May 24, 2009
Q: I am the HR director at a small company. I have been asked by the CEO to counsel my boss, who is the company President, about his tendency for insulting employees and making racist comments in e-mail messages. The same President has made derogatory comments about me, and retaliated against some employees (including firing) who have brought his defects to light. Morale is extremely low, from district managers to the corporate office, yet our company has never done better financially. As a result, our company's directors don't want to change Presidents. How do I handle his request for me to counsel my own boss?
—Over My CEO but on My Plate, vice President of human resources, real estate, Coral Gables, Florida
A: Dear Over Your CEO:
It’s good that your company is doing well financially, because it appears that in the near future they are going to need those funds to defend the EEOC, Sexual Harassment, and/or Discrimination law suits that typically follow engulf such a leader. In addition it speaks volumes to the blindness of the directors as well.
Before tackling this assignment, have a serious sit-down with the company CEO. And although it would be difficult you must insist the CEO get the Board together without the President so you can make your case to them as well. Be prepared not only from the pain caused by this guy but how the law reads and the legal and financial ramifications and how the long arm of a defense attorney will easily sweep all parties into the fray. This might wake them up.
Two questions jump out immediately: 1) Why is the CEO of the company accepting the President’s dysfunctional behavior and 2) Why is he not the one leading the counseling session? We can speculate on the motives, and again two stand out: 1) Your top leader is confrontation-averse and 2) He and the President are buddies.
Other question comes to mind: What is your relationship with the company CEO? Do you have enough experience to judge his integrity? This is vital as you must obtain substantive assurance (perhaps in writing) that the company CEO (or the board of directors) will give you protection from any retaliatory behavior by the President.(Is the company CEO aware of how far this President has taken retaliation when feeling threatened?
The company CEO and company board must understand that employee discontent with treatment from a specific manager or supervisor is the biggest cause of employees leaving a company. That is, profits probably won’t stay up if morale stays low and people eventually change ships, which is what they will likely do once the economic climate starts to improve.
Finally, I would obtain buy-in from the company CEO for some executive, communications, or diversity coaching for the President.
Assuming you get satisfactory assurance (and if you don’t then I would think twice about meeting with the President alone; I might opt instead for a three-way meeting with the President and the company CEO) then consider these steps:
Challenge and reassure the President. If possible, have the President meet in your office. Psychologically this will be self-empowering. Let the President know that the CEO of the company strongly suggested the meeting.
Then inform the President that you and the company CEO (there is strength in numbers) values his contributions to the company success (note specific strengths). Also, share that you appreciate how, as a leader, he wants to hold people accountable, and you understand his frustration when people do not meet company performance expectations.
However, you and the company CEO both are concerned that some of the President’s actions are hurting his status as leader and potentially are hurting the overall position of the company.
Be specific. Ask the President if he recalls imparting any insulting or racist comments in e-mails? If he denies the deed, if at all possible be prepared to present such e-mails or have some documentation at hand. (I would not bring up your experience with the President in this meeting.
Don’t give the President ammo to question your objectivity.) Let the President know he is putting himself and the company in legal jeopardy with such insults and racist comments.
Ask for feedback and have a plan. How does the President respond to your constructive confrontation? If he is defensive or in denial, then you have to let him know that you will be reporting this fact back to the company CEO. If he is open to your comments, solicit his ideas on how he can express his frustrations or concerns with people or business operations in a more constructive and substantive manner. I would also let the President know that the company is prepared to provide voluntary executive/communication/diversity coaching (and will make it mandatory) if problems persist.
Follow up on the meeting. I would schedule a three-way meeting with the President and company CEO to make sure everyone is on the same page, after you’ve had a report back with the company CEO. And then have a follow-up meeting in two to four weeks with you and the President to monitor progress.
If you follow these steps, I believe you will demonstrate your professionalism and will determine whether the President’s behaviors are amenable to change. And if the President resists this intervention, then the ball is in the company CEO and/or company board’s court, where it belonged all along. And if all of this occurs in a negative light, I would sadly encourage you to update your resume.
