eTip#665 How Great Leaders Develop Confidence

How Great Leaders Develop Confidence

September 25, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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When you think of an ineffective leader, a lack of confidence may be one of the first characteristics that comes to mind. A confident leader instills confidence in their team. Their assertive nature and ability to make decisions with conviction is what makes their subordinates trust them. That level of confidence can help you build your own career by leaps and bounds too! Developing a self-assured rapport can start far before you ever enter leadership role. Without confidence, you can expect uncertainty across the board. The good news is, self-assurance is something that can be learned.

Start by recognizing the difference between arrogance and confidence

Most people feel put off by huge egos. Boastful behavior may look similar to confidence but it often translates as nasty case of overcompensation. A haughty attitude can actually shake the confidence of your subordinates, and leave a sour taste in the mouths of peers. Neither of these outcomes are conducive to a healthy team dynamic. Confidence is a feeling of self-assurance from your appreciation of your own qualities. With true confidence, external reminders aren’t required because it is a belief that comes from within.

Stop overvaluing others while undervaluing yourself

Do you have the tendency to assume that everyone in the room has it together more than you do? You may live silently live with the belief that everyone knows more, or is smarter than you are. This mentality is not uncommon. However, if not remedied, it can and will shake your confidence. Never underestimate your own intelligence or overestimate the intelligence of others. When it comes to reaching success, interest and enthusiasm can take you much further than any level innate intelligence. Concentrate on your assets and your own talents instead of focusing on where you fall short. Learning to effectively manage your thinking this way will equip you with confidence in any setting.

Work on your weaknesses

It’s easy to tell someone to focus on their strengths, but when we have weaknesses that hinder our performance, our confidence takes a blow. Don’t allow your shortcomings to define you. We all have weaknesses! Instead of merely obsessing over what you don’t do well, acknowledge your weaknesses but take the necessary strides to improve upon them in the process. Feeling prepared, competent and capable will evoke confidence in how you carry ourselves instead of allowing your shortcomings to cripple you.

Give yourself kudos

Agonizing over our failures is natural part of human nature. Shake things ups and keep track of your daily successes by creating a check list of tasks you complete each day. This will act as a visual reminder of your productivity and your value. Start to create a narrative in your head that shows you how well you perform. This will enable to you have more confidence in your decisions.

Finding a healthy level of confidence requires a great deal of self-awareness. The Dale Carnegie Training Courses can bring you closer to acquiring the self-belief that can move your career forward.

www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

eTip#664 Good Leaders Lead with Listening

Good Leaders Lead with Listening

September 17, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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A Harvard Business Review study identifies a good listener as one who goes with the flow of the conversation, periodically asks questions, offers feedback and remains positive. This same study breaks down the difference between an average listener and a good one. There are definite correlations between strong listening skills and strong leadership. As a leader, you must know how to keep the lines of communication open between everyone on your team through good listening.

The Dale Carnegie Leadership Course offers training that addresses exactly what’s needed to effectively lead a team in the workplace and beyond. The training can help you learn to better process information and assess how well you’re listening to others. The focus of the course is to strengthen your leadership skills with a proven 8-step delegation process. You can learn more about how this is done in the course itself. Here are some qualities good leaders practice that you can start to apply today.

Value the Views of the Entire Team

A team is constructed of multiple participants who fulfill different roles. This is why it’s so important for team leaders to be tapped into each team members experience. Staying abreast of what issues your team may be facing and creating an open dialogue, closes gaps in how your team operates and streamlines workflow. Not only does it help from an operational standpoint, it also strengthens trust between you and your team. When employees feel like they’re able to talk to you about their experiences and needs, you’ll see a boost in overall productivity and team morale.

Ask the Right Questions and Engages

Before beginning any conversation, good leaders are clear in their minds about what they want to gain from each correspondence. They also enter the situation with a willingness to understand all perspectives. This mindset prepares them to ask productive questions. Cathy Welling from Business 2 Community wrote that “Successful listening skills are driven by a genuine desire to listen, to understand and to respond.” People become poor listeners when they hear what another person is saying, but fail to comprehend beyond their own view. This happens often when the listener is distracted by self-interests. By giving a person your undivided attention, engaging and asking the right questions you can learn much more about your team and your business.

