“Working Mum” Does Not Define Me

Returning to your professional role after maternity leave is a challenging personal transition.  There have been some very big changes in your life since you became a mother.  It is only natural to feel anxious about whether you are doing the right thing, or if the timing is workable or any number of other reasons. 

Back at work, you feel a bit out of it because things have changed in your absence.  There are new colleagues, new processes, perhaps a new senior manager.  Even the job is not quite the same as when you left.  You may have new responsibilities or you have been placed in a different team.  Home, work, life, parenthood:  the Universe has spun around a few times.  Most likely you will feel out of alignment for a while as you negotiate your way through all this change.

 

 

Define it and Manage it and You will be in Control of your Professional Brand.

Perhaps you decided to come back part time for the first few months.  But part-time hours does not mean part-time effort and dedication to you.  You expect to be regarded as a full member of the team.  You are an experienced professional with loads of confidence and energy, yet you are picking up some signals that you are being perceived in a different light.  These signals include comments like “Well, we can’t get Mandy on that project because she’s not here all the time.” Or “Didn’t you receive that email?  I thought I sent it to everyone.” 

People appear to be stereotyping you as a Mum first, professional second.  These individuals may not be consciously aware of their thought patterns or have ulterior motives.  They automatically think “Working Mum” before they think of you in as a professional in your field.  Working Mum has become a dominant part of your Brand at work. 

While you love being a mother, you don’t want your managers and colleagues to put “Working Mum” ahead of everything else about you.  Here are a few ideas on how you can swing your professional brand back to where you want it to be:

·        Consciously segment your life as you walk through the office door each morning.  Switch your mind over from your parenting role to your professional role.  Can you think of yourself as an actor taking a different part on a different stage?  Give your complete focus to this role for the next seven hours until you leave at the end of the day. 

·        Define your Professional Brand.  How do you want others to perceive you at work?  By defining your key brand messages it will be easier for you to express and project them every day.  When you reinforce brand messages of “serious, committed, proactive, creative, professional (amongst others)” you are defining who you are and how you want others to “see” you. 

 

·        Pay particular attention to your personal presentation.  Refresh your wardrobe with a couple of new outfits and shoes.  Don’t forget the jacket trick.  Pop a jacket over your dress or blouse/skirt ensemble when you attend meetings for an instant corporate look.  Perhaps it is time for a new hairstyle and colour?  When you look good, you feel good and your confidence will soar. 

·         Be consistent and stay within your Professional Brand at all times at work.  Don’t share too much or express doubts to work colleagues about your ability to fulfil your dual roles.  Reserve any such conversations to have with trusted friends and family members.

·        When someone asks about the baby, be polite and answer her/him briefly (no more than a couple of sentences).  Then immediately swing the conversation over to a work topic, e.g. “Thanks for asking about Joshua.  He is going really well.  Bob, I wanted to ask you about the remuneration report…”  Do not give into your (only natural) instincts to talk on about your child or children and go through all the cute things he is saying and doing.  This is reinforcing the “Working Mum” tag which will get even stronger.

·        Do not turn your work-station or desk into a baby wonderland of multiple photos and memorabilia.  Again this display is reinforcing that you are Mum first, professional second.  Also do not volunteer your latest digital photos of your child to everyone on the team.  You are giving the “Working Mum” tag lots of oxygen and it will only grow bigger.

 

·        If you believe you are not being treated as a full member of the team, step in and correct any misconceptions quickly.  For instance, if you haven’t been included in a group email, have a quick word with the colleague involved, “I didn’t receive that email.  Would you please make sure I am on the distribution list?” 

·        If you have been overlooked for an interesting project, say to your manager, “Tom, I would have liked to be involved with that one.  Is there any reason why you didn’t think of me?”  If Tom replies, “Well you’re not here all the time…”  You could reply by reminding Tom that you have a full-time dedication and commitment and that you can take on such a project by managing your time and other commitments, etc.” 

 

·       Ask for what you want.  Don’t leave your manager in any doubt of your serious commitment to developing yourself and your career.  Take control of your Brand and let your manager and others around you know how you wish to be perceived, what projects you would ideally like to be involved in and what and how you can contribute.

It is really up to you!  When you continually reinforce the brand messages you want to be known by, you will break through the stereotype of the “Working Mum” tag in a relatively short time.  Quite simply, at work you will become your Professional Brand.

 

To your brand-new Professional Brand!

 

Lynne Lloyd

Managing Director

People Results

Telephone 1300 167 981

enquiries@peopleresults.com.au

www.peopleresults.com.au

 

 

p.a. Need help with creating your Professional Brand?  People Results provides executive coaching and a number of talent development programs for women managers and professionals:  two of our popular workshop are Executive Presence for Women and WomenSpeak.  According to your needs, we facilitate workshops in-house exclusively for our clients' team members as well as offering public workshops regularly throughout the year.

 

 

Who are the Heroes in Your Life?

Do you have heroes in your life?  Who do you look up to and admire for their fine qualities and exceptional character?

We expect our heroes to be exemplary in how they behave.  It comes with the territory.  We idealise them, putting them up on the highest pedestals inour minds.  We feel that we could never be that brave, that clever or that fearless.  We could never reach their heights of achievement and glory.

