Service Leader

The topic of what makes a great leader has been debated since we humans could say the word. When you think of the values a mentor has brought to you, it's often those intangible aspects which are more difficult to define.

In business, it's tough to be thrown into a new role when you may be good at the work but not as well versed at the people part. It’s easy to point to those who have handled leadership with grace but it's not a skill you learn in short order. And it can certainly be a balancing act when the company continually reminds you profit is the goal.

Fear can be why strong leadership is often as rare as great customer service.
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Leadership is Not Easy

The topic of what makes a great leader has been debated since we humans could say the word. When you think of the values a mentor has brought to you, it's often those intangible aspects which are more difficult to define.

In business, it's tough to be thrown into a new role when you may be good at the work but not as well versed at the people part. It’s easy to point to those who have handled leadership with grace but it's not a skill you learn in short order. And it can certainly be a balancing act when the company continually reminds you profit is the goal.

Fear can be why strong leadership is often as rare as great customer service.
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Is it All About Sales?

Over the years, I have heard versions of the same story from business owners, colleagues, clients, and friends. It’s sometimes a defensive remark, other times a plea for help, and often an automatic response to just about any question about their business. It's understandable because we are all impatient.

"We don’t need good people, we need revenue!"

Whether you're involved in a start-up or a global Fortune 100 enterprise, revenue health is important. No one expects companies to run at a loss but if people aren't important, poor morale and a shrinking bottom line will result.

"We don’t need culture, we need cash!"

Culture is not about high priced chairs and fresh pastries in the lunch room; it’s about open collaboration and clear leadership from everyone in the company. Simply yelling at sales people to make more calls won’t get it done.

"We don’t need leadership, we need sales!"

Engaging the team and involving them with decisions will help them understand what’s at stake. In the quest to make more money, companies need to remember the importance of their single most precious resource.

"We don’t need collaboration, we need profits!"

There are countless data outlining the chasm that exists between the terms “manager” and “leader” and you need the latter. Vision and focus are required and it takes leadership to get great work accomplished.

"We don’t need strategy, we need income!"

Customer service is critical but must begin inside the company. Yes we are all in sales but if you claim your company a "sales organization", it will seep into the culture and you won't have much more than a sales department.

Without strong leadership, a healthy culture, and cooperative collaboration, the chase for revenue remains long and painful.
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What's Holding Us Back?

I've done a rather unscientific study with colleagues, friends, and clients, and it’s clear many are taking a good look at their lives from all aspects – work, family, finances, love, spirituality, health, exercise, dreams – and making a plan to improve what is needed and move away from what is not helping them.

We need to take full responsibility for our behavior in all aspects of our lives and with whom we share. And the old adage you can’t bring your life to work is hopefully taking its last few gasps of life. Bring all of you to all you do or don’t bother.

Eyes Forward

Maybe it would be wise for us to take a few steps back and give thought to the people on our team and in our company; the people in our life who are enriching it and those who may be holding us back.

I have a friend who says she hasn't dreamed or created in a while. I would challenge that she may not have given herself the belief to act. Perhaps that’s what we all need right now? Perhaps we need to stop the busy and start paying closer attention to the humans around us and most importantly ourselves.

The results may blow us away.
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Everything to Everyone

You may often hear others claim they’re good with people or they can increase the bottom line. Those are excellent attributes but need to be further defined and refined. For fear of being specific and potentially losing a deal, many will promise to help anyone who asks them and that can be a dangerous tactic.

Many of us have fallen victim of the plan of trying to have an offer with a wide scope. But if we say everyone is our target customer we can be in trouble. Some feel they don't want to limit their potential. But if we narrow our focus, we can become stronger in those areas we can help the most. We often see this in the start-up world; the company starts to get legs and the offering widens which can be dangerous.

Do one thing really well

The retail space has gotten fuzzy over the last decade. You can buy groceries at your pharmacy and furniture in your electronics store. Widening the offer is watering down the focus and may appear to be working but is actually hurting many of the large companies attempting this strategy.

