Leadership Lessons: 4 Ways to Connect with Younger Workers

By Nicole Fallon

Every year, a new batch of college graduates enters the job market. With each graduating class, the generational balance in the workplace shifts, leaving baby boomer and Gen X leaders wondering how to relate to their younger counterparts.

"As more millennials enter the workforce, experienced business leaders will be faced with some real challenges," said David Scarola, vice president of business coaching service provider The Alternative Board. "[Generation Y is] characterized as being technology-savvy, especially with social media. They are strong multitaskers, have high expectations of themselves and their employers, and prefer to collaborate and work in teams." 

If you're feeling a little out of touch with your younger employees, Scarola suggested a few ways to engage and connect with them:

   Embrace technology. Although many baby boomer leaders are becoming more comfortable with technology, some are still hesitant about using it. Allow your younger staff to help lead your company in a more tech-friendly direction, with suitable IT controls.
    
    Provide employees with mentors. Gen Y is sometimes perceived by older generations as lazy, and this may have to do with poor expectations. Don't wait for the performance review to provide feedback to younger workers. Pairing them up with an experienced mentor is a great way to improve the culture of a changing workforce.
    
    Celebrate creativity. Younger workers want to do things differently, much like any "next generation." Rather than responding to their new ideas with, "That's not how we do things around here," keep an open mind. Not all new ideas are good, but plenty of them are. These ideas may help your business connect better with prospects and with employees.
    
    Support a civic cause. In a study by Bentley University, 84 percent of millenials think it's more important to make a positive difference in the world than to get professional recognition. If you can find a social mission for your business that engages your employees, they will see this as a higher purpose and feel more connected with the business.

Scarola cautioned that working with Gen Y is a two-way street: Leading a younger staff doesn't mean you should abandon the strategies that got you to where you are today.

"Baby boomer [and Gen X] business leaders have been highly successful because of their ability to think strategically, to plan, to measure, to adapt and to communicate," he told Business News Daily. "They are most successful when they rely on trusted advisers, and especially their peers, to leverage collective wisdom to improve the businesses and the personal lives of each other. Experienced leaders should seek to educate younger workers on the importance of the strategies and tools that they've used to create a successful business."

culled from:businessnewsdaily.com

• Embrace technology. Although many baby boomer leaders are becoming more comfortable with technology, some are still hesitant about using it. Allow your younger staff to help lead your company in a more tech-friendly direction, with suitable IT controls.
   
• Provide employees with mentors. Gen Y is sometimes perceived by older generations as lazy, and this may have to do with poor expectations. Don't wait for the performance review to provide feedback to younger workers. Pairing them up with an experienced mentor is a great way to improve the culture of a changing workforce.
   
• Celebrate creativity. Younger workers want to do things differently, much like any "next generation." Rather than responding to their new ideas with, "That's not how we do things around here," keep an open mind. Not all new ideas are good, but plenty of them are. These ideas may help your business connect better with prospects and with employees.
   
• Support a civic cause. In a study by Bentley University, 84 percent of millenials think it's more important to make a positive difference in the world than to get professional recognition. If you can find a social mission for your business that engages your employees, they will see this as a higher purpose and feel more connected with the business.

Scarola cautioned that working with Gen Y is a two-way street: Leading a younger staff doesn't mean you should abandon the strategies that got you to where you are today.
"Baby boomer [and Gen X] business leaders have been highly successful because of their ability to think strategically, to plan, to measure, to adapt and to communicate," he told Business News Daily. "They are most successful when they rely on trusted advisers, and especially their peers, to leverage collective wisdom to improve the businesses and the personal lives of each other. Experienced leaders should seek to educate younger workers on the importance of the strategies and tools that they've used to create a successful business."
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6193-engaging-young-workers.html#sthash.09q6DJnq.dpuf

Every year, a new batch of college graduates enters the job market. With each graduating class, the generational balance in the workplace shifts, leaving baby boomer and Gen X leaders wondering how to relate to their younger counterparts.
"As more millennials enter the workforce, experienced business leaders will be faced with some real challenges," said David Scarola, vice president of business coaching service provider The Alternative Board. "[Generation Y is] characterized as being technology-savvy, especially with social media. They are strong multitaskers, have high expectations of themselves and their employers, and prefer to collaborate and work in teams."
If you're feeling a little out of touch with your younger employees, Scarola suggested a few ways to engage and connect with them:
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6193-engaging-young-workers.html#sthash.09q6DJnq.dpuf

Tips for Organizing Your Personal Brand

Organization. It’s the one thing so many of us let go when times get busy. From unkempt desks to computers cluttered with files from projects no one remembers anymore, it’s no wonder that entrepreneurs are forever stereotyped as flying by the seat of their pants. Yet, in a world where technology is taking on more and more responsibility, it’s becoming easier to hand off time management and organization to programs designed to make sure you don’t misplace yet another crucial bit of information.