We do not need to slavishly follow or idealise anyone or anything.

 

Yet our heroes do topple and fall into the dust of reality from time to time.  We must re-evaluate them with the evidence of their fallibility.  Our heroes are mortal and flawed after all. 

Australians love our sporting heroes, the home-grown ones and the international sporting stars.  Not a big sports fan, I nevertheless have been caught up in the cult of hero worship.  Two men in particular were up on the pedestal for me and the rest of the world:  Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong. 

We all adored the good-looking Tiger who could do no wrong on the golf course as well as off the course.  He was happily married to a beautiful woman and was a devoted family man.  A Christian man and a good man who devoted much time and money into his own Foundation helping poor and disadvantaged children get an education. 

Lance Armstrong reached beyond superstar to legendary status.  He won the Tour de France more times than anyone else in the history of the event.  He beat a deadly cancer into submission and came back to the bike to win even more titles on the Tour.  Sadly the legend of Lance Armstrong is now one of infamy.

 
Both Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong fell from grace in no small way.  They were shown to be cheats.  They cheated on their families and friends, they cheated on their sport and they cheated on everyone who believed them to be genuine heroes. 

How do we deal with it when our heroes fail us so comprehensively?  Perhaps we feel more than a little jaded and cynical about putting anyone else on such a high pedestal again.  We leave a little corner of scepticism in our minds about who the media is building up as a hero in case he or she lets us down.  Should we ever put so much faith in another human being?

When our heroes fail to live up to our expectations, it should make us think about why we have to look outside ourselves to find heroes in our lives?  Why can’t we be our own heroes?  Our first and last relationship is internal. 

We need to like, respect and trust ourselves more.  To recognise that we have unique qualities, that we do not need to slavishly follow or idealise anyone or anything.  And then to recognise that we can be more than we are today if we only choose to be:

 

“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”

-W. Shakespeare

 

 

To all the everyday heroes wherever you are!



Lynne Lloyd

 

Managing Director

People Results

Brisbane - Australia

1300 167 981

enquiries@peopleresults.com.au

www.peopleresults.com.au

 

 

 

The Chemistry of Networking

Does the popularity of social networking sites like LinkedIn herald the end of interpersonal networking?  Will we witness the disappearance of the business luncheon or the meeting over a coffee simply because it is easier and quicker to connect with potential business partners and suppliers on the Internet?

 

To consider this question, we need to tap into how people really get to know and trust one another.  Humans are ambient and sensory creatures and we take in information through sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.  So much of what we initially absorb about another person is through our non-verbal sensations, some of which have been duplicated by web technologies like video, podcast, and webcam.  It is conceivable that in the future that our senses of smell, taste and touch will also be mimicked in the online environment.  But can it ever be the same as the real life interpersonal experience?

Getting to know, like and trust others lays solid foundations for business

 

When we meet person to person, a mysterious combination of all our senses takes place in three to seven seconds.  This synergy is commonly referred to as our “first impressions.”  We can be immediately drawn to another person while, on other occasions, we may be unsure and even wary.  Sometimes our first impressions are so definite and strong that they can be described as “chemistry.” 

When networking, we greet each other by touch through shaking hands.  The handshake continues to be essential business etiquette for men and women alike.  It is surprising how much we learn and are reassured by this brief physical contact.  Through it, we start building knowledge and trust which are the foundations for all business relationships.

Online social networking sites have greatly facilitated the process of connecting with others.  But these technologies have not diminished the place and importance of our inter-personal networking at functions, conferences and informal meetings.  The reality is that the personal and interpersonal nature of networking is affective, powerful and cuts through like nothing else can.

 

What are your thoughts on the future of inter-personal networking?

To your Success,

Lynne Lloyd

Managing Director
People Results
1300 167 981
enquiries@peopleresults.com.au
www.peopleresults.com.au

p.s. Would you like to refresh and enhance your networking skills and confidence? Join us for the People Results’ Networking Plus Half-Day workshop in Brisbane on Wednesday 17^th October; click here for details and how to register.

A Woman Who Could Break the Rules (of Networking)

In a swirl of energy and motion, she moved from group to group introducing herself with a flashing smile, “Hello, I’m Quentin Bryce.”  Pausing for the briefest time, Ms Bryce quickly deserted our group.  Smoothly and graciously she swept off to greet the next group of business women at the function.

This encounter happened ten years ago in 2002.  Ms Bryce was yet to be appointed as the Governor of Queensland and subsequently as the first woman to be the Governor-General of Australia.  Is it possible that, in her mind, her future direction into these high offices was already mapped out?  More than likely, she knew where and what she wanted to achieve.  Did Ms Bryce break one of the classic rules of business networking, namely not to flit from group to group without engaging group members in conversation?  Yes, she did break this “rule” and yet she was charming and gracious at the same time.  She knew the rules but being a woman in a hurry, a woman who was on a personal mission, somehow for her, the rules had no force upon her actions. 

To reach her full potential, Ms Bryce needed to be known for her personal qualities and achievements by those who could open doors and make decisions about future opportunities.  She built very strong reserves of social capital, particularly in her home state of Queensland.  Frequently quoted in the media, she became a recognised and connected public figure within legal, business and government circles. 