Hopefully, this will be a safe and happy family Memorial Day.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso
Nationally recognized Retained Executive Search and Employee Retention Specialist.
5/24/09
5/15/09
Ask for referrals..... from EVERYBODY!
Ask for referrals..... from EVERYBODY!
In most cases, referrals are more powerful routes to clients than prospecting. A referral carries with it an implicit endorsement from the referrer and gives you an advantage over someone who reaches out to a client without a referral. Given, that, your best strategy is to focus on the mechanisms to cultivate and maintain referral sources. There are a few ways to do this.
First, understand who is likely to be a referral source. Small businesses are busy and may not have time to help you out. New businesses to a market won't have built their referral networks. Conversely, trade associations or chambers of commerce have broad contact with their industry or profession. Vendors, if you are not competing with them, can be great referral sources.
Second, understand what you need to do to get referrals. We sometimes assume that a referral source is eager to help us based just on our reputation. Although this might be true in some cases, you are better off making sure there is something in a referral to both the referrer and the target. Making a referral requires trust that you are both good and ethical over the long run. This means cultivating referral sources with repeated and consistent good service. Do good work and make sure you let your referral sources know about it.
Tip: Set as a target to get 50-75% of your new clients from referrals. Start with a list of your target clients and work backward to find types of and specific referral sources. Make this a formal, written plan to identify those referral sources for whom you have already or can demonstrate that making a referral will not put them at risk. Finally, develop the tactics that will assure that the referrer benefits from making that referral.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
Grinnell, IA
In most cases, referrals are more powerful routes to clients than prospecting. A referral carries with it an implicit endorsement from the referrer and gives you an advantage over someone who reaches out to a client without a referral. Given, that, your best strategy is to focus on the mechanisms to cultivate and maintain referral sources. There are a few ways to do this.
First, understand who is likely to be a referral source. Small businesses are busy and may not have time to help you out. New businesses to a market won't have built their referral networks. Conversely, trade associations or chambers of commerce have broad contact with their industry or profession. Vendors, if you are not competing with them, can be great referral sources.
Second, understand what you need to do to get referrals. We sometimes assume that a referral source is eager to help us based just on our reputation. Although this might be true in some cases, you are better off making sure there is something in a referral to both the referrer and the target. Making a referral requires trust that you are both good and ethical over the long run. This means cultivating referral sources with repeated and consistent good service. Do good work and make sure you let your referral sources know about it.
Tip: Set as a target to get 50-75% of your new clients from referrals. Start with a list of your target clients and work backward to find types of and specific referral sources. Make this a formal, written plan to identify those referral sources for whom you have already or can demonstrate that making a referral will not put them at risk. Finally, develop the tactics that will assure that the referrer benefits from making that referral.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Gman Business Resources, Inc.
Grinnell, IA
5/9/09
Differentiate Yourself
I am an experienced consultant, in a sea of all types of other consultants. What can I do to differentiate myself from those who do similar work?
Every consultant faces the same issues of differentiation, regardless of firm size or discipline. Certainly your personal reputation from prior work and, often in a multi-practice firm, the reputation of your associates or partners makes a big difference as well.
However, people shop on rationality and buy on emotion. In the minds of a buyer of professional services, particularly the more senior they are, there is a greater likelihood of identifying with you if you come across as a peer. This means exhibiting leadership characteristics.
One of the best ways leaders relate is by having great history to discuss. Stories of history, more than dry recitations of capabilities that are virtually indistinguishable from others, help you emotionally connect. Great leaders can easily cover three arenas:
1. About themselves (what you stand for, where you came from)
2. About the organization they represent (you are promoting your firm as well as yourself)
3. About how they have made/can make people feel they are part of something bigger than themselves (this can be about past clients, community organizations or missions that you and your audience have in common)
Caution: Your stories won't get you in the door - only your capabilities, experience and value will. Create the “talk” that defines you and your commitment to professional services and you are much more likely to connect.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Every consultant faces the same issues of differentiation, regardless of firm size or discipline. Certainly your personal reputation from prior work and, often in a multi-practice firm, the reputation of your associates or partners makes a big difference as well.
