Executive Coach & Speaker - Patrick Donadio, MBA

Building a team “Family Style”

2011-09-26T17:18:00.002-04:00

Building a team “Family Style”

I come from a big Italian family. All four of my grandparents came to America from Italy (okay my Mom's father came from Sicily!). My extended family, just on my Dad's side (including aunts, uncles, cousins…), totaled almost 100 people. So I am very well versed on the concept of working together in groups.

When I look at team building I think of it as ‘family building”. Here is what I mean:

1. First, think of the group as “Family” not a team. Family in this context is a group whose members are related in origin, characteristics, or occupation. So since you are related in occupation, you qualify as a “family”

I’ve always considered my co-workers, clients and other business relationship as my “business family”. I have used this concept with organizations when I have served: as president, as committees chair and on committees/teams. I find it more powerful to think “family” versus team.

2. Find ways to get people to work/play together. You build stronger relationships when you interact/communicate with each other. Traditions also build family. For example, Sunday family dinner, Holidays, a family reunion, family picnics… Think of ways to incorporate the ideas of tradition into your business family.

3. Communicate with your family. A concept I use with my family (my wife and our two children) is communicating with love. I call this “loving truth”. How can I communicate from a place of “caring”. A family should be a safe place. By using caring communication we help create the safe environment and build an even stronger “business family”.

4. Reward family behavior, both informally and formally. Praise family behavior and reward family behavior. Behavior that is rewarded is repeated.

5. Include yourself in activities. As the leader, be sure to include yourself in the family and family activities. Remember you lead by example!

Do you have any other ways to build a “business family”? I would like to hear them. Send me an e-mail to Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com

7 Ways to Say No

2010-02-08T09:33:00.002-05:00

7 Ways to Say No

Going along with my theme from my last post "Not to Do List" I though I would reprint an article I wrote on ways to say "no!"

I think many people struggle with telling others “No”. The reason they struggle is because they think they only have two choices. They can either say “yes” or “no”.

I try to avoid “all or nothing” thinking. I believe that there are many alternative between the extremes.

So here are several different ways I share with my clients on how they could say no:

7 Ways to Say No:

1) Say NO… with a straightforward explanation – “No, I’m uncomfortable doing that!”

2) Say NO… and give an alternative – “No. I can’t do that today, how about first thing in the morning?”

3) Say NO… and clarify your reason – Help them understand your position. Explain the why. “No. I can’t help you because I made commitment to my family to not work on weekends this month.”

4) Give Preface then Say NO… – “Each year we choose 3 charities to support and I am sorry you are not one of those this year.”

5) Make an empathetic listening statement (let them down easy) then Say NO…. – “I can see this is important. I would like to have someone help, however all my staff is already committed to project A that is due next week.”

6) Say YES BUT… – “Yes I can do Project B but not Project A”

7) Say YES AND… I nicer way to say yes but and it allows you to give them alternatives. “Yes I can help with the project, and I will need you to…”

What are some of the items you have taken off your list recently? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail me by clicking here

Anti-New Year's Resolutions?

2010-01-11T12:37:00.006-05:00

"Not To Do List"

During this time of year, people starting thinking about making "New Year's Resolutions".

I use to set New Year's Resolutions at the beginning of the year. Now I look at it differently. Every quarter I set and revisit my goals. I encourage my busy executive coaching clients to do the same. In addition to setting/revisiting new goals I ask my coaching clients to also create a "Not To Do List". Yes, I did say a "Not To Do List".

Some of us (including myself) keep adding to our list and very seldom take the time to look at the list and ask, "What can I stop doing?"

ACTION IDEAS

Here are a few ways to make "Anti-Resolutions" and remove some of those goals on your list that no longer serve you:

1. Does it fit in with you current mission/vision of your organization? Is not, take it off the list.

2. Is it the best use of your time? Can or should someone else be doing it? If so delegate it

3. Does is bring value to you or your clients? Take a look at the cost/benefit relationship of the item. Does the time invested return a greater value to you or your client? If not, stop doing it or delegate it.

4. Has it been on your list for more that six months? It maybe time to move it "off" your list or move it "up" your list.

5. Ask yourself, "If I didn't do it would it make a big difference in my life, the life of my clients or my family's life?" If the answer is no... take it off the list.

What are some of the items you have taken off your list recently? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail me by clicking here

Effective Leaders Are Positive

2009-11-16T08:42:00.001-05:00

Effective Leaders Are Positive.

A good leader understands the key role communication skills play in their success.

Are you the type of leader that brightens up the room when you walk in or when you walk out?Effective leaders understand the importance of building good relationships. One way to do that is to be a positive force in the organization. Employees will take your lead. Be someone that people want to talk to not someone people have to talk to

ACTION:

Compliment others - Look for what others are doing right. It is easier to find fault. Find positive behaviors and reward those actions. What is reward is repeated.
Write/talk about the success of your team, project, department or the industry in general. I am not asking you to neglect the challenges going on just to make sure you have a balanced view.
Encourage others to be positive. Ask questions to elicited the good things others are doing.

