So Much To Do . . .

How do you organize your time?  Keep track of appointments, to-do’s and follow-ups?

The biggest secret to time management is, of course, do the most important things first.

“Do first things first, and second things not at all.” 
–Peter Drucker

Or, as you may have seen demonstrated, put the “big rocks” in first.

My time organization is an ever-evolving process:

At 10 (1972) My mom organized my time
At 20 (1982) calendar on the refrigerator
At 25 (1987) Franklin Planner 
At 42 (2005) Palm Z22 PDA
At 44 (2007) BlackBerry Curve
At 50 (2012) Iphone 4 (now have 4s)

Additionally, I have my phone and Google calendars synchronized, plus I use a customer relationship management online tool (Capsule CRM) AND I have a to-do list app, Go-tasks (iPhone and iPad).

I didn’t actually give up a paper to-do list until last year, when I got the Go-tasks app.  The app makes it easy to put tasks into categories, to have repeating tasks and task alerts and to forward unfinished tasks.  Plus, I never lose the list. Here is a screen shot of my task list on a day in which I almost finished everything:

Business-wise, the smartest thing I did a little more than a year ago was to start using a Customer Relationship Management tool (CRM) to keep track of opportunities, current clients, email conversations, and related tasks (such as follow up).  I decided to use a CRM tool (Capsule CRM) after I had a prospective client (who turned into my biggest speaking fee) follow up with me, because I had forgotten to follow up with her!  Never again!  Now, because I never forget to follow up, I regularly get business that might have otherwise fallen off my radar–very much worth the $12 a month investment.  There are other great CRM tools out there–if you are a sales person or entrepreneur find one and use it or lose it (future business).

I’d love to hear your best time management tips!
email Diane

A Little Thanks Goes a Long Way

An “attitude of gratitude” is just a platitude.

Your attitude of gratitude might make you feel better, and it might make you behave better, but if you really want to have an impact with gratitude, you have to SHOW gratitude.

From a business perspective, the gratitude or appreciation you show can motivate others to be helpful to others (e.g. coworkers, customers).

In Francesca Gino’s recent book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We can Stick to the Plan, the author writes about a couple of studies she and another professor conducted on gratitude.

In the first study, fifty-seven students were emailed a job applicant’s cover letter and asked to provide the job applicant feedback (edits and comments on the cover letter).  After the students provided feedback, the experimenter, posing as the job applicant, sent a reply from the alleged job applicant’s email account.  Half of the participants received this neutral reply:

Dear [name],

I just wanted to let you know that I received your feedback on my cover letter.

The other half of the participants received this reply expressing gratitude:

 Dear [name],

I just wanted to let you know that I received your feedback on my cover letter. Thank you so much!  I am really grateful.

The next day, the researcher sent all participants a link to an online survey, which included measures of social worth and whether they thought the job applicant’s email expressed gratitude.  Not surprisingly, not only did the participants feel that the second email expressed more gratitude, but those who received the second email also reported feeling more valued.

Perhaps more surprising were the rates of response to an additional request for help. The day after the students took the survey, the experimenter sent them an email from the account of a different student, in which that student asked for feedback on his cover letter.  Only 25% of the students who had received the neutral note helped the second student, but the percentage more than doubled, to 55% for the participants who had received the reply expressing gratitude.

The desire to be helpful is greatly increased when simple appreciation is expressed.

In another study with fundraisers,  when the annual giving director visited the fundraisers in their office, expressing appreciation, then number of fundraising calls in the week after the visit week increased by more than 50 percent.

A little thanks goes a long way.

How do you show gratitude at work?

Poor Preparation + Poor Execution = Meetings that SUCK

As I chatted with a fellow Toastmaster at a recent Toastmaster convention, the talk turned to business communication.  He lamented that his younger co-workers were terrible at running meetings.  We continued that conversation via email.  Is your experience similar to his?

“Many of my co-workers are skilled technologists – programmers, analysts, etc. – but many struggle at softer skills. Effective communication is an example. Many new co-workers are scheduling meetings to collaborate on projects for the first time, and have very little in the way of formal training. This leads to some awkward, and unproductive meetings. Some of the mistakes: 

 

1 ) poor preparation

• Not setting an agenda before hand.
• Not setting a meeting goal(s)
• Not preparing materials

2) poor execution

• Not setting context 
• Not communicating meeting goal(s) to participants
• Not managing time well or deviating from the agenda
• Not concluding properly (summarizing findings, setting action items, rough goals and agenda for the next meeting).

Some of the deficiencies are knowledge; most of the technical staff did not take more that the basic communications courses. Some of the deficiencies come from a lack of practice.”

Would you add to this list?  Is this problem worse with young professionals?

Attract Clients with a Then-Now-How Story

Would you like a subtle strategy to get your prospective clients, customers or even prospective employers leaning forward, wanting to hear how you can help them?

Try using a client attraction story with the the Then-Now-How strategy.  This strategy was developed by Craig Valentine, a top business speaker and a Toastmasters World Champion Speaker.

The secret to the power of the Then-Now-How story lies in the order that you present the points.

First, you tell about a “then” situation with a client like the prospect.  You want to focus on the problem that your client had that was like the prospect’s problem.

Second, you tell about the “now” situation.  This is a benefit focus where you talk about the client’s results of having used your product or service.

Third, you tell “how.” By delaying “how”  until after the “now” you get people leaning forward and wanting to hear the how.

It’s like when you see  weight loss products or services advertised.

You see the “before” picture and the “after” picture and you want to know “how.”