Address the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

When you are in a position of power, it becomes important to know when things are going awry or customers are unhappy. Oftentimes, employees fear the potential consequences when reporting to their supervisor. For that reason, they may be reluctant to relay bad news. This can be changed by implementing a true open-door policy.  A good leader works to find solutions to problems but if they are in the dark about what’s going on, they can’t fix things. A great leader encourages transparency through listening themselves.

Our Dale Carnegie Leadership Training Course can help you communicate change and become an effective listener in a leadership capacity. Through this program you’ll have hands-on training to help you close the gap between team members and upper management!
www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

e Tip#663 How to Get Things Done on Friday Afternoon

How to Get Things Done on Friday Afternoon

September 10, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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The tendency to check out early around 3:00 pm on a Friday afternoon is more common than you think. In fact, experts say that our bodies naturally release hormones known as melatonin which causes us to feel sleepy around 2:00 pm. That groggy feeling is amplified on Fridays. The people who are the most effective in the office tend to approach Friday a little differently however.  Since there’s still valuable time left in the day, they choose to make use of it and power through the funk. Here’s what they’re doing after lunch. You may want to take notes.

Creating the BEST to-do list for the following week

A great Friday afternoon starts with an even better to-do list. Use this time to get ahead by creating a master to-do list of what you want to do next week. Then categorize that list by time sensitivity and priority. From there, schedule each task by urgency. Prioritization is an instrumental part of execution.

Tracking their progress on projects

Pull out your current to-do list and start to check things off and update the status of each task. When executing any project, taking some time to plan will greatly minimize issues in the future. This will help you feel better prepared to execute that master list on Monday morning, instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the things you have to do. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy Mondays a little more?

Tying up the loose ends

 Now it’s time to get a move on some of those outstanding tasks from your to-do list. Two hours left in the work day may not be enough time to complete everything, but it certainly is enough time to start. Refer to your current to-do list and begin to tackle the tasks that take the least amount of time so that no assignment is left behind. Avoid developing the habit of pushing projects to the following week when they can be completed today.

Organizing, deputizing and Supervising

This tip comes straight from the mouth of Dale Carnegie. That master list you made should help you create a delegation roadmap. Use those last few hours of Friday afternoon to delegate, deputize and supervise your team. Check in with them and see where they need help.

Developing the habit of using Fridays to get organized will make a world of a difference in productivity throughout the week. Start to view your Friday afternoon as a time dedicated to writing things down, creating timelines and meeting deadlines.  Our Dale Carnegie Training Courses can show you ways to be more productive at work. Through the program you’ll be provided with hands-on training that’ll help you make your work week easier. If you’re ready to conquer Fridays, check one more thing off your to-do list and get registered!

www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

eTip#662 It’s Never Too Late to Be Successful

It’s Never Too Late to Be Successful

September 4, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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Technology

The new wave of young professionals tends be technologically in-tune. They have a luxury that most seasoned professionals didn’t when they began their careers.  For baby boomers, resources like YouTube and Google weren’t at their fingertips when they wanted to start their companies or launch their careers. The greatest sales and business people ran storefronts and successful multilevel marketing businesses the traditional way. You were considered well-off if you had access to a computer. Today, even children young children and up can power on, download and fully operate computers and cell phones.

When you’re an industry veteran, sometimes it can feel like you’re running behind the pack if you haven’t made it a point to keep up.

Modern-day technology has broadened the way people communicate and experience things. We are now able to FaceTime friends and family anywhere and communicate with customers who are time zones away. There are more ways to sell to, engage with and market potential consumers all over the world than ever before.

Although some members of older generations can feel left behind, they are hardly dinosaurs! They are the sharp-witted founders of some of the most successful companies we know today. While the younger generation tends to be more innately computer savvy, older generations are still effective communicators! They understand the value of being able to speak and engage with people on a level that is often overlooked in today’s communication model. That genuine connection in their communication style gives them an equal footing against millennials.

Age and experience can be on your side! There are countless ways to board this communication train if you are feeling out of touch. Dale Carnegie Training provides students with access to experts who can help them sharpen their communication skills in today’s digital age. With Dale Carnegie Training, learning to improve human relations skills and becoming a persuasive problem solver can be simple. With a format that varies from a three day to an eight-week module, there is always time to strengthen and adapt your communication skills across any channel.

In a study conducted by our experts, it was found that graduates of the program left feeling more confident, enthusiastic, empowered and inspired than employees who didn’t. Seventy-two percent of Dale Carnegie graduations agreed that their communication skills improved since enrolling.

