Marc Robertson

The Costs of Not Bridging the Gap Between Generations

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It is now commonplace to hear stories of Boomer and GenX managers having difficulty managing Millennials in the workplace. Most managers look at it as having to deal with differences in attitudes and experience that can lead to frustration and resentment at its worst. The truth is that the actual monetary costs of not bridging this gap between generations can be tremendous. The inability for generations to relate well with one another leads to the following issues:[wcm_restrict]

Communication
When millennial age workers don’t trust their managers they are not likely to openly communicate with them, especially if they feel threatened. Instead of letting their managers know there is a problem with completing a task, or they see a problem ahead that the manager doesn’t see they will tend to keep it to themselves for fear of retribution, or even worse, because they don’t really want to support that manager. The costs are substantial. You find out about mistakes too late to fix them and spend money redoing or correcting problems that could have been avoided in the first place.

Second, you could have avoided a problem altogether had you known it was coming. Now you will spend your time, part of your staff’s time, and additional cost if it delays delivery of a product or service causing a hit to your cash flow.If you add up the cost of your time based on your salary, the cost of your staff’s time, and the delay in customer delivery; it is a substantial amount of money per hour. If this lack of communication becomes accepted as part of your culture you are wasting a significant amount of money and time on a yearly basis.

Performance Issues
When an employee is afraid or resentful they are prone to hiding any lack of ability they may have. Their performance erodes, and unless it’s blatantly obvious you have to figure out what they don’t know, and how to fill in for them or train them to do it. Now you’re paying for their mistakes as well as your time in trying to figure out what’s wrong. There is an additional cost in the poor performance of one employee affecting the entire output of a team or department. Add up all of those hours, it’s a scary number.

Missed Opportunity
When people don’t trust whom they’re reporting too or feel like they want to support them they are not going to be giving you their best ideas for solving problems or developing new products or services. That can easily become a missed opportunity. They might have come up with a solution to problem that could have been solved months ago, saving both frustration, time and money.

Turnover
In a job seekers market unfulfilled employees will leave the company. The cost of replacement is real dollars in terms of down time, recruiting, and then training time.

Being proactive in addressing the differences in generations in a positive way, and creating a clear path for communication, career development and building trust. will increase efficiency productivity and profitability. Companies like IBM have even developed groups made up of Millennial age IBM employees called Millennial Corps utilizing their unique point of view to test new products and make stronger connections across the company’s thousands of employees. Companies like IBM understand the importance of proactively bridging the gap between generations.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember]

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About the Author

Marc RobertsonMarc Robertson, MBA, is the founder and president of NewSkills USA and has more than 25 years of experience in the media, entertainment, and technology industries. He is the author of Working with Millennials: Using Emotional Intelligence and Strategic Compassion to Motivate the Next Generation of Leaders (Praeger, February 29, 2016).

StrategyDriven Corporate Cultures Article

Corporate Cultures – Survey Analysis Approach

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StrategyDriven Corporate Cultures ArticleInterpretation of cultural surveys requires application of strong statistical analysis methods and knowledge-based results aggregation. Drawing overall conclusions can be counterintuitive; requiring a fundamental understanding of how surveys extract data about the collective nature of an organization’s culture and how to interpret that data in light of the collective nature of the organization’s culture.[wcm_restrict plans=”60717, 25542, 25653″]

The following six principles guide the effective evaluation of organizational culture survey results:

Normalize the results and align graphing scales to enable valid comparison. Defining and understanding an organization’s culture relies on the ability of assessors to accurately compare survey results with one another and with those of established norms (when available). Because an unequal number of responses are commonly received on a question-by-question basis, survey results must be normalized to provide a valid comparison basis. Furthermore, graph scaling must be aligned so as to not skew the assessors’ perception of individual results.

To further align results presentations, non-count tabular and graphed values should be consistently rounded. Counts should be presented as whole numbers.

Consider the extremes but focus on the averages. An organization’s culture represents the collective values and beliefs of its members. Therefore, survey results reviews necessarily focus on the average and distribution of the bulk survey results. Assessors seek to identify and validate (through interviews, observations, and document reviews) anomalous extremes, characterized by an abnormally high number of extreme positive or negative responses, to determine whether a cultural shift is occurring or an isolated subculture exists. Survey result extremes are seldom used to draw a cultural conclusion in isolation.