However, people shop on rationality and buy on emotion. In the minds of a buyer of professional services, particularly the more senior they are, there is a greater likelihood of identifying with you if you come across as a peer. This means exhibiting leadership characteristics.
One of the best ways leaders relate is by having great history to discuss. Stories of history, more than dry recitations of capabilities that are virtually indistinguishable from others, help you emotionally connect. Great leaders can easily cover three arenas:
1. About themselves (what you stand for, where you came from)
2. About the organization they represent (you are promoting your firm as well as yourself)
3. About how they have made/can make people feel they are part of something bigger than themselves (this can be about past clients, community organizations or missions that you and your audience have in common)
Caution: Your stories won't get you in the door - only your capabilities, experience and value will. Create the “talk” that defines you and your commitment to professional services and you are much more likely to connect.
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Time Wasters
May 3, 2009
Q: About 2 years ago you sent us a newsletter about Time Wasting. Although I have shared that with my staff over the last “many” months, I have somehow been able to locate the piece in my computer. Would you kind enough to run it again for the edification of all? (Rebecca D. EVP, Business Consulting)
A: My pleasure:
Time management is one of the greatest challenges of any business professional. With that in mind, I offer you the following;
1. Time Waster: Personal Issues brought to work.
a. Solution: Leave your baggage outside the door of your office. When you are at work, you need to focus on work.
2. Time Waster: Discussing every HIGH and LOW with the ENTIRE office.
a. Solution: Don’t cost your co-workers and the company time and money that will be taken away when they stop to listen. Learn to keep things to yourself.
3. Time Waster: Arriving at work with a NEGATIVE ATTITUDE.
a. Solution: You have to arrive at work expecting to WIN and SUCCEED. You don’t want to be responsible for sucking the oxygen out or your office. Remember, if you think you can succeed or you think you can’t – You’re Right!
4. Time Waster: Asking Endless Questions.
a. Solution: Write down your questions and ask your manager at 11:30 AM or 4:30 PM. During prime time, stay focused on your work.
5. Time Waster: Arriving at work with no plan.
a. Solution: You should always arrive at work planning to accomplish all of your “A” priority goals of the day. Without a defined plan you have chaos.
6. Time Waster: Deserving more, settling for less and blaming others.
a. Solution: Always focus on what YOU could have done differently. If you are affected by the actions of someone else, realize that you have 100% control over how you react and you can choose NOT to react at all!
If I can be of assistance to you or your management team with regards to hiring, growth consulting and/or training, please call or write and I will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso
Q: About 2 years ago you sent us a newsletter about Time Wasting. Although I have shared that with my staff over the last “many” months, I have somehow been able to locate the piece in my computer. Would you kind enough to run it again for the edification of all? (Rebecca D. EVP, Business Consulting)
A: My pleasure:
Time management is one of the greatest challenges of any business professional. With that in mind, I offer you the following;
1. Time Waster: Personal Issues brought to work.
a. Solution: Leave your baggage outside the door of your office. When you are at work, you need to focus on work.
2. Time Waster: Discussing every HIGH and LOW with the ENTIRE office.
a. Solution: Don’t cost your co-workers and the company time and money that will be taken away when they stop to listen. Learn to keep things to yourself.
3. Time Waster: Arriving at work with a NEGATIVE ATTITUDE.
a. Solution: You have to arrive at work expecting to WIN and SUCCEED. You don’t want to be responsible for sucking the oxygen out or your office. Remember, if you think you can succeed or you think you can’t – You’re Right!
