August 16, 2009
Q: Do you have Stinking Thinking?
A: A few months ago I read a report where two different groups of students were given a problem to solve. One group was told, “This problem may not be solvable.” The other group was told that this problem is solvable and a solution does exist, if they would just work together and find it.
To no surprise the second group did better and in fact identified the solution. They had a “can do” mindset and worked through the obstacles until they reached an intended result.
Negativity has destroyed more than one project and I suggest to you that negativty is a process that you need to use very sparingly. To exemplify this, I have always used the term, “SURE ‘NUF” in my everyday life. And SURE ‘NUF rides in tandem with, “my thoughts of today are programming my tomorrow”.
You wake up in the morning, put your feet over the side of the bed and say to yourself, “oh my, this is going to be a terrible day.” SURE ‘NUF!!! OR “I’ll never get this project done in time.” SURE ‘NUF!!
I believe that you need to always maintain an optimistic attitude and maintain the belief that any problem can and will be solved; OR that you can and will make the sale; OR that you can help one of your fellow employees grow; OR that you can and will reach your defined goals. This holds true no matter what your status within your organization may be. And think beyond the company and relate this to your personal life as well.
Your optimism will splash into the lives of the people around you including your clients, employees, peers, subordinates, your kids and even your spouse. What have you got to lose except an aura of Stinking Thinking? Who knows, it might even lower your blood pressure, the stress in your life and improve your health. You’d have to agree me with, the benefits outweigh the negatives. SURE ‘NUF!!
As always please accept my wish for an outstanding week three of August 2009! Your comments are always welcomed and remember, call or write and I will respond immediately with any assistance you may need.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources
Grinnell, Iowa
Nationally recognized Retained Executive Search and Employee Retention Specialist.
8/16/09
8/9/09
How Can I Help One of My Team Leaders?
August 9, 2009
Q: I own and operate a small Missouri based manufacturing firm with
85 employees +/-. I have a “number 2 guy” who has been with me for
many years and has done some excellent work for us in multiple arenas.
But I’ve come to realize that because of his management style we have lost
many outstanding employees over the years that equate to well over 200
years of experience. I was told recently that the word on the street is; “we are not an employer of choice” and this cut to my inner core. I want to help my organization and this individual without losing him. Can you provide me with a few easy, yet effective suggestions to follow? (Name withheld by request; Columbia, Missouri)
A: If this were “easy” I would have bottled and marketed the solutions years ago. There are many questions that come to mind to help me with logical solutions for you. But without the advantage of those answers, allow me throw out points or ideas, mostly rhetorical in nature to stimulate your thinking process;
1. Have you allowed him to operate unchecked?
2. Is his management style a mirror of yours by him living vicariously through your eyes?
3. Have you counseled with him on a regular basis?
4. Have you requested he set company and personal goals that he shares with you?
5. Do you have a method in place to monitor those goals?
6. Have you personally completed exit interviews with employees who have terminated whether it was voluntary or involuntary, so that you can ascertain just what is going on within your company?
7. Have you taken the time to identify what this executive is doing or saying in your absence that causes these human resource difficulties?
8. Are you confident that you are not a micro-manager and have forced him into his current mode just so he can please you?
9. What is your intrinsic trust level in this individual?
10. Are you blinded by his personal sales/accomplishments and fail to see the big picture?
11. Do you truly believe that running your business is ALL about the people and not just the success of one narcissistic individual?
12. Does this individual know how to “play you” and finger point to keep the real heat off of himself?
13. Do you believe that he is irreplaceable and without him the company would fail?
I would subscribe to you on this beautiful Sunday morning that you soul search your own personality, goals, intended results and growth of your company by the thirteen points above. Be honest with yourself. It’s not easy, but it can be accomplished and if you help this person become aware of the deficits within his management style, your company will see a growth pattern THROUGH and WITH ALL employees.
CAVEAT: He must be sincere in wanting to change as well. Employees see through smoke and mirror talk. Attitudes that are condescending, replete with “I” and not “us” and “we” will typically will work in a negative manner and be extremely counterproductive.
Hopefully these thirteen points will help you get on the right track. Have a tremendous week If I can help, call or write and I will respond immediately!.
Regards,
George Mancuso
Q: I own and operate a small Missouri based manufacturing firm with
85 employees +/-. I have a “number 2 guy” who has been with me for
many years and has done some excellent work for us in multiple arenas.