A Woman of Firsts, Her Excellency, the Governor General of Australia

With all her experience and achievements, there can be no doubt Ms Bryce earned her prestigious positions on the basis of meritocracy.  However, where she far exceeded any other contenders, is in her social and emotional intelligences.  These so-termed personal intelligences have enabled Ms Bryce to influence and inspire others in many different spheres of Australian society.
 
Returning to our theme of business networking, we must firstly learn and practise the rules and etiquette.  Only after we have developed our social skills and confidence to the highest levels can we break these rules from time to time with the skills and personal magnetism of someone like our current Governor-General.  

If you wish to raise your business networking expertise to the highest levels, join us for the Networking Plus Half-Day workshop on Wednesday, 17^th October, 2012; for details please click here.  We look forward to seeing you there.

To your Networking Success!

 
 

Lynne Lloyd

Managing Director
People Results
1300 167 981

enquiries@peopleresults.com.au

www.peopleresults.com.au

 

 

Walking the Extra Mile

“There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.”

                                                                               -Zig Ziglar

Recently I read one of those lists of what you have to think and do to be a big success in business.  It was written by Jeff Haden and published on Inc. "9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful People."

I particularly liked Jeff’s number 9 point “The extra mile is a vast, unpopulated wasteland” which is perhaps a tad pessimistic.  He clearly picked up this idea from Zig Ziglar who said it first (see above) but unfortunately he did not make an attribution to Zig. 

 

His point 9 reads:  "Everyone says they go the extra mile.  Almost no one actually does.  Most people who go there think, “Wait … no one else is here…. Why am I doing this? And leave, never to return.” 

In practical terms, what is going the extra mile at work?  I believe that the extra mile is located off our position description.  We will not find it by reading and complying with our KPIs, no matter how comprehensive they are.  Accomplishing our performance indicators means that we are doing our job. We are compliant and should be able to tick all the boxes when our next performance appraisal comes around.  

As soon as something is committed to paper, it is limiting our range of creativity and movement.  To go the extra mile, we must leave the well-trodden highway and find another road which is not well-defined or clearly sign-posted.  We know the extra mile is somewhere up ahead but how do we get there?

Jeff Haden advises “Every time you do something, think of one extra thing you can do – especially if other people aren’t doing that one thing.”   This is good advice.

 

People Results offers three practical ways to extend this extra-mile thinking and doing at work:

 

1.  Volunteer More Often.  When your manager announces, “We have to give a presentation at the conference, who is going to do it?”  Be the one who volunteers, “I’ll do it!”  Or, “I want someone to help train the new team member for a couple of days?”  Be the one who says “Yes, I’ll do it!”  Or “I was going to pick up Jane and Tom from the airport after work today but now I can’t make it.”  Be the one who says “I’ll do it!” even though the airport is in the opposite direction to where you live.

 

2.  Get your Ideas into Play.  When you think of a great idea that has broad implications for the success of your company or organisation, don’t think “But that’s not my job!”  Or “I might look as if I am trying to take over someone else’s turf.”  Or, “It’s not in my job description.”  Our creativity knows no bounds and certainly doesn’t fit neatly into job descriptions or organisational structures.  Look for a way to get your good idea into play even if you have to share the credit with your direct manager. 

 

3. Go to Where You are Needed Most.  As an example, you are a team leader or supervisor, and you are down on your staff numbers in one key Department, and the stock is sitting on the floor in boxes.  Roll up your sleeves and get on with unpacking the stock and getting it up on the shelves.   That is right, packing and pricing of stock is not listed in your job description.   That is why you go ahead and do it because it is where you are most needed.  At that particular time you don’t need to manage; you need to do.  The Regional Manager comes into the store and sees you in the thick of it and doing what needs most to be done.  You are demonstrating in the clearest terms that you walk “the extra mile.” 

 

 To Your Success (on the extra mile)


Lynne Lloyd
Managing Director
People Results
enquiries@peopleresults.com.au
www.peopleresults.com.au
 

Spring: 'Tis the Season to be Networking

How, where and why do you network?  How effective are your networking activities?  Do you gain good returns on your investment of networking time and effort?  

There is widespread endorsement of business networking as a strategy for sourcing new clients and finding new career opportunities.  However, when it comes to how networking is practised, there is a sharp disparity between theory and practice. What works well in business networking, and what doesn’t, is not well understood or openly acknowledged. 

 

Could networking be that easy?  Woody tells us 80% of success is showing up.

 

In a series of articles, we will take a close look at what works well and what is less effective in business networking.  Three factors that can lead to disappointing returns are:

1. Woody Allen famously quipped “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”  He is right but the other twenty percent is having some idea of why you are showing up in the first place.  Often we don’t know why we are showing up at a particular event except that our boss and other members of the team are going and we tag along.  

For business networking to be effective, we need to have the big picture in your head, knowing our purpose and having a direction and a plan.  If we network in a haphazard manner, we will get results that are patchy and poor.  Then we get discouraged and stop networking because we cannot see any worthwhile outcomes. 

So work out the big picture and link your networking efforts to your goals for client acquisition and/or career development, amongst others.

