Clear Focus LLC / TABNCI

November 21, 2017November 3, 2017

How to Hold On to Millennial Employees

Millennials get a bad rap these days as job hoppers. However, most want to find a great company to grow with. In order to secure dynamic millennials as new hires, you’ll need to adjust how you interview and portray your company in the most attractive light for them. How to Hold On to Millennial Employees

Employee retention is essential, and you’ll find that life is downright painful without it. Companies with high staff turnover rates spend significant time and money on hiring. Spinning your wheels in the hiring process is exhausting and hurts employee morale.

There are ways to hold on to these millennials, reduce your turnover, and build a great team. Be sure your company takes the following steps and initiatives.

Take Your Time and Hire Right

The goal is to find a solid employee with a passion for your company and a drive to succeed. You will want to pass on the candidates that seem flighty with exaggerated dreams of fame and fortune. They won’t stick around long.

Also, hiring managers should embrace millennials that already have some job experience with other companies. They know what they like and don’t like at this point and may be more likely to settle in and stay longer.

Millennials Want a Two-way Street

Work-life balance is important to millennials. They have a willingness to work hard but expect quite a bit from their employers in return. Millennials demand outstanding working conditions, nice salaries, and desire growth opportunities.

There are several ways to provide them with what they want and create a pleasant two-way street. Try to offer them the following:

Flexible work hours
Great training programs
Ask for their opinions and preferences
Set clear guidelines and expectations
Applaud their achievements and efforts
Give them quick feedback
Be open to frequent communication

Change Is Good

In your efforts to retain your millennial workforce, you will find that some changes need to be made within your company. Don’t shy away from this. Your style and culture may need to shift in order to create an environment where millennials will thrive and have the desire to stay and grow in their positions.

In recent years, millennials have brought new perspectives to the workforce. We have seen them embrace equality and diversity in the workplace, for example. They are open-minded and passionate. If you want to retain this talented group, then you’ll adjust accordingly and won’t be sorry you made the effort.

We would love to hear your comments! Contact us today.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

November 14, 2017November 3, 2017

3 Traits Warren Buffett Looks For When Hiring

There is no specific recipe for hiring the right person. However, there are traits that you can look for to secure the most talented candidates for your company.

Warren Buffett is a renowned investor and considered extremely wise in business with an advanced skill set that enabled him to build some of the most profitable companies in the world.

Behind every great leader is a team of dynamic individuals. This is true of Buffett. What were the traits that he looked for as he hired his managers and advisors? Frequently, he speaks at universities and explains he looks for integrity, intelligence, and energy when hiring.

Intelligence

Obviously, candidates need to be intelligent. However, you can get the grades in class but not know how to apply the information you’ve learned and retained.

Intelligence is the basic requirement to consider when you hire. No one will work with or hire someone dumb and unequipped for the role. After you have the intelligence factor, then go to the next trait as you seek to hire.

Energy

Energy is essential for any new hire. This doesn’t mean that you want the most energetic and coffee-crazed person working for you. Rather, you want an energetic candidate to take initiative in your company.

Lazy people don’t get far in life but those with drive and passion do. Employees that take initiative and are proactive to get things accomplished will likely have that entrepreneurial spirit that you long for.

Integrity

The right candidate to hire should be intelligent and energetic. There is one missing and yet very important trait to be considered…Integrity.

Integrity is something that your employees must have. They must be trustworthy, generous, and willing to do more than their fair share. You can’t pick your eye color or what you look like but you can decide whether you will live as a person with integrity.

Warren Buffett’s formula for a new hire is extremely useful and easy to follow. You don’t want an intelligent person without integrity because that could cause problems for your organization. Further, you wouldn’t want a lazy person with intelligence because it wouldn’t do you any good if they don’t take initiative.

Look for candidates that have intelligence, energy or initiative, and integrity. You will find that individuals with these traits will be an outstanding addition to your company.

Warren Buffett is living proof that hiring with these things in mind is beneficial to companies and teams seeking to grow.

