Motivating employees, especially during economic downturns, requires an empathic approach. Or, as I prefer to call it—the “connecting your heart-to-your-head approach.” The pressure of too-much-work-to-be-done with too few people often causes a low level response to the threat of job loss as a stimulus for more production. Simply, their emotional well is dry and any increase in productivity is short-lived. Threats don’t work.

Managers expect employees to be self-motivated and to a degree that should be the case. Self-motivation is the ability to get things done without being directed by others. But, this does not absolve a manager from providing the reason employees should be working or behaving in a particular way. The best way is to show employees how their role is connected to something bigger than their job tasks.

The more removed an employee is from the ultimate consumer or beneficiary the more difficult it is to motivate employees to see beyond their job tasks. This can result in employees defending their job, being stingy with sharing information, or a demonstrating a lack of cooperation with other departments. The loss of connection to both internal and external customers constricts work flow and squashes creative solutions.

For example, accounting may never have any direct exposure to the ultimate consumer and hold strict that rules, policies and terms be executed “by the book.” Sales people may feel stymied by accounting’s lack of flexibility when they are attempting to help a customer find a creative way to afford their products or services. On-the-other-hand, sales people may not have contact with a customer at the time of delivery when delivery people may feel anger towards sales people for ordering products that don’t fit a customer’s home, business or needs. And around it goes.

An employee’s exposure to the bigger picture opens up the pathway for inspired solutions to emerge and greater empathy for customers and co-workers. As a sales person and a manager, I learned to handle problems before they began and to call attention to details that would help my customers because of exposure to all the people connected to my job.

Spending a day with the delivery team was an invaluable learning experience when I worked in the home furnishings business. Not only did I learn how to load a truck, what paperwork needed to be completed and signed, what physical challenges it required but also what questions, concerns and reactions customers had at the time of delivery. And, I learned a whole lot about what can go wrong!

This experience taught me to highlight to customers the written instructions of what to expect on the day of delivery, who to contact and in what order, if there were problems. What they could expect from the delivery people and what not to expect. It cemented my relationship with the distribution center’s staff and with the drivers because I experienced their jobs first hand. It connected me to customers and co-workers at a deeper level.

I was motivated to sell more when I saw delight on the faces of clients when products they purchased enhanced their lives or solved a problem. I was motivated to spend a few extra minutes filling out paperwork that made it easier for accounting to finish reports (reports I ultimately used to do my job) and I was motivated to help co-workers finish projects so they too could please a customer. When things did go wrong I had a greater understanding of what my customers were feeling, what frustrations drivers, co-workers or direct reports were facing and how to uncover the real issues because I had this greater awareness. My heart was now connected to my head.

The “something bigger” is the gratitude of the ultimate consumer or beneficiary.  It’s the acknowledgment that you have made a difference—to something or someone. Get your people connected if you want your team to be self-motivated.

What are your thoughts?

Read more tips on managing and customer service in Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. You can get it at Amazon.

More Quick Tips from Misunderstood!: The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up (Volume 1)

If you’re past the honeymoon stage in your business, you know that taking shortcuts have a nasty way of blowing up in your face.  Eventually.

BUT there are always a few people who seem to effortlessly zero in on the key points in any meeting, negotiation, management crises or opportunity.  They get more done, faster – both alone and through others.

Warren Buffett is an extreme example.  In 1991, his multi-billion dollar investment in Salomon Brothers was at the edge of disaster.  The government was *this close* to effectively shutting them down.

Buffett had to choose a new CEO, making what he considered the most important hire of his life.  And he did.   In 15 minutes.  He met the guy for 15 minutes and decided to hire him. And it was a fantastic choice.

Astounding, no?

Was it luck?  No.  Nor was it a kind of reckless shortcut in which he “hoped” it would work out.

Buffett has systematically trained his mind to see subtle things in every day situations that almost everyone else misses. He can “see the unseen.”

Not in a mystical way.  In a practical way.

The good news is that you and I can learn these skills. Maybe not to the level of  Warren Buffett, but certainly to the level that you know in your heart you were meant to achieve.

My friend and colleague Dov Gordon has put together a free online video course for entrepreneurs and small business owners that teaches you just that.  It’s only available for another week or so and I recommend you go get it now.

The course is called “The Simple Secrets of Gordian-Knot Management.”

