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