Leadership Solutions

How to Protect Your Career

Your career determines everything in your life.
 

It determines where you live, what you own, what you do, who you know, and so on.

Thus, your career warrants deliberate, well-thought out strategies to make the most out of it.

I recommend the following:

1) Exceptional Performance

Excellence always serves as the foundation of security. Companies strive to hire and then keep their top performers. Your goal, then, is to be the very best at what you do.

Task: Make sure that all of your work represents high value contributions on essential projects.

2) Extraordinary Behavior

In today's market, excellence is considered the norm. Executives now seek employees who contribute to a positive workplace environment. This includes an ability to get along with others, to work toward solutions, and to help others perform well.

Task: Always apply the most ethical and respectful conduct to every aspect of your work.

3) Exceptional Learning

Working smart requires a continual flow of new ideas. Thus, successful people attend classes, read books, participate in workshops, work with coaches, and so on. Then they demonstrate their knowledge by writing articles, speaking at conferences, and mentoring others.

Task: Make learning a top ongoing priority.

4) Extensive Network

Successful people develop a vast network of other successful people. Then they invest time in those relationships that can support the advancement of their career.

Task: Build a network by participating in your professional association and attending conferences.

5) Extraordinary Awareness

Successful people know their values, guiding assumptions, and life purpose. They are able to acknowledge these things and then use them purposefully to achieve more.

Task: Spend time probing the depths of your inner self.

Today: Begin investing in your career.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of Create Success

 - How to be a better leader

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

PS: My workshop on Time Management helps people build a successful career.

Protect Yourself from Evil E-mail

Here is an excellent example of theft.

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The dismaying feature is that this e-mail looks so legitimate.

The thieves have copied the exact appearance of an e-mail sent from Barnes & Noble.

There are, however, some clues that reveal this is a scam. They are:

1) The URL in the e-mail address:

BarnesandNobleEmail@e.bn.com

Note that the root URL is: e.bn.com instead of bn.com.

Any additional (or missing) characters reveal that your response will go somewhere else. This includes addresses such as:

service.ebay.com

cittibank.com

welsfargo.com

2) The fact that this e-mail is asking you to fix a problem.

In order to fix the problem, you must log into your account, which requires providing your account number, user ID, and password. You may even be asked to provide other information, such as your address, social security number, mother's maiden name, birth date, and favorite color.

Thus, responding to such an e-mail will give thieves access to your account -- and perhaps other accounts.

Then they steal from you or sell your personal information to other thieves.

Here's what to do.

1) Never respond to these e-mails.

Any response gives the sender information about you.

And so, never write back to complain, unsubscribe, or threaten.

Just delete the e-mail.

2) If possible, forward the e-mail to the real business or organization.

Most of them have a system set up to accept e-mails addressed to spoof@ their URL.

Then their security staff can investigate.

3) If you must check your account, log in using the real URL that you keep in your passwords database.

In this case, for example, I checked and found that my Barnes & Noble shopping cart was empty.

Today's Task: Be watchful for scams.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of One Great Meeting

the complete guide to holding better meetings

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Here's What Happens Without an Agenda

 

Without an agenda, everyone holds their own meeting.

And no one's happy.

Today's Task: Prepare an agenda for your next meeting.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of One Great Meeting

the complete guide to holding better meetings

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

PS: My workshop on Effective Meetings shows people how to prepare an agenda (and get results).

Ask This First

There is one question that needs to be asked before making a request.

It is: Why should somebody care about this?

Variations of this question include:

1) How does this help others?

2) Why should anyone do this?

3) How does this add value?

And so on.

Notice that such questions ask you to understand the Benefit others will obtain by agreeing to your request.

Some people put benefits backwards.

For example, years ago, I was talking to a marketing consultant. When I asked what she charged, she replied that her fee was a 70% commission.

Wow.

Most agents and bureaus charge 20 to 30%.

So, I asked, why her fee was so high.

And she said, "Because I need the money."

This suffers from two mistakes. First her fee was absurdly high. And second her benefit was backwards.

It was based on her benefit and not mine.

As a result, no deal.