I will be sharing more areas that can help leaders communicate their messages more effectively.

So be sure to check back.In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail me by clicking here

Effective Leaders Summarize

2009-10-05T16:57:00.003-04:00

A good leader understands the key role communication skills play in their success.

Effective Leaders Summarize.

A summary is a good way to close a dialogue. The longer or more complicated the message, the more important it is to summarize what was said. People tend to remember the most recent information presented. So in a longer conversation or meeting be sure to do a brief summary. This is also a great way to check for understanding.

ACTION:

An effective way to close a conversation or meeting is by going over the key points that were discussed. Either you can summarize or you can ask the others to summarize from their perspective.
For any action that needs to be taken, be sure to mutually discuss deadlines for their completion.

In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail me by clicking here

Effective Leaders Are Other Focused

2009-08-24T17:26:00.003-04:00

A good leader understands the key role communication skills play in their success.

Effective Leaders Are Other Focused. The most important person in the conversation is the other person. “It’s all about me” is the mantra. The key here is it is not all about you... it is all about the other person.

Find ways to focus on the other person in the conversation. For example, ask a question, bring up a current accomplishment of theirs (or their team/department)...

ACTION
Pay attention to how often you are "me" focused or "other" focused in your conversations. Keep a journal of what you notice. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

What drives me to the "Me" mode?
How did I catch myself? How can I catch myself sooner?
When I catch myself what can I do to shift to the "other" focus mode? (Hint - revisit this blog series for some tips...)

In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail me by clicking here

Five Active Listening Skills

2009-07-08T22:02:00.006-04:00

A good leader understands the key role communication skills play in their success.

Talking is great but listening is where the real learning takes place. Here are five ways to become an Active Listener:

1. Do an Internal Summary - Concentrate on what is being said and try to summarize the main points in your mind. Listen to understand, not to respond.
2. Ask Questions - Yes this is part of being an "Active Listener." If you don’t understand, wait for a break, politely interrupt and ask a question.
3. Take Notes - Engage yourself by taking notes.
4. Timing - If it is not a good time to talk, say so. Reschedule when you will be more focused
5. Listen with Your Eyes - Eye contact helps you stay focused and to see the non-verbal part of the message. Any mismatched signals could give you more insight. (See blog post Effective Leaders Communicate Effectively! )

ACTION

Try using some of these techniques in your conversations this week. The key is to catch yourself not paying attention (my last blog homework) and then shift into one of the above techniques.

In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Effective Leaders Listen!

2009-06-08T09:50:00.004-04:00

Effective leaders understand that good communication also involves the ability to give clear direction and productive feedback.

Here is another of my leadership communication skills tips to help you communicate your message more effectively:

Listen - do you hear what I hear? Our brain can process information three times faster than people can speak. This GAP is what makes us either good or poor listeners. Listening is a learned skill that involves utilizing the GAP between how fast we think/process information and how fast others speak. So next time someone is talking with you, force yourself to use the GAP to stay focused on the other person.

ACTION
Practice catching yourself drifting off when someone is talking with you. The first step to change is awareness. Once you are aware of the challenge then you can adjust what you are doing with the GAP to be a better listener.

Join me next time as I share "Five Ways to Use the GAP to be a Better Listener". So be sure to check back.

In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Effective Leaders Communicate both Priorities and Deadlines

2009-05-11T17:27:00.009-04:00

Effective leaders understand that good communication also involves the ability to give clear direction and productive feedback.

Here is another of my leadership communication skills tips to help you communicate your message more effectively:

Communicate both priorities and deadlines. Sure you can walk up to an employee and ask for a list of tasks to be done. But without context, the employee might not do the tasks in the order you expected or might not complete them in the timeframe you wanted. Effective leaders communicate priorities and/or help employees prioritize.

Effective leaders also are not afraid to ask, “When can you get this done?” Whenever possible, it is a good idea to create deadlines together. An employee might have several other projects going at the same time, and while you might not want to compromise time, you don’t want to sacrifice quality.

ACTION During the next few weeks pay attention to how often you communicate priorities and deadlines. 1. Are you communicating priorities and helping the employee prioritize? 2. Are you giving them the deadline and/or creating the deadlines together? These two questions will help you become more aware of your need to improve on these two areas.

I will be sharing more areas that can help leaders communicate their messages more effectively.

So be sure to check back.In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Leaders Communicate Effectively! - Use Questions

2009-04-27T09:08:00.007-04:00

Effective leaders understand that good communication also involves the ability to give clear direction and productive feedback. They also know when to ask questions and how to encourage new ideas among their employees.

