Soft skills make a difference in your culture – what matters to you?
You are sitting across the table from a job applicant. His resume checks off all the hard skills (e.g., technical knowledge, software skills, product knowledge, industry experience). But does he bring the soft skills needed? A common mistake employers make is assuming that just because someone has all the hard skills required, he or she will be successful.
However, soft skills are a critical piece of the hiring puzzle and should not be undervalued. All the experience in the world cannot replace the fundamental soft skills that your culture thrives on, so whether you are interviewing a seasoned exec or a recent college graduate, soft skills can make the difference between a bad hire or a future rock star.
Soft skills reflect how a person relates, listens, thinks, and collaborates with those around him. Employers are finding them increasingly important with 93% reporting soft skills as an “essential” or “very important” factor when considering a candidate. These skills can be challenging to screen for during the hiring process (and even harder to teach after the new hire has started). However, once you know the soft skills that are important to your company, you can design your selection process to reflect those qualities.
Here are a few steps to consider:
Know Which Soft Skills You Need
There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to assessing soft skills. Instead, it’s best to focus on the characteristics that drive the business forward. Consider your corporate culture, your industry, and your unique business.
What soft skills do the most successful people in your organization exude? Are they effective communicators?
Do they collaborate well and rally the troops when you need it most? Identify what skills are most important to your organization and then build them into your hiring process.
Ask the Right Questions
When structuring your interview questions, be sure to ask behavioral-based questions that drill down into the soft skills you have identified. Questions such as ‘Give me an example of how you have changed your approach in order to communicate more effectively with someone’, or ‘Tell me about a major project that you are proud of and why’ are great questions to uncover a candidate’s soft skills.
Add a Soft Skills Assessment to Your Hiring Recipe
There are a variety of assessments on the market that look at factors such as compassion, humility, emotional intelligence, motivation, and countless other soft skills. Find one that fits well with your needs. Just make sure the assessment serves as only part of the puzzle – not a deal breaker.
As the dynamic of our world of work continues to evolve, many top soft skills will remain the desirable – serving as the foundation to success regardless of where we work. When you focus on hiring the right mix of cultural fit, soft skills, and experience, you are sure to hire a winner for your team.
Reach out to us at https://www.successfulculture.com/contact/ to discover how we can help your organization identify the right mix of soft skills to
Creating a Mindset of Courage To Step Into a Bigger Arena
It takes great courage to think big. It’s much safer to stay where we are comfortable, because big thinking requires us to examine what’s holding us back.
It requires us to evaluate the decisions we’ve made in our lives that seemed right at the time, but perhaps ended up not serving our highest purpose.
One of my favorite books is Marshall Goldsmith’s “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.” Primarily a business book, Goldsmith asks us to examine all of the elements that we employ at certain levels of business growth, and then assess whether they are still appropriate for our organization as we grow.
This applies to employees, customers, partners, vendors, processes, IT systems, financial systems, capitalization strategies, and everything else that shapes any business.
We can apply this philosophy to our personal lives too. Understanding that everything in life is impermanent and in a constant state of motion, we are creatures of evolution. For growth-minded individuals, it is natural that the people, events, and experiences that defined us and supported us in one phase of our life may not be the same as we personally evolve.
As we grow, our world will expand to include new communities and new opportunities.
Reflecting on the first half of 2016, I’ve embraced three new opportunities and communities for quantum growth:
- In January, Inc. Magazine invited me to join their community of columnists. As a lifelong writer and entrepreneur, the opportunity to integrate these two passions with a publication like Inc. was like winning the lottery. However, I unknowingly stepped into one of the steepest learning curves I’ve ever encountered.Many times I felt inept and questioned whether I was in over my head. My editorial team never wavered in their belief of me as I grew into the role of a columnist. My mindset has gradually shifted from one of doubt to one of confidence. However, it took many soul-searching conversations with myself and with my inner tribe of support to keep going.
- In April, EO (Entrepreneurs Organization) Global asked me to join their Global Communications Committee (GCC) to help set the internal communications strategy for outreach to its 11,000 global members. We are responsible for creating consistent messaging across a range of diverse communities & cultures, that unifies, engages, connects, & excites all members. I momentarily questioned my ability to successfully achieve the objectives assigned to me, but once again I shifted my mindset to one of confidence and determination to succeed.