2. Another common trap in networking is lack of consistency in where we network.  Often we rush in here and rush in there!  Instead of choosing a small number of forums, we take a scattergun approach and go to many different functions and events.  Be discriminating and select the forums you will regularly attend in order to become recognised and well known.

3. Perhaps Woody Allen can show up without any prior knowledge or practice of the networking script and protocols.  He is a gifted actor, director and comedian.  But for the rest of us, for our networking to be effective, we need to have (or learn) some basic social skills.  What are you going to say to break the ice?  What is a good group to approach?  How will you get someone talking?  Can you do the small talk?  How do you break away from a group without causing offence?  

At People Results, we look forward to bringing you more articles on the topic of business networking during the month of September.  As well, we are currently preparing a short program on effective business networking which will be launched in October 2012 (dates TBA).   More on this topic soon.

 

 

 

 

Meetings are Not Just Meetings

Careers have stalled, derailed or even been cut short because of what happened or did not happen in meetings.  While meetings are primarily for discussing and making decisions, they are also useful for getting noticed and advancing one’s career.

As the old Castrol TV commercial drilled into our consumer brains, “Oils ain’t oils,” so meetings are not just meetings.  From the point of view of the individual manager or professional, the management meeting is a semi-public forum in which you are able to stand out and impress the people who are powerful and/or highly influential in your organisation.  You will never see it because it will happen at another time and place when one nod or shake of the head will result in career heaven or career hell for you. 

Senior meetings are not the places to think out loud about some vague idea you had when driving in to work.   Save that brilliant thought until you have worked it out with your team and put together a compelling business case.  Shooting the breeze with an idea which is still in the early formative stage is too risky. 

Before you go to a meeting, switch yourself over to “meeting mode” in which you are consciously managing the perceptions of the members of your organisation’s tribe:  the senior executives, your manager, other senior managers and your peers.

Make the most of meetings by preparing and promoting.

On the surface you are there to discuss the current project, report on its progress, make decisions and for a thousand other reasons.  Under the surface you have another agenda which is to build your executive presence ever stronger.  You go to each meeting thinking about how you will present and interact in ways that are consistent with and reinforce your executive presence.

Here are just five strategies (of many) to consider:

1.         Invite your Manager and His/Her Manager to Your Next Team Meeting

Most people avoid asking the senior executives to attend one of their own meetings like they avoid jumping into crocodile-infested waters.  It is rare for a senior executive to be invited into what most managers regard protectively as “my territory.” 

If you have a great meeting structure, lots of positive contributions and you stick to the timelines and run the meeting efficiently, you can distinguish your leadership and openness by taking up this strategy.

2.         Speak Confidently and Concisely

In senior executive meetings, be direct to the point and make your contributions concisely.  Avoid long anecdotes or making interesting (to you) detours when you speak.  Instead speak in bullet points, backing up what you say with concrete facts, evidence and data.

3.         Keep your Contributions Overwhelmingly Positive

When others think about you, they should have strong impressions of a positive contributor.  Keep your comments at least 90 per cent positive and reserve your negative gun-powder for when it really counts, for example, when you know with absolute certainty a particular decision will send the team, Division and company hurtling off a cliff and plunging to certain death on the rocks below. 

4.         Promote Meeting Preparation to the Top of Your To-Do List

Absolutely when it matters, you must prepare thoroughly before you go to the management meeting.  Even if you are not presenting at the meeting, study the agenda and have one or two points ready to contribute to the discussion.

Senior executives notice when someone is well prepared; equally they notice when someone always comes to meetings unprepared.

Preparing before the meeting is especially important for people who need time and a quieter environment in which to formulate their ideas and responses.  We are referring to the introverts in the team; every team needs these more serious, analytical and cautious members.  Introverts tend not to like making snap decisions and speaking off the cuff.  If the foregoing description sounds like you, it is essential to allow more time to prepare so you are ready to speak on an issue, ask questions and play an active part of the decision-making.

5          If the Meeting Structure and Organisation is a Shambles, Fix It

If management meetings produce little or no outcomes or run over the allocated time, don’t just walk away shaking your head in frustration.  Do something about it! 

Go to your Manager or the Chairperson with a plan for change, for example volunteer to write the Agenda and distribute it.  Place time limits on the individual Agenda items to ensure the meeting finishes on time.

 

In People Results’ Executive Presence Half-Day workshop, the topic of meetings is covered, along with many other strategies for managers and professionals to build and increase their poise and presence and be viewed as future senior leaders of their firm, company or department.

Our next public Executive Presence workshop is in Brisbane on Wednesday, 29^th August, 2012 from 9am to 1pm.  If you would like more information and/or to arrange registration, please click here.

 

All the best for great meetings,

Lynne Lloyd 

Managing Director 

People Results 

Swimming Hard and Fast in the Leadership Stream? What does it take to Succeed?

At the London Olympics, Michael Phelps has just made history, becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time with 19 medals in his trophy cabinet.  When asked what it took to achieve his success and go so much further than others, Phelps is reported as saying:

"It's a combination of everything.  You have to have a great work ethic. Have a strong mind, be motivated. There are so many things that come into it.”

