Tag: Soft Skills

The efficiency and productivity of the entire company rests on maintaining good relationships with your employees. Happy employees are motivated, and motivated employees are productive. A productive team means a thriving business.

These 7 leadership skills will drive your team to success and will bring you from a wandering leader to a successful business magnet.

Directive Leadership for Quick Decisions

You call the shots and your employees simply follow through. This type of leadership skill comes in handy in situations where time does not allow for the brainstorming sessions that typically happen when everyone is involved in the decision process.

We are living in a time when everyone wants to have their say; to feel important and to feel like they are a vital part of the company. However, there is a time and a place when good leaders need to step in and use this particular skill. A good leader will know when to step in and start making the decisions.

Supportive Leadership to Give Your Employees Freedom

This type of leadership skill requires more restraint and trust not to insert yourself and take over. As a successful entrepreneur, you will give your employees all the necessary tools to succeed and then you step back and allow them to work.

A person practicing supportive leadership will develop relationships with their employees by showing empathy, expressing genuine concern, and building trust in their abilities.

Leading Your Employees with Questions

Inquisitive leaders gently guide the people around them with questions. These questions can be to gain more insight into the situation but more importantly, you are asking questions to steer your team in a certain direction. This leadership skill is more about the journey to the goal rather than the result, often with your questions bringing about creative new strategies.

Revitalize Your Team with Encouragement

Believe it or not, this is not a skill that comes naturally to everyone but it is vital for an effective leader. You can have an entire team motivated and committed to your goal but be stagnant.

This is when the right words and the right attitude from you can make or break your team. You would be surprised at how just a few positive words can revitalize your staff and bring them across that finish line.

Empowering Your Team by Extending Trust

One of the most common skills among all the top highly effective leaders is their ability to empower their employees. You are not just a person of power with people, and subordinates, working below you. When you have mastered the skill of empowering, you are placing more than responsibility into your team’s hands, you are extending to them your complete trust.

It is important with this skill to know exactly how much rope to extend. If you give too little, they won’t feel like they have a say in their roles. If you let out too much it could be detrimental to your company.

Reflection for New Solutions

A reflective leader brings authenticity to their employees. You can work with your team to reflect on past problems or actions to find new solutions. A great way to do this is to encourage your team to take a step back and try to view the problem from a new angle.

Inspire Your Team by Being a Visionary

Bringing visionary leadership to your organization is like breathing new life into it. When you are a visionary, you have a clear picture of your goal in mind and you can energetically paint that picture for your employees.

Your energy and excitement will revitalize their passion. As a visionary, you know the result and you are not swayed by speed bumps along the way. You are driven and you bring new energy to your team.t

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

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

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 Professionals.

Are Biases Affecting Your Bottom Line?

Have you ever hired someone who was not the best candidate for the position to avoid any potential liability from an EEOC claim? There is nothing in the law that says you must hire an inferior candidate. The law simply states that you, and any of the systems you use, cannot discriminate against the protected group(s). Jobs can’t talk and tell us what kind of candidate they require, so as managers, we need a system for hiring that does not allow typical human biases to enter the process.

Neither right or wrong, nor good or bad, biases are simply a reflection of our viewpoint. Often this viewpoint is unknowingly injected into the hiring process, even when it is not relevant to a specific position or to the organization itself.

Today we have laws that keep us from acting on our biases as they relate to gender, age, and nationality, but there are still biases that affect selection such as experience, education, and intelligence. Candidates bring much more to the job, including their passions, beliefs, personal skills, and behaviors. For example, perhaps one of the most important personal skills a superior employee can have is personal accountability, yet most companies are not aware of its importance, nor do they have a way to measure it.