This approach to cultural data analysis is very different than that typically employed during a performance assessment. Unlike cultural evaluations that pursue the identification of the organization’s ‘collective’ values and beliefs, performance assessments seek to identify and eliminate the causes of adverse extremes and promote the drivers of positive outliers. Consequently, the focus of performance assessments is on the extremes, often referred to as ‘by exception’ evaluations.

Compare trait, attribute, and question result averages and distribution patterns to further evaluate similarities and differences. (Tabular and distributed analysis) An organization’s culture lies somewhere on a continuum depending on the degree to which the cultural traits and attributes (trait subcomponents) are embraced by executives, managers, and employees. In order to determine where on the continuum each trait and attribute resides, assessors perform a comparative analysis of the averages and distribution of the bulk survey results among the organization’s cultural trait, attribute, and question survey results as well as with established norms (when available). The resulting relative cultural perspectives are further refined and significance assigned with the addition of personnel interview, meeting and activity observation, and document review data.

Note that trait results are rollups of associated attribute results and attribute results are rollups of associated question results.

Seek to understand strong demographic alignment and differences. (Demographic analysis) Organizational values and beliefs are established by the leadership team and then permeate throughout the organization to varying degrees based on a number of factors. As such, these reviews help reveal the success of leadership in aligning the organization to an individual trait or attribute, whether or not the strength of cultural performance represents their desired state (i.e. strong alignment to an overall low average trait or attribute survey value). Evaluating average survey results by demographic enables a better understanding of the vertical alignment (organization level demographic analysis) and horizontal alignment (workgroup demographic analysis) of the culture throughout the organization.

Integrate the several analyses (tabular, distributive, and demographic) to develop a fuller picture of the survey results. Culture is a complex, multifaceted concept. As such, use of any singular analysis would likely not reflect the cultural norms. Consequently, the several (tabular, distributive, and demographic) analyses are considered together in order to triangulate each trait and attribute’s relative strength.

There is no formulaic or mathematical method for integrating the several cultural analyses. Rather, the perspective each provides is combined using the culture assessment team’s collective knowledge and experience through a series of robust conversations and challenge meetings. (See StrategyDriven Business Performance Assessment Program best practice, Multidiscipline Team)

Combine the survey results with personnel interviews, activity observations, and document reviews to draw overall conclusions about the quality of the organization’s culture. Survey derived analysis provides a relative cultural perspective for defined culture traits and attributes. This perceptual data is further refined with the descriptive thoughts and examples provided by organizational personnel during one-on-one and group interviews. Final determination of trait and attribute quality occurs when this refined, qualitative perceptual data is combined with the more quantifiable cultural artifacts found within the organization as gleaned by direct meeting and activity observations and document reviews.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember plans=”60717, 25542, 25653″]

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About the Author

Nathan Ives, StrategyDriven Principal is a StrategyDriven Principal and Host of the StrategyDriven Podcast. For over twenty years, he has served as trusted advisor to executives and managers at dozens of Fortune 500 and smaller companies in the areas of management effectiveness, organizational development, and process improvement. To read Nathan’s complete biography, click here.

Jeffrey Gitomer

The 21.5 early warning signals that the prospect is ready to buy.

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Question: When is the prospect ready to buy?
Answer: He or she will tell you if you just pay attention (aka listen).

The link between the presentation and the close of the sale are buying signals. Recognizing the signals to buy is one of the nuance areas in the science of selling. I don’t believe that selling is an art, I believe that selling is a science. There are nuances to the process.

When you get a buying signal, the science is you taking action. The nuance is your ability to recognize the signal. If you listen to the buyer, he or she will give you the signals. One of the problems is that salespeople don’t listen very well.

Buying signal quiz: The biggest buying signal is a…
(A) Body signal or body language.
(B) A question asked by the buyer.
(C) An objection.

Is it (A) body language? NO! That is a manipulative piece of crap!
Is it (B) an objection? Sometimes. The buyer is asking for information in addition to what you said, or different from what you said.

The answer is (C) a question. You may just be thinking of them as questions that the buyer is asking… but that’s a big listening mistake! An objection means you haven’t sold me yet. But a question indicates genuine buyer interest. Your job is to listen beyond the question. Your job is to listen for the motive. Motive is a short word. Short for motivation. Get it now?