- In May, Women’s Presidents Organization (WPO) contacted me to consider assuming the role of Chair for its Northern Virginia chapter. WPO is a global organization of several thousand women leaders who run companies that generate an average of $13 million in annual revenues. Their Zenith-level members gross more than $153 million annually.These women represent the very best of women’s leadership. The role of the Chair is to facilitate monthly meetings for groups of 15-20 local women leaders to help them develop their greatest leadership potential. Again, I heavily weighed the responsibility presented to me. I’m being entrusted with a global Brand, and the women I will facilitate bring serious business challenges to the group. All of the women in WPO are incredibly successful. To be a leader of leaders is the highest leadership calling.
In each of these examples, I had to be comfortable with the unknown, and with being the least knowledgeable and/or experienced in the community. I had to embrace being “new.” What almost held me back in each opportunity were the questions, “What happens if I fail?” “What if I am not enough?”
These questions can lead us down a dark path of imagining worst case scenarios that likely will not materialize. I consciously flipped the question to, “What happens if I succeed?” With this thinking, my potential is limitless. One of the most transformational books of my life is “The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself.”
- “Contemplate how much energy is wasted resisting what might happen. Since most of the things you think might happen never do, you are just throwing your energy away.”
- “Stop and think about what you’re capable of achieving. Up to now, your capacities have been constrained by constant inner struggles. Imagine what would happen if your awareness was free to focus only on the events actually taking place, free from the fear of past events or future outcomes. If you lived like this, your capabilities would be exponential compared to what you’ve ever experienced.”
In my last column, I discussed the importance of setting boundaries that prevents others from entering into our personal space when it doesn’t serve us. Now I’ll discuss the importance of recognizing the boundaries you place upon yourself that are self-limiting beliefs. We all set limits for ourselves, knowingly and unknowingly. When we approach our limits, we begin to feel uncomfortable and insecure. Our internal voice sends us conflicting messages to move forward towards the calling, but to also stay safe.
We can never know what awaits us on the other side until we brush up against the edge of possibility.
- What are your boundaries?
- How resistant are you to going beyond your boundaries?
- How does the fear of the unknown, or fear of failure impact your willingness to embrace opportunities for growth?
- How are you limiting your access to your greatest potential and joy?
These are important questions to address when we are presented with opportunities to expand any aspect of our life.
Your boundaries are your personal container. As you move through this life, strive to expand the container. Your greatest potential lies beyond its walls.
You are stronger than your boundaries, and more capable than you realize.
You are as strong as the depth of your courage.
See you on the other side of comfort!
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter.
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
Learn about the 12 Habits of Horrible Leaders, and How to Break Them.
Wishing you joy and success on your journey!
In gratitude,
Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
[email protected]
2 Steps to Setting Healthy Boundaries with Your Client Base
I’ve had many conversations with business owners recently regarding the stress their clients are infusing into their lives.
At the risk of sounding unsympathetic, in each situation I’ve suggested that they’ve allowed these conditions to occur.
In both our personal and professional lives, we operate within a framework of “unconscious acceptance.” We communicate to the world what we will and will not tolerate from others. People will only treat us as poorly as we allow.
With our business, here are the 2 steps we must take to set healthy boundaries, which will benefit both us and our clients.
- Define your “avatar.” What is the detailed profile of your ideal client? It’s important to get as specific as possible regarding industry, age, demographic, their specific need, their preference of low-cost versus high-value, etc.
- Define what you personally require to work with a client. Do you want to avoid travel? Do you require specific payment arrangements? What is your ideal work arrangement? For me, my two most important criteria are:
– Do I like them? I’m going to be investing my valuable time in helping them achieve success. We will be spending a lot of time together. It’s my personal rule to really like everyone I spend time with, and to believe in their business model.- Are they coachable? Many of the prospects that contact me want to work with me, but after further exploration, are not willing or able to do the work to make difficult changes. They may be reluctant to evaluate their executive team to determine if they have the right people in the right seats, or analyze their client base to determine if they should move upmarket.
Even if I like them and believe in their businesses, and I can clearly envision a path to growth, if they are resisting change I can’t help them. People must want growth & progress for themselves more than we want it for them.
I have additional criteria for specific situations. For example, many partners contact me to help them with their partnership. I greatly enjoy working with healthy partnerships to clearly define roles and build growth strategies. However, I am not a marriage therapist. I’m not interested in playing the role of a conflict mediator when partners are fighting.