If you’ve ever been to a general store in a small town it’s like a different world. You can buy everything from candy to camping equipment. But if you looked at your business and more importantly how you grow your team, you probably wouldn’t think it wise to be too wide and hire generalists. Shifting into areas that get away from our strengths in order to grow revenue and market share can be tempting. Doing what we do well, more often, can often be the wiser tactic.

Sometimes offering less can create a lot more.
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Before They Are Customers

You want to take your significant other out for a nice dinner. Maybe you'll check out that new steak place? They claim they have best Kobe beef this side of Tokyo. Decision made. Reservation for 7:30.

What they didn’t tell you in the advertising was that there is a mandatory $10 parking fee. A bit annoying and scam-like. Still not fazed, you head inside. You are met at the threshold with a line-up. Not a bad thing, it means this new place is doing well and you’re not worried, you have a reservation.

Service On Hold

At 7:45, you inquire with the snappy dressed guy at the front if your table is ready. He doesn’t take his eyes of the calculus that is the restaurant floor plan and barks that the kitchen is busy, they are new, and all reservations are 30 minutes behind.

It’s a nice night out, why spoil it with complaints so you go back to the bench and wait quietly. Several minutes later a woman approaches you with two white cards. On one side is the restaurant’s logo and on the other is a questionnaire.

Survey Says

They want to know your demographic, how you found out about the place, how many times you go out for a meal each month, how much alcohol you consume in a year, and for your trouble your name is put in a draw for one free dessert on your next trip - if you go to their website and register.

It’s 8:43 and burgers sound good about now.

Before getting caught up in metrics, surveys, and coupons, be careful people don't walk out before you get a chance to help them as customers.

Let them try it before asking their opinion.
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Five C's

The topic of what makes a great leader has been debated since we humans could say the word. When you think of the values a mentor has brought to you, it's often those intangible aspects which are more difficult to define.

In business, it's tough to be thrown into a new role when you may be good at the work but not as well versed at the people part.

It’s easy to point to those who have handled leadership with grace but it's not a skill you learn in short order. And it can certainly be a balancing act when the company continually reminds you profit is the goal.

Fear can be why strong leadership is often as rare as great customer service.

Communicate | To impart knowledge or to make known.
Collaborate | To work and learn with another.
Cooperate | To act together for a common purpose or benefit.
Considerate | To show awareness or regard for another's feelings.
Compassionate | To have a feeling of sympathy for another.

Without human elements, your bottom line may not exist.
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The Human View

The topic of what makes a great leader has been debated forever. When you think of the values a mentor has brought to you, it’s often those intangible aspects which are more difficult to define.

In business, it's tough to be thrown into a new role when you may be good at the work but not as well versed at the people part. It's easy to point to those who have handled leadership with grace but it's not a skill you learn in short order. And it can certainly be a balancing act when the organization continually reminds you profit is the goal.

Fear can be why strong leadership is often as rare as great customer service. The five C's can help...

Communicate - To impart knowledge or to make known.
Collaborate - To work and learn with another.
Cooperate - To act together for a common purpose or benefit.
Considerate - To show awareness or regard for another's feelings.
Compassionate - To have a feeling of sympathy for another.

Without human elements, your results will remain a mystery.
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Your Real Bottom Line

Training is important for any business, but I believe action learning is the best way to create positive and lasting improvement in your company. We spend more than 12,000 days at work during our life, so why not find a way for us to enjoy them?

Your employees want to enjoy being at work. Your profits will grow if you make your people your priority. It's not a nice to have; it's essential to the growth of your business.

Every employee in your company wants to know they can bring their best work and have the chance to improve, grow, and learn. You may think selling more products is the fastest way to improve your bottom line, but it’s people who will get you there and strong internal culture is the critical ingredient.

