HowtoInspirePeopleFinal

HOW TO MOTIVATE Inspire PEOPLE | 10 KEYS TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
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How to Motivate Inspire People
10 Keys to Employee Engagement
 Copyright Rick Conlow & Doug Watsabaugh
 Published 1st December 2013
  All rights reserved.This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part,
without written consent from the author.

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION
ONE
SETTING CLEAR GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS
TWO
TRAINING EMPLOYEES EFFECTIVELY
THREE
MANAGING WITH FLEXIBILITY
FOUR
COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE
FIVE
MOTIVATING EMPLOYEESTHROUGH RECOGNITION
SIX
DEALING WITH POOR PERFORMANCE
SEVEN
ACHIEVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE GAINS
EIGHT
COACHING FOR EXCELLENCE
NINE
CREATING FUN WITHIN A HIGH PERFORMANCE WORK ATMOSPHERE
TEN
HIRINGTHE BEST PEOPLE
CONCLUSION
4 GREATTRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS
ABOUT WCW PARTNERS

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Our book, SuperSTAR Leadership:A 31-Day Plan to Motivate People, Communicate
Positively and Get Everyone OnYour Side, is about the leadership skills, values and ap-
proaches that will not only motivate people, but inspire them to greatness. It pro-
vides a developmental process that helps leaders, managers, trainers, supervisors and
coaches take a critical look at their management approaches and competencies, build
on strengths, shore up weaknesses, and become immediately more effective. Our ap-
proach is about revolutionizing leadership effectiveness, considering the fact that man-
agement studies show over 50% of managers fail, we prove there is a better way.
This eBook’s foundation is based on our work and
consulting experience, as well as research we did to
keep improving our own skills. Our experience has
been built working with client leaders who want to
achieve results fast, something we all aspire to.
To do this, we will summarize the nine core strategies
we feature in SuperSTAR Leadership:A 31-Day Plan to
Motivate People, Communicate Positively and Get Every-
one OnYour Side.You may be wondering, why put this
into a shortened eBook? The most often asked ques-
tion we hear from managers is: How do you moti-
vate people? Far too many managers are frustrated
and confused about how to deal with poor perform-
ers, how to create employee engagement or how to
take a team to the next level. SuperSTAR Leadership
provides a comprehensive understanding complete
with daily exercises that answer this question, how-
ever these nine core strategies provide a start to get
you on the road to success.
This eBook is a no-cost or low cost solution to
provide to any and all managers, supervisors, lead-
ers, coaches and trainers.We firmly believe, “If you
want your people to be better, you have to be
better leader.”
The Superstar Leadership Model speaks to managers
directly and challenges you with two defining ques-
tions:
1. ”What do employees need from you, the boss,
to succeed?”
2. “What is it like to be supervised by you?”
As you read this eBook, answer these questions
honestly and execute the strategies consistently with
passion.As you do, as we have seen other managers,
you begin to achieve see significant gains in employee
morale, engagement, teamwork and productivity.We
wish you the best of success to you.
POSITIVELY,
Rick Conlow & DougWatsabaugh
INTRODUCTIOn

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What do employees need
from you, the boss, to
succeed?
What is it like to be
supervised by you?

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S E T T I N G C L E A R G O A L S A N D E X P E C TAT I O N S
A
fter years of research, we created
a leadership model to answer the
question:What separates excel-
lent leaders from the not-so-stellar lead-
ers? We infused our knowledge with our
experiences with the highest and lowest
performing managers.We discovered that
it comes down to nine interrelated strat-
egies that the top leaders -- we call them
SuperSTAR Leaders -- tend to under-
stand, grasp and implement better than
others.Above all else, SuperSTAR Lead-
ers understand what motivates people.
In his classic Harvard Business Review article,“One
More Time: How DoYou Motivate Employees?” Fred-
erick Herzberg states the factors that motivate most
people are:
Achievement
Recognition
The work itself
Responsibility
Advancement
Growth
Learning
Our opportunity as managers is to leverage these fac-
tors to enrich employees’ jobs.You may notice money
isn’t on the list.According to the article, money is
seen as much as a job “dissatisfier” as it is a job satis-
fier. Herzberg argues that incentives are more of kick
in the pants than a motivator.Whether it’s negative
or positive, fear-based or monetary incentive-based.
Herzberg says both produce movement, not motiva-
tion. Movement means there is a change in results,
but largely because the manager took action rather
than the employee.This lacks sustainability. Motiva-
tion means the employee has an internal generator to
want to do the job better or more effectively and isn’t
influenced by an external reward. Motivation produc-
es more consistent efforts.
So how do you motivate people?You don’t!You let
them motivate themselves. In fact, you find ways to
inspire them, which we will talk more about later.The
truth is that employees are always motivated; just not
always to do what the leader wants. Different things
motivate different individuals. Most of the time, man-
agers don’t know what is important to an employee
or make an effort to consider their employees’ priori-
ties. So again, how do you motivate people?You find
out what’s important to them and work to design or
create an environment that helps them achieve their
goals and facilitates their growth for both the com-
pany and themselves.
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Based on our research and
experience working with top
leaders in companies around
the globe, managers need the
following to excel:
1. Clear Goals and Expectations: According
to a Lock and Latham Study, with clear goals and
expectations managers saw a 16% improvement.
2. Training: According to an ASTD Study, companies
in top quarter of training expense ($1,500 per year
or more) average 24% higher profit margins.
3. Communication: According to a Wyatt Study,
with good communication there was a 30% increase
in market value.
4. Coaching: According to the Personal Management
Association, coaching yielded an 88% positive im-
pact.
5. Leadership Flexibility: According to Blanchard,
Hersey, Goleman, managers that incorporated lead-
ership flexibility saw 15%-20% more results.
6. Recognition: According to a Jackson ROI Study,
there was a triple return on equity for companies
with more recognition than those companies who
do less.
7. Promotions/Incentives: According to the Per-
formance Improvement Institute, promotions and
incentives had a 22% impact on results.
8. Customer Loyalty: According to a Bain Re-
search study, there was a 5% improvement in cus-
tomer retention improves profit 25% or more.
9. Hiring: According to the Personnel Policy Service,
the right hire saves 3 times the annual salary.
Notice the potential performance gains. Contrast this with
the fact that management derailment studies indicate 50%
of managers fail today.The Gallup Group reports that 70-
80% of employees are disengaged.An enterprising manager
can buck these trends and learn to lead, inspire and create a
high performing team.
The key to SuperSTARs’ success is that they use these
strategies in tandem.The point is not to master one and
abandon the others - the goal is to become proficient in all
nine. Let’s start with the first strategy.
70-80% of
employees are
disengaged.
An enterprising
manager can buck these
trends and learn to lead,
inspire and create a high
performing team.

