This is the fourth in my series of suggestions on how to improve your professional results. You can find the other three here:

- Create more energy in your life.
- Commit to better working relationships.
- Project a contagious positive attitude.

Today's suggestion is:

Talk less, listen more.

Nearly everyone will benefit professionally by this advice.

Here are four benefits you will gain my developing this habit:

1. You will learn more. (It is hard to learn while you are talking.)
2. You will build better relationships. (Don't you like a person better when they really listen to you?)
3. You will gain support for your ideas. (People support ideas more when they had input into them.)
4. Your communication will be improved. (With colleagues, Customers and everyone else.)

I could share more benefits, but I would rather listen to you. Please share other benefits you think of by adding a comment.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning, Teamwork, and Training.

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This is the third in my series of ways to improve your professional results in 2007 (or at any time). You can read the first one here and the second one here.

Here's today's way:

Project a contagious, positive attitude.

Whatever attitude you carry with you is contagious.

And you can decide, everyday whether to carry a positive attitude virus, or a negative one.

Here are some questions for you to consider:

Which attitude would you rather catch from someone else?
Which attitude would you prefer to be around all day long?
Which attitude promotes better relationships?
Which attitude promotes higher productivity?

You can make the choice to spread a positive attitude by simply being more positive. Does this mean you have to become a Pollyanna optimist who sees no wrong in anything?

Of course not. You can spread the positive virus by smiling more, being more grateful, looking for the best in others, offering a helping hand, or any of hundreds of other things.

Make the choice and the ways will become clearer to you everyday.

The choice is yours.

Also posted in Learning and Training.

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Just in time for the New Year, yesterday I posted the first of my seven suggestions for improving your professional results.

Today is suggestion #2.

Commit to better working relationships.

While we are typically hired for, or select our work based on, our technical competence, more often our success is defined by our interpersonal skills. Make the commitment to improving your working relationships. A quick reflection on your strengths and weak spots in his area will reveal where you need to start.

Here are five suggestions to consider as you build your plan:

1. Listen more (really listen).
2. Learn more about the other person's background, skills and experience.
3. Learn their goals, and find ways to help them reach them.
4. Trust more fully and willingly.
5. Be encouraging.

Improving your working relationships doesn't mean finding a best friend at work (although there's nothing wrong with that), but it does mean building relationships that create greater communication, connection and support.

This is more than just "feel good" stuff. You will get more assistance, feedback, and the information you need when you have stronger relationships with those you work with. Time invested in building these relationships will pay long term dividends both professionally and personally.

Also posted in Learning, Teamwork and Training.

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As a follow-up to yesterday's post on one way to improve your professional results, Jon Gordon, author and energy coach, suggests 20 Tips for a Powerful New Year in his most recent newsletter.

Here are three of my favorites:

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

12. Try to make at least 3 people smile each day.

13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

Read his list, pick your favorites and put one in action. And while you are there, sign up for his great newsletter.

Also posted in Learning and Training.

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I've always had a soft spot in my heart for President Gerald Ford. He became President when I was 14 (when I was first becoming aware of such things in a significant way) and he had represented a Congressional District near where I grew up. I always felt like he was "our" President.

For those reasons I was particularly saddened when I read of his death over night.

Whether you agreed with his politics or not, I encourage you to read and watch the news over the next couple of days, because, though unintended by the media, you will be able to learn much about leadership.

As you read and watch, write down the adjectives used to describe the man and his leadership style. I have already heard several:

- kind
- informal
- quiet integrity
- common sense

After a couple of days review the list of adjectives you have compiled. Then take some time to reflect on those attributes and what you can apply yourself to continue to strengthen your own leadership skills.

If you think of it, please come back and post your thoughts so others can benefit from your lessons as well.

(Thanks to The New York Times for the picture.)

Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the United States, may you rest in peace.

Also posted in Leadership and Learning.

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I love this time of year for lots of reasons. One reason is that journalists and bloggers everywhere are making lists of "the best ofs" for the year.

Among my favorite lists are, not surprisingly, book lists!

While my credenza (and floor) are piled high with many books on my personal list, yet unread, and while I recommend a resource in my weekly newsletter, Unleash Your Potential, I still love a great list of books.

The best list of business books I've seen so far comes from the good people at 800-CEO-READ. You can read their list of the top 6 (with all of the Honorable mention books, the total list is 22 here.

Here are some other places to find lists of business books:
Many recommendations from Strategy+Business (worth the free registration required).
Business Week's summary page.
A list of business and technology books.

You'll find more lists on the web and in your local newspaper between now and the year. Enjoy those lists and find at least one book that you feel drawn to read. Go ahead and use the gift certificate you got for Christmas - buy that book and get started.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning, and Training.

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I have the opportunity to train and coach people on problem solving with some regularity. In fact, we recently built a one day customized problem solving and decision making workshop for one of our great Canadian Clients, OPTI Canada.

In the workshop we talked about a problem solving mindset, what gets in our way, a problem solving process, and much more.

Nothing we taught could be any more powerful than this quotation from Norman Vincent Peale,

"Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come. It will."

An open mind, a clear problem statement, the right people involved, and a good problem solving process are all important.

But always remember to start with the belief that the problem can and will be solved.

Also posted in Creativity, Customer Service, Leadership and Learning.

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Last night I heard on television and this morning I read online about the NBA's decision to go back to the old ball on January 1 for the rest of the year.

All of the new ball/old ball story can be referenced from this post, where I talk about the problem with the new ball from an important perspective - the perspective of the players (i.e. the Customers).

The good news of this change back, is that much like what Coca-Cola learned with New Coke; better is defined first, and most importantly by the Customer, not by management, the experts or anyone else.

Kudos to the NBA for rethinking their decision and kudos to the players for speaking their discontent.

The score?

Customers 1, Experts 0.

The NBA will no doubt reopen their look at an improved ball. Here's hoping they learned their lesson and include their Customers in the process next time.

Are you including your Customers (both internal and external) in your perceived process and product improvements?

Also posted in Customer Service.

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In the National Basketball Association, the players have it (the ball).

And this year the League has introduced a new ball - it is constructed differently and is made of a synthetic substance rather than leather (is nothing sacred?!?)

The ball was developed and introduced to have more consistency in the way it handles and bounces. According to the experts (the players) it hasn't achieved those goals. In fact some players are actually getting small cuts on their fingers from the balls.

The Players Union has filed a grievance over the new ball and concurrently (perhaps because of the grievance?) the League has sent the balls back for further testing.

According to the New York Times in this article, (free registration maybe required) David Stern, the League's Commissioner has said, "I won't make a spirited defense with respect to the ball. In hindsight, we could have done a better job. I take responsibility for that."

He added: "If our players are unhappy with it, we have to analyze to the nth degree the cause of their unhappiness. Everything is on the table. I'm not pleased, but I'm realistic. We've got to do the right thing here. And of course the right thing is to listen to our players. Whether it's a day late or not, we're dealing with this."

Duh.

Who is the Customer here?

The NBA I'm sure thinks about the paying fan, the media and more as their paying Customers. However like any other business they have internal customers and stakeholders - all of whom are critical to meeting the external (paying customer's needs).

Who is the Customer of the ball?

The players of course.

The NBA made the same error that many of us make. We don't think about, and meet the needs of our internal customers.

I don't know if the new ball is better or not - but I do know that part of the definition of better must come from the customers of the product - in this case the players.

How clear are you on the expectations and needs of your internal customers?

How will meeting those needs more completely improve your results with your paying customers?

Also posted in Customer Service.

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