Neil Thornton’s Blog

The Discipline of Intention and Effort  

Recently I was at a local Starbucks waiting for a client meeting.  I always like to arrive early, enjoy a beverage and reflect upon my day. 

I sat at a table close to the Barista and watched the social interaction unfold before me.  Human interaction and observation has always fascinated me.  On this particular day, I was to observe an interaction that I felt important to share with you.

I watched as a professionally dressed young lady waited patiently in line for her turn at the counter.  Upon approaching, she gestured by handing her resume over to the cashier, and I could hear her say the typical. ‘Could I please drop off my resume for any possible openings?’  The cashier accepted the resume with a smile.

The young girl glanced away nervously, turned and was gone as quickly as her brief interaction.  I watched with amazement as the store manager approached the cashier and asked what had just happened.  The resume was exchanged and the cashier commented on the image of the young girl and how she may impact the team if interviewed and hired.  The manager, who looked quite busy and distracted by the crowd, took the resume and ran off into the back.

My initial thought was how the resume would have probably been tossed onto a large in-box pile to quickly be lost in the endless pit of loose papers and never looked at again; or worse yet placed in the infamous ‘resume’ file with all the other numerous applications.  The positive image and impression explained by the cashier would be quickly forgotten. 

I thought about what I had just observed and what this young girl could have done differently.

Every month I have a habit of listening to the famous Earl Nightingale audio recording, “The Strangest Secret”.  (If you do not have a copy of this, please get one as soon as you can.)   In the 1950’s, Mr. Nightingale talked about being aware of your daily planning and actions and how your results are a direct reflection of your thoughts.  One key factor of success comes down to ‘intentionally doing more each day’, and holding yourself accountable for this action.

Reflecting on the interaction with the young girl, I thought about how her results and possibility of employment could have been improved significantly if only she made a choice to stay one more moment, influence the cashier even more, and quite possibly met the manager in person.  At that time she could have requested an interview and influenced her destiny by choice.  This would have required ‘one more step’ that could have changed her career and life. 

It is safe to bet that the same girl dropped off numerous resumes that day, working through the same routine and ultimately getting the same disappointing results.

Now this is where you come in.  Please think of your intentions and actions for today and what is one area of your career and life that you could do ‘one more action’ that will make all the difference for you, your career, your results and your success.   

In my coaching work I often ask, “What is one thing missing for you; that if it were in place, would make all the difference.”  Though coaching thousands of leaders, the answer inevitable always comes down to action and effectiveness. 

It is my intention that this article will drive even a few people to take that extra step and reap in the guaranteed results.   

For more ideas about coaching, business strategy and communications, please visit us at www.thorntongroup.ca.

Neil Thornton is the Lead Executioner of the Thornton Group of Companies.  Neil can be reached at 905.401.1434 or neil@thorntongroup.ca. 

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written permission from Neil A. Thornton and 1707021 Ontario Limited – The Thornton Group • 905.401.1434

Focus on Your Customers for the Truth

In today’s business market, I see many organizations working hard to grow their market share, sales and team.  I am sure you will agree that the very strategies that got us to this point may not take us to where we want to go. 

For all of us, the way we see ourselves and our business is limiting at best.  Most of us do not really know how we are perceived in the market because we have just worked with ourselves too long.  Those companies that continue to re-work old strategies and not seek innovative ways to build their image, offering and service are in serious trouble. 

My commitment is to provide you with ideas that will keep you one step ahead of your competitors and allow you to see your business differently than you see it now.  

For years in my coaching work, I have seen good organizations deciding to re-connect with their customers for a serious look at the reality of their image and how they can improve.  We have been running Client Focus Meetings together.

Here is how a ‘Client Focus Meeting’ works.

Step One: 

Invite 4-8 of your key customers to join you and your leadership team for an afternoon session off site and away from your office.  Provide them with food and refreshments.  Invite customers with varied backgrounds and relationships to you. (big vs. small, new vs. older)

Preface the invitation by asking for their help and honest feedback. 

Step Two:

Set up a table in the front of the room for your guests and have your team sit across from them in a horseshoe fashion.

ALL your key stakeholders are in the room and Blackberries are off.

Your assignment is to do one thing…..LISTEN.  When I say listen, I mean listen for what is possible, not probable based on history.  Listening from your ‘past’ in this exercise is useless. 

