WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMITMENT AND URGENCY!

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMITMENT AND URGENCY!

Whether you are in a sales scenario, dealing with a peer or subordinate, customer or vendor, you must include Commitment and Urgency in the equation.

The dictionary defines commitment as: “The state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of action or to another person or persons.”

My personal definition or what I call a “Mancusoism” is:“An agreement to do something….anything… or nothing at all.”

So many times in my consulting assignments I’ve had managers tell me that their employees aren’t performing to his/her expectations.But when I question the process of dealing effectively with other people, most of the time the “commitment” is extensively missing from within the blueprint of a successful path of respectable achievement.

They will say: “I’ve told them many times what I want done” or “I’ve shown them many times on how to do it” but they just don’t seem to get it.And I ask, “….Did you confirm that they GOT IT?”  Did you verbally get them to say, “I GOT IT AND I CAN/WILL GET THIS DONE?”    I’ve advocated in many of my weekly newsletters that you must get employees to take ownership of the process, the result of their actions and their words in general.A commitment is an agreement herein to “do it” or “get it done” or “follow up” or say, “I can’t, won’t or just don’t understand!”You as the manager/leader need to know, feel and believe the commitment or lack thereof!

This is no different in the sales process.  You must get a commitment from the client.  The commitment might be a date certain to come back and continue or it might be a commitment to never come back again.  But there must be an agreement to do something.  And by the way, this commitment concept works both ways.  Don’t be one who gives the orders but one who demonstrates professionalism by giving your commitment to get theirs.

Now let’s move onto value of Urgency.

Dictionary:“The Quality or condition of being urgent, pressing importance.”

Mancusoism:“Setting the listeners hair on fire!”

If your team, employee or prospective clients’ “hair is on fire” and he/she should be looking for a way to eliminate the pain. If you happen to be the fire extinguisher sales person and the sales person next to you sells gasoline, which one will he/she choose?Which one would you choose if your “hair was on fire”?Logic, common sense and urgency, demand the pain reliever and not fuel for the fire.

Ask the questions in a proper order; Ask the right questions that provide you with the details of the customers need to relieve the pain (fire); Become one with the buyer; Clarify the understanding of the pain; THEN you will be able to effectively explain the VALUE of YOUR pain reliever (fire extinguisher) and affect the outcome of the sale or project.

This works exactly the same in dealing with employees.  It amazes me how “busy” a manager can get that he/she forgets to include the employee in the process.  Once you become “one” with the employee, your manager job becomes easier.You become the leader the employees want and look up to and respect.  Remember, just because you are a manager, does not guarantee you are a leader.Leadership is an earned level of achievement when dealing with people at any level and that includes sales, customer service, managing a process, division or a company.   People follow leaders because they WANT to.

I always look forward to hearing from the people who receive this newsletter every week, because I too learn how to help put the fires out.  If you have any comments, questions or suggestions for upcoming newsletter, I welcome any and all.

And finally I’d like to say thank you to all of you who have forwarded my weekly brief newsletters on to colleagues, friends and family with a suggestion they to sign up for our weekly discussions.  I continue to be available for public speaking events and growth consultant engagements for qualified companies.

Regards,

George F. Mancuso

George F. Mancuso, CPC

Are We Really In Hard Times?

Today it appears that we have been delivered harder times than we have experienced in the past.  And as with anything else in life, uncertainty exacerbates the situation at hand.  However it is times like this that makes me want to remind my friends and colleagues of that which we already know, mainly because these thoughts are so simple and fundamental;

1.      Things are never as bad as they or the media makes them seem. 

a.     The economists that we listen to (and remain reassuringly consistent regardless of the news) tell us that the markets will begin to improve in February and that the stocks don't fall unless people buy. And people buy because they are convinced that stock prices will increase.

b.     The media has always been the messenger of perceived doom and gloom from those who call themselves “experts” in these matters.  Only if we allow ourselves to be lead into this black hole do their predictions come true.

c.      We Americans are a resilient bunch and have demonstrated time and time again that we know how to overcome adversity and bring our lives back to normal.  And I subscribe to you today that now is one of those times.

2.     What you do in difficult times will result in greater rewards than what you do during the good times. 

a.     Difficult times make or break businesses, careers - and families. Make your own success by not getting distracted by the times and focusing on what is important, what you have to do. You'll benefit from being clear headed and conveying stability in these times, and it will benefit those around you as well.

b.     From within your own circles of friends and/or influence demonstrate your leadership. 

3.     The best times quite often follow the worst times. 

a.     There can't be good times without bad times. Almost 3,000 years ago Solomon recognized that there is "a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away."

b.     And although these are hard and uncertain times, we need not mourn.

c.      We need not stick our heads in the sand.

d.     We must as individuals and as a group be the “good times” leaders of the world.

A friend of mine told me recently, don’t be a lightning rod, but be the lighting that ignites the rod!  I still firmly believe that in these economic times, we must be the leaders we claim to be during the good times.  When the so called recovery comes, you will be so far ahead of your competition, it won’t even be funny.  Put your “A” game face on, get into the trenches and make your markets, take no prisoners and grow yourself and your business!

I wish you a tremendous week, filled with good spirits, good business, family and great health.

Regards,

George F. Mancuso, CPC, CEO

Client Growth Consultants, Inc.

Yes There Is A Difference in Managers

QUESTION:  I have noticed a big difference among managers. It is not so much the varied technical skills or level of confidence but different senses of how quickly to move on a project. Do you have any comments on this subject?