Go ahead and sign up for the courses to see results for yourself. Use that take-charge attitude and show the world that age really is nothing but a number.

www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

eTip #661 What Solopreneurs Have Wrong

What Solopreneurs Have Wrong

August 28, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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Have you ever noticed that when a powerful person accepts an award that they have a laundry list of “thank yous” for their team? There’s no coincidence here. As the saying goes, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The journey to the top is a long one and the most successful people realize that it takes a strong team to get there.

Many new entrepreneurs make the rookie mistake of trying to become a jack of all trades. As a result, they end up being the master of none. You’ve probably met the unfocused entrepreneur who thought it may be a good idea to open up a hair salon inside of their sandwich shop. These are the small business owners suffering from burnout because they single handedly oversee operations, graphic design, public relations, social media, client retention and sales. They may say things like “No one can run my business quite like I can.” In many cases this is a sign of a person who isn’t able to effectively train others, or let go of tasks to optimize the efficiency of the business as a whole.

The constant desire to learn more and grow is indeed a marking of a successful person but recognizing your strengths and weaknesses is just as important. The belief that we can be successful all on our own is one of the biggest mistakes we make.

Top executives do more of what they’re great at and delegate the rest. This maximizes the efficiency of a team and brings you toward your goals much faster. Start getting ahead by acknowledging that your shortcomings aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Each and every person will need to seek out others to fill in the gaps.

Instead of learning to juggle apples and oranges, successful people learn something about everything and everything about something. Once they’ve found their strengths, they seek out their tribe. Their tribe is the cabinet of experts in the areas they fall short in. Their job is to handle all the things great leaders cannot do, don’t have time to do or simply don’t want to do.

This belief transcends beyond the workforce. When you think of the most successful person you know, you may notice that they are in good company. They surround themselves with people who motivate them and possibly live equally inspirational lives. This is purposeful. The company you keep is reflection of you. Through selective networking and building up others, successful people eventually cultivate a powerful tribe across all avenues of their lives.

If you are having trouble letting go of tasks, delegating or building a tribe, the Dale Carnegie Training Course and Leadership Training Program can help. So many of our graduates are surprised just how much changing your circle can change your life.

www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

e Tip# 660 Why Some People Get Promoted and Others Don’t

Why Some People Get Promoted and Others Don’t

August 21, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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All young professionals are not created equal at the start of their careers. We’ve all witnessed two inexperienced people start at the bottom of a company at the same time and grow at incredibly different paces. One person may have been promoted to a client-facing managerial role quickly while the other person remains in a junior position behind the curtain for years to come.

The big boss may take a personal liking to one of these professionals over the other, but the result of their career trajectories is not completely a matter of chance. There are a few distinct differences between these two individuals: mindset, action, and communication skills.

At the beginning of one’s career, confidence tends to be an issue. Most people question their ability to succeed and allow their inexperience to debilitate them. While a certain level of humility is good to have when you are green, a person who is on the fast-track to success doesn’t allow that to weaken them. Even at the beginning of their career, a success-minded individual welcomes new challenges while acknowledging their shortcomings. On the other hand, the stagnant employee may coward away from challenges in fear of exposing their inexperience.

Actively expressing interest in new tasks, taking action when you don’t feel fully prepared, and being transparent about shortcomings are not things that are easy to do in the workplace. They require a specific set of communication skills that all of us don’t innately possess. But few of us recognize that this is something we can adjust and grow over time. The Dale Carnegie Training Course allows you to do just that.

One of the most famous graduates of the Dale Carnegie Training Course is the renowned business mogul, Warren Buffett. Buffett, who was nineteen years old when he enrolled in the program, learned to become a better public speaker. In one of his speeches at Columbia University, Buffett made it a point to emphasize how becoming a better speaker dramatically helped him in his career. “You can improve your value by 50% just by learning communication skills,” Buffett said.

In today’s workforce, employers are looking for the absolute best candidates to take their business to the level. In order to be the best, one must know how to separate themselves from the competition. Think of the top business executives you’ve come across and the qualities they possess.  You’ll find that there are communications patterns in all of them that align with fine-tuned human relations skills.

