by Doug Gray | Jul 27, 2013 | Business, change, Coaching, Featured, Leadership, Managers, money, Personal Development, Sales, strengths, Success, talent, Uncategorized
Many people ask me this question. So you are not alone. In fact, self-leadership is an ancient subject turned into a multi-billion dollar industry. It is MUCH harder to lead my self than it is to lead others. And it requires daily deliberate practice for me to lead my self.
My purpose in life is to teach others how to be better leaders. I know what works. Hopefully the following two steps will be useful to you.
There are two ways to lead your self:
1. self awareness
2. self care
Self awareness requires core skills such as openness, self appraisal, clarity, self esteem. There is a massive amount of research in psychology and organizational development on the subject of self awareness. There are countless religions and faiths and daily practices on the subject of self awareness. Amid these conflicting and spurious theories there is a need for clarity. We use assessments to provide data. There are over 15,000 validated assessments. We can provide assessments for any individual behavior or competency imaginable. Evidence-based consulting is mandatory in any profession, from law to healthcare to psychology.
A key coaching question is “What assessments do I need to increase my self awareness?’
Self care requires core skills such as expression, sustainability, resourcefulness, action. Consider the fact that humans now have more digital information available than EVER in the history of mankind. We now KNOW what we should do. However, we do not always DO what we should do. Imagine a grandmotherly person. She towers over you with an apron and shakes a wooden spoon… as she tells you what you should do. That image of a wise, older person may help you.
A key coaching question is “How can I take care of myself today?”
One more point. There is a myth that leadership is a personal act. By definition, the word “leadership” means influence at two levels: on my self and others. The goal of self leadership is not to attain some mystical state in isolation on a mountain. Humans are defined by relationships. No one develops as a leader when living in isolation. And too many people spend hours alone, writing in journals, or focusing on their weaknesses. When Maslow described self actualization it was not thought to be a resting place. The goal is to improve the quality of relationships with others. Leadership is both a personal act and a team act. We adopt evidence-based research in positive psychology because it works. We want YOU to flourish.
The goal of self leadership is to have a greater relationships with my self and others.
We all need a coach at times. Call me at 704.995.6647 or subscribe now or schedule your initial consultation here.
What are you waiting for?
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by Doug Gray | Jul 25, 2013 | Business, change, Coaching, digital, global, Leadership, Managers, Resources, Sales, strengths, Success, talent, talent assessment
I do not know the answer for you. Yet. And it would be presumptuous or disingenuous if I offered a trite response.
Instead I will give you some facts. Then the process. Then what I do know.
Many studies confirm that your cost of good sold (COGS) is 7x higher for a new customer than for a returning customer. So you should focus on providing new value to old customers.
There is a former client who comes to mind. He happened to be a 30 year old financial advisor. But the story is relevant for most of us in specialized fields. He wanted to grow his business. After 3 years he had exhausted leads from his friends and family. He had networked so often that people avoided him at chamber and business development groups and even at Rotary meetings. I asked him, “What kinds of clients do you want to serve?” and “Who is likely to retire in 10 years with a strong book of business that needs to sell the bottom portion to a younger professional like yourself?” and “How can you guarantee that you provide excellent service to that older partner or lead source?” As you can imagine, he had a new partner and provided tremendous value for that person’s clients for many years. However, his answer is not your answer.
I do know the answer for hundreds of other business leaders who are former clients. Since 1997 I have consulted and coached business leaders in manufacturing, health care, education, HR, safety, technology, finance and accounting. I have guaranteed results for clients ranging from executive teams at F500 companies to small business owners struggling to make ends meet. I can provide best-of-class solutions or referrals to other consultants who can likely help you solve your problems.
I do know the process. I do know what works.
Here you go: you need to 1) define the problems, 2) provide solutions, 3) model accountability. I call this the “3A Coaching process.“
These “A letter” words are Assessments, Constructive Actions, and Accountability. Too many “coaches” stop after providing assessments, or constructive actions, because they do not know how to provide individual or team accountability. That’s about as smart as running 2/3 of a marathon and stopping. Make sure that you hire a coach who will get you past your finish line goals.
You are probably struggling with the following challenges:
people challenges
strategy challenges
execution challenges
cash and financial challenges
Typically, I define the problems using organizational and individual assessments. I determine where you are making money. And where you are losing money.
I may ask the three big questions: 1. can you define the problem? 2. do you need to solve that problem? 3. who can solve that problem? In today’s market, the buyer-seller dance has evolved into a transparent process of answering those 3 questions. Then adopting the best solution. Vendors are secondary.
Then I provide a host of best-in-class solutions for you to sell more to your existing customers. They already know you. They are inclined to purchase more products and services.