But I’ve come to realize that because of his management style we have lost
many outstanding employees over the years that equate to well over 200
years of experience. I was told recently that the word on the street is; “we are not an employer of choice” and this cut to my inner core. I want to help my organization and this individual without losing him. Can you provide me with a few easy, yet effective suggestions to follow? (Name withheld by request; Columbia, Missouri)
A: If this were “easy” I would have bottled and marketed the solutions years ago. There are many questions that come to mind to help me with logical solutions for you. But without the advantage of those answers, allow me throw out points or ideas, mostly rhetorical in nature to stimulate your thinking process;
1. Have you allowed him to operate unchecked?
2. Is his management style a mirror of yours by him living vicariously through your eyes?
3. Have you counseled with him on a regular basis?
4. Have you requested he set company and personal goals that he shares with you?
5. Do you have a method in place to monitor those goals?
6. Have you personally completed exit interviews with employees who have terminated whether it was voluntary or involuntary, so that you can ascertain just what is going on within your company?
7. Have you taken the time to identify what this executive is doing or saying in your absence that causes these human resource difficulties?
8. Are you confident that you are not a micro-manager and have forced him into his current mode just so he can please you?
9. What is your intrinsic trust level in this individual?
10. Are you blinded by his personal sales/accomplishments and fail to see the big picture?
11. Do you truly believe that running your business is ALL about the people and not just the success of one narcissistic individual?
12. Does this individual know how to “play you” and finger point to keep the real heat off of himself?
13. Do you believe that he is irreplaceable and without him the company would fail?
I would subscribe to you on this beautiful Sunday morning that you soul search your own personality, goals, intended results and growth of your company by the thirteen points above. Be honest with yourself. It’s not easy, but it can be accomplished and if you help this person become aware of the deficits within his management style, your company will see a growth pattern THROUGH and WITH ALL employees.
CAVEAT: He must be sincere in wanting to change as well. Employees see through smoke and mirror talk. Attitudes that are condescending, replete with “I” and not “us” and “we” will typically will work in a negative manner and be extremely counterproductive.
Hopefully these thirteen points will help you get on the right track. Have a tremendous week If I can help, call or write and I will respond immediately!.
Regards,
George Mancuso
8/1/09
Do You Practice Self Discipline, in the True Sense of the Words?
On Thursday, after the completion of a long twelve month consulting contract, I was making my final trip back to Iowa and had plenty of time for retrospect. As I was traveling the back roads of Kansas, I passed through the town of Phillipsburg and noticed a huge rodeo in progress. The banners all stated that this was the biggest rodeo in Kansas. There were no less than 100 horse trailers and well over 200 horses all around. Cowboys and Cowgirls were everywhere.
It made me think of the self discipline it took over the last year to achieve the goals that were set forth to and by me. I thought, "practice does make perfect", as the adage goes. And the case in point is that rodeos have grown out of a desire on the part of cowboys and cowgirls to demonstrate their skills. Skills they have developed, practiced and utilized everyday on the range. Somewhat like a subtle self discipline.
Their outstanding performances in the rodeo arena are only made possible by the unnoticed preparation day in and day out. The more you practice, the more you prepare, the better you will be. If you want to be the best you can be, you must develop self discipline.
Self Discipline like integrity, is one of those words we are all “pretty sure” we can define. Can you? What is your definition of self discipline? (And of course I’m not speaking about punishment)
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “discipline” includes the field of study; training that corrects molds or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. And “Self Discipline” is the correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement.
If you say to yourself that you are prone to be somewhat undisciplined, there is a cure for that and it’s called COMMITMENT! If you aren’t committed to your goals, you are just marking time in your organization. And I promise that when you make a commitment public, you typically set in motion powerful forces within your mindset. If you follow that commitment with integrity and exhibit self discipline, you will find that your performance matches your practice time after time.
Have a tremendous week. Call or write if I can be of any assistance.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources
It made me think of the self discipline it took over the last year to achieve the goals that were set forth to and by me. I thought, "practice does make perfect", as the adage goes. And the case in point is that rodeos have grown out of a desire on the part of cowboys and cowgirls to demonstrate their skills. Skills they have developed, practiced and utilized everyday on the range. Somewhat like a subtle self discipline.
Their outstanding performances in the rodeo arena are only made possible by the unnoticed preparation day in and day out. The more you practice, the more you prepare, the better you will be. If you want to be the best you can be, you must develop self discipline.
