Monday Mornings with Madison

Yearly Archives:
2014

Boost Your Brain to Extend Your Career

There is one thing that all people – from entry level employees to top leaders in every profession and occupation – have in common. Every person is getting older. It is generally accepted that with age comes deterioration. By middle age, there is the appearance of gray hair, age spots and wrinkles. On the inside, the deterioration is less visible but possibly more profound. Inflammation causes stiff joints. Brain cells deteriorate. This affects memory, communication, language, ability to focus and pay attention, reasoning and judgment, and visual perception. Over time, such mental wear-and-tear can profoundly impact workplace productivity, safety, creativity, interpersonal skills and more.

In a nation that is increasingly getting older – with 40% of the U.S.’s 318 Million people now aged 45 or older — what can companies to do about its aging workforce? What is a person to do to stay productive and valuable at work? Until recently, it was believed that mental deterioration was inevitable with age. However, scientists are now discovering that this is simply not true. The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change—even into old age. This ability is known as neuroplasticity. With the right stimulation, the human brain can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, and adapt and react in ever-changing ways… at any age. In fact, the brain’s incredible ability to reshape itself even holds true when it comes to learning and memory. People can harness the natural power of neuroplasticity to increase cognitive abilities, enhance the ability to learn new information, and improve memory. Here are some top tips to boost brain power and extend the value and productivity of employees…. of all ages. Continue reading

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Agreeable, Disagreeble and the Ability to Disagree

Most character traits can be a quality or a flaw, depending on the situation or circumstances. A coworker who is very detail-oriented might also be considered nitpicky or persnickety. An employee who is very communicative can also be perceived as being a chatty Cathy. A boss who is very direct might also be seen as aggressive or blunt. What is seen as a positive trait in one situation could just as easily be viewed as a personality failing in another situation. The truth is that every characteristic – even the negative ones — probably has value at the right time, place or in moderation but might also be problematic when applied in excess or in the wrong situation.

Take, for example, openness to new experience. Openness distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people tend to be intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be more aware of their feelings as compared to closed-minded people. They also tend to think and act in individualistic and nonconforming ways. Intellectuals tend to typically be open to new experiences. Openness is often perceived as the healthier and more mature way of being. However, openness and closed-mindedness are useful in different environments. While openness may serve a professor well, research has shown that closed-minded thinking is tied to superior job performance for police officers, salespeople, and a number of service occupations. In the right job or situation, openness can actually be a flaw and closed-mindedness can be a quality.

What about agreeableness? It is hard to imagine how being agreeable could ever be considered a flaw. Employers go out of their way when recruiting new employees to find individuals that are agreeable and will “go along to get along” with others in the organization. Reference checks often focus less on validating the veracity of factual information and more on whether the person was agreeable and cooperative. While being agreeable is generally considered a quality, there are situations where it can be a flaw. Just as there are situations that call for being agreeable, there are also times and places that call for being able to disagree. . Of course, that’s not the same as being disagreeable. Continue reading

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The Power of Promises in Business – Part 2

Research by Accenture has confirmed what most smart business people have long believed to be true: broken promises hurt business. Day in and day out, many businesses make overt or implied promises to customers. Often, those promises are intentionally, carelessly or inadvertently broken. In any given year, nearly half of customers have a promise broken by a company with which they do business. Of those, almost two thirds report companies breaking multiple promises. Some industries are more habitual in breaking promises than others.

What is the actual impact of broken promises on business? Logic dictates that broken promises erode trust between the customer and the business. But do broken promises actually cause customers to stop doing business with a company? Is just one broken promise enough to cause a loyal customer to go elsewhere with his business or does it take multiple offenses? Research indicates that this is an area that should be of prime concern to business owners, CEOs, CFOs, Controllers and anyone who is focused on a company’s bottom line. There is a very strong, direct relationship between customer erosion and broken promises.
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The Power of Promises in Business – Part 1

Every day, businesses make promises to its internal and external customers. Throughout the relationship life cycle, from entry level clerks to the top brass, employees at every level of every company make promises to customers regarding work to be done, deadlines to be met, or issues to be resolved. Some of those promises are explicit. “I give you my word….” “Count on it.” “Rest assured, it will be there on time.” Other promises are implied. Implied promises can be just as powerful as expressed ones. Everyone recognizes a commitment has been made when a business advertises that it has “the fastest turnaround times in the industry,” or a salesperson says “I’ll send you that proposal by the close of business today.” There are countless implied promises that a business makes in its marketing materials, sales pitch and customer service.