Here’s another example, one I use for Toastmasters:

Several years ago, Barb, an older woman in her 60’s joined my Toastmasters club.  I was thrilled! (Mostly because I was the only other woman in the club).  The day came for her to give her first speech, the ice breaker speech.  She walked up to the lectern like she was on a death march.  She set her notes on the lectern, gripped the lectern with white knuckles, looked down at her notes and never looked up.  Then she started shaking and her breathing became shallow.  I thought she was going to faint.  It was one of those speeches that both the speaker and the audience are glad when it’s over.

She sat down next to me and didn’t say a word until the end of the meeting when she turned to me and said, “That was awful.  I quit.”

I didn’t want her to quit.  I didn’t want to be the only woman in the club again.

“Barb, why did you join?’

“Well, I want to help do some fundraising for a medical missions team. But I don’t think I can speak in front of people.”

I managed to convince her not to quit that day.

Fast Forward 6 months.  Not only had Barb successfully raised thousands of dollars by giving presentations for the medical mission effort, but she had even won our club speech contest.

It was through the supportive, encouraging environment of Toastmasters that she was able to go from fear to finesse as a public speaker.  The regular practice and advice and feedback from fellow Toastmasters helped Barb meet her goals and gave her the skills that give her continued success.

Just like Toastmasters helped Barb, Toastmasters can help you, too.

Did you see the pattern (Then-pain of the fear of public speaking, Now—successful at public speaking, How-Toastmasters)?

Try a Then-Now-How client attraction story and get your prospects leaning forward!

This concept is in my new presentation for sales groups, “StorySELLing.”

Face-to-Face Meetings = More Ideas

Do we really need to meet face-to-face? Virtual meetings and electronic communication promise efficiency and the ability to communicate and do business without regard to geography; a geographically dispersed workforce is a reality for many businesses.   However, recent research shows that when it comes to innovation, specifically in the quantity of ideas generated, face-to-face meetings are significantly better than virtual meetings.

In a 2012 study by the Meetology Group, face-to–face pairs generated 30% more ideas than virtual pairs (phone or video).  The face-to-face pairs also had ideas of slightly higher quality and variety.  But, interestingly interacting face-to-face did not significantly improve the social experience of the meeting.

So, what does this research mean for your business?

If you want to maximize idea generation–to think of new ways to solve problems, to generate ideas for new opportunities or to proactively consider problems and issues that may arise—meet face-to-face for better results than a virtual meeting.

What has been your experience in face-to-face vs. virtual meetings?

Don’t Clam Up at Meetings

“I really wanted to say something, but I was afraid of being wrong,” said Laurie (not her real name), a client I’ve been working with on her professional interpersonal communication skills.

Laurie had been at a meeting and had noticed that some numbers on a document didn’t quite make sense, so instead of speaking up, she quietly pointed out the discrepancy to a colleague sitting next to her.  He addressed the group, “I was looking at the numbers and noticed that the highs and lows don’t quite make sense.”  He didn’t mention that Laurie had pointed it out to him. He got the kudos for bringing it up.

Has that ever happened to you?  Has fear ever kept you from pointing out something?

If you are a woman, research indicates that you are 25% less likely to speak up at a meeting.  If you don’t speak up, you are less likely to be seen as a leader, and what’s worse, what you didn’t say may become a critical issue.

Many people don’t speak up because they are concerned that either they will be wrong or they will hurt someone’s feelings if they speak up.

There is an approach that can elegantly sidestep those challenges, yet still address the issue.

I call it the “help me understand” approach:

1.  Make an observation of the facts as you see them.

2.  Use “help me understand” or some variation (“This doesn’t quite make sense to me.  Can you explain it?”)

This non-judgmental approach can help both you and the other party “save face” and allows you to address an issue that could become a critical issue if ignored.

Authentic Conversations at Work: What, Why, How

What would happen if people had more authentic conversations at work? It’s a concept I will be exploring in greater depth in future posts. I’d love to hear your ideas and your challenges regarding authentic conversations. Here are my initial thoughts . . .

What are “Authentic Conversations”? Authentic conversations are conversations based on truth, understanding and respect, communicated in a genuine, “real” manner, with no pretense, posturing or politics.

Why are “Authentic Conversations” important? If people feel respected and that others want to understand them without judgment, they are more likely to open up and share the truth. Better decisions are made when the truth is known. Authentic conversations are an integral part of employee engagement as well (engaged employees have higher productivity and lower turn-over). Authentic conversations will foster commitment not merely compliance.

What problems do “Authentic Conversations” solve?

• Turn dysfunctional teams/relationships into successful teams/relationships
• Employee engagement: reduce turnover, increase productivity
• Reduce loss of time and money (and possibly lives) wasted on decisions made with incomplete or untrue information.

6 Steps to “Authentic Conversations”

1. Know what you want, or at least what you think you want. It’s a starting point. to

2. Address fundamentally important issues. Don’t side step the big stuff.

3. Commit to maintaining a respectful, caring, adult to adult, engaged connection in which you see your conversation partner as an ally not an adversary. It’s not “you vs. me.” It’s “we vs. the problem.”

4. Listen for understanding and not to judge (“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”). Use reflective listening (rephrasing, repeating, summarizing, asking clarifying questions). “Help me understand.”

5. Acknowledge feelings (yours and theirs). Empathize. But, try not to take things too personally.

6. Tell and seek the truth with positive intent. Be honest and transparent, without deception or manipulation. Honestly state your views (the truth as you know it) and the facts that support them. Tell the whole story, not holding back information on relevant issues. Acknowledge reality. Examine assumptions and biases which cloud the truth.

So, tell me the truth, what do you think about authentic conversations at work?