All Work and No Sleep Makes for a Very Ineffective Manager…

Nostalgic-Boss-worker-sleepingI often hear others express how sleepy or tired they feel. I am well aware of this feeling with four children, 10 years old and under, and a busy full-time job as a manager. People often ask me how I still have so much energy given my busy life. My response is usually, “I am naturally hyper.” The more I think about it, though, I really have a hard time being fully engaged with my day with less than 8 hours of sleep.  On the other days, when I simply “get by” with six or seven hours, I am living on the fumes of what is left over and not feeling or exuding true energy. This reality started making me think, “How do other managers cope with less than the right amount of sleep every night and still be effective at leading teams?” Put differently, can any manager truly make a positive impact on their organization if they are burning the midnight oil every night? After reading many articles and publications, I think the answer is no.

A manager’s lack of sleep can affect his/her ability to impact the organization in a positive way. The benefits of making sleep a priority for the life of an aspiring manager are essential to reaching organizational and individual goals.

Why Sleep More?

A few months ago, I needed to work until 11P.M. every night for a few nights in row to get through the work I did not finish during the day and then get up at 5 A.M. to get lunches ready for my family. I felt really draggy. What did I do? I proceeded to make myself a strong cup of coffee to “wake myself up.” As you can imagine, I felt great for the first few hours of work and then slowly began to crash and lost any hope of having a productive day. Later that afternoon, I was in a meeting and completely lost my focus about half way through it and could not regain my momentum. I knew that the caffeine I had that morning was like fuel to my waning fire. I made a decision from that point that I would not allow myself to get less than 7 hours of sleep on any given work week night.

So How Do You Get More Sleep?

  • In keeping with our company’s focus, I always write down a list of unresolved issues or tasks in my Manager’s Red Book right before I go to bed. This way, I will not have to toss and turn all night thinking about these issues and I can set off to resolve them once I return to work in the morning.
  •  Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it. It may feel strange to do so, but you will feel better for it. I know I do.
  • Do something that is relaxing to wind down before bedtime. For example, drink herbal decaffeinated tea, take a bubble bath, meditate or read a book. Whatever puts your mind and body at ease.

Sometimes burning the midnight oil to meet work deadlines can actually work against you and make you a less effective manager and team member. Put your mind to getting more shut eye and you may actually exceed your boss’ expectations. If your life is anything like mine, just put your head down on the pillow and I am sure sleep will naturally happen. Sweet dreams!

By, Heather R. Younger, J.D., Director of Sales and Client Relationships at Red Book Solutions | 15 years experience in sales, customer relationship management and retention in healthcare, financial services and consulting.

Self-proclaimed customer “nut” and highly energized team leader.

 

Network like it’s an art form

networking-event-terrifiedI was recently talking to my mom about my past experiences; things I needed to improve and things I do well.  One of my better skills is networking. She said it came to me easily, like an art form. She also mentioned that she wished she were better at it and had high hopes for my brother in that area. This got me thinking, why is it so easy for some and difficult for others? How did I become so good at it (especially when I don’t think I’m doing a good job of it)? Looking back, I realized that it’s a key part to doing business and an amazing way to bring in sales, get work, find help and so on. It’s more than a room full of suits and ties smiling at one another during cocktail hour. It can be a great marketing tool and plan of attack for your business.

  • Benefits:
    Creates cheerleaders for your business – I meet with a contact from LinkedIn every so many months. He is a financial consultant. Yes, he did sell me on his services, but moreso he was in the business of connecting me to his contacts who could use my services! In turn, I try to help him do the same so he can be successful, or give him tips and tricks on what I do that can help his business.
  • Creates opportunities for you to sell – Break out your elevator pitch! If you don’t have one, you need one. It’s a great way to explain what you do. Don’t forget to include your compelling story about why you do what you do so people can identify as you pull them in.
  • Creates opportunities for you to hire – You can be a walking job board. You never know whether they might know someone who is looking or if they are looking themselves.
  • Creates lasting friendships – You meet people with the same likes and interests. I have become friends with many of my contacts; some are now even like family! You can’t get anything better than this.
  • Involves you in the community – You are out in the community speaking to people directly. It also gives you the opportunity to find events, programs, or other organizations to support or link your business to.
  • It’s FREE! – This is pretty straightforward. You don’t have to pay for most of these events or to just go and talk to people.