No is a Complete Sentence.
When a prospect doesn’t align with your criteria, say No. When we say no to the good, we make room for the great.
Remember that we all have a limited amount of time & energy to devote to clients. We can’t say yes to everyone. Ideally we reserve our Yes for those that share our values systems, and where we can make a transformational impact without infusing a lot of stress into our lives.
When saying no, be quick and be honest. Integrity must always drive our communication and engagement. It also keeps the door open for future collaboration.
Setting Boundaries with Existing Clients. It’s also important to set boundaries with existing clients. While we want to make sure our clients are happy, we also must protect our time and energy. It’s OK to set boundaries while on vacation, to limit phone calls to a certain part of the day, or to rein in a scope that seems to be going beyond what we agreed.
Requests to Pick Your Brain.
I receive dozens of breakfast, coffee, and lunch invitations from well-meaning business owners and executives who want to pick my brain for guidance. I decline most of them because:
- We must be protective of our time, and place our paying clients first.
- It’s disrespectful and unethical to my paying clients to give away my services for free.
- One 60-minute conversation will be a band-aid to a larger problem. One-off conversations don’t align with my objective of creating a transformational impact.
I do appreciate the courage and trust to reach out for help, and I always acknowledge and honor this.
Therefore, I offer a 15-minute Skype session option to address one need, as long as they provide me goals/objectives for our 15 minutes together. Within that time, I can direct the conversation to determine if it benefits both of us to have a second conversation.
Boundaries help us to preserve our energy sources so that we can perform at 100% in the most synergistic situations. Take ownership for your client engagement experience. By raising your level of unconscious acceptance, you create opportunities to serve your most ideal clients at your highest level of performance.
Wishing you success in aligning with your most ideal clients as you move to the next level.
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter.
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
Learn about the 12 Habits of Horrible Leaders, and How to Break Them.
Wishing you joy and success on your journey!
In gratitude,
Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
[email protected]
Leadership is Not About the Cape
Our kids have attended overnight camp for almost 10 years, since they were 7 years old.
One of their traditions is color-war, when the camp of about about 400 campers is split into 4 teams for a week-long competition.
Of course, every kid wants to be a Color War Captain.
Every kid wants to wear the Cape.
How do the counselors help the campers that were not selected move past their disappointment, and fully engage in the team spirit? They embody the phrase, “You don’t need a cape to be a leader.”
Whether in a bucolic camp setting, or in the halls of a Fortune 50 organization, it’s true. You don’t need the cape to lead, inspire, or encourage others. You need heart, vision, and spirit.
I recently presented on Legacy Driven Leadership, and was asked, “What makes a leader?”
We can all learn how to be better leaders. However, the essence of leadership is intrinsic.
The heart-based desire to serve others, to make a lasting impact in the lives of others, to apply our personal strengths to help others through difficulty …this is not something that one can learn from others.
Leadership shows up in all aspects of our lives. As a leader, I’m intently focused on listening, empathizing, and reflecting before responding to help someone else. I understand the weight of my influence. As a leader, I strive to see interactions as teachable moments in which I can reach back to my own experiences to help others move through theirs.
As a leader, I constantly reach out for help to learn about better ways of moving forward, I work hard to ensure my ego does not cloud my judgement, and I seek out opportunities to empower others to lead.
Legacy Driven Leadership leaves an impact long after our brief time here has concluded. Legacy Driven Leaders understand the weight of responsibility of shaping those that come after us, and of their part in making the world a better place than what it was while they were here.
Legacy Driven Leaders understand that everything they do counts, because others are looking to become better people as a result of following them.
Every decision, thought, & vibration that we emit into the universe has far-reaching ripple effects, far beyond what we will ever know. In legacy driven leadership, everything counts.
This type of leadership can’t be constrained or defined by a title, a corner office, or a cape.
Unfortunately, way too many organizations and individuals overlook leaders who don’t hold the right positions or titles. Conversely, many people assume that a person is a capable leader simply because they are in a position of authority.
Authority is not leadership. Authority gives an individual the right to direct others, but giving direction is not necessarily leadership. People may follow orders, but they are not necessarily following a leader.
How do you define leadership? What unconscious biases about leadership do you apply to those you know in leadership positions? Do you believe that because someone holds a specific title, they deserve your respect? Or do you believe your respect should be earned?