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Excellent Performance Management:
Setting Clear Goals and Expectations
First and foremost, all great performance begins with
clear goals and plans.Without direction, how is dedica-
tion possible? Without clarity, how does a team know
how to commit? Now, this idea isn’t new, but it also
isn’t well practiced. Presently, a lot of work is done to
create strategic plans in companies, but very rarely is
work updated as time progresses.
Secondly, the goals that are made at the top of an organization
or team don’t always trickle down to the individuals that are
actually responsible for executing the plans—in other words,
there is a disconnect between those making the plans and
those executing the plans. Even when goals are identified, very
rarely do managers maintain their commitment; instead, their
plans, ideas and strategies ride any wave that comes their way.
Finally, research suggests that less than one third of managers
have clear goals and expectations in writing with their em-
ployees.
To overcome these unnecessary obstacles, try taking a few
small steps:
• Review and update plans on a regular basis so they are
relevant, appropriate and effective.
• Ensure that everyone affected by the plan is informed
about the plan’s purpose, strategy and connection to
their job.
• Sustain the progress of a plan by remaining focused on
it and dedicated to it by daily managing performance
of the team and individuals.
• Provide timely feedback to your team to recognize
progress and to deal with sub-par performance.
80% of performance problems stem from ambiguous expecta-
tions; clear goals and plans help focus employees on achieve-
ment and the personal growth necessary to accomplish the
tasks.As Theodore Hesburgh says,“The very essence of
leadership is that you have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you
articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion.You can’t
blow an uncertain trumpet.”
“The very essence of
leadership is that
you have a vision.
It’s got to be a
vision you articulate
clearly and
forcefully on every
occasion. You can’t
blow an uncertain
trumpet.”
THEODORE HESBURGH

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In this age of services, technology and prod-
ucts that are so similar from one competi-
tor to the next, people become the primary
differentiator. So, are you investing in your
people? If yes, how are you doing it? As with
everyone, employees need ongoing, engag-
ing learning opportunities to be at the top
of their game.The training must be relevant,
interactive and consistent to increase produc-
tivity.
Early in our careers we were eager to learn and move
ahead. So, we began the habit of attending 4-5 training
sessions a year, which usually added up to over one
hundred hours of training time per year.We paired
this with reading one-to-two books a month to stay
abreast of our field.While we did this we noticed that
those around us didn’t take these steps and we were
consistently able to achieve faster and more sustain-
able results.
Every February, Fortune magazine publishes the top
100 companies to work for in America.What isn’t
always mentioned is that these companies regularly
provide over fifty hours of training per employee per
year. It pays off in both the companies’ bottom lines
and employee satisfaction.
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T R A I N E M P L OY E E S E F F E C T I V E LY

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Managers are the Best Trainers
So, where do you start if you know you need to train?
Managers are the best trainers because they are the
closest to their employees. But, to master training
methodology and delivery, most managers need to
learn professional training techniques and adult-learn-
ing principles.
While not everyone can become a “training expert”,
most can learn the basics, which can help reinforce
skills and attitudes through their training and subse-
quent follow-up coaching. Never forget that the
single biggest impact on an employee’s per-
formance is their direct supervisor.
How Often Do You Train?
So, how often should you train? Well, considering top
athletes train almost every day between games and
in the off-season, business shouldn’t be any different.
Unfortunately, the reality is that employees rarely have
the opportunity to participate in more than one train-
ing session a year.
Much of a manager’s training can be done in depart-
ment meetings. Hold weekly team meetings and
conduct hour-long training sessions once or twice
a month.This way there is consistent month-in and
month-out effort to help employees learn and grow.
Topics can relate to company products, company pro-
cedures, technology or interpersonal skills like team-
work or customer service. Beyond this do a few 1-2
events during the year. You will catapult your team’s
energy and results on the job.
One of the keys to employee motivation is ongoing
development and growth. Managers that become ef-
fective trainers can help their employees achieve self-
motivation and self-direction.This leads to improved
performance.Various studies by the American Society
for Training and Development suggest that companies
with more consistent training outperform others by
over 20%.This is reason enough to train your team
consistently.
Hold weekly team meetings and conduct hour-long
training sessions once or twice a month.