It is fairly well-accepted wisdom that each promise made ultimately affects the success or failure of the business. Indeed, it is commonly understood that while nothing builds customer confidence and loyalty more reliably than a history of well-kept promises, it is equally held as truth that nothing undermines a business’ brand or bottom line more than a string of broken promises. That imparts a great deal of power to promises… promises kept and promises broken. But is that really true? Do broken promises impact business? Is just one broken promise enough to lose a customer or does a business have to repeatedly break promises in order to impact loyalty? And do broken promises impact all businesses and industries the same way and to the same extent? Just what impact do broken promises have on sales, repeat business, and customer loyalty? Research sheds some light on this commonly accepted yet little understood occurrence.
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The Connection Between Happiness and Place

The U.S. Declaration of Independence boldly states in the Preamble that “All men are created equal. And that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these rights is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The pursuit of happiness was and is still viewed today as an undeniable right and goal of all people. Of course, one doesn’t have to be a scientist to know that there are many factors that impact individual happiness. Relationships. Career. Economic well-being. Personal freedom. Spirituality. Physical fitness. Emotional health. However, little scientific research had been done on measuring happiness… until recently. More and more, there has been a push to understand what affects happiness in order to be able to pursue and attain it.

One major factor affecting individual (and collective) happiness is place. In recent years, scientists are finding that apparently where we live plays a big role in our happiness. There is a relationship between community life and health, and that the place where one lives affects not only one’s mental health but also that elusive but desirable state of being referred to as “happiness.” Recent research indicates that there is a strong relationship between happiness and place. So which places offer the greatest opportunity to be happy? And why isn’t everyone moving there?
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The Most Underestimated, Undervalued and Needed Skill in Business – Part 2

Imagine this. An employee has to write a proposal for a prospective client. The proposal is not something that can be copied from something else online or taken from another sample. Now imagine that the proposal goes out to the prospective client, filled with spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. In the proposal, the company’s values and services are unclear. How would that employee’s manager feel if he got wind of that document? Embarrassed? Humiliated? How would that proposal affect the company’s ability to land that client? How would that proposal impact that employee’s upward mobility?

Good writing skills are imperative for any professional’s toolbox. In business, there are letters, memos, reports, presentations, company publications, emails, advertisements speeches, press releases, proposals, five-year plans, and so much more which must be written. Each document needs to be clear, concise, grammatically correct, and fluid. Each written piece should engage the attention of the intended audience, fulfill the intended purpose – whether it is to persuade, inform or engage — and conclude effectively. An employee’s writing skills represents the company or organization for which he or she works. If the writing is not professional and clear, it reflects poorly on the company. But good writing also serves other business purposes as well.
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The Most Underestimated, Undervalued and Needed Skill in Business – Part 1

What skill is the least venerated, most underrated and yet most essential skill in business today? Is it the ability to speak clearly and connect with people? No, although it is a vital skill and most people think the best leaders are those who can deliver a rousing, engaging speech. Is it excellent resource management? No, even though managers who can get the most productivity out of their team generally get the best bonuses. Is it the ability to crunch numbers and data in order to maximize profitability? No, but the number-crunchers definitely have the most power and control within most organizations. Is it the ability to persuade and sell? No, even though salespeople are treated like royalty at most companies. Actually, the skill that is probably the most valuable for managers, leaders and business people at all levels in all industries is the ability to write well.

