Tip #590: Six Steps to Standing Out in Busy People's Inbox

Regardless of your role and rank within an organization, garnering the attention of busy people can be extremely challenging, especially via email.  Here are six steps to increasing the likelihood that an email recipient will not only open your email, but read your entire message and respond.

 

Start with a simple subject line.  A strong, simple subject line that instills curiosity or provides value has a higher probability of being read than an overwhelmingly long subject.  For example, a sales rep trying to gain a prospect's attention will have better success using a subject line such as, 'New Tool Enables Manufacturers to Increase Productivity by 8%,' vs. 'Your Availability to Discuss the Implementation of a New Tool that May Result in an 8% increase in Productivity." The latter contains a commitment which may delay the recipient's response and information better left for the body of the message.  The former subject line is simple and piques the recipient's interest.

Open with relevance.  To demonstrate why it is important for the email recipient to connect with you, start with the value proposition.  For example, if you are working on marketing and communications materials for your organization and need a testimonial from a very busy buyer, consider why she may be motivated to give you one. 

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Tip #589: Four Teamwork Lessons to Score from March Madness

Of the 68 teams who made this year's NCAA tournament, which ones will be matched at the championship game on April 4th at NRG Stadium in Houston?  Your guess is as good as mine.  What we know for certain is that whether in sports or business, there is no greater indicator of success than to have your team, or company, ranked at the top.

Here are four core indicators of teamwork success in the spirit of March Madness.

Trust     Each individual player brings unique skills and characteristics to the table, or game, and overall team strength is therefore a sum of all of the members' individual talents.  The key differentiator at play is trust because without it, the team will only be as strong as its weakest member.

After my six-year-old son's last basketball game, I asked why he didn't pass the ball after a rebound to which he replied, "I wanted to score the shot, but I should have passed it like we talked about."  My son did not trust his teammate to make the shot and instead was a ball-hog who ultimately missed the bucket.  No team can afford a ball-hog-on the court or in the workplace.  Trust is paramount to successful teamwork.

Empathy     In the final minutes of some of history's greatest upsets, you've probably seen coaches spewing commands at their players. 

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Tip #588: Four Ways to Get More Done

Dale Carnegie said, "If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done."

At times, it feels nearly impossible to get everything done!  We all share one common limiter-the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day.  Here are four tips to help you make the most of them.

Schedule Time - Being more productive boils down to this-if you don't block time off to tackle tasks, someone else will take that time.  If your boss or co-worker passes by your workspace and sees that you are free, he or she may stop and launch into a long conversation.  If they look at your calendar and spot your available time, they are more likely to schedule a meeting during your only un-scheduled time.  By blocking off specific time during each work day to get things done, you are taking the time you need before else does. 

Block Distractions - Once the scheduled time has arrived to get things done, there are additional barriers to productivity which must be blocked. Phone calls; instant messenger, email, social media and other notifications; background office noise and other sources of interruptions can rob you of precious productivity. 

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Tip #587: Make Mornings Easier by Ending Workday in 3 Ways

Walking into work leery of what will unfold on a particular day can be detrimental to your attitude, confidence level and ability to work well with others-especially if you are a leader within an organization.

Here are three simple ways to end your workday so you can start the next day off right.

Incorporate a daily afternoon stand-up meeting which is a brief touch-base meeting with team members to ensure their alignment and reprioritize tasks as necessary.  While working at an extremely busy interactive agency serving over 200 clients, we benefited from two daily stand-up meetings, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Adding an afternoon stand-up meeting two to three hours before the end of your day is the fastest way to understand:

Everything that the team accomplished today

Which deliverables must be completed before the end of the day, and which can be addressed tomorrow

Any potential issues that may greatly impact project plans or processes and therefore require a specific, separate meeting with key team members

If there are any issues that need to be escalated within the organization

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Tip #586: Why Millennials are Leaving Organizations and 3 Keys to Solve It

The greatest talent challenge currently facing the world's employers is engaging the Millennial generation. Businesses run the risk of losing a large percentage of their workforces if they do not adjust to nurture loyalty among Millennials.

In Deloitte's recent 2016 Millennial Survey, they collected the views of nearly 7,700 Millennials representing 29 countries around the globe. All participants were born after 1982, have obtained a college or university degree, are employed full-time, and predominantly work in large (100+ employees), private sector organizations. The survey had a focus on Millennials' values and ambitions, drivers of job satisfaction, and their increasing representation on senior management teams.

Millennials are leaving.

Millennials have recently become the largest share of the US labor market. In this current survey, 12% of Millennials are either the head of a department or division or 7% have a position within his or her senior management team or board. Millennials are no longer the leaders of tomorrow but rather are rapidly becoming the leaders of today. Yet there is remarkable absence of Millennial loyalty and engagement that represents a serious challenge to the longevity of any business.

* 66% of Millennials expect to leave their organization by the end of 2020.

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Tip#557:Conquer the Tyranny of the Urgent in Two Steps

We all share common challenges to maximizing our productivity level. First, there are only 24 hours in a day. Secondly, if we are actively applying Dale Carnegie's Human Relations principles, we have more professional and personal relationships than ever before, but less time to foster them.

