterprise Rent-a-Car. People often say that "a certain kind of person" does well there. Those are the people whose personal values match the company's Core Values.

Keep Core Values Simple

Here are some questions we want you to answer and think about:

·       Who in your company is a living example of "the right behavioral standards"?

·       What is your company known for?

·       What behaviors are so important that you'll fire anyone who doesn’t consistently demonstrate them?

Southwest Airlines Defines Core Values

One key to Southwest's success is its culture, "the way we do things around here." One of Southwest's most powerful cultural values is related to the concept of "fun."

Southwest is clear about its values, and it hires people who have the same values and will fit into the culture.  Southwest's number-one hiring criterion, the one they look for first, is a sense of humor. Southwest has designed a hiring process that helps them make smart decisions about whether a candidate has a sense of humor.

·       Your Core Values provide a moral compass for your people. They can help people decide on the right course, regardless of the challenge they face.

·       Your Core Values give you a basis for consistent decision making by everyone.

·       When people share the same Core Values, they tend to make decisions in the same way.

Get started NOW!

Step 1: If you had to rebuild your company from scratch, name the 5 people you’d hire first because they behave the way you expect your people to behave. Forget functional skills and roles for a moment and identify people who act the way you want everyone to act, regardless of role:

Step 2: Use 3-5 word statements to describe the behaviors that are common to all of these 5 people.

Step 3: What behaviors has your company always been known for, or stood for no matter what the circumstances?

Step 4: Using 3-5 word prescriptive statements, list the top 5 behaviors you want demonstrated by everyone in your company? State very clearly the type of behaviors you expect from all your people, regardless of role.

Step 5: Core Values are “musts” not “nice to haves”.  Do each of your chosen Core Values pass these 3 tests? If not, they are NOT Core and should be eliminated from your list.

1.     Would you actively confront a colleague if he or she were not demonstrating this behavior?

2.     Would you spend money (or leave on the table) to uphold and demonstrate this value to your team?

3.     Would you fire someone if they could not demonstrate this value consistently, even if they were an excellent performer otherwise

Step 6: Where will you display your Core Values so they are clearly visible to your people every day?

·       Keep visible at all times

·       Test people – everyone should know them by heart

·       Reference them when making management decisions

·       Share Core Value stories at weekly team meetings, where everyone must share a story of where someone in the team lived one of the Core Values

·       Awards for the people who best exemplify your Core Values every month

Step 7: How will you incorporate your Core Values into your recruitment process and performance appraisal process?

MANAGER MEETINGS & MOTIVATION

 Are employees’ needs being met by one-on-one time with their managers? The answer is, “No,” according to a survey conducted by Training Magazine and The Ken Blanchard Companies.

Employees want more meetings with their boss, according to a survey conducted by Training magazine and The Ken Blanchard Companies. More than 700 Training magazine subscribers were polled to learn about their experiences having one-on-one meetings with their managers—something that can play a big part in their job satisfaction, performance, engagement, and motivation. Readers were asked what they wanted out of their meetings and how that compared to what was really happening. This research gives an important new look into what is being discussed and how that is meeting—or not meeting—the needs of today’s workers.

MOTIVATION

Are employees’ needs being met by one-on-one time with their managers? The answer is, “No,” according to a survey conducted by Training magazine.

HOW OFTEN?

One of the first questions respondents were asked was how often they currently meet with their direct manager versus how often they wished they were meeting with him or her. Participants could choose answers ranging from “rarely or never” on the low side to “more than once a week” on the high side.

• Some 89 percent of people want to meet with their manager on at least a monthly basis, with 44 percent of the people polled wanting to meet at least once per week.
• Only 73 percent of people actually meet at least once a month. Only 34 percent of people actually meet at least once per week.
• A closer look at responses by gender reveals one sex prefers more frequent check-ins to talk: men! Some 89 percent of women want to meet at least monthly and 40 percent at least weekly. Some 92 percent of men want to meet at least monthly and 52 percent at least weekly.

AGENDA

The survey also looked at some of the details regarding length of time for the meeting and who respondents felt should be responsible for setting the agenda.

• Some 65 percent of people want to meet for 30 minutes to 60 minutes when they get together with their manager.
• Some 69 percent of people believe that they should set the agenda, not their boss.

TOPICS

Next, the survey looked at what people want to talk about during their one-on-ones versus what they actually do talk about. Several common topics usually discussed by managers and direct reports were identified: goal setting, goal review, performance feedback, problem-solving, soliciting support, problems with colleagues, and personal issues.

• Some 70 percent of people want to have goal-setting conversations often or all the time, but only 36 percent actually do. And 28 percent say they rarely or never discuss future goals and tasks.
• Some 73 percent of people want to have goal review conversations often or all the time, but only 47 percent actually do. And 26 percent say they rarely or never discuss current goals and tasks.

DESIRED VERSUS ACTUAL

Some 64 percent want to discuss problem-solving often or all the time, while 50 percent actually do. And 19 percent say they rarely or never do.

• Some 63 percent would like to solicit support often or all the time from their boss on projects, but only 49 percent experience it. And 18 percent say they rarely or never have soliciting support conversations.
• Only 5 percent of people want to discuss personal issues often or all the time, and only 5 percent actually do. Some 68 percent don’t desire to discuss personal issues, and 76 percent don’t do so.

FOR LEADERS

One-on-ones are an important way leaders can demonstrate they care about employees. Spending time is a clear indication that an employee’s work is important, and that he or she is a valued member of the team. It’s also a way for manager to make themselves available to help direct reports as needed.

• 89 percent of respondents identified that they would prefer to meet with their direct supervisor on at least a monthly basis and 44 percent of the people polled indicated that they wanted to meet at least once per week.

CONCLUSION

Managers must make more time for their Team.