Step Three:

Involve an outside facilitator to engage your customers and direct the meeting.

Ask your key relationships to answer each of the following questions:

1. Why did you originally decide to do business with us?  What brought you to our organization?

1. Why do you decide to stay with us and keep doing business?

1. What are 3 things we can do to improve our service and relationship with you?

Step Four:

Please ‘truly listen’ to what is being said to you.  Take notes and ensure each team member is engaged in this process. 

Immediately after the meeting, you must commit to making changes based on your customer’s feedback.  Thank your customers for their honest dialogue and communicate to them what changes you are going to make. 

You will have in your possession a clear message about how you are viewed and what is next in your strategic development.  This is just one step in gaining your competitive edge.

Last year, our team took the opportunity to run a focus meeting with our key client relationships.  The feedback we received was pure gold to our organization and what was possible for us.  We had to leave our egos and pride at the door, and by doing so, we were open for receiving the truth and reality about how we are really seen in the market.  As an organization, we will never look back.

By involving your customers in your strategic planning and business development process, you are gaining and edge and strengthening relationships all for the cost of a lunch.  I would say that is a good investment.

Depending on the size of your company and its players, you may want to adjust the Client Focus Meeting as needed.  Please contact me to discuss the format that will work the best for you.

For more ideas about coaching, business strategy and communications, please visit us at www.thorntongroup.ca.

Neil Thornton is the Lead Executioner of the Thornton Group of Companies and Managing Partner with the Dale Carnegie Business Group, Canada.  Neil can be reached at 905.401.1434 or neil@thorntongroup.ca. 

Does Your Resume Truly Represent YOU?

Over the past number of years, I have been involved in interviewing and hiring new candidates for our clients.  Recently, I can recall sorting through hundreds of resumes at a time.  I have always been astounded by how many people ‘color within the lines’ and submit resumes looking the same as all the rest.  Often times, due to the vast numbers and volume of applications received, every second counts in identifying those that will make it to the next step of the recruiting and interviewing process.

What most companies are looking for today in people joining their team is ATTITUDE.  So how can you convey your attitude, leadership, character and unique skills on a piece of paper; especially one that looks like everyone else’s?

For the past three years I have been teaching business and marketing, and one of the yearly assignments is asking students to hand in their resumes.  I have instructed them that if their resumes resemble the ‘standard and boring cookie cutter formats’ they will not be accepted. 

I will never forget the resume handed in by Julie, and the impact it had on me.  Here is what was included in her portfolio.

• Full resume, ‘specifically’ written for the identified career opportunity
• Business card with contact information and personal links (including social networking sites)
• Personal web site referenced on the business card 
• A professional photo, in classic business attire
• Two full pages of testimonials
• An enclosed video DVD

The DVD had, by far, the biggest impact on me.  Upon opening the media, Julie appeared on the screen, against a well lit background and dressed professionally.

“Hello, my name is Julie, and I would make an excellent addition to your company because I possess the following skills, knowledge and attitudes…..”

If this was not enough, the video faded out and back in to Julie’s parents, followed by three of her personal friends, all attesting to Julie’s unique abilities and character.

For me, the closer was when the video went on to include interviews and testimonials from Julie’s previous three employers! 

I would have hired Julie regardless of her education or work experience.  The effort she placed on conveying her professional image was outstanding and the impact was well beyond the norm.  Her true attributes and what she could contribute came out load and clear.

(As a side note, this year 16 of the class members submitted their assignments on business cards referencing their ‘on-line web based’ resumes, 5 of which included video media.)    

Today, more and more people are in the ranks of looking for career changes and new opportunities.  Standing out from the crowd, and the using technology is becoming essential in the job search process. I hope this story will help you sell yourself when you are, unfortunately, not in the room with a perspective target employer.

Hold up; there is one more thing to consider as well.  My good friend and mentor Albert Iannantuono from Tri-Media Integrated Marketing Technologies, Inc., reminded me of the importance of follow up, more follow up and follow up again.  He personally applies the candidate’s desire to follow up as a qualifier for the interview process.  He calls it ‘a test’. 