Self Discipline like integrity, is one of those words we are all “pretty sure” we can define. Can you? What is your definition of self discipline? (And of course I’m not speaking about punishment)
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “discipline” includes the field of study; training that corrects molds or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. And “Self Discipline” is the correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement.
If you say to yourself that you are prone to be somewhat undisciplined, there is a cure for that and it’s called COMMITMENT! If you aren’t committed to your goals, you are just marking time in your organization. And I promise that when you make a commitment public, you typically set in motion powerful forces within your mindset. If you follow that commitment with integrity and exhibit self discipline, you will find that your performance matches your practice time after time.
Have a tremendous week. Call or write if I can be of any assistance.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources
7/25/09
Who is The REAL Team Leader?
Who is the REAL team leader?
If I suggested to you that YOU are the real team leader, would agree or would you be surprised? If I suggested that just because you are on the team, doesn’t mean you can’t be the leader or the star player, would you be surprised at that?
Ulysses S. Grant said, “Leading is easy; the hard part is persuading others to follow.”
Although I do believe that one person should be the overall responsible leader in charge, any successful team is full of leaders. Each of us demonstrated leadership in our own rite. When you were born there wasn’t a program at the hospital checkout counter that included “leadership.” But yet we all have leadership built solidly within us. Some of us choose to be more demonstrative than others, but we’ve all got it.
To be a leader, I personally believe you need 3 elements of expertise;
1. You have to KNOW YOURSELF and all of your abilities to perform
2. You have to KNOW YOUR TRADE, whether it is making a part, providing a service, selling a product or managing a company.
3. You must demonstrate CONSISTENCY in your everyday life. This might possibly be the most important point. 3 examples of this statement are;
A. I know a Senior Vice President of sales who is loved by all of her customers, but bombs with her staff and her family as well. She has alienated her kids and husband and I understand is now even contemplating divorce.
B. I am aware of another person who is a Sales Manager and is considered to be very social and typically the life of most party’s. But when he is at work he makes no effort to make friends or alliances and pretty much stays to himself. But put him in front of an audience and he throws a switch to the on position and turns back to being Mr. Wonderful.
C. I met a team leader in a manufacturing role that has all kinds of friends within the building. But once he leaves the building, he becomes the true definition of a loner.
Why be on a team and be a loner? If you “bill yourself” as a one person show, then you accept the responsibilities on your shoulders of all facets of your daily business and professional life. Why would you want to do that? Why not show your team the leadership skills you have within your circle of expertise and offer it as part of the whole program?
And if you are the team leader in charge, you have a greater responsibility than to just reach a stated goal. You must have the leadership skill to encourage each member to be their own leader and contribute at a level of excellence. In doing this, your team members will have a feeling of exhilaration that will be hard to beat. This will come not only from reaching your team goals, but because they feel great about themselves and the team members around them. Bring out the best in your team and the rewards will be abundant.
I am a huge Vince Lombardi fan and consider him a man I’ve tried to model my own leadership skills from. He took a mediocre Green Bay Packers team, instilled leadership, team skills and the desire to be the best and they went to two Super Bowls. It wasn’t about him; it was about the people around him. “HIS” team, the Green Bay Packers! He never accepted the accolades; he gave them where they were due. But when they lost a game, he accepted that lost as a personal one and vowed to help the team to learn from their mistakes.
In closing today, I again suggest that YOU are the REAL team leader. Have a tremendous week and call or write if I can help in any way. Your comments are always welcome.
Regards,
George Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
If I suggested to you that YOU are the real team leader, would agree or would you be surprised? If I suggested that just because you are on the team, doesn’t mean you can’t be the leader or the star player, would you be surprised at that?
Ulysses S. Grant said, “Leading is easy; the hard part is persuading others to follow.”
Although I do believe that one person should be the overall responsible leader in charge, any successful team is full of leaders. Each of us demonstrated leadership in our own rite. When you were born there wasn’t a program at the hospital checkout counter that included “leadership.” But yet we all have leadership built solidly within us. Some of us choose to be more demonstrative than others, but we’ve all got it.
To be a leader, I personally believe you need 3 elements of expertise;
1. You have to KNOW YOURSELF and all of your abilities to perform
2. You have to KNOW YOUR TRADE, whether it is making a part, providing a service, selling a product or managing a company.
