September 2009
Monthly Archive
10 Must-Have “Successories” in Business
Suzanne Bates 28 Sep 2009 | : Uncategorized
When you walk out the door to go to work in the morning, what are you taking with you? A cell phone, keys, purse or briefcase, and a bottle of water? These are the necessities, but what about the “successories?” By that I mean, what do you need to take along as the accessories for success?
When I think about the most successful executives and professionals I have coached in my career, and the types of things that have made a difference for them, I think there are 10 “successories” that allow anyone to stand out among their colleagues and competitors.
Take these 10 “successories” with you every single day:
Successory #1: Big Ideas - Think about the highest priority challenges of the organization; gather information, analyze the facts and develop exciting proposals that will move your company forward.
Successory #2: Purpose and Passion - The difference between a technically skilled expert and a leader is the ability to connect people with purpose and passion toward a common goal
Successory #3: The Ability to Motivate and Inspire - Communicate in a way that moves people to action through powerful words and stories - and you’ll be regarded as an influential leader who will get things done
Successory #4: Executive Presence - The way you stand, walk, talk and move tells people whether you are comfortable as a top executive; everything from handshake to eye contact and gestures speaks volumes.
Successory #5: Polished appearance - the quality, cut and fit of your clothes and accessories, even the condition of your car and your office, reflect how you think about yourself.
Successory #6: Humility and Confidence - To much of one or the other is unattractive and sometimes fatal. You need to be confident enough to meet every person and situation, humble enough to appreciate you don’t have a corner on all the good ideas.
Successory #7: Manners and Etiquette - You can succeed to a point without knowing how to introduce yourself, which knife and fork to use, how to greet people in your office, where to sit in a meeting, but eventually not knowing will catch up to you. Learn the rules of business etiquette.
Successory #8: Listening/ Receptivity - There is listening and then there is listening; asking questions and expressing genuine curiosity are a sign of maturity, leadership and strength.
Successory #9: Social Intelligence - Make it a practice to connect with everyone where they are right now; understand different social and communication styles and adapt while remaining true to yourself
Successory #10: Authenticity - What works is who you really are; your style, your story, your words your way. I find one of the most enjoyable aspects of coaching is helping people discover and bring out their authentic leadership “self.”
Inspirational Speaker Les Brown in Boston. You’re Invited
Suzanne Bates 25 Sep 2009 | : Uncategorized
I want to let the readers of the Power Speak Blog know about an event in Boston with one of the best motivational speakers in the world. Les Brown is a best-selling author and Emmy award winning speaker who has has empowered millions of people to discover and nurture their in-born greatness. Les is known for helping many of his clients become millionaires. Now he is coming to the Boston area. I would strongly recommend that you attend this event and get inspired to discover your power voice.
The event is Friday October 9, 2009, 6 pm-9:30 pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Natick, Massachusetts.
Attendance is strictly LIMITED to the first 197 who sign up. Register at www.nsanengland.com or calling Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, Event Chair, at 617-803-6046.
NSA New England is offering this to members of NSA and Toastmaster International at $57/person. Guests pay $77/person. This price includes a welcome reception with light appetizers, free parking, networking, and an opportunity to listen and learn from the best motivational speaker of our times.
Giving a Speech? 24-hour Rule: Practice, Rest, Get Energized
Suzanne Bates 24 Sep 2009 | : Uncategorized
My 24 hour rule for giving a major speech is this: practice, rest and get energized.
I don’t always follow that advice, but today I did, and was reminded of why it works.
How did I manage? First, I blocked off the day. Then, I honored that intention. Second, I didn’t go to the office. I stayed home, exercized, then printed up the script, got up on my feet, and went through several times. When I was satisfied it was committed to memory, I prepared my note cards since I would not be using the script.
What’s the result? Tonight, when I go to bed, I will sleep through the night. Tomorrow when I walk in the door and sit down at the head table, I’ll feel calm. When I walk on stage to talk to 400 health care executives I’ll be ready. I know it won’t be perfect, it never is. But I’ll feel reasonable confident and it will go well enough.
I can hear a chorus of you saying, that’s just great, but my job doesn’t allow it. I am back to back with meetings and there is little chance of finding practice time in that schedule. My answer is this. You don’t find time, you make time. It’s always a question of priorities. Set the intention to do well; schedule the intention by putting the practice time on your calendar 24 hours in advance; and then, honor the intention by following through, getting up on your feet and having your own dress rehearsal.
Practice, rest and get energized. This is the secret to the 24 hours prior to a major presentation.
If you’d like some tips on preparing for a speech, especially if you get anxious prior to speaking to a large group, please click on this video. Or, go to our on-line store and look for the Speak Like a CEO Toolkit.