The Clutter Myth

Before we get going, it’s important to realize that desk clutter isn’t inherently a bad thing. After all, most of us maintain an organized mess only our brains are capable of sifting through properly. For further proof, just look at Einstein’s desk the day he died. That man was far from a failed entrepreneur.
In the same vein, you do have to have some sort of rhyme and reason to your clutter. Maybe all “to-do” items pile up on the left side while all of the “to file” projects sit on the right. This at least gives you a general map of where to find things. Ideally, though, you want a system that reduces the time it takes for you to find documents. Time is money and if you’re wasting too much time searching for a contract, you lose money.
As far as email is concerned, organizing your inbox is not too big of a deal as modern search functions do a great job of finding things for you. So long as you remember who sent you the email, its subject, the day it was sent or even a sliver of the body, you will be able to find it. Your responsibility, however, is to make sure you clean it up when it starts to run slowly.

Time is Money

Once you start treating your time like you would treat your dollars, you begin to see your worth in terms of the current economic situation. It also makes it easier for people to put their foot down against things that will end up not benefitting them in any capacity.
Your first step in this mission, should you choose to accept it, is to cut out all the fat. Useless meetings, chats at the water cooler and browsing mind-numbing websites severely detract from what you are capable of accomplishing throughout the course of one day. And before you ask, yes, it is important to take breaks from daily stress. This gives your brain time to recharge for the next event. However, this recharge time can be turned into something useful, such as watching YouTube videos about history or reading up on the latest scientific advancements.
Only through practicing this can you teach yourself the temperament necessary to truly succeed as your own boss.

Technology to the Rescue

Once you finally have organization and time management down, you can push them further with technology. Coded by those seeking to make everything run smoother and more efficiently than any human could ever hope to match, specialized software gives the entrepreneur a leading edge.
Here are three of my favorite mainstays to organization and effectiveness.
The question to ask is: Is it necessary?
Why is it on your schedule? Does it move you closer to your goal? Can it be eliminated, simplified, or combined with something else?

Passion Planner

While it may seem like a regular planner, this handy notebook takes scheduling a step further by having you enter your goals into the space at the start. It’s a great psychological trick to help keep you focused on your ultimate goal, making it easier to spot and avoid potential deterrents along the way. The end of each month has also been fitted with reflection pages to fill out for you to continually reassess where you are and how that relates to your plans.

Cam Card

It used to be that business cards where stored in a Rolodex. Then they had to be hand entered into a database. This was followed by buggy scanning software. Now, the technology has finally progressed enough to make card scanning accurate, organized and easy on your phone. An app optimized to work on any device with a camera, the business cards are stored on a cloud database where you can add notes and set reminders.

Calendly

Calendly is a relatively revolutionary scheduling device that has shared the responsibility of scheduling with others. Once you’ve denoted your availability, you share your personal Calendly link with your contacts. They then pick an available time and you now have a scheduled appointment sans 10 emails trying to agree on a time and date.


culled from:smallbiztrends.com

5 Tips For Teaching Leadership Skills

By Nicole Fallon Taylor

It's often said that it takes a certain type of person to be a great leader. These individuals exhibit qualities like passion, integrity, a take-charge attitude and the ability to inspire others. Employers and executives recognize this, and these "born leaders" are often first in line for promotions to leadership roles.

But people with leadership potential don't simply become leaders overnight. It's up to existing leaders to train the next generation, showing them how to guide a group of people toward a specific vision or goal.

Whether your company has a structured training program or you simply teach by example, here are a few key things to keep in mind when you're training future leaders. [5 Simple Ways to Become a Better Leader]
Choose the right people

While certain individuals may seem like shoe-ins for a leadership position based on their personality or their current role within a company, it's crucial to take all performance and experience factors into account before determining their leadership candidacy.