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M A N A G I N G W I T H F L E X I B I L I T Y
I
n any given day, it doesn’t take long to
realize that everybody is different.Yes,
there are similarities here and there, but
for the most part, we are all very unique.
From our background to our appearance
to our experience to our personality, we
are different. So, flexibility
is among the most impor-
tant qualities in a successful
manager.
Think of it like this:You’d never call
someone a chef, or even a decent
cook for that matter, if they could
only cook one dish.You’d deem
someone a chef that has mastered
the art of cooking. Now, that doesn’t mean that chefs
can’t specialize in one cuisine over another, but the
caliber of a chef often depends on one’s ability to im-
provise as needed, without compromising the quality
of whatever is cooked.The same is asked of leaders.
A leader can’t always pick and choose the type of
team, projects, environments, or crises that will come
one’s way. If a leader can’t determine how to navigate
the unpredictable waters, he or she will probably go
down with the ship.To some extent, it’s really about
going with the flow to adapt to what your followers
need without forfeiting the things that matter.
Your team is going to vary by indi-
vidual.The level of need, knowledge,
experience, behavior and guidance
will inevitably change by day by team
member and by project.That’s a lot
of change. So, will you be the leader
that refuses to make adjustments
accordingly? Or will you be the one
leading the pack through the unprec-
edented territory? Will you expect
every member of your team to be on
the same page as you at all times and become frus-
trated when one falls short? Or will you willingly and
cooperatively work to understand the unique needs
of each team member, so that you can effectively and
collaboratively reach your goals together? Is it about
you or is it about your team members?
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The level of need,
knowledge, experience,
behavior and guidance
will inevitably change
by day, by team member
and by project.

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Your approach as a leader must adapt to the needs of
your followers. It can’t be all about you if you’re hoping
to help your team reach success. For example, if you have
team members who are struggling, the help you need to
offer them would feel like handholding to a top performer.
Yet, what you’d give the star on your team would be too
overwhelming for a beginner.And really, the only way to
adapt as needed is to KNOW YOUR TEAM. Ask ques-
tions; get to know what makes them tick, and determine
the skill and will behind your employees so you can tailor
your approach as much as possible.This is also a key to fo-
cusing each person on individual responsibility for results.
A while back, we came across this anonymous quote,
which suits this strategy well. “Blessed are the flexible, for
they shall not be bent out of shape.” It’s an excellent im-
age to keep in mind as you’re hoping to become a better
leader. It’s almost as if you’re completing one big puzzle.
Each piece is unique, in order for the whole project to be
complete.And just like putting together a puzzle, leading a
team takes a lot of patience, resilience, and versatility.You
can’t know it all before you get started, but you can be
open to figuring it out along the way based on what fits,
what’s needed and what works.
Note: The strategies discussed briefly here so far and
the others to come lead to better employee performance
and engagement. Our research proves it, we have suc-
ceed at it, and our client managers have experienced it.
Remember, first the managers changes and improves and
then employees will follow. Each strategy takes persistent
practice and review to achieve mastery.All of them go
together like a symphony. Each needs to done with a car-
ing heart. People are the greatest resource of a company.
Nurture, support and coach them and they will go the
extra mile for you because they want to.
As you seek to reach the
ranks of good bosses if not
SuperSTAR leaders, ask
yourself these questions:
1. Do I know what makes each
of my team members moti-
vated? Discouraged?
2. Do I know the level of skill
of each employee? Am I
adapting to the abilities of
each?
3. Am I creating an environ-
ment that encourages
uniqueness and difference?
4. Am I suffocating others by
making them feel like they
have to be a certain way
(“my way or the highway”)?
5. How am I utilizing each
person to his or her utmost
potential, regardless of how
he or she compares to other
team members?
6. Am I rigid and unable to
adapt to needs and team
members accordingly?
7. What am I doing to make
progress in this strategy?

