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Always Be Prepared To Engage… After participating in a 3-week long professional study, I was asked to be a part of a recent client’s presentation.  Since I was newly acquainted with the organization, my Operations Manager (OM) thought that it would be beneficial for me to become accustomed to the presentation process.   This would leave me better prepared to manage the project if we closed on a contract.  Our entourage consisted of myself and five professionals.  At the time, I was the newest member of the group.  Being at the very end on the chain of command, I wasn’t expected to speak up or contribute much to the presentation.   As our VP began the presentation, he occasionally called on our PHD resident, as well as my OM, to elaborate on certain areas. For the most part, he covered the majority of the slides and answered the bulk of the questions.    Though the presentation played out as well as expected, this was far from a signed deal.  The client and his staff had several tough questions and at no point in time did we feel as though we were a definite hire. You could feel the hesitation and tension in the room, but we proceeded with confidence in knowing what we had to offer.   After roughly two hours of addressing all the questions and presenting all the facts, the presentation was officially coming to a close.  Just then, the client shared one last observation: “I don’t mean to put anyone on the spot here, but I’ve heard from everyone except for the guy that is actually going to do the work and deliver the promises you are making.”  I knew exactly who he was referring to.  He unwaveringly looked directly at me and asked me about my experience.   He wanted to know exactly what made me believe that I could deliver the results he was expecting.  Was I caught off guard?  Most certainly.  Did I let it deter me from a chance to speak?  Absolutely not.   I managed to answer his questions and satisfy his curiosity. Having consulted for over 14 years and leading many presentations myself, I was comfortable reassuring him that we were the firm that would bring his organization to great success.  The point of this story is that you are never just a body in any meeting.  Your presence alone represents your credence to your company and its capabilities.  My advice to novice consultants is even if you are expected to silently show your support (safety in numbers is real), be prepared to verbally parade your knowledge, defend your proposal, and get involved in the conversation when given the chance.  As a result, you will go beyond simply looking confident; you will prove that you are a confident professional.   Our clients trust us to transform their companies so that they may reach a level of success that is otherwise difficult to achieve.  They expect to collaborate with the best in the business regardless of age, education, gender, or years of experience working for a particular organization.  These qualities can become minor details when coupled with confidence, prepared readiness, strong work ethics, and a dedication to success. Read more articles, go to www.gesgrp.com.

Quick Insight: Effective Business Strategy! After reading 100’s of business strategy articles and biographies of many successful people I have concluded that the best strategy that serves many great leaders is actually very simple: Select the right team Challenge your team to develop an aggressive but S.M.A.R.T Plan of Action Provide the right setting and KPI in place to make sure they Can and Do execute their POA.

Are You a Manager or a Leader? What makes a manager versus a leader? This question has been debated in college classrooms, business conference rooms, and on golf course greens for many years. I find myself engaged in this conversation far too often, though in my experience, there is a clear explanation differentiating between the two roles.    The most important difference between managers and leaders is how they motivate people. Generally speaking, managers use their given authority to facilitate action.  They delegate labor to those they supervise and attempt to keep everyone focused and on task.  Managers are known for telling employees what to do, how to do it, and when to have it completed.  But what do managers do to directly and permanently influence those around them?  Are their employees learning positive work habits and accomplishing goals or are they simply going through the motions to appease management and meet the bare minimum of expectations?  It seems as though managers create professional environments driven by their jurisdiction and not necessarily by their perceptiveness.          Contrary to the aforesaid, leaders use influence to inspire others to follow them.  They focus on explaining the “why” of a task, making the literal action much less important than the fundamentals behind it.  When leaders are able to bring people to a new level of understanding, to go beyond the expected duty; they are instilling professional behaviors that are long lasting and genuine.  True leaders do not have subordinates, they have followers. Since following is a voluntary behavior, a person cannot lead others by telling them what to do. Instead, they need to appeal to the hearts and minds of their employees and generate an authentic level of mutual trust and respect.  This type of leader/laborer relationship will cultivate a work environment that is positive, productive, and persevering.  John C.  Maxwell once said, “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”   When explaining the difference between managers and leaders what stands out is a leader’s ability to connect with those they are guiding.  Leaders are still people of authority, but their power transpires in a motivational way so that their employees admire and respect them.  While managers lean more on the side of dictatorship, leaders aim to inspire their followers to want to perform their jobs to their highest abilities.  So, in a world where you cannot be both, are you a manager or a leader?   For more articles, go to www.gesgrp.com.