You get it in four parts:

Chapter 1:  ”How to Strike at the Root, While Everyone Hacks at the Leaves.”   This is short, just 14 minutes.  But it will change the way you think.   Big aha’s for me while reading this chapter. (Available now. No registration required. )

http://dovgordon.net/am/go.php?r=20&i=l0

Chapter 2:   “How to Win Your Customers’ Hearts – by Reading Their Minds.”  (Available now at the same link.  Free registration required because he usually sells this for $149.  Naturally, Dov protects it behind digital walls.  But this week you can walk in without paying.)

Chapter 3:  ”Time Alchemy.”  If you’ve ever had only “some” success with time management, it’s because you’ve never yet seen the big picture this clearly!  (Available in a few days.)

Chapter 4:  ”The Critical 10% of Management Skills that Make You Look Brilliant 90% of the Time.”  The 90-10 rule applied to management skills.  It’s much simpler when you can confidently focus on just a few things that give you leverage.  Real leverage.  (Coming soon.)

I don’t often promote other people’s material.  However, I’ve seen Dov’s work.  I’ve known him for a long time and have always been impressed with his clear thinking and unique ability to teach it to others.

And it won’t cost you anything.

WHY is Dov giving this all away for free this week and next? Because he wants to introduce himself.  He knows that some will want to continue with him in a paid program.  If you do eventually buy something, I will  earn a commission for having made the introduction.  But you’ll thank me for telling you about his free training long before that happens.

So do this:

1.  Go register for the $149 training while it’s still free:

2.  I’ll keep you posted on when chapters 3 and 4 will be released.

Why pass this up? It certainly has helped me do more in less time.  I know it can help you, too!

http://dovgordon.net/am/go.php?r=20&i=l0

I love this stuff and I know you will too!

A. Michelle Blakeley:

According to Real Simple magazine’s survey of 10,000 readers, the average daily to-do list has 5 to 9 tasks on it. Only 5% of the readers are productive for 3 hours during a 9-to-5 workday as a result of web-related distractions. According to the Procrastination Research Group, based on some figures, it is estimated that as much as 95% of the people are prone to procrastination. Amongst them, 20% of them are chronic procrastinators.

Procrastination is generally defined as avoided tasks or activities that need to be accomplished. Poor time management and procrastination can be a direct result of having unreachable goals, having to meet others’ standards, disorganization or the inability to handle the task. Below are ways to erase daily procrastination in your business.

Use the first hour or two of your day to work on things that require your attention or have deadlines. Accomplishing necessary tasks will invigorate you to do more.

Inspire yourself with insightful reading. Read at least one business article daily and take action. Try implementing a new idea. Don’t just read about it, but do.
Afternoon organization can make the next day easier. Take 15 minutes at the end of each day to think about tomorrow’s priorities. Knowing what needs to be done at the beginning of each day gives you focus and direction.

Break large projects or tasks into smaller activities and schedule them on your calendar as appointments. Do them in 30-minutes, 1-hour or 3-hour time blocks. You wouldn’t interrupt a scheduled appointment, so don’t allow unnecessary interruptions when working on your projects.
Don’t make lofty goals. Be reasonable in your expectations of yourself, your time and your commitments. Overextending yourself can cause you shut down. Be practical and realistic.

It’s always helpful to identify the source of your procrastination. Take some time to think about why you are putting things off and then try one of the above techniques. Procrastination can really be a struggle and challenge for small business owners, especially when they are simply overwhelmed and unsure of their next move. Take it one step at a time and be conscious of your actions AND inaction.

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.

When giving negative feedback keep in mind the type of feedback you are providing:

* Is it to find a solution to a disagreement?

* Is it directions or information to shift a project that is going off course?

* Is it to express dissatisfaction concerning work, behavior, or productivity?

Asking these questions and making the distinction helps you keep focused on the response and behavior you are seeking. It’s easy to get distracted or go off course especially when your listener starts defending his position.

Try it. Leave your comments.

*This tip comes from my forthcoming book, “Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say it and When to Shut-Up! Watch for it.

Leadership requires  far more than a list of 10 qualities but for the sake of space and feedback I’ve listed a few I don’t usually see mentioned.

It goes without saying that the broad category of  communication skills is a quality I believe every leader needs to succeed so I’ve chosen not to put it on my list.  I  consider communication skills to include speaking, presenting, selling and  persuading. I did, however, include listening on my list simply because some things require emphasis.