When you hear the question, that’s your signal to begin to ask for the sale or know that the sale is imminent if you answer in a way that reduces risk or creates some kind of green light to enable them (you) to move forward.

As a professional salesperson, your job is to recognize the question, the buying signal and then convert it to a sale. Recognizing it is the hard part. Here are the “how to recognize” ground rules…

  • Here’s a rule of thumb: Any question asked by the prospect must be considered a buying signal!
  • Here’s a rule of dumb: Preventing the question from being asked by talking too much, thereby preventing you from uncovering vital elements to make the sale.

Your job is to ask customers and prospects in order to give them an opportunity to think, respond, and ask you. Questions beget questions.

  • Here is a rule of dumb dumb: avoiding the question by being sales cute. EXAMPLE: “Ahhhh how much is this?” “Well, how much do you want to pay?” Or even ignoring the question, which is what they taught you in old, manipulative sales school by saying if they really want to ask that question they will ask it again. Give me a break!

Don’t try and make the prospect feel bad while you use your arrogance and actually go past the sale.

But here is the rule of dumb da dum dumb. Answering the question and not asking for the sale. That would be called a big big big mistake.

So, here are the 21.5 buying signals and questions to look for:

1. Questions about availability or time. Are these in stock? How often do you receive new shipments? Now let me explain something to you. There is a principle in selling, which is the principle of leaning forward. Questions make the prospect lean forward with interest to the answer that you provide. Now, when you understand these signals, you’re going to notice them all the time. Your job as a salesperson is to get the prospect to lean forward with interest. “What is your normal delivery time?” “What’s the warranty?” How much more of a buying signal could you want?

2. Questions about delivery. “How soon can someone be here?” Well, when do you need it? “How much notice do I have to give you?” Answer their question, and at the same time ask them a question to begin confirmation of the sale.

3. Questions about rates, price, or statements about affordability. This is a big one. “How much does this cost?” “What is the price?” “I don’t know if I can afford it.” What they are saying is “I want it!” The only question is how much? So the next part of that would be…

4. Questions or statements about money. “How much money would I have to put down to get this?” Or even, “This costs too much.” Those are huge buying signals. When someone wants to know the price, or what the terms could be or even if they are objecting to it, it means that they are interested in it.

…There’s MORE – #5-21.5 coming over the next two weeks. Stay tuned for more buying signals.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at salesman@gitomer.com.

Johan Gunnars

3 Simple Ways Productivity Leads to Your Best Self

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What do you think of when you hear the term “self-improvement”? If you’re like a lot of people, you might imagine working your way through giant stacks of self-help books, starting an intensive new exercise regimen, or devoting more time to charitable causes – all of which are certainly worthwhile ways to improve oneself.

However, the path to self-improvement isn’t always about drastic lifestyle changes. Sometimes the easiest way to get started on the journey to a better version of you is just by doing the little things to get organized, make a plan, and recognize the everyday effort it takes to get there.

Improving your productivity is a simple place to begin – and with World Productivity Day upon us, there’s no better time than now to start discovering your best self! Here are 3 ways to do it:[wcm_restrict]

1. Simplify your life

People often equate doing a lot with getting a lot done. Unfortunately, science tells us this just isn’t the case. Not only can multitasking actually lower productivity, it also increases stress levels in the brain – and nobody is at their best when they’re constantly in fight-or-flight mode. Instead of trying to chip away at every item on your reminder list all at once, simplify your life by organizing day-to-day items into digestible bits. This will help you to take things one at a time and accomplish tasks while also maintaining a positive and productive attitude.

2. Personalize your journey

Just looking at a calendar or day planner can induce panic in some people. The constant alerts, the inability to keep multiple calendars and notes in sync, the long list of appointments in crowded grid spaces that take an engineering degree to edit – it’s no wonder that people forego the prospect of a more productive day in order to save themselves from looking at their calendars. That’s a shame because visualizing your day also helps you prioritize the things that matter, so you can focus on what needs your attention and eliminate (or reschedule) what doesn’t. One way to make your list of reminders more welcoming is to make it meaningful. Include pictures to beautify it, prioritize a calendar that easily adapts to your lifestyle and needs, and share it with others if possible. Staying productive is essentially about effective goal planning – and it’s always easier to envision success when it’s personal to you.