To effectively select superior performers and operate safely under the laws of the EEOC and OFCCP, we recommend a selection system that all hiring managers can easily follow. That system should contain the following:

– A view of the job – key accountabilities defined, analyzed, and prioritized to determine the knowledge, personal skills, motivational factors, hard skills, and behavior that would lead to superior performance

– A complete description of all factors required for the job. For example, we have benchmarked hundreds of outside sales positions & find they are all very similar, but not exact

– Job-related interview questions

– Superior performance research that supports benchmarking of the job, not people

– Gap Reports to indicate the gaps (if any) between the candidates and the job

– A complete system for onboarding all new hires, including a development plan that is personalized and completely job-related that leads to performance and retention solutions

– A performance management system modified to incorporate all the job-related activities discussed through the system for current or new employees

Now is the time for all companies to look objectively at their hiring practices and be honest by identifying any current practices that are keeping them from hiring superior performers. Superior performers can dramatically alter companies during both good and bad economic conditions, and every executive should be asking: “Do I have the right talent to take us to the next level?”

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

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

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 Professionals.

A People-Focused Approach to Managing AI in Business

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword, but what does it really mean? As a business owner, it is crucial to stay informed and do your research to fully understand the potential of AI. However, it is equally important to reassure your workers that AI is not here to replace them, but rather to enhance their skills and productivity.

To successfully integrate AI into your organization, education is key. Take the time to educate your employees about the capabilities and benefits of AI. This will not only alleviate any fears or concerns they may have but also empower them to embrace and utilize AI to its fullest potential.

While AI can automate tasks and streamline processes, it is essential to double-check its work. Human oversight is crucial to ensure accuracy and prevent any unintended consequences. By combining the power of AI with human intelligence, you can achieve optimal results and avoid costly mistakes.

Setting boundaries when it comes to AI use is also important. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of both AI and human employees, and establish guidelines for ethical and responsible AI usage. This will help create a harmonious working environment where AI and humans can coexist and thrive.

However, it’s not just about the technology itself. Building a culture that embraces innovation and continuous learning is essential for success with AI. Encourage a growth mindset, foster collaboration, and provide opportunities for skill development to ensure your organization stays ahead of the curve.

By adopting a people-focused approach to managing AI in your business, you can strike the perfect balance between harnessing the power of AI and prioritizing the well-being and growth of your employees. Embrace the potential that AI brings, and advance your business with confidence and agility in this digital age.

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

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

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 Professionals.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Here are some fun facts about Thanksgiving to share around the dinner table.

• • The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three-day harvest festival. It included 50 Pilgrims, 90 Wampanoag Indians, and lasted three days.
  • Turkey wasn’t on the menu at the first Thanksgiving. Venison, duck, goose, oysters, lobster, eel, and fish were likely served, alongside pumpkins and cranberries (but not pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce!).
  • Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3, 1863. Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who wrote “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” convinced Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday after writing letters for 17 years.
  • The history of U.S. presidents pardoning turkeys is patchy. Harry Truman is often credited with being the first president to pardon a turkey, but that’s not quite true. He was the first to receive a ceremonial turkey from the National Turkey Federation – and he had it for dinner. John F. Kennedy was the first to let a Thanksgiving turkey go, followed by Richard Nixon who sent his turkey to a petting zoo. George H.W. Bush is the president who formalized the turkey pardoning tradition in 1989.
  • There are four towns in the United States named “Turkey.” They can be found in Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, and North Carolina.
  • The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4,500.
  • Butterball answers more than 100,000 turkey-cooking questions via their Butterball Turkey Hotline each November and December.
  • Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and the Philippines. It is also observed in the Dutch town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island.
  • The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920.
  • More than 54 million Americans are expected to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday this year.

Source: WorldStrides.com, History.com & Wikipedia.com

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 Professionals.

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

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

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 Professionals.

How to Develop Loyal Superfans of Your Business

Brand loyalists will be the greatest champions for your business. But how can a business create superfans? And what strategies can you use to attract real brand aficionados?

Customer engagement and brand loyalty can be a huge part of business success. Companies like Apple, Tesla, Starbucks, and more have all perfected the pipeline to create loyal fans of their brand. Believe it or not – gaining super fans can be a bigger challenge than it sounds! Here’s how your business can build customers who generate recurring revenue and positive buzz around your products or services.