The Dale Carnegie Training Course is a tried and true program designed to teach you how to master the art of effective communication so you can begin thriving in your own career from the very beginning.

www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

e Tip#659 The Real Cost of Employee Retention

The Real Cost of Employee Retention

August 14, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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Countless studies have revealed that young professionals take a fluid approach to job “stability.” Younger millennials are changing their jobs just about every two to three years rather than sticking around for a pension.  For employers, this can be a nuisance. Typically, companies want to hire promising individuals that show a desire for growth within their organization. This is why the common “Why do you want to work here?” question always comes up in the interview.

Hiring candidates that align with a company’s culture and replacing existing employees can be down-right tedious and pretty costly. How costly? In extreme cases, the money that companies shell out for hiring or replacing an employee can be anywhere from three times the position’s salary. And that doesn’t include the time it may take to fill that position, any lost opportunities, and the missed revenue that may have occurred while the vacancy was opened.

To better understand the cost of retention, it’s important to note that there are two types of losses a company experiences when they lose an employee. Indirect and direct. A direct cost is all the money that the company will use for promoting the vacancy through job board platforms. Also included is the price of creating a job. Work incentives, promotions to raises, and flexible scheduling are taken into consideration here.  Indirect costs include all the knowledge and information that a previous employee knew and the potential decline in morale from the team after their departure.

With turnover rates at an all-time high, the selection process is getting tougher and tougher. Employers are becoming reluctant to take the risk of a bad investment with little longevity.

This insight shows us why it is so important to be the type of professional that companies can see long-term value in. While some companies have adjusted to the lack of long-term interest from the new pool of professionals in today’s workforce, most employers still desire loyalty. Key markers of a successful hire are similar across the board. Employers want to know that you are dedicated!

Want to communicate your long-term value to an employer in your next interview? In Dale Carnegie’s Training Course, you can develop the ability to show the markings of a future asset to any company. Each session in the course is designed to help you fine tune your communication skills for business and beyond.

www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

e Tip# 658 How to Win the Battle without Starting a War

How to Win the Battle without Starting a War

August 7, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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The Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu once said, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Can you feel the power in that statement?

Imagine being able to subdue your enemy without ever having to fight. If you’re having trouble painting that picture, you’re not alone. Most people don’t have the ability to argue skillfully. If they’re not screaming or being combative, they become just the opposite. They may feel insignificant during disagreements. They may even be unable to find the words to express themselves despite having a strong argument.

Author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie shares his Golden Rules on how to be effective at communication, and arguments were part of that lesson. Through his methods, you can learn how to state your views, thoughts, and ideas in a way that can easily be understood by anyone, even amidst disagreements and debates. With these tricks, you can begin to win battles without ever starting a war.

The best way to became an effective communicator is developing the ability to listen. When everyone decides to talk over one another, nothing really gets accomplished. Does this sound familiar? This is the very nature of the pointless shouting matches so many of us have had.

In The Dale Carnegie Course, you’ll learn how to effectively win people over. The program explains why it is important to listen to people and show respect for their opinions even when you disagree. This relaxes your opponent rather than pushing them into defense mode. Instead of arguing solely to win, try to make the person feel understood and calm rather than under attack. This way they move to a place of compromise instead of rage.

If you’re someone who tends to avoid confrontation, stepping up to the challenge fearlessly is the hardest part. When you feel overwhelmed and stuck, it may seem easy to throw in the towel. However, this isn’t always the answer. Push past these fears and work toward coming to a commonplace rather than taking the high road. This approach may seem like you are being argumentative at first. However, you’ll find that when you lead your argument with listening to understand rather than being heard, this method almost never turns into a combative screaming match.

Learning how to win the battle without starting a war is so vital in the workplace because how you engage with others sets a tone for your personal brand. If someone is temperamental at work, most assume that outside of work they are probably hostile too. So, what do others think about you?

If you want to be the person who is seen as friendly and not known for feuding, this course is for you.

www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

e Tip# 657 Why I Look Forward to Mondays

Why I Look Forward to Mondays

July 31, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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You know that dreaded ache that pounces into your soul at 8:59 pm Sunday night when you realize that your weekend is officially over. Tomorrow is Monday. And Monday means the start of the awful routine which you have now been programmed to believe is your life. I on the other hand, love Mondays. Instead of aches, a gleeful sensation of excitement fills me up on Sunday evening. Why you ask? Because Mondays are motivational. But I didn’t always feel this way? Here’s 5 tips you can use to change your view of Monday.