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C O M M U N I C AT E , C O M M U N I C AT E , C O M M U N I C AT E
It can’t be said enough that communication is key. It’s also critical that it be positive,
helpful and motivating.This doesn’t apply for any type of communicating; for example,
more yelling, screaming and threatening is not helpful but positively communicating
with your team in a way each person can fully understand is essential for workplace
motivation.
Recently, CEOs were asked in a survey, why are you
successful? The majority said their ability to commu-
nicate effectively is what helped them rise to the top.
Contrast this with employee feedback from employee
engagement surveys. One of the biggest complaint
areas for employees is poor communication from
leadership.
To begin improving your communication and your
team morale, focus on the following areas.
Communicate about goals and plans.
Do this with each team member one-on-one, and
with the team as a whole. Ensure that everyone
understand their priorities, expectations and goals.
Review results in “real-time”. Update plans at least
quarterly. Studies show you can increase performance
16% or more through this process.
Communicate in team meetings.
Hold regular team meetings.We see the best manag-
ers doing this at least weekly. Run an effective meeting.
If you are not sure what types of topics to cover, see
our blog or eZine articles for ideas.Your purpose is
to inform, discuss, problem-solve, encourage and train.
Without meetings, the rumor mill has a tendency to
run and negativity spreads quickly.With a consistent
process you can keep your team focused and upbeat.
Communicate by being available and
visible.
Tom Peters coined the term:“Managing by wandering
around.” Meaning stay involved in day-to-day activities,
not to micro-manage, but to engage positively. Leader-
ship is a high contact sport.
For the most part, employees want to do well. By
communicating about goals, plans, outcomes and
problems, we can work together as a team to do bet-
ter.A common problem teams face is the difference
between what managers choose to communicate and
what employees want to know.The lesson learned
here is that managers must find iut what their em-
ployees want to know, in order to communicate the
right thing. Not only that, but it’s important for man-
agers to communicate it in the right way.We suggest
you attend a few “hands on” seminars to improve
your listening and presentation skills. Communicating
the right thing in the right way establishes trust and
minimizes misunderstandings.This clarity and cohe-
sion are bound to benefit your team’s level of effec-
tiveness, productivity and success.
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M OT I VAT I N G E M P L OY E E S T H RO U G H R E C O G N I T I O N
Gallup has done some incredible research on how recognition and results go hand-
in-hand.According to their research, employees who said they were recognized in
the last week at work, tended to perform better the following week. In the book,The
Carrot Principle, authors Gostick and Elton state recognition helps drive employee
engagement and productivity.This strategy revolves around assisting employees at cul-
tivating pride in their work.
So, how is it that most managers forget something
so simple? The truth is, most managers believe that it
makes sense to recognize their employees - but most
managers either don’t make the time to do this, or
they feel uncomfortable doing it. Neither of these are
good excuses. In fact, there is a solution that solves
both of these problems: PLAN to RECOGNIZE.The
more you can make recognition a part of your regu-
lar routine, the less uncomfortable and forced it will
feel. Recognition can be formal or informal. Do what
makes sense for you and your employees. In seminars,
consulting and books we differentiate between these
two types of recognition. For our purposes here, con-
sider these five simple suggestions as to how you can
carve this priority into your calendar.
1. Put actual reminders around key projects or
dates that will require some form of recogni-
tion.This way it’s scheduled!
2. Create competitions around major projects,
so there’s a healthy level of competitive spirit
generated that naturally produces opportuni-
ties for recognition.
3. Make it a goal to recognize each employee on
your team at least once during the workweek.
Tie this into your coaching time. (See our
coaching section.)
4. Establish a small budget at work that allows
you the flexibility and freedom to buy a team
member coffee or take a team member to
lunch when he or she produces stellar results.
Not only will your employees appreciate this
kind of gesture, but also it will give you one-
on-one time to connect with your employees
outside of the office.
5. Start team meetings with a five-minute “recog-
nition rally” that allows you and team mem-
bers to recognize one another for hard work
or exceptional work done between team
members.This will help to make recognition a
natural characteristic of your team’s culture.
Above all, the key to recognition is that it’s GENUINE
and CONSISTENT. If it happens once in a blue moon,
that won’t be enough to elicit the possible positive
responses from your employees.And if it’s not sincere,
your employees will know. So, do it right and do it
often to make a difference.
FIVE

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Two of our favorites quotes on this topic lead to the
two questions we will leave you to answer. “A word of
encouragement during a failure is worth more
than an hour of praise after success.” This anony-
mous quote begs the question; are you willing and able
to recognize others in the small things, as much as you
are in the big things? And lastly, as Steven Covey so bril-
liantly stated, “You have to water the flowers you
want to grow.” Which flowers have you been neglect-
ing that need to be tended?

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D E A L I N G W I T H P O O R P E R F O R M A N C E
All managers need to learn to effectively deal with a wide range of performance is-
sues if they want to be a better leader. For most managers, not all, dealing with poor
performance strikes fear in their hearts because it involves confrontation. Some of
these issues include: absenteeism, tardiness, poor quality work, poor service, poor
productivity, lack of teamwork, conflict with others, and a lack of communication. Let’s
focus on the positive and a few key high performance principles.
• Most people think they are performing better
than they are and most people can perform
significantly better than they are.
• Most people want to do a good job.
• All individuals have an incredible untapped
potential.
• Each person is responsible for his or her own
behavior and attitude.
• The single biggest impact on an employees’
performance is their direct supervisor.
• When giving feedback, positive or negative, to
an employee you must be immediate as pos-
sible, be specific and want to be helpful.
• As a leader, if you want your people to be bet-
ter you have to be better.
To help an employee perform at a higher level each
manager needs to ask these key questions:
1. Have I established clear goals and expectations
both in the interview process and on the job?
2. Has the employee been trained or retrained
properly?
3. Have I coached my employee one on one
regularly?
4. Does the employee have the tools or resourc-
es to do the job well?
5. Have I given the employee appropriate and
timely feedback? (Praise when things have
gone well and constructive feedback for im-
provement when things haven’t gone well.)
SIX

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If a manager has provided all of the above,
then there are three other methods that can
be helpful. Here is a quick overview. Use each
one depending on the employee’s situation and
capability.
Redirect: This is for inexperienced employ-
ees on a new job or who have a new task.This
is a training issue; your job is to instruct to the
person how to do the job.
Review and Coach: This is for inexperi-
enced and experienced employees who are
falling short of their goals. Review expectations
and then coach. See the section on coaching for
more ideas.
Reprimand: This approach is for primarily
experienced employees.A reprimand has three
steps and usually only takes a couple of minutes.
First, meet the employee one-on-one and be
specific about the issue. Don’t yell or scream
but change your tone of voice for emphasis.
Second, state how you feel about the situation,
for example,“I am disappointed in how this
resulted.” Third, pause for a moment.The em-
ployee needs to understand that this is serious.
Then, praise the employee for his or her capabil-
ity. Remember this is an experienced employee
who knows what to do.When you take this
kind of approach with a reprimand you focus on
the behavior and not the person. Giving direct,
constructive feedback like this is a gift that can
help people perform at their highest levels more
consistently.
It’s important to remember to always follow
your company’s policy for documentation and
process. Seek advice from human resources.
Dealing with performance problems as im-
mediately as possible and constructively adds
power to the potential improvement. In all cases,
leaders need to follow-up and reinforce to rec-
ognize progress or correct mistakes.This also
helps employees take responsibility for change
and gives them the internal motivation to do the
job well.
Redirect
aimed at: Inexperienced employees
on a new job or who have a new
task
action: Instruct to the person how
to do the job
Review and Coach
aimed at: Inexperienced and expe-
rienced employees who are falling
short of their goals
action: Review expectations and
then coach
Reprimand
aimed at: Experienced employees
action: First, meet the employee
one-on-one and be specific about
the issue. Don’t yell or scream but
change your tone of voice for em-
phasis. Second, state how you feel
about the situation, for example,“I
am disappointed in how this result-
ed.”Third, pause for a moment.The
employee needs to understand that
this is serious.Then, praise the em-
ployee for his or her capability.