I am aware this article will create some unique dialogue and even some strong opposition from the traditionalists out there.  I guess, in the end technology and competition is demanding we raise the bar.  Tom Peters says it best in his book ‘Re-Image’, “If you do not like change, you will like irrelevance even less.”  

Please contact me if you wish to discuss further.  If you are looking for ideas and tools to help you build your brand and image, let’s have a conversation. 

Neil Thornton is a Strategic Executioner with The Thornton Group of Companies, and Managing Partner of The Dale Carnegie Business Group of Canada.  You can reach Neil at neil@thorntongroup.ca or 905.894.8857.  For more tools and ideas you can visit www.thorntongroup.ca. 

The Engagement Strategy

Ok; you’ve cut as many overhead costs as you possibly can to remain competitive.  You are running as lean as possible, and you have fewer people doing a larger share of the work.  You have cut as many budgets as possible, including training. (Oops, that one may come back to haunt you.)  Stress is high and it is getting more difficult to motivate people and stay focused.  You have more on your plate, and it seems to increase daily.

With all this change the competition continues to gain momentum, and your market share is becoming more difficult to capture and maintain.  Your customers are demanding more and your offering is being stretched to the limit.

Does this sound familiar?  For many organizations today, this is a brutal reality we face.

So what is next?  Where do we go from here?

Quite possibly the only competitive advantage remaining is your people.  Actually, this was always your largest advantage in the marketplace. The battle for talent and retaining skilled people remains a top business issue, yet a recent Canadian business survey identified that 83% of people working today are not engaged in their company.  83 PERCENT!!!! 

In other words only 17% of people working today consider themselves as real contributors to the organization and truly involved in the growth and strategy of the company.  This number can change and there are some local companies doing just that.  These companies are choosing to become an employer of choice.

8.5 Ideas to engage people in your organization.

1. Consider people as entrepreneurs instead of employees.

Give them a stake in the outcome. 

Clarify to them what is really happening in the marketplace.

2. Identify and communicate success. 

Use ‘person centered feedback’ and back it up with real examples.

Please remember the number one human need in business: “Recognition of a job well done”.

3. Involve all levels of staff in strategic and organizational planning.

Quite often the best ideas are generated on the shop floor, back office or amongst front line workers.

Truly listen to what they have to say.

4. Get the organizational vision off the wall in the lobby and into daily conversations.

This one may be tough and you may need some help.  The payoff is tremendous when everyone is talking about a dynamic future. Those who choose to remain in the past, instead of creating a new future are left behind.

5. Abolish yearly performance appraisals. 

Replace with monthly feedback sessions focused on future action and accountability.

Contact us for a copy of ‘The Paper Lion, Abolishing Traditional Performance Appraisals”.

6. Structure meetings that create accountability and capture learning.

Balance management skills with mentoring and coaching sessions.

Allow people to see their potential and strengths. Coach everyone for performance improvement. 

7. Know that all people are committed. 

Get genuine commitment and alignment will follow. Never question someone’s commitment; find out what it is.

8. Never openly criticize, condemn or complain.

“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain as most fools do.” Dale Carnegie

8.5. Communicate, communicate and communicate.

These skills are not easy.  Yes, developing and engaging people is a job that never ends, but the payoff of having committed people all contributing to the growth of the business (versus slowing it down) is amazing to see in action.

The soft side of business has now become the hardest side of business.

“If your people are not having a positive impact, or contributing to the strategy of the company; they are simply liabilities.”

Neil Thornton,

The Thornton Group of Companies

Founder, IdeaShare Niagara

Neil can be reached at 905.894.8857, or neil@thorntongroup.ca

www.thorntongroup.ca

“You can not solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” 

Albert Einstein

In business today, I would translate this famous quote to read, “You can not grow your results with the same mind set, habits and thinking that got you to this point.  Breakthrough growth is going to take a whole new way of seeing yourself, your team and your customers and creating something that does not exist in the market today.” 

I am speaking from experience when I say that most businesses, to succeed today, require an entirely different model and offering than it had just two years ago.  The tough part for all of us buried in the operations of our organizations is spending the time and energy required to challenge our traditional habits, operations and even customer offering to hit new levels of performance and results.

As a certified coach with years of experience, I find myself spending the majority of my time ‘coaching coaches’ to work within their organizations with their teams.  These people realize the fact that no one will ever hit stretch goals on their own.  The best they can hope for is incremental growth if they choose to stay on the same path.  This is no longer good enough in business. 

