The organization with the ability to overcome the variety of mental models living in the minds of their workforce will be the organization that wins in the future. Emphasis has to be placed on creating an environment in which the "can do–will do" mentality thrives and becomes the norm; success and achievement are expected, and as a consequence are much more ...

There is no bigger insult to a sales person than being called a “vendor.” Are you the reason why prospects see you that way? In this article, you will learn how to be seen as a partner. So, it’s been another round of price squeezing. Very painful! They want it cheaper and your company has tasked you with protecting margin. To ...

We’ve all been there — you’re sitting at your desk or laying in bed actively imagining the infinite ways you could tell your lunatic boss “I quit!” Throwing him your resignation, haphazardly stuffing a box full of your most precious desk knick-knacks, and high-fiving coworkers as you bound out of the office, never to return again. Dream all you want, ...

It hurts to learn. Yet, learning keeps us mentally agile well into our golden years, and it's the hallmark of successful entrepreneurs. Keeping up with what you don't know has the amazing ability to transform what you do know into the next million buck idea. Constant learning is the grease we need to stay competitive. Many people slow their learning down ...

Ever get a hunch but can’t put your finger on why you feel the way you do? Perhaps it’s the way a coworker reacts to your proposal, or a strange feeling that your boss isn’t happy with your performance. Not everything can be worked out with a pro and con list. Much of working with people is following your intuition. And ...

If you've ever worked in an office environment, you've probably dealt with some breed of bad boss. Micromanagers, control freaks, and selfish tyrants lurk at all levels of organizations, their destructive powers wreaking havoc in the workplace. In fact, employee-employer relations are major stressors for even the savviest professionals. According to a Gallup poll, supervisor problems surpass most other areas of ...

In an election year, fodder for political debate is always abundant. As a result, discussions about the US presence in Iraq, the offshoring of US jobs, taxes, healthcare and other contentious issues can get heated. If you're a political junkie or a fan of healthy debate, it can be tough to contain yourself in times like these. What better way to ...

The capacity to mentor your employees is a critical workplace skill. But how do you get started? While there's no definitive approach to mentoring, these strategies will help you grow into a role you may have had little or no training for. h4. Tune in to Individual Needs The key to becoming a successful mentor is to approach each protege as ...

It’s a fact: Many employees suffer from a toxic boss. If you’re in sales, a high-maintenance manager can be particularly difficult as you struggle to meet your quota. What’s a sales rep under pressure to do? In this podcast, Jeff Hoffman, CEO of the Massachusetts-based sales training organization Basho Strategies, outlines four steps to help you better manage your toxic sales ...

Since the 1970's vision statements have adorned the walls of most organisations, being used to communicate the direction in which an organisation is heading. Most are poor vehicles for that communication and serve mainly to confuse or bemuse the employees they are supposed to guide. The majority of vision statements are poor. At best these poor vision statements are not ...

No question, channeling the energy of a sales team can be a challenging endeavor. But here's an incontestable fact: How you compensate your reps determines where they invest their time and the results you get. The incongruence of sales compensation is one of the biggest disconnects in companies. Executives sit in a boardroom with strategic plans of grandeur, but the plan ...

I had just completed a keynote presentation in Manhattan on the topics of prospecting and the art of delivering powerful presentations. Being someone who embraces learning as a lifestyle, I’m always interested in receiving feedback from my audience. And, like I typically do at the end of every seminar I deliver, I graciously requested that each person take a moment to ...

Does your sales team need someone to: - Monitor every activity in the sales office? - Be every salesperson’s best friend? - Close the deal for every team member? - Set sales goals designed to make them and their team look good? Over my three decades in sales I’ve seen lots and lots of sales managers. The vast majority fall into ...

During the holiday season, we all may make questionable choices, like wearing knitted snowman sweaters, overindulging at the dinner table or serving turducken. But according to administrative staffing firm OfficeTeam, the decisions professionals make before going on vacation can mean the difference between a relaxing respite or a harried holiday. "Taking time off provides an opportunity for employees to recharge and ...

You drag yourself out of bed, head reluctantly to work and watch the minutes tick off the clock. Even a grocery list seems like more fun than your job, and you dream of being just about any place else. You may have a case of the career blues, stuck in a position that has become boring and lost the challenge that ...

Work isn’t perfect, right? But if you are lucky enough to have a job right now it pays to remember that millions and millions of Americans don’t think you have a thing to complain about. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation’s unemployment rate is hovering around 10%. Even more troubling, The New York Times reports that ...

If you've worked with the same company for several years, you've probably built many friendships. Some of your coworkers might be close friends, while others are individuals with whom you might share a weekend story on Monday morning. A friendship at work can become a powerful networking tool or a toxic relationship. What works best when you are in a leadership ...

We all like to think of our coworkers as friends, but what happens when you become the target of a coworker's dirty politics? Here are some strategies that can help you keep the peace without losing your edge, shared by fellow soldiers on the office wars' front lines. Take Precautions It is wise to have some good measures in place to ...

I once heard a presenter ask a room full of people what they thought about cooking a cheeseburger in their exhaust pipe. The audible disgust was instant. The collective brain in the room immediately shut down any possibility of the idea going any further. Your brain already knows how to help you succeed - so get out of the way. ...

Bringing the next generation on board is a common aspiration for those who run family businesses. There's a reason, after all, that expressions such as "Someday, this will all be yours" have become cliches. But often there's an equally powerful thought running through the minds of would-be heirs. "They ask, 'If I join, will I need to be like Mom and ...