 

A key word from Michael Phelps’ quotation is “combination.”  Michael Phelps is the epitome of the synergy of success.  Being successful in any field is not about having one or two strengths or skills and working long hours.  It is the combination of many factors that make up the secret sauce that champions possess.

The combination for success includes recognising opportunities that appear from nowhere when you are not even looking for them.  Those headed for success don’t hesitate; they positively jump on the opportunity and go all out.  The more cautious, insecure person may think, “No, not yet.  I’m not ready for this senior role.  I need to learn more.”  Others fall into the trap of thinking “There are lots of other opportunities out there waiting for me in my future.”  The reality is that “Maybe yes there are; equally maybe no; maybe this is my one great opportunity.”  

Embrace any advantages that you are offered or influential mentors who will promote you and smooth your path to leadership.  Sometimes it is just one person, one encounter, or one “lucky break” that provides the secret ingredient to your success sauce.  

It is true that some factors that lead to career success are hidden and not openly acknowledged as being important.  They might be small and seemingly inconsequential.  For example, it could be how well you get along with your boss, how well you understand what results he/she has to produce, what pressures he or she is under and how you look out for and find ways you can contribute and add to his/her results.  When your boss is promoted, does he or she know that you are a key part of their success?  Will he/she reciprocate when the time is right and ripe, and endorse you for a role you want?  The answer is yes, absolutely!  You have demonstrated your support and loyalty and they like, respect and trust you. 

The hidden success agenda of leadership is the focus of People Results’ Executive Presence workshop which has been attended by hundreds of managers and professionals from a wide range of organisations.  Our next workshop date is on Wednesday 29^th August 2012 from 9am to 1pm in Brisbane.  If you would like more information and/or to register, please click here.

To all the Olympians competing at London 2012 (and to you too) , all the very best for your Success!

Lynne Lloyd

Managing Director 

People Results 

Telephone 1300 167 981

Email:  enquiries@peopleresults.com.au 

Web:  www.peopleresults.com.au

8 Top Ways for Women to Negotiate Successfully

1.    Instead of Negotiate, Think  “I’ll Ask”

The word negotiation has some negative connotations that stop us from doing it.  Negotiation sounds like a very formal, serious and competitive event.  It can seem scary!  Take the negative out of it by substituting the phrase “OK, I’ll ask” instead of “I’ll negotiate.” 

2.    Without Fail, Always Negotiate. 

Even if you are delighted by what appears to be a generous offer, do not immediately jump to “Yes, I’ll take it.”   Research studies show that men negotiate far more often than women; in fact up to nine times more.  Raise the number of times you negotiate daily and weekly.  The more you ask, the more you will receive for yourself, your team and your organisation.  Always negotiating can become one of your most effective management tools.

Raise the number of times you negotiate daily and weekly.

3.    Don’t Wait for Someone Else to Offer 

Do not wait until someone else notices what you need at work.  This is the squeaky-wheel tactic and it works.  Start by asking your manager for small things and work up from there.  Firstly ask yourself, “What do I need to do my job better?  What resources does my team need to perform better?  What does my division need to reach our targets?” Then go ask for it.

4.    Use Your Own Communication Style

If a woman tries a tougher, more combative approach when negotiating, most likely she will meet greater resistance and even opposition.  This tactic will backfire.  As women negotiators, we can be tough on the issues and targets but not tough in how we communicate.  There is an old saying that we attract more flies with honey.  So the kinder, softer, more collaborative communication style that is natural for most women will work fine when negotiating.  

5.    Slow Down and Get the Best Possible Deal

When you are told the details of any arrangement, for example if you have been promoted and your new remuneration package is under discussion, be upfront and say that you need some time to consider it.  Arrange another meeting and go away to think, consult others, research and prepare your counter offer.  When you rush through a negotiation, you will lose value for yourself.


6.    Broaden your Perspective from “It’s just me!”

Even the most experienced commercial negotiators find negotiating for themselves relatively difficult.  As women, we can get mired in self-doubts like “How much am I entitled to?” “Shouldn’t I be grateful to have this job?” and “Will I be seen as too demanding and aggressive?”   Broaden your perspective from “It’s just me!” and negotiate from a position of strength and leadership. Try imagining what you would say and do if you were negotiating for a third party with the same qualifications, experience and achievements as yourself.  Then do it for you.

7.    Whenever your Role or Responsibilities Change, it is Time to Negotiate

A significant change in role and expansion of responsibilities is the time to negotiate with your employer.  Whether intentional or not, the employer may neglect to mention any change of title, remuneration or entitlements.  So remember the trigger of change and ask for a new package.  You will, of course, be very clear about what you want (homework, research!) and will prepare a strong case.

8.    When you are asked to make a Concession, Always Get Something in Return
You are asked to give up something small and insignificant and you readily agree.  Then you are asked for another small concession, and again you agree.  In negotiation terms, this tactic is called “nibbling” and all these small concessions can add up to a lot for the other party who is gaining more and more from you without having to give anything in exchange. 

So if you are asked to make even the smallest concession, ask for something of value to you in return.  If you are taken by surprise and not sure of what you want in return, ask if the request can be “parked” off to the side temporarily as you consider it.