I recently came across a Fast Company article that identified the 10 best and worst leaders of 2015. The 5 worst leaders include:
- Donald Trump.
- Martin Winterkorn, former CEO of Volkswagen: He was known for fostering a cut-throat culture that “may have contributed to the company’s unethical and illegal installation of software that failed to accurately report emissions on its vehicles.”
- Martin Shkreli, founder and former chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals: “In one night, the cost of a drug that had been on the market for 62 years shot up from $13.50 per tablet to $750 per tablet. Daraprim is used to treat the life-threatening parasitic infection toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and their unborn babies, and people with compromised immune systems as a result of illnesses like cancer and AIDS. It’s also used to treat malaria.” He was arrested in December for securities fraud.
- Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos: She misled both the government and the public about the capabilities and effectiveness of her product to test for diseases.
- Dan Price, cofounder of Gravity Payments: There are allegations of domestic abuse as well as harsh treatment of his former partner & brother, Lucas, who sued him.
Who are some of the leaders you admire, and why? These are very personal decisions. The leaders we admire somehow connect with our heart and perhaps inspire us to believe we can be great leaders as well.
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter.
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
Learn about the 12 Habits of Horrible Leaders, and How to Break Them.
Wishing you joy and success on your journey!
In gratitude,
Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
[email protected]
What Are Your Standards for Your Circles of Influence?
As the mother of two teenagers, a recurring conversation theme in our home is friendships, and the importance of being selective when choosing those with whom we invest our time.
Recently, our oldest son, who is heading to college in the Fall and will have an opportunity to build new friendships, asked me to share my standards for my friendships.
Here is what I shared with him:
“For me, it’s about TOTAL trust. Does this person want the best for me? Can I trust them to not intentionally hurt me or harm me? Will they walk beside me when I am in a difficult place? And be there to catch me when I fall?
Will they tell me the truth, rather than tell me what I want to hear? Are they completely committed to my success and happy for me when I achieve (without envy)? Do they treat others with kindness and compassion?”
These are my standards. We attract how we show up in this world. I am beyond blessed to have the friends I have in my life. But it is not accidental. It is because I have high standards for myself – for what I will and will not accept from others, and how I will show up in the lives of those I love.
If we do not intentionally set standards, we default to standards set by others.
Those standards may or may not align with our core values, and they may or may not be in our best interest. The intentional selection process extends beyond just our personal connections.
In business, our circle of influence is vitally important to our personal and professional growth. Whether we are seeking a formal group of advisors and mentors, or we are simply interested in expanding our professional friendships, establishing a baseline for what we need and admire enables us to seek out & attract compatible individuals and communities. How much thought do you give to your inner circle?
When I work with CEOs, this is one area we closely examine. With the exception of our own influence through the messages we tell ourselves, our inner circles provide the most influential direction in our lives.
We are the average of the 5-7 people closest to us. As part of the homework I assign to my clients, I ask them to examine who they have allowed in their inner circle in the past, who is in their current inner circle – and why, and who they would like to have in their future inner circle, based on where they are going.
Our work together is focused on moving them from current state to desired state.
Part of the journey from Point A to Point B is enlisting the help of others.
Therefore, it is necessary to align our support systems with our growth goals.
Once we identify who they need in their future inner circle, we then devise a strategy to connect with them. This process entails crafting a solid value proposition and messaging, as well as clarity regarding what my client is seeking from the connection.
The process of building significant, new relationships must be intentional and strategic. We must be prepared to bring trust and transparency to our relationships to connect on a meaningful level.
What do your inner circles look like? Do the people closest to you have your best interests? Are they capable and willing to help you move forward?
Your inner circle is a sacred place. It should be reserved for only those that deserve to be close to you.
What are your standards for your most important connections?
Please reach out to me if you would like assistance in evaluating and building your circles. You deserve to be surrounded by the very best people that are committed to your health, happiness, and success.
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter.
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
Learn about the 12 Habits of Horrible Leaders, and How to Break Them.
Wishing you joy and success on your journey!
In gratitude,
Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
[email protected]
How to Build More Self-Awareness & a Stronger Culture Using the Johari Window
It’s no secret that emotional intelligence and self-awareness are two of the most important leadership characteristics. The ability to read verbal & non-verbal cues, control emotions, and compassionately empathize with others are necessities for building & sustaining any healthy relationship.