How do you do it?

  • Get out there – If you don’t go or take action, nothing will happen. I found this to be the most difficult when starting out. People don’t just come to you; sometimes you have to find them. I had to force myself and set a goal for how many events to attend.
  • Set goals to push yourself – As mentioned above, I had to set a goal for how many events I would attend each month and what the desired outcome was. I also set  goals for how many cards I would give out and receive. Once I received cards I would contact them with an email and keep the lines of communication open so the lead/link wouldn’t die.
  • Get excited – Once you get over the initial stage fright (if you have any) it can be fun! It’s a competition/game when you set goals and you get to be around like-minded people who have a lot in common with you and want to help you and your business succeed just as much as you do.
  • Decide to love to talk about yourself and business  –Develop that elevator pitch and start getting used to talking about yourself and your business. But remember, keep it compelling and state what you do to help others or solve their problems. People like it when you can help them and, in turn, they will help you.

Networking is a great way to build your own circle of influence as well as help out your business.  The short-term discomfort you may feel when you’re first getting started can pay off in the long term.  You may need practice to turn it into an art form, but it will be worth it.

By Crystal Gardner, Marketing Production Manager at Red Book Solutions | 6 Years Marketing and Project Management Experience in Agency, Corporate and Private Institutions | University of Denver, Daniels College of Business, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Office Manager

Are You Giving Your Employees The Right Road Map?

 No Discussion around Career Development. Here’s a secret for most managers: the majority of employees don’t know what they’ll be doing in 5 years. In our experience,  fewer than 5% of people could tell you if you asked. However, everyone wants to have a discussion with you about their future. Most bosses never engage with their employees about where they want to go in their careers — even the top talent. This represents a huge opportunity for you and your organization if you do bring it up. Our best clients have separate annual discussions with their employees — apart from their annual or bi-annual performance review meetings — to discuss succession planning or career development. If your best people know that you think there’s a path for them going forward, they’ll be more likely to hang around.

Eric Jackson – Contributor Forbes Magazine

The road map to success

The road map to success

Are you giving your employees the right road map?

I often find myself watching Dora the Explorer with my 6-year-old daughter. In every episode when Dora is lost, she must find the map!  Why is this so easy for a child to understand when, as adult managers, we fail to give a career road map to our own employees?

Recently. I was brought in by a highly successful business  to help them develop a training program so they could better retain their frontline employees.  The first question I asked during a brainstorming session was, “What is the career path offered to entry-level employees?”  The entire group stared at me blankly when the leader of the group said, “We don’t have a career path here.”  Why did they not offer a career path?  Nobody could answer this question either.  What this group wanted to focus on was how to find the top talent and train them for the job at hand.  While some employees may be happy spending 20 years doing the same job day in and day out, the majority would prefer to know there is opportunity to move up in the organization. As humans, we always want to better ourselves.

“It seems to me that most organizations spend an inordinate amount of energy on talent acquisition. Finding, attracting and capturing the best talent is central on every organization’s radar. But the value derived from new talent is only realized if the talent can be retained long enough to tap its treasures.”  Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith

McDonald’s does a wonderful job of promoting from within. Quite often you see an entry level employee working themselves up to manager, general manager, field employee for corporate, reaching sometimes to actually owning a franchise.  This is successfully achieved because McDonald’s gives their employees a path when hired– something to aspire to.  Most top employees want to be more in their lives, become more important and  be relied upon., It is only human nature.

By the way, the company I helped with training now actually has a career path for their new hires and so far, their turnover is starting to trend for the better! Top employees need to be nurtured and guided down a path toward their futures, and they will work harder to get there.

David Pettit, Business Development Director at Red Book Solutions | 15 years Expertise in Performance Improvement, Local Store Marketing and Operations | Extensive Background in Restaurant and Bar Management | Current CFE Certification Candidate | Trainer and Management Champion Having Worked with many Fortune 500 Companies

Six Ways to Influence Customer Loyalty

  My husband and I ate out Friday night at a restaurant some friends told us about.  The restaurant wasn’t new, we didn’t have a coupon or special offer, and it wasn’t exactly convenient to where we live.  We decided to go there because we trusted the recommendation of friends and appreciated the chance to try something new.  Our experience was one of great service from a cheerful server who seemed to enjoy her job and made us enjoy our contact with her. This is why we will return.