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C
ontinuity is another form of commit-
ment. If we continue something, even if
we change the details here and there,
it demonstrates that we’re dedicated to mak-
ing it what we want it to be and reaching our
end goal. Leaders need to understand - perfec-
tion is a process, it’s not a destination. Because
every one of our employees will vary in terms
of what they want, how they work and why
what’s important to them is important, defining
and striving for perfection is nearly impossible
(and most of the time, very unhelpful). Instead,
if we remain dedicated to the process of im-
proving, we can take into consideration the
changes that need to be made without com-
promising our goals in the meantime. Famed
football coachVince Lombardi said to the
Green Bay Packers early in his tenure:“Perfec-
tion is not attainable, but if we chase perfection
we can catch excellence.”We chase perfection
through continuous improvement.
SEVEN
It is essential to understand that if we fail to
recognize improvement is a process, we’re
setting ourselves up for disappointment. One
component of understanding this is realizing
and accepting that there is no way we can
know every step, every obstacle, and every
plan in advance.We can try, but if we don’t
adapt as needed our rigid mentalities and stub-
bornness will only make the hurdles harder.
However, when we lead our teams and enter
projects with the mentality that it’s about
maintaining a devotion to adjusting as we go,
we’re much more likely to stay committed, feel
less frustrated, and be more inspiring with our
efforts.
Seth Godin, expert blogger, entrepreneur and
best-selling author, recently had a blog post
that drove this point home. In it he said, “As
soon as you accept that just about everything in
our created world is only a few generations old,
it makes it a lot easier to deal with the fact that
the assumptions we make about the future are
generally wrong, and that the stress we have over
change is completely wasted.” It’s the same when
we’re leading others, if we decide at any point
that we have it whether it is our employees,
our projects or our successes all figured out,
we’re in for a surprise.
A C H I E V I N G C O N T I N U O U S I M P RO V E M E N T A N D
P E R F O R M A N C E G A I N S

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So, what do you do to stay consistently committed to constant
change? Here are a few suggestions.
1. Improvement takes innovation. As leaders, if we
create an environment that’s accepting and encouraging
of change and growth - we’re naturally inviting our em-
ployees to do things differently. Experimentation doesn’t
always result in success, but it’s essential at some point
along the way. Encourage it and watch your employees’
creativity come to life.
2. Ask questions. Problems are inevitable, and when
you’re the leader, you’re bound to be involved in most of
them. So, dig deep, ask questions and help expand your
employees’ perspectives by inviting them to think “outside
the box.”
3. Conduct a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis
(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) allows
your employees to intentionally take in a comprehensive
inventory of information that’s readily available to them
when they stop and reflect.
As Warren Buffett proclaims, “We enjoy the process much more
than the proceeds.” So ask yourself, what are you doing to ensure
that your team enjoys the process? What are you doing to dem-
onstrate that continuous improvement is critical to achieving
desired and decided-upon goals?
“We enjoy the
process much
more than the
proceeds.”
WARREN BUFFETT

20
C O A C H I N G F O R E X C E L L E N C E
Coaching is a term we often think of in regards to athletics. No matter how good an
athletic team is, we always think it’s absolutely essential for the team to have a coach.
But, when it comes to the business sector, we operate differently.Why is that? Most
managers don’t think they have the time, or they don’t quite grasp the concept of
coaching, or they’ve never been effectively coached themselves, so they don’t really
know where to start. Despite this belief, excellent coaching saves time and provides
employees with an example that they can carry far into their future.
Passionate and diligent coaching increases your team’s
productivity, generates higher sales, and improves the
quality of your service. It can be informal or formal,
but it should always be a positive process of mutual
dialogue. It can be used to do various things, includ-
ing building rapport, asking questions, giving advice,
providing support and assistance, following through on
previous conversations, and simply setting aside time
for an employee.
Informal coaching involves any employee contact; it
usually takes minutes and can be done every day with
nearly every employee.A few examples include:
• Talk to employees about non-business things
and care what they have to say.
• Verbally praise an employee in front of others.
• Meet with an employee in his or her office just
to see how things are going.
• Ask employees for input on a problem.
• Apologize for a personal mistake or error.
• Provide a listening ear when you know they
are in a tough spot.
One-on-one formal coaching sessions take more time
and are done less frequently. Often, formal coaching
leverages an employee’s key motivators and are very
valuable for many reasons, some of which include:
• Promotes effective communication and trust.
• Creates an employee-manager relationship.
• Creates an atmosphere of continuous im-
provement.
• Helps businesses and employees reach and
exceed their goals.
• Aids daily performance management and en-
gagement.
EIGHT

21
There are eight formal coaching steps that the best bosses
and the worst bosses do differently.To gauge where you
stand on the coaching spectrum, evaluate how you do in
each of these areas:
1. Communicate clear performance goals and
expectations.
2. Meet regularly in one-on-ones for coaching.
3. Ask for a summary of results and activities.
4. Set plans and commitments.
5. Keep commitments and action plans.
6. Praise progress and recognizes positive results.
7. Provide timely and regular feedback and guidance.
8. Make the time to coach in formal one-on-ones and
builds positive relationships with high expectations.
Learn to do each of these steps well. Next time you’re
hesitating about whether or not coaching is right for
your working environment, ask yourself if you’d be more
confident cheering for a professional sports team that has
no coach or one that just secured a coach with an all-star
reputation?