ANSWER:  This sense of urgency you mention does make a difference in how effective you can be as a manager or sales professional. Certainly, a manager who presses ahead and gets the job done quickly will be viewed favorably by his/her constituents, other managers and the client. The sooner a solution is presented and implemented, the sooner a company can improve its effectiveness in the area in which demands the most attention. A manager who is a true leader bringing a sense of urgency will move faster through diagnosis, solution and implementation and encourage the staff to do the same.

However, remember that speed is not everything. Don't move so fast into a solution that the team is left behind. Many of us have solved the problem (or at least so we thought) on the first day and were anxious to implement the solution. But, unless a team wants and commits to a “buy-in” of a turnkey solution instead of mere advice on how they can address the issue, you do more harm than good by rushing.

Once you have the lay of the land in an engagement, discuss with your team and/or client what functions, processes and people are likely to be the "rate limiting step" of your implementation process. It might be information management, or staff scheduling, or approvals. Agree with your team(s) which ones are worth waiting for and which ones hinder rapid results. With this mutual understanding, and recognizing that some elements of your operation may not be able to move as fast as everyone wants, you can press ahead as fast as you have explicitly agreed with your team.

Changes in a client's market or overall economic conditions do present a challenge for management and sales teams. However, if you are in a position to see how your client or market is changing, it is also a great opportunity to increase the value you can provide.

Almost every change in an organization means a change on the organization chart. Positions are added or removed. Reporting relationship are typically altered. Overall structure may be leveled or new layers added. Each of these changes presents an opportunity to provide some services to smooth the transition. Ostensibly, these changes were thought out and intentional.  However, sometimes they are made with some, but not enough, forethought.
 

Once you feel you have a solid grasp of the emerging situation, develop some recommendations of how your plan(s) might help the transition. Thinking at the highest level will help you better understand your needs and the needs of your team and clients and will likely let them see you in a more strategic light.

Have a safe and prosperous week.  Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Regards,

George F. Mancuso, CPC, CEO
Client Growth Consultants, Inc.

Reflections of 2012 That Will Lead You Into 2013

Today's Desk of Gman, which is the last in 2012, is about reflection and perspective on what delights you about your profession and/or your business practices.Spend a few minutes thinking back over your professional career. Close your eyes (after you are done reading this) and go over the research, marketing, selling, engagements, client conversations, employee to employee conversations, analyses, interviews, publicity events presenting findings and recommendations and being called back to provide additional products, services or mentoring. What were the one or two most satisfying and rewarding events or moments you have experienced?

Was it when a team received applause at a board meeting for your work they performed under your direction? Was it winning an engagement or a sale you had been pursuing for some time? Was it reaching a unique conclusion or insight after a long period of analysis? Was it the times you spent with a valued colleague working on a difficult problem? What about being able to speak to audiences about your work or about your profession in general? Or is it the flexibility of lifestyle business and/or sales management can afford you?

Is there a pattern? What were you doing when you experienced your favorite moment? If you think about a few of your favorite moments, is there a pattern? Are they all related to selling your services or wining an engagement, or are they mostly about doing the work? Are the winning moments all of one type? If so, how will you make 2013 a year when you get to experience more of those delightful moments? Why shouldn't you focus your efforts on living a professional life full of joy?

Conversely, what were some of the worst moments of your professional career? Is there a pattern? Can you restructure your business practice to eliminate or at least mitigate them?  

 
2013 is exactly 2 days away.  I sincerely hope that my weekly messages of hope, leadership, management, sales and dealing most effectively with people in general has been a good inspiration to your business and personal lives alike.  I get my ideas from many of you who send me comments that reflect your perspective.  I get great pleasure from those of you who ask me great questions about business acumen, growth, sales and treat of and by people.  And I certainly hope that pleasure rings loud and clear each week as this “People Newsletter” goes out.

 
 I would like to wish you a tremendous 2013!  If we can ever be of assistance to you, please contact me via Email, U.S. Mail or call and we will respond immediately!
 

Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC, CEO
Client Growth Consultants, Inc.
Grinnell, IA 50112

Do You Believe In Mentoring?

Mentoring can range from a friendly discussion over coffee, to a few well chosen words at the water cooler, to a quiet hand written note for a myriad of reasons.  As a “manager” of a business or a team you should have at least an informal mentoring program in place with the full intentions of making it more formal as the program gains strength.

In days past, mentors were seen as the more senior and wiser members of the team.  It was assumed that their mentoring skills came from years of hands on experience.  And in the majority of the time, this concept probably held true to course.
But in today’s world, mentoring has become more accountable.  Mentors and those being mentored typically reach an agreement on issues, structure and intended end results.  It is my humble opinion that in the current business mindset, mentoring is less about seniority and power and more about teaching, sharing, supporting and developing.
I’ve been asked about the difference between a mentor and a coach and I have difficulty defining the difference as the roles are not clear cut defined.  Because there is ambiguity in most management activities, the difference can be elusive, thus I personally don’t have a logical answer.  However I will say that they both have value and they both can work splendidly.
So what is a mentor?  Perhaps a teacher; a trusted friend; is nurturing by nature; one who can give advice without being judgmental; a guide or role model;  one who cares about development of a persona not just a job;   one who help another become more capable.
Many formal programs have adopted a “buddy” program in which all new hires are assigned a more experienced employee.  The buddy is there to provide guidance and support and to be a good listener and this is especially important during the first few months.  For a new employee, becoming acquainted with policies and procedures and the cultural of the organization can get to be a bit overwhelming.
The bottom line is that it is still “all about people.”  People helping people;   People caring about others and offering help and guidance without having an ulterior motive. 
Make a dedicated effort to make this a tremendous week of giving for yourself and all with whom you come in contact.  All lives within that scope will be enriched. 
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC, CEO
Client Growth Consultants, Inc.