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Browse every published article connected to Anne Warfield, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
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Browse every published article connected to Anne Warfield, or search within this exact expert archive.
Just the other day a sales person told me she would do whatever it took to make me happy and that really ticked me off! Why would that be? Shouldn’t I be thrilled that she was offering to do whatever it took to make me happy? No, because the words didn’t match her body language. As she was ...
Is your performance worthy of an encore? An encore is something we only ask for if the performance we have seen or experienced overwhelms us, moves us, and we want more of it. In Mark Sanborn’s new book, the Encore Effect he asks, is your job performance worthy of an encore? In other words, do people come back and only want you? Does your boss think you do such a great job that she gives you new challenging projects?
There is an eerie phenomenon going on in our society. It is starting at a tender age and creeping into the business world as well. If left alone, it will eventually lead us to mediocrity. It is the idea that people can learn accountability without ever having correction. That would be like saying you could work two years at your job and not be given feedback on what you are doing wrong but we want you to assume accountability for doing it right. In schools today they are wanting to preserve a child's self-esteem so many schools are not correcting spelling.
It is Friday afte oon and you call John Thompson in to your office. You have had numerous talks with him but today is the one you dread. Today you need to tell him he is fired. This is quite possibly the worst part of your job; the part that stresses you out the most. And you just think, ...
One of the most frustrating experiences we can all face is how to make effective decisions especially when you feel there is a lot of risk at stake. You wonder how much risk you should take on without putting yourself out on a limb or how much risk you share without looking like you are trying to pass accountability or be too cautious. It is one of those situations that can make you feel like you are boiling in a pressure cooker that will explode as soon as the top is lifted off. There are four distinct personality styles and they each approach decision making very differently.
Birdseed. Imagine if in 1981 someone asked you how much money you could make selling birdseed. Seems to be a limited market doesn’t' it? I mean imagine the retail space you need to rent and the amount per square foot you would need to generate in order to make it profitable. The only way it will work is with one magic ingredient-one that costs no money. Jim Carpenter knew what that ingredient was so he took the risk and launched his business.
Sharks hunt for prey by finding movement in the water or blood. In today's economy you can often find people mistakenly adopt a "shark" sales mentality. They feel they need to circle out there and surround customers by getting to them first. First smell of blood in the water and they go for it.
Giving feedback to a subordinate on how to improve their performance can often leave you feeling uncomfortable-like you are walking on eggshells. That is because most of the time we talk at rather than with the person.
Your boss calls you up and asks if you can get in to see a client tomorrow. You know you need to have a focused tailored presentation but you have no time to do it? What do you do? Most people at this point take a hatchet and start putting different presentations together. You end up with a cluttered mess that you can’t talk fluently through and the client feels trapped in the Twilight Zone while you present. Neither of you are happy. Here are two steps to help you deliver a focused and strategic presentation. 1) Come from the audiences angler
I find it interesting that most executives tell me they wish people speaking to them would get to the point right up front and people speaking to executives tell me they don’t feel their executives listen. Hmm… What’s happening here?
Whether you are a leader or a sales professional, you will only get people to gravitate to you when they feel trust with you. This trust has to be transparent. That means they have to see what you are saying and doing as congruent at all times. The concept here is an easy one to mentally grasp but I see people violate it every day without realizing the impact it will have on their execution and relationships. For example: • Leaders that say they want their team to take more accountability but they reverse any decisions their team makes.r
She looked at me and said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right. What do you want me to do?” The right words but her hands were on her hips, her legs were spread apart and she was looking down her nose at me. Everything screamed, “Lady, you really are the problem. Just tell me what it takes to get rid of you.” And everything in my body tightened for battle. There is a distinct difference between being assertive and being aggressive. One can move you up the corporate ladder while the other can alienate you. Let’s start by defining the two words.
Their company was on the rise. They had gone from $50 million in sales to $250 million in just 10 years. They had a softball team, a family picnic every year, and a Christmas party that was so loved by everyone that groups of people would get blocks of rooms and stay the night to party together. Almost every Thursday the entire office would end up at a local bar for a few drinks together. Most of the Senior Vice Presidents made it on Thursday night as well. And then the CEO decided to retire.