Charles E. Hummel published a groundbreaking essay on this subject in 1967 entitled, The Tyranny of the Urgent. In essence, Hummel categorizes daily tasks according to two criteria-urgent and important. The premise of the Tyranny of the Urgent is that if we do not actively allocate or plan for our time, someone else will take it.

Hummel steers productivity seekers into the first quadrant or the area 'Urgent AND Important' where activities such as customer meetings and sales proposals are assigned high prioritization, and rightly so. On the other end of the spectrum, activities such as socializing at work are defined in Quadrant four as 'Not important AND Not Urgent.'

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Tip #537 - Employee Reviews - Five Ways to Rekindle Relationships

 

Most employees are full of enthusiasm and passion when they begin a new job, however 85% of companies report a sharp decline in employee morale that continues to deteriorate according to a study of 1.2 million employees at Fortune 1000 companies. Instead of approaching employee reviews with contempt and dread, follow these five tips to reinforce trust and rekindle relationships.

1. Open with an agenda. Setting expectations for the performance review up-front will quell any feelings of anxiety and apprehension. Briefly explain, for example, that you would like to start by discussing how you believe things have been going; then address opportunities for the future, and in closing, give the employee an opportunity to share any concerns or ask questions.
2. Put the employee’s perspective to work. In a recent study, 63% of employees felt their review wasn’t a true indicator of their performance. An open dialogue, when used correctly, reinforces trust and respect. Dale Carnegie’s Human Relations principle #17 is ‘Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.’ Asking questions, such as how the employee thinks things are going from her perspective, establishes a constructive tone and makes the employee more amenable to feedback—both good and bad.
3. Speak in specific vs. vague terms. Instead of using general terms such as, “You really knocked it out of the park last quarter!” state both achievements and disappointments in specific terms. For example, say instead, “You exceeded your sales quota by 16% last quarter! That is the highest incremental growth for sales rep’s in the history of our organization!” There are many benefits of speaking in specific terms: the employee will understand that you are aware and appreciative of their individual performance; linking their performance to the overall company underscores their value to the organization, and you can use this metric to increase future sales quotas higher than ever before.
4. Repel the recency effect which is a psychology term for when the entire year’s past performance is based on the most recent event. If the employee performed better than average all year long, but recently missed a critical product launch, focus on the overall performance. Indeed you must mention missing the launch, however use it as a way to show an opportunity to improve vs. to chastise.
5. Conjure career ambitions. According to the same study, employees who believe their reviews were inaccurate are twice as likely to seek new jobs. Your organization has already sunk costs into this employee—new-hire acquisition, training, onboarding, benefits, etc. If the employee is worthy of continued investment, ask questions like, “What do you want to do next?” This forces all employees, from the disgruntled to the hyper-passionate, to look at themselves in the mirror and truly ponder if they are in the ideal position. If the current role is not the best long-term fit, use this discussion to ascertain the employee’s other skills and professional goals so that you can use them as inputs into growth succession planning. 

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Tip #536 - Is Leadership in Your Future?

Those who aspire to lead in today’s more demanding world must develop certain attributes before they can be considered for leadership roles. Here are four core attributes required to receive the keys to the kingdom.

Lenient – No one is perfect—including leaders. Effective leaders are aware of their own, and their team members’, weaknesses and shortcomings. Dale Carnegie’s first Human Relations principle is, ‘Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.’ Instead of criticizing, condemning and complaining, effective leaders do their best to correct employees’ weaknesses. Adept leaders offer solutions such as training, flexible work schedules, job-shadowing, etc. in lieu of criticism. These solutions demonstrate empathy, compassion and humility which ultimately strengthen interpersonal connections; reinforce trust; and establish camaraderie.

Engaging- Leaders must have a high degree of self-awareness so that they understand which triggers motivate them, and in which environments they thrive. This knowledge provides well-being and security to individual leaders because it enables them to better relate to the people that they manage. Leaders are accountable for communicating the vision and strategic direction of the company which should be demonstrated through inspiring, coaching, teaching, rewarding and measuring employees. When employees believe in—and trust leadership, companies are more likely to have a higher level of employee engagement.

Authentic – In Forbes article, Be Original And Flourish As A Leader in 2015, Glen Llopis highlights the impact of originality in leadership. Llopis states, “Wise leaders are the ones whose presence, authenticity and the manner in which they communicate and engage with others are genuine and unique. They quickly earn respect – but realize it takes originality, creativity and uncommon thinking to sustain it.” Self-awareness and authenticity foster a leader’s openness to employees’ perspectives which in kind grows those employees’ level of trust and respect for their leader.

Decisive – Leaders are drowning in data, ideas, policy changes, email, etc. just like the rest of the world. They must, therefore, have a keen sense of judgment and ability to prioritize quickly in order to act efficiently at all times. These abilities enable expert leaders to cut through the clutter so that they can hone in on which challenges and/or changes are most important and urgent. Decisive leaders understand which issues are most salient and quickly pose clarifying questions so that they fully understand the consequences—in terms of people, product and processes, of each option before making a decision.