22
C R E AT I N G F U N W I T H I N A
H I G H P E R F O R M A N C E W O R K AT M O S P H E R E
Ask yourself,“Why do people go to work?”The answer is usually pretty straightfor-
ward; people have to work in order to make a living. But, what if the first answer that
came to your mind was people go to work because they want to? Somewhere along
the way the idea that work and fun couldn’t go hand-in-hand was perpetuated. But,
who decided that fun shouldn’t be a part of the equation? It’s almost as if above the
entrance to the Harvard Business School there is a sign that says,“Anyone entering
here will never smile again.”
Similarly, fun isn’t the reason we go to the gym, how-
ever we still have the choice to make a workout fun.
Fun is never a prerequisite to a vacation, but we still
make some serious strides to ensure that fun slips
into our holiday. In all other areas of life, fun is some-
times intentional and other times organic, so why
treat the workplace any differently?
Somewhere along the way, work and play got sepa-
rated. However, it’s critical to understand how work
and play complement each other and the combination
accelerates employee engagement. Employees want to
enjoy their work.As a leader, it’s your job to do your
best at bringing the fun into your workplace.Why? It
helps people perform better. How do you do that?
For now let’s review three strategies that help to give
your employees the incentive to perform to their ut-
most potential. It’s your job to help them have fun, it’s
your job to accentuate the payoff, and it’s your job
to prioritize promotions or incentives when they’re
deserved. It’s all about challenging your team. Here are
a few examples to consider.
1. Create and encourage team projects.
When a group is committed to something
together, the chances that they’ll have a good
time collectively also increases. Positivity is
contagious.A healthy level of competition
works to inspire employees to bring their best
to the table. For example, one company gave
its customer service representatives a team
customer experience goal. If they hit the goal
within the time period they would all go out
for dinner at a comedy club.They created
a team name, slogan and logo and tracked
results daily.They had a blast and exceeded the
goal. Everyone attended the event even in the
midst of a snowstorm.
NINE

23
2. Schedule communication activities.
Set aside a time each week where employees
get together to discuss priorities, progress
and performance.These should be ongoing
collaborative conversations. Doing this al-
lows for more opportunities for fun, as well
as increased awareness on everyone’s end, as
far as what’s happening within the team. One
engineering manager at an aerospace company
asked,“Can I have a team meeting?” He was
serious.With coaching he learned how to lead
a dynamic and engaging meeting. He began
getting compliments from his team about how
much they enjoyed and gained from his ses-
sions.
3. Plan social gatherings. Sometimes it’s
considered “unprofessional” to plan non-work
events at work.We believe it’s not only profes-
sional (when appropriate), but it’s smart. Learn
about what your employees enjoy and plan
something that’s “outside the office,” so that
team members can get to know one another
apart from the stress and seriousness that
the office offers. One sales team established a
co-ed softball team.While sales soared over
the summer, softball wasn’t the reason, but
everyone agreed that team spirit helped make
a difference.
Plato said, “You can discover more about a person in an
hour of play than in a year of conversation.” As a man-
ager, you’ll be amazed at what you can learn about
your employees by watching them enjoy themselves.
It’s not about all work and no play; it’s about a balance.
So now, identify one reason you tend to avoid having
fun in the workplace and brainstorm one solution you
have to extinguishing that excuse.
“You can discover
more about a
person in an hour of
play than in a year of
conversation.”
PLATO

24
H I R I N G T H E B E S T P E O P L E
Y
our success as a manager is often
linked to how well you recruit
and hire. Unfortunately, not all
supervisors or managers have complete
control over the selection process, or
aren’t involved in the hiring effort at all.
Corporate or human resources policies
can make it difficult to hire the best can-
didates. Specific and stringent policies are
in place to keep the selection process
fair and legal. Other times, the best tal-
ent doesn’t seem interested in your job
because they like their current job, the
compensation isn’t attractive enough or
the reputation of your company is ques-
tionable.
Regardless, the selection process is a crucial element
of a high performance strategy. Employee engagement
and having a successful working relationship with em-
ployees is a combination of good selection practices
and strong employee development. Unfortunately,
many managers use poor, outdated, inadvertently il-
legal, and sometimes harmful hiring methods that put
their companies at great risk.
Turnover is a pain, and if you are constantly interview-
ing and then training new employees, you regularly
lose ground.The wrong hire can cost three times the
annual salary of a good one. High turnover costs can
negatively impact your department, your reputation
and the company. Other employees wonder, what’s
wrong with this place? High turnover rates suggest
that management has poor hiring habits and poor
leadership practices. All of this leads to significant
lost opportunities for better service, sales, quality, or
profit.
The selection process needs to be like a test to be
fair. Most efforts at hiring and interviewing reflect
some opportunity for legal action because of:
• Poor preparation
• Interview questions do not relate to the job
• Failure to structure the process to give reli-
able information
Base the Interview on a Structured Busi-
nesslike Process
Think of the interview like a test, successful tests need
TEN