3. You must demonstrate CONSISTENCY in your everyday life. This might possibly be the most important point. 3 examples of this statement are;
A. I know a Senior Vice President of sales who is loved by all of her customers, but bombs with her staff and her family as well. She has alienated her kids and husband and I understand is now even contemplating divorce.
B. I am aware of another person who is a Sales Manager and is considered to be very social and typically the life of most party’s. But when he is at work he makes no effort to make friends or alliances and pretty much stays to himself. But put him in front of an audience and he throws a switch to the on position and turns back to being Mr. Wonderful.
C. I met a team leader in a manufacturing role that has all kinds of friends within the building. But once he leaves the building, he becomes the true definition of a loner.
Why be on a team and be a loner? If you “bill yourself” as a one person show, then you accept the responsibilities on your shoulders of all facets of your daily business and professional life. Why would you want to do that? Why not show your team the leadership skills you have within your circle of expertise and offer it as part of the whole program?
And if you are the team leader in charge, you have a greater responsibility than to just reach a stated goal. You must have the leadership skill to encourage each member to be their own leader and contribute at a level of excellence. In doing this, your team members will have a feeling of exhilaration that will be hard to beat. This will come not only from reaching your team goals, but because they feel great about themselves and the team members around them. Bring out the best in your team and the rewards will be abundant.
I am a huge Vince Lombardi fan and consider him a man I’ve tried to model my own leadership skills from. He took a mediocre Green Bay Packers team, instilled leadership, team skills and the desire to be the best and they went to two Super Bowls. It wasn’t about him; it was about the people around him. “HIS” team, the Green Bay Packers! He never accepted the accolades; he gave them where they were due. But when they lost a game, he accepted that lost as a personal one and vowed to help the team to learn from their mistakes.
In closing today, I again suggest that YOU are the REAL team leader. Have a tremendous week and call or write if I can help in any way. Your comments are always welcome.
Regards,
George Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
7/11/09
What Are The Qualities of a Leader?
QUESTION: Our organization is full of people that “think” they are leaders. In many cases, I suspect they have yet to wake up from their dream. How would you define a true leader?
(Marsha B, HR Director, Manufacturing)
ANSWER; My immediate response was to start typing with speed for all the things a leader is not. In my consulting practice as well as our recruiting division, we see many “leader want to-be types.” Some are good and many not so good. So please indulge me and I’ll give you what I call a “Mancusoism” which is the way I define a leaders twelve most important qualities;
1. Excellent listener
2. Business like, yet compassionate
3. Truly cares about the success of the people around him/her
4. Untiring perseverance level of willingness to teach others
5. Always gives the accolades of success to his/her team
6. Willing to stand on point when situations don’t quite go as planned
7. Respects the opinion of the people around him/her
8. Encourages staff to develop ideas and plans
9. Micro Managing is not in his/her vocabulary
10. Knowing that the title of manager, doesn’t necessarily make you a leader
11. Communication is an everyday practice
12. Staff always know where they stand with him/her
There is little doubt that I will get Emails with another 12 valid points. But when I talk about the qualities of a leader above, I truly mean that they possess most or all of what I have identified. Most managers who THINK they are leaders but perform poorly at it, typically treat people badly and don’t communicate worth a hoot.
May this week be one of the best of year so far for you and your family. Call or write if I can help in any way.
(Marsha B, HR Director, Manufacturing)
ANSWER; My immediate response was to start typing with speed for all the things a leader is not. In my consulting practice as well as our recruiting division, we see many “leader want to-be types.” Some are good and many not so good. So please indulge me and I’ll give you what I call a “Mancusoism” which is the way I define a leaders twelve most important qualities;
1. Excellent listener
2. Business like, yet compassionate
3. Truly cares about the success of the people around him/her
4. Untiring perseverance level of willingness to teach others
5. Always gives the accolades of success to his/her team
6. Willing to stand on point when situations don’t quite go as planned
7. Respects the opinion of the people around him/her
8. Encourages staff to develop ideas and plans
9. Micro Managing is not in his/her vocabulary
10. Knowing that the title of manager, doesn’t necessarily make you a leader
11. Communication is an everyday practice
12. Staff always know where they stand with him/her
There is little doubt that I will get Emails with another 12 valid points. But when I talk about the qualities of a leader above, I truly mean that they possess most or all of what I have identified. Most managers who THINK they are leaders but perform poorly at it, typically treat people badly and don’t communicate worth a hoot.
May this week be one of the best of year so far for you and your family. Call or write if I can help in any way.
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