Need help? Contact us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

November 7, 2017November 3, 2017

Implementing Big-Business Leadership

Regardless of the size of your business, strong and effective leadership is the key to success. In order to pull this off, you need to set a clear vision, engage your team, and get everyone focused on the common goals you wish to achieve.

The principles are the same for a large or small business, but the rollout can differ. Smaller companies don’t have the same training resources that larger firms do. However, there are several ways a small business can implement effective leadership that stays the course to reach the overall goals with a winning strategy.

Try the following:

Clear Goals

Be sure to be clear on winning the final goal and destination as a team. Leaders must paint an accurate picture of the vision and what it takes to pull it off. People will flounder without purpose, strategy, and clarity.

In small businesses, there are often fewer resources and manpower. Therefore, it can be more of a challenge to stay the course with a particular vision. The goal should be to stick to your plan and focus on the clear win. Don’t let your team get scattered and off course. Strong leadership will ensure this does not happen.

Effective Communication

Once you’ve conveyed the goal, be sure to consistently communicate the steps it will take to achieve it. Good old fashion face-to-face communication is still the best way to communicate in the business world. Smaller businesses really shine here because they are able to squeeze in more face time. Larger businesses have more miscommunication and longer wait times to get answers due to lack of simple in-person conversations.

Small businesses should still use email and other methods of communication, but a strong leader will try and help foster in-person communication on a regular basis too.

Delegate Freely

Strong leaders must be willing to delegate and get comfortable doing so too. If you are a small business that holds onto everything, then you’ll be overwhelmed and business will suffer. Large company managers realize they manage the people more than the work.

As a small business leader, figure out the workload that you could pass on to others and keep what you need to handle. Educate your team, send them to conferences, and give them materials to read to shape them to take on more responsibility.

Stay Focused

Small business leaders must keep their eye on the prize. What gets focused on actually gets done. Your team should see your focus and know what the top priorities are in order to stay focused on the vision at hand.

Professional leadership for small business will show evidence of a team on track, professional performance, and a team that works cohesively together. No matter the size of your company, outstanding leadership, coupled with clear vision, is essential.

Need help before your interview? Call us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

October 18, 2017October 5, 2017

Getting Clarity of Purpose for Your Business

What does a big win look like for your company today? Do you think that your team could answer the question in a similar way as you? Getting Clarity of Purpose for Your Business

Some may mention the core values or income goals while others wouldn’t be able to recall the company mission statement. What would it take to get everyone on the same page? How can we get better clarity with our purpose for business?

We Want to Win

Our deepest and most core instinct are to win in life and business. However, we all define that a little differently. Some people say they hope to make it until 5:00 while others want to achieve the goals set before them, with their competitive edge shining through, for the win. Regardless of what the “win” looks like, we all want to achieve our goal.

How can we transition that mindset to our business? We need to show our team absolute clarity regarding what a win looks like for the company. If we don’t give them a vision, then their results will seem random and their efforts not streamlined toward the goal.

Specificity

We’ve established that we need to convey the mission and target. The next step is to provide specificity. This means that you need a crystal-clear picture of what the goal looks like.

Be specific with your team. The competitive runner has the clear goal to cross the finish line. Your business should have a strategy and specific milestones in place to achieve as a team.

Clarity is Critical

Strong leadership, regardless of your business size, is imperative. This type of leadership is revealed when you provide clarity on the company’s goals.

Further, you must exemplify to every team member what winning looks like to the company. Ensuring that everyone is on the same page is essential and will help as you go for the win.

Companies that shoot in the dark and appear scattered are those that fail to have clarity of purpose. As an organization, be sure that you work to win as a team. Part of that is defining your vision and then taking steps toward the goal on a regular basis.

To win in business is to have a purpose. Strengthen your team with outstanding leadership that is conveyed by a clear focus, destination, and the defined steps to get to the ultimate win.

Your comments are greatly appreciated. Please let us know how we are doing!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

October 12, 2017October 5, 2017

Successful Leaders Understand and Use DISC

When you are a leader in a company, the biggest job you have is communicating well with your staff and facilitating a good environment in which the staff can communicate to one another.