As an executive it is crucial that your body language always matches your words so people correctly interpret what you said. If people have to chose between your body language and your words they will intuitively listen to their gut reaction to your body language, not your words. So here are five quick tips on how to be perceived as a strong and confident leader: 1. Strong Stance- your weight should always be evenly balanced between both of your feet and your shoulders should be strong yet relaxed, not sloped.
Often times presenters and speakers wonder what they should do with their hands during a presentation? Do they let them hang at their sides? Clasp them together in front? Put them in their pockets? What are the options for what to do with your hands while presenting? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just unscrew our arms and throw them off to the side and when we are done presenting re-attach them? Unfortunately that’s not possible, so let me give you some things you can do with your arms and hands while presenting.
Leadership is not a position but a way of thinking. When you recognize and embrace that concept it will change how you view yourself as well as others, especially those on your team or managers. I bring this up because I see too many leaders act as though they have “arrived.” Suddenly every person on the team is there to serve the leader and make the leader look good. The leader sees himself as the pinnacle of the operation.
He walked into the room to deliver the news that the company was going to be looking at the possibility of outsourcing parts of their IT services. It was actually a part of their database management that IT hated and openly talked about hating. So he knew they would be glad to hear that the company would consider outsourcing it. He walked into the room, delivered his news, and was soon flooded with the resignations from his top talent. What happened? Another CEO wanted to get closer to all of the employees.
Generating leads and new business is never an easy thing to do. But in today's tough economy, it can be harder than ever. Fearful about the future, prospects are clutching to their time just as much as they are their budgets. Nobody wants to make a bad decision, and so the cold calls aren't connecting. Rather than turn to you for help, clients are logging onto the Internet in search of lower prices – even after you've already done a fabulous job for them. Even with this backdrop of uncertainty, however, there are ways you can keep bringing in new customers and orders.
Your employee Jill, is often late to work and leaves early. Her work is behind and other employees in the department seem to always be picking up the slack for her. Jill is polite and friendly and, while she's at work, seems to be concentrating. She rarely socializes with anyone at work, ...
Universally I will tell you most people build a presentation or discussion around their point of view with the thought being you will “get it”. The problem is the other person is listening from a completely different perspective so they can’t even “hear” what you are saying. And thus the world spins around and around as you move nowhere. So here are some ways to insure you and your audience connect: 1. You have more to lose than your audience if they don’t “get” what you are saying. This means 100% of the ownership falls on your shoulders, not theirs.
EQ? IQ? Ego? I am amazed at how often I will hear companies say about a poor performing leader, “yea, I know they aren’t great with their team but we can’t afford to lose their knowledge.” So what you are saying is that a person’s IQ is more important than their EQ? Or rather that you will hurt an entire team’s value in order to retain some IQ in your company?
What influences successful entrepreneurs to make the decisions that they make? Is there a secret formula? Bill Gates has put his money and his brain to good causes. When asked what influenced him to make the decisions he does, Bill replied that it was his Dad.
If you have ever doubted the impact a single presentation can have, just watch the primaries. Going in to the primaries the talk was all about how far ahead Howard Dean was in the pack. In most people’s mind he was the forerunner and most likely new candidate. And then, one presentation ...
..to set up the right net in the right way. Imagine that you are looking at putting in a new deck. You call a company and the sales person comes out and talks to you all about the decks they build, the quality they offer and the way they can get the deck done. You decide to have them build your deck. How do you feel when they call you six months later to see if you now want them to build you cabinets? Or furniture? Or a new floor? Or a new addition? Are you excited? upset?
As John Maxwell put it so well, leadership is all about progress moving forward and moving forward means you are constantly changing. So for those in leadership roles, change is inevitable and necessary for growth. Leaders go in to leadership roles because they are go at continually pushing through and creating change. The higher you go up the leadership chain the more important this trait becomes because you are navigating waters that you have never gone through before.