4. Time Waster: Asking Endless Questions.
a. Solution: Write down your questions and ask your manager at 11:30 AM or 4:30 PM. During prime time, stay focused on your work.
5. Time Waster: Arriving at work with no plan.
a. Solution: You should always arrive at work planning to accomplish all of your “A” priority goals of the day. Without a defined plan you have chaos.
6. Time Waster: Deserving more, settling for less and blaming others.
a. Solution: Always focus on what YOU could have done differently. If you are affected by the actions of someone else, realize that you have 100% control over how you react and you can choose NOT to react at all!
If I can be of assistance to you or your management team with regards to hiring, growth consulting and/or training, please call or write and I will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso
4/25/09
Developing Leaders
April 26, 2009
Q: "The job of leaders is not to create followers; it is to create more leaders." What role can I as a business owner play in creating leaders within my organization?
A: I subscribe to you that this is not outside the scope of most business professionals. You, as the patriarch/matriarch of your company, present an interesting opportunity to provide extra value in the growth of your employees. If your goal is to improve the lot of your organization, this logically extends to creating in staff, the ability to develop leadership skills. In most organizations, leaders come in all flavors, not just the one at the top of the organizational chart. So, how does a confident (non-threatened) business professional provide those skills and experiences that foster leadership?
I would like to offer only three ways to do this via this correspondence:
1. The first is by setting an example of a person who diagnoses, explores, challenges, and pushes the boundaries of what is possible in the organization. This is usually what you are asked to do in an organization, but you develop leaders by sharing your process and including staff in your deliberations.
2. Second, what if you formally "assign" one or more staff to shadow you on an engagement or process? This allows you to delegate some responsibility for project outcomes.
3. Third, offer to train staff not participating in the project in some basic skills in organizational assessment, diagnostics, selected aspects of your technical disciplines and your philosophy about organizational change. Who says that class is no longer is session just because they have graduated from high school or college?
Tip: Beyond just delivering a better path forward, much of your value comes from sustained implementation of that improvement. This is best carried on by staff after you have concluded the training. Make development of technical and leadership skills a part of your engagement, and the time you spend working with staff as a value add event. Broadening your contribution to trainer as well as mentor, may be in the best interests of everyone.
As always please accept my wishes for a tremendous week. And if I or any of my staff can assist you or your organization, please call or write and we will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Q: "The job of leaders is not to create followers; it is to create more leaders." What role can I as a business owner play in creating leaders within my organization?
A: I subscribe to you that this is not outside the scope of most business professionals. You, as the patriarch/matriarch of your company, present an interesting opportunity to provide extra value in the growth of your employees. If your goal is to improve the lot of your organization, this logically extends to creating in staff, the ability to develop leadership skills. In most organizations, leaders come in all flavors, not just the one at the top of the organizational chart. So, how does a confident (non-threatened) business professional provide those skills and experiences that foster leadership?
I would like to offer only three ways to do this via this correspondence:
1. The first is by setting an example of a person who diagnoses, explores, challenges, and pushes the boundaries of what is possible in the organization. This is usually what you are asked to do in an organization, but you develop leaders by sharing your process and including staff in your deliberations.
2. Second, what if you formally "assign" one or more staff to shadow you on an engagement or process? This allows you to delegate some responsibility for project outcomes.
3. Third, offer to train staff not participating in the project in some basic skills in organizational assessment, diagnostics, selected aspects of your technical disciplines and your philosophy about organizational change. Who says that class is no longer is session just because they have graduated from high school or college?
Tip: Beyond just delivering a better path forward, much of your value comes from sustained implementation of that improvement. This is best carried on by staff after you have concluded the training. Make development of technical and leadership skills a part of your engagement, and the time you spend working with staff as a value add event. Broadening your contribution to trainer as well as mentor, may be in the best interests of everyone.
As always please accept my wishes for a tremendous week. And if I or any of my staff can assist you or your organization, please call or write and we will respond immediately!
Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
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