"Before you start teaching and enhancing the skills of a leader, you have to start with the right person," said Brian Sullivan, a vice president at sales and management training firm Sandler Training. "This person should have a track record of success [in their current role] and have already exhibited leadership traits. Not everything they'll be doing as a leader is necessarily something they've done before, but these two fundamental items are the springboard for any type of training."

Sullivan also told leaders not to allow favoritism to come into play when choosing a successor, and make a decision based solely on a candidate's qualifications.
Make sure they understand the business

A good leader must always be training the next generation of leaders, said Stephen Sheinbaum, founder of financial technology company Bizfi, which provides alternative finance for small businesses. To do this, leadership candidates need to be well-versed in where your business is headed, and what kinds of people and skills will be needed to make that happen.

"If a greater use of technology is going to be key to the future growth of your company, then you've got to make sure that your leaders understand that technology and its importance in your industry," Sheinbaum said. "They may not be the ones writing the code, but they have to know how to hire, communicate with and guide the coders that you will need."
Build their listening skills

One of the most important skills a leader can acquire is how to listen. A true leader always takes his or her team's feedback into account when making decisions. This skill can be taught by being a good listener yourself.

"Always listen to the input you receive, and act on it," said Guryan Tighe, a partner at Speakeasy Strategies public relations firm. "If you have only your own agenda in mind, you can't truly hear others' input and potentially, the next great idea. Make sure your business is set up to stimulate people around you to create and take initiative. For example, ask the trainees about their training experience, as this encourages an environment focused on growth and development."
Help them craft a future vision

"Vision" is a word that is commonly thrown around in reference to leaders, but what does it really mean? Denise Brosseau, CEO of Thought Leadership Lab, believes it involves the ability to inspire others to see a future worth striving for.

"[Leaders should] focus on crafting a compelling vision of the future that they will work to bring about," said Brosseau, author of "Ready to Be a Thought Leader?" (Jossey-Bass, 2014). "This future must be something they are passionate about, but they must also have the credibility and experience to make progress toward achieving it."

Teaching leadership candidates how to create and articulate their own future vision will help them when it comes time to actually execute plans to get there.
Look at their motivations

If a leadership candidate seems more excited about being "the boss" who's in charge of others, he or she probably isn't the best person for the job. A good leader knows that his or her job is working for everybody else, said Dale Falcinelli, chairman of the advisory council at Lehigh University's Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship.

"Leadership is an executive club, and it shouldn't be taken for granted," Falcinelli told Business News Daily. "Leaders aren't caught up with the notion of people working for them. They'll have the passion and drive to get where they need to go, and they'll know that to get there, they have to work for and through other people."


culled from:businessnewsdaily.com

5 Elements That Shape the Core of a Strong Startup

Alex Iskold

Contributor

In my yoga classes teachers spend a lot of time on the core exercises. If you do any competitive sports, your coach works obsessively on your core. Strong core is needed for overall body strength and resilience. It makes sense, because, by definition, the core is at the center.
Same is true about startups. The core defines what you made of, and how you are going to grow. The core defines how your startup will withstand extreme pressure and competition -- and survive and win.
Here is what shapes the core of a startup:

1. Vision

Strong body starts with the strong mind. Strong startup core starts with strong vision. Why do you exist? What is your purpose? Why do you get up every day? What is your true north? Having clarity around your vision is the foundation of having clarity around execution, hiring, fundraising and every other aspect of your company.
Vision is the very foundation of the company's core.

2. Values

The second thing that helps shape the core of your company is your values. It can be speed. It can be exceptional customer service. Some companies have work-life balance as a core value, although it tends to be difficult for early startups. Values help you shape the culture. They provide the blueprint for the kind of people you may or may not hire -- and for the kind of company you may or may not want to become.
Ultimately, the founding team's values become the company's culture.

3. Product and engineering

In the past, great companies were about great sales and marketing. In the future, more and more companies will become great because of their product and engineering. A great product is necessary to win in today's market. To build a great product you need to have engineering excellence and focus.
Companies that have strong product and engineering core tend to win.

4. Feedback loops

The company core is constantly influenced by relationship between employees inside the company, its customers and business partners. Every single interaction is a small feedback loop. The sum of all interactions over time becomes a force that helps shape and evolve the core of your company.
Truly great companies have a core that evolves to be stronger over time.