My commitment has always been to get coaching, communications and leadership tools to as many people as I can.  While I am not in front of you now, I wanted to give you a coaching conversation module we use with our clients.  Please use this tool first with yourself and then use it with your key team members.  (Have a trusted colleague walk you through the questions. You can not coach yourself!)

1.      What is one strategic ‘stretch’ goal you choose to accomplish in the next 30-60 days?

2.      What’s missing, that if it were in place, would make all the difference for you?  

3.      What are you willing to invent, that you have yet to invent, that will give you more options?

4.      Where are you willing to be different, in thinking, behaviours and actions that will allow for better results?

5.      What assumptions (or ego) must you eliminate that will allow you to hit this breakthrough goal?  What must you let go of?  (This is a hard question for most people.)

6.      What strong requests do you need to make of the people around you to receive the support and accountability you need?

7.      How ‘serious’ are you about challenging your old ways of operating to hit this new level of performance?

8.      What is your first step and how do you want to be held accountable.  (If a commitment is made follow up MUST exist.)

9.      Are you open for strong coaching that will allow you to be challenged and hit this breakthrough goal?  Are you ready to get yourself out of the way?

Note: 

·        Coaching is for committed individuals who want, and have requested support from you.  You must NEVER coach, unless you are asked. 

·        Coaching is not about ‘fixing’ people.  That requires a different conversation.

·        When you are coaching, you must listen from nothing.  Listen for what is ‘possible’, not probable.

·        Coaching is significantly different than management and leadership.      

·        There are many more coaching guidelines that you will need to be aware of.

(Please call me to discuss.) 

In the absence of strong organizational coaching, I see many good people stuck in comfort zones and, over time, become resistant to change.  You must know that people do not resist change, but the uncertainty of change.  Your role as a coach, and ultimately a leader is to develop a culture that sees change as an opportunity to contribute and grow.  

There are many components to the world of coaching and getting help from a certified, experienced coaching professional is highly recommended.  In the meantime I hope this article gives you a head start with yourself and your team to compete in the new speed of business.

For more ideas about coaching, business strategy and communications, please visit us at www.thorntongroup.ca.

Neil Thornton is the Lead Executioner of the Thornton Group of Companies and Managing Partner with the Dale Carnegie Business Group, Canada.  Neil can be reached at 905.894.8857 or neil@thorntongroup.ca. 

The Leadership of Beatties Basics – Tales From The Trenches

I sat with pride as I watched Ted Hoxie accept the recent 2010 Niagara Entrepreneur Award for Established Family Enterprise.  For the past number of years, I have worked with Ted as a client, a customer and a true friend.  Heck, Ted even covered my flank in the Idea-War Corporate Paintball Challenge last year. 

Ted is the president of Beatties Basics Office Products located in Niagara and is one of the hardest working people I know.  Congratulations on the award Ted, you have truly earned it.  Most business colleagues I talk with feel the same way about Ted and his team.  They have earned the respect and loyalty of customers and colleagues over the past 150 years.  Accomplishing success and sustainability like Beattie’s is something we all strive for.   

I recently sat down with Ted and asked him to share some his beliefs and habits as it relates to business, community and leadership.

Here are some ideas of what Ted practices daily:

Connecting to the Customer

• Constantly ‘improve’ the customer experience.  We teach our team what it is like to be one of our customers.
• Being ‘the one source’ for our client’s business needs.
• Encourage community involvement from everyone in the company.
• Focus on offering quality customer service and test for feedback.
• Make the customer purchasing experience easy and reliable.

Team Development and Learning

• Listen to staff and connect constantly, align skills and knowledge.
• Constant training and coaching provided.
• Clear strategic focus, direction, planning and goal setting
• Collaborate and work as one.
• Mentorship to assist. Give people the tools they need.
• Our colleagues know they must work smarter, not harder.

New Markets and Growth

• Develop a corporate green imitative and offer environmentally preferred products and always look for major trends.  We execute, not just talk about it.
• We are aware of the speed of change.
• Constantly review our product categories, offer value and more choices. 
• Conscious decision to grow to new areas and markets: Hamilton, Burlington, Kitchener/Waterloo and Cambridge.