Then I model accountability so that you move beyond good intentions. I want you to sell more services.
Ready to talk? Call us soon at 704.995.6647 or contact us here. Once we determine your needs, then we can define a more specific answer to this question. Schedule your initial consultation here.
We all need to sell more to our existing clients.
What are you waiting for?
Download this list of services and investment levels now:
by Doug Gray | Jul 25, 2013 | Business, change, Coaching, family, global, Leadership, Managers, money, Sales, strengths, Success, talent
This is a common question. With both a simple answer and a complex answer.
The simple answer: Serve others well. Provide tremendous value.
The complex answer has at least the following 5 points.
1. Choose a BIG WANT. Humans are aspirational- we aspire to do constructive work. We aspire to build families, companies, wealth, happiness. Our aspirations are reflected in art, architecture, net worth, hobbies, etc. However, too many people lose their focus. Perhaps you are representative. As a child you may have had aspirations defined by others; such as get a job, or go to college or take care of your siblings. As a young adult you may have had aspirations defined by you; such as, build a happy family, serve others, develop my business. And all of us struggle. Challenges exist. Suffering exists. In response, we need to choose an aspiration that is BIG. When we choose a BIG WANT, not a small want such as material comfort, we become leaders. The bigger our want, the bigger our impact as leaders. A key coaching question is “What is your BIG WANT?”
2. Choose a GREAT TEAM. Humans are social creatures. We evolve as a result of strong relationships. Selling is based on strong relationships. We can assess the market needs. We can assess the strengths of others. And we can build a great team to respond to that market need. The most successful leaders have at least 6 people on their team who create creative tension and focus on results. You may need to hire or develop a great team. A key coaching question is “Who can you add to your team?”
3. Choose constructive DAILY ACTIVITIES. Leadership is not an occasional event. Leadership is an ongoing process of daily activity. Choose your activities carefully. You have access to more digital information than ever in recorded history. You should know WHAT works: Good diet. Regular exercise. Focused activity. Finding problems. Solving problems. Serving others. Tracking activity. A key coaching question is “How are you certain that you are making constructive daily activities?”
4. Measure your Key Performance Indicators. KPIs are used in all businesses. What we measure leads to results. Sadly, too few people measure their leadership efforts. For many years, I have provided scoresheets, templates, spreadsheets to help others measure their KPIs. A little structure helps. Daily and weekly accountability sessions help. Metrics define the score. They are data points. Like a line on computer software, KPIs determine your impact as a leader. A key coaching question is “What KPIs do you need to measure today?”
5. Remain humble. I have had countless great teachers, from the finest universities on the planet. Clients are the most instructive teachers. Children are a close second. All constructive leaders in recorded history shared the same trait: we are all humble. A key coaching question is “How are you showing your humility?”
If I had more time I might add more to this list…
Bottom line: YOU can save time and money. YOU can be a smarter leader today.
We all need coaches at times. Call me at 704.995.6647 or subscribe now for details. Or schedule your initial consultation here.
What are you waiting for?
Download this list of services and investment levels now:
by Doug Gray | Jul 23, 2013 | Business, Coaching, Employment, Leadership, money, Sales, talent
Business has always been defined by who you like and trust. Those who deliver get the best results.
Future business will be defined by the quality of your web of qualified alliances or partnerships.
A friend is a successful realtor. When people call he asks, “Would you like a list of qualified services that may be interested in helping you and your family?” They typically say YES! And he hands them a list of his favorite plumbers and dentists and… you get the idea.
As an expert in leadership development, here is my current list of qualified alliance partners and experts:
- Assessments. www.action-learning.com Doug Gray, 704.895.6479; www.edc-llc.com Adam Ortiz, PsyD, 704.248.0863
- Coaching and consulting. www.action-learning.com Doug Gray, 704.895.6479
- Change management.
- Strategic Planning. www.avivconsulting.com Aviv Shahar, 425.415.6155
- Business development and sales
- Operational efficiency.
- Marketing.
- Social media.
Note: I am expert in only 2 of these 8 categories. I am delighted to post only 2 other service providers. I am glad to provide the remaining names and links upon request.
Please call me at 704.895.6479 now for the remainder of the list. Or to discuss your needs for your business.
If you think you belong on my list, please contact us.
If you are serious about your business, create your own list now. Why wait? I have 8 reasons listed above…
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by Doug Gray | Jul 22, 2013 | change, digital, Employment, global, Leadership, Managers, money, Resources, Sales, Success, talent
Open your eyes! How much time do you spend with millenials? Not only do millenials consume the most products, they also expect results. They are 50% of the workforce in 2018.
To ignore millenials is to commit some form of suicide.