In order to boost communication levels, you must understand your own personality as well as the others you work with. Personality traits play a key role in how we express ourselves and understand the way others express themselves to us. It is only natural to think everyone has the same thought processes that you have and understand things the same way that you do. On the contrary, each of us have a different way of communicating and understanding what is being said to us by those around us. With the use of a DISC profile assessment, you can understand your behavioral style and how to best interact with others that have a different behavioral style.

Why Take a DISC Profile Assessment

DISC stands for four different characteristic traits: dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance. DISC is the “HOW” we do things…. Not WHY. How we walk, talk, react, communicate, etc… Not everyone who is similar in these assessments are identical. Your personality has been shaped by a number of factors, whether it be experiences, environment, and belief systems to name a few. No two people will express themselves the same.

Understanding yourself more in depth will help you to be more self-aware. When you take the time to know yourself better, you will inevitably be able to know others better.

How Does DISC Play an Important Role in Good Leadership

Self-awareness plays a key role in being a good manager. DISC assessments help you to take a deeper look at your own personality and communication style. Not only that, in these assessments, you will be given the skills necessary to know how to tailor your communication styles with others that exhibit different personality traits. When you understand how your style of communication is coming across to your employees, you will be able to adjust your actions based off of who you are relating to.

Successful Leaders Understand and Use DISC

With these types of resources available, it is important for leaders to use them to their advantage. To be successful in your business, you have to master the art of relating to other people, no matter how much your personality conflicts with theirs. As a good leader, you need to understand how to encourage your staff to work better while keeping misunderstandings to a minimum. Through utilizing a DISC profile assessment, it takes the guesswork out of how to best communicate and relate to others in your business.

No matter what form of business you run, successful leadership starts with understanding your staff. Until you know them and how to relate to them, you will not communicate as well as you need to. By administering DISC assessments, you will give yourself and your business the foundation needed to build a strong corporation.

Your comments are greatly appreciated. Please let us know how we are doing!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

October 6, 2017October 5, 2017

Improve Your Recruiting Processes

Acquiring top talent is difficult and yet so crucial to your business’ success.

Technology has advanced the recruitment process and coupled with an element of human interaction, better candidates can be secured.

Today, there is an abundance of technological recruiting and assessment options. However, companies are not able to measure the long-term impact of these hiring advances as well as you’d think. They struggle to pinpoint the real impact of quality hires and how long they stay.

Hiring managers expect more out of their candidates, especially after they’ve been given assessments and the tools necessary to reveal whether they are the right person for the position. They want to enhance the process in order to attract and then secure better employees.

Acquisitions are important, time-consuming, and potentially costly during the recruitment process.

Ever wondered how this process could improve? It’s a common question amongst hiring managers and HR departments. The more the system is fine-tuned the better for all involved.

Recently there was a survey of 200 hiring managers that revealed some interesting results.

The hiring managers that responded said they wanted to see the recruitment process improved by their HR department.
They reported the desire for a more data-driven process when given the task to hire top candidates.

Recruitment Process

Larger organizations often consist of hiring managers that are frustrated by the challenges associated with recruitment. The survey revealed that they feel like HR should improve the process by utilizing different recruitment tactics.

Data-Driven Process

Hiring managers want to pursue top talent and believe the process should be data-driven. They want candidates to complete assessments and take the information gathered for consideration during the hiring process. Talent acquisition based on facts and data will ensure a better candidate and most likely a longer term employee.

Hiring managers rely on HR to set an acquisition system in place. When they don’t consider best practices and stick to the old way of doing things, they hurt their team and the ability to secure the most talented candidates for open positions. Further, data is a useful tool that will enable a more well-rounded decision to be made when selecting a candidate.

Consider these things and bring them up for discussion as a team in order to create a more seamless recruitment process for your company. Working together as a team will ensure you acquire better candidates while improving employee morale and your bottom line over time.

Need help before your interview? Call us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

September 21, 2017September 5, 2017

How Managers Should Engage New Hires

The first 90 days for employees are crucial to their future success within the company.