5. Resilience

Strong core is a resilient core. You get knocked down a lot -- when the product isn't working right, when the sale wouldn't close, when competition is breathing down your neck, when the funding doesn't come through. When you get knocked down, does your core help you get up? Is your core truly resilient?
Winning the startup game means not dying. Is your core strong enough to survive?
What is the core of your startup?


culled from:entrepreneur.com

Everything I Know About Management I Learned in Kindergarten

by Rieva Lesonsky

I read a lot of small business newsletters, including several about management and leadership. I’m always amazed at how many articles cited in these newsletters state the obvious (to me, anyway). I’m talking about tips like “Good Leadership Requires Moral Standards” or “Treat Your Employees Like People, Not Numbers.”
But maybe sometimes, we need to hear what seem to be the basics that everyone should already know. With that in mind, here are things I learned about management from kindergarten.

Say Please and Thank You

I’ve noticed some people in management roles order people to do things — not good. Others tell them to do things — better, but still not ideal. A simple “Please” when giving directions — “Julio, have the report ready by 3:00, please” — can work wonders in making employees more willing to work hard for you. So can a “Thank you” when they complete the job.

Share

Share the information your employees need to do their jobs better. Also share as much information about the company, its outcomes and your plans for it, as makes sense. Last, but not least, share the credit for any job well done with all the team members who helped make it happen. Don’t hog all the credit for yourself. The only thing you shouldn’t share? Blame when something goes wrong. Remember, the buck stops with you.

Take Turns

Lots of managers love to hear themselves talk, which can lead to meetings where others feel too intimidated to speak up and share their ideas or opinions — or simply can’t get a word in. Good leaders listen more than they speak. Say what you need to say, but then let — in fact, actively encourage — your employees to speak up, too.

Play Fair

If there’s one thing that sours employees on a workplace faster than anything else, it’s unfair treatment (or treatment they perceive to be unfair). Make sure you’re not playing favorites among your employees. Apply the same policies to everyone — or, if you make an exception for one person, be ready to make it for the rest of the staff. Keep in mind that even if you feel you’re being scrupulously fair, your employees may not feel the same way. If any action you take has the possibility to be misinterpreted as favoritism, be sure you explain it to your staff — and make sure they’re truly satisfied with your explanation.

Say You’re Sorry When You Hurt Someone

Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you’re infallible. Nor does it mean that you can just walk away when you’ve done something that hurts an employee. Apologize to the person — directly, immediately and honestly — with the same degree of “publicity” with which you hurt them. In other words, if you embarrassed an employee in front of the entire staff at your Monday meeting, you need to say you’re sorry in front of the whole staff, too.

Clean Up Your Own Messes

Has something gone wrong in your business? It’s your job to make it right. Never ask employees to do what you wouldn’t do yourself, or to take responsibility for an error that you made. By taking responsibility, you earn the respect of your employees.
What lessons from kindergarten do you apply to managing your employees?


culled from:smallbiztrends.com

The True Measure of Leadership Is Staying Calm in the Storm

Marty Fukuda

Contributor

Business success often is coupled with stories of surviving a difficult stretch to emerge a better company. A checking account down to the last few cents, one-month away from shutting the doors for good, or years of mediocrity before that spectacular breakthrough are common business folklore.
Hearing tales of others moving from the brink of failure to greatness help keep the downtrodden motivated. Inspiration is crucial, but so is a plan. Here are four keys to leading in difficult times:

Keep a cool head.

There's an oft-used phrase referring to leadership: The speed of the leader is the speed of the team. No doubt, a leader's behavior has a trickle-down effect. When your organization is paddling rough waters, what the team needs more than ever is focus. Leaders who show signs of panic or fear will not keep their teams on-point.
The team needs to be calm to focus. It's essential you show confidence and a collected demeanor in front of your team,  regardless of the emotions flowing through your veins Direct the focus away from fear to the task of turning around the business.

Be brilliantly transparent with your team.

The leader who is in a public state of denial will not endear himself to his team. The group will begin to whisper and disintegrate. Keep employees in the loop when the company is facing challenges.
If the right people populate your organization, they will rally and help you tackle the challenges. They have ideas that can help, but they'll only come out if you fully explain the situation. The key is to not be reckless in your transparency, but brilliant. Sharing your worries simply to get them off your chest does little good. A leader must steer his team's focus to tackling the problem.
Related: How a Transparent Team Culture Can Improve Customer Service

Paint an inspiring vision.