Vision and Strategy

• Constant innovation and differentiation.  Clear expectation.
• All attention on customer experience and 100% commitment.
• Traditional ‘one size fits all’ is dead. Customers want to be treated as they are your only customer!
• Recognize the changing economy.  What we used to do, no longer works.
• Offer brand innovation and complimentary product category extensions.
• Today’s customers are technology savvy and expect more. We will deliver faster, and make it easy to do business with us.

Utilizing Technology and the Web  

• Allowing our web site to be customer driven.
• Instant feedback and critiques.
• Use the new Social Networking sites, Face book, twitter, LinkedIn
• Invest in technology that improves the customer experience.

The list above is nothing new for most of us.  The difference in Ted’s case comes through execution and constantly working at all levels within the organization.  Ted and his management team not only set expectations of the organization, but they lead by example, they show up on the floor and they always support their staff by working right along beside them.  

“A business will get better when its people get better; and its people will get better right after their leader gets better!”  Some of you may recognize this quote I use often when coaching organizations to hit stretch goals. 

How many of you have seen Ted working on the retail floor, visiting a customer, or arriving at a networking function?  Does he have time to do this?  In Ted’s case, he knows he MUST do what is required to understand the customer and the pulse of the company.  This exposure does not come from sitting in a corner office. 

I admire Ted’s dedication to leadership and setting his team up for success.  He agrees this is his number one priority.  Ted spends the majority of his day passing along his knowledge to others.  He knows the business will take care of itself when he mentors and coaches his team for success. 

Ted recalls graduating from his Dale Carnegie Course in 1982, and he still holds himself accountable for its use today in leadership and communications excellence.  Well done Ted.

Neil Thornton is the Lead Executioner of the Thornton Group of Companies and Managing Partner with the Dale Carnegie Business Group, Canada.  Neil can be reached at 905.894.8857 or neil@thorntongroup.ca. 

www.thorntongroup.ca

It was great to spend time on BlogTalk radio with Julie Christiansen. We discuss the importance of business coaching in today’s business environment. Enjoy the listen.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/julie-christiansen/2010/03/26/why-businesses-need-coaches

Neil

The Invention Of YOUR Sales Edge

I’m against most models of selling. So are most salespeople I meet.  Traditional models are good points to start from…period.  There are plenty of sales models, theories, and advice out there; and just as many ‘sales experts’ pontificating the value of these models.

Anything we have ever done in the past rarely works with the same success today. 

Learning the fundamentals of selling is important.  The key lies in moving from theory alone to unique application.  

Why follow what everyone else is doing?  What makes you unique and different to your customers?  Really! It’s you, not a model!! Rarely do I see salespeople building themselves to be truly different in a marketplace full of clones.

How about asking a prospect what business issues they are facing in today’s global economy?  What keeps them awake at night?  Where is the money hidden within their organization?  There are tons more.  The key here is how important it is for sales people to become business people who think about profits and markets instead of product peddling. 

Here is a test.  How do you show up on stage in front of your customers?  How do you know? What is your competition saying about you?  What really makes you different?  And what is your plan to be different tomorrow?

The business of selling is changing quicker than ever imagined.  Just try to get someone on the phone to start with.  Once on the phone you have less than 5 seconds to get their attention….actually most people will make up their mind about you in less than 3 seconds. 

So what happened to that traditional 60 second ‘elevator speech’ allowing you to explain your product?

It is time for action, not theory.  It’s time to build YOUR Sales Edge.  You do need to know that you can’t do this on your own. Work with someone who will truly bring out YOUR strengths and expertise, not give you theirs. 

Become known as: “You really need to talk to this person; they are really different and are a sustaining resource to my company. Here is his/her number…and here is the phone.”

Let’s talk about this….

Neil Thornton, The Thornton Group of Companies

Managing Partner, Business Next Corporate Coaching

The Dale Carnegie Business Group, Canada

905.894.8857 neil@thorntongroup.ca

www.dalecarnegie.ca

“The Paper Lion”

Abolishing Traditional Performance Appraisals, There Is A Better Way

Part One:  Let’s Agree On The Past….Quickly and Clearly.

Here are some thoughts that may help your Performance Reviews.

Most people, including myself, have a problem appraising people on what they have/or have not done in the past. 