While they are nervous and a little green, management needs to swoop in to ensure their first impression is a positive one.

Managers should attempt to alleviate fears and make the new employee feel comfortable in their new position. If they pull this off, then the employee will stick around for the long haul which will help improve your bottom line and employee morale.

Engagement Is Essential

Brand new employees tend to be more engaged because they are trying to put their best foot forward and learn the ropes. They are (at this point) still excited about their new position and the company.

Statistics show that 82% of new hires are more engaged in the first year while other employee’s engagement is closer to 75%.

Managers have the ability to enhance their new hire’s experience as they learn their role. In fact, their effort has a direct correlation on the level of results and success the new hire will bring the company.

Management is able to help facilitate better retention of employees. Here are four strategies that will help increase your new hire retention.

Get Social

We live in a social world where people want to feel connected. New jobs are more enjoyable and less stressful if managers will include new hires in staff lunches and activities.

Be sure to introduce them to the entire team. “Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows their name.” Get social and you’ll retain more team members.

Career Development

Chat with your new hire about their career goals. Help them envision their future with your company while validating and encouraging their desire to grow.

These conversations are critical and enable the employee to envision their growth potential. Further, managers should clearly outline when these goals will be revisited and discussed in order to track success.

Don’t Neglect Training

New hires will appreciate a well-designed training plan. Often, they are thrown into their position, with little training, and flounder about aimlessly. Talk about frustrating and a surefire way to lose them. If you train them, they will stay and make fewer mistakes in the long run.

Survey New Employees

Ask your new hire to complete a confidential survey within the first 12 months of employment. Find out how you are doing as a manager and company, as a whole, by simply going right to the source for the information.

Managers that engage their new hires are able to retain them and ensure their success for the company. Employees with proper training and encouragement will stay longer and be more equipped to achieve the results you want for your business.

Need help getting your new hires to continue to be top performers? Contact us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

September 14, 2017September 5, 2017

Reasons to Hire an Employee with Grit

High turnover is expensive, time-consuming, and frustrating.

Companies worldwide seek to avoid this issue because it hurts employee morale, job performance, and employee engagement. Most managers notice a decrease in staff productivity which negatively impacts business. Reasons to Hire an Employee with Grit

Since we know that turnover is detrimental to our business, hiring managers should make thoughtful decisions about recruitment. Grit is the one distinguishing factor to be considered when selecting your next new hire.

Grit is an HR term that’s best described as a candidate with the ability to channel their passion, energy and drive for the long haul in a sustainable way. During the recruitment phase, hiring managers must choose whether they want the brightest candidate or the one with the most enthusiasm.

Your best bet is to find a candidate that possesses both qualities. Employees with grit have real staying power with the ability to pull off outstanding results.

The following will explain why recruiters find gritty employees the best options for recruitment.

Failure Is Not an Option

Who doesn’t want their business to succeed? Managers must recruit zealous candidates with the goal to push the limits in order to ensure success. These new hires will fear failure and not allow themselves to fall short of the goal. Their grit will make all the difference.

Get Staff Onboard

Gritty employees won’t settle for second best. They set goals and then achieve them. You’ll want to get them completely onboard with your mission and vision. Most HR managers see the value of getting new staff to believe in the company’s culture and goals. The first quarter is crucial to an employee building relationships and having buy-in to the company as a whole.

How to Identify Grit While Recruiting

During the recruitment process, you’ll want to look for the signs of a gritty candidate. Be sure to ask pertinent questions and figure out their approach to work.

Try the following:

Provide scenarios and questions that will reveal their style in the workplace.
Ask questions about how they would handle obstacles.
Probe a bit to figure out their goals for the future.
Request information on their past projects and experiences.
Find out about their achievements and how they feel about accomplishments.
Ask them to take a personality assessment test to learn more about them.

While recruiting, you can do your “homework” on your candidate to gauge how gritty they will be for the company. An employee with passion and drive for the long haul is an outstanding find. #

We would love to hear your comments. Please comment below or contact us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

September 7, 2017September 5, 2017

Corporate Learning Will Be Transformed and Will Take On More Importance

It’s time we take a look at the changing world around us.