Here is another of my leadership communication skills tips to help you communicate your message more effectively:

Use Questions to Uncover Information. “Effective leaders use great questions.” When an employee comes to you with a challenge, instead of giving them an answer (the default mode for many leaders) ask them a question instead.

Questions allow you to collect information before you give the answer (diagnose before you prescribe). Questions can empower employees by helping them think through a challenge and forcing them to search for answers or new ideas on their own. If they uncover the answers, employees are more likely to embrace them. Leaders can also use questions as a check for understanding and to see whether the listener got the essence of the message.

“Seek first to understand then to be understood.” - Stephen Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

ACTION
During the next few weeks pay attention to how you communicate with employees. Are you quickly giving them the answer or are you asking questions first? Carry an index card and track your communication: 1) How often do you ask questions? 2) How often do you give answers?

If you are not asking questions at least 50% of the time, you may want to reconsider how you communicate with others.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing more areas that can help leaders communicate their messages more effectively. So be sure to check back.

In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Leaders Communicate Effectively! - Explain the “Why”

2009-04-06T12:21:00.002-04:00

Effective leaders understand that good communication involves sharing the bigger picture!

Here is another of my leadership communication skills tips to help you communicate your message more effectively:

Explain the “why” behind the message. More and more, people want to know the reasons behind what they are being asked to do. Not explaining the “why” often means employees won’t be engaged with what you are saying. By taking the time to explain why something needs to be done, you create an atmosphere of understanding and engagement. The more engaged the better result.

ACTION
During these challenging and hectic times, after you communicate a decision, a new policy or a change in existing procedures... take a few minutes and explain the “Why” behind the decision.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing a few areas that can help leaders communicate their messages more effectively. So be sure to check back.

In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Leaders Communicate Effectively! - Personality Styles

2009-03-16T09:41:00.005-04:00

Effective leaders understand that good communication also involves the ability to give clear direction and productive feedback. They also know when to ask questions and how to encourage new ideas among their employees.

Here is the first of my leadership communication skills tips to help you communicate your message more effectively:

Adjust your message to the personality of the listener. When having an interpersonal conversation it helps to know the person's communication style. There are four communication styles. For today's discussion I will look at two - 1. Introverts 2. Extroverts. Based on where the person falls on this continuum you can adjust your conversation style to improve communication.

Here are a few practical tips for dealing with each these two styles:

ACTION

If they are an Introvert? You may want to ask open ended questions to draw out their thoughts. Also be patient. They may need a little time to think before they respond.

If they are an Extrovert? You may want to plan a little extra time for the conversations because they need to talk. Also you might want to ask closed ended questions to guide the conversations and help them get to the point quicker.

Think before you communicate. Different personality styles require different approaches.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing other tips that can help you as a leader communicate your messages more effectively. Be sure to check back.

In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Effective Leaders Communicate Effectively!

2009-02-25T17:33:00.005-05:00

Communication skills are a fundamental tool to becoming a great leader. While simple tasks can often be communicated in a traditional way, the majority of communication is much more complex.

In today’s work environment we are getting away from linear communication. Instead, our communication has shifted to being a two-way street, embracing situations involving teamwork and dialogue.

Over the next few weeks I would like to talk about some key communication skills that leaders need to lead in these challenging times.

Today let's start with the three components to interpersonal communication:

1. Words
2. Voice
3. Non-verbal action

Words tend to be the focus of most people who are trying to communicate, but in reality they may make up only 7-15 percent of the message. The rest of the message is communicated through vocal inflection, tone and body language.

ACTION - So during these hectic times before you communicate be sure to stop... and ask yourself... what tone and body language should I use to best convey my message (the words)!

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing four areas that can help leaders communicate their messages more effectively. So be sure to check back.

In the meantime, if you have any successes or questions about leadership communication Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Create More Business in 2009!

2009-01-02T11:18:00.008-05:00

Work smarter not harder in 2009!

I help my clients grow their business by working “smarter not harder”. Here is one of the techniques I teach my clients in my new workshop, The Business Attraction Factor.

One secret to working smarter not harder is to “systematize” your business. One area to systematize is your sales/marketing process.

Here is how you can create your own sales/marketing system:

First, choose your top 15-30 best clients from the past 2-3 years. Then, by looking backwards, analyze how you obtained them and what you did to help them make this list. For each client, begin asking and categorizing the answers to these three questions into three sections:

1) Before - What did you do to get them?
2) During - What did you do while you were servicing them?
3) After - What did you do after the sale to keep them or sell more to them?

After dissecting each client you will begin to notice certain patterns you are repeating --common denominators. Write these common denominators on a master sheet in one of the three areas: 1) Before, 2) During 3) After.