Each year, Gallup does a survey of the global workplace and through over 60,000 one-on-one interviews in 90 countries last year, only 13% of respondents said they were emotionally invested in creating value to their companies and organizations. That’s a problem. Engaging your employees is the most important way to realize measurable results. Your bottom line depends on your people.

Leadership and Team Development

I provide workshops and webinars customized to your company and team’s needs. We begin where you are right now and we address your specific needs integrated with your current business challenges.

These can take on various iterations from half-day and full-day workshops to ongoing team, department, and individual sessions, to leadership development programs which include your employees working on their growth while solving a real business project.

Business and Executive Coaching

There is a myriad assessment tools and training methods available and I deploy many of them but like the leadership and team development, we begin where you are right now. From one-on-one to team to group sessions, we create solutions-based meetings and modules to address those things that are keeping you up at night.

Call me at 519-803-7130 or email knealemann at gmail dot com and we can chat about your needs. We will create a customized solution with identified goals and objectives to ensure measurable results.

It begins with a conversation. Let's chat!
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Taking a Summer Attitude

We are in the middle of a heatwave in North America right now. I’m in Canada and temperatures are hovering around 30-35° celsius which is 86-95° fahrenheit. I live in a part of the world where it can dip down to minus 20-30 in the winter.

So people are out and about, enjoying the warmer climes and some well-deserved time away from work with their families and friends. Backyards are filled with the smell of barbecues and the streets are filled with people on their bikes taking in the vista.

Work Less Try Less?

I usually think about how to approach work in the summer from the perspective of taking advantage of your competition while they’re putting their feet up a bit but this year is different. I was thinking this week that perhaps I’ve had that backwards.

Maybe we need to take the summer approach throughout the year. Perhaps we are too focused on bottom lines and improved market shares when a more relaxed attitude will garner even better results. If we aren’t so grumpy all the time about profits and enjoy the work, the exact result we’ve been seeking will be realized.

Something to think about whilst you’re sipping that icy drink by the pool.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

Leadership Humanized

I've done a rather unscientific study with colleagues, friends, and clients, and it’s clear many are taking a good look at their lives from all aspects – work, family, finances, love, spirituality, health, exercise, dreams – and making a plan to improve what is needed and move away from what is not helping them.

We need to take full responsibility for our behavior in all aspects of our lives and with whom we share. And the old adage you can’t bring your life to work is hopefully taking its last few gasps of life. Bring all of you to all you do or don’t bother.

Eyes Forward

While you reflect on this ending year and the start of a new one, take a few steps back and give thought to the people on your team and in your company; the people in your life who are enriching it and those who may be holding you back.

I have a friend who says she hasn't dreamed or created in a while. I would challenge that she may not have given herself the belief to act. Perhaps that’s what we all need right now? If we want a successful 2015, we need to stop the busy and start paying closer attention to the humans around us and most importantly ourselves.

The results may blow us away.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

shuterstock

Is Money the Object?

A large portion of the planet measures profits over people. To some, what you make, what kind of car you drive, how much money you have in your investment portfolio has become more important than embracing relationships and experiences.

I was recalling a situation with a client a few weeks back with regards to compensation. She is doing very well in her current role and from all evidence it appears she’s being groomed for a big promotion. She is a sharp, talented, authentic leader, but she’s stuck on the number on the bottom of the page.

It’s Not the Paycheck

We talked about her new role and she kept coming back to her salary. She was excited about getting a big raise so she and her husband can get a bigger house. That’s great, we celebrated her hard work. But the deeper issue is her motivation.

She realized that the reason she wanted the new role and responsibilities was because it’s going to give her more time to coach and lead an expanded team and it’s not really about the money. We celebrated even more. That was it! She wasn’t ruled by money or stature or position, her passion was being a great leader and continuing to improve.

Living by Numbers

I told my client about a time in my career when I was offered an exciting new opportunity. It was the culmination of a decade of hard work and I was about to be rewarded for my efforts. But I had it in my mind that I wanted to make a certain amount as a signal of my success.