A team needs a unifying vision more than ever when facing adversity. A united team can overcome obstacles but a panicked team will surely crumble. Good leaders will paint a vision for their teams and develop with them a strategy for getting back on top.
As the plan progresses, publicly recognize steps in the right direction, however small the victories may be. Your team will begin to see the light on the other side of the tunnel and pick-up momentum. Never underestimate an inspired team's ability to accomplish great things – when they have a clear vision.

Move from reactive to proactive mode ASAP.

When a business has its back against the wall, reacting swiftly may take precedence over all else. Undoubtedly, your action timeline is cut short. But while a defensive, counter-puncher mode may be necessary for the short-term, the quicker you get your team back to a proactive state, the better long-term decisions will likely be. Play defense for as long as you have to and not a moment longer.
Whether it's a company or a division of a larger institution, chances are at some point, adversity will mar the landscape. Obstacles are a normal part of business and life. Resist the urge to feel sorry for yourself or play the blame or what-if games. You don't have time for that. Your team needs you more now then ever. Get focused and remember that the best teams arise from adversity that much stronger for getting through the experience.

culled from:entrepreneur.com

The 5 Things All Great Managers Do

By Chad Brooks

If it seems like your boss isn't cut out for their job, you're probably right.

Despite the importance of putting the right people in charge, companies fail to choose the managerial candidate with the right talent for the job 82 percent of the time, according to new research from Gallup. The research revealed that, overall, just 1 in 10 people possess the talent needed to manage others.

The study's authors said that while many workers are endowed with some of the necessary traits, few have the talent needed to help a team achieve excellence in a way that significantly improves a company's performance.

"These 10 percent, when put in manager roles, naturally engage team members and customers, retain top performers, and sustain a culture of high productivity," the study's authors, Gallup managing partner Randall Beck and Jim Harter, chief scientist in Gallup's workplace management practice, wrote in the research. "It's important to note that another two in 10 people exhibit some characteristics of basic managerial talent and can function at a high level if their company invests in coaching and developmental plans for them."

Gallup listed these five talents of great managers.

    They motivate every single employee to take action and engage employees with a compelling mission and vision.
    They have the assertiveness to drive outcomes and the ability to overcome adversity and resistance.
    They create a culture of clear accountability.
    They build relationships that create trust, open dialogue and full transparency.
    They make decisions based on productivity, not politics.

"Very few people can pull off all five of these requirements of good management," the study's authors wrote. "Most managers end up with team members who, at best, are indifferent toward their work -- or, at worst, are hell-bent on spreading their negativity to colleagues and customers."

The research suggests that companies miss the mark on hiring managers because the conventional selection process is ineffective. When Gallup asked U.S. managers why they believed they were hired for their current role, they commonly cited their success in a previous non-managerial role or their tenure in their company or field.

"Most companies promote workers into managerial positions because they seemingly deserve it, rather than have the talent for it," the authors wrote. "This practice doesn't work."

Researchers say the good news is that sufficient management talent exists in every company.

"It's often hiding in plain sight," the authors wrote. "Leaders should maximize this potential by choosing the right person for the next management role using predictive analytics to guide their identification of talent."

culled from:businessnewsdaily.com

If it seems like your boss isn't cut out for their job, you're probably right.
Despite the importance of putting the right people in charge, companies fail to choose the managerial candidate with the right talent for the job 82 percent of the time, according to new research from Gallup. The research revealed that, overall, just 1 in 10 people possess the talent needed to manage others.
The study's authors said that while many workers are endowed with some of the necessary traits, few have the talent needed to help a team achieve excellence in a way that significantly improves a company's performance.
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6129-good-manager-skills.html#sthash.Jdnav9Do.dpufIf it seems like your boss isn't cut out for their job, you're probably right.

Despite the importance of putting the right people in charge, companies fail to choose the managerial candidate with the right talent for the job 82 percent of the time, according to new research from Gallup. The research revealed that, overall, just 1 in 10 people possess the talent needed to manage others.

The study's authors said that while many workers are endowed with some of the necessary traits, few have the talent needed to help a team achieve excellence in a way that significantly improves a company's performance.