25
to be reliable and valid.To be reliable, it must generate
consistent information for decision-making no matter
who does the interview or whom you are interview-
ing. Structure helps with this and should include: using
a legal application every applicant, having written job
descriptions, creating written and clear expectations
and goals, and establishing questions about the mean-
ingful job tasks and duties. Shooting from the hip and
relying on a gut feeling most likely will produce unreli-
able information, poor results and sometimes even
legal concerns.
To be valid, the selection process and specifically the
interviews, must effectively measure applicant skills
and compatibility for the job. In other words, does the
interview generate information that is a good predic-
tion for job performance and success? This can be
difficult to do but is an important part of the process.
It is critical that the interviewer establish a positive
climate and rapport with the candidate.The inter-
viewer must ask specific and job related questions.
Also, ensure that consistent questions are asked of
each candidate.
Additionally, the interviewer needs to clearly commu-
nicate a sense of fairness and realistic understanding
of the requirements and skills needed for a specific
job to the applicant.Then and only then will the in-
terview process be professional and fair and help the
manager hire the best people.
Finally, managing high performance begins in the hiring
process too.Your communication with a candidate
matters, through setting clear expectations and goals
sets the tone a good employee/manager relationship.
Your job in hiring is not only to select the best avail-
able candidate, but also prepare the person to lay the
groundwork for a successful career on your team.
The wrong hire can
cost three times the
annual salary of a
good one.

26

27
4 G R E AT T R A I N I N G A N D D E V E L O P M E N T O P T I O N S
4 Great Training and Development
Options to:
• Keep learning how to motivate in-
spire employees!
• Improve your skills and knowledge
of leadership effectiveness!
• Achieve better team performance!
• Accelerate your career forward!
• Gain more personal satisfaction and
pride in your work!
1. Do you want to learn now to be a more effective
and successful leader? If so, we suggest you check out
our Superstar Leadership book. Order the book now:
http://wcwpartners.com/superstar-leadership-model/.
2. Do you want to assess or learn more about the
strengths and weaknesses of your leadership skills, so
that you can improve today? Take our complimentary
Superstar Leadership assessment. Click here:
http://wcwpartners.com/superstar-leadership-model-
self-assessment-download/.
3. Do you want to ramp up your effectiveness
to achieve better results with your team? If so we
suggest you check out our WCW Coaching
Breakthrough Blueprint. It includes
our book, the assessment, 3-reinforcement leader-
ship training DVDs and a leadership workbook that
complements the book. Order now by clicking here:
http://wcwpartners.com/superstar-leadership-self-
study-training-plan/
CONCLUSION
our Superstar Leadership book. Order the book
here.
Superstar Leadership Assessment here.
3. WCW Coaching Breakthrough Blueprint
Do you want accelerate your performance in your career?
We have 4 Dynamic Coaching Plans Customized forYour
Success as a Leader
After coaching over 250,000 managers worldwide
in many different industries,WCW Partners’ co-
founders, Rick Conlow and Doug Watsabaugh know
that one-on-one coaching makes a difference in a
manager’s career success as leaders.
• Are you getting pressure to achieve better results from your
boss?
• Do you desire a promotion and a higher income?
• Do you know your team can do better but they are under-
achieving?
• Do you need to improve your leadership skills based on
others feedback?
• Do you want to recapture your excitement for your career
and ramp it up?
• Do you know you can be a better leader but you just aren’t
getting the help you need?
• Are you committed to being more effective and want to
improve your confidence and competence?
If you answeredYES to one or more of these
questions, coaching can help you get where you
NEED or WANT to go! Learn more about the
Coaching Breakthrough BluePrint here.
27
4 G R E AT T R A I N I N G A N D D E V E L O P M E N T O P T I O N S
4 Great Training and Development
Options to:
• Keep learning how to motivate in-
spire employees!
• Improve your skills and knowledge
• Achieve better team performance!
• Accelerate your career forward!
• Gain more personal satisfaction and
pride in your work!
our Superstar Leadership book. Order the book now:
http://wcwpartners.com/superstar-leadership-model/.
Superstar Leadership assessment. Click here:
http://wcwpartners.com/superstar-leadership-model-
self-assessment-download/.
3. Do you want to ramp up your effectiveness
to achieve better results with your team? If so we
suggest you check out our WCW Coaching
Breakthrough Blueprint. It includes
our book, the assessment, 3-reinforcement leader-
ship training DVDs and a leadership workbook that
complements the book. Order now by clicking here:
http://wcwpartners.com/superstar-leadership-self-
study-training-plan/
CONCLUSION
Keep learning how to motivate
inspire employees!
Improve your skills and knowledge
Achieve better team performance!
Accelerate your career forward!
Gain more personal satisfaction and
pride in your work!

