Q: From a consulting sales position, what should I do if my client's staff attacks my recommendation(s)?
A: Try to avoid getting defensive. After all, your client's staff might actually be right in questioning your recommendations. They also might have "other" motivations, may be operating under very different assumptions than you are, or even feel defensive themselves. Perhaps you were not clear enough in presenting your recommendations to the team. If any of the above are true, getting defensive will probably not help.
So what do you do? First, try to gain an understanding on where you and the staff differ. Clarify your assumptions, rationale, conclusions, and specific recommendations and be prepared to modify them if required. Let them know that you want to better understand their thinking by asking a few questions.
Here are three potential examples:
1. "Folks, I was assuming the following parameters are present (describe them). Are my assumptions in synch with yours?"
2. "Perhaps I was not clear in what I was recommending. May I ask you a few questions to help me understand your concerns with my recommendations a little better?"
3. "I am sensing that I might have 'stepped on some toes' here. That was absolutely not my intention. Help me to better understand your thinking and concerns, and let me see if I can clarify where I was coming from."
Listen carefully to how they respond and be open to changing your approach where appropriate. While dealing with the individuals or group, be sure you respect their thinking and acknowledge the validity of their approach. Move on to clarify your approach and explain why it has merit.
The next time you present your recommendations to the client's staff, try labeling them "Preliminary Recommendations for Discussion Purposes". This might set a much better tone for the presentation, showing clearly that you are looking for staff input.
Please accept my wishes for an outstanding and profitable week. If I can assist you in any way, please call or write and I will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resouces, Inc.
Nationally recognized Retained Executive Search and Employee Retention Specialist.
7/3/10
Staying Ahead of Your Game
July 4, 2010
Q: Any suggestions for “staying ahead of the game?”
A: Smart business professionals always stay "ahead of the game."
Whether it's creating a report, writing a weekly column in a publication, preparing for a presentation, or developing client communications, effective professionals avoid waiting until the last minute to get things done. Why?
Staying "ahead of the game" is smart for the following reasons:
1. It removes unnecessary pressure and anxiety.
2. It allows time for your thoughts to "simmer". (Note: This is important for anything we do!)
3. It allows you to change your mind.
4. It can impress and instill confidence in your abilities from others, and finally
5. In the long run it's simply faster, which, when coupled with quality work, is always appreciated by your customer or business associates.
Stay ahead of YOUR game to the benefit of yourself, your clients and your network.
Happy 4th of July and remember, this year is HALF OVER! Take time to reflect on the past six months. What have you done right? What are the 20% of your actions that provide you with 80% of your results? Focus on doing more of those activities in the last two quarters of this year.
I hope you have a tremendous and personally profitable week. Call or write if I can assist in any way.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Q: Any suggestions for “staying ahead of the game?”
A: Smart business professionals always stay "ahead of the game."
Whether it's creating a report, writing a weekly column in a publication, preparing for a presentation, or developing client communications, effective professionals avoid waiting until the last minute to get things done. Why?
Staying "ahead of the game" is smart for the following reasons:
1. It removes unnecessary pressure and anxiety.
2. It allows time for your thoughts to "simmer". (Note: This is important for anything we do!)
3. It allows you to change your mind.
4. It can impress and instill confidence in your abilities from others, and finally
5. In the long run it's simply faster, which, when coupled with quality work, is always appreciated by your customer or business associates.
Stay ahead of YOUR game to the benefit of yourself, your clients and your network.
Happy 4th of July and remember, this year is HALF OVER! Take time to reflect on the past six months. What have you done right? What are the 20% of your actions that provide you with 80% of your results? Focus on doing more of those activities in the last two quarters of this year.
I hope you have a tremendous and personally profitable week. Call or write if I can assist in any way.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
6/26/10
Does Your Company Have An Employment Brand?
June 27, 2010
Q: We want prospective employees to be attracted to our company because we can demonstrate it’s a great place to work. How do we develop an “Employment Brand?”
(Keith M, Technology Company, Omaha, NE)
A: Historically, an employer branding exercise meant calling in your advertising agency to conduct a brainstorming session to develop a new slogan. Thanks to the increasing competition for talent, this discipline has evolved into a much more sophisticated process.
Branding isn’t just about slogans, logos and design; it’s about defining what’s known as your “employment value proposition” and developing a focused communications campaign with your target labor market. So where do you begin? It all starts with your Employment Value (EVP).
The EVP is the collection of attributes that people value in an employment relationship. Generally, there are five main categories of attributes that drive an individual’s satisfaction with their employer: the organization’s success and reputation, rewards and compensation, development and advancement opportunities, work/life balance and, most important, the quality of the people who work there.
There are two main requirements for initiating an effective employer branding effort. First, you need to understand what attributes in each category of the EVP are most important to your employees and the people you are trying to attract. This can be determined by conducting surveys or focus groups involving employees and job seekers.