You have just recreated your sales/marketing recipe that will help you be your best in 2009. Begin applying this system to every client and potential client. Continue to fine-tune your system by adding to it and subtracting from it. Now you have a system that not only creates great clients, but also generates more repeat business with each client. This approach will help you make sure you (or your staff) more consistently perform at the sales/marketing process. Make 2009 a great year!

Feel free to visit http://www.businessattractionfactor.com/ to learn more about my new business coaching program.

Do you have any successes or questions about sales/marketing? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Traits Successful Leaders Possess - Responsibility

2008-12-17T17:14:00.003-05:00

Traits Successful Leaders Possess - Responsibility

Improving leadership skills increases the performance of those you work with and enhances your opportunities (and the opportunities of those you lead) for advancement within a company.

As a leadership communications coach I have identified 18 traits successful leaders possess. Over the next few months I would like to discuss a few of these key traits that can help you grow and develop as a leader.

Today let’s talk about Responsibility

Leaders accept challenges as well as successes. Employees will never respect a leader who deflects criticism towards the team. Successful leaders think of themselves as “we” not “I.” It is a leader’s responsibility to ensure that everyone shares in the team’s success and that the team learns from its mistakes. If an employee makes a mistake, it is your responsibility to help him or her improve as well.

Here is an assignment for this week: Look for "Learning Opportunities”. When you see an area where you , an employee, or the team can improve take responsibility and turn that "mistake" into a "learning opportunity". You can do this by asking two simple questions – 1. What did we “do well" in the situation? 2. Where “can we improve”? Then continue using your strenghts and work on the areas for improvement. So be on the lookout for learning opportunities!

Do you have any successes or questions about this trait as a leader? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Traits Successful Leaders Possess - Recognition

2008-10-27T17:00:00.004-04:00

When an employee performs well, let him or her know. Happy people give better customer service.

Recognition also goes along way towards keeping good people. According to the U.S. Department of Labor:

“46% of those who quit their jobs last year did so because they felt unappreciated”.

Here is an assignment for this week: Each day give five sincere compliments to various workers. Be on the lookout for some positive action or behavior that leads to results and give them a bit of praise for it. For some tips of how to effectively do this here is an article I wrote on the effective use of recognition/appreciation.

Next time I will talk about Responsibility.

Do you have any successes or questions about this trait as a leader? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Traits Successful Leaders Possess - Being Positive

2008-09-29T14:51:00.003-04:00

Improving leadership skills increases the performance of those you work with and enhances your opportunities (and the opportunities of those you lead) for advancement within a company.

As a leadership communications coach I have identified 18 traits successful leaders possess. Over the next few months I would like to discuss a few of these key traits that can help you grow and develop as a leader.

Today let’s talk about Being Positive.

You set the tone for your environment. An optimistic attitude from a leader can carry over to others. What type of tone are you setting at the office? Is it one of optimism? Or one of pessimism? Confidence is contagious as so is lack of confidence.

Remember - Employees mirror the tone that leaders set. Be an encourager.

Next time I will talk about Recognition.

Do you have any successes or questions about been positive as a leader? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail Patrick

Traits Successful Leaders Possess - Initiating

2008-08-25T16:43:00.003-04:00

Improving leadership skills increases the performance of those you work with and enhances your opportunities (and the opportunities of those you lead) for advancement within a company.

As a leadership communications coach I have identified 18 traits successful leaders possess. Over the next few months I would like to discuss a few of these key traits that can help you grow and develop as a leader.

Today let’s talk about Initiating

Initiate – Initiate conversations to help find solutions. Don’t always dictate change. Initiate change by creating atmosphere where creative juices can flow freely. Asking questions is a great way to initiate conversations. Try asking open-ended questions to help people focus on solutions, for example: “What can we do better as a company?” Encourage suggestions for improvement. Set out a suggestion box and reward good suggestions. Continually strive to Make the future better than the present..

An optimistic attitude from a leader can carry over to others. Next time we will talk about Being Positive

Do you have any successes or questions about been an initiator as a leader? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail me click here - E-mail Patrick

Vote For Me!

2008-08-21T14:11:00.005-04:00

I have decided to toss my hat into the ring for President.

Check out the Buzz....

Whoever you decide to vote for... please vote this fall!

P.S - Sorry to bust your bubble, this is not real :)

Traits Successful Leaders Possess

2008-08-13T17:28:00.004-04:00

Improving leadership skills increases the performance of those you work with and enhances your opportunities (and the opportunities of those you lead) for advancement within a company.

As a leadership communications coach I have identified 18 traits successful leaders possess. Over the next few months I would like to discuss a few of these key traits that can help you grow and develop as a leader.

Today let’s talk about Consistency.

Don't be a tyrant one day and a pussycat the next. Flip-flopping between styles confuses employees. Also make decisions consistently. Those that look to you for leadership must know what to expect on a daily basis.