Many of you may be thinking you already do this component well. I challenge you to read on.  In visiting many local organizations, people are still resisting these ‘annual rituals’ and ‘flogging sessions’.  In one appraisal session, a gentleman was bold enough to admit: “Listen let’s just get to the ‘but’ and get this over with.  I have important work to do!”  I consider his boss lucky enough to have the honest dialogue that will allow her to see the need to re-invent this process.

Reviewing past performance is important in its historical context.  Something new is to change the context to what they intend to do in the next # of months and how they will benchmark and appraise themselves for improvement.  (Will expand in Part Two of this article.)

Let’s focus on setting the stage for the conversation.

We do need to address the past.  Try to mix in ‘past based’ questions like:

What are at least 3 things you have accomplished this past year that has brought more value to the organization?  Please articulate the real value.  (Increased production, decrease scrap, increase sales….etc.) 

Get real numbers here, no fluff or lip service. Just the facts please.

If someone gives you a story, ask them for their written notes and specifics.  No stories allowed.

What have you done to better yourself personally and professionally in the past year?

What have you learned, on your own accord, in the past year?

How specifically do you use these new skills? 

How are these new skills different for you?

Have a robust dialogue about past performance.  Look at the relationship from all sides.  (Measure yourself as well, and your ownership in this matter.)  You can compare rankings in certain areas.  Have them rank themselves, you rank them, the team ranks them, heck even including customers, suppliers and vendors may be in order. The essence of this philosophy is to come to an agreement (a real agreement) quickly and move on.  Create common ground and a starting point from which all other conversations are based.  If this common ground is lacking, all parties will be speaking and listening from different platforms……very dangerous.

Be careful not to use the word ‘but’ or ‘however’.

Here is how it will sound.  “Rick, I met your wife in the mall last night.  She is a wonderful person but…….ouch!”

Be careful not to judge people base on ‘your views’, ‘assumptions’, ‘judgments’ etc….

They should be walking away with an understanding of past performance, expectations, goals and action plans to improve both themselves and the future of the company.

In Part Two, we will look at using future benchmarks and coaching in the appraisal process. Creating an environment that allows people to declare what they are going to do differently in the future, versus what they have done in the past.

The Paper Lion

Abolishing Traditional Performance Appraisals, There Is A Better Way

Part Two:  Commit To The Future Together.

In Part A we looked at agreed upon and robust dialogue about past performance.

Now for the next dialogue: based on future goals, plans and benchmarks. 

I like to work more on the future plan than on assessment.  Let them assess themselves against their own standards and goals.  As a boss, we must be careful to not assess people against the ‘world according to you’.  Although we know where they need to go, they MUST articulate it to you, from their mouths, not ours.  By doing this, they create the ownership of the change or goal. 

From us, it turns into a ‘to do list’, and quickly losses momentum. 

Please remember, managers tell people what they should do, while coaches allow people to determine their own destiny and risks for failure. People will choose on their own where they see themselves fitting into the culture and strategy of the company.

Assessing performance based on their ownership is easier for you as a mentor.  Now you are simply holding the mirror up to the commitments they made. 

What’s working?

What’s not working?

What’s really getting in the way?

What are you now aware of?

How are you showing up on stage, and what are you willing to do about it?

These are all good questions to hold people accountable for what they need to do.  Your influence as a manager is gone.  Real accountability is holding up the mirror to people.  They are rewarded by doing the things they (not you) said they were going to do.  

Get them to look at their past performance with you.  Compare notes.  Have a hearty and robust discussion. Get into a two way dialogue.  If the dialogue is leaning ‘one way, make sure you are not doing most of the conversing. 

Get them into their own plan quickly.  Throw in benchmarks. As a coach, ensure they are reaching their benchmarks.  Coach by digging down on benchmark options and areas of improvement.  They will typically only be aware of a small number of improvement options.  Challenge them to create.  Ask what else they can do in the matter.  The more options the better.  Each option is an opportunity for you to coach in the future.  Allow them to see improvement as infinite.

Consistently allow them to see where they stand in relationship to their plan and how it correlates with the organizational Strategic Plan. 

Never give them answers.  They lose power. 

Drive them to design their own ‘future’.  Allow them to see the value they bring (or not) to the organization.