Additionally, successful leaders are willing to adapt and improve team performance by sharpening their own leadership team development skills. If you are ready to take your leadership skills to the next level or are vying for a leadership role, consider enrolling in the Dale Carnegie Leadership Training for Managers course. This program will empower you to become an engaging manager that creates confident, inspired, and enthusiastic teams!

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Tip #535 - Set Your Worries Sailing-Live in Day Tight Compartments

While on a cruise ship merely minutes after disembarking, the cruise director implores all guests to, “Leave their worries behind and have a FUN time!” This is easy to do while on vacation sailing the Caribbean seas, but challenging to do during our habitual professional and personal lives.
Dale Carnegie said, “If you want to avoid worry…live in “day-tight compartments. Just live each day until bedtime.” Let’s apply this tried and true technique on a common challenge many professionals face—a presentation to a large audience.

Taylor is the head of R&D at a technology company and has led a team that developed cutting-edge software. The program enables remote users to provide real-time feedback that is immediately aggregated, and statistics calculated, so that all virtual meeting participants can view the results. The software was completed on time, under budget and built exactly to specifications. So why is Taylor so worried about unveiling this new software to the entire company at their year-end meeting?

1. Instead of tossing and turning all night, Taylor can apply Dale Carnegie’s formula for How to face trouble:

• Ask yourself, “What is the worst that can possibly happen?” Taylor’s PowerPoint presentation is perfect—it is concise, creative and contains the most important aspects of the new software from users’ perspectives. The worst that could possibly happen is that she could stutter, trip and fall or worse of all—she could completely freeze in front of her audience.
• Prepare to accept the worst. After considering this, Taylor prepares to accept the worst. If she were to freeze in silence, she could easily turn to the introduction slide and read it verbatim to the audience. Acknowledging this means that even though Taylor may draw a blank, she has a back-up plan of literally reading her slides. 
• Try to improve on the worst. In her heart, Taylor hopes that the presentation will be powerful and accepts that there is a chance she might freeze in front of her audience. Instead of stewing about it further and stymying sleep, she ponders how she could improve on this worst-case scenario. She decides that she could say, “Pardon me; I just had an aha moment—had the software been available to everyone in the audience and our off-site participants, we could have viewed your feedback on each slide in real-time to truly demonstrate how remarkable this tool is!” With that back-up statement in mind, Taylor turned over and fell asleep.

2. Remind yourself of the exorbitant price you can pay for worry in terms of your health. Worry often manifests in the form of insomnia which plagues an estimated 50-70 million US adults¹. Moreover, sleep insufficiency is linked to automobile accidents, industrial disasters, etc.

The next time you worry, apply this method for living in day-tight compartments. By focusing on the task at hand instead of stewing about the future, you will set your worries sailing.

Tip #534 - Generation.Next-Survival Skills Not Taught in School

The decline in teenagers’ self-esteem is attributed to myriad factors. It peaked in 2007 when 41% of 14- and 15-year-old girls and 55% of boys of the same age reported high self-esteem. Those rates have declined to 33% of girls and 50% of boys respectfully¹. A few reasons for the significant decline, especially among female teenagers include:

Bullying- Today’s teens face harassment that previous generations can hardly fathom. NoBullying.com reports that 83% of all girls and 79% of all boys claim some sort of harassment growing up. Today’s bullies do it behind closed doors and outside in the open. Six out of 10 teenagers witness bullying at school at least once a day. Most teens do not know how to handle the criticism. Bully victims are between two to nine times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims according to studies by Yale University.

Social ease- Today’s teenagers do not exhibit the same levels of respect, confidence and grace as past generations. Sometimes, it feels downright awkward talking to them. When asked how teenagers felt when meeting someone for the first time, 49% reported feeling a little uneasy and 19% reported quite uneasy on average. College admissions officers report that many students are unprepared for their interviews; act immature, disrespectful or rude; fail to research the college to which they are applying; and are either extremely shy or go overboard when bragging.

Body image is defined as the way that a person perceives his or her body and assumes others perceive him or her the same way. It is affected by family, friends, social pressures and the media. Studies show that the more reality television young women watch, the more likely they are to find appearance important. DoSomething.org reported that more than half of girls and a quarter of boys aged 12-14 reported wanting to lose weight. 95% of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25, however only 10% of people suffering from an eating disorder seek professional help.

Parents can proactively shape their children and counteract many of these current trends. Teens can be their own hero by impeding this downward spiral in self-esteem, image, confidence and more.

Generation.Next Dale Carnegie Training for Teens & College Students is the only course designed to prepare young people for the real world. Students learn lifetime skills they need to reach their goals and live up to their full potential – at school, home, and work.

This three full-day course focuses on five key areas critical for future success:

• Building Self-confidence
• Enhancing Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skill Development
• Teamwork and Leadership Skills
• Effective Attitude Management

Graduates report that their new skills have made them:

• Highly focused on their goals
• Better decision makers when faced with difficult choices
• More persuasive and confident communicators
• Better prepared when applying to college or interviewing for jobs

Consider enrolling your teen or college student in the Generation.Next course to minimize the negative effects of the aforementioned challenges and maximize their long-term success.

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