In my last blog I talked about the value of happy employees, and my recent restaurant experience supports the claim that happy employees truly impact on the bottom line.  Our friends had a positive experience and returned to the restaurant a second time (one benefit) and recommended it to us (a second benefit).  Our positive experience will encourage us to return (a third benefit) and perhaps even mention it to our friends (benefit #4).

Delivering happy employees is just one of the ways you can influence the influx of new customers and, at the same time, broaden customer loyalty.  Here are some others:

  1. Be consistent consistently – people like to know what to expect and appreciate that a brand stands for a particular type of experience.  If you reliably deliver the same experience each time someone enters your location (assuming it’s positive, of course!), customers will keep coming back for more.
  2. Provide excellent service – make customers feel special by paying attention, listening and being responsive to their comments or concerns.  If it’s possible in your business, get to know your frequent customers and what they like.
  3. Communicate often – with lots of ways to connect with people today, it’s much easier (and cost effective) to promote events, provide news, suggestions, reminders or let them know about new offerings.
  4. Offer incentives – sometimes your communications can include special offers, punch cards, coupons or enticements to encourage people to return.  Be careful not to overdo this one, or people may come in only when they get something for free.
  5. Membership – everyone likes to belong and be part of something they enjoy.  Some people appreciate the sense of community and others like the special status or access it gives them.  Loyalty programs help customers feel connected to your organization, part of its community, and part of its success.

Good managers impact all these areas.  Training and support of staff members is already a part of what managers do every day.  You treat your staff like you want them to treat customers – you communicate, provide them with good service, deliver a consistent experience and make them feel that they belong.  It will translate well from your employees to each person that walks through your door. Before you know it, your customers may soon be telling the same story I told about my recent restaurant experience. The benefits compound from there.

By, Nancy Lane, Human Resource Manager at Red Book Solutions and B2A, LLC – 30 years of experience in education, medical imaging, oil & gas and business
services.

Keep Your Customers With “Always On” Customer Experiences

   “When you have a good product and a decent position in the market, be it location, reputation, whatever – AND you have customers who want what you sell, you have a shot at success. And when those customers want to come back – and more importantly won’t go anywhere else – that’s called loyalty. And taking it a step further, when they are willing to recommend you to others – because they love you – that’s called evangelism. And that is what the Cult of the Customer is all about; creating an amazing experience that turns satisfied customers into customer evangelists.” The Cult of the Customer: Create an Amazing Customer Experience That Turns Satisfied Customers into Customer Evangelists, Shep Hyken

My best managerial trait is that I am a customer “nut.” I love reading anything I can get my hands on around ways to reach more customers, keep them coming back for more and making sure they are more than satisfied. A couple of years ago, I was introduced to a very impactful YouTube video by someone named Shep Hyken (Hyken) about an extraordinary cab driver’s delivery of great customer service. In short, the cab driver focused on delivering a better-than-average experience all of the time to all of his customers and added some surprises along the way. By no accident, one of Hyken’s books called “The Cult of the Customer” made its way onto my bookshelf recently. The concepts found within were so inspiring that sharing them with other managers whom are always looking to get better just makes sense. You are sure to find a nugget or two to implement in your operations and increase customer loyalty.

Hyken points out that an organization will never create customer evangelists until it first focuses on creating a Cult of Amazement for its internal customers; its employees. As one cannot give what one does not have inside, employees must be routinely impressed with the experience they receive before they start to recommend the company to other employees and customers. Hyken says, “As the name suggests, the cult is dedicated to delivering amazement. This is not necessarily the result of perfect customer service (as in never screwing up) but instead the result of making Moments of Magic part of a consistent, ongoing pattern of experiences. Remember, these are experiences that are simply above average, which the customer comes to expect and rely on.”

Hyken suggests there are many ways to achieve a Cult of Amazement. I will not attempt to summarize all of them, but instead highlight some key concepts and useful strategies that any manager (including myself) looking to capture life-long customers would be wise to consider.

(1)        People love to be appreciated and hate to be ignored. Taking more time to show your appreciation for your employees’ efforts and responding to their requests in a timely manner goes a long way to ensure they do the same for your customers. Customer appreciation counts, and it just makes good business sense to treat your employees well. Practical Tip: Make the time to connect with every employee every week. It may be an overwhelming thought, but it speaks volumes to your team members about what commitment and loyalty mean to you.