Start developing loyal fans of your business today!

Focus on Unique UX (user experience)

User experience matters with products and services. Whether it’s a digital website, a physical product, or a consumable – the way that your customer interacts with it from start to finish matters.

Put time into how your product stands out and its ease of use. Take cues from other brands like Rare Beauty who have designed their products to be accessible to those with disabilities.

Enhance your customer experience for your target audience and invest in great packaging. If you stand out from the competition it makes it a lot easier for customers to justify repeat purchases or to champion your brand to others!

Niche Down and Engage that Specific Audience

Defining your target audience from the outset is critical as you design your brand, mission, values, and products. People will always gravitate towards brands that align with their own values and beliefs. If you can attract the right people then the rest of their community will often follow!

Testimonials – but on Social Media

Breaking through the foray into social media as a business can be hard – even for those with the most experience creating targeted ads. With that being said, companies stand to win if they can leverage testimonials on social media. Proof that your product works and authentic stories about how it fits into your customers’ lives are the perfect way to build loyal fans.

Loyalty must be Rewarded

Fans don’t become fans without feeling rewarded and valued for their loyalty. Whether it’s exclusive access to new products, VIP sales or deals, or customer loyalty programs – rewarding loyalty can be lucrative in the long term for your brand. It may also encourage more interaction with the brand digitally and improve purchasing.

Go Above and Beyond Expectations

Delivering what’s promised is the bare minimum that customers expect from your brand. To evolve your customers into fans… you need to exceed their expectations in new ways. This can be done in innovative ways but you need to make sure that you’re providing an experience that customers will rave about.

Listen before Speaking to your Customer

A business that doesn’t listen and engage its customers is one that stands to fail over the long term. Regularly gather and listen to your customers’ feedback. Insight can be used to regularly improve your product or service over time.

How are you building customer loyalty? We would love to hear from you. 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 Professionals.

As a business owner, you have so many organizational dynamics to consider. Like productivity, profitability, employee retention, and company culture. Sure, you have plenty on your plate. But if you haven’t yet started implementing green initiatives and sustainability into your business planning and strategies, the time is now to implement ways to improve your business’s environmental footprint.

There is a growing consumer and commercial demand to solely engage with those companies that walk the walk related to environmental issues and eco-friendly business practices. Business’s return on this investment in sustainability isn’t just moral or theoretical. Those who adopt green measures may be rewarded with cost savings due to enhanced energy efficiency, regulation compliance, improved brand reputation, and fresh market opportunities. Indeed, sustainability in your business is not just about a healthier planet, but the forward-thinking, long-term position in a green-trending marketplace.

Why Consider Eco Initiatives

According to a recent Nielsen report, nearly 75% of global consumers are willing to change their consumption habits to do their part in reducing their own environmental impact. It appears that the younger the consumer, the more committed they are to adopting green initiatives. And they align themselves with businesses that embrace the same green positions. Increasingly, research indicates that businesses with a strong commitment to sustainability outperform the competition.

Still, businesses struggle with understanding their own part and onus in the green equation. The disconnect often arises from a perception that sustainability is more of an external concern than one that is part and parcel to the operations of one’s own business.

But more and more, green initiatives are becoming less of an ethical business choice and more of an imperative for customer acquisition, retention, and regulatory compliance.

A record $495 billion was invested in renewable energy in 2022. In 2021, businesses outside the energy sector spent nearly $70 billion on sustainability efforts. And fines are raking up for those organizations hit with environmental violation penalties.

It is clear that looking to green initiatives and sustainability just makes smart financial sense.

Your Business’s Green Path Forward

As we navigate the road to a sustainable future, business owners must recognize that green initiatives will increasingly shift the business paradigm and their own companies specifically. Businesses that adopt eco-friendly practices and integrate sustainability into Company Vision, Core Values, and Strategic Direction are quickly emerging as more the norm than the exception.