If you have some tips of your own on how you like to spend the 24 hours before a speech, click on the comments section below and share your advice with our community.
Business Lessons: A Cute Guy Smiled at Me
Suzanne Bates 18 Sep 2009 | : Uncategorized
A cute guy smiled at me today. I am not so young as not to notice. I am not so old as to not appreciate it. The fact that it happened was note worthy. The fact that he was 25 years younger than me made it special. The fact that it happened on a bustling NYC street outside Madison Square Garden made it … well… worth writing about.
This isn’t a lesson about New York – I find New York to be friendly enough when you need it to be. Oh sure, you have to steel yourself for getting jostled around as you fight your way into Penn Station. But in New York people talk to you when you talk to them, help when you need help; they’re just in a hurry. You feel safe. In fact, ever since 9/11 I’ve been reassured by the certainty that if there were another attack the entire city would descend on the bad guys and pummel them into oblivion.
But I digress.
The cute guy. Yes. The cute guy.
I’ll admit, when he smiled at me, he was reacting. I was already smiling. He smiled back. But he meant it. About the smiling; I do that. just walking down the street. It’s partly a relic of my many years as a television news anchor- you never knew when some viewer was going to see you deep in thought at the grocery store, frowning about the choice of pork chops or tenderloin– go home and dutifully report to 38 friends and loved ones that they actually met you and you were not that nice. Yes, the smiling is partly a fine tuned, well-worn defensive mechanism.
The main reason I smile isn’t that reflex though. I am a generally happy person. Walking down the street on a sunny September afternoon - I figure you might as well enjoy it. Cue John Denver (“sunshine…on my shoulders…makes me happy”).
Over the years as I’ve walked down the street smiling I’m mostly not aware of it, so it doesn’t usually occur to me that most other people don’t smile back. Until they do. If you live in the Midwest everybody smiles (my old stomping grounds) but otherwise it’s kind of unusual. Most people find it easier not to engage.
This got me thinking about what lesson could be learned from the cute guy who smiled. Then it hit me.
If you’re the boss, you can have the same impact on people - when you smile.
In executive coaching, we always hear people say they don’t know where they stand with their boss. “I can’t read the guy,” or “I don’t know what he’s thinking,” they’ll say. As a boss you are aware, I assume, that your employees watch your facial expression like the five-day weather forecast. Sun or clouds? Rain or hail? This will determine whether they decide to stop in your office; tell you what’s really going on with a project; propose a new idea; debate a point, or let it go. Your face not only can change the mood of the office, it can actually determines in large part what work gets done.
So what are you supposed to do about that? Smile all the time? Of course not. That would be phoney. You can’t be “on” all the time.
But I will say it’s good to know that just like the cute guy, you have the power to make someone’s day.
I’m on the train back to Boston now, home in about 3 more hours. Look forward to a quiet evening on the couch with my dog Rosie. Since my cute and wonderful husband is traveling, I guess I’ll skip dinner, pour a glass of wine and toast the cute guy with the nice smile who made my day.
Top Executives Must Build Trust with Workers/Customers
Suzanne Bates 14 Sep 2009 | : Communication, Motivate Like a CEO, Speak like a CEO, career advice, communications training for leaders, crisis communications, economic recovery, economic turnaround, economic upturn, employee motivation, employee productivity, employee stress, leadership and communication, leadership development, motivated employees
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Press Release: To Lead Companies Out of Recession Trust Ranks as Top Development Need |
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MEDIA CONTACT: “The recession has damaged trust between top-level executives and employees, and between company leaders and customers,” said Bates, president and CEO of Bates Communications (www.bates-communications.com). “Massive layoffs and cutbacks have harmed relationships between employers and remaining employees. Bankruptcies, closures, and failed business strategies have hurt trust between executives and those they do business with. Senior-level executives must work toward rebuilding that trust,” Bates added. The No. 1 way that executives will lead their organizations out of the recession is by meeting with customers and prospects to rebuild trust and win business, according to 77% of survey respondents. Trust-building was also selected as the ability that current executives most need to develop. 76% of survey respondents ranked building trust among employees and customers as the aptitude executives most need to develop. Furthermore, trustworthiness was rated second as the quality executives will need most to guide their companies post-recession, selected by 60% of survey respondents - behind only being visionary, which was chosen by 64%. “Because organizations are leaner due to layoffs and hiring freezes, employees are being asked to work harder with fewer financial incentives. CEOs cannot afford to miss the issue of trust, or they risk damaging the motivation of the very people who are key to the recovery,” said Bates. “Employees are losing steam as the recession drags on, and they continue to do more with less. Top talent is especially at risk. If leaders don’t keep building bridges to them, they will lose them when the economy improves,” Bates added. The least-favored way for executives to move their organizations forward is by developing a higher media profile, which was chosen by only 27% of