(2)        Don’t only fix problems as they arise, but also restore your customers’ confidence. As a manager, we are expected to: Fix the problem; Do it with a positive, accountable attitude; and Act with urgency. It makes no sense to try to argue with a customer unless you do not want to keep them as a customer. In the end, customers like to know that you are not afraid to take responsibility. They like transparency and they like dealing with organizations that solve their pains with a smile. Be that organization! Practical Tip: Commit to recognizing your loyal customers and make sure they know they are special to your business.

(3)        Know how customers interact with your business to help you serve them better. Whenever a customer touches your organization, they form an impression, no matter how small. Here is a great online resource that defines touch points in more detail. Generally, touch points are interactions. The key is to identify your location’s key touch points by Holding a meeting with your employees and Identifying and mapping out all of your touch-points including behind-the-scenes aspects of your business that might impact the customer’s experience. Then, make sure to:

i.      Create ways to improve in some of these areas.

ii.      Brainstorm ideas of how to add value to your existing offering.

iii.      Most importantly, ask your customers what they want by administering traditional customer satisfaction surveys and more transactional surveys that measure loyalty. They help you determine your most important touch points from your customers’ perspective and the areas on which you should focus to improve loyalty. Practical Tip: Develop a promotion that allows you to collect your customer’s contact information. Manage that database carefully to engage and build long-standing relationships.

What is useful to know is that by simply making the above part of your day, your business will change for the better. In my position as the Director of Client Relationships, I find that putting the proper systems in place to ensure our business and people are prepared to perform at an above-average level every time cannot be overstated. You may even notice that your customers are becoming more and more confident in your ability and desire to exceed their expectations. And they will tell others.

Any brand or company, big or small, can create a Cult of Amazement within their organization. Have fun creating yours!

By, Heather R. Younger, J.D., Director of Sales and Client Relationships at Red Book Solutions | 15 years experience in sales, customer relationship management and retention in healthcare, financial services and consulting.

Self-proclaimed customer “nut.”

Welcome TO BRAND U

As managers we are all generally concerned with being strong brand ambassadors to the companies we work within. However, have you put the same amount of time and proactive behavior into managing your own personal brand? My bet is the resounding answer from our audience is a big fat “Ugh, nope.”

Your brand is your identity. It is how people identify you and identify with you. Your brand represents a promise or guarantee that others can rely upon whenever you are involved with them or anyone else in the community. It needs to be recognizable, promote a high level of goodwill and differentiate you from others. If done correctly it speaks for you when you are not there. It becomes sought after and referenced by others as a great brand to interact with. It lives on beyond you when you are gone. Now that’s brand equity that will bring immediate and long term benefits.

Without direction or foresight your brand is running rampant out there.  What this means is everyone who comes into contact with you—at any level, at anytime—has already determined what your brand is WITHOUT you even having a say. Your perception of the person you present to those around you is just that—your perception not necessarily theirs.

Now that you are faced with the ugly truth about your infinite brand possibilities floating out there, let’s share the ways you can start building your personal brand and maintain it with the same fortitude that you’ve been working towards being a better manager. Think with your business brain for a moment as you go through these, then use your gut to determine if what you’ve uncovered fits you. Begin creating your Personal Brand with these Six Questions:

  1. What is your purpose? Use this tool to find out the “Why” behind why you are here. (This is presented from a business perspective; just flip it to be about you.)
  2. What are your values? These are the foundation of who you are. This is not a guess, it is a process. This 4 Step Core Value tool should help.
  3. What is your vision of yourself? Basically, think about who you aspire to be and what you want to be known for. Create your personal vision statement.
  4. What are your best qualities? You’ve noticed and/or have been told about your strengths.  Find yours.
  5. What value do you bring? Look at the contribution you bring to others. Start with understanding what you value in yourself.
  6. What do you want to be known for? Your reputation has to start by deciding what exactly you want others to say about you when you are not there.  This is a core asset to your brand.