Here are 6 steps for you and your company:
1. Mobile web-based experiences are a $10 billion dollar industry, with over 7 billion phones. We now have nearly 4x more mobile browsers than the number of desk-based browsers. Follow the numbers. Follow the money.
2. We can provide emotionally-provocative experiences that combine digital and physical activities. Here are several examples. When you go to the zoo you can now rent a GoPro or Segway to make your experience unique. When you go to a park you can use your mobile device to geocache. You can have a “Yelp Night” and move from restaurant to bar in any unfamiliar city. When you go to a conference you can tweet about and score the presenters, in real time. However, at most amusement parks and concerts we are not doing anything about the visitors who are standing in a line (bored) or tweeting or Face-booking their friends to “stay away” from your business or event. As a more costly example, we are not doing anything about low compliance with incentive reward programs. In fact, industrial organizational researchers tell us that some 35% of the US workforce is not engaged in their jobs. We sorely lack emotionally-provocative experiences that combine digital and physical activities.
3. In response to these market needs, I have developed a mobile web-based app that can guarantee engagement for any clients. This app enables clients to have a pre-visit and post-visit experience that integrates their event with any content. The event becomes a process. For instance, if a client wants to assign pre-visit training or reading content, the app can assess their engagement. Using a leader board and social media, they can increase accountability. They can market and promote the company. They can include video and photo uploads. They can earn points by doing more activities. They can return to the venue. The app can be delivered in hours, under any name. And it can be scaled for any sized organization.
4. Large corporate clients expect global delivery capacity. Every successful Free Agent has a network of alliance partners. The myth of the solo-preneur as a lone wolf is dead. For instance, the largest provider of leadership development coaches is www.coachsource.com, founded by Brian Underhill and Marshall Goldsmith. Marshall is described as the #1 leadership consultant in the U.S., according to Harvard Business Review. I am the southeast engagement manager, and represent 1,200 leadership coaches in 60 countries. We can provide expert leadership coaching to any clients. A bold claim, but a well validated claim. We can deliver the value of global leadership coaching to your current clients. And we can design programs that include a cycle of regular visits to any location with reinforcements from the very best leadership coaches. Those individual and group agendas typically yield a 500% ROI.
Digital and Global solutions not only satisfy millenials. They lead to results. They are required solutions.
If you are a solo-preneur, develop strong alliance with the smartest partners that you can find. Today.
If you are a business leader, call Doug at 615.236.9845 If I cannot help you I will find someone who can. Today.
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by Doug Gray | Jul 21, 2013 | Business, Coaching, Leadership, Managers, strengths, talent
Yesterday I met with an economic buyer who did not know the potential of her company.
She was representative. So here are some trends and resources and options for you and your colleagues to consider:
1. Customized leadership development programs are the new norm. (Whatever the phrase “new norm” truly means…) Off the shelf programs simply do not work well.
2. Leadership development programs are a $170 billion dollar industry, according to the ASTD, American Society of Training and Development. Corporate earnings are at an all-time high, and individual wage earnings are at an all-time low. Hence, the market opportunities are in corporations that are willing to invest in professional development.
Most leadership development programs fail because they are events, rather than a process based on assessment, consulting, and coaching.
3. “Training” is dead. Training teaches content to a norm. Training is becoming digital and shorter because our digital workforce demands that change. And most training managers do not resist. They are frightened and struggling for funding. At a recent conference for learning and development managers one presenter shared how her department generated revenue (rather than costs) by video taping and selling training modules for their strategic partners. The audience “oohed and ahhed.” However, no one asked, “What will occur 3 years from now when the modules are all digital and only 30% are being passively used by workers who are mandated to take the modules?” Or, “What about the need for powerful interactions between people that only occurs in a live, synchronous event?” Sadly, training is dead.
4. Some “leadership development companies” have survived to date despite the fact that they are event-based. Most challenge courses have been retired. Most companies regard “team building” as an occasional expense- and send people to events such as a spa, winery tour, amusement park, or golf courses. These events are not integrated into strategic needs for most corporate buyers.
5. Leadership development programs can be integrated into strategic needs, and they can target specific needs and industries. We have done so for years. With metrics and case studies that satisfy any cautious economic buyer.
6. Future business revenue for leadership development companies will come from select alliances/ partnerships with service providers who can a) provide customized content in related subjects, such as assessments, change management, operational efficiency plus b) targeted sales to high growth industries such as health care, technology, and mid-market businesses. The money exists.
Leadership development companies can make big money by targeting those industries.
Call me for details on global leadership development coaching with the largest providers of assessments and coaching and consulting.
And stay away from any providers who are not affiliated with partners who can provide the scope your company needs.
The “next normal” (whatever that phrase means) in leadership development requires smart alliances and partnerships with trusted service providers.
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