respondents. Instead, company leaders should direct their efforts toward communicating with, inspiring, motivating, and engaging employees, the survey found. After rebuilding trust, the skills that C-suite executives will need most in order to move their businesses forward are: communicating more effectively about priorities; inspiring people to brainstorm new ideas; serving as Chief Motivating Officers; and engaging employees to take active roles in high-priority projects. However, current business leaders also need to sharpen their motivational and inspirational skills inside their organizations, according to the survey. Behind mending trust, they should perfect aligning their organizations toward a common purpose or vision; articulating a strategic direction; and speaking in a powerful way to motivate and inspire people to act. “This latest research confirms that CEOs need to engage their teams and win their trust. CEOs must provide straight talk about their plans for innovating and building a company that will thrive when the recession is over,” said Bates. “All senior-level leaders must learn to clearly communicate mission and purpose, and do it with passion, so that people are inspired. Leaders who serve as Chief Motivating Officers connect people with the company, the message, and the strategy, and find it far simpler to accomplish their goals. They have an entire organization of people who are working to achieve their own potential, and feel energized by their common purpose. These leaders harness energy and talent, and drive their organizations forward,” said Bates.” SURVEY RESULTS The skills that C-suite executives need most in order to lead their organizations out of the recession are: The skills that current executives most need to develop are: The qualities that leaders need right now to move their organizations forward are: About ‘Motivate Like a CEO’ Suzanne Bates is the author of “Motivate Like a CEO: Communicate Your Strategic Vision and Inspire People to Act!,” published by McGraw-Hill in January 2009, which became #1 best-seller in books on communication skills on amazon.com. She is also the author of the business best-seller “Speak Like a CEO, Secrets to Commanding Attention and Getting Results” (McGraw Hill 2005). She is President and CEO of Bates Communications Inc. www.bates-communications.com and blogs at www.thepowerspeakerblog.com
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Take this 10-Question “Visibility Quiz”
Suzanne Bates 11 Sep 2009 | : Uncategorized
Do the right people know your name? Do they think of you when opportunities come along? Do you have a robust network of friends and close acquaintances who trust you, admire you, believe in you and want to help you?
Visibility is a career strategy! And it doesn’t just happen. You have to work at it. Don’t wait until you need a new job or want a promotion . It’s never been more important that it is right now to build your professional profile - don’t be a best kept secret. Be top of mind with the right people in your company and your industry.
Last night while meeting with technology leaders I heard the story I’ve heard a thousand times - talented individuals who are in transition and wish they had kept up their network. They’re out vowing they will never again to let this happen.
Want to assess your current visibility?
Answer yes or no to the following 10 questions:
1. I’ve received a positive note from my boss or my boss’s boss within the last 30 days.
2. I’ve attended at least company social event in the last 60 days and met or strengthened a relationship with at least one colleague.
3. I’ve spoken up and put a new idea on the table within the last 60 days.
4. I’ve attended at least one professional event and made at least 3 new contacts in the last 30 days.
5. I’ve given an external presentation speech to an outside organization or client in the last 90 days.
6. I’ve given an internal presentation to my boss or a group of decision makers in the last thirty days.
7. I’ve volunteered on an initiative that is not within the scope of my job in the last six months.
8. I’ve written an article, a white paper, blog for publication in the last six months.
9. I’ve volunteered for a leadership role with my professional association in the last six months.
10. I have been actively using social networking and social media to build my network of contacts.
8-10 “yes” responses - you’re a rising star who knows how to build visibility - keep going!
5-7 “yes” responses - you’re building visibility; now try something new
5 “yes responses or fewer - now is the time, seize the day, get busy and get visibible!
I’d like to hear from you! Tell me how you’re building visibility in your company and your industry. Click on the comments icon to leave a reply.
And if you’d like to order a copy of the booklet Make a Name in Business, click here to go to our online store.
Why Not You? How to Get Promoted to the Top Job.
Suzanne Bates 09 Sep 2009 | : career, career advice, promotions
How can you get promoted to the top job? Is the process really so mysterious? Yes and no.
The part that is mysterious is the cloak and dagger operation that characterizes how many companies approach succession planning. It’s like Oz behind the curtain. Who knows what’s really going on? Few companies do it well, and it’s something you can’t control.
What you can control is one thing - the way you think. What you can control are the questions you ask yourself every day. One question you need to ask yourself every day is, “Why not me?”
Yes. “Why not me?”
“Why not me?” is a powerful question because it eliminates the excuse of perfectionism, the negativity around the process, the drag on your psyche from perceived missteps or missed opportunities. No one person is perfect for any job. There are only great candidates, and there is always one who will be chosen. When you ask yourself, “Why not me?” you empower yourself with the belief that you have as good a shot as anyone.