From these discoveries you now can proactively evaluate and reposition the following elements to make your new branded self shine:

  • Voice: what you say, how you say it to express yourself (friendly, formal, or conversational tone/delivery)—Sing it.
  • Behaviors: match what you do with what upholds the delivery of your brand—Act on it.
  • Image: your appearance to uphold the brand your attempt to present can not be understated—Reflect it.
  • Personality: how you wrap up your feelings, thoughts and actions to exhibit specific traits—Live it.
  • Tagline: establish a single sentence that best embodies your personal brand—Use it.
  • Story: piece together various moments in your life that tell the truth behind your brand—Share it.

As you know with company and product brands, consistency breeds credibility. You want others to believe in your personal brand. You want to be memorable in a good way. As a more than two decade marketing expert, I’ve been fascinated by how brands translate into everything from cultures to self.  I have also noticed during my years of tenure as a manager and leader, the self brand screams for attention and care. I see the lack of awareness and neglect every where. Imagine where our families, our communities, our workspace, our world would be if we all did a brand strategy on ourselves.

So make one last personal pact with me as a fellow better manager groupie, take the items above, schedule them out, record them for posterity and reference—then hit the GO button. Wait you’re not done yet. Make it a habit to do regular pulse checks to confirm you are being authentic to your brand.

A final request—when you “own” your personal brand and are reaping the endless benefits—don’t forget me when I’m gone. Onward and upward!

By Shiloh Kelly, Vice President of Marketing, Red Book Solutions | 20 years Cross Industry Experience | Corporate Marketing and National Sustainability Lead, BlueLinx |Chief Strategic and Creative Officer, Limelight Advertising | Strategic Marketing Manager, Vail Resorts

Managers: Catch the Happiness Bug

It seems like a lot of people are getting on the happiness bandwagon.  You read more and more about it in blogs and posts.  Gretchen Rubin has written two books about it, The Happiness Project,” and “Happier at Home.”  Can it finally be that we are beginning to understand that being happy is a good thing?

Have you ever asked a co-worker how they are doing and they reply, “Just living the dream,” or “I wish it were Friday.”  Why do we wish half of our lives away or confess that it will never get any better?  Do we even think at all when we say these things? Why don’t we re-program our thinking to give positive responses instead of negative?  Is it simply more culturally acceptable to seem downtrodden?

We spend too much of our lives at work to make it a self-imposed miserable experience.  Thomas Wright, a researcher and professor of management at Kansas State University, says that happiness is not just a responsibility to ourselves, but to others as well.

About five years ago, I was the pipe major of a competitive bagpipe band.  I will always remember one piper in particular.  He was an older gentleman who had been in the military in his youth.  When jumping out of a plane, his parachute malfunctioned and he broke both ankles on impact.  His ankles were either not set right or did not heal correctly.  His feet were at odd angles and it pained me to watch him walk.  But walk and pipe he did!  Over the years, he had surgery after surgery for various joints, including having his left shoulder replaced.  Pipers typically play with their bags under the left arm.  He actually taught himself how to play with his right arm!  I mention this man because outwardly he had every reason to be unhappy or at least grumble about his physical health.  But he always had a smile on his face and a good word for everyone. When asked how he was, without fail he answered with an enthusiastic “Great!”  How is it that someone can be that happy when life seems to have dished out its worst?  Well, you may have heard that happiness is an inside job. We each have the power within ourselves to be happy, regardless of our circumstances.

Just as negativity is contagious, so, too, is happiness.  This is why it is vital for good managers to really focus on exuding a continuous positive vibe if they want their team to be happy and productive.  It’s a no-brainer that happy employees produce more than those who waste time complaining about every little thing.  While each one of us is ultimately responsible for our own happiness, a manager who leads the way can really make a difference.

According to the website the-happy-manager.com, a happy manager leads by the head, heart and hand.  The key is to combine:

  • Your knowledge, skills and abilities
  • With a love for what you do
  • And a clear understanding of why you do it

Managers often lose sight of the big picture as they get bogged down in the daily tasks of management.  Don’t forget that your team is looking to you for guidance.  If you’re exhibiting negativity or aloofness, you’re not helping your team and they may be projecting the same to your customers.

Imagine if you, as a manager, could positively change the attitude of your team, department and possibly your company by genuinely having a happier outlook and a kind word for everyone each day.  Don’t ever walk past someone without some sort of acknowledgment. It’s almost effortless when you have practiced it a bit, and you will be amazed as the changes unfold before you.

Tamara Trudeau | Bag Piper and Better Managers Editing Guru