So, before you ask for anything, such as:

1) A raise ( I need the money = No deal )

2) A job ( I need the money = No deal )

3) A sale ( I need the money = No deal )

pause to consider why the other person should agree. Make a list of benefits that the other person will obtain.

Then wrap your request in those benefits that make the most compelling sense for the other person.
 

If your benefits are good enough, you'll get what you want.

Today's Task: Understand how your requests will help others.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of One Great Meeting

(the complete guide to holding meetings that get results)

714-528-1300

Time to Tell the Truth - Part 2

Here's the second surprise.

Meeting facilitation is not for everyone.

Actually, meeting facilitation is suitable only for special situations.

Here's how to determine if a meeting facilitator will help.

Use a meeting facilitator if:

1) You want a result that has critical importance for your business.

2) You want to make the best use of everyone's time, including your own.

3) You want to participate in the meeting.

4) You want everyone else to participate.

5) You want results that everyone will support (and thus implement).

6) You want an orderly process that leaves everyone feeling inspired by the outcome.

7) You plan to use the results obtained in the meeting.

Decline a meeting facilitator if:

1) You just want to discuss an issue.

2) You plan to fill the meeting with presentations.

3) You want to give a pep talk, deliver a speech, or (in general) do most of the talking.

And so, use a facilitator only when you're planning a meeting where a group of people will work on important issues that require a team effort.

Interested? Call me.

Today's Question: Would a meeting facilitator help with your next meeting?

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of One Great Meeting (the complete guide to holding better meetings)

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator
 

Note: Find more info about Meeting Facilitation Here

How to Prepare for a Meeting

 

Here's a list of the steps that I took to prepare for a recent meeting. Use it as a guide when preparing for your next meeting.

 

1) Met with a planning committee to review their goals for the meeting.

 

2) Attended one of the client's staff meetings to meet members of the organization, learn about their business, and observe their approach to meetings.

 

3) Prepared a three-page proposal that described how I would help them hold an effective meeting.

 

4) Conducted information interviews with every member of the group, including two people who were not going to attend the meeting. By the end of these conversations I had 20 pages of notes.

 

5) Conducted research on this group's business. This included: a) Calling a former client in a similar industry, b) Conducting web searches on this industry, c) Phoning the professional association that supports this industry to ask about the challenges before their members, d) Obtaining the results of an annual survey on the state of this industry, and e) Reading articles about industry.

 

6) Prepared many drafts of an agenda for this meeting, improving each as I gained more information about how this meeting could best help the client achieve its goals.

 

7) Sent and reviewed the agenda with the client.

 

8) Phoned the event coordinator at the facility to confirm that a room had been reserved, make sure we had sufficient flip charts, and review my schedule for breaks. (I always call to confirm that key needs will be met because I've had some surprises in the past -- once, for example, a client changed the venue to a different hotel without telling me.)

 

9) Advised senior members of the group on how to manage their participation in order to maximize the effectiveness of the meeting.

 

10) Bought about $50 worth of Post-its Notes for the meeting. (I consider it my responsibility to make sure that all necessary basic supplies are available.)

 

11) Prepared labels and other materials needed for the team projects during the meeting.

 

12) Made a test drive to the train station to confirm that parking spaces would be available at 5:45 AM. Bought train tickets for a round trip between Fullerton and Los Angeles. (Note: Fortunately, the facility was only two blocks from the LA train station. So, instead of waste my time driving, I was able to enjoy a ride while I ate breakfast in the morning and wrote a draft of my report in the afternoon.)

 

13) Made many calls to provide updates and check if there were any new considerations that might affect the meeting.

 

14) Arrived an hour before the meeting started. I used this time to prepare work areas for the team projects and greet the attendees as they arrived.

 

Note: The meeting was a success. We accomplished our goals in less time than expected (which often happens when I facilitate a meeting).

 

Key Point: Every success is built upon a foundation of planning and diligent effort.

 

Much success,

 

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of One Great Meeting (the complete guide to holding better meetings)

 Want more info? Click on Hold Better Meetings

 

Time to Tell the Truth - Part 1

Okay, I'll admit something.

I'm not selling meeting facilitation.