Two months into the new role, I thought to myself, the extra money didn’t make me feel any different. In fact, I was more focused on the expanded responsibility. The number was some self-fabricated yardstick which eventually meant nothing.

The Real Bottom Line

If we focus on money, it will become our only measure of achievement. Business needs to see black ink but there are three motivating factors at play – to make a name, to make a living, and to make a difference. Making a name for ourselves doesn’t seem quite as important as making a living while making a difference in others’ lives.

If the focal point of all we do is profits, we may lose the opportunity to spend time with some remarkable people.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and management consultant helping leaders, teams, and companies get clear on their goals and results.

shutterstock

We Just Need Sales!

Over the years, I have heard versions of the same story from business owners, colleagues, clients, and friends. It’s sometimes a defensive remark, other times a plea for help, and often an automatic response to just about any question about their business. It's understandable because we are all impatient.

"We don’t need good people, we need revenue!"

Whether you're involved in a start-up or a global Fortune 100 enterprise, revenue health is important. No one expects companies to run at a loss but if people aren't important, poor morale and a shrinking bottom line will result.

"We don’t need culture, we need cash!"

Culture is not about high priced chairs and fresh pastries in the lunch room; it’s about open collaboration and clear leadership from everyone in the company. Simply yelling at sales people to make more calls won’t get it done.

"We don’t need leadership, we need sales!"

Engaging the team and involving them with decisions will help them understand what’s at stake. In the quest to make more money, companies need to remember the importance of their single most precious resource.

"We don’t need collaboration, we need profits!"

There are countless data outlining the chasm that exists between the terms “manager” and “leader” and you need the latter. Vision and focus are required and it takes leadership to get great work accomplished.

"We don’t need strategy, we need income!"

Customer service is critical but must begin inside the company. Yes we are all in sales but if you claim your company a "sales organization", it will seep into the culture and you won't have much more than a sales department.

Without strong leadership, a healthy culture, and cooperative collaboration, the chase for revenue remains long and painful.

Kneale Mann

Glengarry Glen Ross

The Endangered Leader

It may not be the work or the compensation, but something isn't quite right. Co-workers begin to spend time commiserating about their situation while talk of customer solutions and product improvements are replaced with nitpicky items that seem like a big waste of time and energy. Sundays are filled with dread of the impending week and calling in sick becomes an attractive option.

In all of the stakeholder surveys and research I've seen over the years, it is clear that no one wants a boss. Nobody enjoys when their direct report consistently focuses on mistakes while ignoring the victories. So why is it so common?

Leader v Boss

I was speaking with a colleague recently and he said “the boss” (his words) gave a full company update which demoralized more than rejuvenated. The message was clear – the boss wasn't happy and needed to point out exactly where others were going wrong. This management style helps no one except the short-sighted manager. The moment anyone in that room gets a better offer, they’re gone.

If you have issues, ask your team member to discuss a solution together. The result may surprise you. Improvements and revenue are important to keep the company in business, but bossing people around is not the way to get it done. My colleague’s parting comment; “I need a new job”. What a shame.

Co-created environments make Sunday more enjoyable.

Kneale Mann

2012 Top 10 - Apr 2012 | wallpowper

The 5 C's of Business

The topic of what makes a great leader has been debated for millennia. When you think of the values a mentor has brought to you, it’s often those intangible aspects which are more difficult to define.

In business, it’s tough to be thrown into a new role when you may be good at the work but not as well versed at the people part. It’s easy to point to those who have handled leadership with grace but it’s not a skill you learn in short order. And it can certainly be a balancing act when the company continually reminds you profit is the goal.

Fear can be why strong leadership is often as rare as great customer service.

Communicate 
To impart knowledge or to make known.

Collaborate
To work and learn with another.

Cooperate
To act together for a common purpose or benefit.