28
A B O U T W C W PA RT N E R S
WCW Partners is a management consulting and training company. Based in Minne-
apolis/ST. Paul, Minnesota, we work with clients in a variety of industries worldwide
to help them excel in sales, service and leadership.We facilitate business growth and
vitality through four practices—sales and customer retention improvement, organiza-
tion and leadership development, innovation and communications strategy.
Our approach
We don’t mind telling you that we’re different than
most consulting firms you’ll find in the marketplace.
For one thing, it’s our approach—when you hire us,
you get us. But just as important, we’re people who’ve
had to wrestle with the same issues you have—how
to strengthen sales, boost productivity, improve qual-
ity, increase employee satisfaction, build a team, or
retain and attract new customers.To us,“We develop
the capability in you” is more than a catchy phrase. It’s
our promise.
Our experience
Our clients include 3M,American Express,American
Medical Systems,Amgen Inc.,Accenture,AmeriPride
Services,Andersen Windows,Avanade, Beltone, Cana-
dian Linen and Uniform Service, Carew International,
Case Corporation, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Costco,
Covance, Deknatel, Eaton Corporation, Electrochemi-
cals Inc., Entergy, Esoterix, General Mills, GN Resound,
Grant Thornton, Hasbro Inc., Honeywell, Interton,
Kenner Products, Loews Financial, Northern Power,
Marketlink, Kemps-Marigold, Meijer Corporation,
National Computer Systems, Parker Brothers,Target,
Toro, Productive Workplace Systems, Red Wing Shoes,
Rite Aid, Rollerblade, Ryan Companies,Travelers
Insurance,Thrivent,Tonka Corporation,Widex and a
number of nonprofit and educational institutions.
Our success
We have helped companies achieve: 8% plus gains in
retail sales growth in a tough market, 5-7% gains in
transaction counts, 57% reduction in customer com-
plaints, 75% gain in sales to existing customers, 53%
improvement in sales, 34 quality and customer ser-
vice awards, Ford’s President’s Award , the JD Power
Award for Service and much much more.
Contact us
To learn how you can do amazing things, visit us
online at: www.wcwpartners.com or contact Doug or
Rick toll free at 1-888-313-0514.
Our Other Titles
SuperSTAR Leadership
SuperSTAR Sales
How to Be a SuperSTAR Employee
GoalPower
Designing a SuperSTAR Customer Experience

29
D O U G WAT S A B A U G H | C O O / C O - F O U N D E R
Doug values being a “regular person,”
with his feet on the ground and head in
the realities of the daily challenges his cli-
ents face. It’s his heart for and experience
in helping clients deal with difficult situa-
tions that distinguish him from other sales
performance and leadership development
consultants.
His knowledge of experiential learning and his skill at
designing change processes and learning events have
enabled him to measurably improve the lives of thou-
sands of individuals and hundreds of organizations in
a wide variety of industries – financial services, manu-
facturing, medical devices, consumer goods and tech-
nology to name a few.
Before starting his own business, Doug served as the
director of operations for a national training institute,
manager of organization development for a major
chemical company and was responsible for worldwide
training and organization development for the world’s
third largest toy company.
He was also a partner in Performance & Human De-
velopment LLC, a California company that published
high-involvement experiential activities, surveys and
instruments, interactive training modules, papers and
multimedia presentations.
Doug has co-authored two books with John E. Jones,
Ph.D., and William L. Bearley, Ed. D.: The New Fieldbook
forTrainers published by HRD Press and Lakewood
Publishing, and The OUS Quality Item Pool, about orga-
nizational survey items that measure Baldrige criteria.
His newest book, co-authored with Rick Conlow, is
the SuperSTAR Leadership Model, good boss bad boss
which one are you?
He is a member of the American Society for Train-
ing and Development (ASTD), the Minnesota Quality
Council and The National Organization Development
Network.
Doug’s father taught him the value of hard work, and
it paid dividends: He funded his college education
playing guitar and singing with a rock ‘n’ roll band, ex-
periencing a close call with fame when he played bass
in concert with Chuck Berry. Not bad for a guy who
admits to being “a bit shy.”
While Doug’s guitar remains a source of enjoyment, it
pales in comparison to his “number one joy and prior-
ity” – his family.

30
R I C K C O N L O W | C E O / C O - F O U N D E R
There aren’t many who’d argue the fact
that Rick is one enthusiastic and results
oriented guy. Even the titles of his books,
articles, speeches and initiatives reflect
his drive and positive energy.
A quick glance at his professional resume leaves you
with the strong impression that effort and optimism
are a winning combination. Case in point: with Rick
by their side, clients have achieved double- and triple-
digit improvement in their sales performance, quality,
customer loyalty and service results over the past
20-plus years and earned more than thirty quality and
service awards.
In a day and age where optimism and going the extra
mile can sound trite, Rick has made them a differentia-
tor. His clients include organizations that are leaders
in their industries, as well as others that are less rec-
ognizable. Regardless, their goals are his goals.While
many consultants talk about consistent and sustain-
able results, Rick helps his clients achieve them.
Rick’s life view and extensive background in sales
and leadership – as a general manager, vice president,
training director, program director, national sales
trainer, business owner and management consultant –
are the foundation of his coaching, training and con-
sulting services. Participants in Rick’s experiential, live
action programs walk away with ahas, inspiration and
skills they can immediately use.
These programs include “BEST Selling!”,“SuperSTAR
Customer Service”,“Excellence in Management!”,“Su-
perSTAR Selling!”,“The Greatest Secrets of all Time!”,
The State of the Art in Improving the Customer Ex-
perience, and “SuperSTAR Leadership, Good Boss/Bad
Boss – Which One AreYou?”
Rick has also authored Excellence in Management,
Excellence in Supervision, SuperSTAR Customer Service,
SuperSTAR Selling, Designing a SuperSTAR Customer Ex-
perience, SuperSTAR Leadership and Returning to Learn-
ing. He and his business partner, Doug Watsabaugh,
published six new books together.Their newest book
is the SuperSTAR Leadership Model, Good Boss Bad Boss
Which One AreYou?
When he’s not engaging an audience or engrossed in
a coaching discussion, this proud husband and father
is most likely astride a weight bench, or a motorcycle
taking on the back roads and highways of any state.

31
To continue learning how to
revolutionize your performace with
SuperSTAR Leadership:A 31-Day Plan to
Motivate People, Communicate Positively
and Get Everyone OnYour Side
For more information on WCW Partners visit
www.wcwpartners.com

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