No excuses, no crybabies, no whiners.  You are very strict on this fact.  If you hear an excuse (as you know you may) challenge it.  Ask them what they intend to do about it to live their plan.  Give them the new business reality.  Only by being different will their results be different. 

Push them to challenge their paradigms, habits and behaviors……every day. 

This is your #1 job.

The new performance appraisal mechanism: Begin to offer appraisals and feedback weekly, if not daily.

And finally;

HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY SAY THEY ARE GOING TO DO!!!!!

GET THEM INTO ACTION………..NO CRYBABIES ALLOWED!!!

IT’S EITHER EXECUTION, OR EXCUSES!!!

Please remember to call your coach before any conversation.  A different perspective can be critical to the success of your initiatives.

Good luck.

Neil Thornton, The Thornton Group

Managing Partner, The Dale Carnegie Business Group, Canada

Neil can be reached at 905.894.8857, or nthornton@thorntongroup.ca

www.carnegie.ca

Board Meetings Do Not Have to Be Boring

It was Saturday evening as I stood in the lobby of the Prince Of Wales Vintage Hotel.  I was about to interact with a strategic board retreat and many thoughts ran through my head.  What was I in for?  What type of group would this be?  What would the Directors be like?  How effective would this group be in planning and innovation?

As soon as I walked in the dining room, I immediately realized this was going to be different.  As we gathered for dinner, I was immediately swept into the energy and enthusiasm of the group.   I observed a group of successful people coming together for a single purpose and direction.  Their language was unique and focused.  Was this really a board of directors who traditionally get caught up in logistics, advising and ego?  Absolutely not.  (PS. Thanks to Michelle Miller, the GM at Prince of Wales for an amazing meal.  The Arctic Char paired with the Riesling was perfect.)

I watched as the executive director of Big Brothers-Big Sisters St. Catharines-Thorold and District walked in the room.  Here was the answer.  For any of you who have the pleasure of knowing Dale Davis, Executive Director, you know exactly what I mean.  For those that do not, let me tell you more.

I have always taught the value of walking in a room ‘on purpose and with impact’.  Your ability to lead and influence a group of any size is the most important leadership trait.  Dale is the poster child for this virtue. 

I watched and observed how every person in the room, many of which are successful entrepreneurs and leaders in their own right, followed Dale’s lead.  The next morning in the Strategy Session was no different.  This group was able to accomplish in an hour, what I see most groups take days, or even weeks.

What made this group unique?  Quite simply it was their leader Dale and how she was able to engage the group and speak from possibility and creation. 

After the meeting, I met with Dale and asked her what made this group work the way it does.  Here is what she had to say:

I love great books such as ‘Good To Great’, by Jim Collins. These books teach you that leaders are not dictated by the plaques on the wall. Great leaders share several common traits. They lead with humility and possess the ability to lead by determination and sheer will power to take their organization through change and chaos.  Our organization is no different. 

Leadership is much more than charisma, it is about looking within and bringing the right people together.  To test this, we speak from ‘we’ more than anything else.  Our greater good is about ‘the kids’, our mission and what we stand for.  All our decisions are based upon our values.  Planning and hitting goals always follows.

What makes our group work is patience, perseverance and sheer will power and vigor towards hard work.  Egos are checked at the door. 

As for leadership, I am not sure how it evolved, but bringing the right people together with different strengths to support and drive the goals and objectives of the organization has resulted in successful outcomes for the organization. This is what brings people together.   By adopting a “learning culture” our language and conversations are robust and we get things done. 

We talk with our community and we involve them in the evaluation of our programs and services on a continual basis. In this way we grow together.  By listening first and with true intention, the strategy will take care of itself. 

Today, I programmed a new message on my voice mail.  “If your meetings were not mandatory, would anyone show up?”  I know any meeting Dale is running, everyone will show up!

Thanks Dale for sharing your thoughts with us.  I am proud to be associated with Big Brothers-Big Sisters and look forward to our work together in 2010.

Neil Thornton is the President of The Thornton Group of Companies and Managing Partner of Dale Carnegie Business Group Canada.  Neil is an author, speaker, Executive Coach and Business Trainer.  Neil can be reached at 905.894.8857 or neil@thorntongroup.ca.  Check out his web site and blogs at www.thorntongroup.ca.