Recently I have been advising a long time client who was going for a top job. She is talented, respected, brilliant and savvy, yet at the outset, she wasn’t even on the list. She didn’t fit the “usual criteria” for a candidate for this position. They had someone else in mind - someone “everyone always thought” would get the job. Yet, she decided to throw her hat in the ring. She had embraced the question, “Why not me?”
This attitude ignited a fire in her; she worked harder and smarter than any other candidate, she prepared better, she learned more, she built more support. As a result, interviewed better than anyone. How do I know? They told her. She earned enormous respect from a board of directors that barely had her on the radar screen. Whether or not she gets this job, I can guarantee this - she’s going to land another one, just as prestigious, maybe better, because she has started asking the question- why not me?
Your confidence and self-esteen are the number one factor in your success. Confidence isn’t ALL you need, it’s just that with confidence, you do everything differently.
When you ask, “why not me?” you start spending your time and energy more productively, you make better decisions about your career, you find good mentors and coaches to help you; you open up to the experiences that will shape you; you invest in developing the skills you need to get to the top. The question “why not me?” takes you out of your comfort zone to explore who you really might become. I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times with our coaching clients. Those who ask “why not me,” don’t look at coaching as something they “have to do” because it’s good for them; they see it as a process that will help them to realize their dreams.
Hitting a home run isn’t just about taking enough swings. You have to picture yourself in uniform, picture yourself at bat, picture yourself hitting it out of the park. When you picture it, THEN you’ll take enough swings, take enough risks, try enough times to knock it out of the park.
I am planning to write more on this topic, which is why I strongly encourage you to comment on this article. Perhaps you would like to share a story about what has happened when you’ve asked yourself the question, “why not me?” Click on “Leave a Reply” and tell me your story.
Also don’t forget to follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/CEOCoachBates.
It’s Not the Economy. It’s Trust.
Suzanne Bates 03 Sep 2009 | : economic recovery
Okay, I know. If your customers won’t answer the phone … or if they’re telling you they have no budget, it feels like it’s the economy.
But is it?
The other day a friend of mine lost a project to another firm. They said they enjoyed meeting her and she gave a very good presentation. It turns out the CEO had a relationship with another firm that had done superior work for them in the past. It wasn’t her company’s reputation, their quality of their product, capacity to deliver or customer service. And it wasn’t simply familiarity. He knew both firms. It was trust that tipped the scales the other way.
In business almost nothing happens without trust. That means you need to have a lot stored in your “trust banks.” When customers have choices, they care about a fair deal, but they pull the trigger when they trust you to deliver.
Friends in financial services tell me that they are running into a lot or resistance related to trust right now. Clients keep asking the same questions, over and over again. Why? The lack of transparency and the foolish risks some investment companies took, has created a crisis of confidence that’s shaken the industry. Whether or not they were culpable, everyone in the industry is paying a price.
How do you win back trust? That’s a long, tall order. However, I believe that if you apply these three principles you will succeed.
3 Principles for Communicating to Build Trust
#1: Transparency. People don’t believe in anything they don’t understand, and they hate it when they sense you’re trying to hide something. This is why Obama’s health care plan has not succeeded. No one knows what’s in the plan. The administration’s promise of transparency sounds hollow when you have 1,000 pages of unintelligable gobbldygook masquerading as some kind of plan. Take heed in business. If you don’t disclose something, and people learn about it later, it will haunt you forever.
#2: Proof of Performance. In the above case, it would have been difficult to compete with a firm that has already proven itself to a decision maker. At the same time, when you’re communicating with a prospective buyer, you need to go the extra mile. It’s great to build rapport and have a good product or service, but what people want to know is, does it work, and how do I know for sure? This means you need to have proof of performance that’s tied to results. You can communicate this by sharing testimonials, written, or on video; by demonstrating the direct link between the product or service and results. The more clearly you communicate the proof the more opportunity you have to build trust
#3: Authenticity When you sit down to talk with a prospective employee, you size them up not only according to their resume or answers to questions, but also by whether you believe they are who they say they are. The same thing happens when you sit down with clients and customers. They are evaluating to determine whether you’re authentic. Authenticity is an intangible asset - essential to trust - you don’t need to posture, preen, prance, bully, brag, nag, prod, or ping if people see you as the real deal.
As I’ve mentioned in a couple of my tweets lately, we’re releasing the results of a new survey related to this issue, the second week of September. If you would like to receive a copy of this press release, please email me at info@bates-communications.com. I also invite you to comment on this article by clicking below on comments; share situations where you have been successful communicating to build trust.