One of the most effective tools for developing self-awareness and opening up lines of communication with others is the Johari Window. I first learned about the Johari Window during an Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) retreat facilitated by Alana Winter, Founder & CEO of Transformative Forum.
Invented by Psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, the Johari Window help us to understand self-awareness and the human interaction that results from our personal self-awareness. We are often unaware of how others perceive us, how we present ourselves to others, and even how well we know ourselves. Luft and Ingham created this model because they believed that what happens in our life depends upon our own self-awareness, and the awareness others have of us.
The premise behind the window is that there are certain things which we know, and things we do not know about ourselves. Similarly, there are certain things others know and do not know. Thus, at any given point of time in life, we may see our total being as we understand it and as others know about it in a true sense through the 4-paned Johari window.
In the explanatory diagram, all panes look equal but in reality that is not the case. The openness of each pane will vary depending on your own personal level of:
- How well you know yourself
- How much you share about yourself with others
- How well others know you
Here are two more realistic examples of Johari Windows.
Johari Window of Someone with High Self-Awareness and High Trust
The more self-aware you are, the bigger your windows on the left side of the pane will be.
Johari Window of Someone with Low Self-Awareness and Low Trust
The less self-aware, you are, the bigger your windows on the bottom, and on the right will be.
Applying the Johari Window to Teams
In my learning context, I’m a member of group of 7 business owners, known as a Forum. Our forum takes an annual retreat, where we hire a professional facilitator to conduct exercises that help us build greater trust and explore any known or unknown issues that may hold us back from our deepest and most impactful communication & connection.
By examining how open or closed our personal window panes are in the context of our forum, we are able to collectively work on opening our personal Open window panes, thereby closing our Hidden and Blind panes. When one pane opens more, the other panes automatically close more. The more intentional we are with our own self-awareness, and the more we trust our other team members, the more we can expand our Open windows.
The Open Frame
When using the Johari Window in your organizational teams, the goal should be to develop the Open area as much as possible for each team member. When we work in this area, we are operating in our most productive and effective space individually and as a group. Working in this area results in open, honest, & transparent communication, and minimizes miscommunication, mistrust, & confusion.
New team members often have smaller open areas than established team members. They need time to learn about others, and to share information about themselves.
The Johari Window can serve as an important instrument in establishing a culture of open communication. Encouraging continuous development of the ‘open area’ or ‘open self’ for everyone by making it safe for others to share information is an essential aspect of effective leadership.
The Blind Frame
The Blind frame represents information that is known about a person to others, but is not known to himself/herself. This is known as their “blind spot.” Everyone has blind spots. By soliciting feedback, and by being open to feedback by others, we become more aware of how others perceive us, and we shrink our blind spot. This leads to stronger communication and trust.
The Hidden Frame
The Hidden frame represents information that person intentionally hides from others. As a person’s trust grows, they will increasingly disclose greater information, thereby closing this window and opening the Open window.
The Unknown Frame
The Unknown frame represents information that neither the person nor the other group members know. This information may come to light through self-development and experiences. Organizations that promote cultures of self-discovery and learning create opportunities for employees to close this window as they develop greater self-awareness.
The Johari Window is an outstanding tool to use to open up communications and develop strong teams in your organizations. They support cultures of trust, safety, and transparency.
Please reach out to Successful Culture for more information on how to use the Johari Window, and assistance in implementing the model to strengthen your organization.
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter.
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
Learn about the 12 Habits of Horrible Leaders, and How to Break Them.
Wishing you joy and success on your journey!
In gratitude,
Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
[email protected]
Four Things Businesses Overlook When Moving Employees to a New Position
So often when we’re thinking of expanding, we turn our attention to the external hiring process. In many cases, however, who we need is already with us. It seems logical to move a proven employee from one position to another. After all, we know their work styles & capabilities, and they know our culture, customers, & products/services. Plus, we trust them.
But wait. Before we make changes, how do we know they will be just as successful in a new role?
A client is going through this process right now. For months, she has struggled with not having enough project management coverage for her government clients. We’ve evaluated potential hires. Rightfully so, she’s hesitant to hire a stranger to care for her most important customer relationships. We’ve also looked at how she and other members of her executive team are allocating their time to determine if they have extra bandwidth for hands-on project management. They don’t.
Our next solution? An existing employee.