Here are five green implementations you can introduce now in your business:

1. 1. Launch Recycling Programs: Set up recycling bins for paper, plastic, and other recyclables.
   2. Energy-Efficient Lighting: Install LED or energy-efficient lighting to reduce energy consumption.
   3. Telecommuting Initiatives: Allow employees to work remotely to minimize travel and reduce carbon footprint.
   4. Buy Green: Opt for eco-friendly products and materials from sustainable suppliers.
   5. Go All-Digital: Replace all paper records, notes, and receipts with digital documentation.

Don’t be left behind in the race for sustainability. The time to embrace green initiatives in your business is now.

We would love to hear from you. 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 Professionals.

Are you Feeling Frustrated with your Team as a Leader? Ask Yourself this…

Here are 5 questions to ask yourself as a leader if you find yourself frustrated with your corporate team.

Being a leader will always be challenging. This is especially true while stress and burnout continue to plague corporations. A leader must undertake the constant mental strain to push their own work forward and to ensure that a team’s projects are being delivered to a specific corporate standard. Unfortunately, feeling extra judgemental about your work can be normal.

Even in the healthiest corporate culture, frustration still exists at the managerial level. Whether it’s frustration with your bureaucratic structure, your team, or pieces of a project that are beyond your control it can be hard to stay even keel.

As a leader, there are some questions that you can ask when you start to feel that frustration feeling creeping in. Begin with some self-reflection before directing your frustration outward and make sure that when you move to resolve it it’s a productive conversation or action that you’re taking.

Here are 5 questions to ask if you’re feeling frustrated as a business owner…

1: Have I been clear with my preferred project outcome?

Communication is the ultimate key to great leadership and healthy corporate culture. If, as a business owner or manager, you’re not adequately expressing your expectations then it’s an almost impossible task for your staff to meet them. Ensure that you’re identifying what success looks like for your team members with regard to projects, roles, and deliverables. Provide support and ensure that your team knows that there are open channels of communication (without judgment).

Before you allow frustration to overwhelm you – ask how you’ve communicated your preferred project outcomes. Take steps to reiterate it and ask your staff if they’re clear on the work that they’re doing. Check-in throughout the project to ensure that the quality is meeting your expectations prior to final delivery.

2: Am I being reasonable for this project?

Take a look at your expectations for the project and ensure that you’re being realistic and reasonable. If your deadlines, resources, or scale aren’t matching reality then it’s time to find a way to ground your expectations.

A stretch assignment may be a useful way to challenge employees but be careful with going too far. Ensure that your employees feel supported and guided through a project that seems less reasonable than others (or has a rush deadline). Don’t allow your frustrations to be born out of your unrealistic or perfectionist tendencies.

3: Have I reflected on the truths about this employee?

If you’re finding yourself particularly frustrated with a single employee, take some time to reflect on the capabilities and positive qualities that they have. Oftentimes mistakes or poor performance may be born out of a tough personal time. If you sense an employee isn’t performing the way that they typically do – take the time to have a direct and kind conversation about what is going on.

Don’t allow frustration to overwhelm your judgment of the employee without taking the time to find out what’s going on. Communicate your expectations of the employee during this time and ensure that they know you are there to support them.

4: Has my standard for employees been consistent?

Unconscious bias can be a source of frustration in the workplace. All managers understand that employees bring various strengths and weaknesses to the table. Being aware of your preferences with regard to employees and their work is important because it can help defuse frustration when it comes to results.

Take conscious action to not compare work but to maintain a consistent standard for your employees across the board. This means that you’re fairly treating employees without having to check yourself on daily and question if you’re being “fair”.

5: Am I providing actionable feedback and being kind?

If you have concerns about the quality of work, ensure that you’re being timely with feedback. Don’t take weeks to review projects before providing constructive criticism (especially if you rushed the employee or deadline to complete it).