A company’s priorities are a testament to its culture.  Many can narrow down their driving focus to one of two concepts: cost or schedule.  When an organization is driven by cost, the main goal is to keep internal costs from moderate to below average.  Other companies may find themselves willing to budget in a way to ensure performance remains on or ahead of schedule.  Most companies try to be both, but the end results may reveal that they are neither.   Safety, Quality, Cost, and Delivery (SQCD) is a concept widely used but not necessarily followed in the same order of priority among many manufacturers.     No one disputes the importance of Safety and Quality to be of the utmost importance; it is a moral obligation that these concepts remain the top two in order of priority.   It is what follows, Cost and Delivery (Schedule) where discrepancies may occur.  Often times, the two notions become departmentalized and subject to business unit interpretation of which concept is more important.  Many companies preach “Cost is King” but practice “Schedule Above All” which yields in neither being optimized.  Some may argue that if you meet the schedule, you will meet cost and vice versa; this theory is faulty.  In order to meet a deadline, companies often resort to overstaffing at the 11th hour which can lead to exceeding cost. When cost becomes an issue, many companies would introduce layoffs and restrict overtime, resulting in reduced throughput and missed deadlines.  So how does a company resolve the ongoing battle between cost and schedule?  10 Ways to reduce Cost and Schedule Variances  Start with realistic expectations and S.M.A.R.T Goals.   Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timley prove to be more practical and effective.   Deliver First Time Quality product. Rework is the #1 cause of increased cost and missed deadlines.  Historical performance, practices, and trends should be examined when setting budgets and delivery dates. If your company performed at 80% for the last 3 years do not assume 95% performance will miraculously happen just because it is in the proposal.  Make sure all Business Units (BU) are aligned. Focusing on Cost in some BU and on Schedule in others will result in missed cost and schedule for finished product  Have Contingency Plans in place. The best plan is only 85% accurate and achievable, so allow for unplanned and/or uncontrollable delays; rework, downtime, snow days, union disputes and other tribulations.  Keep your process improvement and step changes ideas private and out of proposals. No one will complain if you meet or exceed expectations and deliver on time and under budget.   Evaluate the consequences of missed deadline vs. percent of increased cost.  Understand what is causing cost and schedule variance.  Address the problem at 15% completion, not at the 85% mark.    Identify and plan for both Internal (within your control) or External (vendors and suppliers) factors that impact your cost and schedule.  Most importantly, always remember: “If you do what you always did, you’ll get more of what you already have.” Seek outside help. 