We connect with some workers better than others. Try not to let the relationship taint your response. Treat all employees equally. Enforce company policies fairly. It is more difficult with the co-workers who are different than you. Remember to not to take things personally. When you take things personally it shifts how you react/respond, thus moving you away from being consistent.

Next time I will talk about Initiating.

Do you have any successes or questions about been consistent as a leader? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail me click here - E-mail Patrick

Traits Successful Leaders Possess

2008-04-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

Improving leadership skills increases the performance of those you work with and allows for advancement within a company.

As a leadership communications coach I have identified 18 traits successful leaders possess. Over the next few weeks I would like to discuss six key traits that can help you as a leader reach your next level of leadership.

Today let’s talk about Visibility.

Circulating the workplace will make you appear more approachable and available. Take advantage of every opportunity to interact with co-workers. Be supportive of others and try to help out with the little things. Management by Wandering around (MBWA) works! Make sure to practice visibility upwards as will as downwards.

You do not have to always be physically present to be visible. Writing articles for you company newsletter, sending out a thank you note, conducting a teleconference... these are also ways to be visible.

Next time I will talk about Consistency.

What are some ways you have been visible as a leader? Let me know and I will share them with my readers. E-mail me at Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com

Anti-New Year's Resolutions?

2008-01-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

Anti-New Year's Resolutions?

During this time of year, people starting thinking about making "New Year's Resolutions".

I use to set New Year's Resolutions at the beginning of the year. Now I look at it differently. Every quarter I set and revisit my goals. I encourage my busy executive coaching clients to do the same.

In addition to setting/revisiting new goals I ask my coaching clients to also create a "Not To Do List".

Yes, I did say a "Not To Do List". Some of us (including myself) keep adding to our list and very seldom take the time to look at the list and ask, "What can I stop doing?"

Here are a few ways to make "Anti-Resolutions" and remove some of those goals on your list that no longer serve you:

1. Does it fit in with you current mission/vision of your organization? Is not, take it off the list.

2. Is it the best use of your time? Can or should someone else be doing it? If so delegate it

3. Does is bring value to you or your clients? Take a look at the cost/benefit relationship of the item. Does the time invested return a greater value to you or your client? If not, stop doing it or delegate it.

4. Has it been on your list for more that six months? It maybe time to move it "off" your list or move it "up" your list.

5. Ask yourself, "If I didn't do it would it make a big difference in my life, the life of my clients or my family's life?" If the answer is no... take it off the list.

What are some of the items you have taken off your list recently? Let me know and I will share them in a future blog. E-mail me at Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com

“Selah” - Celebrate little victories

2007-12-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

“Selah” - Celebrate little victories.

I noticed a trend among the executives I have been coaching over the past 10 year. They are all driven to succeed. Now this is a good thing. Except sometimes they neglect to stop to celebrate their successes before moving on…

I was having lunch with two board member of a CEO I am coaching. We talked about how well the organization was doing and their tremendous success. Then the topic of celebrating that success came up. Both board members felt the CEO was doing a great job and needed to celebrate small successes more often. One of the board members told me about the word “Selah”. It is an ancient Hebrew word found in the bible between verses. She said it means “stop and ponder”…

For years now I have been encouraging my executives to have “Selah” moments, to “stop and ponder’ on their successes for themselves, their executive team and the entire organization. I encourage them to stop, ponder and celebrate before moving on…

Here are a few ways to “Selah” (stop and ponder) and celebrate:

1. Stop and Ponder - First is to engage people in the debriefing the project, activity, event, etc. This helps them stop, ponder and celebrate. I teach a very simply yet effective continuous improvement model. My “CI” model is two questions: a) What did I do “Well”? b) Where can I “Improve”? By answering the first question, we in essences are uncovering things to celebrate.

2. Celebrate – Now that you have uncovered the things you did well. Celebrate them...both as a group and individually.

3. Keep the momentum going - Celebrate and reset the goal! The key is to keep the growth going. Do this by setting up new metrics. Look at your metrics and break them down in smaller components. Instead of quarterly numbers break them down into monthly, weekly, or even daily components... It is easier to adjust your path if you see the shift sooner. (Also see my blog post on Setting Goals)

4. Celebrate little victories. When you reach these smaller metrics celebrate them. (See previous postings on Motivating People and Building Teams)

How do you celebrate your successes? Let me know what you are doing. E-mail me at Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com

Getting People To Do What They Say They Will Do…

2007-10-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

Getting people to do what they say they will do…

Throughout my years of coaching, I find that sometimes leaders blame employees for not following through. Yet it is the leader who is sometimes at fault for not being clear, concise and specific.