You can become a very successful negotiator for yourself, your team and your organisation.  People Results can help.  We have two negotiation workshop dates coming up in July and August:  one on the 25th July in Brisbane. Hurry if you would like to attend this workshop as only 2 places remain.  Please register here.  Our other workshop date is 8th August in Toowoomba.  Please register here.


Please note that People Results also delivers the Successful Negotiation workshop for your organisation exclusively.  Please let us know if an in-house workshop is a preferred option.

Any questions?  Please get in touch by phone or email for answers and assistance with registering for the workshops. We look forward to speaking with you soon.


To your Success,

Lynne Lloyd
Managing Director
People Results
Executive Coaching and Talent Development
T  1300 167 981
F  07 3910 1003
E  enquiries@peopleresults.com.au 
W www.peopleresults.com.au

Don’t Just Accept It, Negotiate It!

My position description does not list negotiation skills as a core capability.  Do I really need to be a good negotiator to do my job well? 

Negotiation skills are often categorised with conflict resolution skills or as part of the sales process.  While these are two key applications of negotiation, they are not the complete picture.  In effect, negotiation abilities are multi-faceted and useful in many different work and personal situations.

Even when we do not have the authority to make the decision, we can influence the decision-makers and the choices they make through negotiating.  When we negotiate fairly and effectively, we are empowered.  We are active and influential participants rather than passive recipients.  Across diverse situations, negotiation improves the likelihood of securing workable solutions that hold benefits for us and others.  Negotiation is versatile, accessible and empowering for individuals, groups and organisations. 

When negotiating, ask questions to explore the positions and interests of the parties. 

Prior to initiating a negotiation, there are two important precursors.  The first is to recognise that negotiation begins with developing a particular mindset, one of being open to possibilities and looking with fresh eyes.  Successful negotiation is not just a matter of taking a common-sense approach and sitting down with others to have a discussion.  Negotiation has its own language, models, processes and tactics which must be learnt before being put into practice. 

The second precursor is to recognise many everyday situations as opportunities to negotiate.  Negotiation is more than international deals, commercial contracts or buying a new car.  It is also the everyday agreements we can reach in cooperation with others.  Through negotiation we can achieve equitable and more sustainable solutions.

Improving our knowledge, awareness and abilities to negotiate allows us to achieve more than ever have before in our interactions with senior managers, peers and external stakeholders.  So don’t just accept it, negotiate it!

If you would like to gain successful negotiation strategies and skills, People Results is offering two workshop dates in July and August 2012.  The first workshop is being held on Wednesday 25^th July in Brisbane - only two places remain in this course so please be quick.  You can register here.  Our other workshop is being held in Toowoomba on Wednesday 8^th August; please register here.

Lynne Lloyd

Managing Director

People Results

Executive Coaching and Talent Development

Telephone:  1300 167 981 

Mobile:  0421 998749 

Email:  enquiries@peopleresults.com.au 

Web:  www.peopleresults.com.au 

What Messages Are You Reinforcing?

What we repeatedly do is what we become known for.  Others form perceptions about us by acutely observing our behaviours.  We are the medium and we are the message. (A tip of the hat to Marshall McLuhan!)

What if someone is always playing the role of “Class Clown” in management meetings?  Even though Andrew meets all his targets and knows his stuff, he is always joking and acting in a flippant, casual manner in meetings.  His managers and peers perceive him as “not serious about the business and doesn’t care about getting into more senior roles.” 

Send in the Clowns!  Don't let it be you.

 What if someone is compliant and meekly accepting when he/she is loaded with more and more work?  When Emma is approached by her manager and colleagues with requests to take on another project or help them research and write the report for the board meeting, she is always obliging and always says “Yes.”  Yet underneath her cheerful exterior, Emma is seething with indignation and frustration that she is always the one who is loaded down with more and more work.   Emma has been reinforcing the message that she is the “Willing Workhorse” who is dependable, gets things done, and likes to help.  

What about someone who is the quieter, more reflective person on the team?  As the National Procurement Manager, Janice is on the executive management team at her company, a leader in the logistics industry.  She attends all the meetings without fail, yet Janice’s voice  is only heard when she is asked a direct question.  Otherwise Janice is content to listen carefully to the vigorous discussions that are the basis for their high-level decision-making.  Janice is certain that the others know her value and her contributions to the business.  She likes to gather all the data, analyse it and formulate her responses and recommendations after the meeting is over and she has time to think through all the options. 

In the minds of the other executive team members, Janice is perceived as a non-player who might as well not even be there.  No, they cannot see what she does behind the scenes; they can only see and hear that she is not “present” when it counts at their meetings.  The Managing Director has noted Janice’s lack of input and interprets it as “reticent to put her views forward, a bit timid, lacking in confidence ….” 

In each of the three examples above, the managers are repeating the same behaviours and reinforcing the same messages over and over again.  Unless they change these behaviours, they will continue to be perceived as:

The Juvenile Joker

The Willing Workhorse

The Quiet Achiever

The solution is to become far more personally self-aware and consciously manage how others perceive you in the key forums of organisational life.   Stop being your “natural self” and letting things take their natural course.  Stop the behaviours that are hurting your image, such as being the Juvenile Joker around the office and in meetings.  When asked yet again to take on more work and your in-tray is overflowing with high-priority projects, deliberately pull back from saying “Yes” like you always have and say “I am not available.”  Be ready to stall, defer and negotiate. 

