Trial to Prevent Error

This is a lesson about finding out the hard way.  I had the brilliant idea to record a computer training session on WebEx and then convert it to .mov or .wmv to import intoCamtasia for editing.  Seemed like a pretty easy process.  Except it didn’t work!

                        

After multiple attempts at converting, with the WebEx converter, I decided to look up the issue on online forums.  I didn’t see anything positive.  I then asked a couple of people I work with if they had ever tried to convert WebEx video.  They had . . . and it didn’t work.

Now this isn’t meant to be a WebEx bashing session, but if I had tested it out first, I would have realized that I should have recorded right to Camtasia instead of trying to convert the WebEx recording.  I could have saved myself a lot of time AND rework.  Now I have to go back and have the person who performed the training do it all over again.

Not a great outcome, but a great lesson in making sure that I try new things out ahead of time, no matter how good it sounds.

Dare to Serve . . . I Dare You

As soon as I read the table of contents I could tell I was going to like this book.  Part 1 -Whom will we serve? What is the daring destination?  Why do we do this work?  How will we work together?

I’m talking about Cheryl Bachelder’s new book, Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others.  You may know her as the CEO of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen.  A CEO with a new way to lead that, in seven years, increased profits by 40%.  Leadership style.  No fancy gimmicks.  Just Dare to Serve leadership.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the Starship exercise that "revealed some remarkably simple lessons in leading high-performance teams." These are five things that make me stop and shake my head, thinking, why don't more leaders do this? Focus on team member strengths, determine skill gaps, respect different talents. This is why Popeyes Franchise Owner Survey results changed so dramatically in five years.

With reflection questions throughout to keep you engaged and thinking, this is a book that any leader will gain insight from.  Some people just don’t grasp the idea of servant leadership, thinking they have to roll over and become submissive.  If this is you, pick up Dare to Serve and see what it’s really about.  Learn to serve others with humility, courage, and passion.  All while increasing productivity and profits.

As Cheryl says in the book, “avoid the spotlight”.  “A leader without personal responsibility remains stuck in the spotlight and fails to serve others well.”  Look at yourself in the mirror, and Dare to Serve others.

Close the Talent Gap

This week's guest blogger is Stacy Feiner, PsyD, author of the new book, Talent Mindset:

The Business Owner's Guide to Building Bench Strength.  This book is sure to help you get connected to your employee's and help you be able to better assess your talent pipeline.

Close the Talent Gap - People Drive the Numbers

Do you have a gap between wanting a bench of strong, talented individuals to take the company into the future, but realizing you do not have a system in place for building bench strength?

The big picture questions are:

• ·    How will your business become agile and adaptable in our new economy?
• ·    How can you hire the right people every time?
• ·    Do you even believe you can?
• ·    Can you build a bench that is ready to move into bigger roles without creating new holes?
• ·    How can you get off the talent treadmill and break the cycle of hiring less than what your company needs to peak perform?

 The answer is Strategic Talent Management: By executing a full-circle process with people at the core, you can have a system for acquiring, developing, and engaging talent that is embedded within your overall business strategy.

Strategic Talent Management provides the mechanisms for bridging your culture with your strategy. We begin with a foundation (the philosophy of the owner), add the mechanics (the nine centers of excellence), and embed this process into the culture (engagement).

The process starts by exploring your beliefs about human nature and evolving a leadership philosophy, which compels you and empowers you to activate a strategy to attract, retain and engage people at your company. You will learn how to activate your team so they can evolve at the pace your business is growing because a common struggle for businesses is that their talent does not keep pace with the growth of the organization. Ultimately, Strategic Talent Management is the ability to shape a culture that fosters the attitude and behaviors that create an engine for success.

With a Strategic Talent Management mindset, you’re ready to apply the psychological strategies, not just the financial ones that will make your company agile and capable to weather economic storms or pull out in front when the conditions are smooth. This process helps you empower individuals to achieve their aspirations, increase productivity and drive to the bottom line. The process is ongoing. It’s a commitment to change the way you lead people, which changes the way you do everything. Strategic Talent Management is about building bench strength.

This is an excerpt from Talent Mindset (available on Amazon), and what you just read is merely the tip of the iceberg. I would love for you to visit me at stacyfeiner.com or connect on Twitter @stacyfeiner so that we can continue this conversation.