Tip 1: Preparation

Preparation is the key to a successful Monday. Knowing what to expect and getting ready to meet those expectations eliminates half the mental anguish that usually ends up overwhelming us on Monday. Like the great Benjamin Franklin says, “Failure to prepare, is preparing to fail.”

Tip 2: Adopt a Positive Monday Mood

This one tip can transcend through every aspect of your life. Having a positive attitude can make all the difference between a great day and bad day. On Sundays, I like to destress by writing down affirmations and mantras that make me feel empowered. I also set time to reflect on the past week and to tie up any loose ends so I feel complete and ready for new challenges. I make an effort to learn from whatever may have went wrong the previous week and find ways to improve so that those same mishaps don’t happen again.

Tip 3: Be a team player

Hopefully, you’ve had enough “me” time during your weekend. Start to look at Mondays as the start of being selfless and becoming a team player. Mondays are the start of the work week for everyone so get into the helping others frame of mind. Just as you need members of your team, expect that you will need to be available for others as well.

Tip 4: Dress to impress

This is my favorite tip of them all. Start by waking up thirty minutes earlier than usual and put a little extra love and care into your appearance. If you have a favorite blazer, Monday is the perfect occasion for it. It’s also the best time to break in those new shoes. You’d be surprised how much your appearance can liven up your mood.

Tip 5: Learn something new

It’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. I remember reading “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and it literally changed my life. The book helped shape my networking skills and taught me how to be a more approachable person so that I can nurture powerful professional relationships. Going back into the learning mindset we once had in school is so humbling. It gave me something to look forward to all week long.

What tips have you used to pull the best out of Monday?

www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com

eTip #656 4 Golden Rules For Getting Things Done

4 Golden Rules for Getting Things Done

July 24, 2017

By Bob Dickson

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The tendency to start more tasks than you finish is all too common. Fear of failing to meet expectations from ourselves and others is one of the primary reasons we start things and just don’t finish. To coddle ourselves, we might say that we are “perfectionists” and that’s why things are just never quite ready to go. Alternatively, some people just can’t seem to hone in on small tasks. These are the people that get so wrapped up in the big picture that narrowing in on the steps to get there feels impossible.

If checking everything off your to-do list feels unachievable, congratulations, you’re normal. Getting it all done in one day has never been a practical goal, but getting the most out of your day should always be. The solution to this common problem starts with your outlook. Once you begin to view your year, as a collection of months, days, and then hours, you can begin to effectively manage every moment of your time.

Luckily, the habit of starting and not finishing is a habit that can be unlearned with some effort. Dale Carnegie was keenly aware of the damaging effects having a “serial starter” mindset can have on our productivity. He outlined 4 work habits to combat this in his Golden Rules. To learn how to actively apply these steps to your everyday life, register for the Dale Carnegie Training Courses.

1)    Clear your desk

Before beginning any project, clear your desk of all papers and close any windows on your desktop unrelated to the immediate task at hand. This is a practical way to curb your tendency to become sidetracked by outside sources. Although your other tasks may be important, realize that there is really no such thing as multitasking. Becoming present in that moment will help you fully execute your goal. In 2017, it may be a good idea to switch your phone to Do Not Disturb mode for the time being too.

2)    Do things in order of their importance

Prioritize like it’s your full-time job. Prioritization is an instrumental part of end-to-end execution. Remove any preferences you have may about tasks, and objectively prioritize them based on importance and urgency. Ask yourself: What needs to get done in order for XYZ to happen? This will help you develop a habit of creating timelines built on actionable steps and not just ideas on a never-ending to-do list!

3)    Solve problems in the moment

When executing any project, issues will undoubtedly arise on your way to the finish line. Instead of sweeping those issues under the rug, face them in the moment. If you are unable to correct that problem in the moment, at the very least, plan your solution. When you choose to ignore upsets in your project, they will hold you back in the long-run. After all, project management is about managing.

4)    Learn to organize, deputize, and supervise.

Getting organized on tasks is a given, but assigning responsibility is just as important. Spell out the chain of command on projects and balance the workload of all participants for maximum productivity. When problems arise that you are not able to mitigate, assign it to someone who can. You cannot multi-task on your own, but when a great team is on board, checking multiple tasks off of your to-do list at the same time becomes a realistic goal.

For more information, please visit our website! 
www.westernct.dalecarnegie.com