Identify the top five to 10 attributes that employees (and prospective employees) rank as important. Against this information, you will need to determine how well your organization delivers on those attributes.
Typically this information is also collected using surveys or focus groups. Once you have this information, compare the desired company attributes to the actual attributes conveyed by your organization. In effect, you are now able to conduct a gap analysis to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
For example, you may discover that your target labor market has ranked work/life balance as a top-five attribute; however, your organization ranks low in delivering a work/life balance (weakness). You may also discover that development and advancement opportunities are very important, and you rank high in this area (strength). This is common in fast-paced, high-growth organizations.
The next step is to apply what you’ve learned about your company’s strengths and weaknesses, and decide on the message you want to send to those you are recruiting. Here is where you should engage your communications department, professional recruiter or advertising agency for creative expertise.
Your messaging must be accurate and truthful if it is to have credibility. Don’t sell work/life balance if your company cannot deliver it.
Developing an employment brand will help you attract the people who will feel at home in your corporate culture. As such, you should find it easier to retain them. A focused employer brand development effort takes patience and commitment. Given the competition for talent, the results are more than worth the effort.
As always, please accept my wishes for a great week. If I can assist in any way, please call or write and I will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Q: We want prospective employees to be attracted to our company because we can demonstrate it’s a great place to work. How do we develop an “Employment Brand?”
(Keith M, Technology Company, Omaha, NE)
A: Historically, an employer branding exercise meant calling in your advertising agency to conduct a brainstorming session to develop a new slogan. Thanks to the increasing competition for talent, this discipline has evolved into a much more sophisticated process.
Branding isn’t just about slogans, logos and design; it’s about defining what’s known as your “employment value proposition” and developing a focused communications campaign with your target labor market. So where do you begin? It all starts with your Employment Value (EVP).
The EVP is the collection of attributes that people value in an employment relationship. Generally, there are five main categories of attributes that drive an individual’s satisfaction with their employer: the organization’s success and reputation, rewards and compensation, development and advancement opportunities, work/life balance and, most important, the quality of the people who work there.
There are two main requirements for initiating an effective employer branding effort. First, you need to understand what attributes in each category of the EVP are most important to your employees and the people you are trying to attract. This can be determined by conducting surveys or focus groups involving employees and job seekers.
Identify the top five to 10 attributes that employees (and prospective employees) rank as important. Against this information, you will need to determine how well your organization delivers on those attributes.
Typically this information is also collected using surveys or focus groups. Once you have this information, compare the desired company attributes to the actual attributes conveyed by your organization. In effect, you are now able to conduct a gap analysis to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
For example, you may discover that your target labor market has ranked work/life balance as a top-five attribute; however, your organization ranks low in delivering a work/life balance (weakness). You may also discover that development and advancement opportunities are very important, and you rank high in this area (strength). This is common in fast-paced, high-growth organizations.
The next step is to apply what you’ve learned about your company’s strengths and weaknesses, and decide on the message you want to send to those you are recruiting. Here is where you should engage your communications department, professional recruiter or advertising agency for creative expertise.
Your messaging must be accurate and truthful if it is to have credibility. Don’t sell work/life balance if your company cannot deliver it.
Developing an employment brand will help you attract the people who will feel at home in your corporate culture. As such, you should find it easier to retain them. A focused employer brand development effort takes patience and commitment. Given the competition for talent, the results are more than worth the effort.
As always, please accept my wishes for a great week. If I can assist in any way, please call or write and I will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
6/19/10
Does Your Company Need Sweeping Changes?
June 20, 2010
Q: Our Company is in need of several sweeping changes. We had an outside consultant offer valid recommendations and our executive staff has also made excellent recommendations to the ownership. The owners seem to agree with the initiatives in principle, but won’t act because they are afraid the employees won’t buy in or support the process. How can I assist them before it’s truly too late?
A: Here are three thoughts that strike me immediately:
1. Avoid the "all or nothing" approach and phase in the components of the initiative in a gradual, non-disruptive manner, implementing the least risky and widely accepted steps first.
2. If you are unable to phase in the changes, ensure that you gain alignment with the core leadership group before proceeding.
3. Identify the key dissenters and identify the facts behind their perceived resistance. Deal with each individually and try to address their concerns prior to proceeding with any implementation steps.
This scenario is not uncommon for organizations under pressure. You may want to enlist the help of someone who specializes in the management of corporate transformations and change initiatives, particularly one possessing expertise on the on the human-side of change. This should be someone who has experience and a proven track record in this area. Bringing in vital extra resources is a sign of strength, not of weakness.
Have a tremendous week, and remember that your questions and/or comments are always welcome here. Call or write if I can help and I will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
President
Gman Business Resources,
Q: Our Company is in need of several sweeping changes. We had an outside consultant offer valid recommendations and our executive staff has also made excellent recommendations to the ownership. The owners seem to agree with the initiatives in principle, but won’t act because they are afraid the employees won’t buy in or support the process. How can I assist them before it’s truly too late?