Here’s my list:
1. Listening--and being able to ask “is there anything more?”
2. Empathy–and having a deep understanding of priorities (using the 10,10,10 method)
3. Inspiring–and developing an environment that supports motivated people
4. Courage–and the conviction to carry out intentions and tough decisions
5. Clarity of intention–and the insight to question your motives
6. Servant Leadership–and the wisdom to know what that means
7. Humor–and humility, they often travel hand-in-hand
8. Vision–and the ability to enroll your team in the journey
9. Vitality–even the physically incapacitated can possess the extraordinary mental vigor to lead
10.Confidence–not arrogance but faith in your abilities to lead

and 10+ Trustworthiness and Moral Fortitude

Your thoughts?

Negotiate anything, anytime.

Negotiations and persuasive communication are the skills most requested by business professionals. Communicating in the workplace requires tact, awareness, timing and the right words.

Here are three more key elements for successful negotiating and persuasive conversations:

1.  Keep control of your emotions.

Negotiations trigger your emotions when you fail to realize that you are an adult speaking to another adult. Too frequently people fall into the “child-to-adult” role where pleading replaces negotiating. If you find that your emotions are surfacing excuse yourself from the situation rather than blundering ahead while blubbering. Get a hold of yourself–you’re an adult.

2.  Know what you want–specifically.

Don’t leave the details of your request up to someone else. I once negotiated the terms of my firing. (Yes, everything is negotiable!) I was young and caught off guard (most people are) and found myself losing control. (see #1 above) I stated that I wanted further discussion but that I needed to leave the building for a short time. This gave me time to make decisions about what would serve me best in the next few weeks. I came back and asked for  1.) an office 2.) in another building where I could make calls 3.) a receptionist that would receive and forward my calls without comment and 4.) at least 3 weeks to conduct my job search. I don’t know where I got the nerve to ask for this but I felt the firing was unjustified. I got everything. And I got a job with a 43% increase within a week. Know what you want.

3.  Know who you are talking to.

Will you be speaking to a dominant personality with a tendency toward angry outbursts? Or will you be lucky enough to be engaging a logical person or someone with high empathy? Tailor your communication to the behavior type you’ll be persuading or negotiating with.

Negotiating is a learned skill necessary for business success. Invest some time to learn the language and you’ll begin to feel at ease in any persuasive conversation.

1. No matter how ridiculous the behavior from employees never forget the underlying emotion is always fear.

I’ve seen tipsy job candidates as well as drunk-as-a-lord employees. Tears in the workplace—far too many to count. Witnessing even one employee’s full-out, red-faced, nose-running tantrum that scared the living daylights out of customers  is more than enough. Lying—seems to go with the territory. Back-stabbing behavior followed by incredulous “who-me” denials from that one off-kilter worker–not uncommon.

It’s important to remember that fear is the grand motivator and a universal human behavior. This belief has saved my sanity.

2. Customers – see above.

The old saying “buyers are liars” comes to mind.  I’ve listened to customers denying ever signing a contract even when presented with the document not only signed but initialed in three places.  Refusing to accept delivery. Bounced checks. Stealing.  All routine.

I’ve seen enough to jade me for life unless I put it all into perspective. Grateful, appreciative, understanding, referral-giving customers outweighed the wacky ones by far. I discovered that taping a glowing note or two from a good client where I could  frequently see was helpful.

3. You’re responsible for the whole shebang.

Just own it. I’ve dealt with drug addicts parked at the back door and snakes slithering across the front entrance. The remnants of sodden ceiling panels spattered on furniture, imported rugs and public walkways—when they could no longer hold their weight—simply meant having the local 24-hour cleaning service on speed-dial. Until the AC unit got fixed (correctly) this was a weekly event.

Electrical problems, smoke-filled showrooms and 100-degree offices became as trivial as jammed copiers and dead phone service.

I’ve dragged myself out of bed at 3:00 a.m. to answer alarm calls a dozen times only to discover—well, nothing much. Chandeliers crashing to the floor from their tether in the stockroom will surely set off a motion detector but are really nothing to become alarmed about, especially after the second or third time.

I learned that you’ll be on a first-name basis with the police, fire and E.M.T. departments so it’s best to cultivate a friendly smile.

4. Appreciation and creative latitude produces the best work.

I’ve witness pure genius and remarkable solutions produced when the freedom to innovate is present.

5. You leave a little mark on everyone.

Remember who you are and where you are.  You’ll never know what indelible  impression you’ll leave on someone. A careless remark uttered under stress may be regrettable. A few words of encouragement and understanding marks you as human. A note of gratitude from a co-worker—priceless.