Nope.

In fact, I have never sold meeting facilitation.

I'm selling something better.

I'm selling results. [ Results that last, actually. ]

You see, anyone can sell meeting facilitation.

There are tons of consultants who printed a business card yesterday with the word "Facilitation" on it. And there are tons of consulting firms that claim to offer meeting facilitation as one of their services.

Instead, I sell results.

For example, last week I facilitated a full-day meeting. First, we finished an hour early -- yes, they were delighted.

Second, at the end, the director announced, "Some groups will spend three days obtaining these results."

And that's the key word - results.

In this case, the results were a framework of goals and plans that they can use to take their business into a more successful future.

If you want results, call me.

Today's Task: When you want results, call an expert.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of One Great Meeting (the complete guide to holding better meetings)

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Note: Find more info about Meeting Facilitation Here.

Fundamental Difference

Old people know this.

And the young ones have yet to figure it out.

Yet it represents a fundamental difference in happiness.

Here it is:

1) Old people.

They wake up, look in a mirror, and (if they see themselves) shout, "Yahoo! I'm alive."

2) Young people.

Wake up, glance at their alarm clock, and groan, "Aw nuts, I'm still alive. Now I have to go to work."

Let's recognize something. Life is short. Really short.

If you're alive, that's a gift.
 

And nothing else matters. This includes whether you have to spend the day in an office, whether you're able to buy the new iPhone this afternoon, or whether your neighbor mowed his lawn - just to name a few popular major worries.

So here is a friendly reminder to let go of the little things. None of them will matter in a hundred years.

Just take care of the world around you and choose to be grateful for being alive.

Trust me, this works.

I've been ecstatic all day because I saw myself in the mirror this morning.

Today's Task: Find at least five things to be grateful for.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

PS: My workshop on Time Management shows people how to create a masterpiece of successful living.

Complexity

You already know that life is complex.

With this complexity come challenges. And most of these challenges require effort plus time to resolve.

So we need to build allowances for complexity into our plans. Here's how (with simple examples form my business):

1) Start early.

Every project must have delay times built into its schedule. For example, I always plan to arrive at least an hour before a program starts to allow for traffic delays.

2) Have redundant systems.

Build multiple paths to the same result. Make sure that critical tasks can be performed by more than one person. Purchase backup equipment. For example, I have identical systems on my iMac and on my MacBook.

3) Communicate more.

Leaders must take time to talk with the people in their organization. They must establish clear expectations, provide timely updates, and check on progress. For example, if you schedule one of my workshops, you'll find that I call you to talk about your plans and expectations. Then I call a week before the workshop to check if anything has changed. And finally, I call the day before the workshop to check if there is any recent news.

4) Think simple.

Design projects using the simplest process. Use the fewest steps. Work with proven systems. For example, all of my workshops show simple, proven steps that lead to success.

5) Check often.

Pause frequently to review goals and plans. Make sure that these are still relevant. Be courageous in stopping or changing plans when warranted. For example, I review my goals and plans every week. This helps make adjustments and keep me focused on the highest priority tasks.

Today's Task: Review current projects for opportunities to simplify them.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of Create Success (a wonderful book on Leadership)

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Quick Quiz: Who Are You?

Suppose you wanted to determine who you are.

Of course, you want to know more than your name, job, or shoe size. You want to know who you are as a human being.

Here are three questions to guide you.

1) Your friends

What type of people are they? How do they compare to you? What do they do? What have they accomplished? How do they spend their time? What are their interests?

2) Your actions

How do you spend your time? How do you distribute your time over the different activities in your day? What makes you choose these activities?  What results do you obtain? How would you measure the value of these results?

3) Your education

How do you learn? What books do you read? How do you find new ideas? Where do you seek answers? How do you study? What topics do you think about? What do you do with new ideas?

By the way, some of you may be wondering, why bother with this. In fact, some people may find these questions invasive or disturbing.

Please recognize that effective people know themselves thoroughly. Then they use this self awareness to guide their lives. The result is greater achievement and peace of mind.

Today's Task: Write answers to these questions.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

PS: Want to know more? Schedule my workshop on Time Management.