A: Here are three thoughts that strike me immediately:
1. Avoid the "all or nothing" approach and phase in the components of the initiative in a gradual, non-disruptive manner, implementing the least risky and widely accepted steps first.
2. If you are unable to phase in the changes, ensure that you gain alignment with the core leadership group before proceeding.
3. Identify the key dissenters and identify the facts behind their perceived resistance. Deal with each individually and try to address their concerns prior to proceeding with any implementation steps.
This scenario is not uncommon for organizations under pressure. You may want to enlist the help of someone who specializes in the management of corporate transformations and change initiatives, particularly one possessing expertise on the on the human-side of change. This should be someone who has experience and a proven track record in this area. Bringing in vital extra resources is a sign of strength, not of weakness.
Have a tremendous week, and remember that your questions and/or comments are always welcome here. Call or write if I can help and I will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
President
Gman Business Resources,
6/12/10
How Are You Being Treated?
June 13, 2010
Q: How does your boss treat you? How do you treat your boss? How do you treat your employees? How do your employees treat you?
A: I’d like to share with you a story about newly married couple who seemed to be very compatible, in love and good for each other. Almost every day “she” would leave a little note around the house for “him” and she always signed it, “Your Loving Wife.” He always seemed to enjoy the notes and actually looked forward to them.
One day “he” came home in a not so nice mood and they had a few words. The next day the not so nice mood seemed to accelerate and “he” acted immature and said some words that he shouldn’t have said. The next morning, “she” who left for work before “he” wrote him one of her usual notes. Only this time she signed it, “A Distant Relative!”
It takes 11 compliments to overcome one insulting or condescending remark. Think about that statement NOW, so perhaps the next time you open your mouth to speak and your brain falls out you won’t make a complete fool out of yourself.
The entire message this week is about how we treat each other. If you speak to an employee with a condescending attitude and that includes negative facial expressions and body language, why should they respond at a level any higher than the one you are speaking from?
I know a business owner, who when a manager even tries to offer an innovative suggestion, he almost always answers by saying, “….well everybody is entitled to an opinion!” He then promptly tunes them out and walks away from the conversation. And he continues to wonder why growth and employee retention are ever present problems. I personally had that conversation with him, trying to get him to see the errors of his way. Guess how he responded? Yup, I was entitled to “AN” opinion! Not even MY opinion just AN opinion. I did not accept the engagement.
I don’t know if you are guilty of any of the comments above, but make a promise to YOURSELF, that all day on Monday, no matter what, you are going to watch your words, encourage the people around you and offer a better environment for all within your network. Believe me; you have nothing to lose but anxiety, mental anguish and a frown from your face. And the benefits will make you feel warm and cozy at the end of the day.
Have a great week and if I can help in any way, please call or write and I will respond immediately! Remember that your questions and comments are always welcome here.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources
Grinnell, Iowa
Q: How does your boss treat you? How do you treat your boss? How do you treat your employees? How do your employees treat you?
A: I’d like to share with you a story about newly married couple who seemed to be very compatible, in love and good for each other. Almost every day “she” would leave a little note around the house for “him” and she always signed it, “Your Loving Wife.” He always seemed to enjoy the notes and actually looked forward to them.
One day “he” came home in a not so nice mood and they had a few words. The next day the not so nice mood seemed to accelerate and “he” acted immature and said some words that he shouldn’t have said. The next morning, “she” who left for work before “he” wrote him one of her usual notes. Only this time she signed it, “A Distant Relative!”
It takes 11 compliments to overcome one insulting or condescending remark. Think about that statement NOW, so perhaps the next time you open your mouth to speak and your brain falls out you won’t make a complete fool out of yourself.
The entire message this week is about how we treat each other. If you speak to an employee with a condescending attitude and that includes negative facial expressions and body language, why should they respond at a level any higher than the one you are speaking from?
I know a business owner, who when a manager even tries to offer an innovative suggestion, he almost always answers by saying, “….well everybody is entitled to an opinion!” He then promptly tunes them out and walks away from the conversation. And he continues to wonder why growth and employee retention are ever present problems. I personally had that conversation with him, trying to get him to see the errors of his way. Guess how he responded? Yup, I was entitled to “AN” opinion! Not even MY opinion just AN opinion. I did not accept the engagement.
I don’t know if you are guilty of any of the comments above, but make a promise to YOURSELF, that all day on Monday, no matter what, you are going to watch your words, encourage the people around you and offer a better environment for all within your network. Believe me; you have nothing to lose but anxiety, mental anguish and a frown from your face. And the benefits will make you feel warm and cozy at the end of the day.
Have a great week and if I can help in any way, please call or write and I will respond immediately! Remember that your questions and comments are always welcome here.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources
Grinnell, Iowa
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