I love Summer, I enjoy Spring, Fall is okay but Winter, man I am not a fan. For me Winter is too cold and too long. In my mind, I think let’s just get rid of Winter. But what would happen if it was Summer all the time? Would I really want my neighbors in my yard year around? Or do I love Summer because we all KNOW that Winter will come so we FULLY embrace Summer? We know that we will get our quiet time in Winter so we don’t mind the constant traffic of Summer. As a Leader Winter is like your time of LEARNING. It should be your longest season and it should happe EVERY YEAR.
Getting clients and building your base through referrals is essential in the insurance field. Yet, it is harder than ever to be able to do just that. Clients guard their time and seem more reluctant than ever to release their friend’s names even if you have done a fabulous job for them. As ...
I just completed a weekend of training that cost me $13,000. Sounds like a lot right? I mean really, can’t I find the same information at a lower cost? Well, believe me, those thoughts ran through my head as well. I also thought about how long I have been in business—15 years. So what can this person teach me that costs me almost a $1000 per year of being in business to learn? And can they really teach me anything I don’t already know.
The mistake most companies make is believing that their customer always knows what they need. In an economy where people have access to information on the Internet, the client often feels informed enough to make their own diagnosis and then search for the solution they believe is best.
Where are you when your best ideas come to you? If you are like 90% of all people you get your best ideas when driving, in the shower, in the morning, when falling to sleep or when working out. Notice what is absent… the office. Your best ideas don’t come to you at work! They come to you when your mind is most open, free from clutter and your subconscious voice can be heard. Yet when we think about negotiations and difficult discussions we usually tackle solving them at the office where our communication skills can be the most limited.
As a leader you are constantly training your team whether you realize it or not. The problem I think we often run in to is that people think they have “arrived” and that they no longer are learning. The truth is that your brain is continually forming new paths and new ways of thinking IF you are training it to do that. Recent research shows that an 88 year old will learn new brain patterns if taught…so you can teach an old dog a new trick!
How many times have you been in a meeting and you are scratching your head wondering what the person is talking about and why you should care? If you are like most of our clients, they tell us that 70% of all meetings they attend are a waste of their time. Imagine what you could do with that time if you got it back! Here are some ways to STOP wasting meeting time:
There he is in the back row, with his arms crossed and a tough look on his face. Pretty soon he is picking a fight with you in the front of the room. Oh, we’ve all been faced with the curse of the negative person who desires nothing more than to prove you wrong. My simple advice is, don’t even go there!
Many people don't realize how important transitions are when speaking. They are what makes good conversation flow and what make many speakers seem eloquent. Plan your transitions and vary them so you don't put an audience to sleep or in to a pattern by always using the same transitions. Here are some verbal transitions: 1. Key words or phrases- always, next, continuing, this leads us to, this brings us to, in addition, furthermore. 2. Intriguing questions- So why should we do this? So where does this lead us?r
What does the movie Coach Carter, the book The Tipping Point, and great leadership have in common? Every Executive I work with wants to be a good, positive, and strong leader. When I ask them what they would like to change in order to make their life easier they often say things like, “it would be great if my team could think more independently to make the best decisions possible WITHOUT me involved!” But how do you do that? In order to answer that all we need to do is look at the above question because the answer is right there.
You know for years we have held the majestic eagle as our sign of a good leader. It soars so high above everyone else, has a beautiful wingspan, eyes that can see it's prey from miles away and uncanny accuracy in getting it's food. Definitely a leader. Definitely something we should admire and look up to. Definitely the way we should be if we want to lead, right? Wrong! I think eagles are one of the worst animals we can model after as leaders. You see, they don't play as a team. They build their nests in cliffs where no one has access to them. They take care of their young only.
“I am organizing an Easter Egg Hunt for the neighborhood today and I wanted to know if your children will be coming?” said the confident voice on the other end of the phone. With a smile on my face I told Megan that absolutely Rory and Ce’Anna would participate. I was told to bring nothing but the children and to be there at one o’clock. When the clock chimed one the kids and I set out with plastic bags stuffed in my pockets for their treasures. When we arrived at Megan’s house I saw all the other neighbor kids lined up with their parents anxiously dancing around.