As a writer, it may sound a bit boastful to say that good writing is the most underestimated, undervalued, and sorely needed skills in business today. Personal experience aside, while the ability to write well may seem like a mundane skill (after all it is not taught as its own subject in grade school or at most colleges), it is one of the most crucial skills any exec, manager or leader can bring to the table, regardless of industry or occupation. From engineers to educators and from real estate brokers to investment bankers, practically anyone in business today needs to be able to write well…. to deliver written information in a crisp, clear and concise manner. Says who?…. Well, just about everyone.
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Managing Staff Vacations during the Dog Days of Summer

The temperature is anywhere between a sizzling 82 degrees and a scorching 102 degrees, from Montauk to Miami and from Dallas to Des Moines. Kids are wrapping up their summer break from school. Families are heading to the shore, water parks and lakes to cool off or up to the mountains to relax. Adventure seekers are cruising, sailing and soaring to far-off destinations. Vacations abound.

Meanwhile back at the world of work, far from the summer fun, businesses continue to function. Customers continue to place orders. Goods still need to be delivered and services must still be provided. As staff takes time off, summer vacations inevitably place a burden on those who remain behind to carry the load. Companies must be careful in how they handle summer vacation requests and manage staff leave time. There is a fine line between being so permissive with leave time that business suffers and being so rigid with vacation requests that employees aren’t able to get a much-deserved break to rest and recharge their batteries. Walking that fine line is the challenge. Continue reading

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The Road to Employee Productivity is Paved with High Expectations

There are countless sayings about setting high expectations. Aim high. Shoot for the stars. Raise the bar. The belief is that the higher the expectations, the greater the results. But is this actually true? Can the expectations that we set for a person actually affect how well that person performs? Has this been validated scientifically or is it just an old wives tales?

Consider a research study done in education. A third of the students in an average class were selected at the beginning of the school year. The teacher was told that those students were “high potential” achievers and were very likely to bloom that year in her classroom. The teacher was told that even if she did nothing different, those students were likely to excel. However, the teacher was asked to ignore that information and treat all the students the same. The teacher believed she did treat all the students the same. The students were not told about the study at all. Given that the students knew nothing about the study and the teacher said she treated all the students the same, the performance by students labeled “high potential” should have been no different than the rest of the class. However, the results told a different story. Based on their scores on standardized achievement tests, the students identified as “high potential” achievers had greater gains in achievement over the course of the year than the rest of the students, even though the so-called “high potential” had actually been picked at random. The only difference between the “high potential” and the rest of the students was just in the teacher’s mind… in her expectations.

That study has been replicated and validated many times with students worldwide…. but what about with adults? Does this phenomenon also hold true for adults? Could it be applied to the workplace? Can the preset expectations that managers have of employees actually impact their employees’ performance? Do expectations influence work results?
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When a Company’s Brand Sends Mixed Signals – Part 2

In many ways, the brand is the Achilles heel of the corporate world. As companies shift more and more to being all about brand meaning and brand image, the more vulnerable they are to attacks on image. That is why it is increasingly critical for companies to protect every aspect of their brand, and work hard to avoid having any mixed messages about the company’s purpose and position. That includes guiding – as much as is possible or practical – what the company’s own people say about the company. This is a challenge for even the most successful businesses.

In fact, last week, LinkedIn’s CMO Network — the #1 Group for Chief Marketing Officers — posted this question for discussion by some of the top marketing minds in the world: “We are so sensitive about the language in our marketing campaigns and websites. How do we ensure our employees use the right words and tone while talking to customers?” There is an understanding at the highest levels of leadership that all brand cues must align in order to avoid mixed messages. Marketing cannot be saying one thing while sales is saying something else altogether. Materials cannot tout one image while leadership makes decisions that communicate the total opposite. While there are strategies (such as a clear Social Media Policy, scripted telemarketing dialogue, templated sales letters and emails, training sessions and a sales manual) that can help ensure sales efforts align with the company’s position, protecting a company’s brand goes far beyond that. Whether it’s a company’s marketing strategies, business tactics, or its approach to customer service, a business brand should obey the three Cs: be clear, cohesive and consistent.
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