Considerate
To show awareness or regard for another's feelings.

Compassionate
To have a feeling of sympathy for another.

Without human elements, your bottom line may not exist.

Kneale Mann

flickr

Getting Narrow

You may often hear others claim they’re good with people or they can increase the bottom line. Those are excellent attributes but need to be further defined and refined. For fear of being specific and potentially losing a deal, many will promise to help anyone who asks them and that can be a dangerous tactic.

Many of us have fallen victim of the plan of trying to have an offer with a wide scope. But if we say everyone is our target customer we can be in trouble. Some feel they don't want to limit their potential. But if we narrow our focus, we can become stronger in those areas we can help the most.

Cross Pollination

The retail space has gotten fuzzy over the last decade. You can buy groceries at your pharmacy and furniture in your electronics store. Widening the offer is watering down the focus and may appear to be working but is actually hurting many of the large companies attempting this strategy.

If you’ve ever been to a general store in a small town it’s like a different world. You can buy everything from candy to camping equipment. But if you looked at your business and more importantly how you grow your team, you probably wouldn’t think it wise to be too wide and hire generalists. Shifting into areas that get away from our strengths in order to grow revenue and market share can be tempting. Doing what we do well, more often, can be a wise tactic.

Do One Thing Well

My best friend ran a successful software consulting firm for 20 years that helped clients with one piece of accounting software. They were focused on one discipline and became one of the key firms in the world at what they did.

The temptation to expand was there but he and his partners stayed focused on what they did well, and did it even better. After selling the software company, he now owns a company in the cloud computing space. His focus is great reminder in my career and how I help my clients in their leadership journey.

Sometimes offering less can create a lot more.

Kneale Mann

fisherbray

Is Leadership an Endangered Species?

It may not be the work or the compensation, but something isn't quite right. Co-workers begin to spend time commiserating about their situation while talk of customer solutions and product improvements are replaced with nitpicky items that seem like a big waste of time and energy. Sundays are filled with dread of the impending week and calling in sick becomes an attractive option.

In all of the stakeholder surveys and research I’ve seen over the years, it is clear that no one wants a boss. Nobody takes pleasure in being over managed. And not a soul enjoys when their direct report consistently focuses on mistakes while ignoring the victories. So why is it so common?

Leader v Boss

I was speaking with a colleague last week and he said “the boss” (his words) gave a full company update which demoralized more than rejuvenated. The message was clear – the boss wasn’t happy and needed to point out exactly where others were going wrong. This management style helps no one except the short-sighted manager. The moment anyone in that room gets a better offer, they’re gone.

For a moment, imagine a working environment where good work is lauded, setbacks are solved as a team, finger pointing is eliminated and people actually want to put forth the extra effort. Now add in leadership that encourages ideas and feedback isn’t just reserved for the antiseptic 30-minute annual review. Envision a place where people actually enjoy collaborating as a team.

Read the Room

I’m sure, like me, you have made the mistake of being tough on someone because they didn’t do what you needed them to do. But before you feel the urge to point out the negative, remember how much you dislike that approach.

If you have issues, ask your team member to discuss a solution together. The result may surprise you. Improvements and revenue are important to keep the company in business, but bossing people around is not the way to get it done. My colleague’s parting comment; “I need a new job”. What a shame.

Co-created environments make Sunday more enjoyable.  

Kneale Mann

image: animal-photos
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What's In It For You

How Can I Help?

I have spent 27 privileged years working in marketing and media. The people I’ve met and learned from, the projects I’ve overseen and worked on along with the invaluable experience I’ve gained has certainly not felt like work. It is my passion.

CMO for Hire

In short, I help business do business better. I work closely with business owners and managers and stakeholders on the improvement of marketing efforts and results.

My first task is to simply get a sense of the current situation. Then together we work on solutions. There are no preconceived or prepackaged solutions. Everything is customized to each situation.

Strategist. Writer. Speaker. Consultant.