IQ is your intelligence-your ability to capture information and store it in your brain and then extract it when needed. But all of us have run in to people that are highly intelligent but that lack common sense. So if you are looking for a great leader what are the essential ingredients that make a great leader? What makes one stand out? Why do some people do great at one level of a job but when you promote them they struggle? In order to grow great leaders you need to understand the difference knowledge and critical thinking play in HOW a leader makes decisions.
Leonardo da Vinci said “some times genius does best when it works the least.” Now I don’t think he meant we should all hit the mall or park and just hope work happens. Nor did he mean we should slop through our work. Instead I believe he meant that often the best ideas and inspirations hit us when we focus our attention elsewhere and allow our subconscious mind to work for us. For me this means that today I am at the library. It is a totally different environment and as such, has caused my mind to look at things from a new perspective.
45% of your company’s reputation is based on the public’s view of your CEO. Staggering isn’t it? To think that ONE person can wield that kind of influence over your company’s stock, your employee turnover and your public image. Yet it is true. Burson-Marsteller’s Maximizing CEO Reputation research has proven it. So the question is, where do you stand as a leader? What is your company’s reputation? What are you doing that is negatively impacting the company? I know of one company that the head person was having an affair.
"What should I do if the leaders in the company whom I need to make the decision come in late to the meeting?" My question back to this was, "does this happen often or only with one person?" The entire group yelled out, "Our whole company is run like that. Everyone comes late to meetings." That comment alone let's me know the corporate culture is one that talks about accountability but doesn't enforce it. You can not have high accountability without having consequences.
60 seconds is not a long time. Yet that is all it takes for a customer to gain a quick perception of your store and of you. This perception then becomes a reality to the customer. All in 60 seconds. It doesn’t seem like much of a chance. Yet, if we know it only takes that amount of time, why ...
Let’s take a moment and I will show you what the moment is, what the story would be, and how you could transition it to make your point in several different instances. THE MOMENT: Today is my son Rory’s 8th birthday and he woke up all excited. THE STORY: I was on the Gazelle exercising when ...
I live in the frozen tundra. For all of you in the warm climates, let me share what I mean by cold. Today it was in the low teens with a biting wind that caused you to curl up in your jacket with the collar pulled so high up you looked like the headless horseman. With the biting wind people ...
The executive meeting was to start at 8 AM. Two of the ten executives were missing. The purpose of the meeting was to improve how the executive group connected as a team so they could execute ideas, challenge each other appropriately, and drive the company to higher sales. The CEO turned to me ...
Are great leaders born or made? That is a question that has been plaguing people from the beginning of time. It is the issue discussed in books such as “From Good to Great” and “Winning.” The answer is a little of both. Some people seem to naturally develop at a younger age some key ...
Do you ever feel as though you have to put on your armor when you're negotiating with a prospect or client? Have you ever wished you could find a way to negotiate that was strong and firm -- yet creative and consultative at the same time? Would you like to be able to state what you want … and still be seen as a partner? If so, read on.
• What can turn your audience off?” I want you all to sit back, close your eyes and imagine…” Have you ever had a speaker ask you to do that? I love looking around to see how many people are “peeking” or just looking at their laps. When you ask the audience to shut their eyes you are asking them to have an extreme amount of trust in you. You better be sure you have earned that trust or you will really put people off.
There is nothing worse than knowing you will probably put your audience to sleep with all the facts and figures you have to give. Yet is there anything else you can do when your material is complicated? Yes, there is. Here are a few quick tips to help you jazz up and shorten what you have to say so the audience stays engaged. 1. Start with the audience not you. Too many presenters look at the information they have to share rather than looking at what the audience needs to be able to do BECAUSE of the information you are sharing. There is a big difference in these two goals.
TIP #1: How to make sure you come from their angle not yoursnnMany times you will be asked to present at the last moment. This usually causes a flurry of panic as you try to think of all the information you need to share with the client.nnYou automatically think, "What information do I need to share with this client or what do I think they would want to know." The problem with this approach is that it will cause you to "brain dump" everything you know and then some JUST to ma