Corporate Learning Will Be Transformed and Will Take On More Importance

Corporations are coming face to face with being in need of running their businesses differently. If you do not make the transformations needed, you will face difficult financial times.

It is best for you to understand that technology and the internet have opened doors for people that have never been opened before. These developments already have impacted your company and will continue to do so.

In order to be successful doing business in the future, you will need to make certain your staff is properly trained. Not only that they are trained but how you train your staff needs to be addressed. Corporate learning will take on a more important role. It is vital that your team have the training needed to keep up with the changes.

Focus on Building a Complete Learning Experience

Using the internet to your advantage will help you to build a complete learning experience for your team. It is important that you focus on creating a learning environment. Here are some things you should do to make this happen.

Face to face learning– there is always a place for sit down learning time. Whether this is in the form of a speaker or one on one meetings, you should have an occasional face to face learning opportunities.
Videos– many people are putting together educational and motivational videos that will teach your staff concepts you want them to have. These forms of learning will give your team the flexibility they need to schedule a time to watch the videos.
Online courses– people that are just hitting the job market from college are accustomed to online courses. There is a convenience in this type of education as well as familiarity.
Reliable blogs– there is a wealth of free reading material out there that you can point your employees to. Just be sure you are giving them websites that are written by those that are authorities in the field.
Job rotations– to really understand a company and grow in skills, some companies are focusing on job rotations. They bring in untrained individuals and then train them from the ground up. After 6-8 months of working in one area, they are moved to another area of the company to learn that end of things. This makes for well-rounded employees. Not only that, it keeps them feeling fresh in the job.

The many different ways you can teach your staff will continue to grow. If you want to stay relevant to the workforce as well as your customers, you will need to focus on training your staff. #

We would love to hear your comments. Please comment below or contact us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.

August 24, 2017July 27, 2017

How To Scale Complex Selling Strategies With Sales Integration

Sales teams face a variety of daily challenges.

However, one that really deters their goals to beat their quotas is the sheer volume of systems that they have to use. In order to be successful, you’ll need to analyze data and set priorities based on what you learn.

When sales teams have to visit multiple sources to obtain this necessary info, their task becomes quite daunting. It takes time while sales and closing ratios slow down. Therefore, sales integration is essential in order to enhance sales cycles and improve closing.

Sales Integration Makes Things Simpler

Companies with long sales cycles and numerous decision makers need help with simplifying their processes. Customization of products and services tends to warrant sales integration which helps companies increase their win rates and save time.

If you integrate your company’s pricing and value systems with customer service management, price and quote (CPQ) and marketing automation, then you’ll find greater success is on the horizon.

There are a number of sales integration options and approaches that can be taken. Consider these three to help scale complex selling strategies:

1. Automation

Your company can accelerate sales cycles by automating the proposal and quote process in real time. In fact, you can integrate your CPQ and ordering systems quite simply. Companies are training their sales teams to use mobile apps in order to increase their sales.

The apps help the teams to provide quotes, respond quickly, and handle price questions. The more integration of CPQ, the faster the quotes are provided. These companies claim the proposal cycle is reduced from over 15 hours to 30 minutes.

2. Accuracy

Companies were able to increase the accuracy of quotes because the most current pricing and services were available due to integration. You will get the benefit of only focusing on the most profitable products for your business. Companies see a major reduction in order sales cycles because there are fewer inaccurate quotes.

3. Higher Win Rates

Integration allows your company to increase their win rates. Customers get more accurate quotes and in a timely fashion. Your sales teams are more efficient and able to focus on new business while keeping their current customers pleased.

Integration is essential in order to fine tune your systems and drive up sales. Your customers and sales teams will appreciate this new strategy. Results will pour in immediately after implementation and you’ll spend more time on what matters rather than spinning your wheels on things that take away from sales. #

We would love to hear your comments. Please comment below or contact us today!

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professional.