We all want our companies to grow. The common shared wish is for the process to be painless and swift but we know that is not reality. Growing your business takes work, time and patience along with precious resources. And that’s where I can help.

From the highest level, I am a business consultant who specializes in marketing with a finer focus on digital media. Through careful analysis, I can outline affordable options for you to see more results from your outbound marketing.

Analyze. Plan. Implement.

It may include overseeing the redesign of your website or training your team to navigate the social web. It may be taking a closer look at your current marketing efforts to suggest a more effective way to reach your targets. It is up to your situation, not my past experience that will determine how we will work together.

I can create workshops for your team to ensure they are equipped with the necessary tools to embrace these additional activities.

The result is that you and your team will have a repeatable process you can integrate with your current and future activities. Your return on investment is the implementation of a refreshed plan focused solely on your revenue goals.

I’m always happy to talk about how I can help. Let’s do that.

Kneale Mann

image credit: demitrineyt

Reflecting on Time

Fall Back and Think

The clocks fell back to standard time in many parts of the world today. It’s all part of an energy saving, sunshine increasing plan we call daylight saving time. It was devised by a New Zealand dude named George Vernon Hudson in 1895 who originally proposed a two-hour time shift.

There are all sorts of good reasons we still do it today from economic to environmental but let’s not forget how much we love the long stretch of sunlight from the end of March to the first week of November.

Tick Tock

Time is one commodity we cannot renew. Despite our denial, none of us has an unlimited supply. Yet often we use it like we do. We fill our days with busy tasks and stress as we look toward the weekend for a few stolen hours of rest. Then we fret about work, wish we had more money to buy that item and fight our way toward winning some sort of self-made race.

Projects need to be delivered, meetings must be attended, activities have to organized. Life can be hectic and we miss the important stuff though we seem to have gotten good at giving it lip service.

As we gain an hour today, here are some wise thoughts about time...

Time is the only thief we can't get justice against.
Astrid Alauda

In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.
Kathy Norris

Men talk of killing time while time quietly kills them.
Dion Boucicault

Life happens while you're busy making other plans
John Lennon

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.
Willaim Penn

Time waits for no one.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Life is about the gift not the package it comes in.
Dennis Costea

Time is making fools of us again.
J.K. Rowling

Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. Denis Waitely

Cherish your time.

knealemann | email

Join me for Movember.

image credit: getty

Admiring Your Shot

F O R E !

There’s a saying in golf that refers to those precious few seconds after you strike the ball and it’s called “admiring your shot”. This happens for two main reasons: to enjoy the fact you nailed it or to insure you know whether it went into the sand trap or the woods.

Mine is usually the latter.


Do we ever have a chance to admire our shot or enjoy the victory?

The answer is usually akin to the amount of time it takes to make a cup of coffee or tie one’s shoes. There is rarely time to stop and assess whether a new idea will work, has worked or can be slightly revised. The result is a c.y.a. atmosphere where new ideas are shelved along with opinions and the dream of co-creative teamwork.

Head down. Arm straight. Clear your mind.

There are about twenty things you need to do correctly in order to perfect the golf swing. Any one of them could be the reason you’re taking another penalty shot.

Like with everything we do, the difference is all in our minds.

But somehow in business we are expected to deliver the most cost-effective, bottom line growing, revenue generating, guaranteed winning, competition killing idea - every time.

No room for error.

Save or make money, the rest is irrelevant. But in golf, if your concentration is solely on making the putt you will miss it every time.

What is the worst that could happen?

Exploration, experimentation and the openness for new ideas is a cornerstone of business. Do you have that type of atmosphere at work? If you own your own business, do you employ that attitude with all that you do?

Or do you lay up because it would be too dangerous to shoot for the green this time?

@knealemann
knealemann at gmail dot com

Let’s create experiences, not campaigns.

photo credits:
victorialodging.com | media.photobucket.com | macleans.com