As a frequent flyer, there is a level of customer service that is expected in the air. The courtesy of stewards, attentive to the needs of the passengers, can constitute what makes for a pleasant flight. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that effective customer service is becoming difficult to come by and it is of the utmost importance to restore its integrity.   On a recent flight to Rhode Island, I settled into my seat and noticed a “TV Not Working” sign glaring back at me. The first flight attendant who assisted me in solving the problem simply turned the TV off and back on. Though this was something I had already tried, my trust was with the professional. He insisted that I give it a few minutes and I obliged.  Twenty minutes later I sought out another flight attendant. She said she would try to reset the monitor from the main terminal and suggested I allow for some wait time. Ideally, this attendant would have followed up with me, but instead, I found myself seeking assistance once again.  It was a half-hour after that when I decided to press the flight attendant call button to get their attention for a third time. Surprisingly, no one answered my call. One can imagine how problematic this would have been if I were experiencing a medical emergency. I found myself questioning if this is how customer service representatives are initially taught to interact with customers, or if this type of disregard is developed over time.   Thanks to the readiness of phone cameras and easy access to social media postings, news channels have no problem finding material regarding passenger related incidents and mid-air conflicts among travelers and crew.  Perhaps one way to solve the problem is to take a step back and observe how the customer is being treated by the professional.  I am in no way excusing ill behavior, there are certainly times when a customer irrationally lashes out on an employee, but what exactly causes a customer to get to this point?  Does it have anything to do with the way a customer is being treated?  Some may blame the poor professionalism of various customer service representatives on recent COVID safety measures. Personally, I have noticed a major decline in customer service since before the 2020 Pandemic. Maybe this global crisis was the final blow to a once positive and efficient line of work.  The moral of this article is neither about the ill-working tv monitor, nor is it specifically about the airline business.  It is about our responsibility to stand up for what we deserve as customers, and to take pride in the treatment of the consumer as business leaders.  Effective customer service peered with a positive experience is a sure way to gain a favorable reputation for any business.  

I ask many of my clients to identify their company as being a “Patch and Go” or “Stop and Fix” organization and the answers always surprise me.  Although it was originally used to describe the practice in maintenance departments it certainly applies to many business areas.  Patch & Go: In order to keep going and meet schedule deadlines many organizations apply a short-term patch to fix any complications that may compromise their goals.  They do this knowing very well this “solution” is temporary and problems may resurface. It’s no different than the “patch a flat” that you use to fix a flat tire or the band aid to stop bleeding. Eventually the tire will have to be replaced; the wound is not necessarily healed.   “Patch a Flat” was intended to get you to the nearest repair station where it’s safer and more convenient to “Stop and Fix”.   Stop & Fix: There are situations when time needs to be taken in order to secure a well-thought-out plan.  Applying the right long-term solutions to address and fix the problem will prevent future rework. While it’s more costly in the short term, it certainly results in long term gain.    There are times for “Patch & Go” but keep in mind it’s temporary nature. Failure to “Stop & Fix” will result in much greater set back to your schedule, your employee morale and ultimately to your bottom line.  Patch and Go.  Stop and Fix.  Regardless of which one defines an organization, hiring the wrong person to fill a vacancy, overlooking serious production defects, and accepting rework are just a few short-term fixes that should always be avoided.    

We hear it every day: “We can’t find good employees” and “I can’t get a good job”.   Apparently, there is an undeniable gap between what employers are looking for and what they really need. The most common misconception is that employers need to fill a vacancy with someone that possesses previous work experience and skills similar to what is required for the job.   Employers are looking for specific skills and experiences as opposed to a good attitude paired with moral attributes such as honesty, reliability, intelligence and a good work ethic.  Even with the most technical jobs, skills can be taught in a few months if these basic traits exist. That’s why many employers have revolving doors; they focus on skills rather than traits while trying to fill vacancies.  You can teach skills to anyone with these important traits, but you can’t necessarily teach these traits to someone with experience and skills.   Job Seekers are equally guilty; they spend countless hours embellishing their resumes to match perfectly with the specific job description. If they don’t have the specific skill needed, they make it up and they manage to get the interview.  This is as far as they get.  Honesty in job searches can be quite difficult to encounter.  Many companies hire the wrong candidate based on invalid criteria. Many job seekers apply and accept the wrong jobs simply to meet their financial obligations. However, the false sense of security that employers feel after filling a vacancy and the employee after accepting a job is simply temporary and short lived. They both eventually realize that they are not a good fit for each other and the cycle starts all over. This is actually good news for recruiters and staffing agencies. Thousands of these agencies, both online and off-line, all seem to have enough business; this is proven testimony to the hiring mismatch that takes place every day.   I am sure there are agencies out there that take pride in finding the right candidates that match perfectly with their clients’ needs and I look forward to hearing about them.   CLICK HERE FOR OUR OTHER PLATFORMS!