Here's a process to increase the chances that your people will do what they say they will do:

1. Make sure you both are clear about what you want them to do. The more specific the request the better the result will be. Be specific about when he would like this particular activity done. Whenever possible, mutually set the deadline. (visit my past blog on goal setting)

2. Check for understanding. Make sure you both have the same message. Just because someone says yes, doesn't mean that you both are agreeing to the same thing. Check to make sure the message you sent is the same one they received. (see communication article)

3. Follow-up in writing, whenever appropriate. Some goals may be more complex and a brief written follow up (by either you or the staff person) might help clear up any misunderstandings.

4. Build in a feedback loop between now and the deadline to allow them to check-in if they need assistance or have any questions. This could include a weekly phone call, a short e-mail status update, and/or brief face-to-face check-in meetings.

5. Complete the process. Be sure you do what you said you would do. If they ask for help, be supportive; if you see them making progress, recognize it; be sure to do the check-in meetings. Also, when the activity is completed, congratulate them on their success and then debrief to discover any learning opportunities for future endeavors.

Do you have any other ways to make sure people do what they say they are going to do? I would like to hear them. Send me an e-mail: Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com.

Dealing with Difficult People

2007-09-04T09:36:00.000-04:00

Dealing with Difficult People...

It seems the past few weeks I have had a few coaching clients want to talk about dealing with difficult people. Whether it is a customer or employee, difficult people are hard to handle.

Here are a few tips that may help the conversation go a little smoother the next time you encounter a difficult person:

1. Stay focused on the situation, issue or the behavior, not the person. It is easy to get pulled into focusing on the person. So examine your intention. Your intention will drive where you focus. If your intention is to get even for the way you were treated or to make sure you win, you will be focused on the person. Your goal is to stay focused on the issue or behavior not the person.

2. Pick the right place and time. I have a belief that it is better to praise in public and criticizes in private. I also believe the timing is very important. If it is a big issue or going to have an impact on others, address it as soon as possible. Otherwise it might be better to wait until the other party has calmed down to address the issue.

3. Don't assume. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Ask questions to help you really identify the problem or discover what happened.

4. Prepare for defensiveness. Whenever dealing with difficult people, it's important to anticipate that they may become defensive. It is also helpful for you not to take it personally when they do. Getting caught off guard could be a challenging situation. So anticipate how the other person might respond. Think through how you might respond if the other person gets angry and/or verbally attacks you.

Do you have any other ways to deal with “difficult people”? I would like to hear them. Send me an e-mail: Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com.

Executive Retreat Guiding Principles

2007-05-25T08:50:00.000-04:00

I am in the midst of helping a client bring in his staff from all over the world for their annual retreat. Last time I wrote about the fist mistakes executives make when planning a retreat. Now I want to share with you the 5 guiding principles to follow when planning an executive retreat.

Executive Retreat Guiding Principles:

The Retreat is planned/tied to specific outcomes
See the Retreat as a process (the beginning of something) and not as a single event (the end)
Presenters present information in an exciting, vivid, memorable and useful way, geared toward sharing practical concepts/ideas to shift thought, emotion and/or behavior
The end of the meeting is uplifting. Leaving people feeling hopeful, connected, and commitment to action
There are demonstrable actions that occur after the meeting (this is a process). Build in follow up communication, actions, and activities over the next 4-6 months to move the group closer to the future vision

It is amazing how these principle can really focus your people on achievin your future goal!

Do you have any comments or other retreat principles you would suggest? Let me know. E-mail me at Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com

Top Five Mistakes Executives Make When Planning/Executing a Retreat:

2007-04-30T15:22:00.000-04:00

One of my executive coaching clients recently hired me to help his team plan their fall department wide retreat. In our conversation today one of his team memberse asked me, "What do you see as the top five mistakes teams make when planning and executing a retreat?" Here was my answer:

Top Five Mistakes Executives Make When Planning/Executing a Retreat:

Presenters present information in a lecture/talking head format (boring…) (Presentation Tips)
Retreat is not planned/tied to some specific outcomes
See the retreat as an event (the end) not a process (the beginning)
The ending of the retreat is a let down
Little or no action happens after the retreat (or slow to act on ideas) (Organize/Plan)

Next time you begin planning a retreat consider avoiding these.

Do you have any examples of other retreat mistakes you have seen? Let me know. E-mail me at Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com

What motivates your people?

2007-04-04T19:37:00.000-04:00

I was talking with one of my executive coaching clients today in a coaching session and the topic of employee morale come up. In a recent survey his employees were asked to evaluate “morale” at work. Morale is such a broad subject to evaluate. It can mean different things to different people.

One thing I know for sure, whenever studies are conducted on "what motivates your people", being appreciated is on the top of the list .

Motivating Employees

One recent survey was developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from more than 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with more than 20 employees and 536 full- or part-time office workers. Here is what they found to be the top three:

Frequent recognition of accomplishments CFO’s-30% Employees-35%
Regular communication with staff CFO’s-36% Employees-20%
Giving employees increased responsibility CFO’s-20% Employees-17%

As you can see, appreciate is in the top three.