3. Celebrate the small victories

We tend to think of tasks as things you simply cross off a list, but each of these seemingly inconsequential items is a stepping stone to changing or improving your life (yes, even picking up the dry-cleaning). Sometimes life keeps you so busy that you don’t take time to stop and recognize how much you’ve accomplished or how far you’ve come. But it’s all these small wins that quickly add up and make a big difference to your success. At the end of each week, take stock of all you’ve accomplished – review your list and relish in the tasks you’ve crossed off, appointments you’ve kept, and bits of everyday housekeeping that have helped you to achieve more. This reflection will not only keep you motivated, it will also continually sharpen your focus on whatever it is you’re working towards.

Your priorities are often a pretty accurate reflection of who you are as a person. How you organize these priorities, acknowledge them, and accomplish them has a huge impact on the kind of person you are or aspire to be. That’s why improving your productivity is such a great way to approach self-improvement; it isn’t just something that makes you work better, it also has the potential to make YOU better – and that’s something you can start now and improve upon day by day.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember]

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About the Author

Johan GunnarsJohan Gunnars is an entrepreneur and CEO and co-founder of Simpliday – Meetings, Reminders & Email in One, a new iPhone calendar app allowing users to achieve a more organized and efficient life by bringing together meetings, reminders and email in one customizable, beautiful, user-friendly app. Johan experience in productivity, software, e-commerce, consumer electronics, among others, leads him to focus on how companies and products can make a difference while connecting to the overall vision and strategy. Johan is based in Malmo, Sweden. For more information about Johan and Simpliday, visit Simpliday.

Garrett Sutton

Is Your Business a Commodity or a Resource?

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How are your services and the people providing them viewed by your clients? Are you a commodity readily available anywhere? Or are you a resource where skill, judgement, and critical thinking are valued and rewarded? The difference is important to your business future.[wcm_restrict]

The corner gas station offers a commodity. It is entirely a transaction-based relationship. The gas station owners only care if your credit card clears and you can pump fuel. They don’t care if you have an opinion on the transaction. Similarly, you expect fuel at the advertised price, and maybe a clean restroom. If your needs aren’t met, you go elsewhere.

Does the gas station example apply to your business? Or do you offer something more? Is your business a resource bringing unique and valuable ideas to the table? Consultants, professionals, and other providers of skill-based services should always maintain themselves as a resource business. Businesses that allow their customers to view them as merely a commodity provider attract the wrong type of clients.

A consultant friend recently described such a client to me. The person demanded to be seen right away when there was no real urgency, demanded immediate appointments when there was no compelling issue at stake, and insisted on work being performed according to arbitrary deadlines. You can treat a gas station in such a manner. Fill up whenever you want. But my friend offers much more than a transaction. And he doesn’t take on clients who fail to appreciate that his skills and judgement constitute a resource.

New business owners fall into the trap of taking whatever walks in the door. They think the most important things are to establish a client base. But in time, they learn an important truth: Not every client is a good client.

The client who treats you as a commodity when you offer a resource is not a good client. They will compare your prices to the provider down the street – like in our gas station example. In fact, your skill and judgement may warrant twice what the other provider quoted. Know this and let it be your North Star. You must be guided by this awareness. When the commodity-minded client makes a transaction-based argument, just send them down the street to the other provider. The longer you tolerate commodity clients, the more of them you will attract. The sooner you assert your value as a resource, the sooner you will attract the clients who matter most.

A good working relationship with a client relies on you contributing your unique skills. Otherwise, you are simply an order-taker. And while appeasing clients and giving them what they want may be an easy way to earn a living in the short-term, it’s a formula for disaster in the long run. The client is usually too close to their problem to correctly diagnose the root causes. If you simply agree to help implement the client’s preconceived solution, you are not helping the client or your career. You will not be a resource and you won’t be making a difference. Instead, you must bring your own expertise, objectivity, and outside perspective to the table. You must help the client go back and address the real challenges, some of which they are too immersed in to identify. In this manner, you become a strategic resource, to everyone’s benefit.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember]

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About the Author

Garrett SuttonGarrett Sutton is an author and asset protection attorney based in Reno, Nevada. Sutton’s bestselling books include: Start Your Own Corporation, Loopholes of Real Estate, and Finance Your Own Business. His latest book is Toxic Client: Knowing and Avoiding Problem Customers, deals with the important premise: Not every client is a good client.

For more information on Sutton and his books please visit www.ToxicClient.com.