If you are “The Quiet Achiever,” and need time to prepare before speaking, get into the habit of thinking about and jotting down some comments and questions on key agenda points before you go into the meeting so you feel confident and ready to speak without being prompted.  Be visible and audible in meetings and you will rapidly enhance your executive presence.  If you have found that others are claiming credit for your ideas and solutions, intervene with the appropriate persons and in the appropriate forums with your own clear communication that it was you who deserves the credit.  Do not overlook it when someone claims your ideas.  Immediately step in and correct them.  If they have got away with plagiarising your ideas in the past, they will assume that you won’t challenge them on it.  But you do challenge them and set them back in their box.  They won’t try it again.

In summary, what we consistently do and say is reinforcing the same messages over and over.  If these messages are not how you want to be perceived by significant others (including those who will make decisions on your future), it is time is stop these behaviours and put other ones in their place.  Do it slowly and gradually at first until you know that you can confidently build the messages and meanings that will enhance your executive presence.

To your Success,

Lynne Lloyd

Managing Director

People Results

p.s.  If you would like to attend a professional development program that will get you started on building a strong and successful executive presence, our next ExecutivePresence Half-Day public workshop is being held on Wednesday, 29^th August 2012 in Brisbane.  For more information, contact People Results direct on 1300 167 981 or enquiries@peopleresults.com.au. 

Let Us Not Diminish the Hero

With the footie season in full swing and the London Olympics just around the corner, we are hearing and seeing a great deal about heroes in the mass media.  The epithet of “heroic” is often used rather too loosely to describe people whose actions are not necessarily heroic in the true sense.  A hero is brave, courageous and has little regard for personal protection or safety in his or her actions.  Do our star footballers qualify for heroic status?  Perhaps some do like the recently-retired Darren Lockyer who rarely transgressed in his off-field behaviour.  Darren has been a superb role model of a true professional for others to admire and emulate on and off “the paddock.”

Sally Pearson, superb Australian athlete and strong chance for Gold at the London Olympics

Is there a hero within each of us?  Under the right set of circumstances, we can all be heroes.   One circumstance that every mother knows well is the instinct to be fiercely protective of one's children. Just anyone try to hurt our child by word or deed and we will spring to the attack.  

In organisational life, we are often called on to be “heroes” as we lead and teach others, becoming role models for how to think, say and act courageously and ethically.  However, what we often neglect to do well is to let others know what we have achieved and how we achieved our results. Sometimes we may even be dismissive and self-deprecating about our successes, thinking that anyone else could have done as well.  Not necessarily so, given that each individual is a unique combination of talents, experience and temperament.  

One of the practical techniques in the People Results’ Executive Presence workshop is how to have a selection of personal success stories at your command and to speak those stories readily when you unexpectedly bump into the Managing Director in the car park, or find yourself face to face with the Executive Chairman in the middle of a CBD coffee shop.  These are precious moments of truth when you can speak with power and conviction about your recent achievements, always giving full credit to the involvement and contributions of your colleagues and team members.

In your success story you will cast yourself in the role of “hero” in how you led and guided your team to reach the successful outcomes.  Because of the skill and finesse in which you conduct this conversation, you will not be perceived as boastful or big-headed.  Quite the opposite, in fact, you will be regarded as being articulate and self-assured.  In the workshop, we practise this technique using a very simple and effective conversational model.  

To enhance your executive presence and stand out as a leader within your organisation and in other key forums, we invite you to attend the Executive Presence for Women Half-Day workshop on Wednesday, 20th June in Brisbane.  

People Results also offers the Executive Presence workshop in-house for your staff members.  Please let us know if you would like to discuss this option.

To Your Success,

Lynne Lloyd

Managing Director

People Results

Executive Coaching and Talent Development

Telephone:  1300 167 981

Mobile:  0421 998749

Email:  enquiries@peopleresults.com.au

Web:  www.peopleresults.com.au

The Big Speech: Once More with Feeling Please!

The ACTU President, Ged Kearney, opened their National Congress this week with a speech that was well crafted and about the right length.  It should have gone well but the manner of her delivery unfortunately meant that her speech failed a fundamental test.  From the parts of the speech that were shown on Sky News, she expressed some core beliefs and the values and vision of the Australian Union movement.  Her delivery should have matched the power and passion of her words. It didn’t!

Why?  Because Ged’s head was continually bobbing up and down as she read the speech word for word from the written version on the lectern in front of her.   Just when a point needed to be made with strong conviction, Ged’s head would go down again to read from her written speech.  

  

If only Ged had kept looking up as she spoke!

The audience members saw that Ged’s non-verbal behaviours did not match the words she was speaking.  When it comes to a choice between believing what someone says and what someone does, we always pay more attention and give more credence to what we see people doing.  It was Ged’s non-verbal actions that would have distracted the audience from the actual content of her words.  If she couldn’t speak with her head up, looking at the audience and speak the words clearly and confidently, they could not play their part and listen with their heads and hearts open.