My coaching client said they recently had to make some budget cuts and some of the cuts would affect the budget for recognition programs. To which I countered, "It doesn't always take a lot of money to make people feel appreciated".

In my leadership development workshop “Unleashing Motivation” I share “83 Ways to Show You Care”. These are all inexpensive/no cost ways to show your people that you care about them. Here are a few*:

1. Smile
2. Greet by name
3. Send a handwritten note
4. Say “Good Morning”
5. Ask, “How are you?” – and—
6. Wait for an answer
7. Sent Letter of Praise to employee’s home
8. Listen
9. Accept suggestions
10. Compliment them
11. Be pleasant
12. Share necessary information
13. Show trust
14. Be approachable
15. Ask questions
16. Laugh with them
17. Believe in them

Try a few of these out and let me know how they work for you? E-mail me at Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com

"Personal Brillance"

2007-03-26T09:58:00.000-04:00

Jim Canterucci, an executive advisor, author and professional speaker has written an great book called "Personal Brilliance: Mastering the Everyday Habits That Create a Lifetime of Success"

Jim has an enlightening blog http://blog.mypersonalbrilliance.com that focused on helping you maximize your Awareness, Curiosity, Focus, and Initiative. These four traits are the catalysts for achieving your best.

Personal Brilliance is a book that shows how anyone can create and enjoy spectacular success! Go to Jim's website to find out more about his book and/or to take the "Personal Brilliance Quotient".

"Operating Procedures" - Do you have them?

2007-03-22T11:44:00.000-04:00

One of my CEO coaching clients recently had to let go one of his executive team members. This can be a difficult task. Sometimes it is so difficult that we wait too long to do it.

I coached a CEO a few years ago who waited too long to make that decision. When he finally did let the person go, he commented to me that he should have let her go months ago. I too had the same challenge years ago when, as an Executive Director, I had to fire my secretary. We all can learn from other's mistakes.

You know the old saying…. Hire slow, fire fast.

Well, as the result of my new CEO client letting go of his team member, he realized that each member of his executive team had a "job description" but there were no operating procedures to help people make decisions.

In his book “The E-Myth”, Michael Gerber proposes that we organize our business like a franchise (McDonald’s®, Wendy’s ®…). He suggests we act as if we were going to franchise our business in the future. Gerber recommends we systematize each aspect of our business. By doing so, we could hand over any aspect of the business to someone else and they could run it effectively for us.

Do you have operating procedures? Written guidelines to help your people and your team make better decisions? Give this some thought today.

Seven Ways to Say No...

2007-03-06T17:49:00.000-05:00

This week in a coaching session with one of my CEO clients we talked about how to take more control over our time.

In our meeting, my client said that he wished he could say "NO" more often.

I think many people struggle with telling others “No”. The reason they struggle is because they think they only have two choices. They can either say “yes” or “no”.

I try to avoid "all or nothing" thinking. I believe that there are many alternative between the extremes.

So here are several different ways I shared with my CEO client that he could say no:

7 Ways to Say No:

1) Say NO… with a straightforward explanation - "No, I'm uncomfortable doing that!"
2) Say NO… and give an alternative - "No. I can’t do that today, how about first thing in the morning?"
3) Say NO… and clarify your reason - Help them understand your position. Explain the why. “No. I can’t help you because I made commitment to my family to not work on weekends this month.”
4) Give Preface then Say NO… - “Each year we choose 3 charities to support and I am sorry you are not one of those this year.”
5) Make an empathetic listening statement (let them down easy) then Say NO…. - "I can see this is important. I would like to have someone help, however all my staff is already committed to project A that is due next week."
6) Say YES BUT… - "Yes I can do Project B but not Project A"
7) Say YES AND… I nicer way to say yes but and it allows you to give them alternatives. "Yes I can help with the project, and I will need you to..."

Let me know how these work for you or if you have some other ways to set limits. E-mail me at Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com

Eight ways to make and set goals that work!

2007-02-13T15:06:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from Donadio’s most requested keynote, “Belief-Driven Success”

So far we have talked about (see previous postings):

1. Start at the END!
2. Write down your goals.
3. Set realistic yet challenging goals.
4. Anticipate obstacles and plan how to overcome them.
5. Get Mentally Prepared

"You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Martin Luther King, Jr

Action is the key! The last three steps are all about action...

6. Implement the plan forwards. Now take action! Break action steps into weekly or daily activities. Keep a "TO DO" list! Prioritize it and refer to it often. Help others do the same. Remember - focus on results not activities. Periodically evaluate and adjust your plan. Keep your obstacles in mind (Step 4) and be prepared to either go through them or around them. Stay the course but adjust your sails.