If you find yourself frustrated by the quality of a project, be sure to feather your feedback gracefully and depending on the employee communicate in a style that they will hear it clearly. Some people prefer brutal honesty and others can hear minor criticism clearly even when it’s included in a myriad of compliments about the final project. Don’t let issues fester on either end about your feedback style and ensure that you’re providing actionable constructive criticism so that your employees can continue to grow in positive ways. 

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

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

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 Professionals.

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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 Professionals.

Employees are Struggling with Burnout – Here’s how to Address this Organizational Issue

Chronic job stressors, environmental factors, and a looming recession can cause burnout across the corporate board. There are some ways that management can address this workplace threat.

Burnout can emerge from any number of factors or mismatches when it comes to human needs and job roles. Burnout factors can include lack of competence, belonging, and psychological safety. While many extraneous factors that contribute to burnout (such as a looming recession) are out of the control of leadership – some factors can be mitigated or addressed in the workplace.

It’s a leader’s job to meet their employees where they are and to maintain a consistent channel of communication. If you sense burnout is threatening your team or a staff member, it’s time to take steps to address it.

Here’s how you may be able to address burnout from a management standpoint.

Consider Job Realignment to Meet Employees’ Needs

Improving an employee’s alignment with their job and its functions can help to ease the stressors in the workplace. This job realignment can be temporary such as working from home or flexing time during a challenging time. A job realignment can be long-term such as removing less effective tasks or projects off of an employee’s plate permanently to lighten their mental load over time.

Ensure that job realignment and rebalancing are well-communicated with employees. It should be as much their choice as it is yours to realign their workload. Employees should be consistently assured that it is not their failing but it is to ensure their continued success over time in the workplace. Don’t underestimate the power of positive words and complimentary rhetoric at this time as your employee may be particularly sensitive as a result of impending burnout.

Provide Attainable Goals and Monitor from a Distance

Employees who are struggling with burnout do not need the stress of fancy performance plans or KPIs. Following a realignment, management should provide simple and attainable goals to allow for “wins”. Lessening the mental load can allow for greater focus on a single project and better overall performance over time.

Once attainable goals have been provided, be sure to monitor your employee from a distance. Those who are struggling with burnout know that they’re capable but need the space to find that again. Micromanaging, constant check-ins, or the classic “How are you doing” may send the employee over the edge in terms of mental health. Ensure that the employee knows that you’re there to support them but that you also have tremendous faith in their skills and abilities.

Keep it Simple, (Stupid)

In line with the previous advice about fancy KPIs, your employees don’t need to feel as though the job realignment is overcomplicated. If an employee is mismatched in their job – rematching their role with who they are at that moment doesn’t need to be complicated. As stated previously, this can be as simple as offering flex time or work-from-home days to allow for better work/life balance during a challenging time for an employee. Don’t make it a big deal. Offer job realignments like this to everyone on your team if needed.

The best managers and leaders understand that if the work is being done, to a high standard, and being delivered on time – it doesn’t really matter where or when the work is being completed.

Build in time to Assess and Reassess

Taking the time to assess and reassess the job rematch it’s important. This gives both you and the employee who may be suffering from burnout time to ensure that the changes that have been made make sense.

This also means that when a temporary solution or situation is in place, it can be removed when the employee is ready. Don’t forget to communicate that changes may be temporary depending on the needs of the employee but that they can remain in place for as long as is needed to prevent burnout or mental health crises.

Are you worried about burnout as a manager?

Many leaders, CEOs, business owners, and managers are feeling an increased worry about burnout. If you’re sensing that your team is becoming disconnected or starting to disassociate with their roles it might be time to step in. A proper and sensitive response to burnout can mean loyalty, increased productivity, decreased turnover or work absences, and more. Burnout benefits nobody so be sure to keep a close eye on your staff to ensure that you’re taking a proactive approach to burnout prevention. *

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

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

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 Professionals.