In my previous column, Performing & Promoting to the Highest Levels of Incompetence, I discuss how employees tend to rise to their highest levels of incompetence (The Peter Principle) when they are moved from a position in which they excel to a different position. Supervisors “promote” their employees to more demanding positions because they want to reward them for a job well done, and want to give them opportunities to grow, learn more, and earn more.
To prevent Peter from rearing his ugly head at my client’s organization, we are assessing the following elements before moving anyone:
1: The Client Impact. My client’s project manager is currently full-time with a specific customer. Shifting her role will require her to reduce hours for her customer, and take on hours at additional customers.
Action item:
1: Discuss with the client. Gain their buy-in before making any changes.
2: Brainstorm with the employee about a plan to ensure customer service and project management is not impacted. Who on her team that she manages can take on project management responsibilities, since they are on site?
2: The Company Impact. The smallest company change can create large ripple effects. How will this be perceived by others in the company? How will people be personally impacted? What needs to be communicated to the company regarding this change?
Action item:
1: Consider the impact on each employee that works with the movable employee. Will they have a new supervisor? Will they require a different performance review plan?
2: Consider a communications strategy to keep the entire company aware of impending changes.
3: The Employee Impact. Does the employee fully understand the impact of this change?
Action Item:
Provide the employee with the time and space to fully think through the change. How will it impact their daily schedule? How will it impact their home life (More travel? More driving? More hours)?
This brings me to the one question employers must answer before moving any employee to a new position in the company:
4: Have they passed the “GWC” test? My favorite hiring test – for both new hires, and when you are considering moving an employee around – is the GWC test. Do they Get It, Want It and have the Capacity to do it?
Get it: Do they really understand the job?
Want it: Do they want to do this job more than they want to do anything else?
Capacity to do it: Do they have the required capacities to be successful – intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual – whatever those capacities may be?
I wrote about the GWC Model in my column, Should You Make The Hire? Should You Keep The Employee? Three Simple Litmus Tests.
To thoroughly answer these questions, you must create a job description for the new position, and have your employee follow the same hiring process you would have anyone else follow. They should apply for the job. You should interview them. And they must know exactly what is expected.
Further, it’s important to assume they will need ramp-up time in their new position. While they may be comfortable with the organization, they may need some time getting fully comfortable in their new role.
Moving them over can be successful with the right precautionary steps. You can effectively avoid The Peter Principle from rearing its head while ensuring your top performers are able to learn, grow, and be challenged.
Need Help Assessing an Internal Move?
I love to work with organizations to ensure they have the right people in the right seats. Please email at [email protected] me if you are struggling with finding the right resources, internally or externally.
Good luck!
~Marissa
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Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected]
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
The Four Most Important Leadership Skills
I was interviewed for an upcoming leadership book last week, and I was also interviewed by Entrepreneur Magazine this week about leadership & organizational culture. Over the last 20 years as an entrepreneur who has led and coached hundreds of other leaders, and has had the privilege to learn from some extraordinary leaders, I’ve identified the four most important skills great leaders must cultivate.
They are:
- Self-awareness and development of emotional intelligence
- Delegation, backed up by accountability
- “Double-vision” which is the ability to have vision for where you are going AND vision for what is coming towards you
- Asking for help
Self-Awareness/Emotional Intelligence
I listed this as the most important skill, because I believe we can always enhance our own self-awareness, and raise our EQ (emotional quotient). Our ability to connect with, empathize with, and relate to others starts with our ability to know ourselves. Self-awareness is complex and multi-layered. I compare it to peeling an onion: we never quite get to the center of the exercise.
Delegation/Accountability
Leaders require a strong team to help execute their vision. No leader excels at everything, and the ability to entrust critical tasks and strategies to others is essential for organizational growth. The flip side of the coin is accountability: ensuring that each person understands their role in the success of the company, and is responsible for delivering on their obligations so that things continue to move forward.
Double Vision
I wrote about Double Vision in a previous blog. Leaders must be able to visualize where they are going, while keeping an eye on what’s coming towards them. This dual awareness ensures their organizational vision is aligned to what the market needs. Here is the link to my blog on Double Vision.
Asking for Help
Finally, great leaders reach out for help often. They surround themselves with other leaders that have accomplished what they have accomplished. They join communities and organizations for support. They read relentlessly. Asking for help is a sign of strength, and a sign of commitment to build the very best organizational possible. We all must stand on the shoulders of giants at some point in our lives to see the horizon.