*7. Build in Rewards. Throughout the process, build in rewards for yourself and/or the staff. Break down an annual goal into quarterly goals. Or break down a company goal into team goals. When you reach the quarterly and/or team goal, “celebrate”! Set up periodic, small rewards to keep you and your staff motivated. These will also help keep you goal centered.

*8. Try Again! Learn from your mistakes. Use the experience you gained to re-evaluate present goals and establish new goals. Here are two questions you can ask yourself to turn every mistake into a learning opportunity. 1. “What did I do well?” and 2. “What will I do differently the next time?”

(* Note- steps 7 & 8 are steps I find people tend to forget.)

There you have it... It isn't hard to set goals that work, yet many people simply do not follow these fundamental principles.

Eight ways to make and set goals that work!

2007-02-05T17:13:00.000-05:00

The next two steps are steps most likely skipped when people set goals:

*4. Anticipate obstacles and plan how to overcome them. Be proactive, anticipate obstacles. Ask yourself "What is going to stop me from achieving this goal?" Then ask, "How can I overcome these obstacles?" One of the biggest obstacles to success is YOU!

*5. Get Mentally Prepared. Mental preparation is an important part of overcoming obstacles and taking action. Use techniques like visualization, quiet time and self-talk. Prepare for the worst and expect the best!

Remember...

“If you’re not mentally prepared, you’re not prepared.” --Patrick Donadio, MBA

Come back... next time I am going to talk about the key step...Taking Action!

Eight ways to make and set goals that work!

2007-02-01T16:11:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from Donadio’s most requested keynote, “Belief-Driven Success”

So far we have talked about (see previous postings):

1. Start at the END!
2. Write down your goals.

Here is the next step:

3. Set realistic yet challenging goals. Set yourself up to succeed. This builds your confidence. To say you want to triple your income in the first quarter might be an unrealistic goal. Unrealistic goals can cause you to lose motivation. Be challenging yet kind to yourself.

Come back... next time I am going to talk about a step most people forget!

Eight ways to make and set goals that work!

2007-01-29T16:05:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from Donadio’s most requested keynote and new educational DVD, “Belief-Driven Success”

Step one was to

1. Start at the END! (see previous postings)

Here is the next step in the process....

2. Write down your goals. Writing down your goals makes them real. Be specific. "I am going to increase revenues this year." This is too general. "I am going to increase revenues 5 percent by June 31st”. Now you can measure your progress and see results. Set deadlines and develop action steps for each goal. This will be your "success plan". Refer to it often and it will keep you focused.

Come back to learn step three … make your goals challenging.

Eight ways to make and set goals that work!

2007-01-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from Donadio’s most requested keynote and new educational DVD, “Belief-Driven Success”

Whether setting personal, professional or organizational goals, now is a good time to compare where you are with where you would like to be in the future.

I usually set/revisit my goals quarterly but since many people set goals in January I thought would share my eight step process.

It is a simple process, yet still do many people do not spend the time to do it...

Here is step one:

1. Start at the END! Work backwards from the goal. Ask yourself, "Where would I (my company) like to be a year from now?” The sky is the limit! Visualize in your mind that it is December 31st and you just achieved your goal. Ask yourself, "How did I do it?" Now speculate all the steps you would have had to take to achieve this goal. Then write down all these activities.

Come back to read the other seven steps…

"Stuffing Envelopes" is good for business?

2006-12-04T11:32:00.000-05:00

I was asked recently to help stuff envelopes at church for a special mailing we were doing for our "Media Council".

Well my first thought was, "Who me stuff envelopes? I have a list of To-Do's on my ACT© program that I have been snoozing...." I hadn't stuffed envelopes in 30 years (except when I was broke in my first year of business when I tried a direct mail campaign to try to get some clients and some cash!)

Well I went down to the church and spent two hours “stuffing envelopes”. It really wasn't that bad. I had a chance to talk with committees members I had been too busy talk to and found the work rather relaxing.

When I returned to my office I had many phone message and e-mails (more “To-Do’s" for my ACT© program). However, I had a few surprises: a message from a national client who said they were considering me for a slot at their next conference in New Orleans; an e-mail from a former, very satisfied, coaching client who was recently promoted to division President. He was referring me to coach another VP at his company.

I knew that by giving to others you receive... I just didn't expect results so quickly.

Something happens when you make room in your life for it. Do you have some envelopes to stuff (metaphorically)? Something you could do for someone else? Has someone asked for your help recently and you thought "I have too much to do"?

Start “stuffing”... Consider getting out this week and doing something different and/or doing something for someone else. Who knows it could shift your world?

Believe in yourself!

Patrick

Welcome Message

2006-09-26T01:21:00.000-04:00

Welcome

2006-09-25T14:18:00.000-04:00

Hi! Welcome to my blog.

I will be posting ideas, thoughts and key information that is making a difference in my business and in my life.

Come back soon and be a part of our community.