On such a big occasion as opening a National Congress, we can certainly sympathise with Ged.  She wants to remember exactly what is in the speech; she is anxious that she will forget what she has to say.  The solutions are to rehearse the speech a few times over and to memorise some of the really key points.  A quick glance to the written speech every so often to check the next major point should be enough.  Then you can keep looking ahead and around at the audience members who are “the customers” of your message.

In the Confident Presentation Skills workshop, we cover some practical techniques that are great enablers to presenting calmly, clearly and confidently.  This workshop is available as an in-house program exclusively for your staff members or we regularly hold public workshops throughout the year.

Our next Confident Presentation Skillsworkshop is being held in Toowoomba on Tuesday May 29th 2012.  We are registering a maximum number of 10 participants and limited places are still available.

Happy Presenting, 

Lynne Lloyd 

People Results 

www.peopleresults.com.au 

Presenting Confidently: Rise Above Q & A Pitfalls

As applause breaks out across the audience at the business lunch, you realise that your speech has been well received.  You feel pleased and somewhat relieved.  But then, as is the normal protocol, your host invites the audience to ask their questions. 

While you are able to control the content, structure and flow of your presentation, once the baton is passed over to the audience, it is not possible to control who will ask a question and what questions will be asked.  The key point for the Q & A session is that, as the speaker, you are still in control, aided and supported by the moderator of the function. 

You will feel even more in control and confident in your responses with the following tips and techniques from People Results:

Staying in Control

Occasionally a questioner is less interested in asking you a genuine question as they are in promoting their own views in public.  The typical questioner will frame their question with two to three sentences.  By contrast, the expansive questioner will keep talking for an extended period rather than actually asking a question.  This situation does not arise often because most people observe the Q & A protocol and ask a question.

But when it does happen, you need to interrupt the questioner quite strongly and at the same time put your arm up with your hand palm-side out, saying clearly, “I have to STOP you there; time is getting away.  What is your question?”  If the person still persists in not asking a question, interrupt her/him again immediately, “We need to move on.”
 

At the same time, deliberately turn your gaze and body right away from the questioner and toward the rest of the audience members, asking if someone else has a question.

The Hostile Questioner
Rare but it does happen that someone has an “axe to grind.”  Pity that it is against your head!

In this situation, first and foremost, keep calm and composed.  Let your features and expression be completely neutral, neither happy nor unhappy.

Do not respond to the hostile questioner in the same way if he/she was angry, loud and aggressive.  Before you answer, acknowledge to the questioner and to the audience in general that the topic is one that some people feel strongly about and that you understand and respect others’ views provided they are expressed in a respectful, reasonable manner. 

Ask the questioner to remain calm and you will be only too pleased to answer her/his question.  As you respond, acknowledge any points you agree with and acknowledge others where you have a different view.  Be careful not to let the questioner back in as it is not the time or place for a to-and-fro exchange.  


Wrap up your answer on a positive note with any points of common ground.  As you finish, turn your gaze and body to the other side of the audience and ask, “Are there any other questions?”

Gaining Time to Answer
Some questions are unpredictable and come out of “left field.”  Initially your mind goes blank and you struggle to formulate an answer.  Here are some tactics to use in this situation:

·         Throw the question back out to the audience or group members.  “Has anyone else experienced this problem?  Please raise your hands.”  If you get one or some responses, ask him/her, “Can you tell us what happened?  What did you do?”  If you don’t get any responses, you have still “bought” yourself some time to think about the question and come up with a short response.

·         Respond by saying, “Let me check if I understand the question.  You’re asking “……”  By reflecting the question back and clarifying for understanding, you have bought yourself some time to think it through and answer it.

·         Respond by saying, “That’s a very important question; (you’ve bought a little time) and “I would like to answer it by …..”  There may be more than one issue in the question and you can only answer it in part.  Acknowledge when you cannot answer question in full because of time limitations or lack of information.

Talking and Taking Up Too Much Time
The questioner may be one of those meandering speakers who finds it very difficult to go in a direct line in their communication.  Instead they try to give all the background and examples and talk and talk without getting to the question.  This condition is sometimes called “verbal diarrhoea,” and someone who is a sufferer is harmless except that he or she is taking up the limited time for Q & A.

 

Like the Staying in Control situation on the previous page, but this time gently interrupt this questioner and ask, “What is your question?” 

Don’t Know the Answer
When you are asked a very detailed or technical question and you don’t know or are not sure of the answer, say so simply and clearly.  Explain that you don’t want to be specific until you have the current figures or check with someone in your company.  Ask if the person will provide their contact details to you afterwards, and you will be happy to get this information to her/him.

Do you have some tips that have worked well for you or others?  Please add your thoughts and experiences on how to handle the Q & A session with confidence and success. 

If you would like to discuss your professional development (or on behalf of your team members) in public speaking/group presentation skills, please contact us for a confidential, no-obligation conversation.

Happy Speaking!

Lynne Lloyd

Managing Director

People Results

Executive Coaching and Talent Development

Telephone:  +617 39101003

Email:  enquiries@peopleresults.com.au

Web:  www.peopleresults.com.au