Video Recap
In my latest Periscope broadcast (which I have uploaded onto my YouTube channel and will be adding to my forthcoming video blog), I talk about these four skills in depth (in about 4 minutes). It’s worth a 4-minute break – I promise!
Here is the link to my Periscope broadcast where I discuss these four skills. I have uploaded it onto YouTube for broader access. I often write about Emotional Intelligence as well; you’ll find lots of golden nuggets of wisdom about this on my blog too.
Enjoy, and as always, let me know how I can help you build your greatest business, and live your most joyful life! When done correctly, these goals are two sides of the same coin.
P.S. Here are ten great tips from serial entrepreneurs that I think you will enjoy!
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected]
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
Image credit Stock Images via Free Digitial Photos
Didn’t Win the Work? Two Things You Must Always Do
It happens to every company. We work hard to foster a relationship with a prospect. We invest time and energy into learning about their organization. We get excited about helping them achieve their mission & being a part of their success. We submit a proposal. They select someone else.
There are many reasons why we don’t close a sales opportunity, even when it seems we have done everything “right.”
Much of the rationale links back to how qualified the prospect was in the first place, and if there were underlying factors that we ignored or didn’t discover (such as incumbents, additional decision influencers, budget). Sometimes, however, a great prospect just doesn’t close.
The two things we need to do when this happens are:
1: Maintain a positive mindset to shift quickly and keep going.
2: Keep the lines of communication open with the prospect.
Maintain a Positive Mindset
Our mindset is the single most important tool in our organizational toolbox. It drives our confidence, our behaviors, and how we engage with others. To quote my close friend and mentor Dr. Willie Jolley, a best-selling author who is ranked one of the top five motivational speakers in the world, and has the #1 motivational show on SeriusXM, “When someone says NO, you say NEXT.”
We can’t take it personally when someone doesn’t select us. Obviously there was a misalignment between what they needed and what we offered. However, this was a business decision. We can’t become paralyzed or go to a place of self-deprecation and self-doubt when a business decision doesn’t go our way.
I was talking with another business owner last week, and he said, “We are all on 100% commission. It doesn’t matter what your title is. Everyone in business is on 100% commission.” We need to mentally recover & pivot quickly, put our energies into prospects & organizations that appreciate our value, and move forward.
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
I was recently notified that I wasn’t selected for a strategic planning engagement for a non-profit organization. I have a great relationship with the CEO of the organization. However, the newly appointed Chairman of the Board has his own relationships. The CEO reports to the Board, so the Board selects the vendors.
I strongly support the mission of this organization, and very much want to see them grow & succeed. They are at a crucial turning point right now. I presented the CEO with about a dozen ideas on how to infuse new energy and growth into the organization, and I would love to help them implement some of them.
I also offered to facilitate several strategic introductions that could lead to partnerships, co-educational events, and sponsorship opportunities. My hope is that I will be able to work with them down the road to help them grow.
Here is what I did upon receiving word that I was not selected:
I sent a thank-you note to my contacts.
I asked for a debrief so I could understand the misalignment between what they need and what I offered. This will help me further understand their organization, and also help me improve for other opportunities.
I offered to serve as an objective third party reviewer during the strategic planning process, since this is one of my strongest areas: laying the foundation for an organization and positioning it for growth.
I re-iterated my willingness to facilitate the introductions I initially offered. These potential connections could lead to great things for both parties, and the organization’s members.
I will continue to cultivate my relationship with the CEO, and bring value when & where I can. I remain committed to their success, with or without a contract.
When someone says “NO,” it’s important to say “NEXT” but it’s also important to say “THANK YOU” and keep the relationship moving forward. We never know where relationships will lead. We never know what will transpire between another vendor and one of our prospects. We all know that timing is everything. It may not be our time with a specific prospect right now, but no one knows what the future holds.
We must always keep moving our relationships forward.
Keep growing!
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected]
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
Three Steps to Pivot Quickly Through a Key Employee Departure
A long-time client emailed me last week with news that one of her key employees abruptly gave notice due to a personal situation. She was very disheartened. We invested a lot of time shaping the job description and refining the vetting process to attract the top talent. We succeeded and landed a rock-star…and now she’s gone.
